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Thoughts on handrail posts. Given that you stated the deck posts are 6x6, the typical maximum riser height is 8", and you have added intermediate stones to get to the 2nd and third risers, it appears that the rocks are 5-8" thick slabs of a probably quarried, native stone that has many, now...

A few thoughts on handrails. There are mind-numbing details about proper handrail (and guardrail--you can look up the difference on an architectual website) construction. From the original photo your steps do not comply; nor do I believe they must. As your primary consideration seems to be...

(Inadvertantly) shooting oneself in the foot. Owing to low ceiling height in our old farmhouse (standard cabinets would have left less than 1' between cabinet bottom and counter top) we opted for custom cabinets when we renovated the kitchen in '79. We also bought a 40" Almond-colored GE...

My father opined that one could never have too much headroom in a basement. I had 5 years of records of the water depth in a fieldstone lined, dug well that was 8' from where the new addition foundation would be. I spec'd the basement floor 1' above the highest water level I had observed. The...

I had only heard the "string too short to save", but in cleaning our attic we found a plastic bag of aluminum ice cube trays labeled "Leaks".

Our house is an 18th century cape with low (7') ceilings and correspondingly low ridge. When we put on an addition we had the aesthetic consideration that the addition ridge not be higher than that of the main house. Additionally, we wanted the height to display a family heirloom grandfather...

Those of us who live in "old" houses and who think older houses were well-built should remind ourselves that we are living in "survivors". Shoddily built houses of 1 or 2 centuries ago have long since fallen to ruin and disappeared.

Blackstone Laboratories, LLC www.blackstone-labs.com I edited my post to include "Labs" so others do not have to read Google pages of investment companies, towns, etc.

To say again: Spend around $30 for an analysis by a reputable lab. (I use Blackstone Labs, have no relationship other than paying their fees.) Follow their advice for long fluid (and equipment) life and for peace of mind. See...

As I have aged, slow has become a virtue. I have an electric log splitter that takes over a minute to cycle; half-way through a FEL bucket of split logs, the slowness is fine with me. Oosik and I have 6" Wallenstein and Salsco PTO chippers that suit our purposes well.

Toolboxes are like attics; your possessions expand to fill them. Anytime you have to walk back to the workshop for a tool, you can rationalize carrying that tool on the tractor. Like barns or attics, toolboxes (you don't have to personally carry) are never big enough.

Another consideration when researching gas chippers would be if it has lifting points or if you could fabricate lifting points so you could use a sling to safely and easily lift the chipper into the truck bed. If I were to use the closing power of a grapple to grasp a chipper, I would likely...

As I have both a gasoline-powered Kemp Rancher chipper shredder (no longer made) and a Salsco 6" PTO chipper, and as I have posted my experience with both on this forum, you can probably search using my name and "Kemp," "Chipper shredder," "Shredder," "Chipper," etc. to read my experiences and...

Give your lovely bride a new hair dryer for Valentine's Day and keep the old one in the garage. Aside: Geezers like myself used open flame (typically propane with a flame spreader) to heat pine tar into wooden ski bottoms, used a special tip to iron (melt) hard wax into the ski base. Open...

The "Watershed Protection Area" is a town by-law; I'm certain the this state doesn't care either. But I do not drive the tractor on the state roads that are likely the bounds of the "Area".

Before lining the fan chamber I wire brushed, primed, and gave the metal multiple brush coats of Rustoleum. Hopefully, the UHMWPE will provide physical protection from the stones that pass through, and the paint coatings will remain intact and protect the metal from any salts. I live in a...

UHMWPE (Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) is reportedly used for dump truck linings, snowplow (and blower) edges and other uses that subject it to an abrasive environment. Several years ago I lined the chute of my blower with the stuff and have had no visible wear, and since it is...

Or a dolly under the implement to move the implement (a few inches) to the tractor. My chipper skids rest on a plywood sheet on a pallet. I often twist the chipper by horsing it by the infeed chute or prying it with a 4' bar to connect the pins.

Folk wisdom attributed to Harry Truman: Don't pick mushrooms unless your grandmother is with you.

The ball alnd hitch are appropriately matched, 2-5/16". If it fits, pull it.

According to The Dictionary of Fine Distinctions, an argument is valid when it is consistent with its premises, To wit: All humans are green; I am a human; therefore I am green is a valid argument. An argument is sound when it is valid and its premises are consistent with reality. The above...

Scootr--We are past Bigtiller's guess pf 3 pages (although 10 posts per page not 40) and 1/3 of the way to his aggregate of 120. Jstpssng--Do your testing rules require you to deduct your own and Scootr's posts?

Five months late to the party or 5 years early. See my post of December 1, 2019 Kubota L45 hydraulic fluid maintenance. Glad it worked out.

They are your tractors. Hydraulic oil is less likely to go "bad", but the specifications and suitability do change with different models, applications, etc. Engine (crankcase) oil will have an API C [for compression] letter and number as well as viscosity rating in the "doughnut". With the...

I admire your desire to be a Good Sam, but remember: "No good deed goes unpunished." The safest advice is the title of another thread, "Don't Do It" for the reasons bcp stated. You did state you have experience recovering using a Jeep and winch and even dynamic recovery straps, but your...

Also an old mnemonic to remind bicyclists that clockwise rotation tightens the right pedal but loosens the left pedal. Once pedal manufacturers put hex recesses in the ends of pedal axles, the cyclist had to remember the left pedal has left hand thread. Old enough to remember when automobile...

My grandson got a sort of mini trampoline, a web and canvas contraption to go over an inner tube. My wife went to a local commercial tire repair shop and asked for a tube. They gave her 2 used tubes at no charge.

Why do I think the other errand he is combining with the pallet run is a quick stop for cash at the drive-through ATM with 8' clearance?

Good looking repair. May I suggest that the next time the twig breaker fails, you continue to chip without it and notice if there is a change in performance. It appears designed to break dry, brittle twigs. I borrowed a friend's Wally 42 on which the twig breaker was present. I know because I...

Dougtrr2 summarized the situation very well. A few data to support his points: Awkward language in copy, e.g. "Professional installation is highly recommended if you never install this"; "Ships from" and "sold by" is not Amazon and is different from "Ecotric"; One star reviews number over 10%...

Wikipedia has a fairly comprehensive article on The Gimli Glider including the aftermath, investigation, and later history. In the article, Wikpedia used the word "dripstick" that I thought was a typo, but I clicked on the word to discover a dripstick is a standpipe that is withdrawn from the...

All this metrification reminds me of a prescient aside Kurt Vonnegut, writing in the 1960's, made in his dystopian science fiction short story, Welcome to the Monkey House. In the story, one of the ways the nanny state addresses overpopulation is through the establishment of "Ethical Suicide...

"Stop-Off" is a sort of anti-flux that prevents braze from adhering to the base metal. It sounds like an elegant way to attach a flanged nut or even threaded small plate to another plate by putting stop-off on the threads of a bolt, using the bolt to hold the nut in place while brazing, and...

A good way to view a retaining wall is that it is a dam holding back a pool of muddy water. In rocky New England where fieldstone is readily available, a rule of thumb is that the thickness of the wall at the base be at least 2/3 of the finished height. This gives sufficient mass to resist...

I treat all my paper air filters--tractor, lawn mower, shop vacs, etc.--in the same manner. Specifically. rap the filter to remove gross dust, blow with 25-30 psi air (both from inside out and along outside), wash with TSP in water, rinse, let air dry, test by blowing on it again. If the paper...

Studies show 87% of researchers' findings agree with the notions of the institutions that funded their research.

About a decade ago I was shopping for a 3/4 ton that would comfortably haul a camper. One salesman said "Fuggitaboutit, buy a Corvette, enjoy the roads, and sleep comfortably in motels."

If you served, you may have already "paid" for your hearing aids. In 1968, I and 9 others in a "booth" directly under the airplane approach to Logan Airport, passed our pre-induction hearing test. In 1973, I, alone in a soundproof room with 3' thick fiberglass insulation walls in the bowels of...

Let me divert it again. I once had tour of a mushroom farm--a multi-story, multi thousand sq. ft. windowless building in which pallet-sized beds of mushrooms in manure-rich media were stacked on pallet racks in the dark. After harvesting the mushrooms, the expended soil was deposited in a heap...

My father would describe himself as the type of carpenter who could build his own chicken-coop. My welding/brazing skills are analogous, mostly due to lack of practice.

U P D A T E Brazing was the more prevalent suggestion but all came with disclaimers ". . . done right it will outlast the metal you put it on"(john0829), ". . . if you can find some good, solid steel" (CliffordK), "The trick is not to overheat the steel."(rScotty) I used MIG to tack the tabs...

At 900 hours the muffler on my JD F510 front mower failed; the right (exit) end bulkhead was flapping in the exhaust breeze. A replacement muffler is no longer available, and I decided not to chance a used one from e-bay, The muffler is an approx. 6” diameter cylinder; the R end was a disk with...

Powder coating applies an electricly charged plastic particle coating to an oppositely charged object reducing the costs of overspray and nusiance of capturing air pollution. Then heat is applied to fuse the particles together into a "durable" coating. I have heard that is is possible to apply...

Oosik's routing suggestion comes first as it is easy and cheap. In addition to the pulley checks described by RjCorazza also check the profile. The sheaves should have a straight sided "V" profile so the sloped sides of the trapezoidal cross section of the belt engage properly. After several...

The whole pillow block "should" just slide off the shaft, however, the set screws or other fortuitous happenings may have marred the shaft so that the "persuasion" of a bearing puller or hammer and drift may be necessary. Before installing the new bearings, ridges or other projections may be...

For further discussion of vertical axis stump grinders/planers see mahar's thread of Feb 8, 2022 "Stump Plane" Stump plane. While the American manufacturer Fecon makes a 6" auger for mini (walk beside) skid steers, most are hydraulically driven and require high-flow and high torque. Premier...

To answer the OP directly, I have a Quick Attach 24" hydraulically slewed and raised stump grinder on a 32hp, 5500 lb (+700 lbs for the grinder) tractor, and it bucks and bogs down on 10-12" stumps unless I take small passes at slow slewing speeds. There are a great many threads on...

The terminology is ambiguous or at least confusing, and it is unlikely that you, I, or anyone else will settle the issue. I suggest "gravity feed" and "mechanical, roller, or hydraulic feed". Gravity feed has no power other than gravity, the operator's manual push, or the mechanical action of...

Old adage: If you have a stump you have a problem; if you excavate the stump you have 2 problems; you have a (big) hole, and you still have the (big, 18-20") stump. There is also the possibility that while excavating the stump near the water line, you disturb the water line. Grinding a stump...

Shortly after my sister got married she had a phone conversation with my wife about how wonderful her new husband was. "He helps with the housework. Why even as we speak, he is upstairs vacuuming." My wife looked out the kitchen window to see me in waders, knee deep in the proverbial as I was...

A friend was advised by his landscaper to avoid darkly dyed or black mulch as it often included wood from building renovations or demolitions that was bearing lead [and other metals] from old paint.

Sounds very much like Lambic Beer, a Belgian Ale made from airborne wild yeasts. Some beer afficiandos swear by it; I will charitably say it is an aquired taste. However it is useful. When one of my homebrew batches goes awry and turns skunky. I will call it Lambic and foist it on the...

If I were genetically predisposed to Dupuytren's disease I suspect that with the amount of motorcycle, bicycle riding, chain sawing, and chipping I have done I would have a diagnosis by now. None-the-less feeding < 3" branches into the chipper on my <10hp is a palsey-inducing exercise; my 6"...

Assuredly it is the trucker (or his company, or his insurer) that is on the hook for the costs. The recovery (towing) company that will have to remove the truck probably has jacks or hoists capable of raising the bed to near level; the yard that loaded the truck obviously has a fork lift that...

A funny thing happened on the way to the woodpile. My first chipper-shredder was a 3" capacity chipper, and I rationalized that any thing over 3" was firewood. I further discoverd that the narrow in-feed chute would not accept knotty, gnarly, or bowed branches, so many of those were considered...

Chipping and shredding are two different operations, although many manufacturers/marketeers combine them in an attempt to be all things to all people. Shredding us usually done by a drum with either fixed or swinging teeth that macerates material until it is forced out through a screen...

To the OP--Next time you change the filter in your high milage engine, decant some of the used oil into a sample jar and send it to a reputable lab like Blackstone. When you get the results, take a photo and post it here--lots of interested parties watching.

Thank you, Rockbadchild. Your explanations and the drone video make it a lot clearer.

Rockbadchild--a question on rigging. Thanks for your explanation; I have no experience in rigging for live evacuations. In a different video taken from the bridge deck it appeared that a "fall" line ran from somewhere (fixed?) on the bridge deck to a block (A) at the tip of the right rail of...

As a late step in smoothing, reversed tines are unaggressive. I will remark that my son, who is 33 years my junior and who got his experience as a groundskeeper at a golf course during school, is faster with a 36" aluminum hand rake.

A few years ago The Peoples Democratic Republic of Massachusetts began asking for the taxpayer's drivers license, but the law says that it is optional. Another instance where I have opted out; I expect creeping statism will soon make it mandatory.

In Massachusetts that's the law. The tag price trumps the shelf label that trumps the price stored by barcode in the register. The "free" is a good-will gesture by the merchant; kudos to "Big Y" and "Whole Paycheck" the two grocers closest to me. (I'm intersted to see if the censors still...

Whatever you end up with, buy some spare tines. Murphy says having them on-hand reduces the likelihood of distorting tines, but you will "set" them at some point. RjCarraza's advice to get gauge wheels is spot on; they make finish grading much easier. When shopping (I bought a LandPride...

A restoration carpenter who worked on my 200 YO house decades ago told me about the Rot Doctor (Rotdoctor.com), a Seattle company that sells a Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES) that I have used and recommend (no commercial interest except as a customer). There is a lot of information on...

Where to begin? No chocks, no cable or chain tie-downs securing locomotive to track section. No movement of locomotive body relative to truck frame. Truck casts a sharp shadow that appears inconsistent in sharpness and direction compared to shadows of barrels, trees. Unusually sterile...

Welcome to TBN. See bumperm's post of Oct 3, 2015 "B2782 Snow Blower modifying" (Try Googling "ultra high molecular weight polyethylene" if the link doesn't work.). He describes a very professional looking installation of UHMW PE liner and provided the inspiration and advice I used to line my...

Perhaps you can clean or polish the old sight glass enough so you can see the fluid level. You said the old sight glass was threaded. Red-neck solution: Thread adapters/petcock into the bottom fixture; open the valve and add fluid until it comes out the petcock; then you know the fluid level...

My Kubota has 2 lines on the dipsticks for both the crankcase oil and hydraulic oil reservoirs (sumps); the manual states that a level between the marks is acceptable. I consider the upper line to be a "Max Fill" and the lower line to be "Add Fluid". Unlike some other manuals, no mention is...

When an hydraulic cylinder is fully extended, the full internal volume of the cylinder is full of fluid. When retracted, that volume is reduced by the displacement of the rod that has been drawn into the cylinder. An illustration in my owner's manual shows the backhoe in the travel position...

As you have correctly surmised, your problems are geometry, physics, and lack of experience. Because of the great distance the plow is ahead of the front axle and the relatively short wheelbase of the tractor, any slight pitching of the tractor translates to big height movements at the blade...

My late father-in-law pointed out years ago that the weatherman's "job" was to keep the viewer from changing the channel. Hence the forecast of a metrological armageddon. Some locations, notably UK and California, use a buxom weather presenter showing cleavage (Works for me). Latest wrinkle is...

My better quality tool plastic cases--Milwaukee, Fein, Jonesway--have pin-type hinges. Pittsburgh (Harbor Freight) et al have flat plastic hinges that tear when flexed. Besides the hinges, blow-moulded plastic cases have other disadvantages. They are formed for the specific tool and may not...

Tekton makes an organizer for 3/8 sockets that holds the sockets with a quarter turn that impressed me. The SAE holds 15 sizes from 1/4” to 1” , one row of standard and 1 row of deep; the metric is similar with 19, 6mm to 24mm. Each holder is about 4” wide x 20” long, fine on the workshop wall...

For sorting, why not take a pound (around 75) 16d (3-1/2") finish nails and pound them into a scrap piece of plywood in a square array. Label the rows by brand (Snap-On, Mac, Proto, SK, ...) or quality (Best, Better, ...) and label the columns by size (8mm, 9mm, 3/8", 10mm, ... After sorting...

Several posters have said that they do not think a landscape rake is a good implement for the task you describe, and I agree with them. 1. Roots still in the ground will probably catch on the rake, setting, bending or distorting some tines so that you get a ragged leveling edge. 2. Loose...

An adjacent town has a 3-way stop at the bottom of a steep hill. The 4th street is the one coming down the hill. At first I thought it was a concession to motorists who did not realize their brakes were less effective descending and could not stop before entering the intersection. After a...

Occasionally seen, usually two 20' containers on a 40' chassis. The tractor driver jackknifes the trailer to allow access to the forward-facing doors. The lack of visible securing indicates the old "That's heavy; it's not going anywhere." attitude.

I have an "Operating Manual for Kemp Shredder/Chipper models . . ." that includes the K4 (4HP), K6 (5HP), K8 (8HP), and T6 (rear PTO mounted). It has 8 numbered pages (two 11 x 17" sheets printed on both sides folded to give the 8 pages). Page 2 has a statement "LARGER WOOD BRANCHES (OVER 1/2"...

Before using such reclaimed oil, the approx. $30 charge for analysis by a reputable lab is relatively cheap peace of mind and far more credible than various opinions stated on the internet (including this forum).

If protecting metal is more important than ultimate appearance, my opinion is that brush-on is often a better choice than rattle-can spray-on. I bought a carton of 2 x 1qt cans of Rustoleum Farm and Implement "Kubota Orange" (no designation old or new) from Home depot that matches my 2013...

I haven't been on the forum as long as rScotty but concur that most relevant posts support the better results from the manufacturer's fluid. I have only used Kubota's SUDT2 in my Kubota, had no problems, and will endorse the common wisdom despite the premium price. The fact the OP asked the...

While the old fashioned way may tell you it is past time for a change, oil analysis by a reputable lab is more sensitive, accurate, and reassuring. I use Blackstone Labs for both crankcase(s) and hydraulic oil. Following their recommendations I've had no mechanical problems with extended...

Danny MacAskill may differ. 2:51 for the water. (Also see outtakes after 4:30 to feel a little better.) ]

Alas, the United States is not the Netherlands. The Netherlands have decided, bicycle-enhancing advantages. 1. It is a small country 200 mi N-S, 160 Mi E-W. Distances are nowhere near as great as in the US. 2. As dmccarty noted, there are separate ways (paths or roads) for pedestrians...

Bicycle chains, throttle cables, anywhere a light, lubricating oil is desired. It doesn't seem to attract as much dust and gum up as crankcase lube oils do.

Of course I hug trees. How else to set the choker?

In Boston, where one always tailgates because not to do so would result in so many people cutting one off that one would be going backwards, the rush hour lanes are also reversed. Timid souls and those who put their brain in neutral to decompress on the way home move to the left lane because...

If Kubota says 80/90 GO is OK with them, 80/90 GO is OK with me (and what I used). For some, the most expensive is none too good for their baby.

For ArlyA Klein markets 11 in 1, Milwaukee markets 13 in 1, the extra 2 being the 3/8" and 5/16" internal hex (Allen) sleeves that hold the 1/4" hex bits.

A diligent search of this thread will reveal multiple posts of photos of a Tonka toy dump truck as the sole item on a flatbed semitrailer secured with a single 4 or 5" strap. Often accompanied by a comment about the driver being cited for 49 CFR 393.128 (A light truck less than 10,000 lbs...

Your original proposal sounds like a variation of a parbuckle. (Google "Parbuckle" for images.) My son uses a similar system for moving woodchips in his pick-up, He covers the whole truck from hood to tailgate with a tarp; after loading he takes the hood edge of the tarp back over the load to...

There are two ways to keep a road base dry thereby increasing the road's permanence. One, make the road permeable, usually with washed stone, so water can flow through it and go somewhere else. Two, make the road impermeable, often done with asphalt, so water can flow off of it and go...

A couple of (OCD?) comments to add to JJT's. As I blow gravel drives and the stones chip/scratch the paint, every few years I will wire wheel and spot paint. I have lined the fan housing and chute with UHMW polyethylene so I place the blower and set the chute facing North to hopefully reduce...

Four words fraught with danger: "As is, where is." Advice always comes after you have made your move (ordering the SC-25). Shaver, who I think manufactures for other brands, makes a larger machine (SC-50) rated for 100HP. I do not know prices. Back in 2013, Piston, a member on this site, raved...

Progressive lenses have the distance (if any) prescription in the top half of the lens, the close (reading) prescription near the bottom, and a continuous change between the middle and bottom. When my reading prescription was weaker, the continuity was more gradual; by tilting my head I could...

I am in the pallet fork camp (with good company). The FEL has a greater lift capacity than the BH (especially at extension), and one can get the load very close to the pins (where the FEL is rated) as opposed to the lip of a bucket. If the rock is too heavy to lift, one may be able to skid it...

Reportedly, the most common cause of orthopedic injury to middle-aged, white males is falling down stairs while adjusting to a new pair of bifocals. But I couldn't do without them, either.

From your description and photos and from my advertising brochure it appears you have an early "Master Gardener (K6CH)". The brochure says powered by a B&S 5 HP, 24" diameter x 9" shredding chamber, 42 fixed teeth, 315 lbs. In 1985 Santa brought me a "Rancher (K8CH)", B&S 8 HP, 24" diameter x...

While the API (American Petroleum Institute) "Starburst" and "Shield" say "Certified for Gasoline Engines", to keep it confusing, the API "donut" uses "S" for spark and "C" for compression after the "API Service" in the top half of the outer ring.

Because the handlebars are rotated. When snowblowing, the "V"s in the tire tracks would point in the direction of travel.

Comparing my Goldoni to your BCS may be an apples to oranges situation. My Goldoni has ag tires mounted for tilling; when snowblowing, they are reversed. Generally traction is not the issue. Because I have gravel, the skids are lowered; the machine has a tendency to climb lowering the...

Old Post with no recent update. I do not own a Tekton tool roll or pouch, but I have bought Tekton tools andtherefore get e-mails from time to time. Today (3/3/23) they announced updated tool sets including tool rolls that accept up to 32mm (1-1/4"). Roll-Up Wrench Storage Pouches | TEKTON |...

My town is one of the few municipalities in the state that has its own electric utility company. It hires a contractor by the year on straight time to trim branches that might impinge on the lines. We seldom have outages of more than an hour and pay less per KWH than the regional companies...

I also will endorse the utility of an adjustable spud wrench. As most of you who own an assortment of different adjustable (Crescent-type) wrenches have discovered, price is a good indicator of quality. The $40 - $50 tools from Crescent, Williams, Klein, et al adjust more easily and hold...

A little off-topic. For a classic, read Frank Herbert's Dune (1965). Don't waste your time on the movies. The endless print sequels as Herbert and his children milked the franchise do not compare with the original.

More power to you. It is obvious that rational considerations matter not; satisfaction is priceless.

According to Posts #1 and #5 OP has a somewhat battered metal 5-gal. gas can that "has developed a little leak on the bottom". It is unknown, but likely, other leaks are developing. I am with ruffdog and 3 Horse Ranch, it is best to retire or discard the old can. How much time, aggravation...

Don't bother asking the station attendant who probably has no idea of what you are talking about. A local diesel distributor may be more helpful. I inquired and was surprised to learn that Boston is considered a relatively mild climate and winter blends were not distributed before December...

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Normal functionality appears restored.

FWIW Machine: iMac with High Sierra 10.13.6 App: Safari 13.1.2 (13609.3.2.1.5) TBN: Avatars of color and letter e.g."Captain Dirty", "Jstpssng" display; Avatars usually a picture e.g "Muhammed", "Xfaxman" show only frame, ? in blue square, on line icon. For some reason /Pine's avatar (picture...

Xfaxman--Your avatar (as well as von-mil's) show as question marks in blue squares as does CJ2A with Shop Crane 3.jpg. Some frames show a file name, others do not. R click downloads, but trying to open the downloded file yields "The file “CJ2A with Shop Crane 3.jpg” could not be opened. It may...

Today (1/22/23) many, but not all, photos/pictures/attachments including many, but not all, avatars appeared as a blank, framed space with a question mark in a blue square at the center. If I right-clicked "open in new tab" on an avatar, the avatar and member info came up. If I right-clicked an...

In the mind of this amateur, the purpose of a line in the intended direction of fall is to get the center of gravity over the notch where the supporting (compression) fibers are missing so gravity does the work and the hinge does the guiding. Felling wedges have the same effect, except a line...

Another thing I have been doing wrong! I have often "Pulled" (put tension on a line to initiate a fall in the desired direction) a tree using a come-along and line. Most of the line is dacron, but I usually include a length of nylon to take advantage of its elasticity. My rationale has been...

The OP stated there is 2" clearance above the cab roof; it is unclear if that is to the bottom of the lintel or where the bottom edge of the door customarily hangs when open. Murphy can easily envision 2" of packed snow on the concrete or the door not opening fully owing to the extra weight of...

This forum could probably keep a thread "Share pics of people felling a tree wrong" active. There is more wrong than the pulling. Looking at the stump and the smooth cut at the butt I can see no splintering or other evidence af any hinge. The cut on the larger trunk or limb on the near side...

Is that why K & N filters cost so much?

Thinking out loud again and taking stumblinhorse's suggestion a little further. Mount a hinge on the lower lip of the roof in way of the "Challenger" decal (holes would let water drain from inside roof); weld an "L" shaped bracket to the hinge so the strobe would sit atop the roof but could be...

Regarding oiling clockworks, a man in our church who repaired clocks as a hobby said oiling should be done very sparingly. He said he had a tool about the thickness of a bicycle spoke with a flattened end that allowed him to put just one drop of oil on a shaft. Over-oiling was bad in that it...

My experience is only with one grandfather clock that has been in the family for generations; presumedly other weight-driven pendulum clocks like a cuckoo clock are analogous. To expand on FordnMassey's explanation, the potential energy of the weight is released in discrete steps by the...

The chute of my Lorenz 310 series PTO snowblower rotates 360 degrees. I clear 3, pea-stone to 1-1/2" stone drives and did not wish to throw any stones back at me. At Lorenz's suggestion I installed two bolts in the appropriate notches of the toothed chute flange to limit the rotation to 270...

There is a high number of threads on this site that discuss chippers. A conscientious reading of all of them would keep you occupied for the rest of the year but provide you with enough anecdotal data to form some valid opinions. Power is king, but, as sea2summit pointed out, a lot of energy...

The truck manufacturers want to market the highest load carrying capacity the engineers and lawyers will agree to. Camper manufactirers want to market the lowest weight. When I was researching campers I discovered the trade association of camper manufacturers had agreed that the advertised...

When my then teenage sons were passing through my foot size I said no ski boots were too good for them, rationalizing that I would inherit them as they kept on growing.

When I was in the service in the early '70s the Kaiser-Jeep manufactured, M715, 5/4 ton truck had a problem of frames breaking just to the rear of the cab where the front and back halves of the frame were commonly improperly welded. Since the Jeep brand is now in the Chrysler-Fiat fold perhaps...

My favorite helicopter parent interview story from a few years ago: An aquaintance who is a very successful entrepreneur reported a 23 year-old male showed up for an interivew with his mother. "Very nice to meet you Mrs. Smith. This building has WI-FI if you want to use your laptop; if you...

Friend of my son was watching his German Shepherd pup in his suburban back yard. Coyote comes out of the bush line and starts playing with the dog, running all over the yard, having a great time. Coyote runs back in to the bush. Coyote comes out of the bush, starts playing with the pup...

While fan size is easily measurable and PTO power is generally accepted as stated by the manufacturer, type of snow and owner's performance rating are highly subjective. Skiers categorize "boilerplate" (breakable, icy crust) as New England powder. If a scientist or engineer were to melt an...

Having owned a 1979 Chevrolet C-20 Pick-up, I will also attest to the fine quality of American steel of the era.

After an episode of Ventricular Tachycardia in 2016 I had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implanted. Medtronics, the maker of mine, has a website that lists the hazards. Your device manufacturer will likely have a website too. I suspected that if I asked my Electrophysiologist...

Caution: Religious overtones. Go to your (or practically any) denominational hymnal. There will likely be an index of subjects that may include "Thanksgiving Day", "Thanksgiving" or "Gratitude". Two of the most well-known hymns: "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" and "We Gather Together".

In the 60's there was an action TV show named Rat Patrol set in N. Africa during WWII.

During the rout of the Russians in Karkiv Oblast about a month ago one of the you tube news videos showed the Ukrainians fabricating or modifying similar dune buggies. Apparently, once behind Russian front lines, the vehicles' speed and mobility allowed them to wreak havoc in the rear areas.

Just thinking out loud. An empty 55 gal. drum has a little more than 400 lbs. of buoyancy; an empty 30 gal. just a bit more than 200 lbs. Could you fashion some hoops to encircle the drums and attach to the plesiosaur so it would just float in the bog without the drums being seen. As the...

After watching JasperFrank's video of the 2-man McCulloch taking almost a minute to make the first cut (1:34 to 2:30) I Googled "North American record for 2-man crosscut saw" to see how fast competitive sawyers were. Most relevant hit was an article from the Lewiston, ME Sun Journal of...

You found a plausible cause and effected a working (for now) solution. mini14 suggested the solution to another possible cause--worn out sheaves. I have a 30 year old JD F510 front mower. The oem belts are kevlar "A" belts and expensive from JD. When the deck belts began to fail frequently, I...

The purchase of my 6" Salsco "Chuch and Duck" chipper several years ago was in agreement with TerryR's opinion that the extra expense (and possibility of failures of the hydraulic feed mechanism) was not worth the price for my use. I disagree with ericm979's statement that you must lift the...

Re: The water test. Lately I have experienced several slow leaks with the tires going soft overnight or over a couple of days. Instead of the stream of bubbles released through a thorn hole or similar puncture, a bubble slowly forms on the surface of the tube and is released over one or two...

No, I am a retro-grouch roadie who patches my flatted tubes with rubber cement and permanent patches. Tubeless bicycle tires apparently require at least 2 windings of special rim strip tape to prevent air escaping through spoke holes and also require a shot of Slime or similar to be distributed...

As a bicyclist I have a lot of experience with tubes. Most are made in Asia; I'll buy Taiwanese or Singaporean but not Chinese or Indian. The weight weenies seeking the lightest equipment available and who don't mind pumping their tires up every day buy tubes that are so thin they are...

With a replacement plug in hand. you can be as destructive as you wish removing the old plug. If using heat be judicious; you do not want to bake the seals. My guess is the plug is NPT, and a local hardware store will have replacement for less than the dealer. One-eighth square is rather...

If you have time and space, stack the pine and let it dry for some months. If you don't, you can try a various mixes of pine and deciduous. If you are chipping pine trees, you may also have some dead, dry, lower branches. The object is to get enough "unpitched" wood to burnish the pitch from...

Some of us, without much or any experience, have tried DIY repairs and been blessed with beginner's luck. On other occassions we have spent a lot of time and likely money making a short-lived repair. You have received differing advice from others, none of whom have actually seen the wound or...

My Goldoni walk-behind has both a 48" sickle bar that will chew through anything that fits between the teeth, although rocks and old fencing does a job on the teeth, and a 24" rotary deck with a 3/8" thick blade that will cut anything it can push down. (See Diggin it's comment on saplings it...

Water expands when it freezes and will heave almost anything. The way to prevent the heaving/subsidence in colder climates it to keep the substrate "dry". This is usually done in one to two ways. If the surface is permeable like brick or other pavers a sub-base of washed (no fines) stone...

O/A 8/06/22 The WSJournal ran an article "At Ford, Quality Is Now Problem 1" stating "Last year Ford set aside more than $4 billion for warranty costs, up 76% from five years earlier." To put that into a more understandable context. [in 2021] "That year Ford allocated $1,041 per vehicle for...

As s219 pointed out wider gaps (for larger chips) take more power. With around 6 hp your chipper will be hard pressed to shave chips off the end of a 3" branch, especially if is a dried, slow growing hardwood (like apple or lilac). The operator's manual notes: Large, hard, dried tree...

Rather than remove that much material from a piece of 1/4" angle, I would use 1/4" flat stock and make a "key" with the tab for the hinge pin as the bow or handle and the vertical stiffener at the edge of the drilled plate as the blade. Perhaps there is enough clearance that the "blade" could...

My recent experience breaking rocks has been low power--feathers and wedges. I drill 1/2" holes with an electric rotary hammer (not to be confused with its smaller cousin, the hammer-drill) about 6" apart along the desired fracture line, set up the feathers and wedges, and hit them with a 3 or...

It is not a folder, but my oft carried, multi-use screwdriver is a Klein "11 in 1". It provides both #1 and #2 Phillips, small and medium flat tip screwdrivers, less frequently used square and Torx bits, and although you disparaged sockets, often used 1/4 and 5/16" nutdrivers. Another solution...

This is not a tool that benefits from a tooth with a sharp edge. You are using brute force to pulverize a worthless stump that may have rocks and bits of metal imbedded in it or unnoticed but next to it, not a planer finessing a smooth face on a good board. Carbide is hard but brittle; a...

For further reassurance: On the Castrol bottle will be a printed, "API donut". The center contains the viscosity, and the top part of the donut shows the API service rating "API Service S_" where the blank is likely to be an "H" (the latest and highest rating from 1993 to 1996), a "J" ('96 to...

Consider what happened. In use, any air in the valve stem has probably been displaced by the solution; at 12:00 gravity would tend to keep it in the valve stem. Even if the stem did drain or if you put a shot of air into the tire to clear the stem, some liquid would cling to or drain back into...

The boys with the sharp pencils (or large spreadsheets) are quick to adapt. When American shoemaking moved to Asia, the leather shoes were still made from American hides. The duty on leather shoes was less than 10%; the duty on non-leather shoes was over 35%. Nike and others put leather...

The WSJournal had an article on 6/9/22 "High Costs Cut Into Lawn Care". If I may paraphrase, Soaring costs for fuel, labor, and equipment have pushed the prices of lawn mowing, exterior pressure washing, and tree trimming up 22%, 20%, and 9%, respectively, according Angi, Inc. One contractor...

Work safe to include having good, clear escape routes. Be sure your companion knows to observe from a safe distance and also knows to call for assistance before rushing in to give aid. Both are somewhat contrary to human nature, but proven to be more effective should something go terribly...

4570Man made the point: the extra length is likely to be more troublesome for most maneuvering. If I expected semi-regular need for longer forks I would probably spend the few hundred bucks for fork extensions; the aggravation of puncturing walls or whatever would quickly out-weigh the cost of...

When my father built his brush piles he would incorporate a proper "campfire" with kindling and logs into the periphery of the pile on the expected upwind side and cover the laid fire with a piece of sheet metal (approx 3'x 4' taken from the side of an old appliance or water heater) to protect...

My son's burn pit was about 4' deep x 12' diameter with a trench from the bottom to the surface in which we buried 20' of 6" pipe. He used a 5 or 7 amp "bouncy house" blower for the forced draft. It took about 12 hours of burn for a 6' diameter stump with (most of) the dirt washed off that had...

The ACME engine is a third-world engine; I have often quipped that one could probably rebuild it with a Leatherman. The following is illustrative. When I had a carb problem, the mechanic at the importer responded, "Oh yeah, the throttle butterfly shaft end has probably worn so the disk is...

According to the ACME motori workshop manual for spark ignition engines series ALN 215W/290W/330W, a special camshaft with centrifugal compression release is mounted in engines having electric starter or recoil starter or both. Engines with standard rope (you wind the rope by hand each time)...

My go-to for fasteners is Bolt Depot. (No relationship other than satisfied customer.) They have assortments in plastic cases (e.g. Metric, Small plastic compartment boxes, Zinc plated class 10.9 steel, Metric hex bolts w/ class 10.9 nuts, flat washers, and lock washers 6mm - 10mm - Bolt...

OP had requested brand/size recommendations. I have only owned one PTO driven snowblower, a 78" Lorenz, with which I am well satisfied. The machine is heavy and stoutly built, both desirable attributes. A major difference between the Lorenz and most others is the augers. Rather than a narrow...

You (OP) may have solved your problem for now. I have sampled numerous ship-loaded parcels of liquid Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide). It is pernicious stuff, highly corrosive to human flesh. Callouses on one's hands may provide a couple of minutes protection, but the...

Conventional wisdom is that the road should be scarified to a depth greater than the bottom of the pothole. (Pick-axe if it is small, and you do it by hand). A Calvanist philosophy that the longer or more difficult the task, the better the results, dictates that back-filling in multiple layers...

Did you attempt to use the blade? Given 2a, if the blade reduces the snow depth to <2cm, all should be fine.

For my experience back in 2021 go to this link Oxy regulator repair. I found DIY both cheaper and faster than the local welding supply, but you must be confident of your own abilities.

Good thought. Suitable pallet jacks could cost from a few to several hundred dollars, equal to or exceeding the cost of lumber and casters, but the pallet jacks would be multi-use. Never-the-less, there is a learning curve for maneuvering pallet jacks. I have witnessed inexperienced operators...

Since the OP has put off the need till another season, he will have all summer to contemplate possible solutions. Engineering considerations. The preponderance of the blower's weight is on the skid shoes or blower edge. (My blower's parking strut ends in a 3" x 4" sheet metal (18 ga?) pad...

Sawyer Rob has stated that his creeper gears allow him to use his Woodland Mills grinder without problem. OP apparently has access to the WM grinder manual but does not indicate if he has acquired the grinder or is still shopping. The OP might investigate if a creeper gear kit is available to...

Observation has shown me that oil clings to vertical surfaces and that time and the inexorable force of gravity causes that coating to thin. Thus I believe that the hardest part of an engine’s life is at start-up before the lubrication system renews the oil coatings. It seems reasonable that...

Perhaps you will get a late snowstorm and have a chance to play with your new toy. There will be a learning process, and you will probably discover the most effective methods to clear snow through trial and error. Do not be too concerned about the exact English word, especially concerning...

Saying that Product X is made in the same place (town, state?) or by the same company as Product A or Product B is a common bit of disingenuousness often employed when someone selling Product X wants to imply it as good as A or B. The same company may produce A, B, and X in the same plant but...

Looking at the first picture I would assume (putting the ass before "u" and "me") that the blade is to angle and plow the bulk of the snow to one side and that the broom is to angle and sweep the residual snow off the road surface. Hopefully, the deflector between the brush and tractor will...

My 78" Lorenz snowblower was fitted with "inverted mushroom" skid shoes. The disks are 6mm (1/4") thick, 8" in diameter with approx 1/2" of concavity welded to 1-3/4" pipe shafts. In 9 winters I wore them out. As the upturned edges remained full thickness, I hadn't given them a thought until...

Work? Maybe, at least for a while. On this and other tractor forums two generalizations keep recurring. 1) You get what you pay for. 2) The Original Equipment Manufacturer's (usually branded) recommended fluid usually works best. (Less low temperature HST whine, for example.) If I were...

We are far removed from the subject of storing moved snow anyway. A trip to the health care provider now includes an interrogation by an assistant that includes "Have you fallen in the past year?" I usually counter with "Does it count if you take a dive because it would hurt less than trying...

A bit of geometry. With a bucket on a FEL the higher you lift the bucket, the closer it moves toward the front axle. When I used buckets to "scoop back" plowbanks, I would run the grille guard into the bank, dump the bucket, and watch much of the snow cascade down the near side of the pile...

Usually the threading is shorter than the length between marks. If the level is above the bottom mark when not screwed in and is not above the top mark when screwed in you are GTG.

My cynical guess is that "used for nitrogen" is CYA for the auction house. Liquid N is so cold it would embrittle the poly to the point of cracking; pressurized N gas would likely distort the poly so that it leaks. Most likely use was probably nitrogen fertilizer in an aqueous solution, and...

God looks out for drunks and fools; ignorance is bliss department. Shortly after buying my tractor I ordered a snowblower. As I did not then have forks, I borrowed my neighbor's 1966 JD 300, pallet fork equipped, industrial tractor with gear drive and iffy brakes. I managed to get the...

Ah, the agrarian myth. Everyone wants to live on a farm until they are awakened by the cock's crow and have to smell manure.

Buy 100. If you buy that many Murphy assures me you will never break the galvanized one you put in there.

My son played HS football as an albeit somewhat "soft" 215 lb nose tackle. He wrestled at 189. When a wrestler making weight has no body fat he metabolizes protein. The keytones and other nitrogen-bearing substances produce bad BO.

Short answer: About as well as rotary lawnmowers. Longer story: My fascination with vertical axis stump grinders is a pipe dream. Prices start around $18K and require a high flow skid steer, 100+ HP tractor, or a several ton excavator, none of which I have. I purchased a 24" horizontal axis...

Almost all of the videos I have seen were made by the company that is marketing the machine. As one might expect, rocks are never identified as a problem. I would speculate that the bits are robust enough that a slip clutch or shear pin in the pto shaft or by-pass in an hydraulically driven...

A coupe of the videos I had referenced in #7 with by-standers or nearby windows. First uses an open "drill"; second uses a core-type "cylinder" (Stump ejected near end.)

Unlike the American buzz-saw stump grinders that turn at several hundred RPM, the vertical-axis European stump grinders turn at much lower RPMs and are unlikely to throw projectiles. Some of the videos show the augers used to grind stumps on the verge between curb and sidewalk; pedestrians walk...

See thread at Forums>Related Equipment>Skid Steer Loaders>ETERRA AUGER STUMP PLANER? started by MNBobcat on June 15, 2020. Watch a PTO driven one in action at this link: Rotor S 15 – 25 Hp with drill.

On many of the small, single stage blowers the rubber edge of the auger is designed to contact the surface being cleared and provides the tractive force (e.g. Toro "rotor propelled" 518 ZR). These do a good job of clearing right down to the porch boards, walkway pavers, or driveway asphalt but...

During the Winter, I cover my unmounted backhoe with a tarpaulin. Each Spring when I removed the tarp, I would find the debris of "Hotel Squirrel", leaves and acorns, along the top of the boom. A couple of years ago I put a couple of dryer sheets (fabric conditioner) on the boom. Apparently...

The simplest self-propelled is a solid axle; steering is accomplished by sideways muscle on the handlebars. Many self-propelled have some sort of freewheeling arrangement that makes turning a little easier. "Power steering" is probably accomplished by either a clutch or brake arrangement so...

On the one hand you could pass the expense on to your wealthy client. OTOH he probably did not acquire his wealth by profligate spending.

Time to stoke some machine envy. We had a severe windstorm last Fall; the town lost on the order of 200 "town", not private, street shade trees. The municipal DPW contracted with a tree service for this behemoth. According to the operator it has a 40" capacity, is powered by a 750 HP motor...

My experience with walk-behind snowblowers is limited to wheeled models-- Ariens (2-stage), Eska Sno-King and a Goldoni 2-wheeled tractor (both single stage). In my opinion 3-stage is a marketing ploy. With fresh and fluffy snow no deeper than the height of the auger and sufficient power (no...

I have given my opinion so often I sometimes feel like a broken record. (I suppose I would still be dating myself were I to say "endless loop".) Around $30 for an analysis from a reputable lab is much cheaper than an hydraulic oil change and is pretty cheap peace of mind that you are not...

Clamp some boards to your bucket about where the forks would be (laterally), then paint stripes 36", 42", 48" from the SSQA plate to indicate where the fork tips would be. Climb into the operator's seat to get an idea of their visibility. (Note that the spacing of the bars on the fork frame...

If the crane's counterweights extended into the travel lane, the operator didn't do any favor for passing motorists (or the window installers) by not deploying his outriggers.

Looking at the tie-down, a left turn might be interesting.

It looks like there is still a little meat around the holes. How about a file, Dremel, or nibbler (rented, HD enough to handle 16 ga) to enlarge the holes to the next larger size switch you have found?