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@wilso so where are you located, and which version of the JD 5310 do you have? @strantor any luck with your water? All the best, Peter

That's rather more serious. How sure are you that the line / load terminals at the GRCI outlet and the hot / neutral / ground wires are what and where you think they are? Any chance wires were shorting on the junction box, or the adjacent outlet when the GFCIs were put back in? I often break...

Perhaps the question is "what don't we all know?"? Do you know the GFCI outlets are fried, or just that they tripped on installation? I would comment that three bulb testers are quick, but not perfect. Did you check voltage at the outlet wires hot to neutral and hot to ground? Did you check...

Birdful has a nice article on the many reasons for the decline; What happened to the ring-necked pheasant? - Birdful TL;DR, changes in farming practices and habitat declines. Ring neck pheasant is native to Asia, and was introduced to the US in 1881 to an island in Washington state. From the...

@kawaiiitakko While you can buy less expensive stations, I'd buy my Vantage Pro 2 again in a heartbeat. The Davis systems were developed here for commercial use in farms in California, and the ruggedness and reliability shows. The strength and reliability of the radio link is, I think...

If that faucet head is from one of the majors, chances are that it has a lifetime warranty. We have one like that and we are on aerator #3. The first replacement I bought, before I realized it had a lifetime warranty, the second (#3) was sent promptly for free by the manufacturer when I...

When a a priority mail item gets stuck, I report missing as soon as the Post office permits, and turn on movement alerts. Personally, dollars to donuts it was stolen in the Post Office, unless your relative has a lot of mail theft. To my way of thinking, there isn't a good reason for a priority...

I'm sorry, but I don't know where "Triangle of North Carolina" is. Poison sumac or hogweed would be my guess. Hogweed was introduced by a homeowner (!!) to Watauga county, but it is spread by birds, and is known to be in Virginia as well. https://www.ncagr.gov/plant-industry-giant-hogweed...

@EscapedSuburbia welcome! Can you update your profile to where you are? What kind of dogs do you have? Do you have them trained, and trained for anything in particular? (Hunting? Herding? Agility? Search and rescue?) I think a great deal depends on the dog and the owner, so I find it hard to...

Not here. I admit to making tubs out of items here and there around the ranch. I cut down a used cattle supplement bucket (beer tub size) for my sister's dog (cattle heeler type) who loves nothing more than getting wet. So far it is holding up great. All the best, Peter

I've also worked food service, and yes, I usually tip 20%, but not for counter sales, and definitely not at service stations. Asking me for a tip at a non-service (I.e. other than restaurants, or hotels), I take as a demand that I change to another business, and I usually don't come back. My...

Can I point out that those bolts appear to have asymmetrical thread lengths on the two ends? I.e. 15 and 20-ish percent of the total length? It would be good to have the exact measurements to try and find a replacement. Personally, I'd be reluctant to use one as bent as the one above out of a...

Welcome to TBN. I think if you added your location to your profile, plus which JD model you have, and the size building/budget, and your intended use in a bit more detail you would get better answers. To give one viewpoint on your last question, I don't know anyone who feels that they built one...

Yes, I would agree with you that they are interesting machines, but the "...almost everyday I'm reading about one that's broke down..." I get an alert every time there is a post here. So, that seems a bit exaggerated to me. I think one downside to forums in general is that happy, satisfied...

@Travis_R Sorry to hear about your dad. I hope that it turns out to be fixed by the surgery, and that he has a speedy and full recovery. All the best, Peter

I'd love to like it. I love the no moving parts side of it. However, around here, it appears to be less than accurate. I have neighbor who has one and his readings are at odds with basically all of the nearby weather stations. I had rather hoped that firmware updates might have improved things...

Ok. Mint, Visible, Red Pocket or any of the low cost MVNO should work. I don't hear great things about US cellular, but I don't have any personal experience. All the best, Peter

I'd be thanking the stars that you have such a great mechanic nearby. Really. If it is indeed a cracked block, cracked blocks aren't the end of the world, but since this is not an uncommon block, replacement is probably easier than repair, and preferable in my opinion. I'm starting to suspect...

Do you have any cell signal at all? I.e. would a cell amplifier work? If so, I can recommend the Wilson systems, but at low signal levels, you may need a more directional and harder to orient highly directional antenna. Getting directional antennas accurately aligned can be a bit of a process...

@Travis_R I think that it is a bit like having a wonderful present taken away, regardless, I hope that you get better sleep and that this resolves happily, sooner rather than later. Thanks for the posts. For folks like me, without any skin in the game, it is a bit like reading a good murder...

Pardon the question, but I'm a little unclear, @JRH02 are you looking for a cheap plan to use your phones outside of your canyon, or something for better cellular in your canyon, beyond using WiFi calling over Starlink? If you are looking for cell service outside, I would pick one of the more...

To my eyes, that thin black line is visible in the video that you posted above, around 1:35. I hope that this gets resolved soon. If it were me, I would be super thankful to have bought the tractor from a dealer like Frederick's that is standing behind it all. All the best, Peter

I'm sure you know the idiosyncrasies of your equipment well. A pair of the sharpest knives that I own were made by a guy sitting on the dirt with a hammer, a pair of tongs and a rock with a piece of metal on top. Having seen the emergency repair above, I have faith in your talents. I'm...

🤣 It is a pull behind model...😉 All the best, Peter

Here's a link to the follow up report on the prior Guadalupe basin River flooding in October of 1998. It has a fair bit of information that's not specific to the Texas Hill country that is probably useful for other folks who live, or spend time in flood plains...

Sorry to hear it. I can type, but I am definitely a fat finger typist myself, and who types slower than I'm thinking. That often leaves gaps in my sentences...so not great either. Have you ever tried dictating (phone/computer)? FWIW: My wife loves to that, and finds it a big help for her. I...

Ok, I clearly don't know what to look for. Can you share or point out what should we be looking for? Where? Which photo? Understood, and I agree with both. Correcting which "it"? The block? The head? Thanks for your postings; I think that you know and understand a lot more than I do, and I...

Can you elaborate? Thanks. All the best, Peter

I'm glad that you have a great shop nearby. I'm sorry but to me photos 1 & 4 look like a cracked block from here. I will hope that looks are deceiving. Good luck. All the best, Peter

Good luck on the build! If you do it, I would love to see photos. All the best, Peter

Often a reluctance to run fiber to the house is caused by a lack of skilled labor to do the fiber splicing, though sometimes as a cost saving as coax is more forgiving in the installation (bend radius, depth of burial, etc.). Symmetric vs asymmetric speeds is at the choice of the ISP...

Thanks for posting the videos. I think people who aren't around rivers that are subject to flash flooding have a hard time comprehending how fast water can rise. There appeared to be much higher damage from prior floods on some of the trees. I've seen water rise so quickly that it looked like...

There is also Ooma. All the best, Peter

Sounds to me like a case of them there electrical gremlins alright. You have my sympathy. My bet would be either on a shorting cable, wet or corroded terminal strip, or a flakey ground. I'd be inclined to pull the front cover to the dash, and check the terminal strip to make sure the wires...

Can you elaborate a bit? I'm not following. The posts are a little cryptic for me. Thanks. All the best, Peter

That's great! Thanks for posting the photo. All the best, Peter

Yes, it was pretty bad, and y the sound of it that was the big brother machine that was full. I walked in on the dust explosion #2, by which time it was too late. Like many residential contracts, it only specified cleaning, not a 2 hour minimum cleaning with a "Duct Monster Pro", and 24" rotary...

Nice! Any photos of your cross cut sled? Crosscutting sheets exactly always seems to be a challenge for me. All the best, Peter

If you want to take magnesium, I would suggest one of the organic forms; e.g. magnesium citrate or magnesium gluconate. Magnesium oxide has about a 2% bioavailability, so it isn't doing much for your health, or your wallet. All the best, Peter

I'm glad it worked for you. After you started this thread, we had our ducts 95% replaced, and the two large returns cleaned. The cleaning was a disaster as the vacuum rapidly got overwhelmed with the dust load and the dust backed up into the rooms, and they kept going with the brushing, so much...

Around here, coyotes do not appear to pose any threat to calves. When we moved out here, I asked a longtime local rancher about it. He said that in twenty five years he'd never lost a calf to coyotes, and then proceeded to point out a mountain lion den, and say "nor to mountain lions". We've...

@old and tired You are most welcome! To me it's the joy of TBN. All the best, Peter

How about some brush piles, pre-made dens...there are plans on the internet. All the best, Peter

If the pump kicking in causes the washer circuit to overload, something's is not right. I am sorry, but I think that you are in electrician territory here. It sounds like you have more than one electrical gremlin, and I think a bit of circuit tracing and double checking of some fixtures is...

The beams down and up aren't that tight, but the angular shift would absolutely need to be accounted for. Phased array antennas are accurate, but there are limits. I would remember that the base frequency is 5GHz, so there is ample sampling to update the array target angle compared to wind...

So this makes it sound as if the problem happens when the laundry circuit has an issue, not the pump. Is that right? IIRC, and please remember I'm not an electrician, the washer is supposed to have a dedicated breaker, and only one outlet. So for a 20A breaker to be blowing on what should be a...

Thanks for explaining the duck tape. It's not obvious to me why adding the washer would cause the CAFCI issue. Washers aren't normally particularly electrically noisy. Side question: Do you have two different AC units, and if so are the indoor and outdoor HVAC correctly labeled? (Indoor 60A...

🤣🤣🤣 Remember that I'm not an electrician, right? The photo shows what I suspect your problem is. Your electrician left your neutrals on the CAFCI breakers coiled up and right next to both the monitored wires and the pump wires. Plus the electrician did not put the CAFCI neutral exactly at its...

Those are combination arc fault breakers (CAFCI), similar to, but not identical to GFCI. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc-fault_circuit_interrupter They do make dual arc fault and GFCI breakers. Do you have a photo of the panel, with the front guard off? My guess is that there is a loose...

A PTO powered generator that can go away probably sounds like a great solution. Just put in a manual transfer switch to connect it up. All the usual caveats about sizing it large enough to handle the starting loads from things like pumps and AC/heatpumps. that can be 3-5 times their running...

It was in the EU, based on laboratory animal studies, e.g. New scientific publication confirms glyphosate causes cancer at EU “safe” exposure levels – evidence ignored in EU reapproval It might be true in humans, it might not. Lots of chemicals behave differently in humans than in animals...

You won't be allowed to splice into the transformer feed. You could move your meter out there, and put the transfer switch out there, but the power company will want working space around the transformer, so probably not very close, and your wife and AHJ may have something to say about a meter...

Yes, we probably should. I think that relief when filling cylinders is one thing, but a relief on a filled cylinder might get one into safety issues. I have a vague memory of someone at Power-Trac telling me that the reason PT uses "leak down" type valves is to provide some pressure relief to...

I'd believe it. Around Silicon Valley, I have noticed it is a mixed bag. Some high profile folks are required by their boards to have security and be driven, others move about in obscurity, and drive themselves. Many moons ago there was a rash of kidnappings here in the Valley, and boards and...

That pretty well describes one of the local ranchers that grazes a few acres hereabouts in Silicon Valley, something like sixty or eighty thousand acres. You'd never know he wasn't just the ranch hand, but yes, wealthy with the big B, and down to earth. He has bucked hay with his team and myself...

Might there be an issue with the intermittent shocks as a bucket is pulled through gravel or uneven soil? I could see that at the same hydraulic pressure relief that might be more shock and torsion on the rollover with a backhoe.🤷‍♂️ All the best, Peter

Sorry about the fleas. Isn't funny how one year can be off the charts? We had one year 16-17 years ago that was so bad that if you stood still you could hear the clicking of the fleas jumping and landing. What is the application rate you want to target? Lbs/1,000sq.ft.? There are two mains...

Google maps offers the same addressing scheme for free. Starlink uses it as an address.

Wow, great shot and great photo!

I wouldn't have expected it either; you know if you give a ground hog an inch and he thinks he's a ruler...😉

@MossRoad, I love watching them hunt. We have the zebra striped and speckled ones around here. Their accuracy is amazing, and I can't help at being amazed that all of that behavior and accuracy is encoded in DNA. All the best, Peter

Yeah, pine trees, and then he chews on the pine needles. Not any pine I ever tried, though we gather pine nuts from our trees here. Yup, remember him, and followed along until I got to his method for extracting juice from sumac berries, I'm paraphrasing here "...use your washing machine that...

@bel422 @yim Welcome! @marrt great list! Like you, I have a couple of implements that didn't pan out (fertilizer spreader for us, as I used it once (worked great), and decided to change our land use practices), and some that really did, e.g. forks, the LMB, post driver, trencher, and...

My bad. Corrected.

For the 425, a PTO of 8gpm @2500psi equates to about 7.5HP (flow x pressure/1714 for SAE units, assuming a typical 85% efficiency) All the best, Peter

If you can swing it, I highly recommend going to visit the factory and trying out the models that you think you want, and some of the attachments. For me it confirmed my choice of model, and convinced me to buy some and not other attachments. I found the trip very well worth it. Plus, you get to...

Good thought. It is around, but neither of these bats showed any signs. At any rate, they elected not to test for it. I think it is a "public health" vs "wildlife health" issue. There certainly are other diseases for which bats are known vectors. I was more perturbed by two dead bats in...

We had two bats die last week within days of each other. They only tested one, and luckily negative for rabies. Nice article on the spread of the lone star tick, suggesting that it will eventually spread to most of the US east of the Rockies, and that certain western ticks may also cause the...

Any luck?

Oil can also get dark from oxidation, and that is accelerated by heat, water in the oil, and rust. I've changed my hydraulic oil to synthetic, and I'm currently running Mobil 1 10W40. The first oil change was to 10W50 oil in the hopes that the extra 5%(+/-) viscosity increase when hot might...

Yes, it is a big issue for hydraulic systems in general, and worth keeping an eye on. The top seal on the PT tank has been known to leak, so I would watch for oil weeps first, then check to see if the bolts have loosened. If they are loose, I'd tighten them and then see, if not, I'd pull the...

There's always pressure wash, let it dry, prime, and repaint. It will look better, albeit not great without sanding, and that's probably lead paint... That will help preserve the wood, and most definitely kick the can down the road for awhile, at which point the family plans might be clearer...

While you could go very large, have you thought about using ones for records that rotate the disk into the bath and out of it?e.g. https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Ultrasonic-Cleaner-Records-Cleaning/dp/B0DK2WR33X/ I haven't used this model. All the best, Peter

Love the sassafras tree smell, regardless.

Fimco is a well known brand. I hope that it works out for you! All the best, Peter

I have a 25 gallon sprayer from Northern Tool as well. I like it, and it works well. I think that they make well,thought out systems that work well. I have it hooked up to 40' of hose for getting in to brush to spot spray poison oak. I know the Shurflo and Northern Tool pumps are very good. I...

Yes, it's a diaphragm. I was thinking it might be a quick check on the integrity of the diaphragm, so if water sloshed out, it isn't totally shot. There must be a heck of an air leak somewhere else. Any chance of backfilling the blue valve water line, and then opening the blue valve, and...

The soothing effect is due to the breakdown of histamine, which kills the itch. I also use hot showers or hair dryers to calm things down before bed. Steroid creams work, too, but I try to limit my use of them. The histamine effect may explain why some folks can alter their diet, and see a...

Well, that's positive, but it should seal from the start, so a finger on it for the lift/upstroke/downward handle should help. If the priming pump is trying to move a fair amount of air, it may not feel like much initially, but the flap should definitely close. Is the blue handle valve closed...

Sorry about the frustration. Have you checked/cleaned the carb and main jet yet? Failing that run a can of SeaFoam through it? All the best, Peter

I'd bet on the mink. The whole weasel clan doesn't understand the meaning of "backing down". Known predators of western marmots besides bears, coyotes and foxes, apparently include, amongst others, badgers, martens, and yes, mink. That said, apparently mink are known to prey on the young of...

They used to use ferrets and terriers to eliminate rats in buildings in New York. They would open a trench around the outside of the building, station terriers with handlers along the trench, and then turn loose a ferret or three at the top of the building. Apparently rats have an innate fear of...

You have my sympathies. Your marmot infestation sounds like the proverbial between a rock and a hard place. To what extent is sinking perimeter foundations to the basalt possible for what you want to protect? I've lived around ground hogs and badgers, but neither rose to pest level for us. To...

@ernemats FWIW: I just checked my 1445 today, running at 14.25 at the dash. I've never had the circuit breaker pop, but your machine does have the tilt seat solenoid for a bit of added load. All the best, Peter

For explosions, I think that you need something more like the rodenator, but I would not underestimate the above ground fire risk. It's you money... These are less money, and for smaller jobs probably work. I haven't used any as our infestations are "Big Leagues". Home - GopherX...

@RockWrangler ever look at this or the lower cost competition? https://handmgophercontrol.com/ It just seems like you are getting into the "Big Leagues" with your marmot control. All the best, Peter

As this looks a bit too weathered for a recent installation, how about we bet on a reasonable seller, shall we? You should feel the resistance of the water rising as you try to prime it. If you don't, either the priming pump is in need of service, or the pressure side valve is open, or the pipe...

😀 Here that happens pretty much anytime I have a water spray going. It never loses its charm or fascination for me. All the best, Peter

Does your intake strainer have a footer valve (check valve)? Those large bore pumps can be hard to prime if there is an air leak, either before the pump, or after it, and especially if the diaphragm in the hand pump or its check valve are cracked or have debris in them. I'd start with the...

Because they don't have enough time to put in a good store for winter? All the best, Peter

For good reason!

The asbestos sheathing was and is very tough, but now an insurance issue for many homeowners. Hardie board uses cellulose fibers. I believe some of the competing products in Europe use glass fibers, but as I understand it, the dust from cutting the glass fiber version is very nearly as...

😱😱🤣🤣 Mine has looked that shiny since it was new... the California sun is hard on paint. The tractor is wonderful. All the best, Peter

Congratulations on getting it running again. I defer to Terry, but there might be other things as well. Those pop out circuit breakers are neither especially reliable nor waterproof. The non-OEM fuel shutoffs do draw more power so you may have more load than you had. So I am not sure that I...

Nice to see you again, and boy is your machine clean! All the best, Peter

With unusual vehicles, I'd consider buying two to have one, and one that could be down for servicing. Some parts swap from Suzuki, others... Fun machines. I think it helps to have driven RHD stick shifts before, but you'd get the hang of it. All the best, Peter

Around here, the utility installs a relay on the AC control that they can control over the power line. My guess your area is similar. All the best, Peter

Boy that is off the charts. Care to identify the company? All the best, Peter

We get arctic owls here in the wintertime. Their call greatly resembles a young female human getting the fright of her life. My all time favorite animal call is that of a tiny African animal, a tree hyrax, that starts like the terrified young female and then ends a wet gargle that sounds like...

As a former painter, I will admit to being a fan of prepainted. It is possible to get much better surface preparation and adhesion in a factory, where you can bake on coatings at much higher temperatures. That said, I think that some of the new paints with self regenerative UV blockers to keep...

Which brand/model do you have?

You just call the owner company, get a date and time, and go from there. Usually the lineman turns up and asks how long you need it out, and either stays (e.g. a Something quick like replacing the siding under the meter), or comes back in the afternoon or whenever you want it. Quick and easy in...

I have no experience with this material, but the whole "Class A" thing bugs me as it is sold to us consumers as an indictator of fire resistance. Actually, it is a number comparing the amount of smoke generated in a test compared to smoke from a red oak specimen. We have a Class A deck sold to...

Out here, the great reasons to use it are fire resistance and UV resistance, but if it worked for everyone, there wouldn't be competing products, right? All the best, Peter

I assumed that is what you meant. A lot of the old main cane roads had bagasse ash/lime bases that really make a solid base, but many of the field roads weren't so blessed. All the best, Peter

I suspect that the tool you want is a land plane in some form or another. If you are handy with a welder, you can probably make one quickly. I would not use a harrow. You want to get the bigger pieces into your low spots and then drag the fines over top and compact them. If you find it...

We have them on buildings, and they love the crevices in the Spanish style cement tile roof pieces on the edges of the roofs. Just rough sawn on the inside; http://happyvalleybats.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/UncleGeorgePlans.pdf You can go big...

You could build a few bat boxes. I think that they are much easier to build than bird boxes, though our bats move around a bit depending on the weather, going from sunnier (warmer) boxes to shaded (cooler) boxes as the weather warms, so having a few scattered around facing various directions...

Well, check it with your zip code, but at a guess HZ 5. https://www.jameshardie.com/hardie-zone-system/ Installation guide for HZ5; https://downloads.ctfassets.net/dzi2asncd44t/1QlIBbVJYK7IskazmHqxmH/1fb870c50bdc8f5640bca662c6d672c2/Best-Practice-Guide-HZ5-US-English.pdf General guidelines...

It would be a good solution, but decide whether you want planks or panels, and if panels, whether you want the 4x8/4x10 panels. If you go the plank route, I would recommend the accessories that hold the planks in place while nailing. They speed things up considerably. James Hardie requires...

🤣

I think it would be great to call Terry. If the bucket lift continues after you let go of the handle, I'd suspect a bit of debris in the valve. I suspect that @m5040's diagnosis of loose or sticky linkages could be an issue in the not staying in float, and possibly why the lift continues after...

Thanks! Sorry for all the questions: how do you estimate the 30lbs? Eyeball the frames for brood vs honey areas and go from there? All the best, Peter

🤣

Too bad about the Ben Franklin turkey story. I'd always believed that as well. That sort of reliance on what was said out of my experience often brings to mind this Legally Blonde scene; And yes, there's no way that I'd bet my life on whether a reported or recorded item was accurate or...

Gorgeous looking comb! On the subject of new comb, or rather comb in general, when you decide to harvest honey from a hive, how do you choose the comb(s)? Do you have queen excluders? All the best, Peter

There's also PurpleAir air quality gizmos to keep track of your outdoor air quality. PurpleAir.com But I'm sure that light sabers are much more fun. All the best, Peter

I can't imagine either!

Sorry to hear about the influx. We, like @oosik gave up gardening when the ground squirrels (our nemesis here) got too invasive. Our orchard now has a low HDPE fence and electric netting that combined seems to deter them. I know that I should really trench down 18" and put wire mesh in, but...

Reminds me of the time my wife and I were riding down a trail, and two adult skunks, tails fluffy and hanging down walked out of the shrubbery, followed by six or seven little ones, all seeming happy to go about their business. We, and the two horses, froze, and waited. Sure enough about fifteen...

Yikes! I'm glad you know to fix it. Different antihistamines target different pathways in the body. Zyrtec hits one. Allegra another. Both are OTC. Singulair (monteleukast) targets a third. For some folks taking more than one can help, but check with your doctor first... All the best, Peter

My guess is that is more likely to be great horned owls or the bald eagles preying on skunks than coyotes. Birds do better with skunks than four legged predators who have a much harder time hunting with stink. All the best, Peter

I've seen the Monarchs that overwinter near here a couple of times, and it is wild to see an evergreen tree that is red brown and shimmering. On the butterfly topic, we happened to be in the central Californian Sierras, when the annual painted lady butterfly migration came through. There were...

If you bury the water line, I would do four things. One make it pipe rather than hose, second, add a couple of inches of foam on top, or bury it deep enough not to freeze, third, use a frost proof hydrant with a vacuum breaker down by your plants, and fourth, use automatic drains as @MossRoad...

It took a crew of five working diligently 8+hours a day six days to do ours, but that included ripping out the old ducts, including duct boots. Unlike @2manyrocks, I'm going to suggest that this one is for the pros, at least until you've experienced a few. There's a lot to go wrong. Like what...

I think if you are used to dealing with muscles on spines, falls can be fairly obvious, at least to me, and I'm not a chiropractor. Riding horses sensitized me to small differences in musculature. My wife can tell me it hurts, but my horses can't, but on the spines of both, I can feel the...

Sorry, I thought that you were going after the standard screened vents. If it were me, given the local fire risk (you might look at what Berkeley Fire Safe is doing for ideas), I would enclose it all with fire resistant material, Hardie board, stucco over fire resistant plywood, and preferably...

That's quite the garage. That's not in California, is it? All the best, Peter

Stucco? Seriously, stucco. Seal the crawlspace and line the floor with a vapor barrier. Keeps the vermin out and increases the fire resistance, and cuts the heating/cooling costs. Failing that, any of the more modern, louver plus screen combinations, e.g. Vulcan vents. I think without a metal...

I would also point out that the US efforts to put down automated landers on the moon (the Surveyor series for example) had a waaay waaay better track record of success (5/7) than the Soviet attempts (2/13), and that's an under count as the Soviets didn't number vehicles (spacecraft) that did not...

Always hard to argue with an algorithm or know what is involved in its decision making. Could it be your choices of usernames? (As in the algorithm doesn't have a sense of humor and wants "Shelley E. Service" rather than "Shielas"?) All the best, Peter

Well, to cut them a tiny bit of slack, Apollo missions targeted very flat areas on the moon, and Neil Armstrong made a last second burn to put the LEM down on a flat area as they overshot the original target area and ended up in an area that was rocky on closer inspection. Apollo 8 landed with...

That's a classic! I don't know how you managed to part with it. 😱😆 All the best, Peter

And the Apollo guidance computer was a 16bit 2MHz computer with magnetic core weave memory (exactly what it sounds like). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer It is amazing to me that it managed to hit the return angle and location accurately every time. All the best, Peter

Welcome. You might want to update your location in your profile. That helps folks better tailor advice for you. Again, check local codes. AHJs sometimes get twitching about signs that the space might be inhabited and start treating the space as such. Around here things like a sink and a single...

If you decide to go the flat face route, check that the couplings are up to the flow and pressure of your PT. All the best, Peter

@newbury Random question/thought: how sure are you that the bolts are leaking, rather than being a cold point for condensation to drip off of? It just seems odd to me that you have leaks on four toilets at about the same time. All the best, Peter

@RSKY sorry about the ear infections and hearing loss. Sounds horrible. Not to throw any shade on chiropractors, and I have many friends who are better for using their services, but while migraines and back pain sound in the wheelhouse of chiropractors, ear and skin issues seem a stretch. Ear...

I have some on other equipment, and love them. They do stay much cleaner and are easier to connect. I do wish I had them on the PT, but the total expense seemed like a personal extravagance. I will probably get there. All the best, Peter

@newbury Any chance at all for removing the bolts bodily? Can you unscrew them at all? Not to be critical, but "black sealant" is...a little indefinite, at least to me. If it were me, I would gently scrape off a chunk to get a better idea of what it might be before I got too far into things...

Why do you need to do four tanks, and what is the goal? Do they all leak? I think of gasket cement in the context of boilers and wood fired stoves. Are we talking about here? Does it look like JB Weld, silicone, plumbers putty, cement? A little more detail, and even a photo could help. All...

Yikes! That does not sound great. To me, that sounds like either a bad starter solenoid or main switch. I would check to see where and when you have voltages at the switch, at the starter solenoid control wires and on the output. The switch is pretty standard, though I personally am partial to...

Funny how some folks don't learn and change their daily habits, isn't it? All the best, Peter

I buy caps from PT, or Summit racing, the latter either via Amazon or directly. Just make sure that you are getting the size right. I prefer the softer ones as some of the hard vinyl caps that I have bought over the years hardened to the point where they wouldn't come off, or go back on. I...

@Modrob one other tip on the Q/A hoses: if they are hard to connect, it means that there is pressure in the hose. For implements that need the Q/A hydraulics to control something, I find that after I put an implement on and lock it, that it helps to turn the tractor off, cycle the Q/A lever back...

The outer two are for Q/A and a few other attachments that need it. E.g. post driver, 4n1, etc. Normally they stay hooked up. For my sanity, I put a colored zip tie on one of them, and then on one hose for each piece of equipment that I have that uses that circuit so the lever under the dash...

FWIW: I bought oil infused bashing from McMaster-Carr. I'm still on my first couple out of a batch of ten or so, but I only mow as an invasive weed or pasture improvement project, so way less than some folks. Like @MossRoad, I loosen the bolts, grease, and reassemble before each use and every...

I bolt mine tight, but not so tight the blade is locked in place. All the best, Peter

If you have cleaned and lubricated the linkage, the valve may need to be cleaned. There is, IIRC a spring cartridge that might need cleaning, but I've never done it. I've cleaned the check valve in the valve assembly. Just get everything spotless, and then clean it again. Terry's comment to me...

For FedEx, I have learned to get the local station number, and then call and speak a manager, hopefully the manager for our route. Usually, that improves the results. FWIW: We had a rash of "address error"/bogus "door tag left" notices, too. So, called the manager, who explained to me that...

@WoodChuckDad congratulations on diagnosing the issue and getting it fixed. But, wow 177F seems like a dangerous default for the water heater to jump to. Isn't rapid shipping wonderful? All the best, Peter

This might be shutting the barn door after the cows have left, but there are surge protectors and lightning arresters for coax and Ethernet cables, ideally where they enter the house, and tied to their own ground rod. E.g...

I think that we have the same unit, but your installation is much cleaner. All the best, Peter

Might not be warm enough yet. Ghost peppers like it warm.

Some whole house surge protectors are built into a pair of breakers, some need to be wired to a pair of breakers. The whole house surge protectors should be wired as close to the supply wires as possible, e.g. in the top two breaker locations for top fed panels, bottom two for a bottom fed, or...

@WoodChuckDad Another vote for a whole house surge suppressor, and perhaps a second one at the pump. I would also wire up an EMI snubber at the pump for a little more protection. At this point, I think that you have shown you are in a lightning prone area. When there are strikes that are close...

Yes, it is a child safety issue due to strangulation by the cords. Around 9 kids per year in the US, not a lot, but I'd feel terrible if it happened in my house. Pull across or down lightweight is the new design standard. I've seen a few that were ok to operate. All the best, Peter

Yes, it is all an ecosystem, isn't it? Turtles would prey on some of the minnows, but will feed on dragonfly larvae. Purple martins do feed on wasps as well, although they are said to pick off drones on occasion. They tend to go after higher flying insects, so generally bees aren't a major...

How about some purple Martin bird houses or nesting ledges for swallows? What kind of fish do you have in your pond? All the best, Peter

Thanks for this thread. It is fascinating to read. Good luck on the door. That would bug me, too. If it were me, I'd pressure apply a bonding agent to that crack above the non-hinge side of the door. (E.g. Sikadur crack repair kit.) I have the concern that the crack will get worse with time...

I've heard it two ways; older- from a rural area, newer- self-reliant, eating only what you grow, gather, or hunt. Off the Land - Slang Meaning and Examples - FastSlang 🤷‍♂️ Perhaps a real Aussie can weigh in? That would be the bees' knees. All the best, Peter

Nice work! (I like those Viking Arms lifts that you used in an earlier photo. I had never seen them before.) FWIW: I have found that treating the cut ends of pressure treated wood with copper naphthenate helps reduce rot. All the best, Peter

When I lived in wine cap country, it seemed to me that weather was the primary driver of crops, and to a lesser extent, substrate to grow on. Personally, if I were growing my own mushrooms, I'd grow shiitake or morels. All the best, Peter

I've always thought it was the more literal version; "dang, where did I put my keys? They aren't in my pocket." So, he is out of pocket because he is not in his usual hangout (home/garage/barn/office). Same for money, I'm out of pocket another $20 because I needed a tire patch kit. (i.e. the...

I'm sure he learned a lot more than the solution. "Give a man a fish and he eats for day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime..." All the best, Peter

🤣 I read @kenmbz's message the same way, too. A+ for ambition. All the best, Peter

Plus, after Oklahoma City, the West Texas fertilizer blast definitely helped remove ammonium nitrate from the hands of fertilizer blenders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Fertilizer_Company_explosion And in case anyone was reconsidering, Beirut happened...

@kmartshopper if you are going to go brush hog for awhile, I would add a can of SeaFoam to the tank now. It can't hurt, and may help. All the best, Peter

I forgot plants. Yes, those are great carriers and breeding grounds. My bet would be on something inside. I had an issue in two houses with windows (jalousies in one) and floors with open cracks and still managed to get rid of them. Good luck. All the best, Peter

Houghton county is certainly gorgeous. I don't know which county comes in second, but Washington county Maine might be a competitor, especially if one counted islands and its riverine border with Canada.

Sorry to hear it. This brings back lots of memories, and not the good kind. What follows is just a personal view point, but it has worked for me. Getting rid of dampness, e.g. traces of water, really helps. Humidity helps them thrive. This is not, repeat not, a criticism of your wife's cleaning...

In the FWIW category: a deep dive into of ticks, their distribution (some neat maps showing the changes over the years), and tick borne diseases; https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/bite-sized-threats-of-ticks Apparently this close to "peak tick" for this year. All the best, Peter

Yikes! That sounds like a close one, and quick action on your part! Towing requires opening the bypass port; I would check your manual before attempting to move it. I've never replace a Kohler starter, so I can't help you there, but I'd be inclined to try to fix it where it is, if possible...

Terry at Power-Trac told me "open heart surgery clean". From my experience, it is a good description of what is needed. Larger hydraulic systems often treat the tank as "clean" with filtered returns, a filtered refill nozzle and filtered breather openings. That limits the damage from a single...

The world is your oyster! Have fun. I think it is a great goal to challenge my mind, so if you want to do the same, go for it. But if it were me, I would build new. If you really want to, go for it, but I would add a suction filter, or a return filter for every single pump or set of return...

Welcome to TBN! That sounds as if it is fuel starvation, but occasionally I've seen a clogged air intake cause almost the same symptoms. I would check the fuel line for an air leak, crack, or a piece of debris. You might need to get the entire line clean and dry, and look for a small weep. Did...

I agree! I are pretty neat units. I had no idea that they had gotten so cheap until I looked for @modro. The Yanmar units that I am more familiar with are a lot more expensive. I have seen them used for remote construction work as they have much better flotation than wheeled vehicles, and far...

In general, I am all for fixing up old equipment and getting them running, but for $3k-ish you could buy a dedicated dumper crawler with a 3,300lb capacity. E.g. https://bid.rollerauction.com/auctions/24643/lot/454575-new-2025-ir-ird25-crawler-dumper There are bigger ones available from Yanmar...

Hunting down a similar used variable volume pump might be possible, but of course comes with the caveat of "what happened to the donor unit in the first place"? If your system, or the new to you pump has any debris inside, I think that you run the very real risk of catastrophic failure of pumps...

I'm no expert on Tecumseh engines, sorry. If it gets fuel and the carb is new, that leaves spark and compression, right? How are the spark and compression? When did it last get a new spark plug? If it were me I might start by checking the spark and the magneto alignment, and if that doesn't...

Because it is a half blocked idea?😉 I thought a half block idea sounded like it was a clever way to get more heat in to the peppers. Just don't plant hot peppers anywhere near other peppers! All the best, Peter

I wasn't wild about close fitting jeans in hot weather as a kid either. I find loose, but heavy pants and shirts keep me cooler than shorts and a T-shirt, but everyone is different. I know folks who do use the tick collars on themselves, but I'd take permethrin any day. The chemicals in tick...

Apparently it is specific to cottonmouths. https://factanimal.com/cottonmouth/ Unfortunately, not a warning smell for the other American vipers...

Based on what I have seen them bite through, yes, I think, no problem. A friend was bitten through a pair of heavy leather pull on boots (3/32" thick +/-, thick, rather like "biker" boots). Most of the venom ended up pooled on his sock, but the skin was scratched, so off to the hospital he went...

We have a local plant called "tick weed". There's something about the plant that attracts ticks this time of year, so the plant is just shimmering with ticks on every stem. If you accidentally brush a branch your sleeve or pants leg is suddenly swarming with ticks. I have never seen anything...

Wow that brings back memories. We had a sixty+ year old orange/red model. All I can say is you are a tougher person than I am. In our soil, ours was always lurching and popping itself out of the ground, and it took more than a few passes to get a seed bed ready. After a couple of years being...

Have you asked? "Parli italiano?" ;) Congratulations on calmer bees. All the best, Peter

To me, disconnected means "removed". So, as the pipe is clearly there, open on one side and loosely plugged with a rag, what is on the other end of that pipe? The hydraulic reservoir? All the best, Peter

If it were me, I'd try it and see. The hummers will be hummers. All the best, Peter

We ran out of water last week. The pump is fine, but it turns out the snazzy LittelFuse pump monitor / controller died. Whether the lightning storm shortly after it last pumped was the cause, I don't know, but the timing was almost exactly when @WoodChuckDad started this thread. I had to laugh...

I've been around them occasionally and personally, I find the random distress calls unsettling. But perhaps one gets used to it with time. I will say that the Bird Gards did keep the areas clear of birds. All the best, Peter

@California I, too mow before rototilling. I love blackberries, but they are a really invasive weed. In the FWIW category, I largely eliminated our previously perennial poison hemlock by waiting for a drizzly wet day in winter and then used a million BTU propane torch to steam the plants to...

I confess to bending the back portion of the bucket slightly on a few occasions, such as hitting things, and trying to get a strong grip to pull fence posts / trees. Opening the bucket until the movable section is vertical and pushing against an immovable object gets it back to flat. (I've used...

Photos? Just curious. All the best, Peter

Gorgeous photo! All the best, Peter

It works great, especially if you are fortunate enough not to hear it. All the best, Peter

That's great! That looks like some 6002 bearings and some seals. All the best, Peter

@muncybob311 congratulations! FWIW: purely personal opinion, once I see wear on a bolt in an axle, I usually replace bolts like that to try to keep damage to the spindle/wheel to a minimum, as bolts are much cheaper. Those casters on my mower, at least the way I mow, seem to need grease every...

My bet is Frederick's knows. Did you notice the bearing size? Any numbers? A "sealed" bearing (-RS) usually has rubber over steel as the design. A lot of agricultural bearing designs use integrated seals (RS, or better), or an exterior seal, but for things like tillers and cultivators that...

Sad on so many levels.