The land maintenance, non-chainsaw thread

[bodywhomper]

Ha! Thanks.

[bodywhomper]

Works good at Halloween time, too

[highangle]

Ha! Thanks.

[SKIP IN7RO]

Anyone on here have experience with the burlier-built No.2 blade shovels? I want one that can handle some prying. So far I have found the King of All Spades, Corona AS 90300, and the Wolverine SL600.

[highangle]

Digging bars and pickaxes don't split and bend like shovels when you use them as pry bars.


https://www.wylaco.com/true-temper-1...tl-digging-bar

[TAFKALVS]

Anyone on here have experience with the burlier-built No.2 blade shovels? I want one that can handle some prying. So far I have found the King of All Spades, Corona AS 90300, and the Wolverine SL600.

Second the digging bar suggestion.

Digging bars and pickaxes don't split and bend like shovels when you use them as pry bars.


https://www.wylaco.com/true-temper-1...tl-digging-bar

[SKIP IN7RO]

^Thanks for the suggestions on the digging bar. It looks similar to what we call a rock bar around here. For that low price, I will be ordering one.

[XXX-er]

Yeah shovel are not pry bars but shovels with the back all welded up where the blade meets the mounting are tougher and cost a lot more than shovels that are not

[My Pet Powder Goat]

I bought a 15" collapsible saw from REI to use camping and trail riding on my endure Moto. I've been meaning to get one forever as there's nothing worse then having to turn around due to fallen trees

[SKIP IN7RO]

Yeah shovel are not pry bars but shovels with the back all welded up where the blade meets the mounting are tougher and cost a lot more than shovels that are not

While in a rush, I made the mistake of prying too much on my favorite Bully 12guage blue handled shovel. I am really interested in trying this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...A143QXMCJ5WMVJ It sounds like it can handle some prying, but the price is more than I want to spend right now.

[kootenayskier]

Anyone on here have experience with the burlier-built No.2 blade shovels? I want one that can handle some prying. So far I have found the King of All Spades, Corona AS 90300, and the Wolverine SL600.

http://shop.coronatoolsusa.com/ss-60...back.html.html

Sure a rock bar works better for heavy prying, but a heavy duty shovel works a lot of the time. These handle heavy abuse.

[yeahman]

Been thinking of going to a battery weed wackier when my gas weed eater dies. Trying to figure out what to get. I think I want one of those swappable battery systems where multiple tools work from the same battery.

I've gone through a couple rechargeable-battery weed whackers but ultimately decided they just lacked the power I like. They are good if you have a small urban lawn, but they really won't tackle anything serious. I switched to an electric weed whacker (using a 100 foot extension cord) for around the house, and a gas powered Stihl for the real heavy shit on the perimeter (we have 10 acres). Kind of sucks to have two weed whackers but the gas one is way overkill for trimming around the house.

[DoWork]

While in a rush, I made the mistake of prying too much on my favorite Bully 12guage blue handled shovel. I am really interested in trying this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...A143QXMCJ5WMVJ It sounds like it can handle some prying, but the price is more than I want to spend right now.

Fiskars makes a pretty decent all-metal spade shovel like that for a good deal cheaper. We beat the living shit out of the one we got this season and it held up great. Will be picking up some square head versions for next season for sure. Every wood handled one we bought no matter how nice is in pieces now fwiw.

[DoWork]

Fiskars makes a pretty decent all-metal spade shovel like that for a good deal cheaper. We beat the living shit out of the one we got this season and it held up great. Will be picking up some square head versions for next season for sure. Every wood handled one we bought no matter how nice is in pieces now fwiw.

Damn $24 at Target that's a fkn steak for these. A go getter homeowner type will likely never break one.

http://www.target.com/p/fiskars-174-...w&gclsrc=aw.ds

[SKIP IN7RO]

Damn $24 at Target that's a fkn steak for these. A go getter homeowner type will likely never break one.

http://www.target.com/p/fiskars-174-...w&gclsrc=aw.ds

I have ignored the Fiskars thinking it had a similar handle to their axes. I didn't realize it's all steel! Thanks for the heads-up.

[Swine]

Let's discuss machetes, shovels, tractors, bulldozers, weedeaters, brush mowers, and other tools for property maintenance.

I'll start:

What 30-35hp tractor should I buy?

You can't go wrong with a Deere

I disagree. I grew up with all John Deere on our farm. The older and bigger equipment is quality (like a 1960's era 4020), new CUT's are barely Deere (under 50 HP ish are pure Yanmar), which isn't bad in and off itself, but you're paying for the green paint more than anything else. Also stay away from the 3XXX E series, aluminum rear ends that are not very durable.

And, to seal the deal, John Deere is litigating all over the place and claiming you don't really own your equipment because of their bullshit EULA software license. They're fighting "right to repair" legislation left and right. So, fuck Deere.

So why a used tractor when a new one is not much more and comes with an extended warranty, and 0 Down/0% APR financing?

I just bought a 2000 Kubota 4310 a couple weeks ago, after MONTHS of research and shopping around all over the country. I have no brand loyalty, I wanted the best deal on the most reliable tractor I could find - I considered every manufacturer that is sold in the states. A few things that I think I discovered:

1. Buy bigger than you think you need.
2. If you aren't going to do your own maintenance you should probably get a brand that has a dealer nearby.
3. Kubota is some of the best bang for the buck and has better reliability than others IMHO.
4. If you truly compare apples to apples finding a good used deal is WAY cheaper than buying new. Dealer was quoting me 23k for a 37 HP new with rebates and such, a 47 HP was 28k (both standard models, no bells and whistles). I got a 43 HP deluxe model (yeah it's used and old, but tractors last forever if you take care of them) with 1700 hours (which isn't much) for 10k, I paid another 1100 to have it shipped from Iowa. Already have about 8 hours on it and it's great. And I saved a fuck load of money.
5. Texas seems to have the best pricing on used tractors (for reference, a super clean tractor that I was considering was going for 13k in Texas, here in Utah the exact same model with almost identical hours that came with an implement worth about $500 is listed for 26K). You'll also get something with next to no rust if you go Texas. I went for the one in Iowa because it was such a good deal.
6. Get on Tractorbynet and learn stuff, look at equipment on tractorhouse.com too.

tier V

Tier IV final currently. But yeah, what he said. Older tractors don't have the DPF and EGR crap going on. Between Tier III and Tier IV tractor prices jumped across the board 4-5K (new) just because of the new emissions stuff. Now, I'm a pretty big tree hugger, but when it comes down to it, my 17 year old tractor uses less fuel than the new stuff and is far simpler and cheaper to run. With mixed use I'm using on average 0.6 gallons per hour (no typo, it's crazy efficient). Am I polluting more. Yes, most likely. In the grand scheme of things I pick my battles though.

And now, I can do all kinds of cool shit with this snowblower I picked up:



Also awesome: I can borrow neighbors' 3ph implements. Sunk two wood posts with the rear auger, piece of cake.

[muted]

I have one in my cart but I feel a distinct lack of manliness about pressing buy.

But damn, fuck that old gas one I have that I have to fuck around with for three hours every few months.

Fuck that, I came to this thread to see if anyone has used an electrical trimmer and BOOM iceman delivers.

I may break my gas powered in half so it fits in the garbage can. Yeah, that's it. It needs to fit in the garbage can, I need to destroy it because of that.....yes yes yes.

[BCMtnHound]

Don't know what kind of gas trimmers you guys are using, but my 26cc 45 stihl 'wacker just had its first plug change. A new spool head last year, and it gets fed premium fuel. 3 or 4 pulls of the cord and it's a beast for the home lot, easily takes on the encroaching woods at the cabin. Light enough not to need a harness but power enough to make short work of thimbleberry and maple suckers up to .5cm. Bought it new in '08.

[bodywhomper]

I got a woodsman pal as a bday gift. Pretty stoked. Has made quicker work of new blackberry patch and incense cedar saplings.

[iceman]

I should have remembered this earlier in the thread.

[XXX-er]

Fuck that, I came to this thread to see if anyone has used an electrical trimmer and BOOM iceman delivers.

I may break my gas powered in half so it fits in the garbage can. Yeah, that's it. It needs to fit in the garbage can, I need to destroy it because of that.....yes yes yes.

I got a gas trimmer that came with the house , run fresh premium, put fuel stabilizer in all the motors every fall and everything runs fine, duno what you dentists are doing but maybe you should just hire garden ers

[irul&ublo]

I should have remembered this earlier in the thread.

Shovel-fu!

[The Reverend Floater]

My wife got me a Husky riding lawn mower and boy does that little bastard get it done. We have a fairly sizeable lawn but also a strip of irrigated wild grass that serves as a fire buffer to the Sea of sage around us. Said strip rolls over a rib from the mountain above and creates some seriously gnar steepness. If lawn mowing was a sport, this is the x games and that orange midget handles it in spades. Pretty impressive.

Some day I'll buy a Kubota. We need a loader for snow removal.

[DoWork]

My wife got me a Husky riding lawn mower and boy does that little bastard get it done. We have a fairly sizeable lawn but also a strip of irrigated wild grass that serves as a fire buffer to the Sea of sage around us. Said strip rolls over a rib from the mountain above and creates some seriously gnar steepness. If lawn mowing was a sport, this is the x games and that orange midget handles it in spades. Pretty impressive.

Some day I'll buy a Kubota. We need a loader for snow removal.

Whoawhoawhoawhoa... a tractor got bought and you didn't make the call?

What the fuck, man? I'm glad you're happy with it but that's fucked up. I hope she's somewhere standing with her nose in a corner right now, sheeeeesh!

[Not Neil_Armstrong]

Whoawhoawhoawhoa... a tractor got bought and you didn't make the call?

What the fuck, man? I'm glad you're happy with it but that's fucked up. I hope she's somewhere standing with her nose in a corner right now, sheeeeesh!

Oh no..