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Mulching mowers work great if you mow once a week, or if the grass isn't too tall.
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May 14, 2015 17:11
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Or wet. But really, long wet grass means pain no matter what unless you just use the discharge chute.
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May 14, 2015 17:13
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Mulching is better for your yard and way easier but yeah you can't let it get too long or you get clumps. If you are really lazy you could mow the clumps again. v vI have a black and decker 36v cordless electric mower for a much bigger yard (maybe 10,000 sq feet?) and it's pretty awesome. I can always get it all done but if the grass is long or requires many passes for some reason it does get low toward the end. Start with the longest stuff first. Not dealing with gas and having it be as quiet as a box fan is pretty awesome though. It still takes over an hour so we may get a riding mower anyway. The yard is right on the edge of too big but not so huge as its foregone we should get one.
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May 14, 2015 17:15
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One option if you don't want the piled rows of the side chute but can't mulch or bag for any number of reasons is to just tie the chute up with a bungee so it's flipped up out of the way (easier to revert than removing it). Then it just sprays the clippings everywhere in a much more even cover that sinks down into the lawn within a couple days. Granted, your blade is exposed so if your dipshit dog sticks his face in there it's game over, but what's the fun of mowing if there's not a little danger involved? Plus, then BOTH sides of the mower are precision edge, instead of just the one.
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May 14, 2015 17:18
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Barbarians. An elegant mower, from a more civilized age.
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May 14, 2015 18:24
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Bad Munki posted:One option if you don't want the piled rows of the side chute but can't mulch or bag for any number of reasons is to just tie the chute up with a bungee so it's flipped up out of the way (easier to revert than removing it). Then it just sprays the clippings everywhere in a much more even cover that sinks down into the lawn within a couple days. Granted, your blade is exposed so if your dipshit dog sticks his face in there it's game over, but what's the fun of mowing if there's not a little danger involved? Plus, then BOTH sides of the mower are precision edge, instead of just the one. Also chucks rocks unpredictably!
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May 14, 2015 18:27
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Like I said, a little danger spices things up.
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May 14, 2015 18:29
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While we're on mower chat, my new house has 1.5 acres that I really don't feel like mowing with a push-behind. Does anyone have recommendations for a ride-on that that is reliable and mows grass well but that doesn't have a whole bunch of wannabe tractor or luxury crap on it? I'm looking for "will mow the grass and start every time I try to start it" far more than "has three cup holders, a heated seat, and can be fitted with a plow blade."
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May 14, 2015 18:34
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I have a 42" troybilt from lowe's or wherever, it's one of the smallest riding mowers they have, handles my acre just fine and doesn't have a bunch of bullshit. Has never not started, even after sitting all winter long with old gas in it and no battery tender. Side chute by default, I have a bagger for it that I use on the front yard. Has a hitch hole for hooking up a trailer or sweeper or whatever if that's your thing. Is small enough that if you get stuck in some mud, you can jimmy it out on your own. Survived being set on fire with no apparent damage. Does have a cupholder on the left fender.
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May 14, 2015 18:36
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I hope this is the correct place to ask: I want to use an angle grinder side handle in a camera bracket because the OEM grip is $150 from the manufacturer and an identical one from milwaukee/dewalt/whoever is like $10, so it's an easy spot to save money. I ordered the grip from milwaukee, kind of by mistake since it said it's 3/8" thread and the hole for the bracket takes a 'standard' 5/8" thread (which is what the brass piece is). However, next to each other, they're the same diameter (3/8"), only the thread pitch on the brass piece is smaller. So is the milwaukee grip a course thread and the other fine? I don't have a pitch gauge anymore  : VVV The brass piece goes all the way in, the side handle goes in about 1/2-1 turn before sticking. If I put the threads together, the brass one has more TPI. The grip side is like a tiny bit wider in diameter and a tiny bit more space between threads. I'm just going to adapt something else to fit. The brass piece is from here: B&H Photo, I have no idea what they mean by 5/8 standard. I think it's like you said, it's probably a subtle difference, like 3/8 16 vs 3/8 18, or some kind of Euro-US mismatch. red19fire fucked around with this message at 02:00 on May 15, 2015 |
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May 15, 2015 00:49
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They both look like 3/8-16 to me. "Coarse" and "fine" usually just refer to a couple common pitches for various bolt sizes. 3/8-16 is normally coarse, while 3/8-24 is normally fine for a 3/8" bolt, I think? Which would be very easily spotted, that'd be half again as many threads per inch, definitely not what you have there if one of those pieces is known to be 3/8-16. Did you try threading it in? What was the result? Could just be you need to run a die over the new threads to clean them up a bit, the quality of the threads can be lower or higher depending on the precision of the object (camera: higher precision, angle grinder: lower precision) and that might be enough to make it seem it doesn't fit. Could be the brass piece is some more odd size that is more subtly different like 3/8-18? That's pretty unlikely, though. e: Oh, you said the brass piece is 5/8. Are you SURE it's 5/8? It really looks like 3/8 to me. Anyhow, even if it is 5/8, they still look like the same thread pitch, and coarse/fine are usually separated by quite a bit, making them easy to differentiate visually. Do you have links for both the camera side and the milwaukee side? I'm looking at milwaukee service manuals and am not having any luck finding the specs on the side handle bolt, and it'd help to be able to spec the camera as well. Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 01:13 on May 15, 2015 |
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May 15, 2015 01:02
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red19fire posted:VVV The brass piece goes all the way in, the side handle goes in about 1/2-1 turn before sticking. If I put the threads together, the brass one has more TPI. The grip side is like a tiny bit wider in diameter and a tiny bit more space between threads. I'm just going to adapt something else to fit. Are you sure it's not metric? The camera, I mean, not the side handle. Finding threads in an odd size like that is pretty darn rare, and it's much more common to find metric threads that alllllmost seem right but stop after about that much threading in. Hell, not being able to find a spec sheet, the handle could also be the metric one. That would also be quite plausible. Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 02:54 on May 15, 2015 |
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May 15, 2015 02:51
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Stop using edit, I can't keep your poo poo straight, there's a reply button for a reason.  Okay so looking at that piece on the manfrotto website, it looks like there's threading at each end, and I think one end is supposed to be 1/4", which means there's no way the other end is 5/8 from looking at the picture, 3/8 is much more likely. But maybe you could just grab a tape measure or something and do a sanity check to get a ballpark size estimate. That being said, I think it's likely that the side handle you've got is actually threaded metric. IF it is in fact the case that the female threads are, say, 3/8-16, I think a metric 10x1.5 may be deceptively close to that? Fake edit: okay, I pulled out my taps. 3/8-16 and M10x1.5 are reeeaaally close, it'd be super easy to confuse the two. I don't have taps in the 5/8 range, so I can't comment on that if that's actually the size of the threads, but it seems likely. Because finding weird sizes like 3/8-18 is pretty rare as a general rule, I will wager that you are almost certainly seeing a standard/metric mis-match here. I don't know if I have it in the right direction or not, but as an example, here's a coupler with female 3/8-16 and male M10x1.5, something like that might do you: http://www.mcmaster.com/#92499a541/=x6njrq Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 03:14 on May 15, 2015 |
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May 15, 2015 03:11
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Bad Munki posted:Stop using edit, I can't keep your poo poo straight, there's a reply button for a reason. Thanks, one's Swiss and one's American so being close but not quite makes sense. I took out a ruler, they're both 3/8" diameter. No worries, I'll figure it out.
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May 15, 2015 03:32
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Definitely 3/8-16 and M10x1.5 then, I'd bet money on it. An adapter like the one I linked would do it in that case, or possibly with the female/male standard/metric reversed, whichever way your thread sizes are. If you wanted to verify for absolute certain but don't have the tools to measure, you could just take the parts to a hardware store and see what fits. Good luck! 
Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 03:39 on May 15, 2015 |
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May 15, 2015 03:37
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Bad Munki posted:Definitely 3/8-16 and M10x1.5 then, I'd bet money on it. An adapter like the one I linked would do it in that case, or possibly with the female/male standard/metric reversed, whichever way your thread sizes are. Thanks, that's exactly what I need. Do you think they have those at tractor supply, home depot, or somewhere like that?
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May 15, 2015 03:41
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Not likely, I don't think a metric-to-standard adapter is a very common item. Definitely not at Home Depot/Lowe's. McMaster-Carr is the best thing in the world, though. e: Fastenal MIGHT have what you're after and they have local stores, but they may also have to order it in (very likely, in my experience) and expect you to buy 50 of them. Doesn't hurt to check, though. At least now you know what you're after, and that the part does, in fact, exist.
Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 03:48 on May 15, 2015 |
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May 15, 2015 03:43
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I have a couple of Werner folding/extending ladders. I was planning to get some ladder jacks and a plank for use in my workshop project, but I noticed today that there's a note on the ladders saying "do not use ladder jacks with this ladder". Opinions? Is this just Werner deciding that ladder jacks correlate with unsafe practices and not wanting to get sued? Or could there be a legitimate reason why combining ladder jacks with one of their ladders is a bad idea?
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May 15, 2015 05:07
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They sell ladder jacks probably this "Werner Co only recommends using ladder jacks with a Type IA (300lb) or Type IAA (375lb) rated Werner ladder. OSHA and ANSI do allow the use of ladder jacks with a Type I ladder(250lb)."
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May 15, 2015 11:29
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Hubis posted:Barbarians. I've been thinking about getting one of these fiskars, do you have any lawn area that isn't all smooth and perfect like in the picture? How does it handle the poo poo areas?
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May 15, 2015 12:31
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MrPete posted:I've been thinking about getting one of these fiskars, do you have any lawn area that isn't all smooth and perfect like in the picture? Do you mean as in hilly? It's hard to give a fair judgment because the areas I have that are hilly are also covered in tree roots, but it does... alright. From what I've read online, the FIskars are on the heavy side for push mowers, which are great for dense grass (the South) and flat terrain; for more uneven ground there are others which are lighter.
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May 15, 2015 13:46
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Bad Munki posted:One option if you don't want the piled rows of the side chute but can't mulch or bag for any number of reasons is to just tie the chute up with a bungee so it's flipped up out of the way (easier to revert than removing it). And get high lift blades. stealie72 posted:While we're on mower chat, my new house has 1.5 acres that I really don't feel like mowing with a push-behind. Does anyone have recommendations for a ride-on that that is reliable and mows grass well but that doesn't have a whole bunch of wannabe tractor or luxury crap on it? Search Craigslist for a used commercial mower from a landscaper. They replace them pretty regularly and they usually have plenty of life left in them for homeowner use after that. 1.5 acres is really nothing to cut with a 52" walk behind which you can probably find for like $800, but you can get a 52" rider for like $1500-2000 if you look around. Not only are they better quality than consumer mowers but they cut better and parts are readily available for about ever as opposed to the planned doom of consumer mowers by stopping the parts supply a few years after they were made and substituted with a functionally identical model with totally different parts.
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May 15, 2015 15:05
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MrPete posted:I've been thinking about getting one of these fiskars, do you have any lawn area that isn't all smooth and perfect like in the picture? I have a big slope in my front yard and got the Scott Classic 20" reel mower because it seemed a lot easier to manhandle in those situations than the fiskars. My lawn is pretty garbage and it seems to do ok. How rough are we talking here?
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May 15, 2015 15:22
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Bad Munki posted:Not likely, I don't think a metric-to-standard adapter is a very common item. Definitely not at Home Depot/Lowe's. McMaster-Carr is the best thing in the world, though. Mystery solved, went to the HD machine screw board today. The  grinder grip is M10x1.5, the  bracket is SAE 3/8-16. Thanks bros, going to fastenal tomorrow, failing that I'll order the thing from McMaster-Carr.
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May 16, 2015 02:59
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Good deal. Just so you know, though, it sounds like the part I linked you has the exact opposite of the setup you want. The one I linked has male M10x1.5 and female 3/8-16, I think you want male 3/8-16 (so it'll screw into the bracket) and female M10x1.5 (so the side handle will screw into the adapter.) I think this is ACTUALLY the one you want (male standard, female metric): http://www.mcmaster.com/#92499a424/=x75yww
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May 16, 2015 03:06
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A friend posted this on facebook. Any idea what it is?
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May 18, 2015 04:27
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Look like measuring calipers, or maybe it could be a huge compass for drawing circles.
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May 18, 2015 05:16
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I am about to buy a house which is in a bit of a bad state, mostly needs an update really. I got a drill and the odd bits which everyone seems to gather normally but aim thinking of augmenting my tool box with something a bit more bigger. I have been looking at an Oscillating Multi-Tool which was described to me as a workman's Dremel. At one time or another I need to-do one of its roles, like sanding down a lot of kitchen cabinets, using the scraper to remove vinyl tiles, grouting work and the ability to quickly snap on a blade and do some quick cutting that makes plunge cutting a quick joke makes it ideal in my current financial situation. This is the one that I have fallen for ( Bosch PMF 250 CES ) I am going to be short of money after the house sale so a tool which can do a lot of jobs and last while the budget is tight seems perfect, so my thought of spending a bit for a main brand which will last, but I know a tool which does many jobs will not be as good as one partially designed to do the job so its a trade off. Problem is I have never seen one being used in person and any reviews I can find on YouTube are in German, I don't know if that modal is an older one or a new one and if its better sacrificing the handle to get the 'blue' version. To be honest I am looking for validation in the one I picked because I got it in my head that Bosch are really good but I need to know if I am wasting my money on this Bosch and better of getting a a no name one for more than half the price. Or in fact, buying the B&D mouse sander and a few simple tools and just going at it?
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May 18, 2015 15:30
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Afterdark posted:I am about to buy a house which is in a bit of a bad state, mostly needs an update really. I got a drill and the odd bits which everyone seems to gather normally but aim thinking of augmenting my tool box with something a bit more bigger. Your Amazon UK link makes me thing you are overseas, but if you can find a version of the HF OMT (Oscillating Multi Tool), it really is a good tool. It's far better than the Dremel MultiMax that I got when I bought my house. However, it's tough to go wrong with Bosch, and I'm sure it is a good tool. I've never seen one used with a side-handle, but that's not a bad idea. Bosch blades are the best out there, which is a plus for you. The tool-free blade change option only will work with Bosch blades, just FYI. They make adapters to use other brands' accessories, but you have to use an Allen key or whatever to do blade changes. Oh, and buy a battery-operated impact driver. There's nothing better for driving screws. If you are a Bosch guy, they make good cordless stuff as well. I'd opt for 18V if you are doing bigger stuff, but the brushless 12V tools are plenty capable for lighter tasks.
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May 18, 2015 16:34
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Yeh I am UK, got a link to that HF OMT? not getting much luck googling. Yeah thinking for paying that bit extra to get the bits in the bigger box, there are third party kits full of blades and such but I was looking for the adapter a few days ago when I found the vacuum adapter which from reading reviews doest really work well with UK vacuums for some odd reason but I will end up buying the entire set of accessory's in the end so I can buy cheap replacement blades of ones I will not use much. Bit of a relief to hear that Bocsh blades and such a well made, on the expensive side for me right now, glad they last. Think its first big job will be stripping the kitchen cabinets of paint from the last millennium so getting a few spare third party sanding pads will be my priority. From you saying you had the Dremel MultiMax, how did you find the type of tool its self? Useful? I was looking at a driver but I got this really nice cordless drill from Aldi of all places and apart from bits slipping in the chuck-less key bit its been working quite well, I am very tempted to buy a cordless branded one but with money going to be tight and the Aldi one working right now I might have to hold off. Although a cordless set of power tools all using the same battery pack is very tempting.
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May 18, 2015 19:26
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Perhaps ukworkshop.co.uk might be a good forum to ask too if you need uk specific advice. Also lots of professionals there. Mostly woodworking oriented but there's all kinds.
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May 18, 2015 19:33
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Afterdark posted:Yeh I am UK, got a link to that HF OMT? not getting much luck googling. http://www.harborfreight.com/variable-speed-oscillating-multifunction-power-tool-61219.html It's a very well-built unit, and much better than my 1.5A MultiMax, which I used to the point that it died. That's how useful it is. I've used it for wood flooring installation, trim installation, sanding, hacking holes in plaster walls for outlet boxes, cutting nails in locations where nothing else would fit, and countless other tasks. I'd get an honest to goodness random orbital sander for big projects, but it'll work. Drills are great for drilling, and not so good for driving. An impact driver makes it nearly impossible to strip the heads, and makes the task much easier. Good tools make everything easier, and buying the right high-quality tool pays off in the long run. I started with a Makita drill, driver, and sawzall. I've added the circular saw, sander, grinder, LED light, and another battery. There's very little that makes me drag out my corded drill or saw anymore, aside from thick laminate cutting.
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May 18, 2015 21:41
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Afterdark posted:I am about to buy a house which is in a bit of a bad state, mostly needs an update really. I got a drill and the odd bits which everyone seems to gather normally but aim thinking of augmenting my tool box with something a bit more bigger. If you have zero tools and just bought a house you need to balance the quality/quantity equation more towards quantity. An oscillating tool is a great tool but you'll need many others. I suggest something cheaper than the Bosch plug-in.
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May 19, 2015 00:26
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asdf32 posted:If you have zero tools and just bought a house you need to balance the quality/quantity equation more towards quantity. Also: buy tools when the job requiring them arises. Don't buy tools in the anticipation that you'll need them eventually.
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May 19, 2015 00:32
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Also: buy tools when the job requiring them arises. Don't buy tools in the anticipation that you'll need them eventually. This man is clearly crazy because down this road you don't get to collect near as many tools. I recommend you buy them when they are on sale or look really cool and think you may, sometime, eventually, when things finally slow down, get to a project you vaguely started thinking about.
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May 19, 2015 06:11
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asdf32 posted:If you have zero tools and just bought a house you need to balance the quality/quantity equation more towards quantity. If you just bought a house "in a bit of a bad state"and don't have any money you have more problems than which tool to buy. On the other more helpful hand find a good general tool kit first with screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, a small pry bar, saw, etc before splashing out on power tools.
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May 19, 2015 11:18
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You got these things in the UK called boot sales or something, I hear they're great for picking up used tools. Get used to buying 2nd hand is a good tip.
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May 19, 2015 12:47
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I got my oscillating mulitool from Lidl for £30. I've only done a few cuts with it but so far I'm very happy. I've done more sanding and it's done a good job of that and the hoover adapter works fine.
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May 19, 2015 13:37
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Cakefool posted:...general tool kit first with screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, a small pry bar, saw, etc before splashing out on power tools. This, but... Buy a cheap tool kit with all the general purpose stuff in it, then every time part of it breaks, buy a high quality replacement for that part. That way all your good tools are the ones you need most and everything else will probably do the job once.
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May 19, 2015 16:39
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ReelBigLizard posted:This, but... I subscribed to that philosophy for years and still do to some extent but what I've found is that cheap tools rarely break outright, they just limp along being unpleasant until you throw them away and buy something better. Buying cheap is something of an art in that there are some things you can get by with (screwdrivers, electric drill) and some things you should just buy quality (adjustable wrenches, jig saws). Here are some things where I believe you should buy "good" quality to begin with. And good means good, doesn't have to be top of the line. Many people use Craftsman mechanic tools with no complaint. Adjustable wrenches (Crescent) Socket & ratchet sets Wrenches (cheap versions are much better than they used to be though, in the old days a cheap wrench would spread on a stuck bolt) Hand saws (Irwin, Stanley or Japanese pull style (new), or vintage Disston) Jig saws (Bosch) Hammer (really, buy a good hammer, no fiberglass) Hand drill (uncommon now but the cheap ones are absolute garbage, if you want one, buy a vintage eggbeater) They sell those new homeowner tool kits which almost always have the worst version of every tool included.
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May 19, 2015 19:28
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