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Motronic posted:Harbor Freight Class action lawsuit, come get your free money goons: holy poo poo that's crazy 
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Mar 16, 2017 16:10
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I've probably got a few hundred bucks in credit card statements from them I could bang off of. Do I want to bother sighing through them? No
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Mar 16, 2017 17:21
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It took me 10 minutes to track the offending credit card statements on my bank website, but after I did, the re-captcha widget on the settlement site was broken, welp
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Mar 16, 2017 17:48
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They email me all of my receipts
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Mar 16, 2017 22:48
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Motronic posted:Harbor Freight Class action lawsuit, come get your free money goons: Someone should at least buy this guy archives or no-ads or something
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Mar 16, 2017 22:58
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This week's Nor'Easter has convinced me I cannot own a home in VT any longer and not have a snowblower. Shoveling cannot cut it (well, it can and did, but barely...one shovel broke, and it was all at the expense of a lot of my time and my back...seriously, for the past two days my back has been in so much pain it's unreal.) I don't have a ton of driveway, maybe about 20' or so, plus I have to make a few paths in the backyard for my dog, but I think I might still need a two-stage. We can get a lot of snow...even before this week, the last couple storms put down about a foot each.
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Mar 17, 2017 15:37
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DrBouvenstein posted:This week's Nor'Easter has convinced me I cannot own a home in VT any longer and not have a snowblower. Shoveling cannot cut it (well, it can and did, but barely...one shovel broke, and it was all at the expense of a lot of my time and my back...seriously, for the past two days my back has been in so much pain it's unreal.) Depends on if you're willing to get out there an keep up with it while it's snowing or want to just be able to do one pass in the end.
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Mar 17, 2017 16:18
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Motronic posted:Depends on if you're willing to get out there an keep up with it while it's snowing or want to just be able to do one pass in the end. I don't mind doing a couple passes while it's still snowing...after all, I have to do that now with a shovel anyway, so no matter what it's still easier with a snow blower. I'm just doing some cursory looks at HD (will probably avoid buying for the moment, aren't there usually end-of-season sales on these things?) and it looks like the "budget" brand is PowerSaver? Never heard of it, reviews are in the 3-4 star range. It's also hard to compare when I see ones within a brand that are so drat similar, yet might be priced a hundred bucks apart...or priced nearly the same, yet one looks much better. Like, these two: http://www.homedepot.com/p/PowerSmart-26-in-208cc-2-Stage-Gas-Snow-Blower-with-Headlight-DB7103-26/205790525 http://www.homedepot.com/p/PowerSmart-24-in-212cc-2-Stage-Gas-Snow-Blower-DB765124/204746556 The second one is 2" less width, but 4 more CCs, and $10 more...makes no sense. Though those are sale prices, "original" price does have the 26" at $100 more than the 24", so is that 26" a better deal? I don't see 4 CCs making that big a difference. Otherwise, both look drat near the same. 6.5 HP, electric start. Though the 26" also has a headlight (of mild help, I have a street light right near my driveway) and a "drift cutter", whatever that is. If I go up a bit to a "recognizable" brand name, I see this Cub Cadet for ~$700: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Cub-Cadet-24-in-208cc-2-Stage-Electric-Start-Gas-Snow-Blower-with-Power-Steering-2X-24/207161450 Is it worth an extra $160 for it? Has much better reviews, and more of them, too. DrBouvenstein fucked around with this message at 16:55 on Mar 17, 2017 |
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Mar 17, 2017 16:53
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I did a bit of snow blower research the other day. Most people with opinions say that you should spring for the more recognizable/reliable brands and treat it as an investment that should last years with proper maintenance. This site has some good info: http://movingsnow.com/2016/top-twenty-snow-blowers-2016-top-rated-snow-blowers-not-snow-blowers-people-buy-one-best/ Cub Cadet, Craftsman, and Troy-Bilt are made by the same company. Ariens seems to be a well-regarded brand and it looks like their parts are sold on Amazon. The site above lays out the tiers of each manufacturer, and has some useful tidbits on selecting the right size snow blower to suit your needs.
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Mar 17, 2017 17:08
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DrBouvenstein posted:
I bought this one this year as my first blower after getting about a foot of snow and my back saying "No more." Sadly, I've only needed it once since (this week) but it was perfectly fine for the 3" we got in Detroit. It had the most features for the money of any of them in that size which is why I went with it. "Power steering" means it just has clutched wheels so you can turn it easier. The chute is a little awkward to use but I am getting better with it. It has a ridiculous amount of gears for the trans, like 6 forward and 2 reverse. Totally not needed. I don't really have anything bad to say about it, but I've only ever used this one so not much to compare it to. If you have any specific questions, PM me.
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Mar 17, 2017 18:28
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Erwin posted:I did a bit of snow blower research the other day. Most people with opinions say that you should spring for the more recognizable/reliable brands and treat it as an investment that should last years with proper maintenance. This is a very good point. A lot of HD-type rebranded equipment has basically no parts availability right out of the box, and it only gets worse from there. Buying something from a larger/more recognized company that keeps parts around for years (and doesn't change parts based on what direction the wind is blowing in China) is a good idea for something that should last you decades (because you're gonna need small parts, seals, carb bits and pieces). Also - and I've been plugging this a lot lately - don't ever put regular gas in it. I'm totally done with that. My blower used about 1/8 of a gallon to do may fairly large driveway with 6" of heavy snow. At that burn rate draining fuel to winterize (spingerize?) makes no sense when you can get near-a-galloin cans of fuel that stays stable for decades for $20 at home depot. The stuff makes firing in the cold super easy also. Example: http://www.homedepot.com/p/TruSouth-TruFuel-110-oz-4-Cycle-Ethanol-Free-Fuel-6527206/205915694 You can also get 40:1 and 50:1 premix.
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Mar 17, 2017 19:28
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Sno-Tek is the economy brand of Ariens, and gets good reviews. My gut tells me long term parts would be available as there is undoubtedly carry-over between their lines. Got my 24" 2 stage Sno-Tek for 600 a couple years ago, and it's doing great.
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Mar 17, 2017 19:36
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Motronic posted:The stuff makes firing in the cold super easy also. This guy doesn't have electric start.  I haven't even tried the pull cord, it starts instantly with electric. Minimum effort!
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Mar 17, 2017 19:54
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Motronic posted:Example: http://www.homedepot.com/p/TruSouth-TruFuel-110-oz-4-Cycle-Ethanol-Free-Fuel-6527206/205915694 You can also get 40:1 and 50:1 premix. I've never understood why someone would want to pay over $20/gal for ethanol free gas with or without premix oil. Of course, I guess everywhere might not have access to ethanol free at the gas pump like we do here, but still, paying that kind of money for gasoline seems insane. I buy lots of ethanol free for my boat, and keeping a few stabilized gallons back for my other power tools is pretty easy.
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Mar 17, 2017 20:56
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n0tqu1tesane posted:I've never understood why someone would want to pay over $20/gal for ethanol free gas with or without premix oil. I can't get it (E0) anywhere close, and this several month old can of what I can get that also had marine sta-bil in it made it run like absolute rear end. Larrymer posted:This guy doesn't have electric start. Yeah, this one has it, but it's plug-in. WTF - I'd rather maintain a battery so it could be started without digging out an extension cord and like.....other places than when I'm right next to my barn.
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Mar 17, 2017 21:09
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n0tqu1tesane posted:I've never understood why someone would want to pay over $20/gal for ethanol free gas with or without premix oil. If you own a boat I think you're automatically disqualified from criticising other people's financial decisions 
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Mar 17, 2017 21:12
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n0tqu1tesane posted:I've never understood why someone would want to pay over $20/gal for ethanol free gas with or without premix oil. Motronic posted:I can't get it (E0) anywhere close, and this several month old can of what I can get that also had marine sta-bil in it made it run like absolute rear end. I don't think I can get E0 anywhere remotely near, except maybe race fuel. So yeah I pay a bit more for the canned fuel for the weed whacker, and I maybe go through a can every year or so. I do dump StaBil in the C10's tank, but I've had bad luck with it in two strokes.
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Mar 17, 2017 21:22
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Motronic posted:I can't get it (E0) anywhere close, and this several month old can of what I can get that also had marine sta-bil in it made it run like absolute rear end. http://www.pure-gas.org/ ? I think you live vaguely near me, and there are a few car performance shops, or fuel oil places in the area that reportedly sell ethanol free. The mobile app works better than the website, I've found.
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Mar 17, 2017 21:26
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There's a couple of spots a few miles from me near a marina that sell ethanol-free gas, so I if/when I get a blower, I should be ok just getting that, right? I don't need that $20/gallon shelf-stable stuff?
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Mar 17, 2017 21:27
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DrBouvenstein posted:There's a couple of spots a few miles from me near a marina that sell ethanol-free gas, so I if/when I get a blower, I should be ok just getting that, right? I don't need that $20/gallon shelf-stable stuff? My Dad has been going to the Go Go gas in Essex for year for his snowblower, chainsaw, etc. No issues. And depending on the winter, you're more likely to go through a few jugs of gas. We had a long, uphill driveway. I got pretty used to dealing with it. I think the Champlain Oil locations moved to needing their own card, rather than any credit card, which is pretty unfortunate.
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Mar 17, 2017 21:33
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DrBouvenstein posted:There's a couple of spots a few miles from me near a marina that sell ethanol-free gas, so I if/when I get a blower, I should be ok just getting that, right? I don't need that $20/gallon shelf-stable stuff? Yeah, you should be fine. I'd get some Sta-Bil or other stabilizer to put in it though. cakesmith handyman posted:If you own a boat I think you're automatically disqualified from criticising other people's financial decisions  At least my boat isn't some fancy expensive showy thing. 1995 hull and Yamaha 2 stroke.
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Mar 17, 2017 21:35
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Ethanol drama turned me off small engines. I have a 10-inch electric chainsaw. It's good for delimbing cedar and sitting idle for months without fuss. https://www.amazon.ca/LCS1020B-10-Inch-Lithium-Chainsaw-Baretool/dp/B00SSLE0QS I don't like its bar tensioning mechanism. It does not stay in position and it is difficult to tension correctly. Also it isn't the best at cutting down dead hardwoods. And it takes a .043" chain and nobody sells anything smaller than a .050". I'm thinking of upgrading. Erwin posted:Most people with opinions say that you should spring for the more recognizable/reliable brands and treat it as an investment that should last years with proper maintenance.  There are other chainsaws in this price range and 3 of them have normal-looking chain tensioners.  https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.58v-cordless-brushless-chainsaw.1000820914.html  http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/greenworks-80v-chainsaw-0545702p.html#srp  https://www.lowes.ca/chainsaws/kobalt-2000003c-80-volt-max-lithium-ion-18-in-cordless-electric-chainsaw_g2653903.html I like the look of the Echo one but I'm partial to things that are orange. Any tips/pointers?
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Mar 18, 2017 01:30
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Those last two are literally the same loving chainsaw.
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Mar 18, 2017 01:35
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Now that you mention it they are kind of similar looking.
DreadLlama fucked around with this message at 01:52 on Mar 18, 2017 |
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Mar 18, 2017 01:50
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Just keep in mind that a lot of stuff comes from the same factory. The only difference between products may be quality control fees, or plain price with nothing else different. Harbor freight and duralast jackstands are the same, but HF allows a much higher return and failure rate.
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Mar 18, 2017 02:00
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Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like that + Motronic's post Motronic posted:Buying something from a larger/more recognized company that keeps parts around for years (and doesn't change parts based on what direction the wind is blowing in China) is a good idea for something that should last you decades (because you're gonna need small parts, seals, carb bits and pieces). count as big marks against the green and blue chainsaws, yes?
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Mar 18, 2017 02:06
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I think I remember some chainsaw carvers really liking that husky saw. I've been looking at battery saws for a while and it seems like the husky, stihl, echo, ego, and Oregon are the best looking to me. Looking at what other tools you might want battery platform might help you make your decision.
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Mar 18, 2017 04:18
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According to wikipedia, Echo are Japanese and have been around since the 1960's (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamabiko_Corporation). But it looks like maybe they just put their name on the battery chainsaw and don't actually support it. http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/echo-58-volt-cordless-chainsaw.277864/ quote:Available exclusively through Home Depot - NOT available, and not serviced through ECHO dealers. I failed to find the battery saw on their chainsaw website (http://www.echo.ca/Products/Chain-Saws).
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Mar 18, 2017 16:38
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Alarbus posted:http://www.pure-gas.org/ ? Yeah.....according to that I have an hour round trip to the closest station. If I was burning a lot of fuel in very small engines this might be worth it. But I'll be at like $40/year on fuel in those cans now that it's going in everything except the biggest burner: the walk behind mower, which happily burns ANYTHING I put in it (about 15 gallons a year) and I always throw sta-bil in the can before filling, so I don't even need to bother winterizing it. There's a big difference between a 20 HP twin cylinder and the little poo poo motors I'm only running canned fuel in.
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Mar 18, 2017 17:00
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I've been fairly happy with the electric snowblower we bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040X4VB2 No screwing with gas motors. It handled the overhyped storm here in NJ pretty well. It's not really too happy going through the crap the plows leave at the end of the driveway, but otherwise it's worked pretty well. This review is what sold it for us: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1IROVYG4E62X7/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0040X4VB2
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Mar 19, 2017 00:36
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DreadLlama posted:According to wikipedia, Echo are Japanese and have been around since the 1960's (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamabiko_Corporation). But it looks like maybe they just put their name on the battery chainsaw and don't actually support it. We're an Echo dealer and the only battery powered item they have available (for us) is the string trimmer. If you look here: http://www.echo-usa.com/Products/Cordless-Products you'll see they have 2 lines of products, one for dealers and one for Home Depot.
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Mar 19, 2017 01:00
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Also, with regards to everyone with fuel storage issues, the best thing besides ethanol free fuel you can do is to just run it periodically to get the old fuel out of the float bowl because it is constantly exposed to air/moisture. The stuff in the tank takes much longer to go bad because the tank is pretty much sealed.
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Mar 19, 2017 01:51
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How about truck bed toolboxes? Anything to stay away from or look for? Looking to get one
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Mar 19, 2017 02:34
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Tony Doughnuts posted:How about truck bed toolboxes? Anything to stay away from or look for? Looking to get one If you're short, you'll need a step too.
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Mar 19, 2017 02:57
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n0tqu1tesane posted:I've never understood why someone would want to pay over $20/gal for ethanol free gas with or without premix oil. The canned stuff is not really gasoline. It's a fuel that burns like gasoline but doesn't degrade. It doesn't look or smell the same. I have an echo SRM 225 trimmer that I left sitting for 2 years in the barn with a tank full of that stuff. Started on the second pull, ran great and now it's back to sitting. I buy ethanol free gas for mowers but for anything that sits longer than 6 months canned fuel can't be beat.
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Mar 19, 2017 04:11
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rdb posted:The canned stuff is not really gasoline. It's a fuel that burns like gasoline but doesn't degrade. It doesn't look or smell the same. All the companies that offer it are all "special sauce" about it, but it seems to me it's essentially 100LL avgas minus the lead and at the correct octane. 100LL lasts forever also. And also doesn't look or smell like regular pump gas.
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Mar 19, 2017 15:39
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Motronic posted:All the companies that offer it are all "special sauce" about it, but it seems to me it's essentially 100LL avgas minus the lead and at the correct octane. 100LL lasts forever also. And also doesn't look or smell like regular pump gas. I run 100LL in both chainsaws, it works great. You generally have to go to a small airstrip to buy it but otherwise it's well worth the hassle for chainsaws that start every time.
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Mar 19, 2017 18:13
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Tony Doughnuts posted:How about truck bed toolboxes? Anything to stay away from or look for? Looking to get one I picked up mine off craigslist, I think it's a tractor supply brand box. Pretty sure most boxes are pretty much the same. My buddy busted the latch mechanism on mine trying to open it not knowing it was locked, so now I pretty much have pry it open every time now. Plus I've got a cover on my truck, so it's a pain to get back to the box and I had to drill out holes in the bed to bolt it down. I don't really use mine all that much because of all the above, it's really not been all that useful. If I were to do it over, I'd get a side mounted box, that way you don't lose any valuable vertical space for lumber, and it's just easier to get to stuff. Long term I'd love to get a utility truck style bed, with boxes built into the sides.
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Mar 19, 2017 18:43
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devicenull posted:I've been fairly happy with the electric snowblower we bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040X4VB2 Yeah I thoroughly recommend this as well especially at that price. It handles powder of any depth and deeper stuff just takes a little more time with smaller passes or sometimes I chop up the end of the driveway with the shovel.
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Mar 19, 2017 22:27
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Katosabi posted:We're an Echo dealer and the only battery powered item they have available (for us) is the string trimmer. If you look here: http://www.echo-usa.com/Products/Cordless-Products you'll see they have 2 lines of products, one for dealers and one for Home Depot. Thank you very much for this information. Unfortunately it steers me away from the echo. But with that said, LordOfThePants posted:I run 100LL in both chainsaws, it works great. You generally have to go to a small airstrip to buy it but otherwise it's well worth the hassle for chainsaws that start every time. This is not intended as a personal attack. But I would like to seriously know what the gently caress. You can buy a battery chainsaw that will sit for years at a time and only needs regular old electricity from the wall outlet to recharge. Why is going to an airport to get 100LL a better option?
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Mar 20, 2017 16:37
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