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So after last week's heavy wet snow, I have a bunch of big fallen branches in my backyard, and some crushed shrubs with cracked main stems that need to be cut down. I went to Harbor Freight and shelled out for their 14" Portland electric chainsaw. Does anyone have any experience with it, and/or any warnings before I start losing fingers?
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Jan 18, 2022 18:20
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Like I know gas and carbon and all that is bad but man I dont know if I can get behind the act of a battery snowblower. Lithium ion batteries degrade in the cold, I don't know about getting 8-15hp out of an 80v system long enough to snowblow a significant snowfall. I live in an area that got 20 inches of snow (and maybe once a season we see this). I was snowblowing for ~2 hours all in (snowpblowing moving cars snowblow that area, clean apron out for 10 mins going slowly and then blowing the snow I moved into the street on the side) Repeat apron 1 hour later after the plow came through. I used around 1 gallon of gasoline, I feel like I'd need 3 sets of batteries to get that out of a battery one. Also if I needed to push it / assist the self propulsion it would not be a good time. If i had unlimited space I'd say maybe a battery snowthower for those days we get 3"-4" would be a nice addition to smelling like exhaust after being outside. Maybe it's just my aversion to dealing with snow in the northeast where it's cold blowy and can hit hard when it snows overnight.
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Jan 18, 2022 18:32
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Bob Mundon posted:I don't have the snow blower, but dove headfirst into their ecosystem when my gas mower bit the dust and couldn't be happier.  It felt like I was betraying Team Yellow by straying, but real happy I did. Ego for yard stuff, Dewalt for everything else.
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Jan 18, 2022 18:47
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A single stage snowblower is great when it's 20 or lower, the snow is light enough then that it can really chuck it wherever. Once it gets warmer than that, the snow is wetter and heavier, and a single stage can start to bog down. And that's true of both gas and electric. I'm really eyeing up all these two stage electric blowers that companies are making lately. Toro makes one that's a bit price than the competitors ($1700 vs $1300) but it's almost exactly one of their powerful gas snowblowers just with the power replaced with an electric motor, it's even got some silly stuff like a keyed ignition and such. They say you get enough juice to clear something like a "24 car driveway" which idk seems like a lot, but it's all dependent on how heavy the snow is too.
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Jan 18, 2022 18:51
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tater_salad posted:Like I know gas and carbon and all that is bad but man I dont know if I can get behind the act of a battery snowblower. Lithium batteries only have a problem charging in the cold. They can discharge just fine.
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Jan 18, 2022 20:24
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SEKCobra posted:This is actually the emergency room solution to ice and snow. Our slanted (underground) ambulance parking ramps all are heated. It's kind of ridiculous but at the same time the only way to make sure that ambulances don't become single use during ice rain or snowstorms. I know its a common thing in commercial/industrial/institutional buildings. a ridiculous expense for the homeowner though.
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Jan 18, 2022 22:57
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MRC48B posted:I know its a common thing in commercial/industrial/institutional buildings. a ridiculous expense for the homeowner though. Cheap enough to install before you pave but I wouldn't want to pay the energy bill. We've got a couple ER docs/surgeons with them in the area (river valley, so you have a lot of weird sloped driveways) and the one I know says he only runs his when he's on call or scheduled to go in because it burns a few hundred bucks a day in propane.
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Jan 18, 2022 23:15
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Selachian posted:So after last week's heavy wet snow, I have a bunch of big fallen branches in my backyard, and some crushed shrubs with cracked main stems that need to be cut down. I went to Harbor Freight and shelled out for their 14" Portland electric chainsaw. Does anyone have any experience with it, and/or any warnings before I start losing fingers? Chainsaw general advice? Or that tool specifically
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Jan 19, 2022 01:11
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tater_salad posted:Like I know gas and carbon and all that is bad but man I dont know if I can get behind the act of a battery snowblower. I can't comment on how long it lasts in the cold or usage with a snowblower, but my lawnmower with the big battery came with their fast charger and gets a full charge in like 20 minutes. I can basically mow indefinitely with the big and small battery that came with the edger, the big one charges before the little one is used up. Again snowblowing may be wildly different, but I wouldn't be surprised if two bigger batteries let you go perpetually. Even if it didn't, good God not dealing with small engine maintenance is worth the price of admission. Bob Mundon fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Jan 19, 2022 |
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Jan 19, 2022 02:39
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Selachian posted:So after last week's heavy wet snow, I have a bunch of big fallen branches in my backyard, and some crushed shrubs with cracked main stems that need to be cut down. I went to Harbor Freight and shelled out for their 14" Portland electric chainsaw. Does anyone have any experience with it, and/or any warnings before I start losing fingers? This portland chainsaw? https://www.amazon.com/Portland-Amp-14-Electric-Chainsaw/dp/B07MVH9M4N#customerReviews It sounds like it has a few huge flaws being the gears are metal to plastic and it wears out the plastic gear very quickly and with no serviceable parts, its a dead saw after that happens. A lot of reviews complain about longevity. The other is the bar position/chain tension doesn't like to stay tight which is not good on a chainsaw. I mean, its a ~$50 chainsaw from harbor freight. I kind of thought angle grinders from HF were epitome of sketchy due to the high speed rotational parts but now that I think of it, a full chainsaw which costs barely more than a new chainsaw chain seems ... questionable. In general, there's a lot that can be said about chainsaws but it mostly comes down to wearing safety equipment and really learning how to use the saw correctly. Its an electric so its far less complicated Only then can you start to jump into cutting techniques and judging scenarios. Most first time homeowners new to using a chainsaw should really start with the basics. Don't look at cutting a tree down anytime soon. Instead, just get used to starting, running, and stopping a saw to cut branches and pieces. Wear the safety gear. Don't position yourself in a way to get cut, or killed by the tree. Saw kickback, widowmaker limbs that fall on top of you as you're cutting, stored energy being released when you cut, relief cuts, exit plans, etc are all pretty important when you're starting to work with a chainsaw. If you don't have a knowledgable person nearby that you trust to show you without wearing flip flops and jean shorts while perched up in a 20' extension ladder sawing overhead ... at the very least watch some training videos on technique and safety from reliable sources. Most of the big chainsaw manufacturers have "chainsaw usage 101" videos. There are so many other arborist/lumberjack channels of people who can demonstrate proper technique and safety. Running a saw can be an easy and somewhat low risk endeavor but so can riding a motorcycle. Its the split second where things go wrong. Nobody plans to hurt themselves with a chainsaw, but youtube has hours worth of people doing so. Safety gear might seem like overkill for 20-30 minutes worth of work in the backyard but you'll hate yourself when you get shrapnel in your eye, slice your 3 biggest toes like a thanksgiving drumstick, or have the saw kick back into your face because you weren't paying attention or decided to go without gear. Also, if you're getting tired. Stop and take a break. Keep your foot away from the blade. I've seen people step on a log and cut just a few inches from their feet. Set up your logs in a way that you don't need to step on them close to the blade to keep them from moving. Keep your bar oil full. Buy a chain sharpener file and holder for the size chain you have. Maybe buy an extra chain. Don't put the blade into the dirt. Don't put the blade into the dirt. Don't put the blade into the dirt. When in doubt, call a professional.
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Jan 19, 2022 05:29
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One bar nut is iffy good luck with chain tension. If you are only cutting downed limbs then I feel only "ok" saying think about where the piece will fall because of gravity and cut on the other side so you dont pinch your bar. Be careful at the end of the cut as there suddenly wont be any resistance and you'll push through and cut whatever is on the other side, dirt or worse. I wouldn't feel good explaining how to do much more and even that has a learning curve. Wear chaps, gloves, eyes and ear pro and go slow. Stop before you get tired so you dont get lazy and put it through your thigh. Electric saws have more torque and I dont think my chaps would do as much with it vs gas but I also dont care to find out. Cut whatever size you're looking for the first time, prop stuff up with smaller pieces to get it off the ground to make it easy etc. Dont cut with the tip, dont lean over the bar Dont forget branches on downed trees can carry a Lot of tension in them that will be released fast when you cut, position the saw and yourself accordingly. That poo poo will hurt. Also logs roll
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Jan 19, 2022 06:19
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Anyone know if it is possible to buy a drum sander anywhere for under a grand? Looking for recommendations for a cheaper but decent drum sander.
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Jan 19, 2022 15:44
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mds2 posted:Anyone know if it is possible to buy a drum sander anywhere for under a grand? Do you mean a spindle sander with a vertical drum/spindle or a thing that looks and works like a planer but has a sanding drum instead of knives? I’ve heard both called drum sanders
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Jan 19, 2022 16:06
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Every time I paint, my asthma gets triggered. So I'm looking for a half-face respirator for finishing up some house painting soon. Any reason not to go with this? https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Medium-Paint-Project-Respirator-Mask-6211PA1-A/100653900 https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Paint-Respirator-Supply-Kit-6023PB1-A/100653899
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Jan 19, 2022 16:12
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mds2 posted:Anyone know if it is possible to buy a drum sander anywhere for under a grand? SLickdeals had a rigid one (I think refurb from direct Tools outlet) under a grand, no clue quality but a lot of folks pulled trigger
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Jan 19, 2022 16:15
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brugroffil posted:Every time I paint, my asthma gets triggered. So I'm looking for a half-face respirator for finishing up some house painting soon. Looks perfect but I would also check https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ only because they carry 3m products too but sometimes have wicked rear end deals on half facers.
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Jan 19, 2022 16:18
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Thanks! Amazon has them for cheaper but I run under the assumption that anything on Amazon is 50:50 odds of being counterfeit.
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Jan 19, 2022 16:41
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Don't buy PPE from amazon.
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Jan 19, 2022 16:56
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withak posted:Don't buy PPE from amazon. Seconded. There are so many counterfeits that are impossible to visually tell apart from legitimate products.
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Jan 19, 2022 17:00
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mds2 posted:Anyone know if it is possible to buy a drum sander anywhere for under a grand? A buddy of mine built one for a fraction of that. I think it's one of the easier diy builds out there, but I've never explored it.
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Jan 19, 2022 17:32
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Do you mean a spindle sander with a vertical drum/spindle or a thing that looks and works like a planer but has a sanding drum instead of knives? I’ve heard both called drum sanders I never thought of sanding on larger scales like that does it work well? You probably need to start with a pretty even board to get a good finish I suppose
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Jan 19, 2022 17:43
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Do you mean a spindle sander with a vertical drum/spindle or a thing that looks and works like a planer but has a sanding drum instead of knives? I’ve heard both called drum sanders The latter. Looks like planer with a belt feed. I need 12" width minimum. Ideally I'd like a 16/32-ish size.
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Jan 19, 2022 17:52
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tater_salad posted:SLickdeals had a rigid one (I think refurb from direct Tools outlet) under a grand, no clue quality but a lot of folks pulled trigger I think you are talking about the oscillating belt/spindle sander. I've had one for 10 years. Great tool, but not what Im looking for.
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Jan 19, 2022 17:54
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mds2 posted:The latter. Looks like planer with a belt feed. I need 12" width minimum. Ideally I'd like a 16/32-ish size. I rarely see used ones for that price on Craigslist. I'd build one if you want it under a grand. I think stumpy nubs has plans for one. Woodbrew also has a decent video on making one.
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Jan 19, 2022 17:59
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There are lots to tools/jigs available from kreg, bora and various other brands to make using a circular saw closer to a track saw and a table saw. They seem really nice but if buy one or two of them I am already half way to the 8 1/4 Dewalt table saw($300) which has a pretty nice fence for cheap table saw.
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Jan 19, 2022 20:28
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mds2 posted:The latter. Looks like planer with a belt feed. I need 12" width minimum. Ideally I'd like a 16/32-ish size. My old shop had a decent brand (Woodmaster?) but old drum sander and I loving hated it. It was really hard to get set up right because it couldn't take a very deep cut, so there was alot of loving around with trying to find the sweet spot between 'cuts nothing but air' and 'binds and cuts nothing.' You had to use velco backed paper (expensive) and it was a pain to change the paper too. It was basically enough fuss that we only used it to size really delicate stuff that was too thin for the planer, or to creep up on a very precise dimension like for making stock for string inlay. It helped on tear-out prone stuff like curly maple, but it was super slow to sand out the tearout. For general 'sand off the millmarks' sanding I would always belt sand it by hand and that was much easier, faster, and less fuss. I have no idea if all those issues were inherent to drum sanders in general, or specific to that machine. More modern designs may be a whole different world. Like Mr. Mambold, I have definitely seen DIY plans for drum sanders. They seem simple-ish and less likely than something with spinning blades to hurt you if they fail .
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Jan 20, 2022 01:14
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Calidus posted:There are lots to tools/jigs available from kreg, bora and various other brands to make using a circular saw closer to a track saw and a table saw. They seem really nice but if buy one or two of them I am already half way to the 8 1/4 Dewalt table saw($300) which has a pretty nice fence for cheap table saw. Wow what are the odds. I was trimming a house today and had my dad help me since he was bored and cooped up w cabin fever. We needed to take 1/8” off some molding but I didn’t have the table saw w me. *I* was gonna clamp a straight edge and take it off with the circ saw. My dad ……….. had other ideas  It worked really well I have to admit but the whole time I was just thinking what I was gonna tell my mom after my dad cut his fingers off
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Jan 20, 2022 01:30
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That picture is wrong on so many levels lol
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Jan 20, 2022 01:43
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Mederlock posted:That picture is wrong on so many levels lol Believe me I know, and I told him as much. “Shut up and hold the saw” he said
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Jan 20, 2022 01:50
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Besides the obvious, that's a climbing cut too right? 
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Jan 20, 2022 01:52
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Jesus christ at that photo... On my own table saw news, I bought one of those Delta table saws that were on clearance from Lowes. As soon as I bought it, the temperature dropped and stayed down over vacation. On nice days over the past couple weeks I've gone out and spent an hour or two slowly putting it together. This afternoon I finally got the extension wings reasonably coplanar. I was so excited! I was able to quickly add the front fence guide on...and discovered that despite being really intense about using the gauge for the rail height, I managed to attach the rails no more a few millimeters too low. Rather than gliding nicely over the table, it squeaks horribly. Christ. It's going to be a pain to lift those rails.
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Jan 20, 2022 02:31
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canyoneer posted:Besides the obvious, that's a climbing cut too right? As in the saw blade running backwards? No that’s for vinyl siding I thought. Just a regular circ saw flipped upside down on a sawhorse  bonus pic of the off cut  
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Jan 20, 2022 03:22
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BIG-DICK-BUTT-gently caress posted:Believe me I know, and I told him as much. “Shut up and hold the saw” he said Trust me I've done tons of sketchy work with my Dad, E: nvm I must've got my eyes mixed up because you do have it like that. Still sketch af tho Mederlock fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Jan 20, 2022 |
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Jan 20, 2022 03:28
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Danhenge posted:Jesus christ at that photo... I put mine together in the garage during a 0 degree cold spell. You pretty much can't do it with gloves (at least not gloves that will actually keep your hands warm) so I basically had a pattern of work for a little while touching 10-20 degree metal (at least my garage stays a bit warmer than outside, thank you south facing black roof) and the go in and run my hands under warm water until I could feel them again and then wait a few hours and then go back at it for a little while.
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Jan 20, 2022 03:32
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BIG-DICK-BUTT-gently caress posted:Wow what are the odds. I was trimming a house today and had my dad help me since he was bored and cooped up w cabin fever. We needed to take 1/8” off some molding but I didn’t have the table saw w me. *I* was gonna clamp a straight edge and take it off with the circ saw. My dad ……….. had other ideas Dadistry.
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Jan 20, 2022 05:06
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The 10” Dewalt table saw looks like it’s getting harder to find. I have found 2 with in an hour drive. Bigger blade and the ability to hold a dado stack seems like the major difference between it and the new 8 1/4 saws. I am kinda tempted to go find one now while I still can. I have poked around online and found a bunch of used sears craftsman saws for $75 to $150. Having a crap fence that I need to replace day 1 makes idea less appealing. That said I am kinda considering buying this for $75, it’s got a rack and pinion fence. 
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Jan 20, 2022 20:35
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Calidus posted:The 10” Dewalt table saw looks like it’s getting harder to find. I have found 2 with in an hour drive. Bigger blade and the ability to hold a dado stack seems like the major difference between it and the new 8 1/4 saws. I am kinda tempted to go find one now while I still can. OMG Buy that loving saw or I will find you.
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Jan 20, 2022 20:54
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Literally A Person posted:OMG Buy that loving saw or I will find you. I am ignorant what did find? It’s a craftsman 113.27700 saw. I just thought it looked like tank and fence looks usable. Calidus fucked around with this message at 21:28 on Jan 20, 2022 |
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Jan 20, 2022 21:11
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What a strange stand for a table saw. Seems like it would be more liable to tip over
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Jan 20, 2022 21:47
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Calidus posted:I am ignorant what did find? It’s a craftsman 113.27700 saw. I just thought it looked like tank and fence looks usable. What looks like a really sturdy 70's or earlier saw. Put that sucker in bench and it will serve ably for probably the next 50 years with some regular maintenance.
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Jan 20, 2022 22:07
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