New tools you've bought recently?

[scotts90ranger]

No pics but I stopped at a tools garage sale and ended up with a set of Proto allen sockets in the case, set of HFT 3/8" standard impact sockets still in the box with metal box, I imagine HFT impact swivel sockets missing the 9/16" but hey... some bigger two jaw puller and some other small stuff and a couple things the wife wanted for like $54 (all the small bills I had).

Then we went to HFT after grocery shopping to check out the discounted open box stuff... ended up with another 5AH Bauer battery, hydraulic 3 jaw puller and a magnet bar for $80...

 

[Summers22]

I had a buddy with a lawn care business many years ago, he sold it to me when he got out of the business.

 

[sgtsandman]

I have three different chainsaws now, a Shil MS311 with a 20" bar for big jobs, a Pulon Pro that was given to me with ans 18" bar that I swapped the bar for a 16" for smaller jobs, and a Bauer battery operated saw with either a 12" or 10" bar for small jobs and to carry in the truck incase I have to deal with an obstruction on the trail. I still have an axe and a larger bow saw in the truck if whatever fell is too much for the saw but that would not be a fun time.

As far as string trimmers go, my Stihl has be fantastic and only had a carburettor problem once. I used to run the crap out of it at the sportsmans club and the VFW. So, a gas powered string trimmer was handy then. I can see the case to justify a battery operated model for the average home owner, especially with what is available now. I always hated the corded models with the constant fight with the cord hanging up on stuff.

 

[SenorNoob]

I should get a small battery chainsaw. I love my battery string trimmer. I did go for the top of the line model from Hart. Compared to the cheapo 2 strokes it has more power, is lighter, and somehow manages to not use as much string. Guessing it helps that you can release the trigger and stop at the first sign of getting hung up.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I have… I don’t know how many chainsaws now… I ended up with 5-6 cheap with a milk crate of parts. I’m not exactly sure why I thought it was a good idea other than there was like 3-4 Mac top handles in the mess. I haven’t had a chance to play with any of those. Think I paid something like $20 for the whole deal.

The saws that get used, I have a Craftsman 3.3ci with a 20” bar that is a beast. Then I have a Stihl MS170 I think it is with a 16” bar. The Stihl is a little more temperamental but it works decent.

 

[Shran]

I really don't need as many saws as I have but I just like them. They are fun to tinker with, especially the old ones. I think this is my current list -

McCulloch Super 44 (incomplete)
McCulloch Power Mac 6
Poulan Micro Super XXV (terrible saw, I have had probably a dozen variants of this, I keep it to remind me how bad Poulan is.)
Homelite XL
Homelite Zip (incomplete)
Homelite 150
Homelite EZ
Homelite Super EZ Automatic
Homelite Super XL - 3 of these, one really good runner that I have set aside for milling, 20" bar
Stihl 011AV - from the last auction lot, looks like it got used one time and put away...really nice saw
Stihl 031
Stihl MS180 - my small everyday use saw, I put an adjustable carb on this one and am very happy with that
Husqvarna 372XP - 24" bar, use this for milling. Came to me as a box of loose parts. I used the Farmertec big bore kit to "rebuild" it... really strong saw, very thirsty.
Poulan Woodshark 1950 - from the auction lot, may keep it just to have in the truck all the time, junky little saw
Poulan 3314 - also from the auction lot, have this one listed for sale, seems like a good runner but I definitely don't need it
Milwaukee M18 top handle 12"
Milwaukee M18 "hatchet" saw - have two of these, great camping saw

Probably have had 50+ others, the only one I regret selling was a little Stihl 011AVT top handle saw that I got from my dad. It had no real sentimental value, but I just liked it. He bought me that MS180 for Christmas one year before I really got into hoarding and I figured I didn't need two saws.

 

[RobbieD]

I just went electric for my lawn tools. I looked into what was out there, and went with the EGO brand; 56V.

My 45 year old Poulan 16" chainsaw had finally just plain wore out. My 30 year old inherited string trimmer is still in pretty good shape, but I figured if I was going to get a new saw, I might as well bite the bullet and start fresh.

So I got a 16" electric saw, a string trimmer, and a leaf blower, something I've never had before.

I like these new gadgets. No more dicking with premix gas or stale gas, and now I just grab a battery and go. They all perform better than I expected.

I also picked up an EGO 400W inverter which uses the same batteries. I live in the boonies and power outages are becoming a lot more common. The inverter can run my desktop, or small appliances. In testing it I was surprised at how long it can run things. This gives me a "buffer" option, before I fuel up and fire up the generator if the outage looks like it's to be a long one. I don't know that I'll get one, but there is a solar panel available for this set up.

So all of those are EGO brand, and all run the same 56V batteries. I'm big into "commonality". Tools using the same battery; vehicles sharing the same parts; and firearms using a few common calibers.

I run Bosch 18V power hand tools. I recently also picked up several work lights that use the same Bosch battery as my tools. That's the lighting that I'll use for power outages.

I a set up a dedicated storage space for my chargers and batteries in the pantry room where I keep my emergency water and other blackout supplies (extra flashlights, candles, radio, hand cleaner, rough-service cooking utensils, etc..).

I also gathered up, and went through, all of my AA and D cell flashlights, and converted them to run LED bulbs instead of incandescent. A few small lights are placed around the house (bedside, in the crapper, the kitchen, and at the doors), with the extra lights and the battery supply stored in my pantry room.

The only thing that I still need to get, is an LP gas camp stove, to make cooking easier during an extended outage, and I'm looking at units that can combine cooking and heating functions.

I like how well that battery tools work these days, and I'm well stocked with just two rechargeable battery types, 18V and 56V, and with single use batteries. I'm well stocked with other emergency supplies, and it's all organized now.

I'm better prepared for power loss, or other emergencies, than I've ever been, and it's a really great thing for just the peace of mind that it brings.

 

[Shran]

I have been buying cordless yard tools just to have both. I have a Husqvarna 2 stroke leaf blower/vacuum, just use it mostly for the vacuum part, and a M18 blower (I think it's FAR superior to gas blowers.)

Weed trimmer - I have several - that old Shindaiwa 2 stroke, and a Stihl of some sort that you can swap attachments. That thing is awesome and I have a couple trimmer heads for it and a pole saw. Last year I bought an M18 trimmer. I wasn't going to but Ace Hardware had them on clearance with an 8.0 battery & rapid charger for like $150... I sold the battery for $100 and the charger for $40 so I only have $10 into the tool. I actually really like it.

Probably going to stick with gas for everything else. I love my Honda mower. Can't beat a big old Monkey Wards gas rototiller... little Mantis 2 stroke tiller works great too. Generators, concrete saw, wood chipper, water pumps... gas or nothing.

 

[RobbieD]

Probably going to stick with gas for everything else.

Same here.

No plan to get away from the gasoline lawn tractor mower, and then there's the rototiller and generator. Same fuel as my trucks, so commonality there.

I am glad to get away from 2-strokes and premix gas, though.

 

[sgtsandman]

I have… I don’t know how many chainsaws now… I ended up with 5-6 cheap with a milk crate of parts. I’m not exactly sure why I thought it was a good idea other than there was like 3-4 Mac top handles in the mess. I haven’t had a chance to play with any of those. Think I paid something like $20 for the whole deal.

The saws that get used, I have a Craftsman 3.3ci with a 20” bar that is a beast. Then I have a Stihl MS170 I think it is with a 16” bar. The Stihl is a little more temperamental but it works decent.

What octane are you running? Stihl requires a minum of 89, per the manual. That may be a reason it is tempermental.

I've also found that running equipment that sits with fuel in them all the time run better if you run them atleast 20 minutes every three months, making sure to give them a good reving for a bit every few minutes. More with the chainsaws than the other stuff. The generators get 1000 and 2000 watt work lights hooked them in order to run the snot out of them for part of that 20 minutes. That doesn't guarantee a "one pull start" but it's a heck of a lot easier than trying to start the generator that sits up at camp that everyone but me ignores.

 

[Shran]

I don't mind mixed gas at all, I just try to use it up within 6 months if possible. So I only keep maybe a gallon on hand at most. I only use that in 2 stroke equipment that gets run a lot... rarely used tools get that expensive premixed fuel, and even that gets dumped after use, I have found that this process keeps carburetors in good shape. Real gas goes stale fast and the months are not going by any slower.

What octane are you running? Stihl requires a minum of 89, per the manual. That may be a reason it is tempermental.

I run 87 in my MS180. I tried 91 octane premium, non ethanol in it and it did not like that fuel at all for some reason so I went back to E10 87 octane. Good oil is pretty important in these saws though, Stihl Ultra Synthetic is worth the cost... it seems to run way better on that than anything else.

That saw is obnoxiously hard to start and runs weird if it sits for a while, often I have to let it idle for a few minutes. Seems like it is running really lean. I think the carb float diaphragm dries out or something and just needs a little lube to work properly. It's always been like that.

 

[sgtsandman]

I don't mind mixed gas at all, I just try to use it up within 6 months if possible. So I only keep maybe a gallon on hand at most. I only use that in 2 stroke equipment that gets run a lot... rarely used tools get that expensive premixed fuel, and even that gets dumped after use, I have found that this process keeps carburetors in good shape. Real gas goes stale fast and the months are not going by any slower.



I run 87 in my MS180. I tried 91 octane premium, non ethanol in it and it did not like that fuel at all for some reason so I went back to E10 87 octane. Good oil is pretty important in these saws though, Stihl Ultra Synthetic is worth the cost... it seems to run way better on that than anything else.

That saw is obnoxiously hard to start and runs weird if it sits for a while, often I have to let it idle for a few minutes. Seems like it is running really lean. I think the carb float diaphragm dries out or something and just needs a little lube to work properly. It's always been like that.

I run the Sthil oil and only keep a 1 1/4 gallon can for general purposes and a 1 gallon can that has a bar oil container on the opposite side. If they don't get used by the end of the summer (that doesn't happen often), they get dumped into the truck and new fuel is mixed.

Everything gets 89, mixed and unmixed so I don't have to keep track of what fuel is what.

So far, other than the carb on the string trimmer taking a dump, they have all been fine. Though, the trimmer is also about 15 years old. So, it deserves a little grace.

I would prefer nonethanol fuel but the cans of premix are highway robbery, the only reasonably priced gas station nonethonal fuel is trash gas and is a dollar more a gallon (Kwik Fill). So, E10 89 octane it is, unless I want to pay through the nose for high octane racing fuel at a place an hour away, just so I can have nonethanol fuel worth a damn.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

What octane are you running? Stihl requires a minum of 89, per the manual. That may be a reason it is tempermental.

I've also found that running equipment that sits with fuel in them all the time run better if you run them atleast 20 minutes every three months, making sure to give them a good reving for a bit every few minutes. More with the chainsaws than the other stuff. The generators get 1000 and 2000 watt work lights hooked them in order to run the snot out of them for part of that 20 minutes. That doesn't guarantee a "one pull start" but it's a heck of a lot easier than trying to start the generator that sits up at camp that everyone but me ignores.

It’s gotten a little better now that it has a couple hours on it. I run either premix or non-ethanol from the local station (Planet Mart which is owned by Purvis Brothers in Mars). I forget, the non-E stuff is either 89 or 91 octane. I only buy a gallon of that and mix the synthetic Stihl oil if I’m expecting to do a bunch of cutting where I’ll use most or all of it in a short time period, otherwise it gets a splash of premix. The biggest thing is not to run it out of fuel, it really doesn’t like that and gets really reluctant about running for a bit. Easier to run it a bit every couple months so it stays happier.

 

[mikkelstuff]

Don't know where to put this but

Finally had my 1970's Sears floor jack rebuilt. Unfortunately I removed the handle while disassembly the jack for repair. I see now that the handle did not need to removed.

Now I cannot see how this spring is to be installed. The spring is supposed to help hold the handle in the up position. Any ideas?

View attachment 123913

View attachment 123914

Ok. figured it out but had to make up this rig. I simply could not push the spring in, move the ends into place, and insert the pivot bolt with just two hands.

And success.

 

[pjtoledo]

that looks exactly like my 35+ year old Sears jack, 'cept mine's green.
I use the squeaky wheels to annoy the neighbors.