Conference 7.286::home_work

     Does  anyone   have  any  info  on  the  quality  of  the  following
     gas-operated  trimmers/brushcutters?     How  reliable/reputable  is
     Homelite?
     
        Homelite/Jacobsen ST-200:   It has a 31.1-cc 2-cycle engine, uses
        16:1 ratio gas:oil, 20"  string  cutter  (0.80"  X  25" on spool,
        autofeed), 8" brushcutter blade kit,  and  blower.   It claims to
        cut up to 3" dia brush  and  also accepts a 8" tri-arc blade (not
        included, cuts up to 3/4" brush), uses  a  harness  and  a single
        handlebar.   It has a curved drive shaft (probably ~48" long) and
        it also  has  a 1-year warranty.  NHD Hardware was closing it out
        at $135.   (25% off original price, and the carton notes that the
        "free" blade and blower  are  worth  $75.),  so I bought it today
        (but can return it unused,  if  I determine that it is unsuitable
        for the job I need to  do)  since the store I was in only had one
        of them.
        
        Sears catalog #79622:  It  has a 28-cc 2-cycle engine, comes with
        a 10" brushcutter blade, manual feed  dual-line  trimmer (0.80" X
        32' on spool), and 8" weed blade  (quad-arc blade).  [A blower is
        optional.] It uses a harness and dual-handlebars.   Sears  has it
        in sale catalog (until 15 September) at $245.  It has a 57" solid
        steel  straight  drive shaft (claiming to deliver more power than
        curved shafts).  I have not seen one of these models in any Sears
        store to date.  [Yes, I have read all the flames in CONSUMER.NOTE
        about Sears,  so  please  spare me a repeat performance.  So far,
        Sears has been good to me over the years.  Only a few dumb clerks
        have spoiled a near-perfect record.] I had intended to order this
        unit, after I check out Spags for  any  similar  machines.  [Does
        anyone know if Spags carries these heavyduty brushcutters?]
        
        I have the Toro catalog and the engines  are  smaller  for  their
        TC-3000 and TC-4000 (24-cc) and use a single handle,  only  their
        TC-5000 has dual-handlebars and a larger engine (33-cc).  All  of
        the  brushcutter  models  have  a straight drive shaft (which may
        corroborate Sears  statement) and they are all manual feed on the
        linetrimmer, using dual-line  trimmers and 8" brushcutter blades.
        They also use a 32:1 gas:oil ratio for the Toro engines.
        
     My intended use is to clear (and keep clear) a wooded area behind my
     house.  I  cut out many of the small trees and scrub-brush this past
     Spring and it is  all growing back.  Small poplars start up from the
     seeds, and much of the  small  stuff tries to smother out the larger
     trees.    I  am  NOT  going    into    the  commercial  business  of
     "bushwacking", so I don't need the "cadillac"  machine,  just a good
     one which will last and do the job efficiently.
     
     I am posting this in CONSUMER and HOME_WORK. 
     

    I would not buy either homelite or sears due to problems getting
    replacement parts locally.
    
    I own a homelite-jacobsen lawn mower - top of line self
    propelled,electric start,bagger etc. I have owned for three years.
    I have probably used it 20 times in past three years. the rest of
    the time it has been in the shop waiting for parts to replace:
    *) self propelled gearbox - 4 weeks
    *) new battery - 5 weeks
    *) burned out starter - 4 weeks
    *) bad solenoid - 5 weeks
    *) broken throttle handle - 2 weeks
   The only local places that fix homelite jacobson are in concord and
    in framingham. the concord shop won't fix unless you bought from
    him, the framingham shop isn't convienent for me. homelite and jacobson
    were good products till textron made them part on their conglomerate
    and they have been junk since. Their only stocking warehouse is
    in no. carolina and shipping times are real slow.
    
    Sears is the same - they typically don't have the parts in westboro
    parts depot - I have had to wait as long as 8 weeks to get a drive
    belt for a tractor snowblower in the winter. Their salespeople are
    like some car salespeople - promise the customer anything to sell
    it - let service dept worry about fixing it.
    
    I would recommend goodalls power equipment on bartlett st in marlboro.
    I have bought several power products from them including a lawn
    boy brush/grass trimmer. See jim goodall and tell him I sent you.
    Ask him for his recommendations for serviceability and parts and
    dicker a little over price. He does repairs and stocks parts etc.
    My relationship with him as a supplier/repairman has been good.
    I do not have any relationship with him other than being a customer.
    
    good luck
    
    al

    I am in the process of trying to decide which bruchcutter I should
    buy also.  I borrowed an ST-200 (only a week old) from a friend and
    used it to clear sapplings and brush from under paddock fencing.
    It worked fairly well but I have reservations about H/J.  I almost
    bought the last one at the local farm bureau in Littleton a few
    weeks back.  They claim to have sold 2 dozen this year and have
    had no complaints.  The price is a deal considering the options
    but H/J service record is not the best. Another friend has a larger
    H/J brushcutter that has been in the shop for most of the last 18
    months.
    
    I did a lot of research on engine size and repair record.  If I
    do buy one, I will avoid Sears, H/J and Toro.  My pick would be
    an Echo even though they cost more.  Their straight shaft models
    are used by a lot of landscapers.  

    I just bought an ECHO machine. It is the smallest straight shaft
    machine and has I believe a 24 or 26 cc engine. I can look it up
    if you like, I also have the brochure for all the machines. The
    line trimmmer on these is the type that you tap on the ground while
    it is spinning to extend and cut the line to the proper length.
    
    I have both the line head and an 8 tooth weed blade. I haven't brought
    the brush blade yet. The engine is powerfull enough to get through
    some pretty heavy weeds. I haven't been able to bog it down.
    
    I purchased mine at Powder Mill Sports in Maynard they are a large
    John Deere dealer on Rt 62 and were very helpfull and pleasant to
    deal with and have a large supply of parts on hand.
    
    Moscariello's Power Equipment also on RT62 carries Toro and Tamanka
    machines. The Tamaka is a well built machine with a good reputation
    for professional use.
    
    Nick Warchol

    Stihl makes a good one too.
    
    Don't buy Sears.  No matter what it costs, buy a tool like that
    from a GOOD dealer who can fix it when it breaks.  
    
    Steve

     Thanks  for    all    the  responses.    I  decided  to  return  the
     Homelite/Jacobsen unused based on the inputs I got here and at local
     dealers. I will get a straight shaft unit.
     
     However, I am still  puzzled  about  the  handle-bar  units vs.  the
     D-handle.  Logic tells me  there  is  more  control and less fatigue
     with the handle-bar, but there is  a  tremendous price difference to
     get this feature.  Also, until I can hold a unit in my hands, I will
     not buy it.  Powder Mill Sports Center  did not have any of the Echo
     straight shaft units in stock.  I am now  trying  to  decide between
     Echo and Stihl units.
     
     Best prices seem to be at Sargent Supply in Brockton  (not  far from
     me), averaging 20% less than PM Sports Ctr.  Anyone know  of  better
     prices in Maynard/Worcester/South Shore  area  (also  would consider
     So. NH, since no Sales tax would pay for trip)??
     
       All these have D-handle & strap:
        Echo SRM-2200   $191.96 + ~10.00 for Blade
        Echo SRM-2500   $263.96 +    "    "    "
        Echo SRM-3000   $303.96 +    "    "    "
        
       These come with handlebar and & strap:
        Echo SRM-3010   ~$310. + ~10.00 for Blade
        Stihl SS-80     $274.95
        Stihl SS-90     $295.95
        
     The Echo's all use a  8" blade while the Stihl's use a 10" blade.  I
     have never seen the Stihl's either,  but  Sargent's  is  supposed to
     have all these on display this evening.
     
     Thanks,

    Well Len, let me add my comments...
    
    I sell these things on the weekend. I love hardware stores so much
    I decided to work part-time in one. The store carries Stihl and
    Shindawa. Both vendors are all Japanese and of excellent quality.
    My perference is with the Shindawa (I bought one) as it is very
    well built and costs less than the equivilent Stihl. 
    
    I have the C35 model which has a 10" blade, actually 2 blades. One
    is for trees and one for brush. It also has a weedwacker attachment.
    The cost on this unit is $304.95 ($60 off right now). 
    
    This unit is the next to the largest made and it will cut all day
    and then some. It has the best harness arrangement I have seen on
    a cutter. It is designed to distribute the weight and be comfortable.
    The handle-bar is wide and strong, adjustable to meet your needs.
    
    Another feature you should consider is using Optimal oil. They offer
    a lifetime warranty on the engine if it ever fails due to oil related
    problems. Also you don't have to worry about the engine smoking
    or oil mixing ratios as their mix is good for all ratios. 
    
    If you would like to look at one go up to Bedford, NH at the True
    Value on Route 101. You can play with it and determine if you really
    like it. 
    
    Not trying to sell you, just giving you my opinion as I have sold
    about 5 of these models since they just brought this line into the
    store and no complaints...
    
    Another plus is servicing where you purchase. Make sure they can
    fix them if a problem does come up. 

    
    If you have any questions give me a call
    
    Merle

    Also posted in the GARDEN notesfile.  Thought this might get a larger
    coverage!
    
    I am interested in a tiller, the Mantis-20.  Anyone have any
    comments/experience?
    
    Chris

       My father bought one and I am very impressed with the way it
    digs through soil. It seems well made, doesn't use much gas, and
    runs well.
      It has only one control, a throttle. When idling, the tines don't
    turn, speed it up and it begins to till. You use it by applying full
    throttle and pulling it backwards (the rotation of the blades try to pull
    it forward) You allow it to go forward and then pull it back to
    till more rows. Occaisionally a stone will catch in it but is easily
    cleared out.
    
     The company that makes it seems very interested in your satisfaction,
    and there is a good warranty on the machine.
    
     If you have a garden up to 1000 sq/ft. I would definately reccomend
    it. It is small but it's very light and easy to handle. So that
    even though it only tills ~12in path it is quite fast and because
    it is so light the extra passes you need because of reduced width
    are not a problem.
    
     As you can probably tell, I am very impressed with the machine.
    When I first saw it I could only think that such a small thing couldn't
    possibly do a good tilling job. But I tried it, And boy was I wrong.
     If I didn't already own a 5hp tiller I'd probably buy a Mantis.
    
    	     				Kenny

	Well, a DIR/KEY=LANDSCRAPING or DIR/TITLE=*CHIPPER* didn't come
	up with any references to chipper/schredders so...

	Anyone out there have any experience with these?  I'm talking 
	about the homeowner type that you can buy for a few hundred bucks.
	I'm doing a massive cleanup of the wooded area around my house
	and rather than have lots of brush fires I thought it might be
	a good idea to check out one of these chippers.  That way I can
	get plenty of free mulch for the garden and landscaping.

	What brands, models, etc. have people tried?  Experiences?  Problems?
	Prices?  Where to buy?

	thanx,
	-gary

    That is true. Wood gets much harder after it dries.
    You may want to check a tree surgeon and see if they will come do
    the job. The units they use are much larger and can handel heaver
    materials. The same rule still applies so there will still be a
    limit on the largest branch. Most garden shredders are designed
    to have a maximum branch of about 1".
    
    Good luck,jerry
    

    The homeowner ones are useless.  You have to feed in each branch
    (which can't exceed one inch) one at a time.  And you can't just
    throw it in, like you can with a real chipper.  YOu have to feed
    it in slowly.
    I suggest renting a real chipper for $100.  First pull out all the
    brush so you don't have to spend the time doing that while you
    have the thing rented.  It will take anything up to 4 or 5 inches.
    

    Bruce, 
    
    I'm in the same situation as you.  I have lots of dead, decaying
    trees all over the place.  Seems like my neighborhood used to be
    logged and any trees in the way of the trees they wanted where
    cut down and discarded.  Anyway, I've been doing it the old
    fashion way with multiple trips to the dump using my father-in-law's
    pick-up truck.
    
    I personally find those shredders dangerous for we DIYers.  It
    is very easy to get clothing caught on branches when you are 
    handling them.  Plus, if you can rent one of these machines, you'd
    be apt to get as much use of it as possible in the time you have
    it rented.  That translates to working while you're sore, tired,
    and not quite alert...
    
    Bring the stuff to the dump.  The dump is quite a social place
    especially on Saturday morning!
    
    Have fun.
    
    Bill

    I just received a postcard in the mail about a TOMAHAWK
    chipper/shredder and it says it can handle tree limbs to 3 inches.

        The picture looks like a extra heavy duty model, not like the chippers
    you see at Lechmere's.  I'll send it in for more info and let you
    know what I find out.
    
    -al

    If you can, the best and easiest way is to burn it. I cleared about
    1 acre 2 years ago and tried hauling to the dump. After spending
    all day and not really making a dent I decided to burn it. You can
    get a burning permit (in Mass.) from you local fire dept. I think
    the burning season runs until May 1st or 15th. I got rid of alot
    of brush in about 3 hours and only had a pile of ashes to haul to
    the dump. 
    (Make sure the ashes are cold. You local firefighters don't like
    to spend time at dump fires.)
    
    Mark

    There is a topic in the gardening note file PICA::GARDENING that
    has some info you might want.  I agree with burning if possible
    and renting one if not.  I have a big home shreader and branches
    are slow and dangerous.  Mine has a 5hp motor and it is too small
    for most things I want to do.  Anything less is a waste of money.

	Well, I stopped at Garden Way (Troy Built) last night and got
	a quick demo on one of their chipper/schredders.  It was a 5 HP
	Chippewa (clever name, eh?).  It made short work of some three
	inch diameter pieces of *DRY* wood.  This wasn't even the one 
	they claimed was their better model.  They were pushing what 
	they called a Super Tomahawk.  They didn't have one in the demo
	area though.  The prices were a little high.  The one demo'd was
	$1050.  The others around the same price.  Not sure I would want
	to spend that kind of money...

	-gary

    Has anyone owned a Tamanka string trimmer ? They look well built
    but I'am not familiar with this brand and would like to hear from
    someone who is. 
    
    I agree with most of what was already said about Homelite. In fact,
    I'am looking to replace one. It was unreliable, parts were hard
    to find and no one is interested in servicing them. It short it
    created more work than it saved. 

    these are made by garden-way in troy, n.y. (the makere of troy-built
    tillers.)  they are quality stuff. i just purchased one of the 8hp
    models, and its a dandy.

    How much $$ for the 8hp Tomahawk?  Is it really worth it?
    
    -al

   re -.1

>    How much $$ for the 8hp Tomahawk?  Is it really worth it?
    
	I think the price they quoted me was around $1200 or so
	at Garden Way in Burlington, Vt.

	-gary

    I GOT A LOT OF EXTRA STUFF.  THE BASIC UNIT PLUS ALL THE EXTRAS
    PLUS FREIGHT WAS ABOUT $1250.  YOU DON'T Hve to rent one very many
    times to pay for it.  hammar in nashua rents chipper for $125/day,
    and it isn't nearly as good a unit.  its also great for mulching
    grass, leaves, etc.  i'd recommend it highly.  they have a reputation
    for building quality stuff.

	I was quoted $50/day at Burlington Rent-all in Burlington, Vt.
	for a rental fee.  Or $10/hr.  Not quite as expensive, but still
	not cheap.  This is supposedly a full size unit that will chip
	branches up to 3" diam.

	-gary_who_still_hasn't_been_able_to_make_up_his_mind_what_to_do!

I came close to renting one at $60/day that would deal with 3" stuff.  Only
problem is that the guy said it didn't have an auto-feed but rather relied
on gravity.  After a few phone calls, I'm having someone come over and do my
shredding for me.  He has a new hig-tech chipper that will take (would you
belive!) 9" material.  Only negative is that it costs $80/hour for the chipper
and 2 men.  I'm assuming they can do my pile in an hour so it ends up costing
me an extra $20 and I get an extra day to myself.

-mark

We've been cutting and burning all spring and just learned that burning season 
"ended" on May 1.  Now I'm stuck with a 10' by 10' by 6' stack of brush.  
There's still more to cut, too.  Can you post the name and number of the 
person in -.1 and do you think he would be willing to go to Carlisle?  Thanks.


			Andy Ostrom

I had contacted Acorn Tree Service (at least Acorn was the first word in the
name).  They're in Harvard and I suspect that Carlisle would be a bit of a haul.
However, you can do what I did namely look in the yellow pages under things
like Trees, Landscaping, etc, and start calling.

good luck...

-mark

    Got the stuff in the mail.
    Factory Direct prices for the Super Tomahawk (aka Troy-Bilt, Garden
    Way) are:
    
    8hp		$1094	(reg $1189)
    5hp		$ 904	(reg $ 979)
    3�hp	$ 649	(reg $ 699)
    
    elec start	$ 150
    bar grate	$  35
    leaf tray	$  29
    tow bar	$  35
    bag		$  27
    8hp service	$  64
    5hp service	$  39
    
    It doesn't say how much the freight charges are.
    Phone # is (800)828-5500
    
    -al

	A friend/co-worker just bought the 2 Hp Chippewa from Garden Way.
	He was going to give it a try last nignt.  Basically it's the
	same as the 5 HP unit except the motor and hopper are smaller.
	Still the same shredder guts.

	I haven't gotten a critique on it yet.....

	-gary

    Does anyone know  what brand of string trimmer Spags carries ?

I saw Homelite there the other day...

    
RE: 0.0

    Hi Kevin-

	My experience with lawn sweepers is somewhat limited, they will pick up
	leaves and the majority of cut grass as long as its lying on top.
	Cost around ~$200.00

	My opinion, I bought a snapper this spring, my Ariens died and I
	was sick of raking.  The snapper uses vacuum to pick up the grass,
	leaves etc. as it mows.  Also since the vacuum lifts the grass you
	can actually mow the lawn when its somewhat wet, (I've tried this
	it works, not a soaked lawn but still with moisture showing.).
	In my opinion you can't beat the snapper, it will even pick up
	dirt and small stones.

	I can't say enough about it, if you can swing it go for it I bought
	the 26" 8Hp single bagger rider with electric start for $1400.00
	but I consider it an investment.

				Good Luck whichever way you go - Randy

    
    	re.1 Thanks for the tip. I already have a 12 HP Allis Chalmers
    	tractor which I'm very fond of. Unfortunately (?) it has a 48"
    	cut with 3 blades... which doesn't help the vaccuum draw to
    	suck up the grass/leaves. The other alternative would be a 
    	separate vaccuum unit that either trailors behind or connects
    	to the exhaust port on the mower. Personally I like this option
    	better for the reasons outlined in .1, but I've never seen one
    	as an add on, nor have I seen the parts to build one for the
    	tractor.
    
    /Kevin

    My neighbor has 3 acres of lawn and tends to it with an 18 hp Kabota
    Diesel Tractor.  He uses a big Sears lawn sweeper and seems to have
    good luck.
    
    Personally, I use a 12 hp craftsman with a 38 inch deck and a double
    bagger.  I only have 2 acres of lawn without trees.
    
    The only bad part about the sweeper that I can see, is that because
    his mowing deck is the large type that is pulled behind the tractor
    and run of the rear PTO, mowing and sweeping is a two step operation.
    My neighbor is retired so I guess it might not be a problem for
    him.
    
    BC
    

    .2:
    
    One of my neighbors has a device which he built (and may have designed)
    himself, for the clippings.  It's a sort of vacuuming device which
    deposits into a large plywood box built onto a small wagon or trailer
    which is towed behind the riding mower.  I've been meaning to shoot
    the breeze with him about it;  this sounds like another reason to
    do so.
    
    Dick
    

    I have a Case 12hp tractor with a 42" mower deck.  I rake the acre or so.
    I went to a Case dealer and asked about sweepers. He recommended the $400
    sweeper.  I thought that was too steep a price.  This dealer went on to
    say that the Case was the best because of the dual brushes, etc.
    I know True Value sells one for about $150 and Sears goes for about $200.  
    Is there really much of a difference between the different sweepers?  
    Is there a way to mow and sweep without doing the lawn twice?

    
    
    	Re .-1
    
    		Is there a way to mow and sweep without doing the lawn
    		twice?

    Yes, buy a non riding lawn mower like a snapper or honda. I have
    owned both models in addition to riding mowers also. The riding
    mowers do a lousy job of picking up clippings and other stuff that
    lays on or in your lawn. Also the riding mowers give a bad cut compared
    to a push or self propelled mower. Honda and Snapper have put alot
    of effort into designing a mower with intense pickup power. I can
    pass a clump of debris thats 2 inches out of reach and my Honda
    will suck it in. I may not have the best lawn in my area but I have
    the cleanest !!
    
    	-Steve-
    
    

    
    	re.4 I tried to make one of these gizmos and didn't have much
    	luck. The one that I built was made from a 3 HP gas engine,
    	and an old furnace type squirrel cage blower. Even with every
    	other fin removed from the blower, things tended to clogg it
    	up. I think that what you really need is a blower with three
    	impeller like fins to provide suction. I also had trouble 
    	locating the large semi rigid plastic pipe used to port the
    	clippings back from the mower exhaust port to the lawn cart.
    	Please append any info on your friends vaccuum as I am VERY
    	interested.
    
    	re.6 How many acres do you mow?? I aggree that the Hondas are
    	nice mowers and do a fine job if well maintained, but they are
    	just not practicle for large lawns.
    
    /Kevin

RE: 1431.6 

>    Yes, buy a non riding lawn mower like a snapper or honda. I have
>    owned both models in addition to riding mowers also. The riding
>    mowers do a lousy job of picking up clippings and other stuff that
>    lays on or in your lawn. Also the riding mowers give a bad cut compared
>    to a push or self propelled mower. Honda and Snapper have put alot
>    of effort into designing a mower with intense pickup power. I can

	<POSSIBLE FLAME>	~/~
    
	Sorry Steve, I must disagree with you at least in the area of 
	Snapper riders.  Snapper uses the same pickup vacuum system in 
	their riders as in their walk behind mowers.  I won't repeat what
	I said in .1 but I think Snapper is the exception in riders since
	it is a top discharge vacuum system not a side discharge afterthought
	like many other manufacturers.  And I know at least five people 
	who will back me on this.

	<FLAME OFF>

	For what it's worth my 2 cents.  Randy :-)

    Hi Kevin-

	I forgot to mention in my last reply.  The "Digital This Week" paper
	has a tow behind sweeper advertised under misc. for $150.-

						- Randy

    Ah, lawn sweepers - one of my favorite subjects!  The beginning
    of last season I bought a 11HP tractor.  About 3 weeks later, I
    got tired of seeing all of the clippings laying around.  So I
    went back to the dealer, and talked about a bagger, or possibly
    a sweeper.   The dealer recommended a sweeper, since that's what
    a lot of the big lawn-care places use - they must know.  Playing
    dumb, I went with his advice.  After a couple of seasons with
    the sweeper, I can give some pros/cons of sweepers:
    
    1. Get a good one!  The one I have is the $150 special from True
       Value - doesn't do to well at slow speeds, and is fairly light-
       weight in the construction department - will sometimes skip
       over rough terrain.  The best ones I've seen are the Sears
       models - the top of the line ones.  The kind that turn the
       brush a zillion times per single revolution of the wheels.
       this way, you can mow the lawn slowly and still sweep the
       grass effectively.
    
    2. Be prepared to cover some extra ground.  Most tractors disperse
       clippings to the side.  After you mow in your favorite pattern,
       you notice clippings still on the lawn.  Of course, you picked
       up the cr*p the deck left behind, but the blown stuff is still
       on the lawn.  I have real fun doing clover-leafs across the lawn
       with the deck not cutting after I'm done to get the last few
       clippings.
    
    3. One benefit of cutting a lawn is the mulching effect of the
       clippings.  With a bagger, you suck everything up into the
       bag.  With a sweeper, you pick up only what's on the top, and
       the smaller clippings fall to the ground-level to help mulch.
       A definite plus.
    
    In short - I recommend a sweeper - but get a really good one that
    will do the job, and last quite a while - don't sacrafice quality
    to save a few bucks.  Be prepared for some fancy driving with
    the sweeper trailing behind you while cutting, and some extra
    laps at the end.  But, hey!  Isn't that what owning a tractor
    is all about - having fun?!?!?!
    
    Andy
    

>    	Re .-1
>    
>    		Is there a way to mow and sweep without doing the lawn
>    		twice?
>
>    Yes, buy a non riding lawn mower like a snapper or honda. I have
>    owned both models in addition to riding mowers also. The riding
>    mowers do a lousy job of picking up clippings and other stuff that
>    lays on or in your lawn. Also the riding mowers give a bad cut compared
>    to a push or self propelled mower. Honda and Snapper have put alot
>    of effort into designing a mower with intense pickup power. I can
>    pass a clump of debris thats 2 inches out of reach and my Honda
>    will suck it in. I may not have the best lawn in my area but I have
>    the cleanest !!
>    
>    	-Steve-
    
    
    
    I understand what your saying about the Honda and the Snapper, but
    I just bought a tractor with a 42" deck because I have an acre and
    a half to mow.  It takes about 8 hours to mow including breaks because
    of all the hills using a Sears 3.5 with a 20" deck.  It's exhusting!
    I don't feel like going back to that.  Now it takes me about an
    hour to mow and I use a small Sears for the tight places the tractor 
    can't get to.  I'm probably going to use a sweeper. 8-)
    
    Andy, thanks for the advice
        

                                                           

    
    	I saw the sweeper in DTW for $150... that's what started this
    	whole thing! Thanks for the sharp eyes and the pointers.
    
    /Kevin

    
    
    I have a medium range craftsman sweeper in good condition which
    i would be willing to sell for $150.00.  i paid about $300.00 for
    it two years ago and now have less area to mow so its hanging in
    my shed.  i live in salem, nh and can be reached at 3079.
    
    ed.
    

    I have owned a Tanaka Trimmer and am extremely impressed with
    the way it operates and its features.
    
    There is a new dealer in Hudson, Ma called F & M Power Equipment,
    Inc.  I am sure that they will give you a free demo on the operation
    of this equipment.  I sure you could probably save some money too!
    
    Tell them you work for Digital.
    
    						Frank
    

Does someone have suggestions on how to repair one of those
garden soaker hoses that have the small slits?

I guess the pressure must have been on full one day, and the first
slit grew to about a half inch. Now the spray from the hose consists
of one gusher like you find at Niagra falls, and a couple of trickles
like you find under a rock in the Sahara. I learned my lesson... no need
for full pressure on these hoses, but can I repair the mistake?

I tried using a bicycle tire patch kit to no avail... the patch just
flew off like a shot (sort of like what my Dog does when I say 'COME').
Guess it was designed for rubber and can't repair plastic.

guess I got hosed...

any ideas?

      Just buy a garden hose repair kit.  It is for splicing two pieces
    of hose together.  You slice out the bad section and put the hose
    back together again.  It really is simple and shouldn't cost more
    than a dollar or two.  As soon as you see one, it will pretty much
    be self explanatory because it is so simple.  Tools required: knife
    (for slicing the hose), and screwdriver (for clamping the hose).
    
    -Jim

problem with .-1 is that this hose is flat... The hose repair
kits I've used had a round clamp and crimped the two sections together.
Since this hose is flat, I don't see how that will work.

    I agree with reply #1.  Use a hose repair kit.  Don't worry that
    the hose is flat, remember that even a flat hose has ROUND male
    and female ends.  The most that you will lose is a couple of pin
    holes at the splice.
    
    jar
    

    I have a soaker hose that I repaired with Pool Patch Kit. My hose
    is not round ,it is the flat type that I couldn't patch with a splice.
    
    That was two years ago, and it has gotten a real workout for the
    last two weeks.
    
    Jim 

    Yes, try a pool patch kit, something that will glue vinyl.  That
    ought to do it.

    I was going to buy a lawn sweeper attachment for my tractor to pick up
    the leaves this fall. The salesman suggested that a rear bagger with
    high lift blades would do a better job. Can anyone make recommendations
    based on experience?
    
    /Rich

    I've used both, I pesonally like the bag attachment on my rider
    best..
    
    
    
    
    Royce

      I have the bagger and high-lift blades on my JD and I have not
    had to rake leaves since I got it; it picks up virtually all of
    them.
    
      If you get a bagger make SURE you get the high-lift blade(s),
    without the special blades the bagger's performance is very bad.
    
    					Kenny

    We have an 8 hp 28 inch Snapper with the Hi-Lift blades and housing.
    It picks up grass, leaves, sticks, acorns, apples, stray cats -
    the lawn looks literally vacuum-cleaned after one pass.
    
    pbm
    

    I never rake anymore! I just use a cheap old lawnmower with a grass
    catcher kludged onto the side. The leaves get prechopped for the
    compost pile too!

       Is there any way to use a regular lawnmower (as opposed to a
    riding mower) to pick up leaves. It seems to me that the turbulance
    of the blade would blow them AWAY from the mower and they wouldn't
    be picked up. Does adjusting the wheel height help. I have a side
    bagger.
                                                    Denny

    Re -.6
            I use my regular lawnmower with a rear bag all the time to
    pick up the leaves. Just adjust the mower to cut the grass as short 
    as you can and go for it. It works great for me. The only problem is
    you have to empty the bag often. In some locations, I can only go
    up and down my lawn once but it is still much faster and easier
    than raking. 
                                      Bill

    re.7
    Ditto here.... An added benefit is the leaves seem to break down
    faster on the compost pile if you're in to doing that.
    
    -j
    

    Try this.........I have a rider with a bagger and I have found that
    the bags fill up fast. I remove the bagger and feeder tube and wind
    row the leaves. This tends to mulch the leaves and I just replace
    the bagger and vacuum up the mulched leaves and make alot less trips
    to empty the leaves from the bag. I have over a 115 Beech, maple,
    oak, and ash trees so I get alot of leaves during the fall season.
    I also have 250 acres of trees behind my house, when Mother Nature
    gets angry at me, she makes the wind blow the wrong way....talk about
    leaves................
    
    Jim

    I have between 1/3 and 1/2 acre (I haven't figured out how much of the
    land is covered with trees, house, shed, driveway, etc.) of lawn which
    is now covered with leaves and pine needles.  I'm looking for a
    relatively painless way to clean this up.  The alternatives I'm
    considering are:
    
    Regular lawn mower
    
    	Cheap, since I already own one, but will require frequent emptying
    	of the bag, which negates much of the convenience.
    
    Manual lawn sweeper
    
    	I don't know how well these work, but I assume they're cheaper than
    	...
    
    Power lawn vacuum/shredder
    
    	Those things that look like oversized lawnmowers with huge bags.
    	I don't know how well these work either, but they look impressive.
    	However, they're several hundred dollars, so I want to know before
    	plunking down my money.
    
    Leaf blower (w/ vacuum attachment)
    
    	Looks like it would be easier than raking, but still requires
    	manual bagging, etc.  The vacuum attachments don't look to
    	effective.  This has the advantage, though, of being able to get
    	in between bushes, etc. where a large vacuum/shredder won't go.
    
    Does anyone have any recommendations on approach, or on which
    specific models are good or bad?  This is my first autumn as a
    homeowner.
    
    I didn't see any notes listed in either 1111.49 (LANDSCAPING) or
    1111.51 (LAWNS) that dealt specifically with leaf removal.  The closest
    one, 1431 (Re/ Lawn Sweepers) was mostly about grass clippings and ride
    on mowers.  Perhaps there should be a keyword YARDS for general yard
    care.

    BUY A CHAIN SAW AND CUT ALL THE TREES DOWN NEXT AUGUST!!;-)
    
    Sorry.... I don't have any ideas...I raked 2 acres yesterday!

                                       
    						John

    Ditto .1. My dad had a 1 to 2 acre lawn also, and I was generally
    in charge of getting the leaves off the lawn here's a few ideas:
    
     1) We had a 8 HP tractor which I used to pull a lawn sweeper behind,
         it would do a great job picking up pine needles, but it still
         needed to be dumped.
    
     2) Blow all the leaves to one area on the property, and then bag
        them, burn them, or in our case just run them over an embankment
        into the woods.
    
     3) We also mulched our leaves, (i.e. Put a cover over the opening
        where the grass come out). We would then go back and use the
        sweeper to pick up the little pieces of leaves. I could generally
        fill the sweeper 2 to 3 times more than without mulching the
        leaves.       
             
    
     4) I've also seen someone that has a sears riding lawn tractor
         that has the grass shute attachment. He pulls a little trailer behind
         him, looks like to $150.00 kind you can buy and put together
         for pulling behind your car. He redirected the tractor shute
         and extended it some how back to the trailor so he can keep
         going without having to dump every 5 min or so. He also built
         a cage for it and covers with plastic, and only uses it in
         the autum. I'm sure that the pro's have a trailer like this
         but for once a year it looks like it works, and you have a
         utility trailor for the rest of the year.
    		
    

    Re .0
    
    The only "painless" way is to hire someone else to do the job!
    Since the pain in my back is a vivid reminder of how I spent 
    yesterday afternoon - using a combination of the alternatives
    you listed in your base note - here's a recap of what I did
    (similar size property - we have a half acre).
    
    First I mowed the open lawn area with our Snapper with "Pack'n'Sack".
    It sure beats raking but every two passes the container was full.
    The leaves were somewhat chopped but not finely mulched (one of
    these days I keep saying I'll buy the attachment).  Emptied the
    mower container into plastic bags with the aid of a trash bag stand
    (one of the best $10.00 I ever spent).
    
    After finishing we went over the walkways and edges with our lawn
    vacuum to tidy up.
    
    Overall I think using the bagging mower results in a lot less wear
    and tear on the operator.  Raking and bagging is good for at least
    a week's worth or sore muscles.  I really like our lawn vacuum -
    it's great for doing the driveway and walkways too.  The only thing
    I don't like is having to empty it.  Also have to be very careful
    not to pick up any sharp objects since the bag is cloth (ie:  don't
    use instead of a shop vac around the workbench).  I had originally
    bought one of those manual lawn sweepers and hated it - tendancy
    to stop short if the surface changes or you don't hold it at the
    right angle.  (Have one sitting idle in the shed I'd be willing
    to part with for a very reasonable price.)
    
    Haven't tried a leaf blower yet but I'm tempted to buy one.  Seems
    like it would come in handy for cleaning out the flower beds, under
    shrubs & spruce trees, etc...
    
    Evelyn

  We have about 1/2 acre of lawn with LOTS trees.

  This past spring I purchased an 8hp Toro 32" rider mower with a 6 bushel 
  bagger attachment.  Yesterday, I was able to pick up about 90% of the leaves
  and pine needles in about 2.5 hours. I had to empty the bagger fairly often,
  but it sure beats raking (It used to take several days to do by hand!).
  It even did an ok job of picking up most of the leaves on our paved driveway.
 
  Of course, a rider mower gives you the added benefit of quick and easy mowing
  in the summer months.

    I've got about an acre or more of lawn with three HUGE maple trees
    and several smaller ones.  After a couple years of the rake-and-tarp
    business, I finally got tired enough of the routine to part with
    about $850 for a lawn vacuum attachment that mounts on the back
    of my lawn tractor and attaches to the discharge chute of the mower.  
    It has its own separate motor for the blower, and vacuums/blows
    the leaves into a 40-gallon plastic trash barrel that also hangs
    off the back of the tractor.  The brand is E-Z-Rake, and this is
    (I think) their smallest model; other models blow into a boxed-in
    tow-behind cart.  Other than having to empty the 40-gallon barrel
    about every 50', it works great.  It takes me a couple of weekends
    to do the entire lawn, but it's not very hard work.  At some point
    I may adapt mine so I can blow the leaves into a cart; right now,
    I think I spend more time driving the tractor to and from the compost
    pile than I do picking up leaves!  Even so, it sure beats raking.

    I'm really not considering getting a lawn tractor at this point, so
    none of those options are open to me.
    
    Re/ .3:
    
    I'm interested in your approach.  Do you mean that you have a lawn
    vacuum, but that you used a lawn mower instead for most of the work?
    Why?
    
    Also, I might be interested in your lawn sweeper, depending on price
    and location.  My lawn if fairly flat.  Can you send me mail if your
    still interested in selling it?
    
    Thanks.
    -pd

    
    	Simple.  Roll up the astroturf around Oct 1st, wait for all
    the leaves to fall and then unroll the astroturf.  This also makes
    weeding and fertilizing a lot easier, too!
    
    						-craig_who_has_30+_trees_
                                                in_my_yard_and_wishes_for_
                                                an_easy_solution

    RE .6
    
    Being basically lazy I figured somewhat chopping the leaves with
    the mower would result in my having to empty the container less
    times since it would be more compact vs using the vacuum which would
    fill up faster with whole leaves.  Besides, I can manage emptying
    the mower container by myself, but the the bag is much larger on
    the vacuum and when its full emptying it tends to be a 2 person
    job (and since hubby was busy doing other projects around the yard
    I opted for this approach instead of interrupting him each time).
    Hope that explains the method to my madness...
    
    I'll check with him tonight (if I ever get out of this place!!)
    and send you mail regarding the sweeper.  FYI we live in Framingham,
    I work at PKO and he works at DSG.
    
    Evelyn

    I'm not sure how wide-spread this is, but in Shrewsbury and many
    surrounding towns the municipal people who do the parks, cemetaries
    (sp?), etc. as well as most if not all private contractors who do
    lawn service use those 5-8hp blowers that you push along like a
    lawnmower.  They create a large pile which is then sucked up by
    a truck (private people just blow everything onto a tarp).
    
    I've watched those with vacuums and they do spend a lot of time
    emptying the bags.  The "pros" might be worth talking to.
    
    Additionally, I bought a leaf blower (the electric tube thing you
    carry around) when I saw that WPI uses these with great success.
    Since my purchase, I've found that you really need something like
    150-300 mph out of the nozzle to do any good, so you should eliminate
    all but the backpack-type.
    
    Pete

    I've had good luck with my Toro lawn mower and the leaf mulching
    attachment. The attachment was about $20 and is easy to attach
    to the mower. The mowers vacuum did a real good job of cleaning
    the lawn, and the mulcher shredded the leaves real well, so that
    the bag emptying was minimized. Now if I could only mow my muclhed
    areas and garden beds!!
    
    Good luck,
    mike

    We've got about an acre, with lots of oak and maple trees.
    We moved there in 1977 and I've NEVER raked the leaves.  The
    only exception is our driveway: leaves tend to collect
    there against an embankment.
    
    My personal philosophy is that if the grass cannot survive
    the leaves it doesn't deserve to be there.  I believe a yard is
    to enjoy, not catered to.
    
    The leaves either blow away or rot, or get chopped up when I mow
    in the spring for the first time.
    
    Perhaps if we had a so-called perfect lawn I'd rake it.  But we
    don't, and I don't care to.
    
    Rich
    

    RE .11
    mmm
    And your neighbors haven't made subtle remarks?

    I recently purchased a hand held gas powered blower. I am amazed
    at the speed at which I can "rake"  my yard with it and its almost
    effortless, just a lot of walking. What was easily a full 4 hours
    of raking is now down to about an hour. The trick is to blow them
    often, once per week, and before the leaves get wet from a rain.
                                                               
    
    
     

    I have a real simple solution for all thos people who have a spouse
    at home during the day.
    Work a lot of O.T. Then, while sitting at home with your spouse,
    sipping a cup of coffee, let out a sigh. The spouse will ask what's
    wrong and you reply ther are not enough hours in the day nor enough
    days in the week and go on about raking the yard, painting the house,
    finishing the basement and all of your other projects plus all of
    that O.T. you're putting in. Then if you are as lucky as I was,
    you will come home to a nicely raked yard. All I had to do was load
    the leaves in my truck and make five trips to the dump.

    re .12
    >>> -< Do your neighbors still speak to you? >-
    
    Yes.  Our yard is completely surrounded.  Bushes and trees
    along the front and one side, plus a rock wall on the other
    side, undeveloped land in the back.  So the leaves don't
    migrate.  If it were not that way, I'd plant enough trees
    and shrubs to make it that way.
    
    In other parts of our neighborhood, where yards are quite open,
    there's a lot of subtle peer pressure to keep your yard pristine.
    

    Noooow, i unnerstan
    
    
    
    				herb

    I bought and old lawnmower from a friend for $25 several years ago.
    It has a side discharge. I picked up a "universal" grass catcher
    bag that I jury rigged onto the discharge. Pretty it ain't, but
    it do pick up leaves just fine.
    
    		Mark
    

                I also live in Framingham and we are lucky enough that
        the town picks up our leaves from the roadside, all we need to
        do is get them there. After borrowing one of those roll around
        blowers (vacuums are too much of a pain - the bag is always
        full!) from a neighbor who is a landscaper, I finally went out
        and bought something that would work. I talked to both him and
        the dealer I bought it from, and the consensus was to stay away
        (far away) from the electric ones (they don't blow hard
        enough!). And for the limited use I would give it (about 5 - 8
        times a year), to go with a smallish gasoline one. The one that
        was reccomended that year was a small one made by Echo. This
        year (no I didn't replace it) it was a Toro equivalent, both for
        about $150. I have a lawn that is about 80 x 80 in the back and
        about 80 x 35 in the front with two 11 x 26 side areas and the
        Echo is adequate. It takes about an hour to do the front with
        the sides and about 2 to do the back (including the transport to
        the street by tarp). If you have a bigger lawn, I would
        reccomend a larger unit, at least a backpack type ($200+) since
        this will move more leaves farther (piles start to get tricky
        with the small one). If your lawn is bigger yet, then consider a
        small roll around one (maybe you can rent it to your neighbors?)
        which I think go for $450+.
                
                All in all, I think some sort of blower is quite a boon
        to the fall season. Just don't get one that is much too small! 
                
                /s/     Bob
                
      BTW - I was also told to stay away (again far away) from one that
        was designed to vacuum the leaves. The biggest problem was wear
        in the fan area causing premature failure (not to mention the
        too small to be useful bag). This was from a dealer that also
        does a large repair business. He doesn't want to fix them!

    I'll second (third??) the big blower!! Raking leaves at our house
    is pretty much an all weekend task.  Our son (age 23 and a graduate
    of an engineering college) "does not do leaves !!!" so this is usually
    left to the "older generation" .  Anyway, this year he brought home
    a gas powered blower mounted on wheels which is normally used on
    construction sites to blow dirt, etc off the driveways and streets
    and we used it to blow the leaves off the lawn. It took about two
    hours and all the leaves were off the lawn and into the woods. It
    would pick up a row of piled up leaves and move the whole thing
    three or four feet at a time.  The wind generated by that thing
    was incredible..like having a controlled tornado on wheels.

    
    
    re .14 with the solution for those with a spouse at home during the day.  
    
                   You sound like a real gem!

                                             

    
    
    
    		I was wondering if anyone in the conference had ever
    	rented a wood 'chipper' similar to what the tree surgeons
    	trailer around with them?  I bought some acreage in the
    	white mountains that had been harvested and they left a large
    	amount of slash lying around that I want to get cleared out.
    	Of course I could burn it but feel strongly about giving back
    	to the land the material needed to build up the tilth of the
    	soil.  One problem might be the towing capacity needed to
    	haul one of these things.  I have a VW jetta with a normal
    	tow attachment(bought from U-Haul).  I would have to find
    	such a unit in the North Conway/Fryeburg area for it to be
    	practical.  Any ideas (this or others) in getting rid of
    	all those branches, small trees, etc.???
    
    	Gordon Ripley...
    

    The tow capacity of your vehicle should be somewhere in the owner's
    manual. Your hitch is probably a Class 1, which is rated for 2000 lb.,
    but I'm not really sure the vehicle is.
    
    Eric

I too have the same problem.  The ground in our neighborhood is COVERED with 
10 year old dry slash.  There is a bon fire just about every weekend in the
winter/spring.   I looked into renting a couple years ago and the price was
HIGH, I cant remember exactly but I think it was $300/day.  It may be cheaper 
up north.  But you can chop a lot of slash in 1 day!! It helps to have a couple
guys and have some of it stacked.

gary

Troy built makes one for the homeowner, but I don't have the costs, but
at $300/day, it wouldn't take to long to pay for one!  8^)

Bob

    
    
    		I think that the TROY BUILT wouldn't handle 1 - 2"
    	stock would it?  The units the tree experts use really hum...
    	and work very fast.  Isn't the TROY unit more of a 'mulcher'?
    	I have their roto tiller so know that their equipment is good.
    	I wonder what these big 'suckers' cost?  Thanks for the input.
    
    		Gordon...
    

    I rented a fairly sizable chipper from Warren Rental in Acton about
    a year ago.  It had a deisel engine and was capable of handling
    branches up to about 3" I think.  If memory serves me right I
    payed about $85 day.
    
    The only problem I had was that I adjusted the discharge chute
    so that it would dump into my truck; this slight adjustment 
    caused the discharge chute to jam sine I was restricting the
    discharge flow.  Once I "straightened" the discharge path it
    ran fine.
    
    WEAR GOOD EAR PROTECTION!!!!!!

    
    THis won't help the author of this note, but for other people....
    our neighbors across the street are clearing some land on which
    their going to build a house. They needed to rent a chipper. They
    were going to settle for paying ~$200 from a place in Gardner (we
    live in Townsend) until somebody told them about U.S. Rental in
    Ayer. They rented a mega-chipper and it only cost them $80 for the
    rental. Just thought I would let people know. Weh we start clearing
    out back we'll probably give them a call for renting it ourselves.
    
    Patty

    I looked into buying a chipper a couple of years ago.  I still get
    mailings from Troy and Kemp all the time.  You need to spend somewhere
    in the $1200 range to get a good chipper/mulcher/shredder(air ;-)).
    It'll take 2" pieces, or so they say.  The Kemp looked like a better
    brand to me.  I decided not to go for it.  The cost is high and
    then you have to store it and maintain it.  I've been burning the
    small branches in bonfires.
    
    Steve
    
    

    I've been clearing some of my land (does anyone want some hemlock
    firewood?  I'll even help you load it!)  I looked at the Troy at ~$1200
    and said "well..."  Then I looked for a chipper to rent.  The cheapest
    I found at that time (there aren't many have them to rent in the Nashua
    area) was $175 a day.  I repeated myself, "well..."  So I build a few
    bon fires.  Lots of work that left a mess to clean up...
    
    I finally found a clearance sale for a really off-brand
    chipper/shredder (made in Australia) at $250 that said it could handle
    up to 2" branches.  I figured what the heck, even if it turns out to be
    a dud, it has a nifty 5 HP Briggs & Straton that I could play with.
    
    I found that when that manufacturer said 2" max, they meant 2".  But
    staying within that limit, I was *highly* impressed with the job it
    did.  I would say that it chipped and shredded almost as fast as one of
    my a bon fires burned, yet I was left with mulch, not ashes.
    
    The final point that makes me think this was the way to go can be best
    expressed as a question: how long will you need a chipper?  In about 15
    minutes, I can gas up the gadget, wheel it into place and way I go. 
    When I get tired, I can quit when I want and come back another day...
    
    
    John B.

    A friend of mine rented one from Taylor rental in Laconia for about
    $125 a day. It was a commercial grade that would take up to 8".
    We had to haul it with a pick-up truck because of its size, however
    it chipped everything in sight.
    

    Not to change the subject, but it sounds like you are going to be
    generating a lot of chips.  What does one do with wood chips in
    large quantity?
    
    Elaine

    
    
    		I stopped at a local rental place yesterday when I saw
    	a chipper out back.  They wanted $140 per day and it handled
    	up to a 6" stick.  The problem was that it weighted 4000# so
    	one would need a 3/4 ton pickup at least to haul it.  I could
    	possibly buy a unit that handled up to 3" and burn anything
    	bigger than that.  Such a unit would probably also be haulable.
        The australian one sounded good, the price unbelievable, where
    	did you get it (buford) ?  How long ago, please send me info
    	if you could on cost, hauling problems/non problems, etc.
    	Thanks a lot.
    			Gordon Ripley   DNEAST::RIPLEY_GORDO
    
    

    
    
    		The chips are left on the forest floor to bio-degrade
    	and thus build up the soil which in the white moutains is
    	not very deep!
    
    		Gordon

The purpose of using chips in gardens/shrubs is to choke out weeds and new 
plants. Won't these chips kill off the ground cover and create a localized
erosion problem due to the loss of root systems to hold it together??

Not that it helps you up there but, Worcester County Rentals will rent it for 
the same price for an 8 hour "day" and they deliver and set up on your site.
(My neighbor had one for an "8 hour" weekend) They base the rental on the run 
time of the unit. He kept 5 people very busy feeding and gathering constantly.

Heres a problem.  I just called a rental place in Manchester to see if maybe
I should rent one instead of burning.  He asked how long ago the wood had been
cut.  I told him it was most old dry slash.  He said that you cannot use a
chipper (any chipper) to chip dry brush, that it ruins the blades.  You need
the sap in the wood for it to work.  You may try it but if you ruin the blades
I'm sure you'll pay.  Looks like I'll have to continue burning.

Gary

    
    
    		Wow! Thanks Gary (.14).  The limbs have been lying around
    	for about 2 years I would guess so are probably quite dry by
    	now - at least inside - with the snow still on the ground they
    	are probably a little wet on the outside...
    		Re .13, I think roadside crews use chips to hold new
    	grass on the sides of slopes.  I guess the chips in the woods
    	wouldn't be so thick as to stop the growth of plants.  I would
    	spread it around as best I could.  with Garys' reply this is
    	probably all academic at this point!
    		Thanks for the information friends.
    
    	Gordon Ripley...
    

    You should be able to compost the chips, or sell/give it away for
    use as mulch.  I would guess that it's safe to put it down thinly
    in areas of the woods that don't have much groundcover -- pine forests,
    for example.  But be careful that you don't disturb wetlands.
    
    Also, please don't get carried away because you have a chipper
    available.  Trees are an important part of our environment.  Even
    dead trees play a role, since they harbor insects, which in turn
    feed birds, which in turn ....  
    
       Gary

    Sorry, I can't supply any information on current rentals, prices,
    etc..  The chipper I've gotten to play with was owned by a
    relative....  usually used on his place.  
    
    Two suggestions:
    
    1.  Have the brush stacked, with the butts (thick ends) all
    pointing the same way.  The butt end goes in the chute first,
    see, and the little stuff just gets sucked in after it....
    Arrange your stack(s) so that you WILL be able to move the
    chipper to it... rather than drag stacks from all over the
    yard to the one place the chipper is.  (This will let you
    "spray" chips lightly all over, if you want that.)
    
    2.  Wear goggle type eye protection.  Safety glasses (open
    sides) aren't good enough.  Use ear protection.  (WHAT??
    I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!)  USE EAR PROTECTION!!!  And wear gloves.
    And, on the gloves, make SURE they don't have little ties
    or straps at the wrist to hold the glove tight onto your hand.
    (If, Lord forbid, your glove gets snagged on a branch that's
    going into the shredder, you do NOT want that glove firmly
    attached to you!!)  On the same note, removing watch, rings,
    etc. is a good idea, too.  
    
    No, chippers are NOT toys....  throw an old leather work
    glove through one, and you might remember that fact better!
    
                                - Ed -

    re .11
    
    I got the way-off-brand chipper/shredder at a clearance sale at Rich's
    in Nashua two years ago.  They were discontinuing the line...
    
    
    re .17
    
    Huh? What did you say?  
    
    I agree with .17 big time.  I worked on a drill rig in college.  My
    father-in-law works in a machine shop.  When we started working around
    the chipper, we agreed that one must wear hearing protectors ("mickey
    mouse" ears, not just ear plugs!) if only to hear oneself think...
    
    And goggles!  The chips shoot out of the chipper so fast, its not hard
    to throw them 75 feet.  Man, oh man they hurt if they hit your leg.  I
    don't even want to think what it would do to an eye.
    
    
    John B.

    I would like recommendations for cordless electric grass shears.
    I am NOT looking for a string trimmer, but basically electric
    scissors.
    
    Makita makes one cordless 7.2 volt grass shears, with battery, and 
    charger, the price comes to about $100. That is a little steep
    for just being able to use the grass shears. However, the  battery 
    and charger could also be used for their cordless hedge trimmer,
    drills and such. 
    
    But since I have already a Makita 9.6V setup for a cordless
    saw, I hate to get into the 7.2V stuff.
    
    Can anyone recommend something out there that you can just 
    plug into the wall for awhile, and end up with a charge that
    will last for 45 minutes to an hour? The other qualification
    is that it has to last about four years or more without being
    tinkered with a whole lot.
    
    	Thanks, Steve
    

    I just recently purchased a pair of cordless grass shears by Black
    and Decker.  You plug the adapter in the wall for recharging and
    they work real well.  Cost was $26.00 on sale at K-MART.  Regular
    cost was around $33.
    
    Connie
    

    I've been trying to locate a replacement tire for my wheelbarrow. I've
    had no luck at various hardware stores -- many of which sell wheelbarrows.
    The size embossed on the tire is 4.80 - 4.00 - 8. It's a tubeless
    tire. Any suggestions as to where I might find one? I live in Maynard,
    work in Marlboro. 
    
    Also, what's involved in installing a tubeless tire? Can I avoid this
    problem by just finding a tube and installing it in my present tire
    (which has just a very small puncture wound)?
    
    Thanks for any help.
    
    Joe
    
     
      

    Any place that sells small tractors and garden equipment. I had
    the same problem and ended up with a tube. Tube-less are a pain
    and require a special machine to hold the tire while large anounts
    of air are pumped in. With my new tube ( $10.00) I can pump it up
    with a hand pump.
    I got my at Shepherd Sale and Service 
    55 main st              (rt 119)
    Townsend Ma 508-597-8907

                                    
    buz

	I've used a tubeless tire plug in my snowblower tire for
	4+ years, with no problem.

    I have exactly the same problem here in Wayland.  I've been using
    it as an excuse for not moving some shrubs for my wife.  I'm not
    in a real hurry to get it fixed, but does anybody know a good place
    near Framingham/Natick? 
    
    Don't tell my wife..
    

    I did not see where you're located.  I used to get those needs from
    a place in Fitchburg, Ma. at 94 Boulder Dr., called Fitchburg Tire &
    Service Inc.  Their phone number is 508-342-8666.  They're a B.F. 
    Goodrich dealer.  A long time ago, I needed tubes for my Sears & 
    Rubbish snowthrower, and they had some.  Prices seemed reasonable.
    
    

    Yes, my wife has been bugging me to get our wheelbarrow fixed so we can
    get 10+ yards of bark mulch delivered. Oh boy. 
    
    Acting on the advice in an earlier reply, I called Moscariello's
    Equipment (on Rt 62, Acton/Maynard line). They have both the tube and
    the tire in my size. 
    
    I guess I'll pick up a tube this weekend ... and order the mulch. 
    
    Joe
    
    

     Tubeless tires were really developed for automobiles and such.
    The reasoning was that without the tube you cut down on the generation
    and retention of road heat (friction) and reduce the possibility
    of blowout.
     I fail to see the need for a tubeless tire on a wheelbarrow,
    snowblower or garden-tractor, etc...

re.6
    Believe it or not a tubeless tire rolls easier than one with a tube
    in it. 
    
    I'd use a tubeless.....I'm not as young as I used to be
    
    Jim

	You don't need a fancy machine to re-inflate a tubeless tire.
	I had a flat tire after using my 'barrow around the rose bushes....

	What you do is :

		Mount the tire on the rim.  Yes, it will be all loose
		and floppy.

		Tie a rope around the circumference of the tire, with a
		stick in the rope, so that you can....

		... Tighten the rope, compressing the tire (in a radial
		direction) thusly causing the tire bead to contact the
		rim.

		Now, inflate like mad with air from a garage tire inflator
		hose (you need a lot of air volume).

		You should be able to squeeze the tire enough to make it
		"catch" on the rim and hold air.

	Josh

    After having to deal with tubeless tires on my first snowthrower,
    I'll go with the tubes any day!  I've got a tube in my wheelbarrel's
    tire too.  At least with tubes, I don't need an air compressor to
    fix a flat.  Any air pump will do.
    

	re: .-1

	 I agree. Quit jerkin' around looking for a replacement tire
	 when a tube'll do just fine. My tubeless developed a leak 4
	 years ago and I installed a tube which I got from the local
	 tire shop for about 8 bucks. Been holding air perfectly
	 since.... Been a long time since I've seen a wheelbarrow tire
	 replaced because the tread was worn to the cords.. ;-O

	 Chris

re Note 3264.8 by ISLNDS::BELKIN:

> 		Tie a rope around the circumference of the tire, with a
> 		stick in the rope, so that you can....
> 
> 		... Tighten the rope, compressing the tire (in a radial
> 		direction) thusly causing the tire bead to contact the
> 		rim.
> 
> 		Now, inflate like mad with air from a garage tire inflator
> 		hose (you need a lot of air volume).

        Even with a garage inflator (not the 25� coin-ops; their air
        flow seems low), this is an onerous task if you have to take
        the wheel off of the wheelbarrow or else lug the whole thing
        to a garage.

        I had a wheelbarrow that lost its air about once a month.  It
        was a pain.  I broke down and got a tube (the 4.00-4.80 x 8
        is a standard wheelbarrow size;  tubes are readily available
        at hardware stores.  Lorden Hardware in Pepperell carries
        them, for instance).

        Bob

    I picked up my tire tube at Moscariello's this past weekend. It cost
    $5.50. Now I just have to install it. 
    
    

    
    When I first looked into renting a chipper I thought the cost would be
    minimal...But as you can see by the prices below these chippers are not
    cheap to rent.  I ended up buying one, only because I have more than
    one days worth of chipping.  What I like about my unit is that I can
    also, do shredding and mulching which will come in handy for making
    composte piles for a garden.  It will also reduce the amount of bags
    that I will need this year for leaves.
    
    
Bell-wood - Fitchburg  4"  $155
Taylor Gardner - up to 6"  $202/day
Waverly Fram. - 8"  $195/day
Warren Rental Acton - 10"  $226/day
Taylor Westboro - 8"  $190/day
Taylor Fram.  - 5"  $167/day
Taylor Sudbury - 4" $157/day
Taylor Natick - 6-8"  $215/day
Taylor Hudson    4" $157/day  unit was broken...
    
    
    
    P.S.  If anyone is in need of Chipping-Mulching-Shredding, then drop me
    	  a line and perhaps we can work something out.  My unit can handle
    	  upto 3" stock.
    
    Mark

    Sounds good but you didn't tell us what you got.
    
    Brand ??
    Price ??
    Where ??

    
    details:  
    
    Brand:  Roto-Hoe 
    		5 Hp briggs and stratton
    		20 lb flywheel for chipping
    		36 free-spinning hammers for muclhing/shredding
    
    Cost:   Seeing I have been buying all my equipment from this place
    	    The owner gave me a good deal...  Normal cost for this unit
    	    is around $850
    
    Where:  Dupuis Power Equipment located in Leominster Mass.
    
    
    So far I have used it 4 different days, each time averaging around 2
    hours.  I have a lot of brush and we have been landscaping the front
    of the house which required taking down three small trees.  The good
    part is that I have been able to use the wood chips to place around the
    shrubs.  Which is one less thing I have to buy.  I also made up a
    compost mixture to lay over the grass seed I planted where the trees
    use to be.  I now have nice new grass growing.

    Troy-Bilt offered me a 30-day trial on their chipper/shredders so
    I decided to take them up on their offer.  I got the 8 hp (Tecumsah) unit
    which weighs roughly 170lbs and is on large pneumatic tires so it's
    fairly easy to move around the yard.  A different story if you want to
    throw into the back of your car.
    
    The unit is extremely loud but does seem to reduce most wood materials
    (even dry wood) to about 1/4 inch square chips.  There is a special
    chute for large wood that can handle up to 3-4" without any problems.
    It was real handy for reducing huge piles of brush to a nice neat piles
    of wood chips, but I don't think the $1,200 price warranted keeping
    it around especially since you would only use it a few times a year.
    
    -al

    I'm in the market for a chipper, but something that could take,
    up to 6" would be ideal. Is there anything made in this range?
    I saw a couple at the NH surplus auction, but these were monsters.
    They were powered by Ford's 300 CI 6, and looked as tho they
    could reduce a California Redwood to sawdust in seconds.
    At the other end are the grownup lawnmowers. 3-5 hp, and not
    much in terms of diameter.
    In there anything in between?
    
    John

    IMHO-The troybilt tommahawk shredder is about as small as the useful models
    get others are a waste of dollars and storage space. I believe even the
    big monsters you mentioned might choke on a 6" log but I have fed 'em
    3-4" with no problems. If you get one of the big boys use ultimate care
    using it as it *will* handle a full size human what a mess 8^(
    
    -j

    I, too, had a tubless with a leak.  The gas station laught when I asked
    if they could fix it.  The leak appeared to be along the bead (SP?). 
    So, the next time it went flat (about a day later :-) I removed the
    tire, cleaned the rim along the bead line and clean the tire.  Then,
    when I mounted the tire I put rubber cement along the bead.  I haven't
    had any trouble since.  I do need to put a couple of pumps of air into
    the tire now-and-then with the bike pump. 

    	I have to agree also. ANY time I get a leak in my *yard equipment*
    tubeless tires they become tubed. I have a Gravely tractor, I bought
    a tube for one of the rear wheels 16-28. This way if I get a leak
    I just remove the tube, patch it, and I'm back to work in no time.
    
    			Cary

I can't comment on whether this is (in the long-term) good or bad, but I'm
lazy, and it has worked for me...

I have developed a habit of buying those aerosol tire-inflators that shoot some
kind of goo into tires in an emergency - they're about $1.50 on sale - whenever
I even suspect a slow leak and have determined that it isn't the valve.

One shot (full can, or to proper pressure for the tire) and the tire is fixed
forever.

    Probably works fine here, but it can cause problems in car tires, with
    imbalances.
    
    Eric

RE: last 2

Yeah, after I wrote that I saw that people may think I do this on my cars --- I
don't, just on around-the-yard stuff that moves very slowly (if at all... ;^}

Pete

    Does anyone with the high-performance Sears sweeper know how well the
    sweeper works in getting out leaves that have been matted down into
    the turf by winter snow?  It's tough even with a rake to get these
    leaves out sometimes, so it seems hard to believe that even a good
    sweeper would do as well or better, in this particular case.  I know
    some sweepers are touted by Sears salespeople as being able to sweep
    up even pine needles, but I don't know if this is hype or fact.
    
    -Roger

    Any opinions on what size unit to get if I'm interested in shredding
    leaves only?  I'd like to use the leaf fall as a mulch to replace the
    expensive bark mulch I'm currently using.
    
    thanks in advance,
    
    sam

    i just purchased a troy-buit "junior" chipper/shredded.  i got it from
    john wilhelm in harvard.  he sold it from $599.00, about $70.00 less
    than the promotional offer i got from the factory.  i saved on the
    shipping/insurance costs as well as the time to assemble and test the
    unit.  john also delivered it the same day.  in short, this was a very
    good deal.  
    
    sam alunni
    

there is a current sale on the little electric chipper/shredders at builders 
square in Nashua - $89.  For specifically leaves, I wonder if it will handle
them ok.  I try to keep my yard clean of large branches anyways, so picking
out the smaller ones shouldn't be too much of a problem.   Anyone know how
those units work..?  I'd love to have one of those 'regular' ones..  just
don't have $500 - $1000 to spare right now.

thanks for your comments...

K-

The little guys are essentially weed whackers (string trimmers) with a 
chute on top.  I had good luck this fall just using my weed whacker in 
a trash can or compost bin.  Dump in the leaves, whack'em around with
the whacker until you get bored.

    Im in the market for a weed wacker.
    
    I looked under "Weed" and "tool" but found nothing.
    please direct me to the appropriate note if one applies
    
    Im interested in a gas machine capable of handling both a string and
    blade attachment.
    
    homelite makes such a monster.
    does anyone have any comments on the homelite or other similar models ?
    

I can't speak for the particular model you are looking at, but I have a Homelite
that I am pleased with.  Mine is a string version only.  I have never had a
problem starting it at the beginning of the season.  It is about 2-3 years old
now.

I would say that my only complaint is that the string is always shorter than
optimum.  I am sure it is due to the way I whack those weeds.

Ed..

    Try title or key variations of "Grass trimmer or edger".  Also try the
    PICA::GARDEN conference.

      Places  that sell lawn mowers and garden equipment generally carry
      these trimmers.  Many hardware stores.  Don't  know  where  you're
      located but here are a couple places in NH.
      
      Greenland's -- (603) 225-3387
          Commercial Street
          P.O. 97
          Concord  NH  03302-0097
            
      Superior Saw -- (603) 627-1616  (603) 668-5353
          69 Elm Street
          Manchester  NH

      BTW  if you plan to use a BLADE as well as a string trimmer, don't
      buy the smallest model that accepts a blade.  Go up at  least  one
      model. My experience is that the smallest model that takes a blade
      won't work well with a blade and will wear out quickly if you  use
      the blade.
      
      I'd suggest you choose a dealer who services what he sells. You'll
      tend to find better machines than the brands sold at the  discount
      stores.   Expect  to  pay  $2-300  or  more  if  you  want a blade
      attachment that can really do some work.  If you don't really need
      a  blade,  a string only model plus a good pruning shears is a lot
      less money.

We just got a whacker for our camp.  We learned that it's best to get as much 
as you can with the string trimmer and then go back with the blade.  The blade
doesn't do a very good job on grass anyway, and when you use the string trimmer
first you reveal all the hazards and find all the places where you really 
need the blade.

I bought an ST165 (if I recall correctly), string only and am satisfied with it.

One thing to remember is they vibrate a lot. When I'm done with it my hands tingle
for quite a while afterward. Certainly easier (read quicker) to dash around the place
without that   L  O  N  G   extension cord   ;-)


Chris

        The trimmers with the straight handles will vibrate somewhat less
        than those with the curved handles. The electric units are
        marginal for any serious cutting, if you have a small city type
        lot, they may be adequate. Cordless electric units just don't have
        enough power to cut much of anything.
        
        Me, I'm out in the burbs, with an acre of land. I've got a culvert
        that my tractor can't get into, a jungle way in back of the house,
        plus trimming around the usual stuff. I got a Stihl FS66 brush
        cutter with the polycut head. It will use either string, nylon
        blades, or both. So far I've just about trashed the first set of
        blades, but haven't tried the string yet. It will cut realy
        serious weeds and brush. I've cut pulpy stuff at least 3/4" thick,
        and brush close to 1/2" thick with the thing so far. I'm pretty
        sure I could cut corn stalks with this thing.
        
        I'd STRONGLY recommend safety glasses, ear protection, long pants,
        and a long sleeve shirt and gloves when using a brush cutter.
        These beasts can throw rocks quite a distance. Last night after I
        finished playing walking Cuisinart I was pretty well covered with
        green slime from head to toe. The gloves seem to help with the
        vibration a bit, and the headset type ear protectors make a HUGE
        difference from my previous trip around the yard. The only
        dis(?)advantage to the ear protectors is that I can't hear my wife
        calling me while I'm out working.

re: 4298.5 -< Homelite ST165 >-

    >One thing to remember is they vibrate a lot. When I'm done with it my
    >hands tingle for quite a while afterward. Certainly easier (read
    >quicker) 

    >Chris
    
    That 'tingling' feelng can be bad news, especially if it stasrt to
    creep up your arm. There is nerve that goes from the palm of your
    hand up to your back, which most "serious" bicyclist know about.
    
    The solution is very simple. Wear a padded glove (padded on the
    palm). Bicycle stores sell them, buty I imagine a small piece
    of closed cell foam inserted into the glove would have a simalar
    effect.
    
    Typically i wear heavy leather work gloves with good results.
    
    -BobE
    
    

Over the years, I believe using power tools has taken its toll on my hands' nerves.

I've got Reynaud's Syndrome and it does hamper my abilities to work in cold weather
and/or with vibrating equipment for extended periods of time.

.-1's suggestion of wearing padded hand-gear is a good suggestion. I wish I had
that information years ago.

For me, the damage is done and I try to protect myself from further damage, however
even with protection, by paws suffer.

Chris

    Gee, this Reynaud's syndrome is more common than I thought.
    I've had the same problem for years and have been wondering
    what kind of protection would help (regular cotton or leather
    gloves help me only a bit).  I think I'll try the cycling
    gloves suggestion.
    
    -peter
    

    Re Reynaud
    
    Is Reynaud's syndrome the same as carpal tunnel syndrome?
    
    PBM

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a result of pressure on the nerves that run through
the carpal tunnel, which is formed by the bones in your forearm.  It's caused
by holding your hands and wristes "the wrong way" and is one of a number of
forms of repetitive motion syndrome.

Reynaud's is caused by constriction of the blood vessels that serve the 
hands.  One symptom is bloodless fingers.  If this happens, you can sling
your arms around and get some blood down there by centrifugal force.  It is 
particularly bad in the winter.  I don't know the cause, but I think smokers
and ex-smokers are more vulnerable.

There are other medical problems in this realm, of course, including
perihperal neuritis.  My brother went to the doctor and said, "My hands
get numb when they're vibrated by machinery."  The doc said,  "You've got
peripheral neuritis."  "What does that mean?"  "It means your hands get nunb
when they're vibrated by machinery."

    I had a PA explain some manifestations of Reynaud's as "the body senses
    that it must conserve body heat and reduces blood flow to the
    extremities.  As when I was lying on a table in a 72�F room.  I often
    get it immediately after exercise in cooler weather, sometimes during
    exercise like after climbing a long hill and then descending.
    
    Back to our regularly scheduled topic ...
    
    ed

How about those shoulder strap electric blower/vacuums, such as the Toro or
Black and Decker?  Mostly I'm just interested in picking up the pine
needles and leaves from our gravel driveway, and even then, it's
because I want them for compost (yes, I know they're acid), and not
because they're problematic.  I'm
not interested in a gas powered contraption.  Can these devices pick up the
leaves and needles without picking up the driveway stone dust?

   Gary

PS I was surprised to see that this was the only note listed in 1111.101 
that remotely related to leaf blowers.

Re: .11

I have one of those shoulder-strap blower-vacs.  They're fine as blowers,
rather pitiful as vacs.  Pine needles are a particular problem, and I would
not recommend them on a gravel driveway.  They do an ok job on an asphalt
driveway if you're methodical about it.  No good on grass whatsoever.

				Steve

>I have one of those shoulder-strap blower-vacs.  They're fine as blowers,
>rather pitiful as vacs.  Pine needles are a particular problem, and I would
    
    I've got a neighbor who uses his damn blower-vac all day long every
    weekend to blow the leaves off his very small lawn.  I swear I could 
    pick the leaves up faster with my teeth than with one of those 
    unneighborly noise makers.
    
    If your neighbors own guns, you might want to consider just how loud
    your leaf picker-upper is going to be.
    
    Will
    
    PS - I think the moron is some chump professor at Harvard, too.  
         Seeing such stupidity makes me want to be first in line with my 
         application to Harvard, I'll tell ya.

Re: .13

I agree, though if you have a LOT of pine needles and leaves on a lawn, the blower
can make quick work of piling them up, so you can rake them into a bag.  I
was successful at this last fall.  The lawn sweepers (which look like vacuum
cleaners) may do a better job.

For myself, I just run the lawn mower over the leaves, and it does a great
job.

				Steve

Looks like I'll skip it then, or maybe pick up the pine needles by hand.

You're right about the lawn mower making quick work of the leaves.  

   Gary

A thatching attachment in front of a bagging type mower does a good job with
pine needles on the lawn. The needles get stuck in the blades of the grass, and
the thatcher frees them up enough or the mower to pick them up.

It won't help for the driveway, though....I use a broom 8^)

CdH

    As for composting pine needles, strawberries are supposed to love them.
    
    Dick

    
    I'm looking for refills for my weed wacker!  I've been every where. 
    All I can find are spools of refills.  What I'm looking for are bags
    with strings about 10" in length with little metal clips on the end to
    attach to the machine.  I've even tried the manufacturer but had no
    luck.  I'd hate to purchase a new one if I don't have to.
    
    Thanks,
    Pam
    297-7400
    or reply here.

    What kind of weedwacker do you have?

    I looked at it last night when I got home.  It's a Black & Decker and
    it's 7" pre-cut.
    
    I can't believe no one carries it!  I've even been to Spags which has
    about 20 reels of string to choose from!
    
    Thanks,
    Pam

You said you tried the manufacturer, but did you try a B&D Service Center?
There's one in Brighton: (617) 782-6264.

    I usually end up buying the cheapest string I can the same size and
    spool it up myself because my whacker is out of production ...
    
    Stuart

    RE: .3
    
    Thanks for the service center phone number.  I called and the guy is 
    sending out two bags.  
    
    Thanks to everyone that replied too!
    
    Pam
    

I've read both this note and #351. There is a lot of good information but most
is now more than 2 years old.

I'm in the market for a weed cutter/brush cutter (I think). 90% of my planned
usage would be to clean up the edges of the lawn and cut small weed grasses.
However, I do live on a 5 acre lot and might occasionally want to use it to
cut some of the denser on other areas of the lot. Probably the worst I would
need to deal with is a maple sapling 1/4" or less.

I don't want to spend a lot but I don't want to get a piece of junk either.
Prices range from $69.00 for a 15" string trimmer only to megabucks for the
dual carb, auto-floating, auto-starting models seen on shows like
Home Improvement. :-)

Right now I'm leaning toward any of the 17" models in the $130.00 range. If
they don't have the brush option, I could live with it given how seldom I
think I would use that feature. For the amount of times I would need it, it
might be just as easy to fire up the chain saw and have at those maple 
saplings.

I'd be interested in hearing good reasons why I might want to change my 
thinking or uses I may not have anticipated.

							Thanks,

								Mark

RE: <<< Note 4298.13 by MARX::SULLIVAN "We have met the enemy, and they is us!" >>>
    
 |          -< Go ahead, tell me I should do something else >-

 Ok :-)

 Get a low dollar string trimmer and use the left over money you save to buy 
a good pair of brush nippers for the larger stuff. I got a pair at Sears for 
about $20.00 that will cut saplings and branches up to about 2 inches thick.

A rotary brush cutter sounds like overkill for what you have to cut. 

    
    I think I agree with Corky. You'd have to spend about $300 to get a
    trimmer robust enough to handle a saw blade.
    
    And in any case, it probably doesn't matter.  Cutting saplings (either
    with a pruner or a saw blade) just encourages the darn things -- they
    simply grow many new shoots below the cut and it's just a matter of
    days before they're healthy as ever. You can get rid of the saplings
    either by mowing them repeatedly or by removing them, roots and all.
    
    I wish there was an environmentally-benign poison you could paint on
    the mini-stumps of these saplings, but I don't know of any...
    
    JP

>>    I think I agree with Corky. You'd have to spend about $300 to get a
>>    trimmer robust enough to handle a saw blade.

I think Sears has one for $200.  I forget what I spend for it, maybe it was on
sale.  I ended up running around with it yesterday.  If you use it right, it
will cut through saplings in the area of 2" in diam.  Yes that seems large but
it DOES work.  You have to cut VERY low to the ground and keep at it to keep
the shoots from coming back up.

And as Norm says: The most important piece of equipment is this, safety
glasses.  I actually wear a shield and ear protection - a great deal of stuff
is thrown around by that spinning blade!

bjm

Consumer Reports reviewed string trimmers (and lawn mowers) in this months issue.

								Mark

    re: .17 

    I recently purchased the tub portion of a wheelbarrow for $5.00.  Does
    anyone know where I can get or order the rest of the parts, wheels and
    hardware.  I thought I had seen spare wheelbarrow parts in one of my
    hardware catalogs, but of course now I can't find it.
    
    MikeB.

    
    
    Driving near Spag's these days????:):):):):):):):):):)
    
    You should be able to find most of the stuff anywhere
    such as Grossmans or other lumber and hardware stores....
    
    JD
    

    I think home depot sells the an undercarriage kit separately
    from the bin.  Might be a seasonal item though.
    
    Colin
    

    If the "NJ" in the "NJ Digital Services" part of .0's personal name means 
New Jersey, then the probability of driving near Spag's is pretty low.

    I've seen the wheels and handles in lots of major DIY stores (Home Depot
being one)  I don't remember ever seeing the rear legs anywhere, but you might
be able to fashion something out of pipe or heavy duty conduit, even some
heavy gauge strap steel would work.

    Where did you get the tub?  I could use a new one myself, especially
    for only $5.

    I was visiting my sister-in-law's in Virginia and picked up the tub in
    Hechingers.  They had a stack of both 6 and 4 cu. ft. tubs.
    
    NJ is a ways from Spags.  I wonder if I could interest the wife in
    a road trip.  We've got a couple of Home Depots on here, but when I
    inquired they told me they only sold the tubs and hardware as sets. 
    Maybe I have to wait until the wheelbarrow season opens.
    
    MikeB.
    
    

<    I was visiting my sister-in-law's in Virginia and picked up the tub in
<    Hechingers.  They had a stack of both 6 and 4 cu. ft. tubs.
    
   If you get to Va occasionally, you might take time to stop at Fredricksburg
Hardware.  They have everything (alot like Spag's, but more organized)...

   I'd be real surprized if they couldn't fix you up with the parts you're
looking for...

Al    
    

                          -< Fredricksburg Hardware >-

In case it isn't obvious, Fredricksburg Hardware is in Fredricksburg, Va.
Right on I95...

Anyone have more recent advice/opinions on the value, usage, worth of a 
chipper for someone considering buying one?

>Anyone have more recent advice/opinions on the value, usage, worth of a 
>chipper for someone considering buying one?

I don't have advice, just opinion :-)  We've been considering this for a while
as well.  For me, the $800+ models are too expensive to make it worth it.
Taylor rental had an 8hp model renting for $69 or $79 per day (but I can't 
recall the size it could handle... (the best part being that they're closed on 
Sundays, so they recommended renting it on a Saturday and keep it till Monday.)

But not being familiar with chipping, I can't acurately estimate how long it
would take to get through the [growing] pile we have...

I did see one (from MTD, 3.5hp) at HQ that could handle 3 inch sizes for $299.

Dan

We have a chipper, and I much prefer to burn the branches.  Our town allows
burning during certain times of the year, and I just wait for these times.

We also have a garden.  In the fall, I pile all the leaves on the garden, then
just till the whole mess in.  In the spring, I till again.  Wah!  All the leaves
are gone, having decomposed over the winter.

I've found the chipper to take a long time to munch through stuff; I spend much
less time doing the above two things, and I'm happier!

-Chris

    I have a WW Gringer Chipper/Shredder. All branches/leaves up to 3 inch
    in diameter go through the machine and come out as a great mulch.
    Cost me around $1500.....bought it when DEC and me were doing good.
    
    Works O.K....but....its not a tool for the faint of heart!
    
    Marc H.

    
    When you use one of these things, do you still have to pile
    the mulch up & let it compost down for a time or can you apply it
    right away?
    
    Wondering whether to hire a chipper or a truck to cart X bags off to
    the town compost heap.
    
    Colin
    

    Use right away or later. Doesn't matter.
    
    Marc H.

You'll probably find more recent chipper/shredder notes in PICA::GARDEN.
FWIW, Building 19 is advertising an electric one for $250.

>>You'll probably find more recent chipper/shredder notes in PICA::GARDEN.



   FYI - GARDEN  is now located on EVMS::SPIERS::GARDEN

	    HQ has an electric that's supposed to be 5 H.P and chip up 
	to 2�" branches for $300.  Sears comperable model is $320.
	    Using the chips for mulch could be putting out a WELCOME
	mat for termites.

					Tim

    The shedder I have uses an industrial B&S engine rated 8 HP.
    Anything less will be very very slow.
    
    Marc H.

    
    >	    Using the chips for mulch could be putting out a WELCOME
	mat for termites.
    
    Good point.  Thanks.
    
    Colin
    

    I've used the chips around my home for years with no termite problems.
    Now, I don't put them near the foundation....but...around the yard
    are many spots where they work real fine. Bugs/ants/ticks will live
    in them, but thats the price you pay for the many advantages of
    having a mulch. The plants do well, and I don't need to water often.
    
    If you are going to take the mulch to the dump....save yourself time
    and either burn the brush during the burning season, out take the stuff
    to a town brush dump.
    
    Marc H.

    
    There are plenty of chippers in there.
    
    Fred

Does anyone have any experience with MTD? Sam's is selling an MTD 8hp
(Tecumseh) chipper/shredder for <$500, and I think I'm inclined to get
it. It sounds like a re-badged Troy-Bilt, with a chute that lowers to
ground-level to allow raking leaves up into the shredder.

The fact that it's powered by Tecumseh is, I think, a plus. I mean,
what can go wrong if I keep it lubed and possibly have some blades
made up out of good steel or even carbide?

I'd really appreciate opinions, if you have 'em.

Thanks,
Pete

    
re. Note 1042.38                 chipper/shredder?                     38 of 38
    >CAPVAX::PJOHNSON
>                             -< Opinions on MTD? >-
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Does anyone have any experience with MTD? Sam's is selling an MTD 8hp
>(Tecumseh) chipper/shredder for <$500, and I think I'm inclined to get
>it. It sounds like a re-badged Troy-Bilt, with a chute that lowers to
>ground-level to allow raking leaves up into the shredder.

>The fact that it's powered by Tecumseh is, I think, a plus. I mean,
>what can go wrong if I keep it lubed and possibly have some blades
>made up out of good steel or even carbide?

>I'd really appreciate opinions, if you have 'em.

>Thanks,
>Pete
    
    Not specifically the MTD brand, but I have the remains of a 
    Techumseh motor in my parents' barn.   I changed the oil every
    year for the 7 or 8 years it lasted.
    
    your miles may vary

    	It's that leaf-handling time of year again. I need some advice on
    	leaf blowers...


    	1. Do they work? Faster than raking, pick up as much as manual
    	raking?

    	2. What is better, gas or electric? Air MPH rating all that's
    	important? [Seen electric = 180 mph, highest gas = 150 mph]. I can
    	reach all lawn w/ 100 ft cord.

    	3. Does the vacuum portion work usefully, in that I take a leaf
    	pile and vacuum it into a bag or thru dryer duct-tubing into a
    	trailer?

    	4. Will it work on wet leaves? Blowing/raking only once at end of
    	season?

    	5. Do you recommend buying one in general, and any brand in
    	specific? Where's the best place (price-wise) to buy them?

    	I've already cut down over a dozen trees, more to come next season.
    	Raking is the worst part of fall... will a blower make it easier?

    	-Erik
             

    1.  yes they work.  faster? yes if you keep up with it.
    	pickingup? I generally just woosh them into a pile and rake onto
    	a tarp...
    
    2.  gas vs electric?  I use electric for convenience, don't know gas.
    	100ft is a very long cord and will cause some voltage drop that 
    	may effect the life of the motor (someone else may be more
    	knowlegable)
    
    3.	interesting approach, haven't used the vacuum...
    
    4.	wet leaves?  Don't count on it if they have been left for very
    	long.  It's asking a lot of a tool to pickup/move a WET CARPET.
    	The wet leaves tend to pack together if left for very long.
    
    They are great for clearing driveways and walks.  Wonderful way to
    prepare your driveway before using a "sealant".  It's amazing how
    many acorns there were on my driveway...   perhaps I'll box them for
    the squirels in hopes they will leave the bird feeders alone... :-)
    
    Wear eye, ear and dust protection.   If you have alergies, this will
    certainly provide you high exposure to dust/pollens/spores and the
    like.   Keep you children AWAY.  Kids are too quick and tend to throw
    caution to the wind for lack of understanding.
    
    Any other suggestions?
    
    

    I suspect cubic feet per minute of air flow is at least as important
    as miles per hour...possibly more.  
    

    	1. Do they work? Faster than raking, pick up as much as manual
    	raking?

    	I wouldn't say they're inherently faster, but they DO manage to
    	keep my interest longer than a rake, so the lawn does get done
    	faster.
    
    	2. What is better, gas or electric? Air MPH rating all that's
    	important? [Seen electric = 180 mph, highest gas = 150 mph]. I can
    	reach all lawn w/ 100 ft cord.

        With an acre of lawn, electric isn't even an option at my house.
    	My gas unit does something like 120 MPH, I forget CFM. It's 
    	adequate, but certainly not overkill. 1 little tank of gas will 
    	keep me busy for an hour or so.
    
    	3. Does the vacuum portion work usefully, in that I take a leaf
    	pile and vacuum it into a bag or thru dryer duct-tubing into a
    	trailer?

    	N/A. No attachment.
    
    	4. Will it work on wet leaves? Blowing/raking only once at end of
    	season?

    	Not well. 
    
    	5. Do you recommend buying one in general, and any brand in
    	specific? Where's the best place (price-wise) to buy them?

    	I detest raking, and used to let the wind do it for me. Since I 
    	bought the blower, my yard always looks better, and my neighbors 
    	don't make those gestures at me anymore.
    
    	I bought mine at Home Depot for something under $100.
    
    	On those grounds I say "buy one". They're more fun than raking.
    
    	Edd
    

    CFM vs MPH
    
    A 200 mile an hour wind coming out a pinhole might be 1 CFM, while a
    gentle breeze caused by weather is moving gajillions of CFM at only
    a couple MPH.
    
    I'd like one with a wide "output nozzle" and a high MPH...
    
    Edd

    I've got the vacuum attachment on my B+D electric.  I'm glad I didn't
    pay extra for it - it's much too slow, even with dry leaves.
    
    You can move wet leaves and even pine needles with one, but you've
    got to learn the technique of getting the stream "under" the
    mat and causing it to roll up and move along.
    
    I've used a 100 foot cord on mine and didn't have any problems.
    
    				Steve

    
    I had an electric unit a few years back... but replaced it with a 
    gas powered unit. To me, being able to go anywhere without having 
    to drag along a cord and then roll it back up later is much more
    convenient. Instead I just fill my tank once in great while. 
    
    I have the vacuum/bag attachment. It sucks (pun intended), don't
    bother with it. Plus, the whole concept of drawing the dirt and crud
    through the blower fan doesn't sit well with me. Sounds like a formula
    for killing your blower over time.
    
    Muzzle velocity is close to 200 mph as I recall... I move wet leaves 
    with it all the time... turns acorns into deadly projectiles ;-}.
    
    								- Mac
    
     

    If you're doing a lawn, and have high trees/acre as I do (40/.2, plus
    neighbors') then pretty soon you're blowing not leaves but a long pile
    of leaves.  .4 is right -- you need concentrated force to get under the
    mass so you can use the technique .5 describes (make the leaves surf).
    
    When the pile won't blow, you can try your vacuum attachment on it. 
    Mine (lo-powered Sears electric) was punk, but I put up with it because
    it tore up the leaves (not shredded, exactly, but lots of edges) and
    made them pack into bags where they decomposed into wonderful leaf mold
    over a long time.  (Made it easier to get my compost heap to light up,
    too, but I still couldn't *keep* it lit -- a TOTALLY different
    discussion.)  Vacuum also got inaccessible places up against walls...
    
    Last year I bought a good mulching mower (the Troy-Bilt CU liked)
    because my lawn (near Gloucester Harbor) grows even after all the
    leaves are down.  I mowed with it exactly once, the leaf cover didn't
    exactly disappear but got real inconspicuous, I never touched a rake or
    blower all fall, and the lawn came back slightly better this year with
    very little fertilizer.  I'm sold.  (Still use my push-reel for routine
    mowing -- it's so much more maneuverable it saves me time!  Small lawn.)

    I bought a B&D leaf blower and vaccuum years ago.  Used it awhile and
    then listened to my hubby b*tch about it so put it in the back of the
    shed.  Well, this year he is adding a "tree house" to our home (diy)
    and has been creating dust and dirt galore along with insulation sh*t
    from the past 25 years.  I suggested he might use the B&D leaf vaccuum
    to gather globs of old, loose insulation.  Sheesh, my idea worked!  He
    is happily using it to vaccuum out between all the rafters etc and clean
    up after himself without ruining my downstairs vaccuum!!!  It works great
    and fast!!!  This is an electric one with the bagger on it!  Think 
    creatively if you have one laying around gathering dust (pun intended).

    justme....jacqui

    Just purchased a Singer leaf/vacuum blower from Wal-Mart-price was
    $88.00. We have seven different hard wood trees on the property as well
    as large pine apread out over an acre.
    
    My concerns prior to purchase was whether they work well enough to do
    the leaves and do I really want to buy a unit to blow leaves with a
    company that makes sowing machines? The machine is rated at 28.1cc and
    a marketing hype of 150MPH. After three hours of use I have come to the
    following conclusions...
    
    o 150 MPH is quite strong enough to blow mushrooms/branches/wet leaves
      and dry leaves out of tall grass and "branchy" areas.
    
    o There is a methode to do leaves efficiently.
    
    o I dont care how many rakes I can buy for $88.00 this concept is as
      great as the snowblower is to a shovel...I hate doing both. :*)
    
    o The Singer is made by RYOBI not by Singer..not an endorsement..in
      fact in retrospect, the Singer at 28.1cc is a might heavy after an
      hour of effort.
    
    o considering buying a second unit...all my teenagers want help now!
    
    Regards
     BBrown

Make sure you wear ear and eye protection when using a leaf blower.

			Steve

    Steve
    
     yup, save the eyes.
     a pair of gloves ain't a bad idea either - stops that vibration 
     numbness from going up the arm to the brain and heart.
    
     And after an hour you'll find yourself saying "what did you say" a lot
     more then normal.....wear hearing protection if you got a loud unit.
    
    
     BB

    I spent about 2 hours with my gas powered blower Saturday, using a 
    Walkman to mask the sound.
    
    Then I marveled at how quietly my car was running.
    
    Hearing protection is a good idea.
    
    Edd

�I suggested he might use the B&D leaf vaccuum
�    to gather globs of old, loose insulation.  
    
    I don't think I'd use it this way.  The bag on the leaf vaccuum I have
    (a McCulloch) is not fine enough to trap dust particles.  I'd be
    worried about suspending particles of that old insulation into the air
    and consequently into my lungs.

    Not only that, but because the blower, when run as a vacuum, causes
    the material to pass through the fan impeller, you'll end up with
    the insulation wrapped around the impeller shaft.  
    
    				Steve

    Does anyone have any experience with the leaf shredding attachment
    available for Ariens mowers?  The literature states that with this 
    attachment the bag does not fill up nearly as fast.  
    
    -don mac

    Yes, I have the leaf shredder attachment for my Ariens.  It works
    very well on dry leaves, but if they are wet, or if you have large
    piles, forget it.   The trick is to use the mower often and not
    let too many leaves accumulate.
    
    BTW: grinding up the leaves generates large amounts of dust.
         be sure to keep your air filter clean, and change the oil 
         as needed.  i believe the use of this attachment helped
         to shorten the life of my original B&S engine ( this was
         an older engine with a very ineffective air filter)

	Home Depot and Costco both have a "Duerr" 10Hp chipper shredder
	for sale in the $800 range. Anyone know anything about these?

	It has
		- top loading chute
		- 10 HP Briggs/Stratton Engine
		- Vacuum hose on side
		- side eject
		- appears to take up to 3.5 inch branches in side shoot.
		- Its about 4 ft tall, bright yellow, big 5-6" tires.

		compared to the sears 8hp, its defintaly bigger, all
		metal, has big tires.
		Any rumors/reports/opinions are welcome... I never
		heard of the brand name and need some experienced
		advice.

	thanks
	Pete

Any update on weed wackers and brush trimmers...I am considering buying
a craftsman but I have been warned not to...help!!!

	leo





 <<< Note 4298.17 by MARX::SULLIVAN "We have met the enemy, and they is us!" >>>
                                    -< FYI >-

Consumer Reports reviewed string trimmers (and lawn mowers) in this months issue.

								Mark

	I bought the cordless 10" Ryobi this year, and have been quite happy
	with it. It's much heavier duty and more capable than the low-end
	cordless, but of course won't handle the same jobs as a gas or
	electric.

	But since we use it just for trimming and not for clearing out lots
	of tall weeds (for example), it's exceedingly handy.

	Roy

I have a Ryobi dual-line electric (*not* cordless) that I've had for about
two years.  I've been using it to keep a 1/2 acre lot cleared of weeds.
Very heavy duty, and doesn't overheat or get strained after an hour of
continuous use.

It was about $60 on sale at Home Base. (Home improvement warehouse)

              <<< Note 4298.21 by SSDEVO::JACKSON "Jim Jackson" >>>
                    -< I like the Ryobi dual-line electric >-

I have a Ryobi dual-line electric (*not* cordless) that I've had for about
two years.  I've been using it to keep a 1/2 acre lot cleared of weeds.
Very heavy duty, and doesn't overheat or get strained after an hour of
continuous use.

It was about $60 on sale at Home Base. (Home improvement warehouse)

>>>My problem is I have small trees trying to grow and I need to get them as
well...

	thanks

	leo

    I've got a Stihl unit (sorry don't have the number in my brain at the
    moment.  Cost me ~ $300 about 4 years ago.  It's a straight shaft
    brushcutter with interchangeable heads.  I have what's calleda
    'polycut' head, a grass blade, and a tree cutting blade.
    
    The polycut head allows you to do normal trimming work (grass, small
    weedy stuff up to 1/2" or so) - it has both a line and plastic 'keys'
    which can be turned over/replaced easily.
    
    The grass cutting blade allows you to cut grass, weedy stuff, and small
    trees up to about 1.25" in diameter.
    
    The brushcutter allows you cut down trees up to 3.5" diameter, but
    doesn't work on grass/weeds.
    
    This is a serious piece of equipment, not your average homeowner tool,
    but for us has worked out quite well (80 acres of varied terrain to
    keep up with).  It has worked great since we got it, easy to start,
    easy to maintain.  I *like* the versatility.
    
    Dana

I have a Stihl chain saw and wacker. My wacker falls into the
commercial category as I trim under 2,000 or so trees 1-2 times
per year plus cutting the usual weeds. I too have the string head,
blade and polly-cut blades as in .23. Love it. Cost about $350 or
so, but the sales person through in the two extra cutting heads.

There are some choices on blades; get one you can field-sharpen
unless you don't mind paying someone to do it, and can wait.

Also, any wacker that has a curved shaft is NOT designed for the work
a blade sees, regardless what the sales person says. The drive is
a flexible cable in the shaft.

As I quoted in this NOTES conferenec some place on the subject
of chain saws "You'll only cry once with Stihl". My father
had a Sears and getting service S%$Ks.

If you're getting the poly-cut head, barter for a bag of extra
blades; they are expendable. I use 2 sets a year, but thats 
a lot of use. They're cheap; $7 for 12. The head takes three
at a time.

	Is there any power constraints...do I need X amount of cc's
tocut the larger brush..the ryobi's run around 26-31 cc's yet a dealer
insisted on trying to sell me an ECHO at only 21cc's for twice the 
price...what's a poor boy to do...Went to sear's and they had one for $199
with a limited one year warantee...$60 extra for a full two year waranty


	help?

	I want to buy enough so that I can do anything I'd ever want but 
not too much and not tooo little...
	
	leo

    Not everyones faverate but.......
    
    Three years ago I spent 79 dollars on a mccullif (sp?) eager beaver II.
    Not the greatest wacker in the world but for 79 dollars.
    
    I got the straight shaft and a couple of blades. I use it weekly
    for general weed wacking and in the fall and spring to clear out
    saplings. I have cut saplings that are about 1 1/2 - 2 inches in
    diamitor with no problem.
    
    For my purpose elcheapo was the way to go. I can not ask anymore
    from this unit. If it dies tonight it owes me nothing.
    
    
    I guess my point is I didn't need a 4 houndred dollar unit to get
    the job done. And I don't believe for a minute that a 4 hundred
    dollar unit will do the job any better as my father-in-law is a
    caretaker and we worked side by side with his units and mine.
    I do believe that the big buck ticket will last longer. But thats
    ok I don't need one to last that long as I am almost out of land
    to clear.
    We had the same input with snowblowers and lawnmowers. In some cases
    you want the very best, in most cases we realy don't need them.
    
    I would not buy another weed wacker/brush cutter. If I need a brush
    cutter I have one 69 bucks and it still works great. If I need a
    weed wacker I would buy one for that purpose. The combination 
    (wacker/cutter) is long and the balance is terrable.
    
    However it will get the job done.
    
    Just another 2 cents worth of dribble.
    Don

		I ended up buying a Jonsered 260 (26 cc's) with
4 tooth (brush cutting blade), saw tooth blade 8", and line head
for $309...I appreciate all your help and I hope I did the right
thing ...its not as big as some of the ones I looked at but it
comes with a 2yr warranty and a 5yr warranty on the electrical
(which I really need the luck I have)...


	Haven't tried it yet, but I bought it from a dealer I trust
so I figure it will work out...

	Anyone had any experience with one of these...please let me know...
	
	leo

    
    No experience with their weed wackers... but Jonsered chainsaws
    are top notch and virtually indestructable in my book!
    
    								- Mac

    Ditto -1.  Jonsered makes excellent chain saws - if they applied that
    knowledge to the weed whacker you will do well with it.
    
    Dana

On the other hand, if they just slap their name on a product made by
someone else, who knows what you'll get...

				Steve

    I'd like to reopen this topic since the last entry was 1988. 
    Does anyone else have any other painless leaf removal ideas?
    My problem is that I have to bag most of it, so I'm looking for 
    solutions other than "get a powerful blower and blast the leaves
    into the woods".  I rented a big leaf vac this weekend but was not
    particular pleased with the results. The two big drawbacks are:
    
    1) The bag has to be emptied often, and this vac (made by Parker?)
       was designed so that you have to unzip the back of the bag,
       and then pull the leaves out into another container. So you end
       up handling the leaves anyway. And they aren't shredded, so their
       volume is not reduced by much.
    
    2) The vac simply DOES NOT WORK if the leaves are even slightly wet.
       Not only will it not pick up damp leaves, it picks up enough of
       them of clog the chute. And guess what? a foot of leaves in November
       will not be dry all the way to the ground. Stopping the engine
       to unclog the chute gets old quickly. It's much the same as trying
       to pick up slush with a snow blower. So, the only way this
       thing is useful is if you owned it and pulled it out every weekend
       in Oct/Nov. But then you might as well use the grass-catcher system
       with your lawn mower. 
    
    Any other ideas?
                                            

>     I'd like to reopen this topic since the last entry was 1988. 
>     Does anyone else have any other painless leaf removal ideas?

	I haven't scanned the old replies, so my apologies if this
	suggestion is not new, but what I do with my leaves is
	wait for them to all fall off the trees, then I use my mulching
	lawn mower to mulch them into the lawn.

	A variant on the mulching mower, for those without one:

	Run the mower over the lawn & leaves WITHOUT the bag -
even a non-mulching mower will chop up the leaves some.  Repeat
if necessary until you've chopped up the leaves a fair bit.  Now
do it again with the bag attached - you'll only have to empty the
bag about one-fourth as often, and the results will decompose faster.

	I used to do this with a side-exhaust toro, going clockwise
so that the leaves were thrown to the center of the yard, where I
would then hit them again on the next closer-in-pass on the spiral.
I now use my rear-bag toro, which does a better job of mulching anyway,
but still leaves a bit of a mess to leave on the lawn, since we've
got lots of trees.  The final bag pass cleans things up nicely.

	Note that the success of this technique varies with the type
of leaves.  Oak leaves are the toughest to mulch.  The giant catalpa
leaves I get in places virtually disappear on the first pass.  Your
mileage may vary.

>    I rented a big leaf vac this weekend but was not
>    particular pleased with the results. The two big drawbacks are:
>    
>    1) The bag has to be emptied often, and this vac (made by Parker?)
>       was designed so that you have to unzip the back of the bag,
>       and then pull the leaves out into another container. So you end
>       up handling the leaves anyway. AND THEY AREN'T SHREDDED, SO THEIR
>       VOLUME IS NOT REDUCED BY MUCH.
    
As you have observed, it's pointless to vacuum unshredded leaves.
Check with the rental place - there may be a shredder attachment
for the vac you rented (maybe extra cost maybe not).
I have a blower/vac/shredder that came with my house.
It has a snap-in cast iron grate that goes over the outlet.
Without the grate or the bag, it's a blower.
With the grate and the bag, it's a shredder/bagger.
With the grate and without the bag, it would be a shredder/blower, but
I wouldn't shred before blowing or bagging - the small leaf pieces
are too hard to handle, either raking or vacuuming.
I have mostly oaks, and they don't mulch well.

- tom]

    
    Product review: "Better Homes" brand of hose menders
    
    I've been using the "Green Thumb" brand of hose menders for years with
    good results. A while back, I was in Home Depot and picked up a handful
    of "Better Homes" hose menders. So far I've used two hose-end
    replacements, and both have failed within weeks; one developed a
    pin-hole leak, and the other sheared off between the thread coupling
    and the hose insert. The rest are going back, and from this track
    record I will stay clear of "Better Homes" garden products.
    

Not sure if this is the best place for this but it was the closest I 
found.

I'm going to look at a couple of used utility trailers tonight so that
I can haul yard waste to the dump.  I've never evaluated a trailer before. 
Anyone have any sugestions on what to look for...besides kicking the tires.
Also, does a utility trailer need to be registered (New Hampshire)?

Thanks,

George

Re: .223

Rust.

Working wiring - wiring was the first thing to go on the trailers I looked
at, and I ended up completely rewiring the trailer that I bought.

Wear in the hitch.

The utility trailer market was so tight here two years ago that I ended up
buying an almost-new 4x8 foot flatbed trailer (the kind that they sell in
the home-improvement stores), and building a 4x4x8 foot plywood and 2x4 box
on it.  It successfully carried 1000 lbs of fireworks 100 miles up the
freeway.

    
    along with rust and wiring - very important ... if you're hauling waste
    to the dump a dump-ing capability would be very handy.
    
    You also want to be able to carry a 4x8 sheet in the bottom of the bed
    for those trips for the sheetrock and plywood.
    
    You may want to think about the overall length when you want to haul a
    16 or 20' 4x4 or 2x8 for something around the house.  It's nice to be
    able to tie something like this on top of the box so that it's not
    totally unbalanced with most of it hanging off the end.  This really
    puts a lot of torque on a hitch when you hit that unseen dip in the
    road at 20-40mph.

These are all important things to look for but to me a trailer is 
for hauling so leafsprings,,rim size and tire width is what makes
a trailer haul. Everything else can be repaired or replaced
without much expense. If you ONLY use it for trips to the dump,
any 13" 2-spring leaf will do,,,but remember this when you try
to haul some dirt or that stove for your mother-in-law......

                               -Steve