Hand Tools and Machinery for Country Living

[lumpy]

We get lightning often, with sometimes spectacular results: a 100' pine turned into matchsticks when struck. Water becomes steam and kablooie.

Have you ever seen it happen? I haven't, I've just seen the aftermath.

[ides1056]

I have heard it. The one in question was about 300' from our house.

[Tom]

Year before last one about 100 feet from the house got it. I was on the stairs going back to the office with a cup of coffee, I almost threw the coffee on myself I startled so hard. Our cat that is stone deaf was sleeping on the couch at the head of the stairs when I went down, she was looking out the window going "What the hell was that?" when I came back up.

[JoB]

on the topic of country machinery and woodcraft, may I recommend this new edition of an old classic: https://lostartpress.com/products/co...craft-then-now

(Drew Langsner's Country Woodcraft got a modern update and facelift by the Lost Art Press folks.)

[ides1056]

I ran into a friend on my ride yesterday who was putting up a greenhouse with cordless tools- he's a sometimes logger. What he likes most about cordless chainsaws is that when you release the go button the chain stops immediately. Reason enough to get one.

[j44ke]

I ran into a friend on my ride yesterday who was putting up a greenhouse with cordless tools- he's a sometimes logger. What he likes most about cordless chainsaws is that when you release the go button the chain stops immediately. Reason enough to get one.

That was a key feature for me. I have to train myself to let go though. The less you hold the trigger, the better the battery life. So as soon as you can, let go.

[monadnocky]

I have a Husqvarna 353 that has been with me through thick and thin - at least 14 years old and still running like a champ. But man, those battery saws are looking better and better to me, and the (few) people I know who have them rave about them. I don't screw around with safety and I really, really like the idea of the chain stopping immediately as soon as one's finger is taken off the trigger.
I think the Husky will still be with me for those really big jobs, but I can envision that the battery-operated Stihl will suffice for 90% of my needs, and will be a whole lot safer.

[ides1056]

Stihl says 37 minutes out of the big battery before recharging. I've heard that's accurate, and the saw will cut cordwood effectively because of the Pico chain's narrow kerf. Breathing two-cycle fumes for any length of time is pretty awful. I won't miss that.

[j44ke]

Stihl says 37 minutes out of the big battery before recharging. I've heard that's accurate, and the saw will cut cordwood effectively because of the Pico chain's narrow kerf. Breathing two-cycle fumes for any length of time is pretty awful. I won't miss that.

And charge time is about the same as run time, so if you are near an outlet, you can cycle two batteries through the charger as you are working and not miss a beat. And that 37 minutes debits only with the trigger depressed.

Husqvarna now has their competing model to the Stihl out called the 540i XP. Looks like a nice saw also. And if you have shop that works on your gas saw, that might be an option though I think the battery saws go back to Husqvarna (or back to Stihl) for repairs. The battery is rated at 9.4 Ah while the Stihl AP300s is 7.8 Ah. It also comes with a 16" bar and uses the narrower Pico-type chain. Supposed to be like a 40cc gas engine saw, again - same as the Stihl - but not sure how they compare gas & electric.

https://www.husqvarna.com/us/product...-xp/967864014/

[j44ke]

Big poplar. Right across the path. Wedged between two trees.

[bcm119]

Big poplar. Right across the path. Wedged between two trees.

I read that an EF1 tornado touched down near Amenia in that storm. Not too far down the road from you iirc.

[j44ke]

I read that an EF1 tornado touched down near Amenia in that storm. Not too far down the road from you iirc.

We definitely had some twisty (and very strong and actually a bit scary) winds, but the end sticking towards the camera here is all punky with rot so only took a wind gust with good aim and timing. The good half of the trunk is fresh as a daisy and mostly just bent over, though the sides splintered a bit.

We drove down to the city this weekend, and on the way back, we did see some significant tree damage along the Taconic State Parkway. At least looked like a downburst of some sort, but the destruction was swath-like so I am not surprised that Amenia had a tornado.

[bcm119]

We definitely had some twisty (and very strong and actually a bit scary) winds, but the end sticking towards the camera here is all punky with rot so only took a wind gust with good aim and timing. The good half of the trunk is fresh as a daisy and mostly just bent over, though the sides splintered a bit.

We drove down to the city this weekend, and on the way back, we did see some significant tree damage along the Taconic State Parkway. At least looked like a downburst of some sort, but the destruction was swath-like so I am not surprised that Amenia had a tornado.

The higher ground on the eastern side of Dutchess and Columbia counties is sort of prone to weak tornadoes. Some weather geeks say it's a result of south wind funneling up the Hudson and giving a little extra twist to southwest winds ahead of cold fronts, and then the spinning cells track east into the taconics. The most memorable was the Great Barrington tornado in 1995, which started in Columbia county. I think it tracked pretty close to rte 23. That damage path was visible from the taconic parkway for years. You're in a good place for interesting weather!

[Too Tall]

Jinx. Hey Jake I feel your pain. After staring at a similarly large poplar also wedged at about 20 feet up I did what any trailer trash would do. Backed my pickup to the base, attached a long strap to a clevis on the truck frame and yanked ;) This will be a killer bonfire this week. At least we have that.

[ides1056]

Poplar makes lousy firewood and even worse lumber. It's a pioneer tree, quick to grow and quicker to decompose.

[AngryScientist]

Stihl says 37 minutes out of the big battery before recharging. I've heard that's accurate, and the saw will cut cordwood effectively because of the Pico chain's narrow kerf. Breathing two-cycle fumes for any length of time is pretty awful. I won't miss that.

for me the absolute biggest advantage of electric chainsaw is the ability to leave it sit for months, if not years and know it will go when i want to use it. small engine carbs, especially with todays ethanol laced fuel just do not like to sit for prolonged periods, and i only need to use a saw once in a long while. i went through a bunch of crappy 2-stroke string trimmers and now have a battery one that i love. no drama. i am all for the electrification of yard equipment. the moment my honda gas mower shows a sign of weakness it's the next one out.

i wonder if anyone is working on battery powered snow blowers, that's a lot more power required though.

[Too Tall]

Poplar makes lousy firewood and even worse lumber. It's a pioneer tree, quick to grow and quicker to decompose.

Anything will burn if you stack it high enough. Just sayin'

[gregl]

The higher ground on the eastern side of Dutchess and Columbia counties is sort of prone to weak tornadoes. Some weather geeks say it's a result of south wind funneling up the Hudson and giving a little extra twist to southwest winds ahead of cold fronts, and then the spinning cells track east into the taconics. The most memorable was the Great Barrington tornado in 1995, which started in Columbia county. I think it tracked pretty close to rte 23. That damage path was visible from the taconic parkway for years. You're in a good place for interesting weather!

Ernie Gann wrote about Hudson valley storms in "Fate Is the Hunter". His descriptions of thunderstorms over the eastern Catskills and Hudson valley matched my experiences flying over the area as a new commercial pilot. I remember paralleling a squall line from Albany to Poughkeepsie before finding a gap wide enough to fly through. My dad, a lifelong upstate NY pilot, theorized that the Catskills provided just enough extra lift for convective activity to intensify in that region. Add in your theory of south winds ahead of a cold front and you have a potent mix for bad weather.

Greg

[Todd Amunrud]

wonder if anyone is working on battery powered snow blowers, that's a lot more power required though.

We went with EGO. Its worked well so far.

https://www.bing.com/aclk?ld=e8JY9c4...63551684f44702

[j44ke]

The higher ground on the eastern side of Dutchess and Columbia counties is sort of prone to weak tornadoes. Some weather geeks say it's a result of south wind funneling up the Hudson and giving a little extra twist to southwest winds ahead of cold fronts, and then the spinning cells track east into the taconics. The most memorable was the Great Barrington tornado in 1995, which started in Columbia county. I think it tracked pretty close to rte 23. That damage path was visible from the taconic parkway for years. You're in a good place for interesting weather!

Ernie Gann wrote about Hudson valley storms in "Fate Is the Hunter". His descriptions of thunderstorms over the eastern Catskills and Hudson valley matched my experiences flying over the area as a new commercial pilot. I remember paralleling a squall line from Albany to Poughkeepsie before finding a gap wide enough to fly through. My dad, a lifelong upstate NY pilot, theorized that the Catskills provided just enough extra lift for convective activity to intensify in that region. Add in your theory of south winds ahead of a cold front and you have a potent mix for bad weather.

Greg

Very interesting. We used to talk about storm damage in Phoenix area in terms of heat bubbles over the central metropolitan area and then the outlying areas got the colder air from the thunderstorms (literally) crashing down the other side.

I was wondering if the Catskills followed by the Hudson and then the Taconics and all the varying temps and geologic contours created similar (though perhaps more complicated) intensifying movement of air. We regularly see trees spinning, rather than thrashing back and forth in a storm, so there must be no shortage of swirling winds. And the number of rain squall lines that become snow squalls when they bump up against the Taconics is pretty high in the shoulder seasons.

There are some weather wonks who run a little website called Hudson Valley Weather. Unfortunately they don't update their detailed forecast every day. Otherwise it would be my standard morning read with coffee. But when something interesting is coming, they provide good detail and get it right more often than not. https://hudsonvalleyweather.com