Hand Tools and Machinery for Country Living

[72gmc]

At some point in the past, there was an old man in overalls who told a great story about what that thing is for.

[htwoopup]

A totally wild guess which is undoubtedly wrong (especially given that you said lake not bay or ocean)…an old school way of pulling up a seine like net? Put the encircling line that is woven around the edge of the net and pull it to catch stuff in a ball. Probably not right but somehow that popped into my mind.

[monadnocky]

Another totally wild guess. I've seen similar doohickeys used to drag through culverts (like the kind that go underneath driveways [like mine] on dirt roads.... 12" diameter) to unclog them. Maybe this is that?

Edit: this assumes that its' origin in a boathouse is irrelevant. Which would seem unlikely.

[thollandpe]

Another totally wild guess. I've seen similar doohickeys used to drag through culverts (like the kind that go underneath driveways [like mine] on dirt roads.... 12" diameter) to unclog them. Maybe this is that?

Edit: this assumes that its' origin in a boathouse is irrelevant. Which would seem unlikely.

The boathouse is more of a boat garage and workshop. And the camp roads have a lot of small culverts. If you pull it with a rope through the large loop on the end of the “handle” it will extend. I like that idea.

But culverts are round and this is purposefully square.

Could it be an aggressive chimney brush? Lower it down with a line through the small eyelet to keep it retracted, and pull it up by the handle loop to extend the tines and scrape the sides of the flue?

[thollandpe]

BOOM. Neuman chimney rake. Vintage AF.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US1775969A/en

[darkmother]

Marty T is worth watching.

[bigbill]

I got one of these, and I'm reluctantly impressed. Charge the battery and add bar oil.

https://www.acehardware.com/departme...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

[jclay]

I got one of these, and I'm reluctantly impressed. Charge the battery and add bar oil.

https://www.acehardware.com/departme...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'd be interested to know how that (and others like it) work out and what sorts of use you put it to. Nine times out of ten I need to whack a gaggle of small trees from an inch in diameter to a few and every now and then something maybe 5", like this morning clearing some small stuff from vines to a few inches OD, away from the road out front. Since my Stihl 012 bar stud pulled out a few years ago all I have right now is the 34 Super and it's a monster for anything under a foot in OD; hell, it's overkill for that. This morning I kept thinking how nice a small cordless saw would be, and a heck of a lot easier and more convenient than repairing the 012. Felt like I was fishing for sardines with grenades.

[bigbill]

I'd be interested to know how that (and others like it) work out and what sorts of use you put it to. Nine times out of ten I need to whack a gaggle of small trees from an inch in diameter to a few and every now and then something maybe 5", like this morning clearing some small stuff from vines to a few inches OD, away from the road out front. Since my Stihl 012 bar stud pulled out a few years ago all I have right now is the 34 Super and it's a monster for anything under a foot in OD; hell, it's overkill for that. This morning I kept thinking how nice a small cordless saw would be, and a heck of a lot easier and more convenient than repairing the 012. Felt like I was fishing for sardines with grenades.

I've cut 4-5" tree limbs and tons of stuff too big for pruning shears. I ran it for about 45 minutes total, and the battery still showed 4 out of 5 bars. I haven't killed the battery yet. It uses a common chain and bar oil. It's a lot quieter than a gas chainsaw, just a high pitched whine. The battery is common to a bunch of other tools as well.

[monadnocky]

I'd be interested to know how that (and others like it) work out and what sorts of use you put it to. Nine times out of ten I need to whack a gaggle of small trees from an inch in diameter to a few and every now and then something maybe 5", like this morning clearing some small stuff from vines to a few inches OD, away from the road out front. Since my Stihl 012 bar stud pulled out a few years ago all I have right now is the 34 Super and it's a monster for anything under a foot in OD; hell, it's overkill for that. This morning I kept thinking how nice a small cordless saw would be, and a heck of a lot easier and more convenient than repairing the 012. Felt like I was fishing for sardines with grenades.

These saws were meant for you. As I've indicated elsewhere, I've been really impressed by my Milwaukee 18v chainsaw - and I'm not new to chainsaws. I'll use my Husky for the big jobs, but I'd say, at this point, that's less than 5% of the jobs I use a saw for. It would just be overkill. I have two batteries, and, on the odd occasion that I need to be cutting for more than 30-40 minutes nonstop, one is charging while I'm using the other one. Trimming? Slicing up that branch that fell in the storm? Small stuff? these electric saws are perfect.

And don't be fooled - they will handle the heavy stuff as well, of course, just don't expect the longevity. I'm just so pleased with mine.... and so much safer IMO.

[j44ke]

I'd be interested to know how that (and others like it) work out and what sorts of use you put it to. Nine times out of ten I need to whack a gaggle of small trees from an inch in diameter to a few and every now and then something maybe 5", like this morning clearing some small stuff from vines to a few inches OD, away from the road out front. Since my Stihl 012 bar stud pulled out a few years ago all I have right now is the 34 Super and it's a monster for anything under a foot in OD; hell, it's overkill for that. This morning I kept thinking how nice a small cordless saw would be, and a heck of a lot easier and more convenient than repairing the 012. Felt like I was fishing for sardines with grenades.

I have a Stihl 220 C-B with a 16" bar. It is much more than a pruning saw. I use it for removing fallen trees, taking down dead wood and bucking logs for firewood. It is great. I've showed it to several people who thought I made a big mistake not getting a gas saw and let them use it. None of them think I made a mistake now. One actually bought one of his own. I got 3 of the largest capacity batteries and the fastest charger. I wear out before the saw runs out of juice, even in cold weather. The batteries also run two string trimmers and a leaf blower - all three are great.

[Mabouya]

I have a Stihl 220 C-B with a 16" bar. It is much more than a pruning saw. I use it for removing fallen trees, taking down dead wood and bucking logs for firewood. It is great. I've showed it to several people who thought I made a big mistake not getting a gas saw and let them use it. None of them think I made a mistake now. One actually bought one of his own. I got 3 of the largest capacity batteries and the fastest charger. I wear out before the saw runs out of juice, even in cold weather. The batteries also run two string trimmers and a leaf blower - all three are great.

+1 Batteries have come a long way the last 10 years. The difference between NiCad and Li-ion is like night and day, both in terms of shelf life and under use.

[caleb]

BOOM. Neuman chimney rake. Vintage AF.

Come for the bikes, stay for the trivia team. Nice work.

***

Question for the collective mind: I've got a messy hedge composed of four distinct bushes that I want to take out this fall. The plan is to cut them off a little above ground level (whatever I can do with a chainsaw), treat them with some stump killer, dig/hack them out, and then roto till the area.

What's the best tool for digging/hacking them out? I'm looking at mattocks, like this one from Garrett Wade: https://garrettwade.com/product/trad...acement-handle



I could also use a Pulaski, like the one from Council Tools: hhttps://counciltool.com/shop/firefighting/fire-axes-firefighting/pulaski-axes-fire-axes-firefighting/3-75-pulaski-axe-straight-handle/ But it seems more like an axe than a digging tool.



How would you approach this job?

[72gmc]

Dad had a Pulaski from the forest service, and I was assigned to use it a bunch when I was growing up. Lots of dirty work on the family’s six acres. So I think it would do the job, but I’m biased. Dad also gave me and my brother a bag of M-80s and told us to get rid of the ant hills.

[Mabouya]

Dad also gave me and my brother a bag of M-80s and told us to get rid of the ant hills.

It's a good thing you didn't lose any fingers, toes, or eyes.

[Drew]

Question for the collective mind: I've got a messy hedge composed of four distinct bushes that I want to take out this fall. The plan is to cut them off a little above ground level (whatever I can do with a chainsaw), treat them with some stump killer, dig/hack them out, and then roto till the area.

What's the best tool for digging/hacking them out?

Can you use a chain and a pickup truck or a tractor and yank them out? That would be the least effort for sure…

[jclay]

I've cut 4-5" tree limbs and tons of stuff too big for pruning shears. I ran it for about 45 minutes total, and the battery still showed 4 out of 5 bars. I haven't killed the battery yet. It uses a common chain and bar oil. It's a lot quieter than a gas chainsaw, just a high pitched whine. The battery is common to a bunch of other tools as well.

These saws were meant for you. As I've indicated elsewhere, I've been really impressed by my Milwaukee 18v chainsaw - and I'm not new to chainsaws. I'll use my Husky for the big jobs, but I'd say, at this point, that's less than 5% of the jobs I use a saw for. It would just be overkill. I have two batteries, and, on the odd occasion that I need to be cutting for more than 30-40 minutes nonstop, one is charging while I'm using the other one. Trimming? Slicing up that branch that fell in the storm? Small stuff? these electric saws are perfect.

And don't be fooled - they will handle the heavy stuff as well, of course, just don't expect the longevity. I'm just so pleased with mine.... and so much safer IMO.

I have a Stihl 220 C-B with a 16" bar. It is much more than a pruning saw. I use it for removing fallen trees, taking down dead wood and bucking logs for firewood. It is great. I've showed it to several people who thought I made a big mistake not getting a gas saw and let them use it. None of them think I made a mistake now. One actually bought one of his own. I got 3 of the largest capacity batteries and the fastest charger. I wear out before the saw runs out of juice, even in cold weather. The batteries also run two string trimmers and a leaf blower - all three are great.

+1 Batteries have come a long way the last 10 years. The difference between NiCad and Li-ion is like night and day, both in terms of shelf life and under use.

Thanks all; that's looking too easy and convenient to ignore. I need a pole saw too; I'll look around but have y'all any first hand experience on a unit that goes both ways? And the saw can be on the smaller size of the battery powered spectrum; I'll still have the 34S.

I'd hoped to stay away from more battery powered stuff (I just have a drill...my third one in 20 years), simply from a landfill perspective (corded stuff lasts forever). I got the corded Ryobi Expand-It string trimmer a year or two ago; neighbor has the equivalent Ryobi contemporary battery powered one and mine just blows it in the weeds for power but the setup time/effort is getting seriously tiresome. You can't just grab it and knock out 5 or 15 min of a little this/that. It's the wheelbarrow, 150' of 10ga cord, plan the choreography, lay the cord out accordingly, deal with dragging it through the bushes, backtrack, rearrange, and sometimes I go into parts of the jungle perimeter of our 2 acres which is far more fiddly; it's enough of a deal that I have to get my mindset right (increasingly difficult) and know that I'll need to spend a couple of hours working to make it worth the mobilization effort. And it's hot down here. All that versus total convenience but increased waste product though I do realize that the Li-ion batteries have a far longer useful lifetime than NiCad.

That's my dilemma on this resource overused, climate changing Earth; but I'm getting closer to capitulating.

[j44ke]

Come for the bikes, stay for the trivia team. Nice work.

***

Question for the collective mind: I've got a messy hedge composed of four distinct bushes that I want to take out this fall. The plan is to cut them off a little above ground level (whatever I can do with a chainsaw), treat them with some stump killer, dig/hack them out, and then roto till the area.

What's the best tool for digging/hacking them out? I'm looking at mattocks, like this one from Garrett Wade: https://garrettwade.com/product/trad...acement-handle



I could also use a Pulaski, like the one from Council Tools: hhttps://counciltool.com/shop/firefighting/fire-axes-firefighting/pulaski-axes-fire-axes-firefighting/3-75-pulaski-axe-straight-handle/ But it seems more like an axe than a digging tool.



How would you approach this job?

Our landscapers have taken out a lot of barberry from our property using “agricultural” pickaxes. The barberry here is well-established and the root balls they remove are easily tree-sized. They swing gracefully and with a lot of force. I’ve tried swinging one though, and it is not easy. Theirs have a point on one end for digging & levering and a narrow blade for cutting. Both ends are regularly sharpened. Seems like the narrower blade fits into spaces better and having the edge perpendicular to the swing increases the effectiveness of cuts. They look a lot like this one.

[Todd Amunrud]

https://roguehoe.com/

IMHO-Best dirt tools out there

[72gmc]

It's a good thing you didn't lose any fingers, toes, or eyes.

Still have all of those parts. Not to say we were successful, we really only succeeded in filling our hair and clothes with upset ants.