Conductor562

Another pick up was the Carter F.A.S.T. bandsaw setup blocks. These things are the bees knees for setting up a bandsaw fence. If you do much resawing or ripping with a bandsaw, you can't beat them. They stick right on the saw too. Really makes accounting for drift a painless process.

Also picked up the Kreg Accu-Cut. I had to remove the blade guard an my Fuel Circ saw to make it work right, but performance wise it was well worth it's price. I bought the optional clamps because I was leery of the tacky strips being able to secure it, but I've been wiping them off after each use and so far so good. I definitely think you're going to want to dedicate a saw for use with it, but most of us have multiple circ saws anyway.

Here's something I added a couple weeks ago. It's a 1955 MBF model. 3/4 HP, 9" cut. Everything is original. When I get everything situated it'll be a dedicated crosscut saw. $200 bucks on eBay. Went to Columbus, OH to get it. Original plan was to redo it, but it's in such good shape it would be a crime to screw with it too much. 63 years old and still flawless. Needs a new power cord, but beyond that it's excellent.

I can tell you that I've had the Dewalt 3400 (made by Simpson) for the past couple years and it's been fantastic. It's rated at 2.5 gpm and has no issues. I researched this same thing back when I was shopping and IIRC, it wasn't worth worrying about unless you were going to be pulling over 4 gpm. There are variables, but on city water systems you needed not to worry about them until you started nearing more gpm than I would ever require. I can't verify that to be fact, but that's what I recall reading.

Man, I've bought a bunch of little shit the last couple months. I'll have to get some updates posted up next couple days.

You'll never find a better deal on decent quality 3/4" impacts than this Williams set: https://www.zoro.com/williams-impact-socket-set-34-d-6pt-17pcs-sae-38901/i/G7086287/?gclid=CjwKEAjwj6PKBRCAy9-07PeTtGgSJAC1P9xG1muU3FDypxMet8RwKlOZLKMLj4dLbeiPPD3w1KQ9lBoC2Rzw_wcB Use code JUN17DEAL for 15% off. Brings it down to under $130 with free shipping. They're Taiwan Williams, but still very nice sockets. Or you can use the same code to score the chrome set with all the goodies for $203! https://www.zoro.com/williams-socket-tool-set-34-d-12pt-20pcs-sae-33901/i/G7077738/

While it's certainly not the most exciting purchase, I picked up a pair of new Proto chrome sockets in 1-15/16" and 2" in 3/4" drive for about $35. I've always planned on filling my 3/4" set out to 2" without skips, just waited for the right deal. As of now, 1-7/8" is the biggest socket I've ever needed at home, but it's nice to be prepared.

Any Proto stuff?

Sterco is correct. There is a difference in breakaway torque and the torque applied in tightening. Breakaway torque is the maximum initial force applied when busting a fastener loose. I'm no engineer, but as I understand it, it can take like twice as much breakaway torque to loosen a fastner meaning an impact with 640 ft-lb of breakaway would realistically loosen a fastner with an applied torque value of around 320 ft-lb. There are a lot of variables for friction and such, but I think 1/2 the breakaway torque is probably a fairly decent ballpark estimate.

Trying to repair a rusted out burner on a grill today and couldn't complete the job. Long story short, It's a custom job built into the backside of out fireplace and it's gonna require a tube flaring kit which I apparently don't have anymore ? IIRC, I loaned it to one of Mrs. Conductor's friends husbands and must have never gotten it back. They're divorced now, it was a cheapie, and I'm not that worried about it. I ordered a Proto J349 kit and a small Ridgid bender, so it wasn't all bad.

I completely agree. SK really needed a high tooth count ratchet and they came out with a great design. I'm certain they did their homework and can probably show lots of market research showing that the core of their intended demographic prefers a smoother handle, but me personally, I've got to have some type of knurling. The LP90 very closely mimics Wright's handle design which I never got into for the same reason. However, I suspect we'll see comfort grips and a slew of other options in the near future.

At the moment? Railroad Conductor. Been at it going on 14 years now, so pretty much my entire adult life. Was once a premier job in my area, but with all the complexities of the coal market, it's been a rough couple of years. In 6 months I might have a different answer, just never know.

That's a dream job. I worked in the construction trades for a summer before I started on the RR. I had a job in the tool room for a month on a several hundred million dollar project. All I did was check tools in/out, clean and service them, charge batteries, and make minor repairs. Got $23 an hour to play with tools. That's pretty good money now, but it was great money 15 years ago for a kid a month out of high school with no kids and one bill. Best job I ever had. Then after a month an older guy returned to work on light duty and my ass got booted to a scaffold crew. Being the youngest guy on the crew I was the gopher.

Hey guys. Been absent lately so just checking in. Nothing wrong, I've just had something in the works for a year or so and it's finally coming together, so I needed to keep my online presence limited for a bit. Should be back in the mix this week or next. Probably just being overly cautious, but I can't afford to take any chances. Happy Fathers Day to everyone! Hope you guys score some cool stuff.

That's beauty!

The 580 arrived today. Very little time to play, but I had to fire it up (after discarding the spark arrestor screen of course). First thoughts? What a beast! You can definitely tell you're wearing it, but the harness is well designed and does a good job of downplaying the formidable mass that is the 580. Conductor Jr. gave it a try as well. He could pack the weight, but the tube was just too long for his arms, so delegating clearing chores will have to wait a couple years ? I had a couple rows of grass on the ground from along the fence line of the hay field beside me. Probably 10" long and soaking wet. Even with my high expectations I was surprised how well I was able to move it. Not much more pressure than my old blower, but the volume is unreal! This thing will cut my debris clearing time drastically. There's defintely a 580 thread in our future ?

I'm a big fan of Husqvarna. Over the years we've had power equipment from just about any brand you can think of. Stihl was the brand of choice for years. It was always good quality and while we did get a turd weed eater once, we also had a chainsaw and a brush cutter that made it 20 years. The real downside to the Stihl stuff was that it was always extremely heavy and the local dealer kinda sucked. We had a couple of Echo tools that were also good quality. Got 13 years out of a trimmer and I only remember ever changing the plug twice. Problem was, and this is just me being my picky self, I've never picked up an Echo tool that felt right in my hands. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I've yet to encounter one I enjoyed using. Husqvarna has always been consistently high quality, feels better in my hands, is typically lighter, and in my experience will run less money than a comparable Stihl. I suppose it's a Ford vs Chevy type debate and a lot of Stihl users are pretty die hard, but Husky just works better for me. The 562XP is a great saw. I use a 450 Rancher and it's been great, but I'd like to upgrade to a pro level eventually. My next OPE purchase will be a dedicated brush cutter. The 336 would probably be sufficient, but I'm really tempted to step up to a 345 forestry saw. Only problem is after the first season when I get everything cleared off, I really won't need the extra capability. Probably be next season before I can swing it, so I've got some time to drool over it ?

We have the same reel in the race trailer. Haven't had it long, but so far so good.

+1 on the Ridgid vac posted above. I bought it on Black Friday to replace my previous Ridgid that was probably 10 years old and it's awesome.

I've lusted over this thing since it came out about 3 years ago. Every spring I've told myself I was going to get it, but by the time I needed it I was saving for vacation or something. Finally just bit the bullet. I couldn't find a deal anywhere online. They run pretty consistently about $20 over MSRP. Nearest dealer had it $30 cheaper, but I wasn't driving a hour each way to save $30.

This reflects my understanding as well. I believe most manufacturers refer to hard torque as breakaway torque.

Nah, I'm not obsessive over my lawn. I live in the country, I have 4 kids, 3 outside dogs, and my wife babysits, so the pristine lawn is a pipe dream until the kids grow up and the dogs die. I'm just really particular about my equipment I guess. I certainly understand why some people prefer SP mowers, I just don't care for them. SP push mowers, curved shaft weedeaters, any weedeater with a detachable shaft designed to accept attachments, front tine tillers, corded hedge trimmers.....these are all things that annoy me.

I recently bought the Diablo 60T Combination blade for my 12" saw. I was a little skeptical of a combination blade on a miter saw as they are generally designed to balance performance between ripping and cross cutting, but this one is designed for miter saws, so I gave it a go. I have to say I'm pretty happy with it. It seems to cut a little faster than the standard 60T and I don't notice much difference in cut finish, though I've only used it on pine thus far. Here is a 10" 50 tooth version. Makes a good general purpose blade. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-10-in-x-50-Teeth-Combination-Saw-Blade-D1050X/202786854

I tend to shy away from multi-bit drivers. No real reason aside from preference though. I have sufficient fixed blade drivers in the shop and I have an assortment in my mobile kit, so that covers most uses. I do use my Mac ratcheting set a lot, and I have a multi in my coaches bag for working on helmets and shit, but given the choice, I'll reach for a fixed blade.

Unless you are planning on doing a built-in set up in a shop, a stand is an absolute necessity. I would recommend a rolling stand as well. The Dewalt and Bosch gravity rise stands are top of the market IMO.