The Verdict Is In

In reference to the previous post, my new Stihl BR-800 C backpack blower was money well spent. After spending a little more then an hour cleaning my gutters for the final time of the season, I got started on clearing leaves. I began by finishing the driveway all the way to the bottom and blew them across the road into the woods. I then completely cleared the backyard, pushing everything down the hill in a big pile near the fire pit. I turned my attention to the dog yard and the chicken yard. The dog yard was completely cleared in little more than half an hour. I was also able to hit part of the front yard through the fence. In the chicken yard, I started by using the little Tanaka unit and clearing the roof of the coop and pen. I then used the Stihl to clear everything from around the base of the coop and pen. By spring every scrap of leaf will be gone because the scratching chickens grind them into dust. Down to the lower yard by the fire pit and around the barn. That Stihl machine took that three foot high pile of leaves and put it into the woods where I wanted it. I called it quits with another pile down there to finish as well as the front yard. We had the remnants of Hurricane Nicole coming, and since I was in the middle of refreshing my generator fuel supply. I did not want to get caught short, so off to do some errands and get gas. I have a couple more hours of yard work left at most. But, I accomplished in 4 1/2 hours what would have taken a couple of days, because the little Tanaka can't push those big piles, requiring me to drag the leaves on a tarp. Very labor intensive. 

Another pleasant surprise was the fuel consumption. I thought it would use much more than it did for the usage I gave it. I normally drain the fuel and store my leaf blower for the season. This year, the Stihl will remain fueled and ready to go with my snow blower for snow removal duty. Because of the gravel driveway, I need almost four inches for the snow blower to be effective. A couple of inches of powder will now be able to be removed easily.

Time For A Long Needed Upgrade

Once upon a time, when I lived in the more urban environment of Rockville and was young and fit, I thought leaf blowers were tools of the grumpy old man. I raked and picked up the ankle deep pine needles and leaves on my .2 acre city lot. It took over a week and multiple trips to the town leaf pile. Every night after work a couple of trips with barrels full in my pickup truck. It was such a relief when it was done and I could concentrate on getting ready for snow removal.

Then I got a leaf blower as a gift, a Craftsman hand held very similar to this one pictured below. It also worked as a yard vacuum and shredder. My backyard was completely fenced in still requiring me to pick them up in barrels, but in the front of the house the leaves were blown to the curb for the town vacuum trucks to come by and suck up. Picking them up with the vacuum in the backyard reduced the volume about 4:1 meaning less total trips to the leaf pile.

I had it for several years. Then in the middle of autumn cleanup in 2002 it just died. Running one minute and then quit like it was shut off and would never restart. Not even a little cough... as though the spark plug were unplugged. It always had a fresh oil and fuel mix, never old skunky gas. When I took it to a repair shop called Rockville Equipment, they refused to even look at it, telling me that the way those were built, they were basically not repairable. I purchased this replacement machine from them pictured below.

My 2002 vintage Tanaka Pro Force THB-2510 Blower/Vac

Twenty years of hard service and still running like a champ. It has a vacuum/shredder conversion and bagger kit as well. I keep all of my gas powered equipment so well maintained, that when I fuel them up for the season to use, they all start on the first pull. The problem I had was, as good as it is, I need more power. I was already toying with the idea of getting something more powerful. My little Tanaka moves the leaves OK, but doesn't move the CFM like a backpack blower and if the wind is against me, it takes repeated sweeps to get them where I need them to go. If they are wet or mashed down it is even more effort. My property is 3.5 acres mostly wooded, but the lawn area around the house and along the driveway is a total of about 1.5 acres. Then we had a leaf clearing work party at the sportsman's club this past Sunday. It was pretty breezy that day and while my blower did OK, I watched a line of 6 guys with assorted Stihl backpack blowers clear a 1+ acre area of lawn against the wind in like 10 minutes, then they were gone and moved to another leaf covered area. That did it, I started shopping and then saw the text from this ad on the Stihl website.

The BR800 comes in two flavors, the -X and the -C*E. The C*E allows staring while wearing. WINNER!

"Our biggest, baddest, and most powerful backpack blower" OK... THAT'S WHAT I WANT!! I called the first Stihl dealer that came up on the dealer locator, Cash True Value in Willimantic on Sunday afternoon. They didn't have any and they are on back order. The salesman said it could be as soon as a week, or four weeks or longer. He took my name and number and put the order in, not needing any payment until I took delivery. All the other dealers were closed until Monday, so first thing Monday morning I called the next one down on the list and told him what I was looking for. He said they were all sold out as were the smaller BR700's and he wasn't expecting any until next year, but he did have a BR600 in stock. I told him how I liked the ability of being able to restart the BR800-C*E while it was on my back. He tells me to stay away from that model because there are a lot of additional moving parts and potential for breakage. He then asks me if I could call back because he is with a customer. I told him I would. While I was on the phone, I got a voicemail from the first dealer. They received a BR800-C*E from another store. WOO HOO!! I called him right back and said I'd take it! I never called back the second dealer. A couple of points to consider; A) Is there really parts breakage and extra servicing required on the BR800-C? Is the side pull starting system really that fragile? Is it maybe caused by the extra heavy use and abuse by professional landscapers that are causing issues? I baby my equipment, so I am not really too worried. Plus the fact that Stihl quality is pretty much unmatched. The reviews are all mostly good, rating an overall 4.7. Or is it B) was he just trying to get me to buy what he had available in the store? I tend to think "B" based on the reviews I read.

I picked it up Tuesday night after work. I got out the door for $776 of which $39.99 was the one gallon can of Stihl brand Moto-Mix fuel. The standard warranty is two years, but by purchasing the can of fuel mix or a quantity of Stihl 2-stroke oil at the time of purchase, I doubled the warranty to four years. I got it home and set it in the garage because I had a meeting to attend at 7:30 PM. After I got home from my meeting, I cracked open the owners manual. Yes... I am one of those that actually reads these things. The first 11 pages are all the safety warnings. Some are stupid and common sense (think Darwin Award winners), but a couple were actually good to know. Open the fuel cap slowly so you don't get sprayed with gas. The fuel tank can become pressurized. They also say to NOT wear gloves while running the machine. A significant static charge can build up in the tube. There is a grounding system connecting your bare hand through the control handle that keeps the charge potential from building up. Wearing gloves will insulate you from that and you could then get whacked. Another warning was about letting the recoil starter snap back. They want you to hold onto it and retract it under control. That's probably how shit gets broken. Yet another warning is about taking frequent breaks. The constant vibration can cause temporary numbness or a more long term condition known as Raynaud's Syndrome.

Pretty and shiny. We test ran it at the store.

It has full backpack suspension, shoulders and hips

 

 

On the lower end models, the hip support is an add-on, but is included on the BR800's. Last night after I got home and took care of the animals, I threw on the driveway floodlights, filled the tank of the blower, and started it up to warm the machine for use. The side pull mechanism is easy to pull, and the machine started right up. Once it was warm and the choke was fully open, I shut it off to throw it on my back. The straps adjust very similar to the firefighting SCBA pack I wear. Once it was on it was comfortable and well balanced. I started it up and got busy.

Holy crap that thing moves serious air! I ended up clearing a small section of my front and back yards and most of both sides of the 300' driveway (I went are far as the lights reached) pushing the leaves far back into the woods. What took me less than 20 minutes to clear would have taken about 2 hours, especially since I pushed old wet decomposing leaves a good 10 feet farther back in the woods from where I used to stop. I will easily be able to clear my entire yard in a day, instead of 3.

So my plan is to spend my day off tomorrow tackling my fall outdoor cleanup. What I don't finish tomorrow will be completed Sunday since I have to work Saturday. I will start by cleaning the gutters one last time before the snow flies. The back of my house is two plus stories up, so I get up on the roof and walk the edge with the Tanaka to blast the leaves out like I always do. I don't want to take a chance with the Stihl on my back and lose my balance up that high. The Tanaka is light and easy to handle, and gets hauled up on a rope just like a vent saw in the fire service.

The other winter preps are bringing the snow blower up from the barn, properly storing the summer power equipment, and moving all the porch furniture down to the barn. Gonna be a busy coupla days for sure.

You Really Wanna Join?

At my November sportsman's club monthly meeting this was on the floor in front of the head table where the officers sit as members arrived. It is also right on the spot where new members stand for swearing in (yes, we actually swear an oath... to the club, preservation of land, game, and obeying conservation law).

Feelin' brave?

 

Now I know what you're thinking.... "Holy shit, a set bear trap? That's fucking dangerous!!" Well the guy who brought it in walked over and stepped right on the trigger plate, which sprung the latch and nothing more. You see, it was originally made for demonstration purposes and given to the club member. The "springs on either side are simple soft steel permanently bent to resemble being under tension. He brought it to the club to offer it up as a wall hanger which was graciously accepted.

Friends Don't Let Friends...

                VOTE DEMON-CRAP...EVER!!
 

Because if you do, they are voting against their own best interest on every issue. Yes, even if they are on the dole and get that EBT card every month from the government version of Santa Claus. They are voting for the policies that keep them dependent and technically a SLAVE ON THE DEMON-CRAP PLANTATION. De-funding the police increases our chances of becoming a victim of violent crime. Gun control makes it more difficult for everyone to defend ourselves against the animals on the street. Higher fuel prices due to a self-inflicted lack of supply because of some green dream unicorn fart fantasy drives up the prices of absolutely everything. Think saddling big corporations with punitive taxes are gonna teach them a lesson about being greedy? WRONG those taxes on the corporations will be passed on to EVERYONE as higher prices! I could easily list 10 more examples but on Election Day eve, the stupid, the ignorant, and the uneducated just can't help themselves.

 

A Couple of Items

I meant to post this sooner, but totally forgot until I came across the photos on my phone yesterday. Then I got interrupted while putting the post together late yesterday afternoon when an impatient moron ran a red light and caused smash-up derby to occur. Luckily no one was hurt. I then tried to finish the post last night from my home computer, but the computer was doing some kind of update and would not even let me log in. Arrrrgh!

First up, my new "No Trespassing" signage. I needed to put one up to keep politicians, Jehovah's Witnesses, sales people, gubmint looky-loos or tyrannical goons, and any run of the mill trespassers THE FUCK OFF MY PROPERTY. With the sign there, I can have trespassers charged by law enforcement if I catch them. It was in my eBay watch list for months, so I finally ordered it and received it about a week and a half ago. I then looked around for a suitable signpost, but was unable to purchase one locally. Instead, I repurposed a u-channel fence post I had in the barn and just had to drill the lower hole for the sign. The main difference is the lack of pre-drilled holes and upward facing hooks on the backside for hanging wire fence on. The sign is just into my driveway from the shared portion, and the post is in a spot where I won't have to mow, trim, or snow blow around.

 

 

I first saw such verbiage on a sign when Bill Cosby was on trial, and they showed video footage of the gate of his Massachusetts home on TV. I figured the wording would be more palatable to my wife, than the much more threatening version I would prefer. I wouldn't mind one of the "NO TRESPASSING! If You Can Read This, You Are In Range" versions that shows a person in crosshairs. Closer to the house, my Blink Outdoor camera takes over with full color HD video. I have the black and white night vision turned off, because my motion activated floodlights come on and provide much better quality video at night.

I also re-installed my game camera, facing the sign and the area just in front of the sign. That way I will capture anyone seeing the sign and backing out, as well as protect the sign. Protect the sign? Read on, my friend.

The cam on the pole. Pole numbers blotted out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the back side of my sign is a printed warning I added that the sign and area is under video surveillance. The game camera is in a heavy gauge steel camera lock box, attached to the utility pole with 3" long by 5/16" lag bolts. A small Master padlock holds the box assembly pin in place, and has a steel loop cable securing the entire thing to the pole. This is because my neighbor's asshole wife, Mrs. Bitchy McBitchy Bitchface (H/T to Mr. Garabaldi again for the name) has a reputation with me for damaging and removing my property, as well as the trespassing. I have so far been unable to actually catch her in the act or on video, but eventually I will. And I have a list of incidents. I would not put it past her to think my sign is directed only at her (*especially after the recent horse escape incident) and come down on the tractor to try and rip it out. Even smashing the camera won't help, because the video will already be on the chip. I will review video clips as necessary or once a month. I will prosecute her ass into oblivion if I can prove it.

Next up... I did this post a couple of days ago about a power failure and needing to utilize my home generator. I went to the local gas station to get fresh gas to refuel the generator on board tank. All of the following photos were of the same pump that I used.

Someone must have gotten a quantity of these Fuck Joe Biden "I Did That" decals and had themselves some fun. I looked around the station to see if all the pumps were so decorated, but mine seemed to be the only one. That demented moron and his current brain, "The Lyin' Lil Moptop" still blame petroleum issues on everyone and everything but the true source, occurring on January 20, 2021.

*Horse escape incident: On Friday May 27, 2022 I was off work and at home when my Blink Outdoor camera alerted me to motion in my driveway. Below is the video that got recorded before I switched to the live view. Since I refuse to pay Amazon for a subscription and save my videos on a local USB drive, live views don't get saved.

 

 

 

 

By the time the camera went on live view, all I saw was Mrs. Bitchface in my driveway. I immediately went out and confronted her. The horses were gone and she tells me she is trying to get her horses. I told her they're obviously not here, so get lost. It was only after I saw the recording to include the pile of fresh horseshit in the corner of my driveway that pissed me the fuck off. The horseshit was picked up and heaved onto her property. Anyone that even remotely has a clue about horses know that chasing them while screaming at them is not how you get them back. Watch the donkey in the video keep moving, and the horses look at her and think "Yeah? Fuck You BITCH!" and take off in the same  direction as the donkey... AWAY FROM HER. No... you grab a bucket of oats or their favorite treats and entice them back. You talk in a calm nice voice and praise them for coming back. None of them were wearing a bridle, so there was no ability to attach a lead. She has something in her right hand, but it doesn't look like anything substantial enough for controlling three animals. The area of my property where they took off to at the end of my video is a steep and rocky hill. She is lucky none of those animals were injured going down and back up the gully, or that they did not cause any property damage.

So how did they escape to begin with? This COTHO is a supposed horse enthusiast. I ratted her out to her husband a few days later and he informs me this was at least the fourth time it happened. He told me it's because she is lazy and leaves the gate open when going in and out of the paddock. I told him "SHE IS A FUCKING IDIOT!!"