I love my swivel dump cart. I love it almost as much as I hate all wheelbarrows.

One of the toys tools I've been chomping at the bite for was a sturdy cart to hitch to the back of the yard tractor. Most of our cleared land slopes away from the road and is bumpy and lumpy, so using a wheelbarrow for heavy loads is a real pain in the...... Especially when one can attach a utility cart to the back of the tractor and haul whatever you want away.

My requirements were simply. Large, strong, dumping capability and with a high axle. That's not too much to ask until you start looking around at the junk for sale, especially those carts designated as 'homeowner grade". Most any cart less than $150 should be immediately rejected unless you want to purchase a tin can on wheels. It is only when you get above $250 that you begin to find real quality.

I finally settled on the Ohio Steel Professional-Grade Tractor/ATV/UTV Swivel Dump Cart 1250 Lb. Capacity Model # 4048P-HYB.

Did I already tell you that I love my swivel dump cart?

Let's start with those things I don't like about it.

<<Crickets chirping>>

If there was one thing I could find fault with it might be that the slots molded into the plastic upper edge that allow you to build and insert rails are designed for 1 x 3's and I would have preferred 2 x 3's. Then again, if that was the way it was designed I probably would have said that it was over kill and it made the edge too thick.

Now for the list of things I like. Let me count the ways that say I love you. :)

1) The dump body is big and rugged. Heavy duty molded plastic that won't dent, rot or rust. I have thrown 150 lbs tree bases/logs into the body with no ill effect what-so-ever. This baby is built to last. It has molded in edge holes for a railing you build yourself and also molded in slots in the body walls that let you insert custom cut pieces of plywood that let you partition off the body into three sections, perfect if you want to haul different size stone or different types of dirt.

2) There is no through axle, thus there are no axle clearance problems. The effective clearance is nearly double the height of 'normal' carts and perfect for moving around in the woods or along logging trails that are not well graded. I have had no clearance issues at all with it. Wherever my tractor can go this cart can easily follow.

3) The tires are 16'' tall ATV style and have a decent tread pattern. I like that they are air filled, though some may feel solid tires are better suited for this type of cart. But the tires are rated for the weight and the pressure can be raised or lowered to suit the terrain.

4) The wheels use actual roller bearings rather than simple sleeves. This make a world of difference when it comes to longevity and low friction. Plus they have grease fittings already installed so keeping them lubed is no problem. Quality wheels.

5) The metal undercarriage, tow bar and dumping lock mechanism are all made of thick quality steel and appear to be powder coated rather than painted. Even if it is paint, it is very thick and durable. I have dropped a few heavy metal objects on the tow bar and it never cracked the paint. I have looked at the metal used on cheaper carts and it seems flimsy compared to this cart's carriage. Most of the overall weight of this cart can be found in this metal.

6) Not only does this cart dump while still attached to the tractor, but it can swivel left or right while dumping. I was a little worried that the swivel might be a problem with balance of the cart while dumping, but that has not been the case. The pivot and swivel hinge location was well thought out from a center of gravity point of view.  Best of all the dump release is foot operated and spring loaded so once activated and your foot is removed the mechanism moves back to receive, and then lock, the dump body when brough back down. Again heavy gauge steel was used everywhere and the springs are huge and won't lack of power to close and lock the latch.

7) The cart has an articulating hitch which allows the cart to move with the terrain without damaging the draw bar or hitch area. This is a brilliant feature that simply can't be fully appreciated until you are moving along over uneven terrain with the tractor swaying left and the trailer swaying right. Without that little 'give' in the hitch something has to give either back at the cart, up front with the tractor or at the hitch itself. I have seen people thrown about on their ATV when the heavily loaded cart they were towing snapped the ATV from side to side.

8) The multi-hitch is designed to be used on either a 1 7/8 or 2 inch trailer ball or clip/pin hitch attachment, increasing its utility such that it can be used with just about anything that has a motor and wheels. This cannot be over emphasized.

9) Its wide stance. Many smaller carts are narrow and prone to tip over in rough terrain. The wider the stance, the less the angle of the body when traveling over rough terrain. If the cart body is loaded with cut wood there is less of a tendency for the wood to develop a mind of its own and roll off the top and back down the hill.

I have been using this cart for two months now and the more I use it the more I fall in love with it. It is everything I wanted in a cart and more. Sorry if I am gushing, but this is an extremely high quality piece of equipment and well worth the $382 with shipping that I paid. This will still be around in 20 years, long after I'm pushing up daisies.

Let me know your thoughts.

Cognitive Dissonance

 

I purchased this piece of equipment well over a year ago specifically to pressure wash my townhouse. White becomes gray becomes yuck after a few years and washing it down with a hose no longer cuts the mustard. Time to get out the power equipment and go to town. Or at least to power wash the townhouse. I had been debating whether or not to get a company to come and do the job so they could complete the job, Such as, www.powerwashingspring.com.

I devoted some time to research in order to get a feel for what I wanted and what was out there. I definitely didn't want an electric power washer. Way too underpowered. I needed at least 2500 PSI which meant a gas powered engine. And I wanted at least 2 gallons per minute of water flow.

This was the first time I owned a Generac anything and while the name had a good reputation I was hesitant to buy because it was unknown to me. But there was a dealer down the street who could service what I bought so I closed my eyes and leaped. I'm glad I did.

I purchased the Generac 2,700 PSI 2.3 GPM 196cc OHV Gas Powered Residential Pressure Washer through Amazon because it was on sale and I got free shipping, saving me well over $70 overall. The last time I used a power washer was at least 20 years ago and the state of the art has progressed well beyond that piece of crap I owned back then. And the Generac isn't exactly cutting edge by any stretch of imagination.

Other than nitpicking about the wash bottle at the bottom moving around and the suction used to drain it being poor I don't really have any problems with this machine.

There is a lot to like about it though. It is well balanced and the 10 inch sold tires enable easy maneuvering with this machine. Pulling it over uneven ground is a snap and pulling it up stairs is no problem with those big tires.

The engine is produced by Generac. Or at least that's what they say. But it is a 196 cc overhead value engine that runs real strong, the throttle responds quickly to the demand for pressure when you pull the trigger, the controls are easy to use and it starts right up on the first or second pull. And it has a low oil pressure cut off switch, a must these days when replacing a burned up engine means replacing the entire machine.

I know nothing about the high speed water pumps on pressure washers other than the knowledge that you'd better have the water hooked up and turned on before you fire up this baby. It seems that the water acts both as a lubricant and a coolant for the water pump, so just a short time without water will burn that sucker up. First step....turn the on water, then fire up the engine. Always. I have no way to actually measure the water pressure at the end of the lance, but it sure will peel your skin off fast. This is why a pressure washing service in Houston is likely to use them. Sounds like plenty of pressure to me.

The gun and lance are described a ergonomic and I was surprised how long it took before my hands and wrists began to tire. Unfortunately they tired long before the job was actually finished, at least when I was power washing the rear deck, so I wound up using two hands to wash most of the deck. The closer the nozzle is to the work surface the more back pressure you get on the gun/lance.

I was pleased to find that the washer came with four different nozzles to cover a wide variety of jobs the average person will do around the house. There is even a nice visual reference for the various nozzles right on the nozzle holder below the handle.

The supplied hose was long enough (25') to get me and the gun/lance up 20 feet to clean the house. You may purchase additional lengths if you feel so moved, either from Generac or the aftermarket. Just make sure they are rated higher than the pressure you are using and bring your current hose with you when buying another just to make sure the quick disconnects mate properly.

Speaking of disconnects, the lance screws into the gun and the nozzles quick connect on to the end of the lance. Please make sure that you check that the lance remains properly screwed in now and then as you work. It tends to loosen from the vibration and you don't want the lance to shoot out when you are using it because it can bounce right back in your face. In fact, in the wrong or careless hands, this machine can be down right dangerous. Secure the kids and the cats before using it. And keep your focus at all times.

The gun/lance have a built in holder as you can see in the picture further up, and the hose can be rolled up and hung on a large hook in the back. Because the washer remains upright it takes up less space when stored. And the handle quick disconnects if you need to pack and/or ship it somewhere. All in all a well thought out design. There is even a "step" at the bottom front where you can put your foot to steady the washer while you pull start the engine.

I power washed the deck here this past summer. It had not been cleaned since it was built 15 years ago and it was in terrible shape. The power washer made quick work of the job and I will write about this under the "Projects" heading. The picture at the top header of this article is the deck before, the image below is of the deck after. A remarkable difference.

I would purchase this baby if the need arose again, though I might go one more size up from here.

Comments, thoughts, suggestions? Leave them below.

Cognitive Dissonance

I last owned a chainsaw when I was in my very early twenties, which means 35 years ago give or take a bit. Compared to today's saws the old Homelite I owned was a brute of a beast, smoking and belching and kicking its way through cord after cord of wood.

Back then I was working with two other buddies trying to cut, split and haul wood for sale to our fellow freezing New England natives. This was the late 70's and unemployment and inflation were high. Jobs were scare so you did whatever you could to make ends meet. It was exhausting labor intensive work fit for stupid young men with time on their hands and a need for some cash to pay the bills. I did it for nearly two years before giving up.

The old Homelite was primitive. It broke down constantly and you needed to manually pump the chain lubricant. If you forgot for too long you fried the chain and bar and there went that day's profit back into the equipment. It was heavy and bulky and underpowered.

It didn't have a chain break and the old chains were not as sophisticated as today's are with their built in anti kick features. More than once I had that old beast kick back and come within inches of my face before I stopped it. One of my friends had a chunk of his cheek removed the hard way.

We all had our own saws, but mine was the most popular simply because it was the most powerful. But you paid for the power with the terrible vibration, smoke and dangerous kickbacks. Ahh....the good old days.

There were two qualities I was looking for when I recently set out to purchase a new saw. I wanted it to be reliable and of quality manufacture and I wanted to purchase locally to keep the money I spent local and to secure local service. It came down to a choice between Husqvarna and Stihl and I went with Stihl because the local dealer was closer and a true small business.

Once at the 'dealer' the owner spent a great deal of time feeling me out including how I was going to use the saw and my experience factor. He steered me to the saw I now own, the Stihl MS251C, and I am very glad he did.

The saw has a 45.6 cc two stroke engine rated at 2.95 bhp (break horsepower) with an 18" guide bar and weighs slightly less than 12 lbs, a far cry from my old Homelite which weighed in at over 17lbs. My Stihl falls into the upper end of homeowner saws as you can see by the following chart from Stihl.

Two features on this saw that are additions to the basic model and which add about 1 lb to the saw are priceless as far as I'm concerned. One is the easy chain adjustment feature. Rather than carrying tools either in my pockets or somewhere onto the wooded site I'm working in order to adjust the chain (something that is done more often than you think and for more reasons than just 'adjusting' the chain) now I can quickly and easily adjust the chain with no tools what-so-ever. This includes removing the adjustment cover to clear debris and sawdust, re-thread the chain and clean the guide bar groove and so on.

The other is the easy start feature built into the pull cord. I shall quote Stihl's propaganda.

"The STIHL Easy2Start™ system makes starting STIHL outdoor power tools almost effortless, eliminating the need for a strong pull of the starting cord. This advanced starting system is designed to make starting STIHL products easier. The specific system may vary by model, but in each case, a quick pull overcomes the engine’s compression to minimize the strength and effort required to start."

It really is as easy as they claim and a real back saver for this old fart.

In addition a real nice feature on these saws are the large easy to open oil and fuel caps that flip up and unscrew with only a quarter turn. Perfect for when you are wearing gloves, which is always when working with chainsaws. Best of all there are strong thin strings that tie each cap to the inside of the tank, preventing caps from becoming lost in the woods. They hang down on the side a few inches when unscrewed, keeping them out of the dirt and sawdust. I love this feature.

The saw itself is vibration isolated from the wrap around front handle and rear trigger handle. I have used this saw for several hours almost continuously and I have never felt what little vibration is remains was intrusive or tiring. No tingling fingers or wrists from this saw.

The dealer showed me a specific sequence to follow in order to start the saw easily....which I promptly forget 2 miles down the road. But the manual also went over the procedure and I have found that the saw never needs more than two or three pulls to get it going. And it has been as cold as 15 degrees when I have been cutting this winter, so easy to start is a real blessing. The old Homelite was a real bear to get started and keep running.

The saw has one of those little flexible plastic push bulbs that primes the carburetor when pushed. Between that and one lever that acts as the choke, run and stop functions makes this easy peasy to start, run and stop. The interlocked throttle prevents the engine from being revved unless the palm of the hand is resting on the interlock switch.

This is very useful when you are moving around in brush and don't want to accidentally rev the motor when it gets caught in some vines or branches. I slipped and fell once and the chainsaw landed very near to me while idling. I had no fear it would rev under those conditions.

The top cover comes off with three easy to reach and undo screws, exposing the air cleaner, carburetor, throttle, cylinder head, spark plug and so on. All easy to reach and to work on. The cooling fan inside the recoil housing must do a great job of cooling the engine because I never have felt the cover or body of the saw get hot after heavy use. These new machines are just amazing.

One 'feature' that came as a complete surprise to me was how fuel efficient this saw is. I am consistently amazed how long I can continuously cut before running out of fuel. The fuel capacity is only 13 ozs (the oil is nearly 7)  or a cup and a half of premixed fuel.  The first few times I ran the saw I kept wondering when the damn thing would run out of fuel so I could take a break.

As well, the chain oil never runs out before the fuel if you fill both before starting or during re-fueling, a very nice feature since the oiling of the chain is automatic and not on your mind when using the saw.

While I have not used any other chainsaws to compare this one to I have used this saw for several months and not once have I been disappointment or felt something was lacking, very rare these days when it comes to power tools or just about anything else I may purchase.

While the 18 inch bar will tackle just about any tree on my property or the surrounding property I care for there have been a few times where the tree I was cutting was wider than the bar was long. That was when I wanted a larger saw and most likely my next chainsaw purchase. I think I'll stick to Stihl.

Cognitive Dissonance