How to fight climate change... for reals.

[tlc1976]

I have been mowing my "lawn" for 30 years, I do not fertilize or water and just mow the weeds. It looks like a lawn from a distance. It also does not need mowing very often.

Same here. That’s how I was raised and what I’ve always done. I always considered the weeds as part of the lawn. It’s all green. It’s home to grasshoppers, bees, birds, rabbits, deer. Lots of wolf spiders which tends to keep the mosquitoes down.


As far as lactose free cheese, this stuff by Go Veggie I think is very good. Similar to Velveeta, melts extremely well. Not a true vegan cheese as it does contain milk products, but not lactose. But it would be nice to find a true plant based cheese that melts well.

 

[Ashful]

Same here. That’s how I was raised and what I’ve always done. I always considered the weeds as part of the lawn. It’s all green. It’s home to grasshoppers, bees, birds, rabbits, deer. Lots of wolf spiders which tends to keep the mosquitoes down.

Had a large grasshopper in the house last night, believe it or not. Managed to catch him in a 1 gallon zip-lok freezer bag, and set him free in a garden outback, hopefully un-harmed. Those bastards are LOUD, when they're in your living room!

We have plenty of grasshoppers, bees, birds... and frankly too many rabbits and deer. When you could hunt deer from your kitchen window with a frying pan, or when you've caught a deer standing literally atop your dog (more than once!), you have too many deer. Lawn care doesn't seem to phase them.

... this stuff by Go Veggie I think is very good. Similar to Velveeta...

Velveeta ain't cheese. I'm not sure it's even "food", beyond the legal definition!

Try to think of cheese like beer or cigars. It's not exactly health food, and you don't exactly need it. So, if you are going to indulge, it'd better be the best you can afford, or not at all. I think it'd be tough to make a really good 3-years' aged Gouda, or even a proper Fontina, from vegetable matter. We aren't eating American cheese or Velveeta, in this house.

That said, if there are any easily-sourced options, approximating some better specialty cheeses, I'd be interested in trying them. I'm not exactly an environmental nihilist, I'm just not as eager to compromise, for negligible individual benefit.

 

[stoveliker]

Had a large grasshopper in the house last night, believe it or not. Managed to catch him in a 1 gallon zip-lok freezer bag, and set him free in a garden outback, hopefully un-harmed. Those bastards are LOUD, when they're in your living room!

We have plenty of grasshoppers, bees, birds... and frankly too many rabbits and deer. When you could hunt deer from your kitchen window with a frying pan, or when you've caught a deer standing literally atop your dog (more than once!), you have too many deer. Lawn care doesn't seem to phase them.

That may be. There will be more (bugs, and thus the rest) without chemicals, and residual chemicals going up the food chain is avoided.
Things are admittedly different though for rural versus less rural more suburban yards.
Glad to see though that your tame wolf learns how to deal with the wild!

Velveeta ain't cheese. I'm not sure it's even "food", beyond the legal definition!

Try to think of cheese like beer or cigars. It's not exactly health food, and you don't exactly need it. So, if you are going to indulge, it'd better be the best you can afford, or not at all. I think it'd be tough to make a really good 3-years' aged Gouda, or even a proper Fontina, from vegetable matter. We aren't eating American cheese or Velveeta, in this house.

Amen. Now if you could also pronounce Gouda correctly, you'd get a Dutch equivalent of a green card
Since you don't mind spending on cheese:
(broken link removed to https://oldamsterdamcheesestore.com/webshop/)

BTW, Dutch cheese is rarely older than 8 months of aging. Even a cheese like Old Amsterdam (breaks like Parmigiano (NOT Parmesan!), and has some crystallized salt spots in it) is only 8 months aged.

 

[tlc1976]

Hmmm I guess it’s just what you’re used to. Actually to me, Kraft and Velveeta were the high end. Mostly we got funny off brands, generic black and white box, or government cheese. Specialty cheese didn’t exist in my little town of 400 even if we could afford it. Maybe that’s why I prefer the flavor of cheap plain foods and off brands.

 

[Ashful]

I was poking fun, but I understand. Just like preferring your home-town pizza, no matter how good (or bad) it was.

I grew up on generic / store-brand American cheese, which today tastes more like wax than cheese, my parents couldn't afford the Kraft singles we so-wanted as kids. Velveeta was a rare treat, too. But tastes can change as you age, especially accelerated by travel to different cultures as an adult, and being exposed to new things previously denied to a cash-poor family from Philadelphia.

 

[moresnow]

I got a Black and Decker Lithium trimmer a few years ago, its quite light, and it has never run out of juice on me.

I did the same. 2 years ago. At my father's recommendation. Same fella who doesn't know what end of a screwdriver to use. Also bought the 20v hedge trimmer (godsend) and blower (ok). For being homeowner grade, they are amazing.
No more POS carby equipped Stihl 2smoker that requires a shoulder strap and premix. Done. Period.
I laugh every time I grab the BD.
Actually made another convert yesterday. A buddy with rental homes took a trip around my house with my BD trimmer and hedge trimmer. Put them down and said jump in. Off we went to MYnards to get him both!

 

[Ashful]

I did the same... No more POS carby equipped Stihl 2smoker that requires a shoulder strap and premix. Done. Period.

My neighbor has a B&D lithium trimmer. He needs to borrow my "POS" Stihl KMA 130 R at least once per year, to do trimming thru the woods, that his B&D just won't handle. He also usually runs out of battery before his work is done, esp. now that he has a few years on it, and his lawn probably only occupies 3 of his 7 acres.

I also note every landscaper's trailer in this area still has a small fleet of Stihl or Echo 2-stroke trimmers hanging on them, never B&D 20V battery powered units, their livelihood literally depends on carrying the most capable and reliable option.

The B&D battery stuff has a place, they're likely great on smaller residential lots. But I wouldn't go calling Stihl pro-grade string trimmers "POS carby 2smokers".

 

[EbS-P]

For the average lot size I think two B&D batteries would be fine. They are cheap get 4. And then add all the other B&D tools you think you might need for small projects. I like the saws-all and impact driver.

https://www.storagecafe.com/blog/lot-size-home-size-in-top-20-biggest-us-cities/amp/

 

[moresnow]

My neighbor has a B&D lithium trimmer. He needs to borrow my "POS" Stihl KMA 130 R at least once per year, to do trimming thru the woods, that his B&D just won't handle. He also usually runs out of battery before his work is done, esp. now that he has a few years on it, and his lawn probably only occupies 3 of his 7 acres.

I also note every landscaper's trailer in this area still has a small fleet of Stihl or Echo 2-stroke trimmers hanging on them, never B&D 20V battery powered units, their livelihood literally depends on carrying the most capable and reliable option.

The B&D battery stuff has a place, they're likely great on smaller residential lots. But I wouldn't go calling Stihl pro-grade string trimmers "POS carby 2smokers".

I have 3 rural acres of excellent Iowa black dirt that define great weed/grass production. One acre is timber. My woods/timber get a JD tractor and brush hog . The BD is used as a homeowner unit. It easily runs around the house, garage, wife's pretty flowers, well pit, septic lids, random fencing, mailbox post, deck, driveway entrance and rather extensive rows of stacked firewood. Can't complain. I agree completely that it is far from a commercial grade design. It feels, and is, a tinker toy in comparison.

Just to add. I have been a dyed in the wool 2 stroke feller who had a private little garage for years taking care of/building 2 stroke toys and equipment among friends and acquaintances. God I still love the smell of 2 stroke in the morning.
Mostly when its below freezing and I jump on a twin piped, big bored 2 cyl sled that can carry the skis across the yard leaving a nice roost behind.

 

[woodgeek]

My yard is smaller, but contain about 0.1 acres of PA kudzu... 7 species of invasive vines vying for supremacy.

I got the 40V B&D lithium kit. The problem is B&D charge too much for the OEM batteries. Ashful's neighbor needs to get bigger cheap batteries from Amazon and call it done. And when they don't last long enough anymore... get a new one. Mine have been in (light) service for 6-7 years now with no obv degradation. But I am careful to keep them charged, and not to discharge them to empty...both important for service life.

Agree with above that the trimmer is great, the hedge trimmer is awesome, the (um) chainsaw is OK and the blower is good for sweeping the front steps (not moving fall leaves).

 

[Ashful]

For the record, I think he has two batteries, but usually just hangs it up when the one he started with dies. I think that when he’s 350 feet from the house, and the battery dies toward the end of a hot Saturday afternoon spent on yard work, he’s just too tired or frustrated to retrieve the spare and head back to where he left off. I’ll admit that I do the same, if mine runs out of string part way thru the week’s trimming, on a hot day.

 

[stoveliker]

I think that if you live on 10 acres, gasoline equipment makes sense. The majority of folks live on 0.5 acre lots of less or so. And electric equipment is perfectly fine for that.

The question is who uses more gasoline: the smaller segment on a lot of land or the larger segment on small lots. I don't know. Every little bit helps though.


And front steps should be swept, with a broom (without plastic bristles...). No need to use energy other than the sandwich you had earlier...

 

[EbS-P]

I think that if you live on 10 acres, gasoline equipment makes sense. The majority of folks live on 0.5 acre lots of less or so. And electric equipment is perfectly fine for that.

The question is who uses more gasoline: the smaller segment on a lot of land or the larger segment on small lots. I don't know. Every little bit helps though.


And front steps should be swept, with a broom (without plastic bristles...). No need to use energy other than the sandwich you had earlier...

Average lot size is even smaller than .5 acres. Closer to 1/4

 

[woodgeek]

And front steps should be swept, with a broom (without plastic bristles...). No need to use energy other than the sandwich you had earlier...

Human muscle power has a higher carbon footprint than my lithium tool, on a joule by joule basis. But I guess my diet change may have altered that math recently...

 

[stoveliker]

Don't eat at Taco Bell 😋

 

[begreen]

My neighbor has a B&D lithium trimmer. He needs to borrow my "POS" Stihl KMA 130 R at least once per year, to do trimming thru the woods, that his B&D just won't handle. He also usually runs out of battery before his work is done, esp. now that he has a few years on it, and his lawn probably only occupies 3 of his 7 acres.

I also note every landscaper's trailer in this area still has a small fleet of Stihl or Echo 2-stroke trimmers hanging on them, never B&D 20V battery powered units, their livelihood literally depends on carrying the most capable and reliable option.

The B&D battery stuff has a place, they're likely great on smaller residential lots. But I wouldn't go calling Stihl pro-grade string trimmers "POS carby 2smokers".

Those B&D units are the Velveeta of the yard tool world. There are a lot better battery-powered units, including some from Stihl.

 

[SpaceBus]

Those B&D units are the Velveeta of the yard tool world. There are a lot better battery-powered units, including some from Stihl.

My family kept a corded B&D trimmer for a decade, and it was acceptable. Certainly not something I'd want to use on something larger than a small subdivision lot. I used it well beyond what it was designed for as a teenager and it just kept on going. I've never used a cordless trimmer, but I bet the Dewalt model is competent. I'm hopefully done buying small gas tools. My next chainsaw will probably be the Dewalt 60v saw and I'll even replace the 395xp mill saw with an electric powerhead when I have a shop for the mill to live in (Logosol offers multiple electric powerhead options). I find a sharp chain to be more important than power, and electric motors make loads of torque anyway, something small gas motors struggle with. I'm hoping for subsidies/rebates/incentives for trading in diesel tractors for electric tractors in the future. A 35hp diesel tractor generates ninety tons of carbon over a fifteen year lifespan assuming it is used 400 hours per year. That's just an estimate and dependent on RPM rather than hours alone. Over the same operating conditions an equivalent eTractor would generate ten tons if charged from the grid and just one ton if charged by on site solar. The tech is still in its infancy, but will hopefully be mature in the next few years.

 

[DBoon]

I have the Ego string trimmer and it is a beast.

Power+ 15" POWERLOAD™ String Trimmer with telescopic aluminum shaft

The 15" Telescopic String Trimmer with POWERLOAD™ Technology quickly fits your height for ultimate comfort. Replacing your string line is as easy as feeding the line into the head and pressing a button!

egopowerplus.com

My first cordless yard tool was a B&D with NiMh batteries and it was not functional - batteries didn't last very long, and then died, and they took 8 hours to charge. I am sure the B&D with better Li Ion batteries is far better than that model, but I am sure that it doesn't hold a candle to the Ego.

 

[begreen]

The difference between the pro tools and the low-end homeowner tools is large. B&D makes ok tools for occasional usage, but give me a pro tool for something I need to use frequently and hard. Since I sold my Stihl, I rented a Dewalt battery chainsaw recently. It was ok for the little job I had to do, but I wouldn't be cutting anything much thicker than 6" with it.

 

[SpaceBus]

The difference between the pro tools and the low-end homeowner tools is large. B&D makes ok tools for occasional usage, but give me a pro tool for something I need to use frequently and hard. Since I sold my Stihl, I rented a Dewalt battery chainsaw recently. It was ok for the little job I had to do, but I wouldn't be cutting anything much thicker than 6" with it.

20v or 60v Dewalt saw? I would like to get the 60v for cutting small trees (less than 10") and handling rough cut lumber.

 

[Ashful]

I have the Ego string trimmer and it is a beast.

Power+ 15" POWERLOAD™ String Trimmer with telescopic aluminum shaft

The 15" Telescopic String Trimmer with POWERLOAD™ Technology quickly fits your height for ultimate comfort. Replacing your string line is as easy as feeding the line into the head and pressing a button!

egopowerplus.com

My first cordless yard tool was a B&D with NiMh batteries and it was not functional - batteries didn't last very long, and then died, and they took 8 hours to charge. I am sure the B&D with better Li Ion batteries is far better than that model, but I am sure that it doesn't hold a candle to the Ego.

I have a family member who's all-in on the battery thing. In addition to being one of the first buyers of the Tesla Model 3 dual motor, he has a garage full of Ego toys. His zero turn mower, walk-behind mower, and snowblower are all Ego, with interchangeable battery packs. He loves them, although he honestly hasn't had many chances to use the snow blower, and really give it a proper test.

I tried the zero turn once, and while not quite as fast and big as my gasser, I could definitely see the appeal. It's not silent, there's no way three 18" blades spinning under a deck ever will be, but it was way less noisy than my v-twin-driven counterpart. Less moving parts and belts, too, as each mower spindle is direct-drive. When driving it, all you smell is grass, no exhaust.

Funny story, we traded cars once, a few years back. I drove his Tesla Model 3 dual motor, and he drove my SRT 392 Charger. I really enjoyed the Tesla, especially the ultra-snappy 0 - 30 mph performance, and it wasn't even a Performance edition. His feedback on my car was "absolutely terrifying."

 

[stoveliker]

I have a corded B&D 18" saw. (Get all my wood delivered in my driveway.)
I've used it now for two years (including the getting ahead filling of the shed, though that was partially already bucked).

It works perfectly for 30-35" trees as long as you keep the chain sharp.

Yes, the Stihl is a bit faster, but the three seconds difference cutting through an 18" log don't matter. And it's faster starting anyway.

 

[Ashful]

Yes, the Stihl is a bit faster, but the three seconds difference cutting through an 18" log don't matter. And it's faster starting anyway.

You didn’t have a very good Stihl, if it was only “a bit” faster!

MS 660 in 30” wood vs anything made by B&D, ever… no contest. There’s more than three seconds separating these two.

 

[sneefy]

You didn’t have a very good Stihl, if it was only “a bit” faster!

MS 660 in 30” wood vs anything made by B&D, ever… no contest. There’s more than three seconds separating these two.

I'm sure that's a beast. I make do with a poor MS290, lol.

 

[stoveliker]

You didn’t have a very good Stihl, if it was only “a bit” faster!

MS 660 in 30” wood vs anything made by B&D, ever… no contest. There’s more than three seconds separating these two.

It's a MS290 (of a friend) that I sometimes use.