Lawn Mowers for the rugged yard

Many homeowners struggle with hard-to-mow yards.

There are alternatives to the standard-size mowing wheel. For instance, some yards are marred by bumpy surfaces.

Among the most challenging for mowing are those studded with exposed tree roots.

With adjustable high wheels, you can handle the job with ease.

The high rear wheels will come in most handy if you have a slope to mow, since they make the equipment so much easier to push.

Anyone who doubts this should arrange to test a high-wheel lawn mower on a hill.

The experience could be a real eye-opener!

Tools for Planting

Most homeowners will want to add new plants to dress up the home’s appearance. .

For basic gardening, the list of necessary tools is short.
You’ll want a shovel for digging large holes and cultivating existing landscape beds, a hand trowel to dig holes for small plants, and a hand cultivator for loosening the soil in small areas.
Weeders may not be necessary if adequate mulch is used, and weeds can easily be kept in check in small areas by hand pulling.

Once these basic items are obtained, you may consider additional purchases for specific needs. If disposing of yard waste is a problem, you may want to invest in a chipper to grind small branches into mulch, or a leaf shredder to help compact autumn leaves and hasten their decomposition.

If you have a lot of hedges, you may want a power hedge trimmer to save time. Gardeners will find a wide range of options to till, cultivate, and weed the beds.

It’s best to start out with a few basic items, and live with them a while to determine any additional needs.

Keep in mind that the more tools you purchase, the bigger the storage area that will be needed – and sheds are expensive.
Weigh the added convenience by having a specialized tool against the expense and inconvenience of storing it.
Buy quality tools instead of inexpensive ones that won’t last long, if you can afford it, and keep them well maintained to extend their life.

You’ll find that with a few basic tools and pride in your home’s appearance, your yard will look great.

Yard Tools

After the lawn is mowed, you’ll need to trim around the edges.

Gas and electric powered trimmers are available, but the gas trimmer will allow more freedom of movement.

Careful landscaping can minimize the need to trim by eliminating areas the lawn mower won’t reach, but you’ll probably need one anyway.

Trimmers can serve double duty as a sidewalk edger, too, though the result won’t look quite as neat.
A broadcast spreader is invaluable for fertilizing and seeding. And of course, the approach of fall will signal the need to purchase a rake.

A wheelbarrow is also an important addition.

Trees and bushes will need to be pruned, and hedges will need trimming.

You’ll need a hand pruner for keeping bushes neat and healthy, and a lopper for cutting bigger branches.
If you have hedges, you’ll need a hedge shear for keeping them trimmed.

Trees usually require pruning at some point, often quite high. You can either purchase a tree pruner, climb up on a ladder with a saw, or call the professionals when these jobs need to be done.
If money is short, these items can be purchased inexpensively – but an investment in quality tools will pay off in the long run and make the work easier.

Tools for the Yard

If you’re a new homeowner, chances are you need a trip to the hardware store to stock up on tools for lawn and garden care.

It seems there’s a gadget for every purpose, some quite specialized, and it’s tough to know where to start.
What are the most important things that you’ll need right away, and which items can you wait to add later?

The biggest investment may be the lawn mower.

Depending on the size of your property, you may prefer a riding mower.

But if you have a half acre or less to maintain, a push mower will do the job just fine.

If you have a small yard, a manual reel mower may be practical too, though they can be hard to find.
Whichever you choose, keep the blades sharp, and proper care and cleaning will extend its life.

Power Hand Planers

I can remember my fathers toolbox, it had about four or five different sizes of hand planes in it.

There is no better sence of accomplishment than running your fingers over a piece of wood which you have just finished by hand.

This may not be for all, for those who are in a hurry---

There are power planers available that really reduce the hard work that is needed for using a hand plane.

Most of these powered hand planers have a cutting width of about 3 1/2 to 4 inches.

You can take off just a thin slice of wood, or a heavier cut with little effort.

You really have to watch when you use one of these powered planers as they take wook of very quickly.

Practice on some scrap wood is a must, until you get used to how well the power planer works.

These planers sell from $25-30 and up.

Remember: you only get what you pay for, and there are a lot of sub-standard pieces of equipment available out there .

Home Heat Leaks

If you feel a shiver each time you open your utility bill, your house may be too cold. More likely, however, you're paying more than you should to heat it.

In either case, you can make changes now that will make your home more comfortable and save you money.

These aren't big projects like adding attic insulation or replacing your windows — save those for later. They're easy-to-do and inexpensive techniques.

The most complicated will take a weekend afternoon, and many take little time and don't even require the purchase of materials, only changing a habit or two.

Others can be done for as little as $10. We'll take a look first at the obvious stuff and then at more specialized — but still simple — energy-saving techniques.

Square up your Drill Press Table

Double Checking a Drill Press Table

I have a small bench top drill press with a table that tilts to accommodate drilling angled holes, which is very handy.
Unfortunately, it doesn't have any stops or markings to let me know when I've got the table set back square to the spindle and bit.
I've seen techniques using a square to set the table perpendicular to the drill press column.

I figured it was more important that the table be perpendicular with a bit, so I made a simple jig I could insert in the chuck to set the table correctly.

The jig took me no more than five minutes to put together. It's just a narrow piece of ¼"-thick scrap wood that I cut about four inches long.
I drilled a hole through the face near each end and pushed a 2"-long machine screw through each hole, pointing in opposite directions.
The nuts hold the screws snug so they are roughly parallel To set the table.

I tighten one of the screws in the chuck. Then I raise the drill press table until the screw sticking down from my jig just touches the table surface at one corner.
I rotate the chuck by hand to four or five different positions, and adjust the table angle until the screw just barely touches the table at every point.

This process is easy, but I don't want to go through it every time I change the table angle. So once I had the table set, I drew a thin line with permanent marker where the table meets its mounting arm.

thanks to wannalearn.com for this great article