What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

Not 100% sure, but I have the impression that Bauer is a Chinese knockoff of Milwaukee. Same color, similar looking design, but cheaper and not half as good.
Our local hardware store (not a chain) has actual human beings who know and use the tools, and a few years ago, one convinced me to buy a set of Milwaukee - impact driver, regular drill, and sawzall - including the charger, two batteries, and a set of drill bits - for $299 (it was during a sale) I use these all the time, the batteries still last a long time even after regular use for a few years. I paid a bit more, but never regretted this buy.

I watched a product comparison and 1/2 inch 20 volt Bauer performed well and most bang for the buck. My grandson has a Milwaukee and dropped the battery in the house taking it off the charger. Broke the case and battery is useless. Not interested as I drop things wrenching stuff. I will return this tool as soon as I can.

 

[gtaus]

Wow, after reading just this part, I was all set to go Harbor Freight and buy one! But after your experience, I'll just stick to my hand "pallet-buster" tool.

It was a real heartbreaker. That Harbor Freight Bauer Clamping Workstation was one of my favorite tools to use in pallet breakdowns. It was so easy to clamp down on some wood and pull out nails, bang on the wood, etc... I initially gave the workstation a 5 star review. After the unit broke, and how it broke due to the metal bending, I wrote a new 1 star review on the product which I hope will warn others of the inferior quality of the product and that there is no after sale support. All you can depend on is the 90-day return period at Harbor Freight.

BTW, I did return the workstation to HF and got my money back. But, I would really have been more happy if the unit was still working.

Because I liked the concept and function of these clamping workstations so much, I am now considering paying more money for the original Rockwell JawHorse at Home Depot.

For comparison, Let me list the specs I found out to compare the original Rockwell JawHorse to the knock off Harbor Freight Bauer Clamping Workstation.

Rockwell JawHorse
Price: $231.85
Warranty: 5 years
Clamping Strength: 2,200 lbs.
Estimated cost of unit over warranty period: $231.85/5 years = $46.37 per year.

Harbor Freight Bauer Clamping Workstation
Price: $149.99
Warranty: 90 days or 0.25 years
Clamping Strength: 1,000 lbs.
Estimated cost of unit over warranty period: $149.99/0.25 years = $599.96 per year.
Estimated cost of unit over warranty period at sale price of $99.97 = $99.97/0.25 years = $399.88 per year.

As you can see, the estimated cost over warranty period of the HF unit, even on sale, does not come close to the more expensive original Rockwell JawHorse. I will looking for the JawHorse ot go on sale at Home Depot and then maybe buy it. I'm all into saving money, but you can see that if the HF unit dies after that 90 day return period, you lost everything. Sometimes it makes more sense to pay more money for a higher quality product with a longer warranty. I think this is one of those times.

I suspect that the original JawHorse with 2,200 lbs of clamping strength is using a much higher quality steel than the HF Bauer unit with 1,000 lbs of clamping strength. Also, I have looked all over the internet and have yet to find a review on the JawHorse where the metal has bent on the clamping track.

So, yeah, I am back to using my pallet buster and other tools for pallet breakdowns. I am also looking at making a DIY clamp to hold the wood - like the clamping workstation - because I really got work done a lot faster being able to clamp down on the wood and go to work. It just made things easier having that third hand.

 

[gtaus]

I like Harbor Freight for tools I like to have on hand but know I'm not going to use very often. But for things I know I'll use a lot, I'd rather get top or mid-level recognized brands with good reviews. Harbor Freight carries a lot of Chinese knockoffs, which can be OK for some things (I got my greenhouse from there and it's been OK) but not for serious, go-to tools.

I am in 100% agreement. I look to save money on consumables and Harbor Freight has been the leader in that area for many products. I will also buy cheap tools for a specific job knowing that I probably will never use that tool again. But when it comes to tools I expect to use a lot, I'll pay more money for higher quality and longer warranties.

Speaking of putting my money where my mouth is... I recently bought an Air Locker AP700 in a kit with an extra driver at Amazon. It was about $15.00 more than the less expensive knock-off brands, but the less expensive ones had short warranties and no ability to replace the drive if/when the driver breaks. From what I understand, those drivers will eventually wear out or break. With the Air Locker, you can replace the driver for about $15.00 and have a working tool again. In the knock-off brands, when that driver wears out or breaks, you have to replace the entire tool.

BTW, I have been using the Air Locker AP700 for about a week now and really like it. It shoots out nails and speeds up that process about 4X-5X faster than I can do with my old hammer and crowbar. So, it's a tool that I will be keeping.

I love tools that save me time and energy. Both of which are more valuable to me at my age.

FWIW, I got about $5.00 off the Air Locker AP700 kit with driver I ordered because they had a unit with a damaged box. The unit was brand new, but the box had a small tear in it. Heck, I'll take the $5.00 and live with a ripped shipping box that I'll just throw away. I always look for used, open box, or cosmetic damaged items when I shop at Amazon. I have saved lots of money. And, if you don't like the unit, you can just return it for a refund.

 

[Smokerbill]

Well, the sneaky deer must've figured out how to lift up the plastic mesh I had draped over the broccoli and they stripped all the leaves from one plant. They munched on a couple pea plants too. Now that they're getting a taste for my garden, it's time to take action.

I'm off to TSC to get a roll of 4' x 150' 1" mesh chicken wire that I'll use to fence around the garden to make a combination deer/chicken barrier. I might run a few electric strands too. I've got a big pile of t-posts and a driver, so it shouldn't be too difficult to get a fence up today.

 

[gtaus]

Not 100% sure, but I have the impression that Bauer is a Chinese knockoff of Milwaukee. Same color, similar looking design, but cheaper and not half as good.

Well, I think some products at Harbor Freight are inferior knock-offs of name brand products, but other products at Harbor Freight are the same exact product but just rebranded. Of course, a person wants the same quality at a lower price. It's not always easy to know what you are buying and product reviews are so unreliable these days.

Our local hardware store (not a chain) has actual human beings who know and use the tools, and a few years ago, one convinced me to buy a set of Milwaukee - impact driver, regular drill, and sawzall - including the charger, two batteries, and a set of drill bits - for $299 (it was during a sale) I use these all the time, the batteries still last a long time even after regular use for a few years. I paid a bit more, but never regretted this buy.

Milwaukee is a good brand. I bought into the Ryobi line, the home consumer little brother to Milwaukee, and my Ryobi tools have served me well. I recently tested an 8-year-old Ryobi Lithium-Ion battery and it still held 90% of its rated charge. I'd call that a pretty good deal.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I was watching videos today (at work, ssh) and apparently there's a term for it - Chaos Gardening!

Yep! We call our garden organized chaos, lol. We were planning to do a Milpa garden this year which is also basically premixed chaos garden seeds but we never got it planted. I suppose I could still do a little patch and see what it does.

 

[gtaus]

Hooked up my good garden hose today. It has a leak. Will attempt a temporary repair with some electrical tape until I can get into town to buy either a splicing adapter or maybe some of that new self-fusing tape I see on YouTube. I like the idea of that self-fusing tape.

EDIT: The electrical tape slowed down the leak, but it did not fix it. Will need a more permanent solution when I go into town.

 

[CNJ]

The generic uv light for my Dana Mosquito trap was a bad idea, I think I got ripped off, it doesn't work like the original uv light I got with the unit.

Anyway, I saw an experiment done on You Tube with a bucket of water and liquid dish soap. The soap in the water is a trap for female mosquitoes, it makes the surface of the water break when the mosquito lands on top the water to lay her eggs and she sink and drown. After just one day the guy in the video emptied the water and there were a lot of mosquitoes on the bottom.

I put out 5 buckets quarter full with water, 1/2sp soap, and Captain Jack"s insect powder to kill larvae if any. I saw a lot of dead mosquitoes in my pilot plant tray after the first night and hardly any after I set out the buckets.

I think its working, I didn't get bite today.

 

[Smokerbill]

When I was on my way to Tractor Supply I saw a big pile of long pallets at a place that sets lumber scraps and pallets out by the road for whoever wants to take them. So I'll disassemble them and make a picket fence around the garden to stop the chickens, with a few electric strands above that for the deer.

I might be able to cut the pallets into sections and have ready-made fence panels.

 

[BReeder!]

Burning... two fires going to burn the scrap from the old shed. Burn barrel burns faster, but bonfire allows me to burn without cutting as much. So both it is!
Menards has 11% rebate going. I need to go get the lumber and materials while I get a rebate.