Category Archives: Blog

When just cutting the grass isn’t giving your yard that manicured and professional landscape look, it’s probably time to look at the edges. That’s where an edger comes in. These come in both gas and electric varieties, as well as older-style manual types. Depending on the size of your yard and complexity of landscaping, you can decide which type of edger is right for you. A high quality edger can speed up the edging process, but if you’re a homeowner, you’ll probably only need to edge your property one or two times a season. Regardless of the type you choose, your lawn will have the nice clean edge that you’re looking for.

What do I edge my lawn and hedge?

First, determine the areas that need edging. These areas can include cement, borders or around landscaping features of the lawn and gardens.

Safety first!

Safety is always a number one concern. Gloves and safety glasses should be worn! The edger is going to cause low-flying debris, so socks and proper shoes are considerably important. Wear jeans or pants, rather than shorts, for additional protection from small nicks or cuts. Also, use caution when handling the edger blade, as it is sharp.

Time to start edging lawn and hedge

Now, let’s get started. Plug in or gas up your edger. With the edger upright, hold it by the handle and line up the blade between the sod and area that needs to be edged. A throttle trigger is commonly located on the handle to start the rotating blade. Once lined up, start the blades and allow them to reach full speed before letting the blades down onto the lawn. With the edger applied to the lawn, make slow and smooth movements for best results. You can move either forward or backward with the edger — whichever way makes you most comfortable. The key here is to be accurate and straight. When edging cement, use the guide wheel against hard/cement surfaces to receive a uniform cut.

Patience is a virtue

Take your time! Edging doesn’t have to be done often, so it’s worth it to do it right the first time. Cutting too far away from the edge will create unsightly gaps that will have to take time to fill back in the lawn.

Cleanup!

Once you’re all done, power off your edger. Wearing gloves, clean grass and sod away from the blade. Now go and clean up your edges! Sweep away grass and dirt or use a leaf blower to speed up the process.

How’s it look? An edger is an excellent way to achieve a clean-cut and professional landscape look to your lawn. It’s just a small part that makes a big difference in the overall look of your yard.

When considering the type of leaf blower to purchase, there are several factors to that need to be considered. First, one must look at the size of the area that needs to be cleared. Second, one must determine how much they are able to and/or desire to lift. Next, one must figure out if a corded model would be acceptable or if an unencumbered battery or gas-powered model would be easier to use. Finally, what price range are you willing to invest, as well as, what storage space do you have available. Once you have an understanding of these factors, now you are able to make the correct choice for you.

Before considering which leaf blower would be the best fit for your needs, you need to know some terminology. Many manufacturers like Sears and MTD promote their products using mile per hour (MPH) ratings. These MPH ratings indicate how fast the air escapes out of the end of the blower tube’s nozzle. The MPH rating can be decreased with a larger nozzle and increased with a smaller nozzle. Other manufacturers, such as ECHO, Shindaiwa and STIHL, promote their products using cubic feet per minute (CFM) ratings. These ratings are much more accurate for how powerful a blower is and will be a much better indication of its strength. Also, look carefully at the nozzle types: flat and round. While flat nozzles will have higher MPH ratings and lower CFM ratings, round nozzles will have lower MPH ratings but higher CFM ratings. You’ll find that the leaf blowers with higher CFM ratings start with high-end handheld blowers and increase drastically with backpack and walk-behind blowers.

Now that we’ve learned some terminology, the following are the four main types of leaf-blowers available:

Electric Handheld Blowers

This type works well for small areas. With its more compact size comes the advantage of a lighter weight than many gas-powered blowers. Users will also enjoy an instant start up and a quieter sound. Electric blowers come with corded and battery powered options with varying degrees of power, though most are less powerful than gas powered blowers. When considering which electric blower to buy, evaluate the area to be cleared for obstacles in which a cord could get tangled and whether an outlet is convenient to your work space.

Gas-powered Handheld Blowers

If you would like more power than the electric handheld blower can provide, but plan to buy the blower for mainly residential use, a gas-powered handheld may be ideal. With no cord to consider, this handheld is more maneuverable. This type is slightly heavier and more expensive than the electric handheld blowers and it may require engine maintenance and fuel mixing.

Gas-powered Backpack

For commercial use or residential users with larger areas, a gas-powered backpack blower may be best. These are the most popular blowers on the market because of their power and ease of maneuverability. They usually weigh nearly two times as much as gas-powered handhelds, and therefore are carried in a harness to allow the user’s back to handle the weight. While originally designed for the commercial landscaper, more residential customers are purchasing gas-powered backpack leaf blowers to reduce the amount of time it takes to clean up their yards. Before choosing this type of blower, compare the weight, engine size and CFM output to that of handheld blowers or other backpack blowers. A higher CFM output will decrease the amount of time spent cleaning up your yard.

Push/Self-Propelled

A push or self-propelled leaf blower is the most powerful blower you can buy. Designed for large residential or commercial use, this type of blower is pushed like a lawn mower and blows debris with high power and speed. Because of its heft, this type of blower can be difficult to maneuver. This is also the most expensive and would require a significant amount of storage space, but due to the high CFM output, this is the best option for large residential properties (more than an acre).

Evaluate the size of the area and the amount of power needed for the weight of the debris to be cleared against the amount of weight the user can handle comfortably, and the right choice for you will be as clear as your freshly blown driveway and yard.

Okay, so you’ve got yourself a pressure washer, but you’ve got to do more than hook up your hose and spray things — preventative maintenance is key to keeping your tool running for years.

Start With The Engine

The first thing you’ll want to do is address the engine. This includes checking the engine oil by using the dipstick on the side of the engine. Make sure that your engine oil is clean — clean engine oil should be a light brown to medium brown color. Anything darker than a medium brown should be changed. Most engine manufacturers recommend that you change engine oil every 25 hours of use but please consult your owner’s manual for specific requirements for your engine.

It is a good idea to make sure that your fuel is fresh and within the requirements of your owner’s manual. Fuel that has been sitting for a long time has a tendency to attract water and other sediment which can reduce the octane level within your fuel and ruin engine parts if you try to run old fuel. If in doubt, it’s probably best to drain and recycle the fuel inside the tank.

Check The Pressure Washer Pump

Many pumps require oil to keep parts lubricated and function properly. Read your owner’s manual for the instructions on how to check your pump oil level. Your manual should also give an indication as to how often the oil should be changed, what kind of oil to buy for your pressure washer pump and how to change the oil.

Check The Pressure Washer Tires!

You don’t want to carry that pressure washer around, do you? Make sure that the recommended amount of pressure is inside of the machine’s tires. Save yourself the hassle of trying to carry it around the yard.

How’s

The Pressure Washer Your Screen?

Check the intake screen/filter and any other filters that the machine might have between the intake of the pump and the output of the pump. If it’s dirty, do your best to clean it with water. If the filter is damaged or ripped, replace it.

Before-Use Precautions

Use A Clean Hose – Make sure you run a full cycle of clean water through your garden hose before attaching it to your pressure washer. This will clean out a good portion of the sediment or debris that might have been inside of the hose.

Check Your Hoses – Make sure you look at both your garden hose and pressure washer hose for any nicks, cuts or holes. Replace the hose if it’s damaged. If you replace your hose, make sure that you purchase an original replacement from your pressure washer’s manufacturer or that it meets or exceeds the PSI output rating on your pressure washer.

Look For Leaks – Check all of your connections for leakage. You may need to replace seals and o-rings if leaks occur.

Use Clean Detergent & Check Intake – Check the intake hose of the detergent and make sure that there is no debris or sediment within the detergent reservoir.

During-Use Suggestions

When you’ve started up the pressure washer, make sure you depressurize the pump by depressing the spray wand within approximately a minute of starting the machine. Do not allow the pump to over-pressurize by letting the engine run for long periods of time without depressing the spray wand — this will put excessive strain on the pump and may reduce pump quality/life.

After-Use Suggestions

Clean It Out – Run clean water through to remove as much as the detergent as possible. It will take a few minutes to use up what’s left of the detergent and clean out the system.

Clean Up – After turning off the engine, close your hose spigot to cut off the water supply. Then, depressurize the pressure washer by depressing the spray wand until all of the water is out of the system. Remove the wand from the hose, then remove the hose from the output of the pressure washer. It is recommended that you rotate the flywheel by pulling the recoil a few times to force the last bit of water from the pump.

Long-Term Storage

If you’re going to be storing your pressure washer for long periods of time, making sure that you’ve depressurized the pump and drained excess water out of the unit is important. You might also want to run the unit out of gas or add a fuel stabilizer to your fuel for long-term storage.

Other references are:

Calculating the generator’s output is important for deciding what size generator is right for you. Doing this is very simple and will save you some headaches in the long run.

Watts = Volts x Amps

Generators can only put out a finite amount of power. Companies use watts to rate a generator’s output. The wattage is calculated by multiplying the voltage by the electrical device’s load capacity in amperage (Watts = Volts x Amps). For example, a generator may be listed as 1,500 watts delivering 120 volts.

Generator Amps = Watts / Volts

Now you can find the amperage that it can output at 120 volts by dividing the watts by the volts (Amps = Watts / Volts). So a 1,500 watt generator delivering 120 volts can output 12.5 amps.

Generator Dual voltage

Some generators are dual voltage and also output 240 volts. Find the amps available at the higher voltage. Now the 1,500 watt generator is delivering 6.25 amps at 240 volts. Just to note, some generators are not be able to deliver 120V and 240V at the same time, so check the specs.

What are you powering?

Whether it’s a few things around the house or your camping equipment — the total load from the devices that you are powering cannot exceed the generator’s output. Take a look at the electrical spec label or owners manual for the devices that you want to power with the portable generator. Then add the watts up in order to figure out what portable generator that you need. Generators are usually listed with a constant/continuous load specification, as well. This is the amount of power that the generator can safely put out for an extended period of time. Some devices also require a large amount of starting wattage compared to their running wattage. For example, a washing machine may require 750W while running, but 2,300W while starting. You may want to differentiate what will be constantly running as well as the maximum amount of power that you’ll need.

How many watts?

*Electric motors require at least three times more wattage when first starting than when running.

More Resources

When choosing a generator, it’s a good idea to oversize it. If your load is going to be 1,500W then it may be best to look a generator that can deliver 2,500W.

WARNING: NEVER back feed your home’s electrical system with an extension cord and a portable generator. This may cause severe damage to all electrical appliances and it creates an electrical hazard to all persons.

As a chainsaw owner or operator, it’s important to know your chainsaw’s chain. With terms flying around like pitch, gauge, round-tooth, square-tooth, chisel, full-complement, half-skip, and full-skip it’s easy to become confused. Let’s start with learning the anatomy of saw chain.

Chain Links

Every chain is made of links; your saw’s chain has three types: cutting teeth, drive links, and tie straps. Your chain’s cutting teeth are the “business” end of the chain; these do the cutting or chipping when you cut with your saw. These cutting teeth come in different varieties which are referred to as different cutting tooth profiles. The next type of link found in your chain is the drive link. The drive links travel inside the groove on your chainsaw’s guide bar while the drive sprocket makes contact with the tang of the links. This is what propels your saws chain around your guide bar. It’s important to make sure your chain’s gauge is compatible with your guide bar’s groove width. The tie straps are the links that attach the cutting teeth and the drive links together. They don’t have cutting teeth or the tang of the drive links, these links just hold the chain together. A tie strap with preset rivets is called a preset tie strap, the other half that just has rivet holes is referred to as a tie strap. Depending on your chain’s cutting tooth spacing there may be more or less of these in your chain.

Chain Cutting Tooth Profile

Typically speaking, consumer chainsaws come with round-tooth profile chains. These chains are less prone to kickback and vibration. They can handle a more versatile work load. Kickback is a strong thrust of the saw back towards the sawyer because of improperly using the top corner of the guide bar’s nose. These chains scoop wood out of a cut and are best suited for removing tree limbs, clearing brush, stumping, and cutting through frozen or dirt- and mud-covered wood or hardwoods. The chain require more effort from the engine when making big cuts and are best applied to shorter bars. Most professionals, however, use square-tooth, or chisel profile chains. These chains chip the wood away, severing the wood fiber faster, and are best applied to longer bars (usually 24”+). There is no consensus as to which tooth profile is better as they serve different purposes and do different jobs more effectively.

Pitch & Gauge

Pitch and gauge are measurements used to describe the size of your chain. Pitch refers to the spacing between the rivets holding the chain links together. This is measured as fractions of an inch (1/4) or in thousandths of an inch (.404) and is calculated by taking the distance between any three consecutive rivets and dividing it by two. The numbers increase as the chain size increases. Gauge refers to the width of the chains drive teeth. This is measured in thousandths of an inch (.063). These measurements are mainly used as a reference to the chain’s compatibility with your saw’s guide bar and drive sprocket. You must match exactly the guide bars groove width and your chains gauge. If these numbers don’t match, the chain won’t have the correct clearance to rotate around your guide bar.

Tips from the mechanics: Always write down and keep these measurements in a place where you can easily access them for reference. When replacing your chain, it’s important to use a chain with measurements compatible with your guide bar and drive sprocket.

Cutting Teeth Spacing Chain

When we’re talking about full-complement, half-skip and full-skip, we’re talking about the spacing between the cutting teeth on the chain. A full-complement chain has the maximum number of teeth possible. These are the chains that are typically used on consumer equipment with a round-toothed profile. The benefits of these chains can also be considered their weaknesses. By having as many cutting teeth as possible these chains make smooth and clean cuts and respond more predictably to user input. These clean smooth cuts are the result of the saw cutting slower, as the close set teeth are pulling more debris out of the cut. But the tradeoff with the slower, smoother cut is increased engine strain.

Half-skip chains add a spacer or non-toothed link between pairs of cutting teeth and full-skip chains add two of these spacers which ends up reducing the number of teeth by approximately 1/3. A half-skip chain installed on a longer bar makes a rougher cut, but it cuts faster and easier through denser wood.

Half-skip chains tend to be a rare choice as replacement chains. Most occasional users tend to replace their full-complement chains with similar or identical full-complement chains, and most professionals prefer full skip chains. This leaves the half-skip replacement chains in the limbo of neither, consumers or professionals, wanting to experiment with this middle ground option.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember the pitch and gauge of your original chain and to consider what types of cutting you plan on doing with your saw when choosing your replacement chain. You’ll want to keep a record of the pitch and gauge from your saw’s original chain, as you’ll want to find a replacement with the same measurements to fit your saw’s guide bar. Deciding what types of cutting tasks you’ll be performing with your chainsaw will help you decide which saw tooth profile and cutting tooth spacing is best for your saw and its intended work load.

Now that you’re educated and know what you’re looking for, check out our selection of chain.

Mower:

1. Add fuel stabilizer and run for 30 seconds
   Gas  sitting in a lawn mower tank can clog the carburetor and leaving an empty tank can encourage condensation, adding a fuel stabilizer to the existing gasoline is wise to do.  Fuel stabilizers will prevent deposits and condensation through the winter.  It is widely available in home improvement stores and some gas stations.  Once you add the stabilizer, run the engine for 30 seconds so that the stabilizer reaches the carburetor with the increased prevalence of ethanol in gasoline today, it’s not recommended to leave fuel in the tank for over 3 months. E10 gasoline degrades rapidly, some fuel stabilizers will slightly extend the shelf life of your fuel, but it will still break down and separate into layers of alcohol and fuel over time. Most of the damage caused from fuel sitting in your engine today is caused by the layer of alcohol created as ethanol blended fuel degrades. We recommend running stabilized fuel or pure gasoline through your engine and running it dry. After you’ve ran the tank dry and your mower has cooled off, make sure you drain the carburetor bowl by removing the bolt that holds it in place.
2. Change the oil and service the filters
   Be sure to refill the oil reservoir with clean oil before storing it and replace the oil filter. Depending on the size of your mowing area, changing a filter once per year is usually sufficient.  Check the air filter, and if applicable, the fuel filter, for signs of deterioration and clogging.   Clean or replace the filters, if needed.
3. Remove and store the battery
   Examine and remove the battery.  If there are signs of corrosion, it may need to be replaced.  If no signs of corrosion are present, the battery should be removed for storage in a clean, dry and warm area.   Periodically charging it throughout the winter season will promote longer overall battery life.
4. Disconnect the spark plug wire and change the spark plug
   Examine the spark plugs for signs of corrosion.  If signs of corrosion are seen, the spark plug should be replaced.  If the plug does not need replacing, remove it, pour an ounce of motor oil into the cylinders, then crank the engine a few times in order to close the valves and prevent moisture from getting into the engine.  Then, reinstall the plug for storage.
5. Inspect and clean the deck, belts and blades, and tighten nuts and bolts
   Look over the deck, deck belts, and blades and replace any belt showing cracks or deterioration. Wash the mower deck and the air intake screen.  Scrape off grass clippings from the underside of the mower deck.  Finish the deck with an application of protective silicone spray.  Tighten all the nuts and bolts.
6. Sharpen blades
   This will save you the trouble of sharpening blades once spring arrives.  Practice caution when dealing with this dangerous area.  Consult your owner’s manual for the proper procedure for your machine.
7. Pest deterrent
   Half of the repairs we see in the spring are due to rodents getting into engine blocks, shrouding or eating up mower seats.  Use a pest deterrent to prevent this damage.
8. Lubricate, grease fittings and wearable items
   Inspect the entire mower.  Lubricate and grease all the fittings and any wearable items before storage.
9. Properly store the mower
   Safely store your cleaned and refreshed mower in a safe, dry area, and be sure to check your manual for any additional recommendations for your model.  If storing inside, do not cover.  This will prevent moisture buildup.  If the mower is to be stowed outside, consider investing in a waterproof cover and be sure to remove and store the battery in an indoor location out of children’s reach.

Every repair project should begin with a troubleshooting phase. This is the phase of your repair project where you’ll identify the source of a problem, starting with the most obvious solutions and working towards complex solutions for less obvious problems.

The best way to thoroughly troubleshoot your engine is to systematically work through the various parts and systems in the engine to rule out possible causes of your issue. Being thorough is very important when troubleshooting your engine. Trying to identify what’s wrong with your engine can be likened to trying to find a lost remote control. Many times it’s located in a very obvious spot that didn’t seem logical enough or too simple to check. The answer to this is to be very thorough and not overlook things that may seem too obvious. Your remote just may be sitting there in the open.

The most important thing to remember when troubleshooting your small engine is to avoid the “bandage on a broken leg syndrome”. Simple solutions aren’t always the correct solutions they may only be a partial solution. For example: replacing a worn spark plug may get an engine to start, but the real issue may be a carburetor that is partially blocked. In this instance this problem will most likely arise again.

For Successful Troubleshooting

• Consider all symptoms carefully
• Look for the cause, not just a cure (avoid the “bandage on a broken leg” syndrome)
• Gather as much information as possible. Knowing specifics of how the engine stopped working or if it just won’t start can make a difference in identifying the problem.

Common four-stroke small engine problems

Common two-stroke small engine problems

• Spark Plug – Bad or No Spark
• Fuel Related Problems
• Compression Problems

It’s important to know exactly what you’re trying to fix when repairing your small engine. Doing some basic troubleshooting can help you narrow down and isolate the cause of your small engine problem. Knowing the cause of the problem is half the battle. Once the problem has been located you can take the next steps to repair or replace the damaged or non-functioning parts in your small engine and get your outdoor power equipment running again.

Not sure what type or grade of gas to use in your outdoor power equipment?

Yes different types of equipment may need different types of fuel. That lawn mower of yours isn’t gonna use the same type of gasoline as your generator would. Below we list the most common types of power equipment people own along with the gasoline they should be using for each one.

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWNER’S MANUAL FOR FUEL RECOMMENDATIONS.

Lawn Mowers

Most lawn mowers have a four-stroke engine, these require fresh unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87 or higher. You can use gas with ethanol, but more than 10 percent ethanol is typically not recommended.

Chainsaws

Most regular grade fuel has an octane rating of about 87. For chainsaws that’s not enough, they need gasoline that has an octane rating at 89 or higher. Chainsaws have high performance engines, some produce more power per pound than many race car engines, so they need gasoline that has a high octane rating.

For chainsaws they require an oil/gas mixture since they have two-stroke engines. Most two-stroke engines require a either a 40:1 gas-to-oil ratio (2.6 fluid ounces of two cycle oil for every one gallon of gas.) or 50:1 gas-to-oil ratio.

String Trimmers, Weed eaters, Brush cutters

For trimmers you can use unleaded gasoline with an octane level of around 87. Never use gasoline with an octane rating lower than 87 or diesel fuels. Its always preferred to use fresh gasoline if you can get it.

Since most trimmers have a two-stroke engine they require a oil/gas mixture. Most two-stroke models require a 40:1 gas-to-oil ratio, (2.6 fluid ounces of two cycle oil for every one gallon of gas.) Some manufacturers (Honda, Husqvarna) have now started making 4-stroke trimmers, which wouldn’t require you to mix the gas and oil.

Generators

Use regular unleaded gas with at least 87 octane for your gas powered generator. If your generator is running turn it off and allow it to cool for about 2 minutes before refueling. You should never put gas into a generator while the engine is running.

Warranty Alert: Most manufacturer warranties do not cover malfunctions or repairs that are a result of improper fuel usage.