Thursday 19 April 2018

BECOMING A BLOKE

I've always avoided owning and operating those 'blokey' things like chainsaws, water blasters and the noisy  usually irrelevant things that home handymen feel they can't do without.

I'm more like this guy on the right in Mitre 10 Mega's 'Easy as' TV ad of a few years ago:



I did once own a small chainsaw that I bought at a swap-meet. It was faulty and crap and leaked petrol everywhere and could hardly cut through butter. I nearly immolated myself using it up a tree once so took it to the dump.

The Old Girl has no confidence in me as a handyman and generally forbids me from doing repairs or making things. She controls the power-drill set and most tools see HERE

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Anyway, today, after the morning's tennis and as the sun was hiding behind overcast skies I decided to give tree trimming a go. I've got the car and trailer now to remove substantial amounts of garden waste so went 'rip-shit-or bust' at it. Since we got back from the UK two years ago now I haven't been able to trim the bushes and trees much so that now most of them are bloody monstrous.  I used a hand-saw as per usual and created vast piles of cuttings before I was exhausted. Looking around it appeared that I've hardy scratched the surface of what needs to be done. I need to motorise,



I've decided to buy a garden chainsaw, a petrol-driven one and tonight will Google -search options and go to Placemakers or Mite 10 tomorrow.

I'll tell The Old Girl tonight and no doubt she will warn me about chopping off an arm or a leg but, needs must.


10 comments:

Richard (of RBB) said...

Get a battery pole saw.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

No, the battery invariably runs down in the middle of a job.

Richard (of RBB) said...

It lasts for at least an hour.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

Oh (like a double bass solo).
OK, I thought it was less than that, I'll check it out, thanks.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

Sorted.
After discussing my gardening requirements with Lynn she gently suggested that I'd be out of my fricking mind if I bought a chainsaw to trim trees and that if I wanted to permanently injure myself why didn't I just play on the motorway.
I'll be looking for a pole trimmer today.

Richard (of RBB) said...

Love it! Pole chainsaws are safe.

Robert and the Catholics said...

Forget the chainsaw. You need an electric hedge trimmer. Though I could be wrong.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

I looked at battery pole pruners today. They seem a bit crappy except for the Stihl one.
Mind you, the Stihl one costs $1300 so I said bugger that. The others were between $150 and $300 but were without battery and charger. The dolts I talked to in Mitre 10 and Bunnings were of no help in telling me how much a battery and charger might cost and anyway couldn't find any.
I went to a specialist place and looked at a Morrison petrol one. You buy it as a weed trimmer and pay extra for a chainsaw attachment. It's pretty nifty but costs $500 plus all up. I'll think about it.
I came home and cut some more branches and bushes with my handsaw and loaded up the trailer. I'm feeling a bit stuffed now but might stick with the handsaw in the interim which is OK as long as I don't take a 'rip-shit-or bust' approach. I can chip away at it slowly and fill the trailer (7 x 4 cage) over a week or more.

Richard (of RBB) said...

I have a polesaw (battery) and a hedge trimmer (electric), neither cost over about $240. I've had them for quite a few years and they both still work fine. I put a new chain on the polesaw, but I use it a lot, so no problem there. I have just a minor problem on the hedhe trimmer, but it doesn't interfere with me using it. If you're cutting back trees, the polesaw is the tool. It's safe and efficient. The battery needs a recharge after about an hour, but this is normally a welcome break for me.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

I still have something in my letterbox that's eating my mail.