I may have to turn in my man-card. I am buying an electric chainsaw.
The 450 Husqvarna with the 20" bar throws the chain when I am cutting side branches off of apple trees. I think it is because the stems are so brushy that it picks up branches/twigs behind the one I am cutting.
The electric pole-saw hasn't thrown a chain yet.
I purchased a Dewalt (for battery compatibility) DCCS620B with a 12" bar. Even though there were cheaper options, most of them were one-hand operation and I prefer the control and security of two hands on the tool.
A question generated from the previous post
What is the optimum time to date a woman before marrying?
What circumstances make that a hard number to pin down?
I know one couple who lived together for 17 years, had two kids, got married and then divorced in less than a year.
I know another couple who dated for two weeks, married and were still married the last time I saw them.
Those are exceptions but they tell me that it is impossible to date a woman long enough to eliminate ALL of the uncertainty and it is possible to get a good one by near-random luck-of-the-draw.
My gut feel is that you should "know" as much as can be known within a year UNLESS:
- You meet very infrequently, i.e. very few contacts through-out the year
- Circumstances in her life are randomly, very chaotic
- Crazy family
- Loony-tune ex(es)
- Job that is feast-or-famine. She might be totally different during a downturn
- Totally reinvents herself in terms of diet, profession, obsessive hobby
- Is an addict who has a history of falling off the wagon
On the side that mitigates toward a shorter "getting to know you" are how she treats her friends and family AND what her girlfriends' guys think of her. If they think she is a slut...well, they are likely to know. If they think she is a peach and threaten to break your legs if you hurt her...she is a peach.
What are your thoughts?
Walking pace for long distances
In 2017 I did some long-distance walks. I walked from Allendale, Michigan to Eaton Rapids. Then I walked from Eaton Rapids to Jay, Indiana. My longest two-days was 25 miles-followed by-26 miles. My typical pace was between 2.5 mph and 2.6 mph which I thought was pretty slow.
Elevation in meters on the left side of scale |
I recently picked up a walking guide for the Via de la Plata Camino route and punched some numbers into a spread-sheet. The stretch from Cáceres-to-Salamanca is 113 miles long and if I divide that distance by the times the guide suggest for planning purposes, I get a very sedate 1.8 miles/hour (suspiciously close to a very round 3.0 km/h).
The longest single stage in that segment is a freckle short of 18 miles. The "mode" is 7 miles with 5 of the 15 stages being between 6-and-8 miles long. At 2.5 mph that would be a three hour stroll, a three hour stroll ("...the weather started getting rough...")
Hold on to your man card . There are times when electric , corded or battery , is the better tool for the task at hand . Lighter , easier to control than the 450 in the situations you may encounter when pruning .
ReplyDeleteI use my Milwaukee Hackzall when I go out to cut down shrubs like autumn olive...
DeleteKeep an extra battery for the chainsaw and watch the bar and chain oil. Maybe your Husky has a bent or pinched bar or the chain is old and stretches a little more as it gets hotter or the bar loosens up....
ReplyDeleteYou will never date a girl long enough to know if you want to marry her. I met my wife in 79 and got married in 82. She still surprises me from time to time. If you want to have a good marriage you need to be prepared for anything and most importantly, have low expectations. Set the bar low enough and she will easily make you happy.
sam
My battery saw is great, especially times when your flipping between carrying a running saw or having to restart after deciding the next cut. It won't replace any of my gas saws and the only task where a second battery is useful is when hiking the woods trimming trails. Every other time I used up the battery a gas powered saw worked better for me.
ReplyDeleteI have seen a lot of friends who changed drastically after marriage, both women and men. In fact I had some friends who lived together had kids, got married relationship fell apart, year later living together again, repeat. Could not stand being married, but have happily lived together for 30 years after their 3rd divorce.
I gave up using my 20" (even 16") saw some time ago, except for work on the ground. I bought a stihl and put a 12" bar on it - much easier for branches or use up a ladder. I like the sound of the DeWalt as most of my cutting now is done in short bursts, so probably suited to battery
ReplyDeleteI suspect in some of those situations where people are together a long time then marry and divorce in a year that there are already problems and the marriage is an attempt to fix the problems. Do your 2.5 and 2.6 mph paces include rest times or just time when you are moving?
ReplyDeletemore thoughts on length of time before marriage. It needs to be useful time. My second wife and I lived over 100 miles apart, so we could only see each other on week ends and even after we married we were weekenders for over a year until I retired and sold my house and moved. We found ourselves dealing with issues in our second and third year of marriage that should have been sorted out long before.
DeleteI remember encouraging a young lady to not marry her young man at that time as he wasnt dealing well with substance abuse issues. She couldnt face telling her parents that the wedding should be put off or cancelled, the marriage didnt last too long.
Rest times were included.
DeleteOn-the-hour I would stop, slug down twenty-oz of home-made electrolyte (2 pkts Koolaid-lemonade, a cup of sugar, one teaspoon of un-iodized table salt and a gallon of water). I would unload liquid ballast if necessary. Reload back-pack and trudge onward. I doubt that I lost two minutes on most stops.
I used to be a big fan if Husqvarna. Their stuff used to be top-end. Now it's crap. I'll never Husqvarna again. My last "Husky" appliance was a blower. I've had the thing for several years. Other than being a little harder to start than an Echo blower I also own, it never failed me... until it did. It just won't start. The gas is good. The plug is good and there's spark. It's getting gas. It gives a couple of putts as if it's going to start as many times as I want to pull it, but that's it. The exhaust port is also clean. I also have a Poulan blower that had the same symptoms. I swapped the plug and I was up and running again.
ReplyDeleteDon't deny your rightly-earned man card for buying a batt-op chainsaw. Batt-op stuff has it's place, and if all you need is batt-op, then great. A big advantage of the electric saws is that they're more quiet. You an get going with your work FAR earlier than you can with the gas saw without bugging those up and downstream of your place. My beef with batt-op is not with batt-op, it's with the MANDATE of batt-op. Here in Commiefornia, our illustrious soy-boy "governor" outlawed the sales of new gas-op equipment with engines of less than 20HP. ...Even GENERATORS... The "lawnmowers" for sale now TRULY DO look like those Playskool toys we gave our kids! Too bad looney Lefties last longer than the cheesy-ass Chinese crap they foist upon us... BOTH are toxic waste in my book...
Big bro and I got into a cage match fist fight over Dad’s 70s vintage Husquavarna. He’s still using it!😂
DeleteYou are right, Pete, today’s Huskies are junk! 👎
But… I must revoke your man cards and issue tard cards! Joe… if you’re throwing chains there’s something wrong with the saw, and going electric won’t change that…
Dingity-dangit!
DeleteGuess I am going to have to kill something or catch a mouse in a trap to reclaim my card.
Tree Mike suggests it is probably an issue of the operator not taking the time to ensure chain tension is correct. From my limited experience, chain tension can change a lot during the first five minutes of operation.
either the chain is woen or sharpened incorrectly, or your tension is incorrect....maybe the bar is worn. Try flipping it over and see what happens (the bar, not the chain).
DeleteI have big gas saws, little gas saws, and a battery saw. the battery saw is for yard maintenance, the little gas saw is for storm damage and bigger maintenance and the like, and the big saws are for firewood or lumber.
When it comes to women, they always change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Sometimes the change can be dealt with, other times you have to cut your losses. IF she values you and respects you, keep her, or at least try. If she starts disrespecting you or doesn't value you, take the walk. Sadly, modern women often think they Don't Need No Man, and their sisters tell them that enough that they REALLY believe it, then things go downhill, especially once they are over 50 or so.
Interesting.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I had an unplanned pregnancy and a shotgun wedding in our teens. In the last 40 years we’ve watched all our friends and family divorce, set up estrangements, get into drugs or booze… it’s heartbreaking.
I’ve noticed one common factor: liberal women. I advise young men that liberalism should be a deal breaker in relationships. It’s not politics… it’s morality. Liberalism fosters unrealistic life expectations, minimizes responsibilities and encourages self destructive behaviour patterns. People forget that traditional marriage arose the way it did because it works. The couple plays as a team to each others’ strengths and weaknesses to win as a team and accomplish more together than they could individually. They pool resources, they divide labour and are usually richer and happier for it. Long courtships are required - especially in this day and age especially for men. If you throw the dice and lose - she gets your house, your kids, and your dog - and you get the bills. Call it two years for a meaningful courtship…?
Aside - the Pedo-Meter on my phone says the Niglet and I do 3.6 MPH on flat terrain, no pack or supplies. But we seriously start slowing down after 10 miles.
It is always a crap shoot. A month, 6 months, a year... who knows.
ReplyDeleteA couple things contribute to chain derailment. A worn chain and/or bar. The leading cause is a loose chain. In 40 years of chain sawing, this is what I figured out. When I adjust the chain the bar must be in the up position of mounting lug clearance. Make sure chaln is warmed up and well lubed. Then adjust chain until almost tight. Can still move by hand, but exhibiting some resistance, barely able to lift chain from bar. Tighten. Run it for tension test. When off, make sure chain still moves with a little resistance. Factory spec clearance is fine for vertical firewood cutting, not limbing.
ReplyDeleteI occasionally had to Mexican mulch tree branches in a trailer because chipper went down. THAT will bring about maximum derailments. Hope this works for you. Love yer blog, entertaining and educational, valuable combo.
Guilty as charged.
DeleteI really need to re-tension after five minutes of cutting.
Thanks for commenting.
Approaching 30 years. So long as I'm making good money everythings great! Hard times with your job? Wow, what a bitch!
ReplyDeleteWould NOT have seen that coming given the life I plucked her out of.
What is the optimum time to date a woman before marrying?
ReplyDeleteAt least through one Presidential election cycle. I'd met S in 2012, and we seemed on the matrimonial path. That is until 2016 and her TDS kicked in. Never marry a woman who calls you a racist or a nazi.
Before that, I'd been married for over 22 years, 4 kids, and then we hit some economic hard times. The X quickly forgot how to be a supportive wife.
It's interesting what events can turn a relationship on its head.
We've been married 10 years, dating almost 18 years. I think you've gotta think of 3 factors if you want to go a distance with someone.
ReplyDelete1. From research/data: Children of divorced parents have way more divorces. They didn't grow up seeing how to make a relationship work, or they learned toxic patterns. There might be some nuanced here based on age at divorce and whatnot, but in general maybe consider that if someone is a child of divorce you're gonna need to help them learn how long term relationships work (i.e. don't compete for moral advantage).
2. Long enough to kick the tires, go through some stuff and see how they react. Pretty simple, but if you haven't been through a life crisis with someone it's really rolling the dice. This could happen after 6 months or 6 years though.
3. Need to be at the same place/path in life. If you're still in school and need to spend 5-10 years moving around the country to get your foot on the ladder, then prospective spouse better damn well be on board with this. If prospective spouse is looking to settle down, have kids and put roots down... it's not gonna work. Is one person ready to advance to functional adult and the other person still a hard drinking out-to-bars-5-nights a week?
Ok those are easy examples, but you've gotta just do a quick check and make sure your life plans (especially with regards to kids within 10 years, home ownership and MOVING FOR WORK are fully aligned.
I think if you check 1/2/3 you're pretty likely to go the distance, but if you don't (especially 2 and 3) the odds aren't in your favor.
I use the same DeWalt saw, with a 16 inch bar and chain, to great effect. Oil in a gatorade bottle, a 5AH battery for small stuff and a pair of 10's (from their mower) for longer use. It is light, ready at a trigger pull, quiet and does everything I need on the trail or in the mountains. I am not sawing for a living, so I don't need the largest tool in the box. A bag full of chains and a pair of spare bars are just part of the game. The 12" bar went onto the pole saw.
ReplyDeleteDid you mean to say Ray Indiana? I started reading your blog back in the day and was impressed by your walking distances. Lived in Hillsdale Co. In my younger days.
ReplyDeleteYes. You are right. The village straddles the Michigan-Indiana line with the Indiana side appearing much more prosperous.
DeleteOf all the towns I walked through, Montgomery, Michigan had the weirdest vibe, as in "I can hear the banjos".
No doubt, mostly good folks getting by. Mom’s family is from southern Hillsdale county. I enjoy getting back a few times a year and visiting what family is left.
DeleteLength of relationships -
ReplyDeleteIt took us three years of really rough sledding composed of long-distance relationship periods, long phone calls identifying what we wanted out of our relationship (marital roles, # of kids desired, desired parental roles, how we were going to handle our responsibility to aging parents [Dearest is an only child], views on debt and handling money). We have weathered multiple stretches of living apart for months at a time for either professional or family care issues. Our next anniversary is #48.
About "Camino-ing" -
You seem to be interested in the Via de la Plata. After 3,000 km on the Frances and Invierno routes, I totally get it.
I cannot pontificate on the VdlP. Though very interesting to me still, it is not yet something I can countenance because of the 10 week commitment. Well, that and the need for extra carry weight on multiple stages plus an even more enhanced knowledge of the language.
Here is a resource for you if you have not found it yet:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/via-de-la-plata-sanabres-from-sevilla.22/
Plenty of helpful folks here if you have questions...
The aphorism that women marry expecting the man to change and he doesn't while the man marries expecting the woman to not change but she does, exists for good reason. Women change. And they change more radically and quickly when exposed to outside influences. Thus women working are exposed to corrupting influence and change. If a women perceives she has options she will always be unsatisfied and seek to improve her lot in life. Her perception may be wrong but she will almost always act on it.
ReplyDeleteI tell young guys that are getting serious about their girl to get to know her mother because in 20 years that is what she will be--ken
ReplyDeleteIn the era of 'no-fault' divorce and the human rights abuse of men that accompanies any family court activity, the best advice to young men by far is 'Do not marry. Do not have kids. Do not co-habit.' Sad that it's come to this.
ReplyDeleteI use a Husky 435 with a 16 inch bar for limbing spruce with never a problem! Back in the day I tried for a four mile an hour pace. These days I walk with a cane or my wheeled walker for distance so not any where near that now!
ReplyDeleteMet k dec. 12, 70. proposed Christmas eve. Married June 5, 71. 3 daughters, adopted 4 sp needs children. 11 grandkids. still farm. hunt. Plan to ride the mississippi queen this summer. sip a few. Woody
ReplyDeleteg
We have a 10” battery saw, mostly for me, but hubby likes it too. Its light weight and ease of use makes it a favorite. Great for tight places, small limbs. I can carry it on the 4 wheeler and clear out my trails easily. It’s a Black & decker 20 volt. We have several tools that use the same battery, so we keep a bank of spare batteries. Good life on the battery during use, recharges in a couple hours.
ReplyDeleteHubby says his husquavarna gas saw is getting heavier every year.
Southern NH
Know two couples who got together in 8th grade in '67. Still together (Damn!). I got married after really not dating at all - it's been 30 years now. I suspect teenage/early 20s hormones get in the way and after the initial sex attraction wears off, other more-important-to-relationship problems come to a head. Who knew the setting of a thermostat could be an issue?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as a divorced man after 25 years of marriage, my biggest mistake was that I didn't know myself nearly as well as I thought I did, and it was those areas I knew myself the least were the ones that gave us the most marital heartburn. Things like communication style, how I handle conflict, money, etc. Parents, siblings, long term friends can all help you identify those areas in yourself. This would have helped me, but I didn't know what I didn't know.
ReplyDeleteOnce you know yourself, then a lot of the good advice I've seen in these replies becomes a lot easier to put into practice.
Hope that helps.
To some of the others, I would add spend time with the person in social situations to see how they treat others. Character is revealed there. Next, my current spouse and I avoided the "dating" concept entirely. We just started doing things together like church activities. There was also a child - young teen with mental issues, so when I realized this individual accepted the teen and supported my interactions with said teen, considering long term commitment was then a possibility.
ReplyDeleteNote the focus: character and commitment. Those make long term relationship possible. Too much modern culture is focused on how the self feels. Responsibility is a list concept.
I was divorced from a long term relationship as well because I did not acknowledge the past experiences or properly label the way my former spouse was treating me. I still have emotional scars from that one. It took three years of therapy for me to understand what happened. Like the above comment - you don't know what you don't know
Here is a post about various women to avoid, along with comments 30 & 34. Even if you don't agree with his points, they are still something to think about in viewing a relationship.
ReplyDelete