Post-Weekend Update On Husqvarna GTH 26 Garden Tractor, RedMax 7150 Blower and Flashlights

 

This weekend was one of the hottest in years with triple digit highs and heat index of more than 110 degrees, so outside work was kept to very little.  Since my neighbors were having a reunion on Saturday, I went out early to cut the grass along the shoreline and to blow the driveways off.  The sunshade was nice and it provided some relief from the heat.  I was able to get maybe an acre done before deciding to wait until our neighbor’s guests had left.  So I parked the Husqvarna in the drive and grabbed the blower to clean up the grass and blow downs from the prior weeks thunder storms.  The RedMax 7150 handled the grass quickly and at least most of the property looked presentable.

While parked in the drive, the Husqy attracted attention from one of the neighbor’s guests and he asked to take a look at it. Facing retirement in a few years, the gentleman wanted a tractor that could handle a few acres of grass quickly, so he could get over to the golf course before it got hot. In our conversation, he pointed out the thickness of the Husqvarna’s mowing deck. He had looked at an ExMark Zero Turn unit and liked it, but when he saw the deck on the 26, it caught his eye.  I told him from a speed standpoint the, the Husqvarna was very quick and handled the property and hills with little or no strain.  One of his biggest complaints about his current riding tractor was the mower deck getting beat up and having to be reshaped.  This is an area I can safely attest that the GTH 26 is beefed up.  The deck itself is thick, but the deck guard that surrounds the perimeter of the cutting deck is very thick.(for more on the Husqvarna GTH26 Garden Tractor, see here http://blog.extremehowto.com/2010/07/23/husqvarna-garden-tractor-more-than-just-for-mowing-grass/)

Husqvarna Garden Tractor Mower Deck
Husqvarna uses thick steel for its mower plates on the GTH26 and GTH27

After seeing the speed of the Husqvarna, my neighbor’s guest eyes lit up.  I had to laugh when he wanted me to e-mail him a dealer’s location in west Georgia.  The more I use this garden tractor, the more I am impressed. I used it to launch PWCs, (Wave Runners) and that presented no problem. I used it to tow 1000 pound dead falls and it handled that, but I wish had wheel weights or chains for better traction on the soft soil.

I used the RedMax 7150 commercial back blower while at the lake. As noted earlier, it was stinking hot and the RedMax with its air circulation helped keep me cooler while blowing leaves and grass clippings in 100 degree heat.  I wish I could have installed a variable switch to adjust more air onto my back, but frankly I would have set the unit to blow most of its air on me instead of the debris I was trying to move if that option were available.

Saturday afternoon, I ran some Bosch and Milwaukee tools through their paces.  I had to install a dusk to dawn Metal-Halide light onto the end of our dock. I used Milwaukee’s Shock Wave bits to drive the nuts and screws and coupled them to my 18Volt Bosch Impactor, which is a beast of a driver. The bits performed flawlessly with no tear outs or splits.  I did lose my brand new insert for my Milwaukee Electrical screwdriver. I hate working over deep water.  Following this, I grabbed my Bosch Rapid Feed spade bits that have just been released. Wow, talk about pulling a bit through a workpiece, Bosch’s new bits are really effective.  I give these bits whatever seal of approval I have. They are quick and the starter screw really pulls the bit. You really notice the pull when the starter screw exits the workpiece and no longer pulls it feels as though someone hit the brakes.  But with a little force the RapidFeed finishes up quickly.  If you drill studs for wiring or for running plumbing, buy these. You will save an unbelievable amount of time.

On Saturday evening and Sunday morning I finished cutting the property and even had time to cut my neighbors property behind their house. Don’t think I am a nice guy. They fed me Saturday lunch along with their other guest and I got the better end of the bargain.  Left to my own devices, Saturday lunch would have been burgers and chips. Instead I had a plethora of choices from the buffet Bob and Vesta had set out.

Sunday afternoon was spent machine polishing my car. There was only a 10 percent chance of rain, so I found  a shady spot and went to work.  Wouldn’t you know it, 10 minutes after departing for home, I ran into severe thunderstorms and my clean car was covered in muddy stains.  Back in Birmingham the weather had been rough also. Turning onto the street where I live it was obvious the power was out. A one inch thick cable was lying in the front yard, but it turned out to be the CATV transmission line.  It was going to be a long night without air conditioning.  I grabbed a couple of the flashlights I have been reviewing and ended up reading the Sunday paper by the light of a GorillaTorch light.  I used the red LED lights for walking around and the white light for reading the paper.  The other light I used was the Stanley HID light to search the power poles for damage.  As mentioned before, the Stanley Light is worth owning if for no other reason than its coolness factor. It throws out  a serious beam of light. I have even showed it to the Conservation Officer who patrols our area as an idea search light.  The Stanley can light a shoreline from more than a half-mile away.

My dad always said you can never have too many tools. I agree with his statement for the most part, but my statement would read more like, Having the right tool at the right time is a blessing. Last night’s power outage, those flashlights were a blessing.  But I now realize, a generator would even be a better blessing. Twelve hours with no air conditioning was painful.

 

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