Petrol vs Battery Garden Tools?

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Dratsab

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#2058731 19-Jul-2018 11:39

wratterus: Nothing like the smell of 2 stroke oil in the morning. I don't think the battery gear is quite there yet - perhaps for a small city section, but not anything bigger IMO.

I like Stihl gear - So far have a FS 45 weed eater, SH 56 C - E Blower/shredder vac (that is a weapon) and a MS181 for small firewood etc. They all go mint - and all have a 4 year warranty, as long as you use the right oil and get them serviced once a year.

I've got a couple of Stihl products as well. An 044 chainsaw which runs like a champ and has been (and will continue to be) used in felling, limbing, ringing some quite large trees. I also have an FS 55 RC-E line trimmer, a powerful beast which helps me get round my section quite quickly.

Where I am there are a lot of deciduous trees around so a battery powered leaf blower is being considered for use next autumn as I'm well over using a rake. Another option might be a leaf vacuum/shredder. Anyone have any particular recommendations either way regarding these?

Dratsab

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#2058732 19-Jul-2018 11:42

kryptonjohn: I think the surfactant is a good idea will try that next...

Vegetable oil would probably work as well as dish washing liquid.

kryptonjohn

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#2058733 19-Jul-2018 11:45

Dratsab:
kryptonjohn: I think the surfactant is a good idea will try that next...

Vegetable oil would probably work as well as dish washing liquid.

So when people say surfactant it means something to stop the spray from beading on waxy leaves - where your suggestions come in.

But there's also sticking agents like Yates "Dye and Stick" - are they the same thing (other than the dye to indicate where you've sprayed)?

wratterus

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#2058736 19-Jul-2018 11:54

Dratsab:

I've got a couple of Stihl products as well. An 044 chainsaw which runs like a champ and has been (and will continue to be) used in felling, limbing, ringing some quite large trees. I also have an FS 55 RC-E line trimmer, a powerful beast which helps me get round my section quite quickly.

Where I am there are a lot of deciduous trees around so a battery powered leaf blower is being considered for use next autumn as I'm well over using a rake. Another option might be a leaf vacuum/shredder. Anyone have any particular recommendations either way regarding these?

The shredder/vac I mentioned is good - I've seen a few battery ones are they really don't have the grunt. There are a few higher end ones than what I have, Stihl often seem to have a promo (maybe in autumn each year) where you get $150 off that particular model, which makes it pretty good value. I have seen contractors using that same model (or older versions of it) so it must be OK.

I blow all the leaves and junk into a corner, then suck them up. Works very well and saves a lot of time. The shredded leaves etc can sort of be used for mulch too. Switching from blower to vac probably takes about a minute and a half - once you've done it a few times it's very easy.

tdgeek

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#2058737 19-Jul-2018 11:58

kryptonjohn:

Dratsab:
kryptonjohn: I think the surfactant is a good idea will try that next...

Vegetable oil would probably work as well as dish washing liquid.

So when people say surfactant it means something to stop the spray from beading on waxy leaves - where your suggestions come in.

But there's also sticking agents like Yates "Dye and Stick" - are they the same thing (other than the dye to indicate where you've sprayed)?

same thing yep. The liquid then covers all the leaf. I read a lot on Google that dishwash works as well, as as stated it seems vege oil does too. There is a chemical behind it, which I know dishwash also has.

MikeB4

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#2058742 19-Jul-2018 12:16

kryptonjohn:

MikeB4:

steve2222:

MikeB4:

i hate line trimmers period. I prefer to use hot water to kill weeds.

OT - sorry.

@MikeB4:

How do you use hotwater for weed control?

Presume it has to be boiling, so how are you getting boiling water to the location of the weeds? Presumably you are not just running outside from the kitchen all the time with a boiling jug!

we use a modifies watering can, fill it with boiled water and carefully pour it on the weeds. They often die within 24 hours. It is way better then chemicals especially around vegetables. There is no over spray, no need to wear masks or gloves and it is very cheap.

I like this idea but have no means of filling a can with more than one jug of boiling water and it would lose a bit of heat by the time I got it to where the weeds are.

Plus I would probably trip over the cat on the way out the door and spill the whole lot down the front step.

I have never really experienced it getting too cold to work. As for tripping, I use a wheelchair so no problem with that but it does give the odd other issues. We also use it to get rid of those pesky weeds that grow in and around the glass house and there is no risk of killing good plants or contaminating the glass house. I have also used it around trees and the drive way. It is also a great way to spot weed in the lawn.

If you have a large area of weeds to get rid of you probably need something a bit more aggressive then the hot water can be used for maintenance.

I should try attaching a hose to a hot water tap and try that but I suspect that would not end well.

kryptonjohn

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#2058787 19-Jul-2018 12:43

Steam can be super heated to well above boiling and use less water so you'd think someone could make an effective steam wand for weeding?

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tdgeek

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#2058805 19-Jul-2018 12:53

kryptonjohn:

Steam can be super heated to well above boiling and use less water so you'd think someone could make an effective steam wand for weeding?

Hot air gun? They get HOT

MikeAqua

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#2058810 19-Jul-2018 12:57

kryptonjohn:

Steam can be super heated to well above boiling and use less water so you'd think someone could make an effective steam wand for weeding?

They are available. Per my earlier post they were in use in Tauranga. That was in the 1990s

Mike

MikeAqua

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#2058811 19-Jul-2018 13:01

kryptonjohn:

Yes Deliciosa is quite attractive and often see it in pots. It spreads thick roots shallow underground, but they're quite soft and can be ripped up by hand. So not physically tough but the roundup seems to burn the leaves but not kill it.

I'm on top of it now but still battling the acanthus. I think the surfactant is a good idea will try that next...

Also consider a penetrant - additive that makes it easier for poison to get into the inside of the plant, where it does its damage.

Roundup (Glyphosate) is a reasonably weak weed killer - basically intended for annual weeds. You can't expect too much of it.

Mike

mdf

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#2058969 19-Jul-2018 19:59

wratterus:

Dratsab:

I've got a couple of Stihl products as well. An 044 chainsaw which runs like a champ and has been (and will continue to be) used in felling, limbing, ringing some quite large trees. I also have an FS 55 RC-E line trimmer, a powerful beast which helps me get round my section quite quickly.

Where I am there are a lot of deciduous trees around so a battery powered leaf blower is being considered for use next autumn as I'm well over using a rake. Another option might be a leaf vacuum/shredder. Anyone have any particular recommendations either way regarding these?

The shredder/vac I mentioned is good - I've seen a few battery ones are they really don't have the grunt. There are a few higher end ones than what I have, Stihl often seem to have a promo (maybe in autumn each year) where you get $150 off that particular model, which makes it pretty good value. I have seen contractors using that same model (or older versions of it) so it must be OK.

I blow all the leaves and junk into a corner, then suck them up. Works very well and saves a lot of time. The shredded leaves etc can sort of be used for mulch too. Switching from blower to vac probably takes about a minute and a half - once you've done it a few times it's very easy.

Blowing is much easier than sucking [20 minutes later emerges from google rabbit hole of fluid dynamic web searches]. I've yet to see any garden vacuum that can suck anything meaningful other than from pretty much right over the top of it. Blowing on the other hand seems to work really well.

I've got this Toolshed blower/vac (changes mode with the flick of a switch) for which I paid $40 on sale. It's not going to pull up trees in terms of performance, but like @wratterus I blow everything into a pile and suck it all up from there. Works fine if you can pretty much stick the nozzle into the pile. And at that price I don't care when I break it. I will (probably) at least get a semi decent blower to attach to a cyclone and make a shop vac out of it.