Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Preface: I've have has a HS520. Due to space contraints, etc - I'm not looking at 2 stage. Single stage for the most part is a perfect fit just short of....living on the right side and the plows only plow to the right so I cam constantly getting plowed in... Throw is fine already on the HS520. I was only curios does the 421/221 or even any current models on the market may have a bit more bite on the EOD/overnight plowed snow...

The Banghead Smiley is missing on this forum ;-)
I would need 6 of those to start this response....

I have a boatload of cedar that I need to finish indoors to store these puppys.
Can't build it straight outdoors cause due to temps, and proper application of finish coats, I need to do all this indoors.
That is something more like a 2 weekend outdoor project easily done outdoors and now I have to piecemeal it.....grrrrr

I don't see a problem here.  I'm sure you can come up with new equipment to make the job faster and better.  :)

You have a Festool shop vac, don't you?

Yeah. The beauty with that and the Kapex in a indoor setup...is 90%+ of the dust is captured.
I don't have the exact percentage but it is HUGE...

BUT, FWIW, it's not now loud as thunder Shopvac.
I feel like I have to baby the Festool.

The bigger regular $50 shopvacs are lounder, and has more  ballz, and I would not hesitate using those as a wet vac....

But the Festool lineup is a ~system~....

While on the topic of tools, previously was using Makita drills, went over to Panasonic drills (sleeper brand like the HS621) but I'm back over to the Makita's.....
Impacts, Drills.  All very balance. Don't really ever need more than 14.4...

Snap On for the track bollts. That thing has some serious torque that no others can compare.

You should have never pointed out the Kapex 120.  What a saw.

Ok, I'm not going to visit Festool website, ever again.  I'm just going to put up with loud as a turbine Shop Vac.

Here's my comparisons.
I would never buy a Honda Snowblower at retail. It's not that important to me to pay the rate of that.
Used is another matter.

With that said, on the Festools, they are similar in price in that they are one of the most expensive lineups in their pedigree.
To a degree, there are alot of products out there at 50% less that will do 90% of the same job as the Festool.

What I like about their products (sanding and cutting) is that they are well balanced, feels great in the hand after long hours and they capture dust very efficiently and is very accurate.
Why cut 3 times when you can get the perfect cut the 1st time around on a miter saw

For drills, I go Makita or Panasonic..
Grinders - Metabo
etc, etc. The list goes on....

chefwong wrote:

You're breaking my heart.  What??? Tell me you have a cabinet saw! 

I wish.......but anything remote close to interior grader furniture, my cabinetmaker is the man to go to.

Just a portable Table Saw, Jigsaw or Worm Saw.....for sheet goods.
Nothing special. A couple of jigs to make things easier.

Ha. In another life, I would be working with power tools for a living ;-)

chefwong wrote:
Are these OEM or aftermarket paddles?  I bought aftermarket ones which costs less, I think they were half price of OEM, but they were very soft and did not last very long.  If you're ginger, the paddles might last a while.    The OEM ones are stiffer and seems to be better constructed.

chefwong wrote:
 
3/4" edge of rubber to edge of metal auger.  Total width or rubber is 2" exact.

Thx aa335. I actually had a weird hunch it would be 3/4".
Briefly browsing a couple of sites, while I did not compare part #'s, some sites listed the paddles the same for 520/621.

Nevertheless, I'm not sure how much wear is imposed with use just due to it being rubber...but the manual states that one should replace them when it is down to 5/8".

The parts I speced were OEM. If I am not familiar with a brand and the 3rd party alternatives, I generally stick with OEM.
At 50% less, sometimes you do have to learn the hard way by buying and comparing to know if it's worth the difference or not.

ie: Miele Vacuumn Bags in my opinion are better than the 3rd parties.
Reputable places where I buy spare misc parts for my cars (I'm the type that will replace even even a retaining holder) just because I like to keep things all new and fresh...
Anyhow, I order a sidemarker light that was 3rd party BUT listed as Just as OEM.  When I pulled the OEM unit out, and compared - the lens housing was the same manuf. as
the one I received. However, the Gasket Material if not the O Ring on the OEM was 2X as thick as the one I received.