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Advantages of backpack leaf blowers

Introduction

While most of us appreciate the presence of trees in our gardens and yards, keeping the ground tidy and clean of any fallen leaves can be a huge pain, especially in the autumn season when most trees shed their leaves. Using a rake to clear up your garden is a lot of work, and the slow, hard labor the task entails isn’t all too appealing. This is why the majority of us prefer to use leaf blowers to get the job done since they’re able to clean a considerable chunk of land in a short amount of time.

But should one invest in a hand-held leaf blower or buy a backpack leaf blower instead? If the standard hand-held can theoretically get the job done no matter the size of the land, isn’t investing in a more expensive backpack blower pointless?

Why you should opt for a backpack leaf blower instead of a hand-held leaf blower

A backpack leaf blower may be more expensive than a smaller hand-held version, but it does come with two significant advantages:

More power

Backpack leaf blowers are generally more potent than their hand-held counterparts since their larger size and room for design changes let engineers fit a more powerful engine into the device and construct it to blow air more efficiently. What this means is that you could clear up the same patch of land with a backpack leaf blower much faster than you ever could with a hand-held, making it an attractive option for those who don’t want to waste too much time clearing out leaves.

Ease of use

Although a backpack leaf blower is typically more substantial than a hand-held leaf blower, you never really feel this extra weight bothering you while you work. A backpack leaf blower feels lighter than a hand-held on extended periods of use since the former’s weight is distributed across the back and the legs, while the latter puts quite a strain on your arms after prolonged use. This is why a backpack leaf blower is easier to use and is a more practical choice for those looking to clear larger areas of land.

Things to consider when buying a leaf blower

Before you invest in a leaf blower (backpack or otherwise), there are a couple of things you have to keep in mind. Every leaf blower is different from each other, so keeping an eye out for these factors will help you select a product that is best for you.

Fuel

The first question you need to ask yourself is whether you should buy an electric leaf blower or a traditional gas powered one. While the electric kind is the newer and more power-efficient models on the market, there can be no denying that gas-powered blowers can generate way more power for the same price. And if your primary concern is to get as much work done in as little money as possible, a little smoke and noise that big of a deal.

Motor strength

The next thing you need to look at is how much airflow miles per hour your blower can output. These numbers are the standard for comparing motor strengths among models, and the higher the number is, the more powerful (and expensive) your blower is going to be. You don’t need to buy the most powerful on the market, just one that will get your garden cleaned in a jiffy.

Noise level

While most people ignore operational noise level when buying leaf blowers, you’ll only be doing yourself and your neighbors a great favor of investing in a quieter machine. If you’re buying a gas-powered leaf blower, consider buying a four-stroke engine blower instead of a regular two-stroke engine blower, which are quieter and less polluting on the whole.

Weight

Since you’re going to be carrying the leaf blower on your back as you use it to clean your garden every once in a while, it would be a great shame if you were to buy an expensive, powerful leaf blower, only to discover that it’s far too heavy for you to use easily. Your use may warrant a more powerful leaf blower for sure, but sometimes it’s better to opt for a less powerful machine if you know you can easily work with it, even if it does take a little more time.

Conclusion

Your choice for a leaf blower should depend solely on your needs and capability. With the vast array of choices available in the market, you’re sure to find a product that matches your needs eventually.

The post Advantages of backpack leaf blowers appeared first on MGLA Reviews.

from MGLA Reviews https://www.mgla.org/advantages-of-backpack-leaf-blowers/

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How To Split Wood With An Axe

For some people, splitting wood to prepare for the freezing winter days is probably the manliest thing a guy can do. It is also an activity where men can release frustration as well as aggression while getting some exercise to maintain a fit and toned body build.

While this activity is viewed or considered to be a mere household chore nowadays, the fact is wood-splitting is an art that dates back thousands of years ago. It is an art that has to be done properly to help people build fires to keep warm during the winter times through the years.

Proper wood-splitting seems to be pretty straightforward; however it’s actually easier said than done. If you want to learn the right way of chopping logs and splitting wood, the first thing, you first have to be familiar with the methods that you can use. It will also start by having a good and reliable axe, at the very least. Now, if you want to learn the right way of splitting wood to prepare for the winter, you might want to read until the end.

So let’s start by learning the three ways to chop wood.

The Three Methods of Properly Chopping Wood With and Without An Axe

There are three different ways of properly chopping logs or splitting wood. You can do it the conventional way with the use of an axe, chop logs with a wedge and a sledgehammer or simply use a hydraulic wood splitter. With wood splitting equipment, you can easily chop logs at a faster phase and produce more firewood compared to the manual methods.

On the other hand, splitting wood using the traditional methods is considered an art that needs to be done properly. Otherwise, you’ll end up having an amount of firewood that will barely make through a day along with a soaring back causing a lot of pain. To avoid this from happening, you first have to learn the basics on the art of splitting wood.

Below is a guide that will walk you through the proper way of splitting wood with an axe. If you want the guide that will help you split wood with a wedge, you can follow this link.

The Proper Way of Splitting Wood with An Axe

When it comes to splitting wood, there are several things you have to consider; safety, surroundings and a proper form. This art also doesn’t rely solely on the sharpness of your axe; it’s more on the technique. To understand this better, refer to the guide that will walk you through the entire process of splitting wood.

Step 1 – Prepare Yourself And Prioritize Safety

Before you start releasing your tensions and frustrations by splitting wood, you first have to prioritize safety for both yourself and other people. So, before you start chopping logs or splitting wood, you first have to equip yourself with the necessary safety gears such as goggles or safety glasses, rubber gloves and work boots. You also have to make sure that the edge of your axe is firmly and securely attached to the handle.

Wearing the proper gears will protect you from the debris of wood while chopping logs. While making sure that the edge of your axe is firmly attached to the handle eliminates the risk of having the axe edge detached and flying through the air after a heavy swing.

Step 2 – Look for An Ideal Chopping Block and A Safe Location

The next step is to look for a safe location where you can place your chopping block and allow you to swing your axe freely. The location should be open, obstacle-free and preferably secluded to avoid any unwanted accidents to happen. In case you don’t have a chopping block yet, you can get a large piece of unsplit wood with a good thickness or flared stump. Or you can look for one by following the tips below.

Thick and knotty wood makes an excellent chopping block because they have better resistance against the force applied by the axe.

Elmwood is an ideal chopping block because it has grain that naturally makes it split-resistant.

An ideal chopping should always have yield because chopping against a hard surface can cause damage to your axe.

Step 3 – Preparing or Positioning the Wood to be Chopped

Now you can take the piece of log you want to chop and position it on your chopping block. Standing it may require some adjustments due to the natural irregularities on it such as the knots and splits developed during its growth. Make the log stable as much as possible and position it within the striking point from where you are going to split it.

Step 4 – Take Your Position and Get Into Proper Form with A Firm Grip

You are now ready to split the log. Take your position and make sure that there are no obstacles within your surroundings. Twigs, hanging branches, loose stones, slick mud or anything that may block your axe or cause you to slip can be dangerous. You also have to make sure that you are in the proper form; your feet should be in shoulder width apart to avoid any injuries in case you hit a glancing strike.

Make sure that you have a firm grip on the handle to eliminate the risk of the axe accidentally slipping from your hand. Keep in mind that the proper grip should have your dominant hand near the axe head and your non-dominant hand near the end of the handle. This will allow you to execute a proper swing.

Step 5 – Observe the Piece of Log to Aim for the Weak Spot

Knots and limbs make the wood harder to split. So, you have to observe the piece of log that you are going to split and look for a part that has smoother grain. Aim for that spot to easily chop the piece of log.

Step 6 – Preparing Your Swing and Finally Splitting the Wood

Now that you are in the right form and a firm grip. All you have to do to prepare for your swing and let it go to split the log finally. To prepare your swing, bring the axe up leaning to your dominant hand to form an arc over your shoulder. Do it in slow and steady motion while keeping an eye on your target.

Once you are on the perfect stance and completely focused on your target. You are now ready to release your swing and split the log. To split the wood, bring the axe down firmly in a quick motion. You have to allow your dominant hand to slide down the handle towards your off-hand.

Depending on the thickness of the wood that you are going to split, you may have to strike it several times. Once you successfully chop a log, you can just repeat the steps 3 until step 6 to produce your desired amount of firewood.

The post How To Split Wood With An Axe appeared first on MGLA Reviews.

from MGLA Reviews https://www.mgla.org/how-to-split-wood-with-an-axe/

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How To Make A Fire

How to build or make a fire is something our ancestors could do without batting an eyelash. Often we, the modern human, with our matches and butane lighters, take shortcuts, seeing no need to learn how to make a fire without them. But, what if you find yourself in a situation where there are no matches and lighters to be found, and you need a fire very badly, say when you are in a camping expedition and you have dropped your backpack in the steam. The matches are wet, the night is closing in, the air has turned chilly, and wild animals are prowling about. Right about now you will be glad to know how to start a fire from scratch!

Making fire without matches or lighter is a survival skill every man should have, yet sadly it is not something that you learn in school unless you’re a boy scout. It may not be as easy as the guy on YouTube would want you to believe, but it is a useful and exciting skill to have, so read on while we teach you how to make a fire naturally.

How To Make A Fire Without Matches

There are several ways of making a fire without matches. For this tutorial, we will use the most primitive (and probably the most satisfying!) method of all – making fire with friction called the hand drill method. Before you start, remember that this is not for the faint-hearted since, by far, this is the most difficult method of all, but once you’ve mastered it, your pride will know no match!

Also, there are several factors that will ensure the success of your endeavor; choosing the right site and preparing it correctly, the materials that you’ll need, and some grit and determination.

Before you begin, check if the area where you will build a fire is safe and there is no danger for you to create a forest fire. Pay attention to the wind and the surrounding area, make sure that fires are allowed and follow local safety guidelines if there are any.

Step 1 – Choose The Right Spot And Prepare The Area

Look for a cleared area without plant, debris or grass. It should be far enough from anything that will catch fire just in case embers will be carried by the wind- tree limbs, roots, brambles. Once you found it, prepare the fire ring by digging a pit and placing a ring of rocks around it to contain the blaze.

Step 2 – Prepare The Materials

You will need a spindle, fireboard, tinder, kindling – both large and small, and fuelwood.

Spindle – A stick that you’ll spin with your hands to create friction and produce a spark to start a fire. The spindle should be made of a stem of a small plant such as butterfly bush, bigleaf maple, mullein, salmonberry or any plant, as long as the stem is around the diameter of a pinky finger. It should be around 18 inches long and straight. You will have to smoothen the stem with a knife so that it won’t hurt your hand when you spin it.

Fireboard – The fire board is the mate of the spindle. This is a piece of semi-soft wood as thick as a finger. It should not be too hard or too soft aspen, western red cedar or cottonwood root. Make sure that the fire board is flat on both sides.

Tinder – Tinder is a handful of highly flammable materials such as dry, dead plant, small sticks, dry grasses and leaves and twigs that should catch fire fast and be able to keep the ember until other materials such as the kindling start burning.

Small kindling – Small kindling is supposed to catch the spark from the tinder. They should be small, very brittle, very dry twigs that will encourage the flame to grow.

Large kindling -These are thicker and longer so they will burn easily, but should also sustain a flame long enough until the fuelwood catches fire.

Fuelwood – These are the materials that will feed the fire and keep it going. Fuelwood must be made of dry, brittle and aged wood.

Step 3 Putting The Spindle And Fireboard To Work Together

For these two important parts to work in tandem, you need to prepare the point where they will meet. Try to get the dimension of the spindle by positioning it vertically to the fireboard as you carve a shallow niche on the fireboard with a knife to mark the diameter of the spindle. This shallow niche is where you’ll need to put the spindle.

Step 4 Spin The Spindle (The Hand Drill Form)

You spin the spindle with the hand drill form, the proper form of spinning it. You do this by placing one end of the spindle on the shallow niche that you carved on the fireboard in a vertical position. Hold the spindle between your two palms and rub your hands together with the spindle between your palms. Exert even pressure inwards and downward into the spindle. As pressure is applied, your hand will move up and down the length of the stick or spindle. Pressure must be applied evenly as you spin the spindle so that it stays in a vertical position. You continue spinning and rotating until smoke emanates from the niche and you see the side of the niche burning.

Step 5 Carving The Notch

Carving the notch is an important step in this operation. The notch should be in the right location and the right size so that you can create an ember successfully. A notch is a carved out ⅛ of a pipe section from a thin piece of wood. Position the notch beside the fireboard in such a way that its pointed or narrowest part is pointing towards and reaching across the middle of the niche that was just burned. This is an important part of the success of the hand drill, so go ahead, linger on it so that you can make a good notch.

Step 6 Creating The Ember

A handful of tinder should be placed under the notch so that after you have made an ember, the tinder will catch it. Prepare also a large fluffy tinder to catch the smoking and hopefully smoldering small tinder. Once these are ready, you can now put your mind to creating that member by spinning the spindle using the right speed and downward pressure. If you spin too fast but do not apply enough downward pressure a glaze will be created on the niche. This will cause a reduction of the friction and lessen the dust that you create. On the other hand, if you put too much downward pressure you could create a hole on the fireboard, then you will need to start again on a new location on the fire board.

Go with pressure and speed that will produce plenty of dust inside the notch and lookout for smoke. As long as the notch fills with dust, spin the spindle faster and apply more downward pressure for that final thrust to create an ember. For the dust to ignite into an ember, a temperature of between 80 and 816 degrees is needed.

Step 7 Build The Fire

Once the handful of tinder underneath the notch catches the ember, blow at it until it ignites into flame, then transfer the small tinder into the larger tinder and wait for it to smolder before putting it in the rock-ringed area and piling first small kindling over it and then the larger kindling. Once the fire is steadily burning position the fuelwood over it to keep the flame going.

Conclusion

That is how to make a fire without matches or lighters using the hand drill method. A bit complicated, time-consuming and, yes, would entail some pain, especially if your palms develop blisters. But with practice, and as we mentioned earlier, a lot of grit and determination you can learn and even be an expert. That is a big achievement and a skill I’m sure a lot of your manly friends don’t have.

If you are looking to create good-quality fires then you will need good quality logs, and a great way to prepare wood for burning is to have a high-quality log splitter which can do the hard work for you and save you time. If you haven’t already got one, take a look at our reviews of some of the top log splitters on the market and see which would suit your needs best.

The post How To Make A Fire appeared first on MGLA Reviews.

from MGLA Reviews https://www.mgla.org/how-to-make-a-fire/