Trimming the brush to make the shop look taller is always a good move. The sparks you get when the blade accidentally touches a iron fence post are always fun.
My Dad had one of those Sears-made-by-Robyn trimmers exactly like that. You could literally cut down trees with that thing. They originally did have a padded shoulder strap as well as a second blade (the tree killer) with teeth like a cross cut circular saw blade. Talk about a Texas Chainsaw Ankle Masacre. They also came with an orange string trimmer attachment. Dad gave the saw to my brother-in-law who years later gave it to me. I tried to get it to run but gave up on it until I found a new carb that fit that was sold on Ebay for kid sized mini-bikes. It worked fine. I later gave it to my nephew. I think you can see a pattern here... Oh BTW, my uncle had one of those mowing scythes just like yours. He sold it to my Dad, who later gave it to my...
Hi Wes. I've been watching since you were in the old shop and mostly a machine tools type of channel. I'm glad your channel has become more popular. I enjoy anything you see fit to upload. Thanks for all the content and I wish you and the family all the best!
@WatchWesWork I totally agree with the original comment been watching your channel since back @ the old shop an enjoy most everything that you decide to upload and almost always find out/learn about something new while watching you work.. Keep up the great content and hope you and the family are doing well. Hope yall continue to do well awell plus that ankle slicer is a fine piece of machinery that easily gets thru those nasty thick stemmed weeds..
@@WatchWesWork I want to see more machine tools content actually - found your channel because you were moving a VMC using a rollback truck, and I was moving a VMC at the same time, but I just ended up hiring someone to truck it for me - it cost me dearly
I really like the random project videos, and your sense of humor is priceless. I'm still giggling about "a Japanese killing machine " and "sketchier than a homemade helicopter ".😂
Ultrasonic cleaners are a wonderful tool when used properly. I use them for PCB cleaning all the time. The key is using the right cleaning solution and making sure it’s pre-heated. For your application, I hear “Purple Power” is great. Probably a mix of the degreaser and water would be helpful. And always make sure your parts are sitting in the basket.
For Mustie1 it works perfectly since many years. And he definitely did/does a lot of carb cleaning. Meanwhile even Sleeperdude has 2 Ultrasonic cleaner and is very happy with the results.
Being 70 years old , I can remember a time when a gentleman of your sort could have started a cleaning project and 6 to 8 scrapping young boys on bicycles would have swarmed in begging to help for a half a day for a couple of dollars each . Those days are gone , never to return . I can remember a friend and myself stopped in a local service station to get air in our tires and wound up moving 50 or 60 tires from one container to another container for a handful of STP stickers and felt like we had won the lottery .Enjoyed video , God bless .
Love that old quality-built stuff. I've got a dewalt radial arm saw from the late 50s/early 60s and it's a beast but purrs like a kitten. And you're in good company...Einstein's desk was always a wreck.
Can’t say I’ve ever seen a float carb on a piece of equipment like that. Project farm did an episode testing all the different brush blades which may be worth a watch.
Ive got one now, a Craftsman, also sold under TroyBilt and Husqvarna names, the attachments are interchangeable. Latest toy is the tree limber. Comes with 2 extra shafts, total of about 16ft reach. I say it will be great for the Zombie apocalypse. 😅😅😅
Hey Wes, the ultrasonic and getting it to work for you is a case of chemistry. Certain solvents work for specific needs, cutting grease and oil is usually a job for Dawn original mixed with hot water. The other option is Tide liquid or powder also with hot water. Both are gentle on metal and rubber components and won't harm yellow metals, aluminum or zinc. You need to play around a bit with the detergents (concentrations) till you find a formulation that reacts well for your task. I also find running the ultrasonic for a few minutes with solution only before adding parts helps the cleaning action. Running the heat on also makes a big difference. Hope that helps you out a bit. Thanks for the share, your videos are the break I need during a relaxing weekend. Thanks!
works best if you just keep water in the cleaner itself, and put whatever you're cleaning into a ziploc bag (the thickest you can find) with the appropriate solution for that particular part. That way you only need a small quantity of each solution, and you can switch them at will, or even run multiple parts with different solutions at the same time. Simple green works really well in an ultrasonic. Any of the purple degreasers are extremely aggressive in ultrasonic - they'll take black oxide off of bolts! Ask me how I know that!
Each time Wes was near those cars I expected that WHOOF sound when he would hit the tires with it 😂, but then I remembered that there probably would ge no air in those anyway 😅. Keep up your good work Wes, mechanics like you are getting really scarce back here in Germany!
Seeing your scrap bins was like a trip down memory lane for previous projects... I am also amazed you kept from ventilating the metal siding on the shop, or a tire as well... I know I would have, at least once.
The humor and deadpan delivery that is becoming more common in your later videos is absolutely brilliant. It’s nice to see you (at least appearing to) enjoy making the videos more, combining quality mechanical content with good humor. Btw, I’m sure you’ve done your research on this, but the issues you’ve been having with the ultrasonic cleaner sound more like issues with the cleaning solution than the ultrasonic cleaner itself. All the ultrasonic cleaner does is basically agitate everything, it’s like scrubbing with a brush. It shouldn’t do anything to plating and still relies on the solvent ability of the cleaner to take of oil and grease.
I've got an ultrasonic that I've had for years. What really makes a difference is the solvent you put in it. Some tend to turn nickel plating and brass brown. I've figured out the best cleaner you can buy for them is simple green purple pro hd. And not the cement cleaner one, the heavy duty cleanser. I mix it 50/50 with water. The stuff never damages plating and cuts through grease like I've never seen. It also completely removes varnish. I'd give it a try.
I have seen those used in the developing world to cut crops with a long set of fingers fitted to the shaft to catch the stalks , it’s amazing how quickly they can cut a field with two fellows in bare feet and nothing but a pair of under shorts and a turban on their head. Happy to see that back in working order!
Hey Wes, how was the transition, you look relax ! Watching you taking care of all the projects you've put to the side is a joy ahah, i'm sure the list is long, keep them coming :)
Much better, see, you even sound more relaxed. I was thankful to see the 11 days later messy desk. I panicked when I saw you clean your desk. It made me realize mine was a mess. I breathed a sigh of relief at the end, knowing I wouldn't have to clean mine after all. 🤣🤣🤣
Great vid Wes. Seatbelt strap for the win! That thing is a beast, I love vintage japanese small engines! I use ultrasonic often for carb work. I've run into that issue with brass parts changing color as well. It is tempting to use a strong alkaline like simple green or super clean. They will certainly work but they are too aggressive for the delicate aluminum, brass, and anodized parts used in carbs. I tend to use milder soaps. Just basic dawn, pinesol, lestoil, etc works great. All you really need is something that bubbles up and reduces surface tension of the water. That helps by making it easier for ultrasonic/cavitation bubbles to implode and create microscopic jets to clean part. The main caveat with a weaker cleaner is that you just need to add more time for hot soaking, etc.
@@guess1866Acid eats pot metal (Zamak) Honestly I miss the original Hydroseal. The stuff that would eat the skin off your hands (and the brass jets right out of a carb) But it was _great_ if you watched the time and didn't dip your stuff for more than an hour or so.
Congrats on closing in on 250K subscribers. Been here since your machine shop days. Looks like the trimmer is good for a full body two-stroke cologne treatment.
When I was with state DOT we had several Stihl brush cutters, which I think were part of the magnum series. The shoulder strap had a replaceable sheep wool pad down the length of one side, pretty like what you see for putting on seatbelts. Used them to clean up mostly behind guardrail, but also right of way fences and those things were beasts.
I've been watching you for a long time man, I remember finding your vids on the old property cleanup will it runs and just getting hooked. I've even gotten friends to start watching your content. Here's to 250k, and hell, maybe even another 250k down the road. Your content is excellent, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
And here we have the Craftsman Bushwacker in it's natural environment, assisted by it's new Mechanic Owner. Just watch as the Craftsman Bushwacker stealthily moves through the vegetation devouring all in it's path. Man and what a job it does at dealing with that growth, why it deals with that growth better then the most expensive electric razor. lol!!! Sorry Wes I could not resist the narrated 1950's commercial monologue.
😂 I absolutely love this channel. No matter what you're working on or what you're doing and you're capable of figuring anything and everything out. And anything that has to do with something you don't know, but you figure it out. Thank you for being one hundred percent yourself. Enjoy seeing your son and your wife in the video. Every once in a while, it's awesome. Awesome video thank you for sharing😊
String trimmers are used for lawns, all the farmers here use the death blades, yes they work for weeds, a string trimmer still works better for grass. Cheers from Tokyo!
You made it to 250.000 subscribers. Congrats. I love to watch your videos a lot because of the way of how you're repairing the things coming up your path. When I was living in your neighbourhood I would let you do all the maintenance on my car. Keep on going, Wesley.
Fantastic video Wes! One thing you didn't mention is if you struck a tire or three with that thing and if so, what was the damage? When it comes to padding, you may consider going down to the fire station and asking if they have any hose they're getting rid of. They cut off the couplings and typically throw the hose away. A 2" diameter hose would work perfectly as a sleeve over the strap and would provide additional support to keep it from digging in (though many fire departments use 1 3/4" and 3" so you'll have to evaluate your options). The spare hose can be cut into two-foot sections and used as dog toys. Dogs love them and they take a lot of damage before they're shredded! Keep up the great work and I love your sense of humor!
Wow bought the same brushwacker form Sears in 1987, Kawasaki 37.7, the thing still works like new 36 yrs later. I also came with 10” saw for tree limbs, paid $299 (100 off) fuel shutoff replaced with generic brand, best purchase ever-it’s tough
Thanks for the new risky (in so many ways) content.... Seems like you've cranked the humor to 11! Hope the wife approves of your newly tamed brush! Just wait until the ear hair growth starts!
Love this video Wes, Small engines are the bane of my existence anymore. I'm in NW IL too, and the weeds have been particularly bad this year. I sprayed early this summer (2,4, D) and it worked on the Hemlock well, but the later weeds just went nuts. Waterhemp, Ragweed and Pigweed which are impossible to kill after they get over a foot tall with spraying. I have been inspired to convert my old weedwacker with a blade.
We had one of these which actually had a saw blade. It was used to keep a ‘grove’ of mimosa trees planted by ancestral blaggards thinned out. It had a sling for each arm with the attachment point in the middle, but I believe yours to be more comfortable. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
My dad has Huffco brush cutter he bought in late 70s with a 3 hp Tecumseh 2 cycle engine. He used to cut 3” diameter trees down with a 10” saw blade on the end of it! It was a beast weighed about 40 lbs.
My dad had one of those with the big 2-stroke Techumsehs that I used as a teen all the time to clear large brush. It worked amazingly well until the drive cable knotted up in the tube near the blade end and cut the tube in two while I had the throttle wide open. The blade, spindle and a stub of tube took off hauling ass up the hill into the woods. Took me a while to find it.
Another interesting video. It is great to watch Wes how resourceful he is. A funny opinion. His sighing and apparent lack of confidence he has before he tackles any repair is dramatically funny to me...because...I am 100% confident he will fix it because there is not one mechanical item he cannot fix. Thank you Wes.
Wes, it's good to see a bit of a smile on your face again. Hang in there. Love your videos and your great commentary. The only problem I see is that a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind as I have been told. that's why my desk is always a bit messy. LOL
Your videos are an always-watch for me, I've learned a LOT because you show how you arrived at a solution, how you fix it, and often, you'll explain how a system works with a diagram. There's nothing more I could ask. I have an old Suzuki Samurai I've fixed up, and there's been a few times that I've been inspired by your tendency to get the test light out instead of just throwing parts at the problem.
I used one around the farm as a goofy teen back in 83 or 84. The unit also came with a saw blade that resembled a skill saw rough cut blade. It was essentially impossible to use without the harness. My dad was always scared of it, yet he had no issue with me using it
Those old Robin Subaru trimmers are the Bomb....I got one bought new in 1991 when I build my house.....It`s still on the job..Matches all the other antique shit around here.Way to on 250K ...Much Love Wes.
I’ve been with you since you showed your scraping techniques and machine repair stuff. Never could have imagined it I suppose, your rise to 250K? Congrats and cheers, I always had faith in your honesty and truthfulness!
I've played around with a few different brush cutting blades and what I like best for weeds like that so far is the "Oregon 295504-0" 2-tooth mulching brush cutter. It has a good diameter that lets you clear a decent amount of stuff per pass unlike their smaller 3-blade one. And the 90 degree ends let you sweep it up and down in addition to side to side and it will still cut. e.g. you can bring it down from above on weeds like you were cutting and it mulches them down as it goes pretty effectively. With the straight cutters like the one you were using, I find if I'm cutting vines or shrubs sometimes you get branches that go side to side or at an angle so the spinning blade doesn't want to cut them unless you turn the whole unit to one side. Having a cutter with curved ends lets you cut branches and stems no matter what angle they are growing.
Looks like a pretty cool old brush cutter. My dads first good string trimmer was a Stihl with the Bicycle Handles like that. It took a little bit to get used to, but it was a nice string trimmer, lasted for 30 years, still works great. I appreciate your commentary and humor. Your videos always make me smile and most times learn something.
I threw one away exactly like this a couple of years ago due to the electronic ignition. Almost $300 and a couple of months out to get from China. Thanks for your content Wes.
I used a similar machine to clear fence lines for high tensile electric fence many years ago, they do chew up the weeds! Thanks for another entertaining video Wes!!!
You had me a little worried when you were talking about the growth down there. I thought you were talking about the weeds and grass but I wasn't positive. Whew, you were talking about the weeds! We don't need an ad for manscape or what ever it is. Keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing with us.
Living in Hawaii and trying to keep up on vines and weeds (all non-native) I'm very familiar with brushcutters. Was using mine yesterday. I switch between two I have, one with the blade and one with good trimmer line. Nice that you were able to get it running and working. I've also resorted to a hedge trimmer with articulating head from time to time. Whatever it takes.
250k! Great Job Wes you worked hard for it, and less we forget the white-knuckle towing service contribution 🙂 and man's best friend always on the prowl for mice. I wish you 250k more keep up the good work.
Hi Wes, great video, we had those machines also here in New Zealand. They're better quality than what you buy today. Yes a shoulder strap will improve the comfort of using the machine. Love the car seat belt adaption.
My neighbor is in his 80’s one day he pushed over the grandfather to the DR trimmer. 2 wheeled self propelled with a giant exposed lawnmower blade. Belt drive blade with a sorta kinda “clutch” that almost stopped the blade turning but not quite. Any way he wanted it running to do some clearing in his woods. I got it running but under the stipulation that he was not allowed to use it. I cut the brush he needed done and weeds at my house. The thing was a bear to run but absolutely murdered anything that wasn’t an actual tree. This unit you got looks so much more handy. Might have to see if the guys at 5 star can hook me up with something like that I’m guessing it won’t be free tho!
Hey Wes, one of my best tools for tall weeds is a 2 wheeled brush cutter it uses a .155 Size trimmer string . I use it for mowing where my tractor can't get. I bought it from Lowes for 10.00 . The shop condemned it saying they couldn't get parts but ! . I'm a mechanic on all things and most of the stuff I buy that needs repairs I post on my channel
My suggestion would be a large hedge trimmer. The reason is that your ankle trimmer, besides the obvious, will leave you with a lot of long, unchopped pieces laying on the ground. A hedge trimmer will allow you to trim the height down 6" +/- at a time. I use this method to cut ornamental grass (a corn relative) down each season. I leave the residue as ground cover🤣.
I got one still in a box used. It has a solid shaft and can cut down trees a couple inches in diameter. Wind it up go for the small tree blam its cut down. The blade is like a carpenters blade. It works.. great.. be bold and it works fantastic. older sears model . It sits in garage
Wes, the trailing shot of the desk was classic. It's the signature of a truly busy man. Though I no longer live in Illinois, my roots are still there. Watching your channel is like a trip back home.
I try and clear my desk once a week. Since it's a flat surface, it regularly picks up things that can be easily set upon it. Not sure how it happens so quickly.
I have one of these with a three blade "saw" blade attatchment. It's not the same brand, but it only has minor differences in design. I have a string attachment for it, but never bother to use it. It does what its supposed to do, and after I got used to it the carb issue hasn't bothered me much. I did consider converting it to a chainsaw style carb with integral pump, but I don't think its worth the hassle. I have the original plastic harness for it with minor padding, about twice as wide as a seat belt. Reasonably comfortable for one hour or two of use. I got it for free from my father after he busted the threads for the muffler. Don't remember what I did to fix it, (JB Weld?) but whatever I did is still working a decade later. The only thing I do to it each spring is to take a flappy disc to the blade, and fill it with premix. I don't have that ball on the nut for the blade, trick is to adjust the harness so it swings without hitting every rock you encounter, wear sturdy boots, hearing protection and a face shield. I usually use my logging helmet which has all that. Keep the rpm's up and don't let it bog down in tall and sticky weeds. If you don't do that you'll work much slower, and unintentionally make heaps of grass rope.
Wes, lambs quarters are edible, both cooked and raw. At one point in history, the greens were actually grown for use in salads by farmers. Now it seems they are typically goat or cattle food for the most part.
I had three old strimmers (as they are called in 🇬🇧) in my garage at the beginning of 2023. Two of them worked then broke down on the same day. I got fed up with them took all three to the scrapyard and bought a brand new Stihl. I don't enjoy strimming as you get covered in bits of slug. Great video as ever Wes.
Wes, Glad your little problem wasn’t what you led us to think….and it was just your weeds. BTW, because of the weeds, you pushed into getting rid of some metal hoarding AND clean off yor desk. Glad you took the picture of it cleaned up because I knew it wouldn't stay that was for long. …haha! Congrats on the building of the channel. Hope you become king someday. The wife is already on the throne…haha
Talented and laconic Scottish design engineer I used to work with (who ended up in a very senior position at ZF) had a sign on his desk/drawing board (pre CAD days) "A cluttered desk is a sign of genius".
My grandpa had a similar machine except his had strings but there were 4 of them. His had a shoulder strap and a large piece of leather that attached to you belt to protect your side. He broke alot of windshields with that machine.
