Category Archives: Tools

May 23 0 comments
Out door power equipment, Repairs, Tools

Small Engine Repair

Most outdoor yard equipment uses some type of gas powered small engine.  Generally, these units are reliable and will give good performance.  Every once in a while, however, they won’t start.

This year, I went to fire up the trusty rototiller (Yard Machines 21A332A700) to start working on the garden and I spent quite a while pulling on that rope with nothing to show for it.  It turns out, there were several problems.  These are the basic trouble shooting steps:

  1. Check the fuel.  Gas goes bad after a while, bad gas will smell funny.  If the gas has sat in the tank all winter, drain it out and replace with fresh gas.  Check the carburetor, most have a drain bolt on the bottom, drain about 1 tablespoon of gas out.  If the unit has a fuel filter, check that too.
  2. Check ignition.  Remove the spark plug and check for damage.  Check for proper gap.  The spark plug should have slightly grey/brown ash on it, that is normal.  Black gunk indicates a more serious problem.  If several attempts at starting were made, the spark plug should have a slight coating of gas on it and the cylinder should smell like gas.  Wait about 5 minutes then ground the spark plug on the engine and pull the starter.  You should see/hear the spark.  If not, there is an ignition problem.
  3. Remove the air filter and be sure that the choke plate is closed.
  4. After several starting attempts, the carburetor throat should be slightly wet with gas.  If not, there is a fuel problem.
  5. If everything looks normal (fuel and ignition okay) then the flywheel key might be bent.  This could happen if the engine was stopped after hitting something.  In many cases, the fly wheel key can be replaced.
Briggs and Stratton 6.5 HP engine with flywheel cover removed

Briggs and Stratton 6.5 HP engine with flywheel cover removed

With the rototiller, I found two problems, no gas and no spark.  The gas problem was due to a clogged carburetor port.  I took apart the carburetor and blew out all the ports with 35 PSI compressed air to make sure that no other junk was stuck in there.

Briggs and Stratton 6.5 HP engine ignition coil

Briggs and Stratton 6.5 HP engine ignition coil

The ignition problems were due to a mouse nest under the fly wheel cover.  The mice chewed through the insulation on the kill wire.  I tried to re-insulate the wire, but there was still no spark.  I replaced the entire ignition coil.  Briggs and Stratton has a good web site where one get know how and order parts directly.

I also installed a new, properly gapped spark plug.  Total cost of repair, about $40.00.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Jan 26 3 comments
Tools

Tool Review: Ridgid DP1550 Drill Press

I have been doing quite a bit of metal fabrication lately, prototyping my ideas, working on projects and what not.  About 3 months ago, it became apparent that I needed a drill press.  I searched high and low for a used 12 to 16  inch floor drill press at a reasonable cost.  One would think, with all the talk of recession and what not, somebody would want to be parting with some excess equipment.  And they were, but for nowhere near the price that I was expecting.

Ridgid DP1550 15 inch drill press

Ridgid DP1550 15 inch drill press

After the holiday, I finally broke down and bought a one new from the Home Depot.  The Ridgid DP1550 drill press cost $300.00 plus tax, which is less than half of a used Delta or Rockwell drill press on Ebay or Craig’s List.  Further, it is new!  I have several Ridgid tools and always found them to be solid reliable units.  I would not want to use this machine in a manufacturing plant, or other heavy use application, but for my purposes, it is perfect.   Also, it is a medium sized floor unit, with a good sized hand truck, one person can easily move it.

It took about an hour to put together.   I have used it for two projects so far, both relatively easy.  I can say that the drill press made the template set up easy and repetitive drilling accurate (better repeatability), thus saving time and making a better prototype.  It has a pulley/belt drive system that allows different drill speeds to be generated.  It has a 1/2 HP motor, so it should drill through just about anything that will fit under it.  I also found a chain for the chuck key to keep in from wondering away.  I have a habit of putting those things in my pocket, then spending a half an hour looking for it later on.

I have it set on the lowest speed right now because I am mostly drilling aluminum angle and flat bar.  When machining aluminum, it is best to use lower speeds and tools designed to work with that type metal.  Aluminum has a tendency to clump to a cutting surface.  A little bit of penetrating oil, such as WD-40 on the cutting surface helps prevent this.

All in all, this is an inexpensive, medium sized drill press.  It has done everything I have needed it to do with ease.  I would recommend it to someone looking for a home shop drill press.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Jan 22 4 comments
Plumbing, Tools

Frozen pipes, not mine

What a mess! Fortunately for me, the frozen pipes in question belong to my employer and not myself.  Much to their chagrin, the continued sub zero weather (-1 on Tuesday, -3 yesterday) has taken it’s toll on an empty floor of a commercial building that they own.

No less than 7 burst pipes since Monday. The problem is, it is a 230 year old stone structure with numerous drafts blowing into the basement, around windows and various other openings. Rats, it seems, chewed a hole through a boarded up window letting copious amounts of cold air into a disused kitchen.

Needless to say, I have been supervising plumbers, electricians, carpenters and clean up crews and I must admit, I am getting a little worn out from standing inside sub freezing, dark, dank, wet old buildings.

One thing that I have been suitably impressed by is the Ridgid ProPress crimping system.

Ridgid propress RP300

Ridgid propress RP300

This tools basically does away with the need to solder. In a situation where all the pipes have water in them, some still have ice, this tool save hours and hours of work. In order to solder or sweet pipes, all of the water needs to be drained out so the pipes can be heated. Several of the pipes still had ice, which would have melted causing water to run over the repair area, cooling it off and making it impossible to solder.  With the propress, the burst area is cut out and replaced, with a new section or cap being crimped in place.

The only downside that I can see is the expense.  The battery powered propress tool and 6 jaws runs about $3,000.00.  This is a little pricey for the average home owner, however, for my next solar installation, I’ll be picking one of these bad boys up.

Popularity: 3% [?]

May 21 37 comments
Out door power equipment, Tools, yard

New Cub Cadet CC4175 String Trimmer

Happy Birthday to me! With my Home Depot gift certificate from Aunt Barbra and Uncle Jim, I purchased a new string trimmer to replace the old one which met its demise earlier this spring. She’s a bute! There are several nice things about this unit; first, it has a 4 cycle engine. No more mixing oil and gas and hoping that I don’t foul a spark plug. Plus, it always seems that each tool, e.g. chain saw, string trimmer, hedge trimmer, used a different fuel to oil ratio, making life difficult. Second, it has several different attachment head accessories that can be bought, so not only is it a string trimmer, it can be a pole chain saw, hedge trimmer, brush cutter, mini rototiller, edger and so on.

cub cadet cc4175 4 cycle gas trimmer

There were two units to choose from, the less expensive, less versatile curved shaft unit, or the straight shaft unit. I like the straight shaft units better because it seems to be a better design; less friction, less wear and tear on the power transfer cable, etc. Perhaps I am just imagining it, but it seems to be much more sturdy that the old Pouland string trimmer.

Since it has a 4 cycle engine, it requires crank case oil and there are all sorts of warnings and stickers to that effect. Guessing they may have had problems with that in the past. Anyway, a 3.04 ounce bottle of SAE 30 HD motor oil is provided. I am going to keep the little bottle to measure out oil changes when needed in the future. I also noted that it is about 1 to 2 pounds heavier than the old string trimmer. It seems to have more power than the old unit, and no smoky exhaust to breath while trimming up the yard.

Some assembly required.

I am looking forward to finishing up the trimming over the weekend.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Apr 25 4 comments
Tools

Tool Review: Bosch 1194AVSRK Hammer Drill

When drilling into concrete a hammer drill or rotary hammer is a must. An ordinary drill with a masonry bit will just spin and spin and spin until your arm gets too tired to hold the drill up, then you’ll have to stop and drink a glass of water or something. A Hammer drill is not only drill, they have a miniature jack hammer built in, so they drill through concrete and cement like it is white pine. Hammer drills are also nice because you can switch between an ordinary drill (without the hammer function) or a hammer drill with the flip of a switch which gives it added functionality as it can be used like a regular drill when required.

bosch 0-901-94-639 rotary hammer drill

I have owned this unit for about 6 years now and it has held up well under use. It seems a little stiff to turn by hand, but then again, perhaps that is normal. It is geared pretty low and has plenty of torque.

bosch 0-601-94-639 hammer drill selector switch

The Bosch 1194AVSRK drill is a 1/2 inch standard (keyed) chuck drill. It has plenty of power for all jobs and makes quick work of any masonry drilling up to 1/2 inch sized bits. For larger sized masonry holes, there are a few choices. Bosch makes several SDS drills which use special SDS masonry core drills. These work like conventional hole saws, only they are made for masonry work. Or, you can do what I did last summer when I installed the new well pump, I used a hammer and chisel to knock a 2 inch hole in the side of the cinder block foundation. Unfortunately for me, somebody filled the cinder block cells with what looked like 4000 PSI concrete and it took some doing to get the hole all the way through the wall.

Anyway, having the hammer drill around makes light work any masonry drilling needed.

Popularity: 5% [?]