Recently the building in which I stored all my lawn and garden tools burned. We think the lawn mower gas tank exploded. Most of the tools were older but high quality. The insurance company will replace on a 1-to-1 basis. I have my list made out and I just need to ask the ‘experts’ what brands to look for.
First, what brand of hand tools would you consider to be the best. I am leaning toward Fiskars or Corona for the pruners and loppers. That is what I had before but is there another brand that I should look at? The shovels and other hand tools were mostly Craftsman or True Temper. Is there another brand that I should look at for these?
Next, the power tools, trimmers, blowers, chainsaws, and pole saws. I have pretty well made up my mind on these. Lawnsite has great info. The Shindiawa brand looks good for the trimmer and pole saw. Redmax has a good reputation on hand held blowers. And I guess Husky for the 20†bar chainsaw. Don’t want to start a war here so just tell me if you have had a bad experience with a brand.
Finally, some advice. Check your insurance coverage on your outbuildings. Just roughly figure out how much it would take you to buy replacements for everything. Not how much it is worth due to age but how much to go out and buy all new equipment. You will be shocked at how many dollars you have in that little storage shed. I am covered but this was only an 8’ x10’ building. If my larger shop had burned neither it, nor the contents, could not be replaced with the coverage I had. Also just take your camera out to your sheds and take a picture. This will help you remember what you had stored in it. I had not done this but had recently moved things around in preparation for the winter. And I still left a couple of items off my first list.
<font color="red"> Also just take your camera out to your sheds and take a picture. This will help you remember what you had stored in it. I had not done this but had recently moved things around in preparation for the winter. And I still left a couple of items off my first list.
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Good idea, I had a fire in a storage building and it was years before I stopped remembering tools I had forgotten were in that old garage.
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Also just take your camera out to your sheds and take a picture.
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With a digital camera, I just went all over my place, inside and outside the shop and house, snapped lots of pictures, put them on CDs and gave one to each of our daughters. In the event of a fire or tornado, I figured I'd still have all the photos. I also maintain an inventory of sorts and add most power tools, appliances, etc, with brand, model & serial number, date and place purchased, and price. That's also on the CDs.
Good to hear things are working out for you, RSKY. I tell my customers to walk around with a video camera; that way you can narrate what you are viewing. And, DON'T store the tape in your house- what happens if the house burns down? (This is what Bird was getting at.) And, (another and?) keep the tape (or CDs) up to date.
Oh boy, if I was going out to replace my power tools I'd head straight for a Stihl dealer [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] . I have Lawn boy, craftsman, black and decker, and Stihl. They're all fine but whenever I replace anything I've bought Stihl and never regretted or worn one out to replace again.
Fiskars are what I've bought and they hold up pretty good. I'd buy the shovels and rakes ... last depending on how much money was left after paying for power tools.
It's a good thing you had that outbuilding instead of having a fire in the garage and loosing your autos and possibly your home if it's attached [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] .
The outbuilding that burned was originaly attached to the back of the house. When we built on I moved it about 60 feet and had it pushed against my shop. The little building had no back at this time. Then about 8-10 years ago I was driving somewhere and saw an old lady standing, with hands on hips, in her front yard watching her mower burn up. Within a month I moved the small building as far away from the others as I possibly could in a quarter acre back yard. I put a back on it and used it to store my flammables and equipment thay used fuel or got dirty. Best move I have made.
I think the Felco pruners are about the best I have ever used.
I have had Corona's and others, but nothing has matched the quality of the two Felco's I have.
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