I wear one of these as a face shield when I mow my own property as well as my customers’ lawns. I discovered these one day through a sponsored ad on my Facebook page – I must have googled “sun protection while mowing” in the recent past. These shields have made working outside foer extended periods of time much more enjoyable for me.

You can catch a lot of damaging UV rays when you’re on a zero-turn mower for several hours at a time in full sun. This exposure adds up over time and can really take a toll on your health, not to mention the appearance of your skin.

These SA UV/dust shields cover your nose, mouth, cheeks, ears, and most of your neck when worn as a face mask. These parts never get sunburned when I wear this shield, especially when worn with a boonie hat as the shield’s material is rated at 40 SPF. I am religious about wearing mine, as I am at higher risk for skin cancer and have had a couple of cases of it. I still apply sunscreen to the lower part of my neck when wearing this, as this area could stay exposed to the sun depending on the style of shirt you’re wearing.

You can wear these in a number of different styles: face shield, headband, neck gaiter, full hood, balaclava, and more (I had to look up some of these). The material is very soft and breathable. It doesn’t feel overly hot even in 90*+ temperatures and, in any case, it beats the alternative of getting sunburned.

The shield stays tight on your face and won’t fall down as you move around. This is the most important thing to look for with a product like this. I can put one of these on and then focus on mowing or trimming without having to constantly readjust it on my face. They come in one size, which will fit any adult (male or female).

In addition to protecting your skin from UV rays, this shield is also effective for preventing breathing in dust, grass particles, and bugs while you mow. Tree and grass pollen is still going to get through, but you’re not going to be inhaling anything larger.

I was skeptical how these would hold up given how cheap they were. I have had my original set of five for more than a year now and as I’ve already said, I wear them and wash them a lot. The colors have faded ever so slightly and I’ve noticed some very minor pilling, but I fully expect to get at least another year of service out of them.

When COVID-19 became a thing, I kept one in each of my vehicles to use as a mask for entering stores and other indoor public spaces. They take up almost no room in a center console or glove compartment.

These shields are available in many different colors and styles, although I prefer the solid earth tones, with the olive green being my favorite.

Chainsaws are a pleasure to operate when you respect their power and understand how they cut. For me, there is nothing like plunging a freshly-sharpened chain into the aromatic heartwood of a downed tree on a late fall morning as I put up firewood for the winter. I have gone outside after strong wind storms to find large dead ash trees that had blown down and were blocking my trails. Having a reliable, well-tuned saw and a supply of sharp chains turns a routine chore into an enjoyable experience that you will look forward to.

I have a Stihl MS290 Farm Boss with an 18″ bar that I use for all the tree work on my property. This, or the MS291 that replaced it, is an excellent quality saw for someone with a little bit of land. This saw can cut and buck some decent-size hardwood logs without straining itself if the chain is sharp. It made short work of some fodder trees that I cleared along the edge of where my market garden now stands.

I used to take my chains (you do keep several on hand for yours, right?) to our locally-owned Ace Hardware store to have them sharpened. They only charge $5.99 per chain, they do a great job sharpening them, and they’re usually ready the next day. While I try to give these guys as much of my business as possible, I decided to start sharpening my own chains once I discovered how easy it is with the Stihl 2-in-1 chain sharpener. In addition to saving money and having the satisfaction of doing the job myself, I like the peace of mind that comes with knowing that I won’t be dependent on someone else to keep my saw operating optimally in the event of a natural disaster so that I can take care of my property as well as my neighbors’.

Simply put, you owe it to yourself to have one of these on your workbench if you own a chainsaw. Just like with knives, sharp chains are safer than dull ones because you can let the machine do the work for you instead of forcing it. The Stihl 2-in-1 chain sharpener is perfect for complete sharpening jobs as well as for hitting each tooth a couple of times to “dress” it up. I usually do the latter after every two or three tanks of fuel depending on what I’m cutting.

Being able to sharpen the chain while it’s on the saw is a big timesaver when I have a formidable job ahead of me. I simply set my saw on my workbench and adjust the tension on the chain so that I can turn it by hand. I use a red Sharpie to mark the top of the first tooth I sharpen. This visual cue lets me know when I’m back to where I started sharpening.

Make sure that you’re buying the sharpener that has the files that match your saw’s pitch, which is the distance between the links in the chain. The pitch will be stamped or etched either on the chainsaw itself or on the bar. Apart from the top professional models, most chainsaws use a .325″ or 3/8″ (.375″) pitch.

Most people don’t understand the need to file the rakers (depth gauges) on the chain when they sharpen and therefore, don’t bother with this part. Although the rakers don’t need filing as often as the teeth themselves, neglecting these will cause your saw to cut ineffectively because the depth gauges will actually block the teeth from cutting if they are not taken down periodically to match the wear on the teeth. The best part about this tool is that it files the teeth and the rakers with each stroke. It doesn’t get any easier that that!

There are lines etched on the tool to help you keep the correct angle to the witness marks on the chain as you move the tool across. This is the most important factor in getting a quality result and for maximizing your chain’s service life.

If you’re like me, you probably rolled your eyes when you hear “no spill” and “gas can” in the same utterance. Since 2009, Americans have endured countless gas can flops with poorly designed spouts and vents that ironically make it much more likely to spill gas when refueling equipment. I promise you that the No-Spill CARB-compliant cans are different. In fact, for the 1.25-gallon and 2.5-gallon models, I will even claim that they work better than the old school plastic cans for small engine applications.

When you’re refueling your outdoor power equipment, control of fuel flow is the most important factor in not spilling fuel. Not only is it harmful to the environment, but spilling fuel onto a hot engine can be dangerous. The No-Spill poly cans’ push-button spout set them apart from the competition.

Between my landscaping side business, cutting firewood from downed trees in our woods, trimming the banks of a 1.5-acre lake, and maintaining my 108-tree orchard, I go through a lot of two-cycle mix. The No-Spill can is perfect for the small fuel tanks on trimmers, blowers, and chain saws because of the precise level of control that the push-button spout gives you to prevent overfilling. This is why I say that the No-Spill poly cans are even better than the old-style plastic cans.

The No-Spill 2.5-gallon poly can is the perfect size for my needs. A typical homeowner who owns a couple pieces of two-cycle equipment would probably be best suited with the 1.25-gallon can, since you don’t want to mix up more fuel than you can use in a month or two.

Apart from the well-designed spout, the thickness of the polymer shell makes the difference between this and a basic fuel can readily apparent when you compare the two side to side. Not only are you going to experience less frustration with the No-Spill can, but it’s also going to last longer due to the higher quality materials used to make it. I have been using the same 2.5-gallon can for my landscaping business and around my property for more than seven years and it’s still in great shape.

These poly cans are available in 5-gallon, 2.5-gallon, and 1.25-gallon sizes. They even make a yellow 5-gallon diesel can.

Between my landscaping business, market garden, and working on our 18-acre heavily-wooded property, I come into contact with my share of poison ivy and sumac.

The entire poison ivy plant (leaves, stems, berries, and roots) contains an oil called urushiol. This is what causes the contact contact dermatitis for most people when they get it on their skin. Fortunately, you can usually avoid an allergic reaction if you remove the oil from your skin within an hour or so. Fels Naptha laundry bar soap is the most effective way that I have found to remove poison ivy from your skin if you know you’ve been exposed.

They don’t advertise that their soap is effective at removing urushiol from the skin, which is interesting since everyone I have talked to who is familiar with this soap always mentions that they use it precisely for this purpose.

While this soap, as with any other, works best in warm to hot water, I always use it with cold water in the shower. Cold water prevents your pores from opening as much, which is the last thing you want to do if you already have urushiol on the surface of your skin.

The manufacturer does have a warning on the label about using this product on your skin. Would I shower with it every day? No, but I don’t hesitate to use it any time that I suspect that I might have been exposed to poison ivy. You should talk with your dermatologist or physician prior to using it if you are concerned.

I have purchased dozens of bars of this soap over the years, but I can count on one hand how many times I’ve actually used it in the laundry room. With that said, it is a very effective stain remover. I use a cheese grater to shred the bar into tiny pieces that will dissolve quickly in the washing machine. I keep a small container in our laundry room and toss some in the washer when I wash my landscaping clothing. Fels Naptha is one of the best soaps for removing grass stains.

As someone who has spent hundreds (probably thousands) of hours operating both brands, I don’t think you could go wrong with either a Husqvarna or a Stihl string trimmer. I prefer Husqvarna’s two-cycle string trimmers due to their lighter weight, balanced feel, and more than anything else – the tried-and-true Husqvarna trimmer head, which they have just about perfected in my opinion and experience. I actually changed out the stock trimmer head in my Stihl trimmer for Husqvarna’s T35 universal head (which the 322L comes equipped with) because of how easy it is to re-spool it compared to others out there.

The 322L is a significant step up from the 128LD, which is their entry-level straight-shaft trimmer, for not much more money. The straight-shaft is much easier to maneuver under trees, in tight spots, and for flipping it on its edge to edge your sidewalk. Straight-shaft units can also handle more engine torque. For these reasons, you never see landscaping crews using anything but straight-shaft trimmers.

I have a lot of respect for the Husqvarna brand. Although it’s a Swedish company, I appreciate the fact that this trimmer is built in Arkansas. I’m a fan of everything they produce except for their mowers, which I feel lag behind the rest of their lineup in terms of longevity, performance, and build quality.

While the models have evolved over the years, the company still builds a workhorse that is a real pleasure to use. Most of Husqvarna’s straight-shaft trimmers that they call consumer models are really more like entry-level commercial units. For example, I bought a 223L in 2007 when we bought our first house. I used it regularly to maintain our one-acre property where we lived for 10 years. It became my primary trimmer for my small landscaping business that I have operated since 2013. I still use it (not just the same model, but the very same trimmer that I bought 13 years ago) to trim our current 18-acre property in addition to its commercial duties. The pull start is the only part I’ve had to replace since it was new, besides one or two trimmer heads which are considered wearable parts.

This trimmer works great with Oregon’s .095-inch Magnum Square Gatorline, which I reviewed here. The 322L is powerful enough to spin .105-inch line if you’re cutting really thick brush, but I prefer the higher speeds for taking care of lighter weekly maintenance.

A homeowner with a typical suburban lot who takes care to run the fuel out at the end of the season and stores this trimmer properly can easily expect to get a couple decades of faithful service out of it.

String trimmers frustrate more homeowners than probably any other tool they own. The reason? Most are using cheap, inferior trimmer line that delivers substandard results and breaks constantly, requiring frequent re-stringing of the spool. You will be amazed at how infrequently you will have to re-load this line.

I have exclusively used Oregon’s Magnum Square Gatorline in my landscaping business for more than seven years. Maintaining a sharply defined line between two different surfaces, such as a sidewalk and the lawn, provides contrast and tells passersby that the homeowner values attention to detail. This line gives me the cutting power and control to give my customers the well-maintained borders they’re looking for in very little time so that I can move on to my next job.

You don’t need to buy a sidewalk edger if you use this line because of how well it cuts through the turf that grows out onto the sidewalk over time. Just turn your trimmer on edge and maintain the correct depth as you walk with the trimmer. It takes a little practice, but soon you will be edging your sidewalks in no time at all. All landscaping companies do it this way because it’s efficient and it works.

The manufacturer produces Gatorline in several different styles: round, square, and twisted. The round lines is more for use on smaller properties with few weeds. I recommend the square or twisted line for homeowners who do casual landscaping as well as professionals, as the significant improvement in performance outweighs the negligible increase in cost many times over.

The square line minimizes hesitance and resistance, which keeps up the RPM of your trimmer head. The banks of our lake, which is just under two acres in surface area, would be pretty formidable to maintain if I had to use the cheap plastic line that most people buy at their local home centers. The Gatorline slices right through aquatic leaves and thick grass without bogging down the engine.

You want to run the thickest diameter line that a.) your spool will accommodate and b.) your engine can handle in order to get maximum cutting power. Most gas-powered trimmers will be able to run .095-inch line with no problem. I have several Husqvarna (223L, 326L, XXX) and Stihl (FS80) trimmers that are considered homeowner models – they handle this commercial-grade line with ease.

This line is made from reinforced nylon and features an armored exterior and a flexible core to resist breakage. Gatorline avoids a common problem with cheaper plastic lines known as “welding”, in which the line fuses to itself inside the spool due to high temperatures caused by the high RPMs of the trimmer head.

A 685-foot spool of this line lasts me for about a season and a half. That is with mowing eight customer lawns on a weekly basis as well as maintaining our own 18-acre property which requires extensive trimming around the lake, the trails, and our market garden. A homeowner with a standard suburban lot will easily see this spool last at least a decade.