Happy Father's Day! Let's Till some soil!!!!

Happy Father's Day to all fathers and those who step up and take on a fatherly role in someone's life! So, I am prepping for field season with my test units set. I will be mapping them in tomorrow. As an archaeologist, I use a shovel and trowel to move dirt and search for material culture. My wife, the historian? She uses other tools for moving dirt. Specifically, she gardens, and for the last 15+ years, she has tilled the soil in her garden with a Mantis tiller. That things a pain in the ass! For the record, the Mantis get's the job done, tilling up the soil while periodically chocking on the weeds and grass it encounters. For a 15'x15' garden, it gets the job done. Starting the dam thing is an entirely different issue.

The Mantis tiller is one of those tools that use the gas/oil mix to run. So, as you can imaging, it's not so easy getting started, especially if you let the thing sit for any period of time like say... a few days or a week. That's a very common complaint I hear from DIYers and contractors. SO what choices do we have, really? Me, I convince my wife to let me order and try out a battery-powered tiller. She said Okay. Already having Greenworks 40v batteries... I purchased the Greenworks 40v tiller. My wife seemed a bit skeptical. Me? I've been to the Greenworks rodeo before and had no doubts. Yet, even I was surprised by the results.

I thought the tiller would be close to the power level and productivity level of the Mantis. I was wrong. Thus far... my wife and I found the Greenworks tiller to be neck and neck with Mantis... but without the mixing of gas and oil and struggling to get it started. What's more, my wife found the Greenworks tiller easier to manage, especially in tight spaces in some of her flower bed. The Greenworks tiller gets clogged with grass and weeds just like the Mantis. However, it is real easy to remove the tines to periodically clean out the debris. It was on the level if not easier to clean compared to the Mantis.

For the record, we live in Western New York (the Niagara Frontier specifically). As an archaeologist who's dug a lot of test units, the Niagara Frontier is mostly a heavy clay loam for the soil (Munsell 10YR Dark Gray Brown). So, in heavy clay areas, the Greenworks tiller holds up. God, we got a heavy amount of clay. Anyways, the Greenworks tiller has good power and is easy to start, maneuver, and clean. Plus... no gas/oil mixing and messing with the Mantis carburetor (which I already had to replace). Great job, Greenworks.

Greenworks Tiller Rating: 5 out of 5 Trowels

Charge 'em up!!!!! Westinghouse vs. ZeroKor

As archaeologists (or any anthropologists for that matter), we conduct fieldwork in some pretty remote areas. Some times we need to sleep in hotels and motels out of town, far from home. Other times, we pitch tents and make due with no access to municipal water sources or electricity. Burdens of working in the field. Nowadays, we certainly have more options to bring the comforts of home to remote areas!

As an aside... I get it. I do. With the Star Trek Prime Directive ever in my thoughts, I like every other fieldworker bring considerations to our work and the dangers of exposing others to our beliefs, traditions, and technologies. Yeah... this blog is not for such debates. There's a lot of great debaters out there who've never set foot in the field, and when they do enter the field... well, they often don't do so well. Read the books, have the debates with others, and then get your ass to work! Jumping forward now, how do you bring comforts to the out doors? Power Packs!

*** FYI - those pissing and moaning about my scifi and fantasy references need to chil the FRAK out! Moving on.

I have owned a Westinghouse power pack/station for years now that still functions phenomenally. The model I purchased for around $130 is the iGENS160s (155Wh). It is the size of a tissue box and weighs about as much as a quart of milk. In other words... it's really small. It's looks are deceiving! That Westinghouse power station holds a change for a long time and is easy to re-charge using a solar panel. As for a solar panel, that you buy extra. A 60W solar panel works, but I recommend a 100W one to charge faster. Between lights, laptops, Led TVs, electric blankets, small fans, and other devices, Westinghouse's power station can power things for hours. Think of that! In a remote area with the ability to run a laptop, a fan, and/or an electric blanket?

Today, I have an off-grid system... of sorts. No, I'm not preparing for Doom's Day. I wanted to lessen my reliance on fossil fuels to help the planet AND save money! There... I said it. Moving on. I have a bunch of battery-powered devices I use daily for household/property chores and work-related activities, and I charge these tools with solar power. Here's how it works. I use the Westinghouse battery to recharge batteries and then I use a solar panel to recharge my Westinghouse power pack. End result?!! My use of gas over the last 2 years has plummeted, and the Westinghouse power station is working almost as good as new (I haven't noticed any loss of functionality in the 2 years since I bought it). YEA for lower electric and gas bills and SUPER YEA for lessening my carbon footprint (I really love that part). The power station was about $125 while the 100W solar panel was about $130. So, for under $300, I now cut my lawn, cut down trees, and employ a number of other power tools without impacting my electric bill or gasoline costs. HOORAY!

Now... I like backups for my backups. For most of the 3 people who read this... that will come as no surprise. What if my Westinghouse power station gives out? At some point, all tech ceases to function. So, I wanted a backup power station. Enter my 2023 power station purchase... the 146Wh battery pack by ZeroKor. After a $10 coupon I found online, I purchased this power station... and learned that such power stations may be able to operate a SMALL fridge for a decent amount of time. Check your power station and fridge specifics BEFORE attempting. Next time my power goes out, my mini fridge will be powering up! As for this new power pack/station/generator... it's not half bad. It doesn't seem to hold a charge as well as the Westinghouse power station. That said, it has been functioning decently, although it's controls are a bit finicky. I went with this as it already had hundreds of positive reviews. At this time, I would cautiously give it 4 out of 5 stars (trowels). I was about to give it a 3 or 3 and a half star rating, but my familiarity with its finicky-ness boosted my score to 4. For those doing fieldwork, there are a lot of these things out there now, and most are not made by a major brand like Westinghouse. When searching for and purchasing one of these contraptions, check out reviews. Look for power stations/generators with a lot of reviews (and certainly with way more good than bad feedback. Also review issues about what happens when you let a power station sit idle for a long time. That will potentially impact performance. Having said that, for fieldworkers, campers, and other explorers... these power stations are incredible! Cheers!

ZeroKor Power Generator 

/5 Trowels

Field Season and Pop-up Canopies

I have my next archaeological test unit all set for excavation. The area I am excavating is right beside a garage where Native American projectile points were reported to be discovered by the family who built the garage and the properties house. The house and garage are reportedly the first structures built in the area, which at the time was a bunch of assorted apple and pear orchards. Only one Cortland apple tree remains on the property with a pear tree still standing on the adjoining property. The daughter of the man who built the garage and house in 1948 informed me in our discussion that her brother and her found an "arrowhead" during the construction phase. So, an excavating we will go. Now let's talk sunlight.

I have been in a battle with vitiligo since my early 20s. The vitiligo arose when I was finishing my training to be a field archaeologist. Yep, just finishing my Bachelor's when the dermatologist said... "so.... yeah, you should avoid the sun."

WHAT THE FRAK?!

OK, my OCD kicked in and I took things to an extreme, avoiding sunlight at all costs. As a result, I adapted to the cold (I live in Buffalo and wear shorts during cold, winter days as I am always sweating. That said, I stay under canopies and wear clothing rated as 50spf. So, I am on my second pop-up canopy. The brand is Tangkula (though "GO PLUS" is written on the actual canopy I received. Anyway... neither Tangkula or GO PLUS make replacement canopies, and let me tell you, after a couple years, canopies tear and fade so the sunlight gets through. Before purchasing this pop-up canopy, I looked around for replacement canopy covers and saw that 8x8 sized canopies were available of Amazon. So, I purchased an 8x8 that served well for a couple years. I think I have at least another year I can get out of the original canopy cover, but I purchased a backup in preparation for the inevitable. I went with an 8x8 canopy replacement made by 'Breezy and Company'.

Let me tell ya... it's a tight fit, but it fits. don't lock in all corners until you are set with Velcro connections in all corners. The canopy was around $35.00. Compared with buying a new canopy (frame and cover) at between $99.00 and $119.00? The replacement so far is a good deal. Keeps the sun an bay and looks sharp. We'll see how it holds up to use, especially when propping the canopy over my summer test units in June. I give it a 4.5 stars out of 5. Will update after more testing.

New Beginnings... and new tools to test. Bring on the Chainsaw!

 As an archaeologist, I love testing out new tools and technologies. This love includes testing out ancient technologies to better understand how they work. As a writer, I love to write about my experiences with tools and technologies (reviews). So, with my recent book and short story projects wrapped up, I'm off for more experimentation with... you guessed it... tools and technologies. Now, given the ridiculous gas prices, I had switched to battery-powered tools while also building up a solar power station of sorts to cut fuel prices. With that in mind, my first experiment leads me back to Green Works tools. This time... a chainsaw.

Now almost 20 years ago, my wife and I purchased a wooded lot in the Niagara Frontier of New York, and I mean a really wooded lot. I love trees, and I love that our property borders a woodland. That location means we get a lot of animal visitors: deer, fox, skunks, chipmunks, snapping turtles, possum, bats, and a huge range of birds. As for the trees, I have needed to remove a few after the elements caused substantial damage. A few of the trees were monster-sized requiring professionals (silver and Norway maples aplenty). Yet, there is a lot of tree falls, especially in the form of large branches, which I can manage. I purchased a Remington electric chainsaw years ago, which came with an extender to reach up into the tree canopies for trimming. That 12" chainsaw did OK, but it had a significant amount of difficulty with anything beyond medium sized branches. The tool itself wore out after a few years, which meant I needed a replacement. Now, having already purchased a Green Works 40V lawnmower, I looked to see what options they had so I could reuse the batteries instead of purchasing a different sized batter. Fortunately, Green Works did have a 40V chainsaw. I decided to go with the Green Works 12" as money was a little tight. This tool did well the first year managing some significantly sized branches from maples and pines and spruce trees throughout our property. The item's saw is easy to tighten and self lubricates (you just need to keep the bar oil reserve filled). This feature was a great add that made the process easier. Based on that first year, I would have given it 5 stars. As for this year, the tests the chainsaw faced were greater.

I trimmed back a spruce tree last fall with the intent of trimming it further over the course of the winter. Yeah, that didn't happen. So, as we entered Spring, I needed to cut down the remaining part of the tree in preparation for a company to come in and grind the stump. So, yesterday I took the day off to focus on the tree... with my 12" chainsaw. Did I mention that the tree had a 19" diameter? Yes, I planned to tackle this not-so-tiny tree with my Green Works, 40V chainsaw, using my John Deere riding lawn mower as a backup (in other words, the lawn tractor served as a tie off and to pull the tree down when I had cut into a sufficient amount of the tree. So, armed with battery with little juice left, I started to cut into the tree, and when standing in front of the tree, that 12" chainsaw immediately seemed ill-equipped for the task. Boy, I was wrong in that moment. Now, a 19" diameter tree doesn't come down easy when your chainsaw only has a 12" blade. It takes time. 

In total, it took about 45 minutes with a couple breaks spread throughout to let me and my arms rest a bit. Yet, that tree did give way to the chainsaw blade. Ultimately, the tree fell without needing a lot of battery power. Sure, my arms were tired at the end, but the Green Works 40V chainsaw cut through a not so dead tree with little difficulty. 

***For my review, the Green Works chainsaw gets 5 Trowels (stars) out of 5.