Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Tool Hero - Ken Carpenter, Firefighter Mechanic

!±8± Tool Hero - Ken Carpenter, Firefighter Mechanic

Unlike buying a Dodge off the lot, purchasing a Fire Engine requires a committee designated to the design process because each truck is hand built to specifications. The committee designs the truck around what equipment will be placed on the truck.

The Fire Truck Committee needs to know what the truck is utilized for, ie: a rescue truck, engine pumper, ladder truck, wildland truck, where the tools should be placed to be effective and efficient, the right size pumps, what types of gauges are needed and where the gauges need to be placed. It requires working with the manufacturers throughout the entire process to see it through. The design of the fire truck needs to be made to meet the specific needs of that fire department.

Ken Carpenter, Fire Engineer, in Boulder Colorado, works with the folks at Sutphen Fire Trucks, Pierce and other fire truck manufacturers to design the trucks for Rocky Mountain Fire. Through years of experience working on the engines as a mechanic with the City of Boulder, Ken knows what it takes to design a good fire engine. "By engine, I don't just mean the motor itself" says Ken. The Fire Engine consists of pumps to spray water, gauges to run the pumps, different nozzles and adapters to attach hoses, tools for breaking apart cars to save people who've been in accidents and breaking into burning houses to put out the fire. All of these are organized in such a manner so that they are quickly accessible because to a firefighter, time is not money, it is someone's life.

"The most satisfying aspect of my job is helping people, says Ken. I like to take what is out of control and help get it back into control." Ken began his fire career as a volunteer in January of 1995. At the time, he was employed as a mechanic for the City of Boulder . He enjoyed his volunteer work so much that in August of 1999, he was hired on as a full-time firefighter. He quickly was promoted to Engineer and is currently in charge of maintaining the fire trucks. With 15 engines, that is no small job.

Ken has always been mechanically inclined. He took apart his bicycles as a kid. He then moved on to taking apart cars and motorcycles. His process now originates in his head, with mechanical ideas. He then moves onto paper and working with the manufacturer, implements the designs to work on the Fire Engines. This process is what he likes most about his job.

The most challenging part of Ken's job is keeping up with all the younger guys. At 45 years young, he is considered one of the older firefighters. It requires high physical stamina to fight a fire. While in a fire, firefighters work at their peak Level of performance, under high stress for many hours. Good physical and mental health is essential to deal with the stress because you often get a call in the middle of the night, taking you from sleeping to emergency mode in 60 seconds. This makes firefighting one of the top five most stressful jobs. In addition to being one of the top ten most dangerous jobs, it puts firefighters at a high risk for heart attack.

The most frustrating part of Ken's job is dealing with the public who are not involved in the accident and who don't move out of the way for the fire truck to get through. Personal vehicles are now manufactured with improved sound sealing which, in addition to people talking on cell phones, listening to loud stereos and/or their kids, they don't notice that you are running "emergent" and they simply keep driving.

Fire tools are basically used to rescue people who have been in an accident. Just ask Tools of the Trade Editor, Rick Schwolsky what that is like.

Ken's favorite tool is the Fire Truck itself but here is a list to show you just what's on it:

1. Jaws of Life - Hydraulic Spreader by Hurst - this is used to pry doors off of a vehicle that has been crushed in an accident - to extricate victims.

2. Hydraulic Ram - used to take off the steering wheel or floor of a vehicle

3. Hydraulic Cutters - used to cut the frame of a car or remove the roof.

4. Stihl Utility Chain Saw

5. Stihl Gas-powered Circular saw

6. Stihl Gas-powered Rescue Saw for cutting through roofs.

7. Various Axes, Pike poles and prying and Cutting Tools - Ken's idea was to put it on a swing out rack

8. SCBA's - Self contained breathing apparatus

9. Nozzles, adaptors - tools to spray large amounts of water

10. Pump - 1500 gpm 'Waterous' from St. Paul, Minnesota

11. Intake pump to get water from ponds

12. Ice and Water rescue equipment including climbing helmets and a boogie board for water rescue.

13. Station tools include battery operated Makita drills, Craftsman air compressor and various hand tools.

and of course: Ladders


Tool Hero - Ken Carpenter, Firefighter Mechanic

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

Remanufactured, Reconditioned And Refurbished Power Tools

!±8± Remanufactured, Reconditioned And Refurbished Power Tools

What are Remanufactured Power Tools?

According to a case study from Berkeley.edu, remanufactured means that power tools are remade or rebuilt with used products to a condition as good as new. Bosch is one company that is committed to environmental awareness, including the recycle-reuse materials component. Extensive quality control at the Bosch facilities ensures that the quality of remanufactured power tool is equivalent to the quality of a new power tool. Bosch also is reusing high-grade plastic polymers from recycled power tool housings in their remanufactured power tools.

Remanufacturing processes are very similar to manufacturing processes and there is certain criteria that a power tool needs to qualify for to be remanufactured.

Specifically at the Bosch facility:

1. The power tool must fail functionally meaning, there must be a "core" - a discarded, malfunctioning, or used power tool that becomes the remanufactured power tool.

2. The technology must exist that can restore the power tool to its original shape, condition and function.

3. The power tool must be factory-built, standardized, and made with interchangeable parts.

4. The recoverable value added in the remanufactured power tool is a high percentage of the power tool's original market price.

The advantage of buying remanufactured power tools is that you keep more money in your wallet. The retailer can price these at 60% or less of the new power tool price and still make a profit. You get to purchase a high quality power tool that has a manufacturers warranty and have money leftover for lunch.

So then what's a refurbished power tool? and what's a reconditioned power tool?

According to Dictionary.com, the word "refurbished" means: To make clean, bright, or fresh again; renovate.

On the other hand, the word "reconditioned" means: To restore to good condition, especially by repairing, renovating, or rebuilding.

If a seller claims that a power tool has been "refurbished", it means it has been returned, lightly tested, cleaned, repackaged and then resold. However, "reconditioned" power tools have been thoroughly tested, repaired (if necessary), cleaned, repackaged, and resold. Reconditioned power tools are required to meet the same stringent quality-assurance standards that a "fresh" power tool from the same factory would have to achieve. In fact, most power tool manufacturers offer the same warranty for reconditioned power tools that they offer for their brand new counterparts! The main advantage to reconditioned power tools is that you save money.

One place to get professional grade reconditioned power tools is TKRecon.com. At TKRecon.com some reconditioned tools cost as much as 50% less than their brand-new brethren. Buying reconditioned or remanufactured power tools is a great way to maximize your tool budget and still purchase name-brand power tools.

But be wary if someone is advertising a "refurbished" product.

Refurbished power tools have probably not been rigorously tested and are usually just eyeballed, repackaged, and resold. Reconditioned power tools are tested and repaired in accordance with tool manufacturer standards before being resold, so they are always the better choice.


Remanufactured, Reconditioned And Refurbished Power Tools

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Do You Need to Replace Your Old Or Vintage McCulloch Chain Saw Parts?

!±8± Do You Need to Replace Your Old Or Vintage McCulloch Chain Saw Parts?

Most people may not need a powerful chain saw. They can do their yard work on the weekend. They can get away with doing light trimming, mowing, and edging to keep their front and back yards looking nice. If worst comes to worst, they may have to use a hand saw to cut away unwanted branches or go to Home Depot and buy a new McCulloch chain saw. But for that special group of people that enjoy cutting down trees day in and day out, they will need something much more powerful and reliable like an old McCulloch with old McCulloch chain saw parts.

If you are lucky enough to own one of these classics with old McCulloch chain saw parts then you are in for a treat. These older models, when properly taken care of, can start up quick and are begging to be put to the test annihilating unsuspecting trees. They can be used repeatedly day after day, year after year. The new McCullochs of today are really just disposable saws to be used for a short amount of time and then thrown away. They don't even compare to the older ones which can last a lifetime.

The McCulloch name has a lot of history. Robert McCulloch invented the one man chain saw in 1948. He revolutionized the industry and changed the way logging was done. There was no need for a 2 man team anymore to cut down trees, one person could do it alone with the light and powerful chain saws. Over the years, he added 29 firsts that were important innovations to the chain saw market. In 1964 he opened a large manufacturing plant in Lake Havasu City, Arizona creating American made McCullochs. In January, 1999, the company went bankrupt and closed its doors. That was the end of the American made quality product. In 2003, the McCulloch name was bought by a company in Taiwan. Since then, the name has gone through many owners. That's why you can buy one with the name today but it's really just low quality McCulloch chain saw parts made in China or Taiwan.

McCulloch made chain saw for over 50 years, creating a large number of models. Some of the more popular ones are the Pro Mac, Mini Mac, Eager Beaver, and Super Pro. But that's only a few from the list. So it's important to be able to find McCulloch chain saw parts to replace and fix these classics when necessary. Sometimes it takes a little work to locate these parts but it's definitely worth it in the end.


Do You Need to Replace Your Old Or Vintage McCulloch Chain Saw Parts?

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

McCulloch Chain Saw Parts - Replace Or Repair?

!±8± McCulloch Chain Saw Parts - Replace Or Repair?

Many people might not have a need for a chainsaw. They might be able to get away with doing light trimming, mowing, and edging to keep their lawns looking beautiful. But there can come a time that a home owner needs something a little bigger, and a little more powerful. If you have to remove a tree, a stump, a bush, or any other large plant from your yard, you might want to get a chain saw.

If you make this decision, you are going to want to buy something that is durable. Some of the most durable chain saws that are on the market today are made from McCulloch chain saw parts. If you buy a saw made from McCulloch chain saw parts, you wont be likely to ever have to replace them. But if, for some reason, your saw breaks down, you need to decide if it is worth the cost of repair, or if you should buy a new saw.

The makers of these saws have over 100 years of experience and they build some of the most reliable saws on the market today. So what do you do if you need new McCulloch chain saw parts? Do you replace your saw, or do you repair your saw?

If you have a McCulloch saw you aren't going to have to repair it often. But if a part does go awry, you are probably better off repairing your saw than replacing it. Here are a few reasons why.

First, McCulloch offers a warranty on almost all of their saws and parts. They are a company that prides themselves on their products, but also on their customer service. If you have a saw that is under warranty, you might be able to get your McCulloch chain saw parts for free or at a discounted price.

If you do not have a warranty, or if your warranty has expired, you can by McCulloch chain saw parts at very affordable prices. There are many stores on the internet that can offer you these parts, but you can also buy direct from McCulloch. You can find filters, caps, oils, chains and other chain saw parts to get your saw back up and running

If there is a McCulloch dealership near you, you might even be able to get them to fix your saw for you. If it is a big repair, like an engine repair, you are probably better off using a professional instead of trying to do the repairs yourself. Small engine mechanics are also another way that you can get help for your engine repairs.

But before you go out and by some parts to fix your chain saw, you need to check out the current line of McCulloch saws. They are constantly evolving to the higher demands of companies and people. Their technology may have improved since the last time you bought a saw.

Buying a new chain saw probably isn't necessary if you are dealing with a McCulloch product. But you might find the saw of your dreams when you view the current product line.


McCulloch Chain Saw Parts - Replace Or Repair?

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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Makita 64cc Chainsaw

This is a Bone Stock 64cc Makita/Dolmar chainsaw. I am really impressed with the power this little thing comes with in stock form. If you want an inexpensive saw with good quality and power, these little saws are for you!

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