Advice on big purchase

[Tinker]

When I was doing stone masonry, i found i was far safer tot handle heavy rocks alone.  i have had helpers who were far bigger and way stronger than I.  With two men on a stone, it was safer to raise with planking, rollers, levers and even ropes or chains than for two men to lift.  It never failed that one of the two would drop the stone before the other guy was ready. When i finally got a loader/backhoe, i still worked mostly alone as I could not get the guy at the chain end to have the patience to wait till the load was stable before trying to get the chain under neath the load.  If the load did not need to be transported, as Iceclimber's stones, then tumbling or rolling.

For final placing, i had a carpenters wrecking bar that I had cut the loop end off of.  that left me with a two foot flap (hex) bar with the pry end in tack.  With that little bar, i could move into place stones that my loader could barely move. Even if only moved a sixteenth of an inch with each pry, i could put a stone into exact position i wanted.  I never found any, but one, helper who could work with that sort of patience.  He liked to move heavy objects, but hated stone work.  even so, he was the one I found i could trust with any heavy move.  It takes a particular sort of patience to do that sort of work.  i can see that Iceclimber has that patience.  If not, he would still be at the bottom of one of his giant icecicles  and we would not be having this conversation with him, but more like about him.

I am also noting that there had been research before planting the bamboo.  My friend who planted the bamboo in his yard should have known better. He is in the tree biz, but evidently did not take time to fully study about the plant. he just got in a hurry to screen out the obnoxious neighbor.  He is in sort of a worse problem now.  I had just wanted to give a heads up for Ice climber. I should have knob as he is spending so much time reseaching his machinery before taking the plunge.

Tinker

 

[Iceclimber]

Hardscape does take a certain mindset i agree.

I also agree that moving even the largest stones is more easy with one person than two. For both reasons you suggest actually. Safety and then its next to impossible to communicate exactly where how and why you want a stone placed. Then even if you can explain this very few have the patients it takes when working with a ten pound stone nevermind a 500lb stone.

As you suggested i go nuts doing research. I may rethink the Bamboo. I just dont know what i could use instead. I also need something to create shade on the patio as it gets both morning and afternoon sun.

As of last evening i am leaning towards a brand new Felder AD741. The logic is i want the spiral cutter because I'm sick of tear out. Any board off any machine regardless if how nice a finish it leaves will always get a sand before finishing so i don't see how a little scalloping is a issue. Tear out is a issue!

My other thought is i want the Minimax quality and burliness vrs the Hammer but i don't want the Tersa head. I also feel it much better to buy a machine with the head i want on it from the manufacturer if for no other reason but to limit potential problems. Spending thousands of dollars on a machine then having a problem with ti and the manufacturer tells you sorry you voided your warranty does not seem smart.

Only problem with the AD741 plan is its 10K and it will be christmas before i see it. I could have the Hammer early summer late spring. 

 

When I was doing stone masonry, i found i was far safer tot handle heavy rocks alone.  i have had helpers who were far bigger and way stronger than I.  With two men on a stone, it was safer to raise with planking, rollers, levers and even ropes or chains than for two men to lift.  It never failed that one of the two would drop the stone before the other guy was ready. When i finally got a loader/backhoe, i still worked mostly alone as I could not get the guy at the chain end to have the patience to wait till the load was stable before trying to get the chain under neath the load.  If the load did not need to be transported, as Iceclimber's stones, then tumbling or rolling.

For final placing, i had a carpenters wrecking bar that I had cut the loop end off of.  that left me with a two foot flap (hex) bar with the pry end in tack.  With that little bar, i could move into place stones that my loader could barely move. Even if only moved a sixteenth of an inch with each pry, i could put a stone into exact position i wanted.  I never found any, but one, helper who could work with that sort of patience.  He liked to move heavy objects, but hated stone work.  even so, he was the one I found i could trust with any heavy move.  It takes a particular sort of patience to do that sort of work.  i can see that Iceclimber has that patience.  If not, he would still be at the bottom of one of his giant icecicles  and we would not be having this conversation with him, but more like about him.

I am also noting that there had been research before planting the bamboo.  My friend who planted the bamboo in his yard should have known better. He is in the tree biz, but evidently did not take time to fully study about the plant. he just got in a hurry to screen out the obnoxious neighbor.  He is in sort of a worse problem now.  I had just wanted to give a heads up for Ice climber. I should have knob as he is spending so much time reseaching his machinery before taking the plunge.

Tinker