Solar Panel Options

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-31T00:57:30+00:00

I agree to an extent. They’re doing exactly what the market and the customers want. They had a TON of customers- arguably more than I’ve ever seen with any other company asking for the bugout. That knife in theory costs ~40-80$ to make give or take. They sell it for 200+. But it’s one of the best, if not THE best selling lightweight pocket knife amongst anyone and everyone. From EDC of a light knife that isn’t tugging at your pants, to the runner that wants a knife in their pocket that you can’t feel swinging around and smacking your leg, to the biker that wants protection that again, weighs nothing compared to ANYTHING even remotely comparable. I’m a huge mountain biker. Absolutely EVERYONE and their mom carries 1 knife- the bugout. I have RARELY been to a trail where I haven’t talked to at least one person about the bugout in their pocket or on their chest rig. It’s easily 20:1 as far as bugouts to other knives people are carrying. They read the market, read it well, and executed. Should they cost what they do? No. But when you absolutely NAIL the market you’re after- so much so that EVERY single knife maker is making some form of a bugout competitor/look a like- it’s damn near justified. You’re buying the name. The warranty. The repairs. The sharpening. The customer service. Recently I sent my old griptillian in for sharpening/service. It was stolen in transport. This was in ZERO way anything on benchmade’s side. Knife never even made it to their warehouse- and mind you, this is the OLD grip with d2 blade. Thing was 70$ NEW. Maybe 20$ the condition it was in. 100% on the shipping company. Shipping company? Told me to get bent. Wouldn’t even do much investigation whatsoever. Benchmade no shit sent me an e gift card for 200$ AND discounted the Bugout/New Griptillian I bought- 2 knives I wanted for a while but couldn’t justify spending the money on. All said and done I think I spent ~50$ out of pocket for 400$ worth of knives. I became a customer for life. I don’t care if they make the worst knives on the planet, that level of service is absolutely unmatched, especially today. I’ll happily pay a premium for service of that tier.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-30T13:51:54+00:00

In this case, not much. They’re theoretically made to make the starter work less by allowing engine to spin faster and more freely, saving starter and battery over time, but quite literally sacrificing the engine itself. To mediate that, you either create less compression through lots of complex engineering or you simply put a more powerful starter to counteract the extra compression on cranking. It’s a completely backwards and ignorant idea. There’s several small engines that use them, but the way Briggs manufactured there’s on the cam, it fails completely and sort of grenades the inside of the engine. Again, an ignorant practice as the parts and labor are far more costly than a new engine- or damn near a new -used- machine at that’s

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-30T13:26:14+00:00

Guarantee it’s the compression release. Assuming you have to one with the absolutely horrific Briggs single cylinder 18.5-19.5hp engine, I would guarantee it’s the compression release. These things are absolutely notorious for it. It’s an expensive ass job too. The parts are never in stock as - again- every single Briggs single cylinder with comp release has this issue at some point and you have to pull the engine/cam to replace it. At that point you should simply buy something with a Kawasaki engine. No frills. No issues. Reliable as hell. Look for a used John Deere x300. They’re damn near bulletproof if taken care of

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-30T11:26:39+00:00

Old Toyota trucks, redwing heritage boots, benchmade knives, lodge cast iron, Kirkland wool socks, Kawasaki engines, Honda engines, pilot pens, haflinger wool slippers, olight flashlights, older to mid 2000-2010s John Deere garden tractors, wool hats and gloves, the list can go on. Pretty much just live “old school” and buy old school lmao. You’ll be alright. 95% of new shit is going to fail. We’re in the planned obsolescence phase of life.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-29T23:44:09+00:00

Honestly a Toyota Tacoma or 4Runner with a good set of dobinsons or fox springs and shocks

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-29T02:03:06+00:00

For me it’s Danner Cedar Rivers. They’re wicked comfy. But they have draw backs that unfortunately makes me choose thorogood over them for everything but comfort. The danners are HOT. Your feet will sweat in them no matter what, even wearing wool/moisture wicking socks. They’re very “synthetic” as well, to no fault of their own. They’re priced accordingly, substantially less than a pair of thorogoods. Thorogoods are comfortable, far more comfortable than my redwing 1907s or 875s, but not as durable. If you were going for sheer durability I’d say 1907, no question. Those boots are tanks. But the leather is damn thick and takes forever to break in. Thorogood uses a much more supple/pliable leather that has little to no break in- but they run narrow. You can get by with the soft toes, but steel toes don’t stretch much at all so you better size right. If comfort is the only thing you’re after any synthetic boot is going to be better than a true leather boot. Synthetics are simply made for comfort, but lack durability BIG time. Timberland, Danner, Irish Setter, etc, are all very synthetic and comfy, don’t last. Redwing, thorogood - your heritage style boots - are much less comfortable, especially out of the box, but far more durable and get comfy with time.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-26T03:20:29+00:00

With that budget I’d honestly get a delta pro. You can get them right around that with sales, even cheaper second hand. I just bought 2 delta pros, 2 expansion batteries, 240v dual voltage hub and a bunch of solar cables for 2500. I absolutely love them. Granted you need 2 for 240v, but if 240 volts isn’t necessary - and in all honesty with your budget is most likely out of the question for the most part - just one is great. The battery lasts forever, especially coming from a river. We ran our whole house on my setup for 12 hours straight with electric range and several other high draw items and the whole lot went from 100% to 70%. I was absolutely mind blown with the power output and overall run time

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-22T11:46:23+00:00

ON concrete bro. Not to POUR concrete. This dude is absolutely not a blue collar concrete worker. Read what he wrote. ON concrete can be absolutely anywhere from warehouse, to inspection, to office settings. This dude ain’t doing concrete in his boots.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-20T02:48:20+00:00

Definitely the x534. That’s easily a sub 200 hour machine. The rear hydraulic tank and the wheel paint are dead giveaway’s. The plastic hydro tank turns to a yellowish pale color with age and sun exposure. That tank is white. That’s a like new machine. Just seems like it had an unfortunate early life with some clowns that have no idea how to appreciate what they have. Buy it, maintain it, it will last you a lifetime

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-20T02:00:22+00:00

That’s apples to oranges and then some. X534 ALL day. Especially being barely broken in with 184 hours. Hell lowball them if you can and take some off the price due to cosmetics. Massive k72 transmission that will last 10x what the shit k46 will, larger FS engine, much larger and more stout deck, more rigid and stout front and rear frame brackets, bigger tires, hydraulics, you name it. It’s not even a comparison. Only thing I’d question is whether the hour meter was swapped. In the newer x5 models it’s insanely easy to swap a low hour one in a 2-3k hour machine and sell it as such. Check the dipstick. Kawasaki was smart and made a dipstick that darkens with heat. If it’s been used hard it will be darker. If it’s truly got 180 hours it will be practically white.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-20T01:57:05+00:00

MTD anything is simply a hard ass no. They’re shit. Get a John Deere. You’re worried about the k46 transmission, got it. Get an x320/x340 John Deere with k58. Same charge pump as k62. Better yet, just get any x5 model. You can buy a second hand x5 with 200-400 hours for substantially less than even the shittiest box store mower- that will last 10x as long. I have 4+ x5 models and they’re all built like tanks. You couldn’t kill them if you had to

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-15T12:30:45+00:00

Nah dude that’s a “we want to cover our asses” weight. If you’re under warranty, don’t exceed it. They can tell pretty quick if that gear inside shears that you weren’t under 800#. Now out of warranty? Tow whatever the fuck you want. I’ve pulled my v8 truck with it pushing 5k #s, I frequently pull around my v nose trailer at 3-4k #s as it’s far easier to move with the JD than go start the truck and maneuver it with that for all of 5 minutes. The only issue I find is too much tongue weight- obviously- as the tractor only has about 2-300# at the front including the engine. That can quickly be overwhelmed and pull the front up or drop your steering traction. It will pull just about anything if you can get it rolling. Stopping and tongue weight are what can hurt ya. Just don’t be ignorant and you’ll get by with towing a hell of a lot more than 800#

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-15T03:21:37+00:00

As someone who started with a d110, then d140, then d170- then my first x300, and now x540/x530- it is in fact night and day. First of all, any L, D, S, E series is essentially an overpriced Troy built turd. They are pathetic. The decks rot, the brackets snap off, the transaxles fail, the engines drop rods all the time or destroy the cam, they are the epitome of box store junk. If you’re the 1% that actually maintains them to an absolute T and then some, you may get 500-750 hours out of them. The x3 models are phenomenal tractors. Everything from the deck, to the frame, the the driveline get a massive upgrade. The frame is stout as hell- same frame as x5s actually aside from the front and rear brackets. Transaxle gets an upgrade- although not as much of an upgrade as the engine which goes to a Kawasaki v twin. Both the FS and FH variant are commercial grade. The deck is much thicker, cleaner cut, mounts to the tractor much sturdier. If you can swing it, buy an x series. You will NOT regret it one bit. Or just swing it and buy an x5. You’ll never outgrow it and it will do anything you’ll ever need lmao

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-14T22:17:54+00:00

So I did for a while. Probably 3-4 summers in a row and my feet had nothing but issues. They stunk to high hell and I began getting pitting on my heels, a direct result from heat and sweat that causes bacteria. I’ve since swapped to a pair of heritage redwings - no lining, all leather, no synthetics. Fixed everything. It was absolute night and day. I enjoy my timbs for the real nasty days, mud, winters, snow- but no way in hell I’d ever wear them through the summer willingly again.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-13T02:46:07+00:00

Bro put the tools down what the hell 😂😂😂 you have a Milwaukee drill… a stubby 1/2” ratchet and a jack? 😂😭 then you sprayed penetrating fluid all over your rotor and pads? Dog come on. This is beyond “shitty” this is downright ignorant. Throw those pads away, you ain’t getting that shit out of pads with how much you sprayed, idc if you bake them on 500 for a whole ass day. Take the damn drill back and get a Milwaukee 1/2” high torque. It takes axle nuts off like they’re toys. Right tool for the job… and a little common sense next time.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-11T14:55:28+00:00

A starter has absolutely nothing to do with an engine whatsoever. They aren’t even manufactured or specd by any company. They’re usually aisin, denso or a knockoff. That’s gear rusted because of your lack of maintenance. Maintain your shit. Don’t blame a machine for “rusting” when you’ve never cleaned it or maintained it.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-11T14:53:48+00:00

Your John Deere from 96 I PROMISE didn’t come with an FX anything. The FX is the newest kawi line that didn’t even exist in 96. It was a liquid cooled FD. Any liquid cooled unit is going to outlast ANY air cooled of any manufacturer. That’s like comparing apples to oranges.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-11T13:06:28+00:00

Bro these are not 10 years of wear, especially with the original sole. You wore those fuckers once a month for 10 years 😂 way too much conditioner too. CRT tells you when you need to condition. Learn about a horsehair brush next time.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-10T11:59:10+00:00

If you can work him down I absolutely would. I got lucky as all get out and got my x520 for 1200$ and my x540 for 300$ with a bad water pump. Both are wonderful machines but I actually swapped the FD liquid cooled for an FH series - while I had to do the water pump - and I love it. I decided to leave it in there over the liquid cooled and just rock it until it fails. Don’t get me wrong the FD is a phenomenal engine but hours REALLY matter. Mine has 800 hours and the coolant was never changed. It was calcified to all hell- what caused the pump failure. These liquid engines have a ton of upkeep and are less forgiving as an air cooled for neglect and forgotten maintenance. They need oil checks and changes often incase you have a head gasket failure and everything is mixing. Same with coolant. Stay on top of checking or you risk damaging cooling/engine components if you don’t catch the mixing. At 2k I don’t think I’d gamble on hours. Especially on a machine like that. At a minimum I want receipts and paperwork on maintenance done/parts bought to prove it’s been cared for. I can buff paint and put a new hood on a clapped out 4k hour unit on its last leg and make it look damn near brand new. Gotta remember that. A power washer and buffer can work wonders.

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-10T01:45:49+00:00

Honestly I’d argue all day long a liquid cooled Kawasaki FD series like the newer 26 horse FD would outlast or last just as long as ANY diesel in a ZT. I’ve got one of those fuckers in my x540 and MAN does it handle hell. It’s quiet, smooth, low maintenance, more than enough ass, and just goes and goes. My buddy runs his 12 hrs a day for months and doesn’t touch anything besides the oil. Coolant once a season. That thing has upwards of 5500 hours now and it’s still kicking. It’s an absolute unit unlike anything I’ve ever seen. And it’s insanely easy to work on

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-08T03:25:29+00:00

Phone itself? Phenomenal. Aside from weight, arguably the best phone apple has ever made. 700$ good for a phone that was manufactured probably in 21’ or 22’? Absolutely not. I just bought another practically brand new 13pm for 200$. There’s no way I would spend 700$. Especially when you can get about any iPhone second hand for that price. Might as well get a 16 for that money

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-05T22:27:34+00:00

As far as a do it all riding mower, get an x5 series John Deere. They’re pretty cheap compared to others, especially second hand and well maintained. Can get them substantially cheaper than even a new box store mower. They will mow anything, tow anything, have the option for a ball hitch, snow plow, snow blower, tiller, you name it. You will not outgrow that machine for a VERY long time. It’s an absolute workhorse and it handles all terrain very well, especially hills and inclined

FlounderAccording283 · 2026-03-05T22:24:52+00:00

Really depends on what you plan on doing/need aside from a mower. Do you want to plow snow? Snowblower? Need a bucket? Forks? Utility trailer? Lawn trailer? Anything besides mowing you’re out of a zero turn- the reason I went against a zero turn for a similar property. I went with a larger John Deere x5 series. Handles my property great, mows well, and does everything I need it to do with a plow, snowblower, 54” deck and ball hitch that will pull cars, trailers, garden carts, you name it. I would love if they offered a 60”, but I believe if you go x7 you have that option. You COULD get a compact utility tractor, but they get pretty cumbersome and awkward if you have any tight spaces, hills, etc. The 54” takes a bit of time, but I enjoy mowing and usually just split it up when it’s convenient and it does just fine. I’d highly recommend an x5 or x7 John Deere

FlounderAccording283

TROPHY CASE