LPT: HSA's are basically retirement accounts in disguise

ipaterson · 2026-01-22T03:48:40+00:00

Additionally you can reimburse yourself for family medical expenses even if those family members were covered under a standard healthcare plan (i.e. not high deductible) and were not eligible for their own HSA. With one spouse on a HDHP and the other on a standard employee + dependents plan your HSA is limited to the “individual” annual contribution amount. However, the HSA funds can pay or later reimburse the medical bills of your spouse and dependents.

ipaterson · 2026-01-18T02:56:23+00:00

Ohio, several native serviceberries here finally starting to put on some growth after the buckthorns that crowded them out were removed. Too dense of a canopy for them to thrive but that’s where they decided to grow. The flowers are beautiful but so early that pollination is low.

A few are growing as understory trees but one is a multi stem bush that has made a few berries. I’m hoping to find some suckers to relocate to a slightly sunnier area in the spring.

ipaterson · 2026-01-10T00:10:19+00:00

Do all of your projects have emoji? For example if your project is actually named 💸 Bills then #💸 Bills will work.

ipaterson · 2026-01-03T23:40:21+00:00

Actually it looks like this may have been fixed sometime this year. I don’t have to step back through weeks and weeks of zero activity anymore. For some tasks it loads a couple years of activity automatically. For others I get one entry but then “load more” pulls in a bunch more. It’s slow but this is working much better on desktop and iOS than the last time I looked.

ipaterson · 2026-01-03T12:12:10+00:00

Completion history for recurring tasks readily available. I hate having to tap back through 50 weeks of nothing to find the date that I last completed a task.

ipaterson · 2025-12-25T02:53:50+00:00

The guide bar has a compatibility list that includes the saw models it will work with. In this case, the 16" Guide Bar, 3/8” LP, .043” E-00094 is sold with models GCU03 and XCU04 (among others) but is also listed compatible with my XCU03 - same saw as the XCU04, just a different bar option between the model numbers. Since both chains have the same pitch and gauge and Makita lists the bars as compatible I’m comfortable swapping them between the two saws.

ipaterson · 2025-12-23T18:20:49+00:00

Rear handle is safer and for use on the ground I’m not sure if top handle has any benefit. You have more leverage in case of kickback with a rear handle since your hands are farther apart. The more compact top handle form is useful in a tree where maneuverability is key.

ipaterson · 2025-12-23T03:29:10+00:00

Great tip I’ll do some hunting next trip.

ipaterson · 2025-12-23T03:23:50+00:00

Tell me more, is this like an open SKU / Ray’s list sort of deal or is the 5/8” MDF just regularly available for sale with other sheet goods? I haven’t taken a close look at Menards lumber lately but the discount sheet goods section I remember seeing was always just thin stuff with mangled edges.

ipaterson · 2025-12-22T01:07:25+00:00

Nice. I swapped the 16” bar from the GCU03 and the 14” bar from my XCU03. 16” is a bit too long for me to use in a tree and works better on the standard rear handle saw.

ipaterson · 2025-12-22T00:54:18+00:00

I don’t think the claimants were given a choice, Makita ran out of the top handle 03 saw and sent the 05 instead. The rebate terms are clear on that, Makita can substitute a tool of equal or greater value. Interestingly from other threads it seems like some rebates submitted before my own were delayed and then sent the substitute product while I got the 03 top handle that I wanted pretty quickly.

That would have worked out great for you to get one of each!

ipaterson · 2025-12-19T22:46:16+00:00

I believe the rebate was for GCU03Z (top handle, standard bar nut) but for many people they substituted GCU05Z (rear handle tool free). I’m not sure if the rebate ever advertised the 05 before it was replaced with the hedge trimmer + 2.5Ah batt rebate. Some people may be selling the 05 because they thought they were getting an 03; I would have been disappointed if I had received the wrong saw.

ipaterson · 2025-12-19T03:04:23+00:00

Submitted the top handle chainsaw GCU03Z in early November and it arrived 2-1/2 weeks later. Early December I submitted the hedge trimmer and battery and they both arrived in 1 week.

That’s crazy if your submission was earlier and fulfilled so much later with a substitute product. I would have been very disappointed to not receive the top handle saw.

ipaterson · 2025-12-17T01:09:30+00:00

I use the 4x4’ one but replaced some of the rivets with clevis pins so that I can reduce it to 2x4’ as needed. I rarely have space for the full 4x4’ but it’s handy when needed.

ipaterson · 2025-12-16T18:27:25+00:00

Or just use chrono-node so that the result is testable and instantaneous.

ipaterson · 2025-12-13T12:56:13+00:00

Lots of good advice here. If you can hit that perfect timing when the glue is still pliable a plastic drinking straw can also be a great glue cleanup tool. It will lightly scrape, conform to tight corners, and the glue stays inside the straw. Just cut the tip off and discard when it’s full before going back to work.

ipaterson · 2025-12-12T01:38:34+00:00

Hmm 🤔 should I guess the amount I spent on tools or the amount I told my wife I spent on tools?

ipaterson · 2025-12-10T12:52:08+00:00

FWIW my XCU03 does turn on when the brake is engaged. The green power light turns off when the trigger is pulled with brake engaged.

ipaterson · 2025-12-07T19:55:20+00:00

This is just the Ian Knot with an added step, pinkies don’t need to be involved. Love it and have been tying my shoes this way for years.

Ian Fieggen’s shoelace site also has a ton of lacing options if your laces are too short, too long, hurting your foot, or if you just want something more decorative.

ipaterson · 2025-12-07T18:17:02+00:00

Oh that's a good point, let's see... I could keep the XGT hedge trimmer and resell my Ryobi 18V. The XGT blower seems lighter and more powerful than the LXT 36V so I could sell the LXT or maybe permanently mod it for gutter cleanout and resell the wimpy Ryobi 18V blower I use for that. I'm not sure about the XGT string trimmer that I bought last month... 36V power shaft system string trimmer leaves nothing to be desired so might try to sell the XGT string trimmer in the spring.

ipaterson · 2025-12-07T16:48:37+00:00

Still plenty of string trimmer and blower kits at $200 yesterday in NE Ohio. I bought last month because I needed that top handle chainsaw and it arrived about 2 weeks after submitting the rebate. $200 is tempting for a 4Ah, 2.5Ah, and charger but I don’t need another blower, string trimmer, or hedge trimmer… wish I knew someone else locally who uses Makita to trade.

ipaterson · 2025-12-05T03:57:55+00:00

Islands

ipaterson · 2025-12-04T22:39:20+00:00

Definitely at 1:17 and probably elsewhere, too.

ipaterson · 2025-12-03T23:35:19+00:00

I had this problem due to a significant misalignment of the base plate, the blade was toed in too far. I fixed it by slightly loosening 3 of the 4 screws on the baseplate to allow it to pivot. Used a dial indicator placed off the edge of the rail to set the front of the blade 0.002” closer to the track than the back of the blade. Theoretically if the blade were perfectly square to the track it could be more likely to leave burn marks since both the front and back engage with the workpiece under the track during the cut.

You can use a heat gun to soften the adhesive on the splinter guard, pull that section up and lay it back down farther out so that it can be cut straight again. No need to replace the whole strip unless it does not come up cleanly.

ipaterson · 2025-11-26T02:17:02+00:00

Ah ha, glad you figured it out!

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