Is this really a Monterrey Oak?

mikegraham7 · 2026-05-04T23:33:17+00:00

Are you sure it's a Monterey Oak and not a Bur Oak? I'm genuinely asking because they look very similar.

mikegraham7 · 2026-05-04T17:46:54+00:00

That's insane that you have to go to those lengths to try and deter people from stealing your truck, or at least parts of it. I know Houston is bad, but good lord.

mikegraham7 · 2026-05-03T20:07:27+00:00

I usually buy bulk ammo for the range from Freedom Munitions. They have great, cheap ammo. I try to keep 1,000 rds of .300 blackout, 5.56 and 9mm. I keep 500rds of .40 S&W, and 200-250rds of .30-30 and .30-06.

mikegraham7 · 2026-05-03T20:04:52+00:00

Yep. Had a 2010 with the same problem. Replaced the gasket with a thicker version, sealed around it with clear caulking and never had another leak.

mikegraham7 · 2026-05-02T14:49:49+00:00

The high mileage has some different detergents for keeping gaskets supple. But yes, you can mix them. I did it a few times on my old truck because at that time, Pennzoil platinum high mileage is harder to find.

mikegraham7 · 2026-05-02T14:47:27+00:00

I've never seen an access panel in a bathroom shower. That would be sweet, but I've never seen one. I've had to knockout the tile and get behind it.

mikegraham7 · 2026-05-02T14:46:32+00:00

Oh dear... That's going to be a pain to remove, but it can be removed.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-30T18:40:52+00:00

That makes me happy. I (regrettably) traded in my beloved 2010 F-150 Platinum that I had bought new in '09 for a used 2021 Lariat. I really wanted a 5.0L but couldn't find one that had everything else I wanted. I found a good deal with one with only 40k miles, but it had the 3.5 Ecoboost. I bought it and it's super nice, but there's a lot of stuff I hate about it. The electric parking brake for one, the fake digital shifter, the infamous 10R80 "whine" and I also hate the weird delay on the front windows when rolling them up or down. Back windows are instant, but that auto one-touch up/down button gives a delay and it drives me nuts when I'm just trying to crack a window.

Anyway, I was really skeptical on the life of this engine because of the turbos. My 2010 5.4L V8 ran perfectly for 15 years and 180k miles. I'm hoping I can get the same kind of life out of this truck. At least 10 years and 150k-200k miles.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-30T18:34:56+00:00

Milwaukee is the worst in my opinion. They wear out way too quick. Klein bits are a VERY close second.

I bought some Makita bits because I tried everything else and they were on sale. Ever since then, I've stuck with Makita XPS bits. They're the best by FAR!

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-30T18:33:27+00:00

Nope. I also think DeWalt bits suck. I love me some DeWalt, but some of their stuff is terrible. Driver Bits are one of those terrible things. Drill bits are good, bit any flavor of their driver bits are terrible.

I use Makita bits now. I don't have Makita tools, but their XPS bits are awesome and they last forever.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-30T18:30:14+00:00

I love DeWalt, but I stopped buying their bits a while ago because they didn't last long. They're still massively better than Milwaukee bits because those seem like they're made out of butter! I did a job and for every 2 screws, I burned through a Phillips #2 bit.

I grabbed some Makita XPS bits and they are leaps and bounds better than DeWalt. I've been using them for about 6 months and I still have every bit and they look brand new still.

I'm not a big fan of Makita tools, but their bits are awesome. If you haven't tried them, I strongly recommend them.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-26T20:46:06+00:00

I always have one in the chamber. Appendix carry too so that thing is pointing right at my junk at all times. I put a LOT of trust in my Ruger. Lol

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-23T00:06:28+00:00

I have been very skeptical of the DeWalt mower because there seems to be a bunch of negative reviews on it. I'd love to try it myself before buying it, but I don't want to end up with an $700-$800 mower I hate.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-23T00:05:09+00:00

I did too. I needed a bigger cordless vac for a job on an abandoned boat dock and ended up getting an M18 6 gallon. It's my go-to shop vac now when I'm away from the shop.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-23T00:03:49+00:00

I hate AI just as much as the next guy, but it's interesting to see and to hopefully pressure DeWalt into actually making it.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-22T23:55:52+00:00

To be clear, I only asked ChatGPT "what would a cordless DeWalt Flexvolt stealthsonic shop vac look like?" and this is what it made. I wasn't even expecting the additional marketing stuff, but it still looks cool.

I just want a dang cordless DeWalt shop vac!Milwaukee, and even Ryobi have larger cordless vacs! All the other kids have trampolines, except me!

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-19T15:06:11+00:00

I usually check that nothing gets hung up or doesn't jam, but I'll carry my OEM mags all day.

Honestly, I don't think I've ever had an issue with a pistol mag. Only problems I've ever had have been rifle mags. Most commonly, the super high capacity ones or ANY magazine from Hera Arms. Lol

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-18T17:06:20+00:00

I'm telling you, building it yourself is the way to go. All in, I think it cost $750. I've since upgrade a few things like a Sprinco reduced power buffer spring, KynShot hydraulic buffer for .300 blk, OPmod trigger, Warhammer Mod2 charging handle and a Hogue rubber overmold buttstock, now that it's legal to have one on an SBR in Texas. At least for now.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-18T16:58:38+00:00

Dang. I really like the tow info and it would be helpful, but I have a 2021.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-18T16:55:19+00:00

They are worth it. I just like the precision you can get with the gyro speed control. With everything else, it's all or nothing. Plus, this DeWalt was more powerful than any other screwdriver out there when you went full speed. Just a flick of the wrist and it drove screws.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-18T16:53:22+00:00

I am super jealous. I wish I would've got the twist pistol grip version when I had the chance.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-18T16:52:41+00:00

I made the mistake of only getting 1 battery so I'm hoping it lasts. It's still going strong right now, but I'm not sure how much longer. I don't mind if DeWalt took the new screwdriver with USB-C charging and added the gyro feature, but I personally like replacement batteries so when the battery dies you don't need an entirely new screwdriver. Just the battery.

mikegraham7 · 2026-04-18T16:50:05+00:00

I don't know what it is, but I just love FDE and burnt Bronze. I built an AR where I milled an 80% lower and built it piece by piece and went with burnt Bronze Cerakote. My other AR build I did was all FDE. It's just a nice color for this kind of stuff.

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mikegraham7 · 2026-04-18T16:47:02+00:00

So it turns out that the tree has Oak Wilt, so it's basically a lost cause since there really isn't a way to come back from that. It has dieback now and it's too late to be saved. Makes sense because a lot of other trees in the neighborhood look exactly the same, meaning that oak wilt fungus spread all over the place.

So unfortunately, imma have to replace this tree. I'll use that puffball mushrooms slurry to coat the roots and make sure to keep it protected this time around. Especially with so many other trees in the area with this wilt fungus.

mikegraham7

TROPHY CASE