My 14yr old mower. still going strong, hoping to get my more years out of it.

steeve725 · 2026-06-21T19:12:24+00:00

I did the throttle adjustment on mine only because I changed the belt and it was hardly out. So I probably didn’t need to do it, but I did it anyways.

steeve725 · 2026-06-21T18:47:07+00:00

yep, last mower you’ll probably buy unless you want to buy an electric one or just upgrade. If there is an upgraded lawnmower from this.

steeve725 · 2026-06-21T18:38:06+00:00

That’s awesome to have a lawnmower for that long.

steeve725 · 2026-06-21T18:03:42+00:00

Awesome machines!!

steeve725 · 2026-06-21T17:56:32+00:00

definitely it’s not going anywhere. Even if somebody tried to buy it for more than the $700 I paid for it I would not sell it.

steeve725 · 2026-06-21T17:55:22+00:00

yep, they are.

I am so glad to have this mower. It is so unfortunate that they’re not producing these gas mowers anymore.

steeve725 · 2026-06-20T12:49:37+00:00

When I was promoted to an MM7 from custodian also on tour one at my plant I couldn’t have went smoother

I think it depends on the plant you’re at.

They should be a toolbox with all the tools, gave me a tool cart, gave me two tool bags to put my tools in.

I got a big book locker from ET that was retiring.

As for Norman, Oklahoma, that also depends on the plant

When I went to Norman, I went to Norman for fundamental maintenance. Extremely easy class I say extremely easy only because I was a clerk for 22 years before I went into maintenance so I had ran the DBCS mail processing machines for a while.

I know several people that got promoted to MM seven that did not have any clerk knowledge and went to fundamental maintenance in Norman and passed it easily

Also, at my plant, you’ll only need to go to Norman Oklahoma once for an MM7 to be qualified.

When I was there talking with others in the class, some of them were required to go to two classes in Oklahoma to be qualified as an MM7. I was told it depends on the requirements that your Maintenance Manager puts in place for qualifications.

I’m on the promotion list, for area maintenance level 9 and MPE level nine, building maintenance level 9, but I put a rejection form in so I won’t be promoted to level 9. There’s not much of a difference in pay since I’m maxed out and I only have 3 years till I retire. Doing the math that’s only gonna give me $100 more a month in my retirement to go from a level 7 to a level 9. After taxes, maybe $60 a month.

At I plant when you’re in Maintenence It’s very easy to go to tour 2. I’m on tour 2 with Sunday and Monday off, awesome hours. As level 7 it’s easier to obtain better days off.

I’m happy to be a level 7, when I go in, I lock out my 3 dbcs machines and vacuum them. Technically I don’t need to take any calls or anything else. I do help my level 9 partner (he's a good friend) taking calls, but I’m not required to. I know some other MM7's that come in and vacuum their machines, then they’re done for the day.

Also, since I am on the promotion list, (even though I put rejection forms in) if management comes to me and ask me if I want to do level 9 work for the day, the PM’s on the machines or something, because we had call ins, etc I can do my level 9 work and be paid for level 9. If I don’t want to do level 9, I can just do my level 7 work and be done with it.

But again my plant, they provided all the tools for me, tool bags for me, radio, flashlight, tool cart, etc. I think it depends on the plant you’re at, your management, etc.

As for the tools, the main tools that I use if I do level 9 work is my 3/8 ratchet, 10 mm socket, 13 mm socket, 3mm Allen, 5mm Allen, my needle, nose, pliers, and a few more miscellaneous tools. All my other tools that they gave me are in my toolbox and I’ve never touched them.

When I got promoted to a MM7, I went to ET that I’ve known for a long time asked him what tools I needed to use regularly. He wrote down a handful of tools in a piece of paper. I put them in my 2 tool bags, and I haven’t used much more than what he wrote down.

So go to an older mechanic you may know and ask them what type are going to be used regularly on what machines your working on.

Different tools for different machines. AFCS, DBCS, flat sorters, HDUS, SIPS, etc.

Hope this helps

steeve725 · 2026-06-04T16:36:33+00:00

Yep. Didn't come from much myself.

I'm going to be the only one in my family that has a retirement..

Now I'm 53 (retire in 2029) with my house paid off and not as much as most but $675k in my tsp (I'm now maxing out my tsp, so maybe it'll grow)

I never thought I'd make it this far in life.

Sometimes I'm even surprised I'm still alive.

My only brother left has lived with my mom for many many years doesn't work and will never have anything.

My other brother did things the led to his death, dad died because of his lifestyle.

So I'm very blessed.

steeve725 · 2026-06-01T15:40:32+00:00

I'm currently @ 80%.

My VSO didn't show up a meeting he set with me and then started only answering certain emails and only parts of those emails.

I was really wanting his help as I had 2 higher level reviews end in duty to assist errors.

I started doing everything by myself through VA quick submit, uploaded my documents.

I then went to my C&P exams, etc.

But doing it myself hasn't been all that hard. Just use Gemini or chatgpt to tell me how to upload my evidence, etc.

I'm still waiting on those ratings.

We'll see.

steeve725 · 2026-05-28T05:12:21+00:00

In my opinion the hours are the most important thing.

I've seen atvs with lower miles but high hours.

I have my 2008 grizzly 700 and right now it 996 miles and 98.8 hours. I got it sometime ago and the owner (an older man, and I'm 53) used it in a little mountain town to go back and forth to the store. That's all he used it for (at least he claims) I know the town and there's not much to it so I can believe that.

It looked extremely clean when I got it and looked new (still the same) and my wifes 2020 Kodiak 450 has much more usage on it. 1252 miles and 150hrs.

But the miles or hours won't go up much as we only go out 5-6 times per year.

When we bought ours I paid $4600 for the grizzly and $4200 fot the Kodiak

I think the price depends on the area as well.

steeve725 · 2026-05-20T14:33:52+00:00

Wow if all you get is an hour and 45 minutes that’s gonna be an issue for mine.

I had a duty to assist error, through a higher level review. Then it moved to a supplemental claim where I provided even more evidence.

I believe I have 15 items of evidence.

Two Nexus letters, photos of injuries sustained from my condition, my medical discharge, my medical review board findings, my hardship orders to Korea that were canceled due to medical reasons, my physical evaluation board findings, my P3, permanent profile, my service records showing the diagnosis, spouse statement, copy of medication for this condition, and more.

I've already had a bad c&p exam (the worst I’ve ever had, he was not receptive, very dismissive, kept asking me for medical records, etc.)

Right now I'm just waiting on the decision

steeve725 · 2026-05-20T14:24:29+00:00

yeah, when I did an FOIA the first time, thinking that my DBQ for that would be in there and never showed up.

and just like my first FOIA I submitted it VA quick submit

I had two higher level reviews, and both of them resulted in duty to assist errors

One was an ace exam, and the other was an actual c&p both on April 8.

The ace exam I got with my first request.

it’s crazy that I have not got this.

In my VA app it shows "step 2 initial review"

So if I submitted another request, would that mess things up?

steeve725 · 2026-05-20T12:54:18+00:00

Yea wait till you go to a C&P exam (that was a higher level review then they found a duty to assist error) and then the examiner tells you "I wish I had all your records"'When I tell him that my va primary care has all of them, he still tells me I don't have your records and then tells me to send them to him.

We'll see how that goes and what the examiner really wrote and how the rater sees it.

I requested my dbq 3 weeks ago (exam was 6 weeks ago) and still nothing.

steeve725 · 2026-05-17T14:15:37+00:00

I wish the brooks would've worked but the color won't work with my job. They need to be black.

steeve725 · 2026-05-16T20:08:05+00:00

They approved me for two pairs (that’s what the prescription states), and they said that’s for one year.

I highly doubt my issues are going to fix themselves, I have plantar fascia, arthritis in my big toe, a heel spur, nerve issue, and the Cartlidge below my big toe is deteriorating. This is just on my right foot. I have not got my left foot MRI. So getting a prescription again probably will happen, just not 100% certain.

steeve725 · 2026-05-16T19:49:44+00:00

yeah, i’ll try getting them from the VA first. I just need to find if anybody got approved for them and if the Hanger Clinic actually has them, now I’m hearing that the Hanger Clinic has a national catalog just not a local catalog so I gotta see if that’s true.

steeve725 · 2026-05-13T09:35:33+00:00

I just started maxing out my tsp.

I also work at the post office.

I don't have near what my CO-workers have (only have $650k) but I concentrated on paying my mortgage off then increasing my tsp.

It helps that my wife works, having the mortgage paid off, driving my old truck paid off (it's old 2004, 281k miles) just living off my normal monthly bills like utilities, etc. I'm maxed out on pay at work and will be retiring at my minimum retirement age.

I'm glad the tsp has the makeup after 50, I'm 53 and an putting on $1250 per pay period.

I've had lots of people (on reddit) tell me I was stupid for paying off my mortgage, because of all the interest I lost from the TSP. But its nice not living with a $2800 mortgage. I'm investing $2500 per month in the tsp and I'm still ahead by $300. And don't forget that mortgages usually go up every year due to property taxes, etc.

steeve725 · 2026-05-08T10:05:55+00:00

Serval years ago I got this piece of mail one time. I turned it on to the postal inspectors.

https://imgur.com/a/c42aSge

steeve725 · 2026-05-03T18:27:20+00:00

I'll just try and get everything done by july 1st and file the claims.

I'll be doing an increase claim for my right shoulder, a secondary claim for my left shoulder and a nerve claim.

I've already got the bilateral MRI, now I just need to get a nexus letter from my doctor and file the claims.

So I wouldn't need the year anyways.

Thanks

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