Weeders

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 183

Workhorse lumber breaker-upper

MacKissic Mighty Mac Chipper Shredder

I bought a Mighty Mac shredder/chipper about 25 years ago, have used it — heavily at times — all these years and, with a few engine repairs and turning the shredder blades around once (they are 2-sided), it’s worked flawlessly on our 1/2-acre homestead. This is a “hammermill” chipper with free-swinging hammer blades for the top-feed hopper, as well as a chipper, a side feed where you put in larger branches (it will grind up a 2×4) at a 90-degree angle to the balanced flywheel blade that runs on the same axle as the shredder blades. If you get one of the bigger professional type units you don’t need a separate grinder, but for home-style operation, I wouldn’t fool with any of the lower-cost feed-it-in-the-top units. You don’t really need to shred stuff like oak leaves (they compost nicely as is), and the smaller shredders tend to choke on stuff such as 1-incg diameter branches. This unit has changeable screens so you can adjust from fine to coarse output.

Be aware: these are dangerous tools. If you get careless and push down on brush in the hopper and get a sleeve caught in the blades, you’ll end up with a mangled (or no) hand. See the simple 2×4 pusher tool below for pushing stuck vegetation into the blades. I also use a Collins machete for chopping up branches for easy feeding and of course — Grandma speaking here — goggles (chips fly), earphones, and gloves.

Mine (depicted above) has a 7HP Briggs and Stratton motor. The current models have a 10 HP. I wouldn’t bother with the electric starter; the rope pull works fine. — Lloyd Kahn

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Weeder-cultivator

Stirrup Hoe

The most recent addition to my quiver of essential landscaping tools is the stirrup hoe. The stirrup hoe is a deceptively simple device which, as the name implies, is a stirrup-shaped blade attached to the end of a stout wooden handle.

The stirrup hoe has two primary functions: First, it is useful for loosening the top layer of soil in a garden or flowerbed. The horizontal blade tends to glide about an inch beneath the surface of the soil without noticeably disturbing the soil. Weeds can deposit seeds that remain dormant in the soil until exposed to sunlight. While turning the soil with a spade brings these unwanted seeds to light the stirrup hoe leaves them in the dark. I prefer using a long pulling motion with this hoe while others recommend working it back and forth.

The second use for this tool is weeding. As the stirrup hoe glides through the soil, it snags weeds at their roots. The entire plant usually comes out of the dirt with less mess than if you pulled it by hand. Using my stirrup hoe, I recently weeded 30 feet of an abandoned flowerbed in about 10 minutes. Normally, this job would have taken at least an hour.

Prices range from about $17 for the Sears Craftsman model (with lifetime warranty) I use to $33 for the high-end Swiss-made Glaser (handle sold separately). — Sherard Edington

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Portable tiller

Mantis Tillers

The Mantis tiller is a lightweight tiller (about 25 lbs), which allows for better portability than heavier tillers. It is easily moved from location to location (try that with a big Troy-bilt), and will handle a variety of jobs with various blades on the tiller shafts: tilling, digging shrub or tree holes, aerating lawns, de-thatching lawns, edging sidewalks or planting beds, making the vertical cuts in sod to be (re-)moved, mixing compost, or even a new steel spring wheel designed to clean cracks or debris and weeds in sidewalks or patios. I have three large bins (4x4x6-feet each) that I use for composting leaves and grass clippings. I simply take down the front boards and use the Mantis to mix the compost inside and in front of the bins. Then I put the boards back and reload the bins with the mixture. Short work with the Mantis. After viewing my Mantis in action, a landscape company supervisor in Peachtree City bought ten (10) of them for his company use, one for each of their work trucks.

A Mantis is better than competing small tillers like the Honda or Sears, because of the unique design of the tiller blades. They can be swapped side to side to till deeply or lightly, are very sharp and have a squiggly (my word) design that thoroughly mixes the soil. The tiller blades are warranted against breakage. The worm-gear design of the shaft that drives the tiller axles may be unique, as well, since it is very hard to stall this tiller, no matter how many vines you wrap around the axles. The variety of blades, plus the ability to use them for light or heavy penetration (e.g., tilling, aerating and edging) makes the Mantis somewhat unique.

It is not a “heavy-duty” tiller that you would usually use to till an acre of ground. If I needed that job done, I’d rent a Troy-bilt or other massive tiller for dedicated tilling of large areas, even though they are not very easy to transport or use. However my brother used his Mantis to till a large lawn (1/3 acre) which need to be re-sodded. — Jim Stagg

The Mantis is a little jewel. They are exceptionally easy to work with, being easy to start and incredibly lightweight. I have two caveats though: 1) To use it most effectively, you have to put it in front of you and then walk backwards, dragging the machine with you while simultaneously trying to keep on eye on the machine and where you’re about to step. 2) Tough plants have a tendency to get tangled up in the tines. Fortunately, the tines can be removed, cleaned of offending material, and replaced very quickly.

By the way, Mantis offers a lifetime guarantee on the tiller’s tines. If a tine ever breaks, they’ll replace it. Hmm.. I guess that would be a “lifetine” guarantee! Every home with a garden should have one of these. They’re that good. — John Bodoni

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Removing big weeds

Weed Wrench

The tool for the job if you’re uprooting alien and invasive plants such as French broom and Scotch broom. Those plants, like other invasives, tend to form aggressive monoculture areas that drive out local biodiversity, and they often make dense undergrowth fire hazards. Ripping them out is a kind of joy — a fine workout, more productive in every way than a couple hours at the gym.

Built like a cast-iron frying pan, the Weed Wrench is a seriously macho tool. Its fierce jaws grip the miscreant plant or small tree by the throat (base of stem), and big leverage yanks it bodily out of the ground. If you get the smallest (mini) and the largest Weed Wrenches, you’ve got everything covered up to 2 inch diameter (beyond that, use a saw). — Stewart Brand

Many of us who own land in coastal northern California have a constant problem eradicating (or even keeping under control) Scotch broom, that ubiquitous plant with the yellow flowers that covers more of the hills every year. After a rain it isn’t too hard to pull out if you have a strong back and the right warrior spirit. But sometimes they are just too big or the ground is too dry. That’s when you need the Weed Wrench. It’s basically a big lever with a set of jaws at ground level to grip the trunk of the plant. You pull slowly until the jaws engage then yank it out of the ground, roots and all. If broom or other woody weeds are a problem for you, get one of these things. There’s nothing else that even comes close for effective broom removal. It amazes me that they aren’t in every hardware story in northern California, but so it is. Order it from the web site. They come in four sizes. The medium is probably best for most jobs. — John Coate

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Affordable quality tillers

Rogue Hoes

After trying several types of gardening on my homestead in the rainy Pacific Northwest (where my favored “no-till” sheetmulching seems to fail miserably), I’ve settled on the lightly-cultivated approach of Steve Solomon (soilandhealth.org). The old-fashioned and well-sharpened garden hoe is the workhorse of this technique.

After going to every garden center and hardware store around, and going through a few cheaper units with bad handles and unsharpenable blades, I decided to spend what it takes to get a good one. Imagine my pleasant surprise when the finest hoes I could find online were the same price OR CHEAPER than the flimsy, cheaply made Mexican and Chinese imported units.

Rogue Hoes are all about $30 and come in a myriad of sizes and blade shapes. I use the 65g for general soil-mixing-and-moving and weed slicing and the 60S “stealth bomber” to remove weeds from tight spots. The blade takes a very keen edge with a little filing and the handles should last a very long time with occasional oiling and the most basic of care: keep them out of the rain and hang them with the blade and handle off the ground. — Rob Campbell

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Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

03/30/26

The Gentle Romance / Career Dreamer / Skull

Recomendo - issue #507

Rewarding sci-fi book

This collection of AI-related science-fiction short stories by Richard Ngo reminds me of the classic anthologies I read growing up during the golden age of science fiction. They are hard sci-fi, with technically plausible scenarios, played out many levels deep in very consistent worlds, explored by a very fertile imagination. I found more insights per page in Ngo’s The Gentle Romance than in any other book I’ve read for a long while. — KK

Career Dreamer career map

Google’s Career Dreamer tool has been around for a bit, but it’s recently been updated with more AI support and feels worth returning to if you’re in a career‑questioning season. It asks for your past roles, skills, and interests, and then reflects back possible career paths, related titles, and a “career identity statement” you can lift language from for your resume or LinkedIn. I like using it as a way to see how my existing experience could stretch into adjacent roles I hadn’t named yet. If you land on a path that involves freelancing or consulting, this hourly rate calculator is a good tool for discovering what people in similar roles are actually charging. — CD

Fun bluffing game

My daughter introduced me to Skull, a fun, fast-paced tabletop bluffing game for 3-6 people. Each player gets three rose cards and one skull card. Players take turns laying cards face down until one player announces they can turn over a specified number of flower cards from their own and the other players’ cards. Bidding continues until the others pass. If the high bidder turns over a skull, they lose the round; otherwise, they win. It takes about two minutes to learn, but the bluffing gets deviously deep. The coaster-like cardboard pieces feel great in your hands, and the artwork is beautiful. — MF

Other Mona Lisas

I like this fun list of what different places call “our Mona Lisa.” It’s not just museums or galleries. It includes single objects treated like sacred centerpieces by retail brands, jewelers, and more. I love the idea that any household can have its own Mona Lisa—something everything else seems to orbit around. — CD

Phone ring hack

Like many people I keep my phone ringer on vibrate, but I don’t usually carry my phone on me – I may leave it on a desk – so I often miss calls. I’ve greatly reduced missed calls by setting the phone to flash its flashlight and flash its screen while it vibrates. That flashing light is enough to notice from a distance. It is easy to program on the iPhone. Go Settings > Accessibility > Audio Visual > Flash for Alerts. For Android: Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Screen Text > Flash Notifications. — KK

Free encyclopedia of ancient design patterns

In 1930, pioneering archaeologist Sir Flinders Petrie published Decorative Patterns of the Ancient World, cataloging over 3,000 ornamental motifs — spirals, animals, rosettes, braids, crosses, and more — drawn from ancient civilizations across Europe and the Near East up to about 1000 AD. The entire book is free to browse and download on the Internet Archive, making it an incredible reference for artists, designers, crafters, and anyone looking for authentic, copyright‑free historical patterns to use in their work. The simple black‑and‑white line drawings make the motifs easy to trace, digitize, or adapt. Used copies of an out-of-print Dover paperback are also available. — MF

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03/29/26

Book Freak #203: Knowledge, Reality, and Value

A Mostly Common Sense Guide to Philosophy

Get Knowledge, Reality, and Value

University of Colorado philosopher Michael Huemer offers a refreshingly clear introduction to the big questions — knowledge, reality, ethics, free will, and more — defending the radical idea that common sense is usually right. Philosophy doesn’t have to overthrow everything you already believe; it can sharpen and deepen what you know.

Core Principles

Trust Appearances Until Given Reason Not To

Huemer’s central epistemological insight is “phenomenal conservatism”: if it seems to you that something is true, and you have no specific grounds for doubting that appearance, then you have at least some justification for believing it. This isn’t naive — it’s the only non-self-defeating starting point. Any theory that rejects appearances as evidence undermines itself, since we can only evaluate theories based on how things seem to us.

Common Sense Deserves the Presumption of Innocence

Just as courts presume innocence until guilt is proven, philosophy should presume common-sense beliefs are true until proven false. The burden of proof lies with the skeptic, not the believer. Most philosophical “problems” dissolve when we stop demanding impossible certainty and accept that reasonable belief doesn’t require bulletproof foundations.

Moral Intuitions Are Evidence

Huemer defends ethical intuitionism: our basic moral intuitions — that cruelty is wrong, that fairness matters — provide genuine evidence about moral reality. Ethics isn’t a different kind of truth from other truths; moral facts are as real as mathematical or physical facts. We don’t need to derive ethics from something else; we can know some things directly.

Perception Connects Us to Reality

Against skeptics who claim we’re trapped behind a “veil of perception,” Huemer argues for direct realism: when you see a tree, you’re aware of an actual tree, not a mental image of one. The external world isn’t hidden from us — we perceive it directly. Skeptical scenarios are possible but give us no positive reason to doubt what we plainly see.

Try It Now

1. Identify a belief you hold that “just seems obviously true.” Instead of defending it with elaborate arguments, ask: Do I have any specific reason to doubt this? If not, you’re justified in believing it.
2. Notice when a philosophical argument leads to a conclusion that strikes you as absurd. Consider: Maybe the argument is flawed, rather than common sense being wrong.
3. Think of a moral intuition you hold strongly — something feels clearly wrong or right. Ask yourself: Am I treating this as evidence, or am I dismissing it because I can’t “prove” it?
4. When someone makes a skeptical argument (”How do you know you’re not dreaming?”), ask: What positive reason do I have to believe that scenario? Mere possibility isn’t evidence.
5. Pick a philosophical question that seems hopelessly complicated. Try stating the common-sense answer first, then ask what’s actually wrong with it.

Quote

“Having feelings does not make you irrational. Believing that the world must be a certain way because of your feelings does.”

03/28/26

Book Freak #202: Determined

Get Determined Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky mounts a full-frontal assault on free will, arguing that every choice you’ve ever made ...

Get Determined

Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky mounts a full-frontal assault on free will, arguing that every choice you’ve ever made — from the mundane to the momentous — was the inevitable result of biology and experience you didn’t choose. Far from nihilistic, Sapolsky shows how accepting this reality could make the world more humane.

Core Principles

You Are the Sum of Luck You Didn’t Choose

We are nothing more or less than the cumulative biological and environmental luck, over which we had no control, that has brought us to any moment. Your genes, your prenatal environment, your childhood, your hormones at breakfast, the neuron that fired a millisecond before your decision — none of it was chosen by some separate “you” standing outside the causal chain.

Your Brain Decides Before “You” Do

Neuroscience experiments show that brain activity precedes conscious awareness of decisions by hundreds of milliseconds. By the time you feel like you’re choosing, your neurons have already voted. What we call “free will” is just the biology that hasn’t been discovered yet — another way of stating that we’re biological organisms determined by physical laws.

Childhood Sculpts the Adult Brain

Essentially every aspect of your childhood — good, bad, or in between — sculpted the adult brain you have. The person who exercises remarkable self-control and the person who can’t resist temptation aren’t making different choices with equal willpower. They have different brains, shaped by factors neither one selected. It’s impossible to successfully will yourself to have more willpower.

No Justifiable “Deserve”

If behavior is determined by factors beyond our control, the concept of moral blame becomes questionable. There is no justifiable “deserve” — you are no more entitled to have your needs met than any other human. This doesn’t mean abandoning consequences, but it means rethinking punishment, praise, and the stories we tell about success and failure.

Try It Now

1. Think of something you’re proud of — a success, an achievement, a good habit. Now trace backward: What circumstances, people, genes, and luck made that possible? How much was really “you”?
2. Notice the next time you judge someone — including yourself — as lazy, weak, or bad. Pause and ask: Am I assuming they had a choice they may not have had?
3. Consider one area where you struggle with willpower. Instead of blaming yourself, ask: What environmental change could make the desired behavior easier?
4. Reflect on whether accepting determinism feels threatening or liberating. What would you lose? What burden might you set down?

Quote

“We are nothing more or less than the cumulative biological and environmental luck, over which we had no control, that has brought us to any moment.”

03/27/26

Airplane Speakerphone Ban/Slomad Paradox/Colors of Asia

Nomadico issue #199

* To celebrate our hitting issue #200 this month, anyone becoming a paid subscriber before the end of the month will be entered to win a free hardback copy of Colors of Asia by Nomadico co-founder Kevin Kelly. See more about it in this week’s edition.

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Enforced Civility on United

United Airlines is now officially going after passengers who don’t use earbuds/headphones when playing sound on their devices. “Whenever refusal or removal of a Passenger may be necessary for the safety of such Passenger or other Passengers or members of the crew including, but not limited to: 22. Passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content.” If you buy a United ticket now, you just agreed to these terms, so don’t make them kick you (and your iPad-wielding kid) off the flight. Let’s hope this spreads to the airport waiting areas too…

Battling the Thirst for the New

Are nomads addicted to stimulation? Do they have trouble enjoying what isn’t new? It’s a question asked in this interesting essay from a person who is currently hanging out in my beautiful home city of Guanajuato. In The Slomad’s Paradox, a digital nomad faces the problem that, “We build location-independent businesses to experience life differently, then our brains habituate so fast we stop using the very freedom we created.” The solution may just be taking more breaks to enjoy our surroundings, without our phones or laptops along. “The real privilege isn’t having the amazing view. It’s having the agency to step away from the screen and actually look at it.”

Colors of Asia

I’m really enjoying the photography book by our co-founder Kevin Kelly. Called Colors of Asia, it’s a beautiful compilation of his photographs from decades of travel going back to the film-carrying days, all categorized by color. Besides the thematic interest this provides, there’s text with a little coaxing like, “Historically purple was a very expensive color to make, so it became associated with the rich and ruling class.” Get the hardback to see it in its full glory, but he’s also selling a pdf e-book version directly at a low price so it’s affordable to anyone.

RVs as a Lodging Alternative

While the number of foreigners visiting the USA these days has nosedived, it’s still going to be plenty busy in the lower 48 this summer thanks to the World Cup, the 100th anniversary of Route 66, and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Many hotels in key destinations are sold out or have tripled in price, so you might have better luck with a different kind of bed: a recreational vehicle, camping trailer, or camper van. You can rent from an owner, Airbnb-style, through RVShare where you’re headed or where you’re leaving from. Many will even deliver it to where you’re crashing. See the details here.

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A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

03/26/26

What’s in my NOW? — Mark Rae Peet

issue #247

A teacher in a past life, I pursue my passions…cooking; writing and performing music with my band (Loose Leaf Co.); spending time outdoors; hiking; snowshoeing; fishing. — Mark Rae Peet

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PHYSICAL

• Nite Ize Portable Device Stand. Very handy for propping up the iPad (or phone) on my lap or on a flat surface. Great for allowing hands-free use of my iPad while following recipes either in my photos, Notes, or online.
• iKlip Xpand by IK Multimedia…universal mic stand support for iPads and tablets. Designed for musicians for use on a microphone stand. In addition to using it as-intended, I also use it for FaceTime calls, and whenever I need hands-free iPad operation…i.e. when following a DIY video or when cooking.
• I have a Wagner’s 1891 Original Cast Iron Cookware, 13 3/8 inch skillet…it is an indispensable piece of cookware that I ‘inherited’ from a friend of my mother’s who was downsizing. I wouldn’t have sought out such a large/heavy pan as a must-have kitchen item. It’s non-toxic non-stickiness along with the ability to go from stovetop into the oven are amazing properties. The Wagner pans aren’t made any longer, but any large cast iron skillet (Lodge or Staub) would suffice. Make sure you get one with a handle on both sides, as it’s heavy.

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DIGITAL

• WeTransfer…file transfer service. Free level…Share and receive up to 3 GB / month, 10 transfers per month, transfer expiry up to 3 days. I use this to share large .wav files with my band mates that are too large to email. There are also paid levels which include more GB and transfers per month. The ‘Free’ level (email required for sign up) is truly ‘free’ and works perfectly.
• Canva…graphic design tool…I have used this to design album cover art and business cards for my band. Very intuitive user interface. It can be used online, but I prefer their app for iPad. While there are options to ‘upgrade’, the free version (email required for sign up) fulfills my needs.

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INVISIBLE

Mantra for mindful practise, relaxation, general well-being…taken from a broth-making cookbook, (by Louise Hay, I think)…

“See the breath. There is only the breath. And so it is.”

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03/25/26

What’s in my NOW? — Mark Rae Peet