Unexpected favorites what’s yours?

[Alan]

Once picked up this little camping lantern on a complete whim thinking it would just end up gathering dust in a box somewhere. But surprisingly it turned into one of my go-to lifesavers!

Do you have anything like that? Maybe a quirky kitchen gadget, a small hobby item, or even a random snack that you didn’t think you’d enjoy but now can’t imagine living without?

 

[benchguy]

For me, it’s a cast iron skillet that I picked up on a whim, and now it’s my absolute favorite for just about everything!

 

[CaptTurbo]

Once picked up this little camping lantern on a complete whim thinking it would just end up gathering dust in a box somewhere. But surprisingly it turned into one of my go-to lifesavers!

Do you have anything like that? Maybe a quirky kitchen gadget, a small hobby item, or even a random snack that you didn’t think you’d enjoy but now can’t imagine living without?

I can identify with that. I live in SW Florida where we have been besieged with monster hurricanes for the last many years. I have some of those "bubble solar lanterns and they are incredibly good for evening lighting as the weeks go by without utility supplied power. Charge each day and they can burn almost all night long and be charged again and again in the sun.

 

[Deleted member 252]

To add to the cast iron, I was on a cast iron kick a few years ago and ended up buying a bunch of boutique, expensive stuff. In the end, all I ever use is my 70’s Lodge 12. It just works better.

I’ve also got a few boutique axes. All I ever use is my small Fiskars. Been beating the snot out of it for over 10 years. I was just admiring it the other day as I had to sharpen it and knock the rust off.

I’ve also got an engraved Miroku Browning 20g BPS I was given when I was 12. I’ve had at least a dozen nice Italian shotguns since, but all my dove, ducks, and cranes are shot with that old Browning. It just works, and looks good doing it.

 

[Alan]

I can identify with that. I live in SW Florida where we have been besieged with monster hurricanes for the last many years. I have some of those "bubble solar lanterns and they are incredibly good for evening lighting as the weeks go by without utility supplied power. Charge each day and they can burn almost all night long and be charged again and again in the sun.

Having a gadget that soaks up sunlight during the day and then provides dependable light all night is incredibly practical. It’s fascinating how a straightforward tool like that can really boost our comfort and safety when the power goes out for an extended period.

To add to the cast iron, I was on a cast iron kick a few years ago and ended up buying a bunch of boutique, expensive stuff. In the end, all I ever use is my 70’s Lodge 12. It just works better.

I’ve also got a few boutique axes. All I ever use is my small Fiskars. Been beating the snot out of it for over 10 years. I was just admiring it the other day as I had to sharpen it and knock the rust off.

I’ve also got an engraved Miroku Browning 20g BPS I was given when I was 12. I’ve had at least a dozen nice Italian shotguns since, but all my dove, ducks, and cranes are shot with that old Browning. It just works, and looks good doing it.

Love that! Sometimes the old-school classics really do outshine all the high-tech stuff and it’s amazing how they keep proving their value year after year.

 

[Gee Willikers]

Once picked up this little camping lantern on a complete whim thinking it would just end up gathering dust in a box somewhere. But surprisingly it turned into one of my go-to lifesavers!

Do you have anything like that? Maybe a quirky kitchen gadget, a small hobby item, or even a random snack that you didn’t think you’d enjoy but now can’t imagine living without?

Actually, my most used and appreciated purchase is my Echo PB-9010H leaf blower. I use this regularly, year around, including our Wisconsin winters. As long as I get the snow early before icing up, it’s better than using my snowblower or compact tractor with blade. For its portability, power and capability, it’s remarkably effective.

 

[Alan]

That’s so cool! It’s amazing how a solid blower can turn into your go-to tool. It seems like that Echo really holds its own in every season!

 

[Deleted member 252]

My FIL retired his old Echo blower to me that he used for over 25 years. I used it for another 5. It had to be one of the first handheld blowers ever made. It looked like a small gas powered box fan with a tube coming out of it. Echo always made good stuff. I now have a Stihl BG 85/86? that's going on 11 years old that's been pretty impressive. I've used it year-round that whole time.

 

[Alan]

That’s fantastic. Those old Echo blowers were built like tanks. And getting a solid 11 years out of your Stihl really shows you know how to take care of your tools!

 

[Deleted member 252]

That’s fantastic. Those old Echo blowers were built like tanks. And getting a solid 11 years out of your Stihl really shows you know how to take care of your tools!

Funny thing is, that’s not one of the tools I have really obsessed over, as far as taking care of it. I guess a blower isn’t taking the beating a chainsaw will, though. But like most of my equipment, they rarely see ethanol and if they do, it never sits in them. I’m lucky enough to have e- free pumps very close to home.

 

[Alan]

That's pretty funny! And yeah I believe keeping ethanol out and fuel fresh makes a big difference in longevity. Good for you you still have e-free pumps near you.

 

[madpogue]

At the risk of blaspheming..... my (gasp!) Ryobi 40-volt auger. 8-inch bit, 2 speeds plus reverse. Have used it to trench out for the foundation of an animal enclosure (including 3-foot-deep corner columns), and put in several fence and light posts. To me it's as powerful as a one-man gasser, but WAY lighter and easier to use. And if/when you get stuck, it has a YUGE advantage -- REVERSE. My "boss" at one work site was so impressed with it, he used it on another job with his father who is a "friends don't let friends buy Ryobi" construction contractor. HE was so impressed that he bought one of his own.

 

[Alan]

Haha, I respect your honesty about using the Ryobi auger. Honestly, with its reverse capability and that kind of power, it’s tough to argue against it! If you’ve turned a “friends don’t let friends buy Ryobi” contractor into a fan, you’ve definitely pulled off something special on the job site.