Below is a pix of the sprayer:

Rather than go to the trouble of finding a replacement wand and hose assembly, I decided to order a 4 gallon Field King Professional 190328 back-pack model since lugging around 3 gallons of weed killer with my left hand and spraying with my right hand and vice versa, will soon tire a retired person out quickly, plus having to stop numerous times to pump the tank back up.

The Field King back-back sprayer should be here on July 5, 2019 and will give it a test run ASAP.

RECYCLED THE SPRAY DOC

I decided to keep part of the spray doc plastic container since it is made of very heavy plastic.

The balance above will go to the landfill.  I guess I still have some of the "pack rat" mentality.  I hate to throw stuff away, but not as bad as a hoarder.  Usually when I throw stuff away, I will need some of it within a week or two or even earlier!

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-09-19

RECEIVED THE FIELD KING SPRAYER

I received the Field King back-pack sprayer today being July 5, 2019 and will read the instructions and if the weather permits, will give it a test run tomorrow.  We received a much needed rain this afternoon.  One of our mail carriers came by and said the box was too large with her early route packages and would come back at the end of the route with my package.  I took a pix of her.  I kid her about all the tattoos she has, of which she said her husband does them for her.  I told her I was too afraid of needles to have tattoos and made it through the US Navy without getting one!

I learned a long time ago, read the instructions and directions first before putting something together, etc.,

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-05-19.

FIELD TESTED THE FIELD KING SPRAYER

I used the Field King Sprayer on 07-06-19 and it worked great.  I had at least two gallons or more of a Weed-Be-Gone mix in the old sprayer and transferred it to the Field King sprayer.  It was a pleasure to say the least in comparison to the Spray Doc sprayer; easier to carry on the back and easy to keep it pumped up to pressure.

Here is a video clip of the sprayer in use. 

After usage, I rinsed the sprayer out with cold water, sprayed water through the nozzle and hung it upside down to let it air dry per the manufacturer's instructions.

Sprayer ready for storage and another usage.

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-06-19 and 07-09-19.

GARDEN HOE

I have a small tomato patch out back that was in need to removing some grass with the garden hoe to help keep moisture to the tomato plants instead of to the grass.  I believe I used the hoe last tomato planting season and didn't notice anything wrong with it then.  However, when I got the hoe out of storage, I noticed that the hoe handle was loose in the metal sleeve that surrounds the wood handle. The handle was easily pulled from the metal sleeve and the wood handle was broken off inside the sleeve rendering the hoe useless.  There isn't a lot of wood inside the metal sleeve because there is about a 1/2 inch diameter hole that goes into the end of the handle and is the Archilles' heel aka weak point in the hoe construction.

Below is a pix of the hoe blade, sleeve and the handle portion that was broken off inside the metal sleeve:

I thought about repairing the hoe handle myself, but I plan to purchase a new one with a fiberglass and/or synthetic handle. 

NOTE:  My bride aka Joyce made a comment that the garden hoe dates back to when our oldest daughter Laura was in lower grade school and we helped her plant a small garden plot for one of her school projects.  Therefore, that garden hoe is probably forty (40) years plus old.  I think I got my money's worth out of it.....grin if you must!

A FEW WORDS OF CAUTION

A few words of caution from personal experience, "Do not lean a garden hoe or rake with the blade or tines on the ground facing toward you."  If you step onto the blade or tines of a rake or garden hoe in this position, the handle will rotate directly onto your head with a good amount of force; been there and done that!

REPLACED THE GARDEN HOE

As the ole saying goings, "When I get around to it" finally manifested itself this morning on 07-13-19 and purchased a garden hoe from H. W. Little, Inc., here in Wadesboro, NC.  The fiberglass handle garden hoe will probably last myself the rest of my life, however the head of the hoe is manufactured in two (2) pieces and the weak point will be where the weld is located versus one that is totally forged.  I didn't go to the trouble to do internet searches, etc., but as stated should last unless by chance a large venomous snake crosses my bath with the garden hoe in hand, of which it would probably break since my adrenalin would be maxed out attempting to cut the snake into multiple pieces....grin if you must!

The through rivet is another weak point in design in my humble opinion, unless the inside diameter is small where it goes through the steel rod.  This hoe was the only one in stock that had a fiberglass handle and the total price was $ 14.98 and as I have stated numerous times throughout this website, "Most of the time, you get what you pay for."  It is like purchasing some of Harbor Freights tools, etc.  They are cheap enough that you can replace them like some of the Black and Decker stuff.

I am definitely not a fan of Harbor Freight or Black and Decker which seems paradoxical since I do own a couple of their items.  I normally purchase quality merchandise whether it is kitchen appliances, machinery and tools, etc..  And to iterate, "Most of the time, you get what you pay for." 

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-13-19.

WEED TRIMMER GAS CAP

I recently used my Stihl FS 70 RC weed trimmer and upon placing the gas tank cap back into position, the upper portion of the gas came apart.  I finished weed trimming and did an internet search for a replacement part and found what I needed.  I have purchased such parts locally and can find much better deals via the internet.  The original gas cap is priced in the neighborhood of 27 to 30 bucks and decided to go with a generic aka "knock off" brand @ $ 4.99 (shipping free) which most of the time works fine.  I do realize, "Most of the time, you get what you pay for" and do limit such purchases.  It is like purchasing parts from John Deere; e.g., oil, oil filter, gas filter, air filter, plugs, etc., you pay a pile of money for something packaged in green............grin if you must!

Pix below of the gas cap in pieces:

What happened to the simple gas cap?

It is time to do some serious cleaning/maintenance to the ole weed trimmer which has gotten plenty of usage early in the Spring with all the rains we experienced.  The current drought has slowed down the usage of the weed trimmer.

RECEIVED THE REPLACEMENT GAS CAP

I received the replacement gas cap on 07-06-19 and it looks identical to the original cap.

I ordered another gas cap today and will keep it with my spare small engine parts.

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-06-19

ENGINE COOLANT RECOVERY TANK

Our car engine coolant recovery tank has had an intermittent leak for sometime and recently added some Dex-Cool to the tank and noticed that the coolant immediately starting leaking out onto the concrete underneath the car.  It was easy to ascertain that the coolant was coming from beneath the coolant tank and dripping down the slope of the inner fender wall.

I called one of our local auto parts place and they did not show the part listed from their vendors.  I then went on line (internet) and found an identical (generic) replacement part which should be here very soon.

Below a couple pixs:

REPLACED ENGINE COOLANT RECOVERY TANK

I received the ordered recovery tank today being July 5, 2019 and only had to remove two (2) nuts, a plastic retainer fastener and a plastic hose.  Everything went well, however when replacing the nut adjacent the fuse panel box, the nut slipped off the socket and disappeared; I mean disappeared, no doubt underneath the fuse panel box.  I located a 1/4 x 20 lock nut that worked fine and this time taped the nut to the end of the socket.  The other nut required a 10mm socket.

When I removed the original engine coolant recovery tank, I ran some water into it and the water was leaking out like it was going through a sieve......grin if you must.  Where the plastic tank halves were molded together, it had developed a crack an inch or two long.  

THUMBNAIL PIXS

Other than the nut that disappeared, this was a simple repair.  The replacement part was identical.  I filled the tank to the indicated fill line with Dex-Cool and ran the engine for a few minutes and no leaks.  I will do another check when I come back from driving a few miles.

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-05-19.

PEERLESS BATHTUB FIXTURE

Our main bathroom was renovated about 13 years ago and have since changed out the original commode which was an elongated bowl made by Eljer, being replaced with a model that meets ADA standards as to the height from the floor.

A slow leak from the single lever Peerless model 88700 series bathtub fixture manifested itself and is not only annoying, but cost money over an extended period of time for extra water usage.

I did my normal recon via the internet since the paperwork that came with the fixture covered several Peerless models within the 88700 series and wasn't exactly sure what parts I needed.  After viewing many YouTube videos, etc., I first wanted to try a new pair of washers and springs before replacing the entire cartridge.

Delta Faucet provides support for Peerless products and many Peerless parts are interchangeable with Delta.

BATHROOM IN 2006:

REMOVING THE CARTRIDGE

Once the handle is removed you can see the notches in the plastic cam that controls the maximum hot water temperature setting.  The trim sleeve is then removed by pulling it toward you and you have access to the bonnet which is a brass threaded ring that holds the cartridge assembly in place.  Once the bonnet is removed, you place the handle back onto the stem of the cartridge assembly, tighten the screw in the handle and pull the cartridge toward you and/or rotate the handle 1/4 turn counter clock wise and the cartridge assembly will come forward from the brass valve body, whereas you can see the two v cuts/grooves in the brass valve body that aligns with two V tabs molded into the upper portion of the cartridge assembly which keeps both parts in alignment.

One must remember that the brass valve housing is soldered to the copper pipes and not act like a bull in a china shop, but use some finesse and delicacy with the brass valve housing.    

Cartridge removed from the brass valve body.  Below, you can see the two V grooves cut into the brass valve body that aligns with the plastic shaped V tabs on the cartridge assembly.

I used some CLR, cloth, Q-Tips and flathead screwdriver to remove calcium build up at the rear of the housing that contains the cartridge that controls the water flow.  I replaced two rubber cups and springs within the blue portion of the cartridge removed, however it did not stop the very slow water leak.  There are two O rings at the rear of the cartridge, but I didn't find a replacement for them and the Peerless O rings are no longer manufactured, but I believe Danco supplies replacements.

I contacted Peerless customer service via email and they wanted me to send my full name, mailing address and telephone number of which I did.  I later received an email from Delta Faucet advising they were sending me a replacement cartridge SKU: RP19804 for the Peerless fixture and should arrive within 4 to 8 days.   That Delta part replaces Peerless cartridges manufactured before 2008.

INSTALLED REPLACEMENT CARTRIDGE

I received the Delta replacement RP19804 cartridge on 07-11-19 and installed it. 

The slow drip was corrected by the replacement cartridge.  The seals and O rings on the original cartridge lasted for thirteen (13) years and that speaks of something that is durable to say the least.  Peerless/Delta got an excellent rating from me on their questionnaire I completed on line about their service.  It was noted that the replacement RP19804 cartridge was not as robust in manufacture as the original cartridge and basically all plastic material except for the brass stem and a few parts inside the blue plastic portion of the cartridge.  The original cartridge has a beefy brass geared sleeve that controls the water flow.  I plan to find replacement O rings for the original cartridge to be used as a spare and hopefully will never need it.

As Hannibal Smith said on the A Team, "I love it when a plan comes together"....grin if you must!

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-11-19.

In summary, all the above issues have been addressed except the garden hoe, of which I will replace the hoe very soon.  The balance has the replacement parts on order and should be here within a week or so.

UPDATE:  All issues have been corrected as of 07-13-19.

Murphy's Law never sleeps, but the above are examples of what normally goes on within our lives.

GIVE GOD THE PRAISE, HONOR AND GLORY IN ALL THINGS

I am glad for each and every day that our God allows and the opportunity to serve Him and give him the Praise, Honor and Glory in all things through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.