Loaner Comes Home

[squonk 48,215]

20 hours ago, pfrederi said:

New chapter in the Charger 12 I loaned my nephew for about 14 months...She threw a rod see previous posts in this thread.

 

So I put on another K301.  Took it out to mow some.  Did a terrible job.  When I loaned my nephew the tractor I had gone over the deck painted under side with POR and put on a NEW set of blades, so I was surprised how poorly it mowed.  I guess my nephew decided to mow his rock garden.  I think no more loans to family!!!!

 

 

Those look like the blades off of my sister in law's mower! She had a brand new MTD tractor and insisted on lowering the deck as much as possible and going as fast as it could go. Ran over tree roots and folded the deck under itself and bent the blades. My brother in law managed to get it warranted but they said don't come back. She did it again and I'll pulled the deck back into shape. She did it a 3rd time and he got the front of the deck reinforced. Then she hit the roots again and the tractor stopped dead and tossed her off. She finally got the message

[rjg854 13,404]

It's sad that nowadays there is a lack of common sense.   

[pfrederi 21,221]

4 minutes ago, rjg854 said:

It's sad that nowadays there is a lack of common sense.   

 

 

Especially since he has a PhD in something

[adsm08 5,195]

13 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

 

 

Especially since he has a PhD in something

 

If the highly educated were truly intelligent then they wouldn't have needed so much education in the first place.

[rjg854 13,404]

Yes it would seem the more educated some people become, that's where common sense is destroyed.

[adsm08 5,195]

3 hours ago, rjg854 said:

Yes it would seem the more educated some people become, that's where common sense is destroyed.

 

I agree. My parents, my dad in particular, were on me from the day my oldest was born to be saving for the kids' college expenses. I told them I didn't really want the kids to go unless they wanted to do a job where a degree was must, and I'd figure out how to pay for it then.

[Handy Don 17,560]

19 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

I agree. My parents, my dad in particular, were on me from the day my oldest was born to be saving for the kids' college expenses. I told them I didn't really want the kids to go unless they wanted to do a job where a degree was must, and I'd figure out how to pay for it then.

I agree that college is not the best route for everyone. My wife and I took the approach that some sort of education or training after HS would be likely, preferably leading to specific expertise as well as knowledge of (and insights into) the wider world. And it would not be free. So we planned accordingly. 

[adsm08 5,195]

Just now, Handy Don said:

I agree that college is not the best route for everyone. My wife and I took the approach that some sort of education or training after HS would be likely, preferably leading to specific expertise as well as knowledge of (and insights into) the wider world. And it would not be free. So we planned accordingly. 

 

My son is almost definitely going into the trades. He might need a semester or two at a community college to finish up some certificates, but he wants to go to Vo-Tech when he gets into high school. The one CC in our area that offers those programs, by then I should be able to pay his tuition out of pocket.

 

It is less certain what my daughter is likely to do, but she's only 10. We have time.

 

In the mean time I am putting money that my dad wants to see in a 529 into their Trump accounts because it's far more flexible in how it can be used once it comes available.

[Handy Don 17,560]

15 hours ago, adsm08 said:

far more flexible

FWIW, my advice is to leave the “free" money in the Trump account and start child- or parent-owned 529s for any additional contributions. 

[adsm08 5,195]

5 hours ago, Handy Don said:

FWIW, my advice is to leave the “free" money in the Trump account and start child- or parent-owned 529s for any additional contributions. 

 

We don't really get any "free" money. My daughter did get one of the $250 grants from the Dell Foundation, but both are much too old to qualify for the $1000 seed from the treasury dept. A uniform transfer to minor investment account would likely be better, but for as old as my kids are already most differences between the various types of investments a not likely to exceed $100 before they turn 18.

[8ntruck 9,338]

One thing I have noticed with the students involved with the robotics team I've mentored is how it helped some students realize that what they thought they wanted to do, they really didn't like.  Some were talking about going for an engineering degree, then realized that something else was what they wanted - as.an example, some went into trades, some into medical fields, and some into social work.

 

I agree - a college degree is not a universal need.

[953 nut 69,807]

On 10/27/2026 at 1:29 PM, Handy Don said:

“free" money in the Trump account

Heard something on the news about Elon Musk giving one share of "Spacex" stock to every child under 18,           I'm too old and had to buy my own Spacex stock.

[Handy Don 17,560]

2 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Heard something on the news about Elon Musk giving one share of "Spacex" stock to every child under 18,           I'm too old and had to buy my own Spacex stock.

And for each child receiving a dividend, they will no longer be able to file a 1040-EZ because they’ll have also received a 1099 and have to report the income. Bonus for tax preparers ahead!

I wonder, too, if this isn’t also a path to Musk’s companies gaining personal information, including SSNs, about millions of child stockholders.

[953 nut 69,807]

7 hours ago, Handy Don said:

And for each child receiving a dividend, they will no longer be able to file a 1040-EZ because they’ll have also received a 1099 and have to report the income.  Not if they place it in an IRA and then transfer it to a Roth IRA while their income is below the standard deduction. Bonus for tax preparers ahead!

I wonder, too, if this isn’t also a path to Musk’s companies gaining personal information, including SSNs, about millions of child stockholders. Don you do have a cynical streak don't you.            

 

[EB-80/8inPA 2,118]

On 10/26/2026 at 5:31 PM, pfrederi said:

 

 

Especially since he has a PhD in something

Well, with all due respect, he’s apparently got a master’s degree in blade manglement and engine defunktitude. A double major!

[953 nut 69,807]

            Paul @pfrederi, in my opinion the blades were a bit over sharpened, A thin edge like that can't take much abuse without deforming. When I sharpen my blades I chamfer the lower edge a bit to allow it to skip over roots or stones. Works well for me.

[pfrederi 21,221]

14 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

            Paul @pfrederi, in my opinion the blades were a bit over sharpened, A thin edge like that can't take much abuse without deforming. When I sharpen my blades I chamfer the lower edge a bit to allow it to skip over roots or stones. Works well for me.

 

 

They were brand new blades and that was the factory edge.  I know in my 6' New Holland finish mower they want you to leave the blade edge slightly blunt

[Handy Don 17,560]

14 hours ago, 953 nut said:

a cynical streak

Yes, especially when extremely clever, secretive, and immensely resourced individuals are involved. 

 

IRAs and Roths can only accept contributions from earned income. Dividends are passive income. Direct contributions of stock from a taxable account are not allowed--one can use funds already in an IRA to buy stock that remains in the IRA. 

[rick 321]

The flat edge on mowing part of the blade won't affect the job the blade does on the grass.  The secret to a good cut is the condition of the "corner" of the blade, where the cutting edge meets the short side of the blade.  If the corner is a sharp 90 degree angle that you don't want to push the pad of your thumb or fingertip into very hard it will cut your lawn very nicely.  This not to say you shouldn't pay attention to the whole length of the  cutting edge, just that it really does't need a razor edge.

I didn't learn this on my own, it is discussed in detail in videos you can find on the MagnaMatic.com website.