Wife built a new house. What will we need when we see it for the first time in July?

[baronapart]

On 6/5/2023 at 9:07 AM, GeoffH said:

For smaller items (like hand tools) I often find the Mr DIY chain of shops easier, quicker and often cheaper.

Mr DIY is the best. 

[OnMyWay]

3 hours ago, JoeLansing said:

Thank you for this.  I looked up Mr. DIY and it looks like a good source for a lot of stuff.  On Bohol their are 2 of them.  But they are both down Tagbilaran way.  So way over an hour away from my jungle joint of a house.  If I'm going down there, I can also go to Wilcon or Citi.  I will check them out though.

Just to be clear, there are two DIY chains. 

Mr. DIY is a variety store with a hardware section.  They don't have large items, generally speaking.  They have a few power tools of unknown quality.  I buy some things there, and they are cheap for what you get.  Probably China made but their Mr. DIY branded items are not bad.  My kids like to shop there for toys and crafts!

DIY Hardware is more like an ACE Hardware.  Large variety of hardware and garden.  The one here in Olongapo has a Japan Home store on the top floor, but I don't know if they are related.

Edit:  My DIY has some decent kitchen stuff too.  I had looked all over for a silicone spatula, and ended up getting one on Amazon.  Mr DIY has some now.

Edited June 6, 2023 by OnMyWay

[Tommy T.]

And bring lots of antacids. Baking soda works, but Alka Seltzer is available online but expensive and hard to find....

 

[BrettGC]

For some reason I'd forgotten about Mr DIY even though I'm in there weekly and not just hardware.. Good call @GeoffH.  

[hk blues]

All of the mainstream stores are OK but don't really qualify as hardware stores IMO.  If you need a particular fitting or the like you are better going to the local 'actual' hardware store.  We have all of the main ones in my place but mostly they flatter to deceive i.e. lots of nice shiny stuff on display but lacking in range of hardware products.  On several occasions I have been unable to get the most basic of items at ACE i.e. paint thinner, clear silicon and wall putty. I will say in ACE's defence that the staff (of which there are many) are pretty knowledgeable about the products they are personally responsible for.  We have an All-home DIY store which is actually pretty well-stocked for real hardware, including the common timber you might need for basic projects.  It's pricey though and every purchase brings stress for some reason.  

For those of used to the bigger hardware and DIY stores back home it's a challenge here - that said, compared to Hong Kong it's much better.  

[OnMyWay]

On 6/5/2023 at 7:06 AM, Tommy T. said:

I bought a really great Honda weed whacker that we use every three to four weeks.

Just my 2 cents and some shopping info for anyone interested in weed whackers. Sorry for the long story.

I bought a Honda 4 cycle weed whacker about 6 years ago.  Fairly certain it was legit Honda.  The shop is a legit agro business shop and I still go there.  I paid 15K for it.

I have had a couple of 2 cycle weed whackers in the past, latest would have been 2012.  So in 2017, the first time I started up and tried the 4 cycle, it did not feel as powerful and had less rpm.  I thought.  The nice quality of the 4 cycles is that they are much quieter than the 2 cycles.  It ran perfectly, but I decided to return it and exchange it for a 2 cycle.  Since then, a couple of gardeners have done my yard and the neighbors's yard with a Honda 4 cycle and they seem just fine.

Around here, the popular 2 cycles that the "pros" use are the Kawasaki TD-40.  We have several big industrial lots not far from me and they all use the TD-40.  So that is the one I bought.  It is original with Japan parts and cost 14k.  It has been reliable for almost 6 years.  I had a few small repairs / tune-ups / cleanings done at the shop I bought it at, and parts are cheap.

6 years ago, I could not find any weed whackers online.  Now, there are a lot.  Several "TD-40"s are advertised for <5000.  They are Chinese knock-offs, I think.  It appears that some of the sellers do sell the authentic ones, and they are 13-15k.  So, my old one was starting to have some little issues, and instead of getting those fixed, I bought at knockoff on Lazada for 4800 including shipping.  My intent was to sell the old one as it was still functional.  They also have the Honda 4 cycle knock-offs and legit Honda too.

The TD-40 knock-off arrived and the quality seemed good.  The engine looks identical to the real thing.  The shaft had a better strap hanger on it that allowed me to adjust it easily for my height.  Assembly was easy and it started up right away.  However, after running for 5 minutes, it would stall.  The seller tried to help and sent my concerns to the "tech team".  Back and forth but no real help.  There was a filter in the mouth of the fuel tank.  I removed it and problem solved.

I was was on my third mow, and all of a sudden, the engine revved up and was free spinning.  After some diagnosis and later some disassembly, I determined that the internal drive shaft in the main shaft had either failed or become disconnected.  More back and forth with the seller.  Two weeks waiting for him to give me a solution.  Grass was getting long and I had to do something.  I took the shaft from the old mower and connected it to the new engine.  I also used the new handle bars because they are wider, which I like.  It is working well now, and I have it set up to fit me nicely.  Going out to finish mowing now.

Would I buy another knock-off?  Probably, given the price difference.  I think the shaft problem was probably uncommon.  Another good thing about the TD-40 is that lots of replacement parts are available online.  Maybe for the Honda too.

The seller is going to get a bad review today.

Funny side note.  In SBMA, the "pros" are 30-60 year old women who look like ninjas.  They work 8-10 AM, then 4 hour lunch/nap in hammocks, then 2-4 pm.  By contrast, the industrial park near us has a younger, fit, male crew.  They have uniforms, work all day, and the place looks great!

[Tommy T.]

6 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Just my 2 cents and some shopping info for anyone interested in weed whackers. Sorry for the long story.

I bought a Honda 4 cycle weed whacker about 6 years ago.  Fairly certain it was legit Honda.  The shop is a legit agro business shop and I still go there.  I paid 15K for it.

I have had a couple of 2 cycle weed whackers in the past, latest would have been 2012.  So in 2017, the first time I started up and tried the 4 cycle, it did not feel as powerful and had less rpm.  I thought.  The nice quality of the 4 cycles is that they are much quieter than the 2 cycles.  It ran perfectly, but I decided to return it and exchange it for a 2 cycle.  Since then, a couple of gardeners have done my yard and the neighbors's yard with a Honda 4 cycle and they seem just fine.

Around here, the popular 2 cycles that the "pros" use are the Kawasaki TD-40.  We have several big industrial lots not far from me and they all use the TD-40.  So that is the one I bought.  It is original with Japan parts and cost 14k.  It has been reliable for almost 6 years.  I had a few small repairs / tune-ups / cleanings done at the shop I bought it at, and parts are cheap.

6 years ago, I could not find any weed whackers online.  Now, there are a lot.  Several "TD-40"s are advertised for <5000.  They are Chinese knock-offs, I think.  It appears that some of the sellers do sell the authentic ones, and they are 13-15k.  So, my old one was starting to have some little issues, and instead of getting those fixed, I bought at knockoff on Lazada for 4800 including shipping.  My intent was to sell the old one as it was still functional.  They also have the Honda 4 cycle knock-offs and legit Honda too.

The TD-40 knock-off arrived and the quality seemed good.  The engine looks identical to the real thing.  The shaft had a better strap hanger on it that allowed me to adjust it easily for my height.  Assembly was easy and it started up right away.  However, after running for 5 minutes, it would stall.  The seller tried to help and sent my concerns to the "tech team".  Back and forth but no real help.  There was a filter in the mouth of the fuel tank.  I removed it and problem solved.

I was was on my third mow, and all of a sudden, the engine revved up and was free spinning.  After some diagnosis and later some disassembly, I determined that the internal drive shaft in the main shaft had either failed or become disconnected.  More back and forth with the seller.  Two weeks waiting for him to give me a solution.  Grass was getting long and I had to do something.  I took the shaft from the old mower and connected it to the new engine.  I also used the new handle bars because they are wider, which I like.  It is working well now, and I have it set up to fit me nicely.  Going out to finish mowing now.

Would I buy another knock-off?  Probably, given the price difference.  I think the shaft problem was probably uncommon.  Another good thing about the TD-40 is that lots of replacement parts are available online.  Maybe for the Honda too.

The seller is going to get a bad review today.

Funny side note.  In SBMA, the "pros" are 30-60 year old women who look like ninjas.  They work 8-10 AM, then 4 hour lunch/nap in hammocks, then 2-4 pm.  By contrast, the industrial park near us has a younger, fit, male crew.  They have uniforms, work all day, and the place looks great!

Not at all trying to dispute you OMW, but just passing along my experience so far. I bought the Honda whacker over a year ago. Either myself or a hired hand runs it to clean up inside and outside our fenced area. They or I run it for usually close to 8 hours in a day 3- 4 times a month. The only problem I had was when one nitwit decided it needed gas/oil mix for fuel ..... No!!!!!! It clogged the carburetor and caused a leak due to the pressure. I was wondering why it was smoking so much? We got that fixed up and back to real gas only for fuel and it's been fine since....

Since then, no issues - still about 8 hour days of whacking every 3 to 4 weeks. So no complaints....

[OnMyWay]

19 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Not at all trying to dispute you OMW, but just passing along my experience so far. I bought the Honda whacker over a year ago. Either myself or a hired hand runs it to clean up inside and outside our fenced area. They or I run it for usually close to 8 hours in a day 3- 4 times a month. The only problem I had was when one nitwit decided it needed gas/oil mix for fuel ..... No!!!!!! It clogged the carburetor and caused a leak due to the pressure. I was wondering why it was smoking so much? We got that fixed up and back to real gas only for fuel and it's been fine since....

Since then, no issues - still about 8 hour days of whacking every 3 to 4 weeks. So no complaints....

Sure, understood.  I was trying not to be harsh on Honda.  They are my choice for cars and small engines.  I have owned many.  At the time, it was just my perception that they did have the same rpms and power that the 2 cycles have.

[JoeLansing]

Thank you for all the weed whacker info.  You got me reading up on the weed eaters.  It sure does seem like TD40 or Honda GX25,GX35,GX50 are the way to go.  I'm leaning toward a GX35, hopefully with the pole saw (mini chain saw) attachment also.  I'll probably buy at Citi, Wilcon or some other legit hardware if I can find one.  There are so many clones of them I want to buy in person.  There's also some great YouTube videos on how to tell genuine Honda from a clone.  

[JJReyes]

On 6/3/2023 at 5:11 PM, JoeLansing said:

Don't ask me about the time my co worker in USA said "I'll try anything once" and I went to the local big asian store and accidently bought like 6-8 day old RAW balut (which both of us ate).

We went to Seafood Supermarket in Carson, CA yesterday to purchase my favorite snack which is chicken skin chicharron.  Also, from the takeout section their grilled squid, pompano and bangus.  They also had grilled balut advertised as the latest craze in the Philippines.  Anyone know about this or have tried it?