Finally done today figured I start the next section. I apologize for the delay. But the late summer and early fall is the time to prepare for the making it over winter.

Power tools and garden equiptment.


As we discuss the needs of your homestead, you should understand that you can be to well supplied. I understand that I have had 25 years or more to aquire the tools I have. So to start out on your homestaed we must choose well the tools we need. You can always add on to them as time goes on. If time goes on.

The size of your homestead will be a major consideration on what tools you will need to start.
Like I said early I have seen homesteads on five acres, but the smallest I have seen was on 2.5 acres. This homestead was very well planned out and on very good land, This size would work only in the most fertile areas.


The tools you should gather to begin your garden and building needs are

1. A good quality chainsaw min 16" blade. I prefer a 20" or larger. I have a stihl and a homelite. Though the Stihl cost more and is suppose to be higher quality. With rregular maintence the homelite has kept up. If you believe in high quality. buy the stihl, if you are like me and believe in daily maintence buy any good quality saw. and take care of it.

remember a chain saw will only work if you have the 2 stroke oil and gas. If you are preparing for a long term survival situation then you should buy hand saws also, such as two man crosscut, broad axes, wedge axes, felling axes. more on these later.


There are three types of senerios you should plan for at least. One is a short term wheather related power and supply outage.
two is a tyrannical long term hide your family problem. three is the longer term life has changed as you know it outage. that means 18th century all over again, but with the social problems of the modern society.


2. skillsaw or wormdrive. If your planning on building your homestead building by yourself, you will need a long lasting circular saw.


yes I went against what I said about the chainsaw.


The reason is most cheaper circular saws have brushes in the electric motor that wear out, finding replacements are difficult, chain saws require you to keep them up and will last according to how well you maintain them.

A cheap circular saw will not last as long initially as a well build one, not to mention that they are planned as throw aways. I prefer the well built wormdrive.

but they require maintence and I mean daily maintence. plus most builders of these saws sell replacement parts such as brushes and bearings.

The wormdrive has a plug on the side to check the 90W oil, and you should check it everyday. I have the worm drive that I bought in the 80's, I have a new one too but the old one works just as well.

If your planning on framing your own buildings, wormdrive is the saw.


3. levels, yea I know it is not a power tool but if your building a homestead you need them, at least a 2' and 4' I have a 6' and a extendo level, You don't have to go that far if you don't want. The extendo level requires maintence and careful storage, very easy to knock out of plumb.


4.compressors. There are several choices here. small pancake compressor to large shop compressor. I have all three sizes so I can tell you which is the best to start out with, but let's talk about all three.

first: The pancake compressor(cost $199 with finish gun) is a small 1 to 3 hp electric compressor used mostly from finish work, like trim in your house anything you need finish nails or staples for,
Hey I have used one from small framing jobs but I would not recommend it.

You will burn it up with constant use.

Make this your last purchuse after you set up in your homestead. It will not be needed it is a convenence.


second: gas powered twin tanked contractors compressor ( cost $699 and up)is a commercial grade framing compressor that I think everyone should own one of.
It is not mandatory, you could use a shop compressor and a lot of hoses.This contractor compressor is gas powered so no electric on site needed, it has the ability to run several high air use tools at the same time.
It is portable and usually has a wheel on the front to move it around. If you maintain it it will last for years. It can be dialed up for the largest framing jobs, then down for the smallest finish job. good all around tool, but loud.


Third: The shop compressor, usually a 60 gallon stationary bolted down tool.
Great for the shop to build furniture or auto work, anything you need stationary air for. It can be used to frame your homestead if you have a lot of hose and a stable platform to set it on.

They come in 110 or 220 electric models (inside shop) or gas powered 5hp models Outside shop under protection.)

I would make this your second purchase after your set up.
But like I said your choice it will work just protect it from the elements.


5.Air tools, This is a homesteaders choice matter. You will need air framing guns and staplers, unless you plan to use hammers and nails.
but they make just about any tool you need in air tools from auto sanders to chisels all the way to wood framing tools. some are fairly cheap to moderatly expensive.
Start off with the basics and add as you need them. I would say a good framing gun ($ 399) will be a good start.

But like I said above hammer and nails work, just time comsuming. I remember the days of framing with a rigging axe and green nails, made my arms big and my back tired your choice save your back or walk around with big guns.


6. Sanders and grinders, If your not planning on using air tools outside then pick up a belt sander, maybe a finish sander when your finishing the inside of your buildings. belt sanders come in several sizes, buy the in the middle size about 4" wide belts.


7. plumb bobs, yep It ain't a power tool either but if you know how to use one you can make any building wall plumb. I use the extendo level, but a $15 plumbbob works just as well, They are just more time consuming to set up.

All I have to to is extend the extendo level till it touches the top and bottom plates of the wall bring it to level and brace.

With the plumb bob you must nail a block flat to the top side of top plate the mark a line on the concrete floor a 1 1/2" inside if bootom plate bring the wall in very slowely and line the point of the plumbbob with the line on the concrete. Hold steady till the bob stops swinging and brace.

As you see a little more work, but can be done.


Let's skip over to Garden tools for a while.


1. Tillers This tool will be according to how big your garden is.
As I said earlier I have fed a family of seven on a 20'x30' garden plot. That is well inside the walk behind gas tiller range.

a 5hp front tine tiller can do a job that size in 3 or 4 hours.

But if your garden is spread around your city lot in small 4'x 8' mini plots that also second as yard decoration, a even smaller gas mini tiller will work.

but so will the 5hp.


If your land is not as fertile or your needing to can alot of food and have a larger plot.

a small trctor will work ( not a lawn trator) but something like a 1950's or 60's ford 8N or massy fergison 3 cyl.

The older tractor are made to last forever, new stuff has what they call planned obsolescence.

Older tractor can be rigged with parts from other vehicles. Kinda like the older harleys used 283 chevy engine points.

Just make sure your tractor has a 3 point hitch and is well maintained by the previous owner. about $2000 to $4000 without implements.

Though you'll need tiller or plow iplements, and brush hogs. The implement should cost around 500 or less each. yep, homesteading is expensive to start.

But if you plan on the animal drawn plowing equiptment wait for that section coming up later.

Going to stop here for a few see you later today!