He was swapping on a 2nd set of wheels? Why?
The charcoal vs propane story reminded me of a very early video passed around when email was young. A clip from a university lab picnic where each lab team competed to see who could get the charcoal started faster. It went from copious quantities of increasingly volatile liquid petrochemicals to compressed air to liquid oxygen the results of which can be seen in this clip.
To keep the car thread, they obviously drove to the picnic…
Clearly my admonishment about discretely watching the neighbors and then critiquing them publically upsets you.
Personally, my neighbors know full well that they’re very welcome to come over and say hello when I’m working in my driveway or yard. I’m not making a living when I’m in my driveway or yard. And they do stop over. And I’m happy to see them.
Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps the guy across the cul-de-sac has had a few baseballs go through his windows? Maybe he even got beaned once.
This conversation is going nowhere. I sincerely respect you and your knowledge and expertise. We just got off on the wrong foot on this one. I call a truce. There are people that could use the energy we’re using to quibble. Let’s just say we disagree on this issue and move forward. Is it a deal?
My friend uses a propane grill to start his coals, and yes he drives a car.
I use a corded impact wrench for my tire/wheel work. It’s a stout piece, and wortks well. No air hose to mess with, just an extension cord I keep coiled up just behind the garage door.
I’ve caught my neighbors watching me work on my cars from across the street. You know what? I don’t give a rat’s patoot. If you find me that entertaining, watch away. Heck, iffen you want, I’ll change into my thong and up the ante for ya! 
As it sit here in front of my computer and open upstairs window, I can clearly see and hear my kids playing outside. The noise from my neighbor in his open garage sharpening his lawnmower blades on the bench grinder is interfering with my listening to my kids. It’s not a problem yet because the kids seem to have stopped with the “your momma’s so fat…” jokes that I like to listen to.
I’m not upset about anything, just a bit curious as to why seeing something that is unavoidably in my line of sight seems to be akin to spying on someone.
As luck would have it the guy across the cul-de-sac and I have a mutual friend, he once worked together with one of my best friends. It’s a small world, isn’t it?
In response to other posts here, for a short while I had a combo gas/charcoal grill. It was a Weber kettle that had a 1 gallon propane tank that was used to start the coals. But after that I went to straight propane and never looked back. I now have 2 Weber gas grills, and they are used for everything from steaks and burgers to Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas crown roast.
I have yet to jump on the cordless impact bandwagon–or anything cordless in general–because hate the idea of batteries and chargers. I did try a cordless 1/2" impact for a week and didn’t like it. Those things are damn heavy.
I’ve never tried a cordless impact wrench, but I am curious. However I too prefer something that I can just plug in and go… and even pass on to my son when the time comes. I have a number of different battery powered drills, one lithium-ion drill with additional attachments for flush cutting, a small circle saw, a sander, and just about every other wood cutting tool. I use it far more than I originally expected to. But somehow it just seems that if I want to do something that requires the power of an impact driver a 115VAC device seems more appropriate. To me it’s analogous to the difference between a jigsaw and a reciprocating saw. The jigsaw is convenient, but serious cutting justifies a reciprocating saw.
As regards grills, years ago a ladyfriend and myself used to go to a grocery store, pick up some meat or fish and some tin foil, go to a park with grills, and start a wood fire. While a gas grill is highly convenient, that cooking we did over wood fires was so good that I became hooked on cooking over wood. Of course, up here in NH winter kills the mood. I think if I won the lottery one of the things my self-designed house would have is the ability co cook indoors over a wood fire.
Last summer one of our fleet accounts needed a transmission replaced. A Chevy 1-ton cutaway box van, dual rears, loaded with carpet cleaning/water extraction equipment. Too big and heavy to fit in the shop, had to work “flatback” outside. I have plenty of air hose, but the Matco tool truck loaned me a 1/2" cordless to try for the job. It loosened the cross members, exhaust, and any other bolts fantastically, but after using it to pull the trans my elbow and wrists were sore from hucking that big heavy thing around. It was easier on me to drag some air hose out there.
Yes, I love the smoke and aroma from a wood or charcoal fire, but for backyard cookery I’ll stick with propane or gas. I bought my first Weber propane grill 15 years ago and it is still going strong. By my estimation it has gone through 1200 cook cycles. Best investment ever.
Charcoal for me. A gas grill is nothing more than a kitchen stove that’s been designed for outdoor use.
There is no comparison.
Have you tried hardwood? Oak, maple, ash, applewood, and the like?
Ahh, but you can’t get a good sear or smoky flare-ups in your oven or broiler. Not to mention the air pollution from burning wood or charcoal. Pretty soon they’ll want to equip barbecues with catalytic converters.
Oak? Maple? Ash? Aren’t those woods used to make cabinets? We’d have to import those things here in the Evergreen State.
That ain’t air pollution. That’s the sweet smell of a campfire. I’m sure there must be good hardwoods wherever you live. Camping happens all over the country. Heck, IMHO even conifers make for better cooking than an electric stove. To me, charcoal is a compromise for suburbanites who don’t have ready access to woods. It’s wood already cooked.
Yeah, there is a little bit of hardwood here but you have to look for it. Go to the grocery store and buy firewood and all you get is a bundle of fir or pine that makes your marshmallows taste like smoke.
Air pollution is a concern around here. We often have burn bans in the summer and also in the winter if the air is stagnant, especially in the more densely populated parts of town that have older houses. Often you can’t use your woodstove or fireplace insert unless it’s your only source of heat.
Points well made. I was unaware that air quality was that much of a problem in Washington State. Consider me a better educated man now.
I also have to agree that open fires are not safe in heavily populated areas… or even in open areas if proper care isn’t taken. But wood fires in properly built outside grills can be perfectly safe… albeit not if the area is densely populated.
I also realize that wood-fire cooking is not to everybody’s taste. Many people like very different types of cooking than I do. We’re all different.
It’s only a problem in the densely populated areas, and then only in the western part of the state. Eastern WA, on the other side of the Cascades, has a vastly different climate. We don’t have car emissions testing statewide, only in the “non-attainment” areas where air quality is still a bit dirty.
Air in parts of the city I live in can get noticeably stale when the air is stagnant, and when it’s cold (like in the 30’s and 40’s for us) the increase in wood smoke is markedly visible. I think it’s the result of lower income folks living in 80-100 year old houses with poor insulation and open fireplaces. Anyway, air quality suffers sometimes. The price we pay for living in a big city.
Have you gotten any of the Canadian smoke? We had it so bad here in Minnesota it was like fog.
So smoke and air pollution was in the news. There was a scathing letter to the editor chastising people burning wood or having campfires etc. and telling the neighbors to report them to the police and file a complaint. The person that wrote it was either a girl I dated back in 66 or her mother-they both have the same name. I hope it was her mother who was kind of an angry bird anyway, but I don’t know if she is still alive. I understand over-doing it can be bothersome and we need to respect our neighbors, but I remember when everyone used to burn their leaves by the curb every fall. Now that was stinky.
I also realize that wood-fire cooking is not to everybody's taste. Many people like very different types of cooking than I do. We're all different.
There are a few Pizza places that use Wood Fire to cook the Pizza. Sometimes they’ll use an apple tree and the apple flavor gets in the Pizza. It’s real good Pizza.
On the occasions when I want a wood smoke flavor to my grilled food, I simply take some hardwood chips, soak them in water for an hour or so, and then place them in a metal tray, right above the burners of my Weber gas grill.
Voila…The convenience of a gas grill with the flavor of wood smoke!
And, just to keep this on an automotive note, I drive my Outback to the store where I buy those hardwood chips.
Good morning. Could you kindly bring this back on-topic? Thanks.
Will do.
It sounds like your neighbor was simply goofing around with the car enjoying the nice weather and not concerned about time. I do this often myself. One needs not go for fast when there’s no money at stake.
Personally, as I mentioned earlier, I always use my impact wrench to remove my lug nuts because it’s easier on my back. The last time I tried to do my own brakes was years ago. I jacked the front wheels up on my Toyota pickup, loosened the lug nuts, and couldn’t stand up again. With my cane, I hobbled to the neighbors and asked him to put my wheels back on and take the truck off the jack stands. Then I called the doctor for an epidural.
I looked into getting a lift bag a few years ago, to use instead of a jack, but they’re expensive. Since my physical limitations prevent me from doing much anyway, I couldn’t justify it.