Depending on where you are in NOVA there are a few places around. Mclean hardware is pretty good as is Fischer's, so is Merrifield nursery. Kramer Equipment is a little hole in the wall place that supplies arborists and professionals (firefighters, emt). Research the type of tool you are looking for first. For tools with heads, look for long shafts and handles that extend all the way down that shaft, something like this. Figure out if you want a D or straight handle, ash or fiberglass. The local stores are pretty good but may have to order special items. Other good online places are Lee Valley, Ben Meadows. I don't know what is happening to break your tools but also consider that it might be technique. Good luck.

I made a 'probe' from a sprinkler tool - basically it's a long metal rod with a "t" shape handle which is used to turn on/off valves in the ground. The curved part on the end needs to be cut off... This probe is almost 2 feet long so it can be used to find deeper tunnels. When you have a mound, explore the area in a circle at least 1 foot around the mound. Push the probe straight down and feel for when it hits an air pocket - it will go down suddenly for a couple inches when you probe into the tunnel. Probe every few inches in the circle around the mound. When you locate the tunnel dig a small hole to expose it - smaller is better since it will need to be covered later. If you can I like to "follow" the tunnel as far as I can before setting a trap. Often the tunnel will lead to a larger main tunnel. Traps in each tunnel opening can be 'baited' with grass etc. - not a lot, the opening should then be covered ( a big stone etc. I have some leftover slates which are perfect) The black hole is a tricky trap to use, it must be placed exactly inline to the tunnel and have the opening fit perfectly to the hole. Any light here will warn the gopher. I used to make a vertical cut on the tunnel opening before setting these traps. Cover the entire trap with loose dirt - only leave the back uncovered. At times I baited my black hole with a piece of carrot. I much prefer the Macabee style traps...

Grizzman, I don't think I am overthinking it. I think you are thinking this problem through with a regular 5 gallon bucket in mind. A regular 5 gallon bucket for paint is highly unlikely to collapse like tbaleno's is collapsing under the described circumstances. Instead, it would cause a vacuum and not let the water out. I've not seen Home Depot's buckets, but Menard's (another big box store) buckets are practically translucent because they are so thin. I wouldn't be surprised if the manufacturer for both companies is the same. With flimsy enough walls, the walls will collapse before air entering the tube moves far enough. Once the walls are collapsed the pressure is stabilized as the air in the bucket is compressed. Unless the air coming in the tube is forced air (unlikely), then it won't make it up the tube if the bucket has begun collapsing. At least not enough to stop further collapse the next watering. As the collapse starts it will put positive pressure on the tube and not allow air to enter from there. You are absolutely right that a larger tube will speed up stabilization, but it first speeds up destabilization. It is then just a matter of whether the bucket walls can withstand the initial destabilization or not. Just judging from what was originally written, that the bucket is collapsing already, the walls are very thin and I have those Menard's buckets in mind. Maybe I'm incorrect and tbaleno has thicker buckets than Menards provides. Another thing that could be contributing to the collapse is the length of the tube. If it is too long AND the wall of the bucket is too thin, then that will also cause collapse before air can travel up the tube. Personally, I would be inclined to go with both, a sturdier bucket and a wider diameter tube.

buehl- I have the estimate from Ken Griffin (I do need him to break out the plumbing portion for me), but I don't have Mark Brew's in yet. It seems like Calvert didn't want the job- they never got back to me. Much to my surprise, my mom's GC (the one who does great work and was supposed to do it in the first place), and his plumbing sub said that they couldn't give me an estimate until they "got in there". I am not to keen on doing this scope of a project on time and material. I don't know for certain if the origianl GC was insured, but I think he was. He is now on MHIC. I will have to call tomorrow and have them check the records for that time period. I will definately look into the insurance angle. Oh, we had great news today (HA!!). Our electrician was out and discovered that we have 14g wire wher it should be 12g (GFCI), not everything in the bathroom is on a GFCI that should be, the shower light isn't right (we knew that one), and he has 14g going into junctions and 12g going out, and we found 2 junctions (with no covers), but there may be some hidden..... It just keeps getting better and better.... BTW, I am working on my new draft, hopefully to have done by the weekend...