Regarding the accident with the horse - the first vinyl fence products put out were brittle and tended to be moreso with age and UV exposure - the ones put out now are much better about shattering. Bulldinkie, I don't doubt your story, but I think the story is over 10-15 years old. Any fencing, if hit by a large horse running at full speed (for whatever reason) can break and splinter. I have heard of horses running through wooden post and rail or post and board fences and being staked like that. The light-weight stuff could probably eventually be damaged by a weed whacker, but the heavy duty stuff, no. Vancleaveterry, many people here use white vinyl fencing for horses. I would run a hot-wire along it, but then, I would do the same for almost all horse fencing - it saves on breakage and escapes. And for horses, you NEED the heavy duty, purpose made weight of vinyl, which you probably won't get at a big-box store - you need to go to a fencing company. If you look in most of the horse magazines, they will feature ads from fencing companies - I know EQUUS does. Personally, I happen to like the look of weathered wooden fencing, but do admit that the posts will rot and will have to be replaced after 10-20 years, as will the boards and rails, depending on soil conditions and the wood used and how hard the horses are on fencing ( which is why I like a hot wire or even 2 strands of wire, one at the top to limit chewing and one halfway down to limit rubbing). Mostly, the vinyl fencing is maintenance free, BUT, it will grow algae/mildew, and can turn greenish. A scrubbing or pressure spraying with a bleach solution will turn it back to white, but it is ongoing in humid climates - you either learn to live with it or deal with it. If you want white fences and don't want to paint them every few years, then vinyl is the way to go, although you may have to deal with green algae. Vinyl is also, I think, a bit less expensive, over the long run, than wood.

I have a 22 inch lawn mower with a 6.5 hp Murray engine. Last year, I decided I wanted to paint the thing and I snapped the right rear bolt that holds the motor down. I got my brother to start drilling it out and he decided to try and use an easy out on it but the easy out broke so I can't drill out the bolt anymore. Do you think it would be okay to run the thing with only 2 of the bolts holding the mower down? I am also looking and getting a weedwacker, probably a four cycle Echo. My dad told me to get a used one because he was talking to a landscaper one day and that guy said that new weedwackers are difficult to start because of the emissions stuff they have on them. Is that true? Or is it just because the guy has to start it up multiple times a day due to going to different job sites. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Manual is ok (scythe, machete, etc.), but it will take you longer than using a gas powered trimmer/brushcutter. Electrics are okay if you only have grass to do, but I don't think they would work in your case, especially with the power cord runs you would need. I would not even consider a battery powered one. One other option is to hire it out. If you decide to purchase a trimmer/brushcutter, your best bets are with Stihl and Echo. They are the most widely available and supported. Husky is apparently making a good trimmer now too. There are a few other brands with good reps such as Shindaiwa and Maruyama but they are harder to find and get parts for if parts are needed. With the variety of material you would like to cut, it sounds like you will need a trimmer that can handle a brush blade. Expect to pay $200-$350 depending on what you get.

Hi Everyone! It's me...FourSeasons, but now I have to say "Miss"FourSeasons because for various reasons I am back in the Pacific (temporarily)and I am TRULY...MISSING the four seasons of my Missourah home.... Dear oaklief: You can't imagine the tear you brought to my eye by reposting that old post of mine...how I wish now that hubby could weed whack my flowers in Missouri -- today he would weed whack my orchids but even a blind man can see those so they are safe for the time being... It's a long story of how I came back to the Pacific Islands, and I'll put a "story" of that in my home page for those of you that are interested, but in the meantime wanted to let you all know that I still check up on you guys from time to time and am tickled to see so many of my old friends still around and posting... We still own our home in Missouri and will eventually be back so ya'll aren't rid of me yet....