Best Electric Hedger

Are you getting a good charge in all locations? Keep the panel free of snow or dust, and tilt it toward the sun as the seasons progress—point it higher towards the sky in the summer, lower towards the south in the winter.

A good place to start when assessing your energy use is a home energy audit. In the first 6 months after we had it installed, our electricity consumption dropped by 20 percent compared to the same period the previous year.

They're More Than Just Electric Screwdrivers While you might use an electric drill primarily for driving screws, you can also purchase spade or brad point bits that bore holes through wood, a very useful feature if you love DIY projects .

All animals will need to be carefully introduced to the electric fence so that they understand they will receive an electric shock if they get too close, and while some species— sheep , for instance—are trickier to contain, they too can be trained...

But in the late 1700s, a Frenchman named Joseph Montgolfier —improving upon a slightly earlier patent—placed a valve on the pump that made it self-acting and made the water able to move itself.

If you live on a farm, then chances are you've purchased a portable electric drill (or two or three) over the years. What features do you like to look for in an electric drill? Extra Batteries If the electric drill that you're considering comes with more...

“The well reaches as deep into the Earth as necessary until it reaches an underground water source. In addition to these essential specs, he researches customer's water needs on a daily and weekly basis.

A connection had come loose and shorted out. Let an electric appliance stop working, as our clothes dryer did recently, and you are quickly reminded how vital these machines are. In the case of the dryer, which was only a few weeks old, the sudden stop...

I wouldn't want to raise pigs if I couldn't move them around my property. After positioning the solar panel to receive maximum daylight sun, I drive the grounding rod, hook it and the battery to my energizer, clamp the energizer to the wire, then let...

This is life in modern America. Off-grid Elecricity Off-the-grid generation systems supply 100 percent of the energy required for the household and have battery-backup systems to provide electricity needed at night or when the wind isn't blowing.

Fairfield University, in Fairfield, Conn., has installed a new device called the Energy Dashboard in the lobbies of residential facilities that posts electricity usage and heating and cooling BTU for student apartments in real time.

The latest pizza trend isn't about off-beat toppings like elbow noodles, squid ink or fried eggs; instead, it's coming from some independently owned pizzerias that are taking steps toward improving air quality: by delivering fresh-out-of-the-oven pies...

“Butte College's accomplishments in renewable energy and sustainability help show the way toward building a stronger economy while preserving the planet.” Operating as a self-contained city, Butte College has its own water system, maintains its own...

Of course, standby generators are not portable; they are a permanent part of your house and are an integrated part of the electrical circuits. Needless to say, a generator is a great machine to have on hand.

Shopping around for a new air conditioner or refrigerator is always met with an “Oh, think of the electric bill savings!” when you come across an Energy Star product. You might have already heard of EPA-certified Energy Star homes, but now the organization...

With the frenetic pace of the winter holidays, urban farmers looking for ways to save time in their preparations may also have an opportunity to save energy when reheating frozen, made-ahead holiday meals.

Some permanent electric fences, such as electric-braided fencing, reduce injury because if an animal runs into it, the fence acts like a “boxing ring”—bouncing the animal back.

It has no smell and is heavier than air, slowly filling the room until the people inside suffocate. Keep enough fuel on hand for a week's run time and you should be safe most power outages.

All generators should be run outside or in a room with an open window or door and a carbon monoxide monitor. This story originally appeared in the November/December 2017 issue of Hobby Farms.

A deer proof garden fence needs to be high enough to prevent the animals from jumping over and visible enough to surmount their poor depth perception. Make sure a wooden fence is tight and doesn't allow the deer to see the other side.

Additionally, water infrastructure is key, such as multiple hydrants in convenient locations with all the pipes well below the frost line. Be sure to perform a water test—you can typically order testing kits through your state's health department—to...

Posts can be dug with hand tools, though a post hole-drilling machine can greatly speed up the process. Measuring the length of the fence will help you purchase the appropriate amount of supplies, including posts and fencing materials.

Click here for more information on how to enter your clean-energy idea in the GE Ecomagination Challenge or to vote on your favorite entry. Taking first place in the public vote (as of Aug.

This is essential if you plan to rotationally graze them, as we are. Of course, you can definitely run into ornery sheep who will do as they want, but this is a good reason to buy your sheep from a trusted source who rotates them regularly.

I was upstairs in the bedroom when I saw an entire small tree fly by our second-story window. There were several more large trees blocking our little street, and everyone was already out trying to clear the road.

When it comes to caring for yards and keeping them looking their best, a leaf blower is a great tool to have on hand. Here are a few things to consider when shopping for one. The power of a leaf blower is measured using two numbers: the CFM rating and...

The bender will let me make the small bits of hardware often needed for handyman projects. I couldn't ask for better gifts if I tried. Christmas has come and gone, leaving behind (in my case) new tools for the shop.