The proper way to break in a new vehicle...

[Jim Becker]

The proper way to break in a new vehicle...

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...included a drive to the Festool Road Show and a stop at Hearne Hardwoods. :) :D It had 6 miles on it when I picked it up last evening. It has 175 on it now. And I now have a desire to buy the 8mm Connectors setup and ownership of a very nice hunk of English Brown Oak, a stick of birdseye maple and a very nice stick of tiger maple. I just have to decide what to make with them. ;)

The Festool trainer named Allan was awesome...and let the system speak for itself in his capable hands.

[John TenEyck]

Glad to see you were able to get your new ride sooner than later, Jim. Your first day with it earns admirable mention, too. I drove my last new one 300 miles on it's first day, then rented a trailer and picked up my 750 lb MM J/P the next day and drove back home.

Look forward to seeing what you turn those pieces of wood into, and how you like the new vehicle, too.

John

[Robert Cherry]

Nicely done Jim, good way to break in the new ride. where was Festool that I missed them?

[Kim Gibbens]

Never mind.

[Matt Day]

Now I see why Festool has to jack up their prices so much, they have that giant semi with custom trailer to pay for.

Which car is yours Jim? I see a Lexus, Ford, and Subaru, my personal fave being the Subbie.

[Richard Young]

I'm thinking he got the Subaru, based on the floor liner in the third pic.

[Brian Holcombe]

Enjoy the new vehicle, Jim! Great way to break it in.

[Matt Day]

Good call Richard. I should noticed that, since I have an Ascent too!

[Jim Becker]

Nicely done Jim, good way to break in the new ride. where was Festool that I missed them?

The Road Show was in Media at Williamson College of the Trades. I was only there for about an hour because there's only so much you can see and I'm pretty familiar with most stuff. But I spent most of my time with Allen getting to know the 8mm connector system. I used the 14mm version for my recent bunkbed commission and really liked it and can see the smaller 8mm setup coming my way, too. Really well thought out and so easy to use.


Now I see why Festool has to jack up their prices so much, they have that giant semi with custom trailer to pay for.

Which car is yours Jim? I see a Lexus, Ford, and Subaru, my personal fave being the Subbie.


I'm thinking he got the Subaru, based on the floor liner in the third pic.

Good call Richard. I should noticed that, since I have an Ascent too!

Yup. Subaru. Ascent Touring. I lub it already. It replaces the MY12 Grand Cherokee Overland Summit I drove for 7 years and 108K miles (largely highway for business prior to retiring). It's similar size...bigger inside, actually...but easier for Professor Dr. SWMBO to get in an out of and more economical to drive. We're a three Subaru in the driveway family now! The tie-in to woodworking is that I actually use my vehicle to pick up material, either in the cabin when it will fit or with my utility trailer. The extra cargo capacity that this three-row brings (the third row will likely never see the light of day) is going to be very helpful to me. So this is a tool purchase, right? :D And when we do travel, the captain's chairs in the second row will be a lot more comfortable for our older daughter who necessarily would accompany us because she can't live independently. It wouldn't be fair to our younger daughter to have to deal with it. Since the older is a "woman of size", the captain's chairs are a much better fit, literally.

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As to the lumber, the birdseye will likely be used for some CNC produced boxes. The tiger maple might get used for a guitar top if I talk myself into starting to make them. The 8/4 hunk of English Brown Oak...not sure yet. It's 36" long and could end up being used for a wide variety of things...I just love that species and the piece was calling my name when I walked by it at Hearne. While my wallet was screaming..."noooooooooo!!!!!"...clearly I don't hear very well. Just ask Professor Dr. SWMBO... :D :D :D

[Matt Day]

Very cool Jim. I love mine too. My 3rd row sees the light of day a lot. It’s been great when we have family visiting to get everyone in one car. I opted for the bench seats for that reason, so I can cram 8 in it, which will I’m sure happen with kids in the car.
And my hitch stays on all the time to hook up to my little utility trailer. I use that trailer a lot rather instead of trying to fit it inside the car. Too nice of an interior to scratch it all up!
I’ve got 7500 on mine so far. Big step up from my old ‘04 Forester XT. I miss the stick shift at times though.

[Erik Loza]

Awesome, Jim!

Erik

[Frank Pratt]

Remember when a Subarus were always weird looking? That's a very nice looking vehicle.

[Matt Day]

Remember when a Subarus were always weird looking?

The worst IMO was a tie between the Baja and the Tribeca. I guess at least the Tribeca was functional.

[Jon Nuckles]

Congrats on the acquisitions, Jim. We just bought the Outback. Our local dealer, who advertises during Cubs' games, always touts the Ascent's 19 cup holders. You should be well hydrated on your trips!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jim, nice looking vehicle! May it serve you well!

When I bought my new Pilot, I did something similar. I picked it up on a Wednesday and drove it home. After reading the owners manual, I called the dealership and they recommended 500 miles on it before towing a trailer. So, we had family with youngsters coming in a week and my wife wanted my severely degraded stash of maple burl out of the yard. She and I had a minor disagreement over it so I filled two thermos with coffee, gassed up and drove from Lewiston, ID to Missoula, MT, to Coeur da'Lene, ID and back to Lewiston. The next morning I rented a low sided trailer and made two trips to the dump with rotted and cracked maple.

[Jim Becker]

Matt, 'glad you are enjoying yours! I only put lumber inside my vehicle when it's just a few sticks that are less than 8-9' long right up the center. Shorts can go in the back like I did yesterday. Otherwise, I use the trailer. While I was waiting for the factory to do it's thing, I was using Professor Dr. SWMBO's Outback Limited with Eyesight and had to make multiple runs for lumber required for a commission because I never put a hitch receiver on the Outback. That was a pain!!

Ken, when I bought my 2012 Grand Cherokee Overland Summit on the last day of July 2012, the next day I left on a 1000 mile round trip for business...this time around I don't anticipate a long trip until June when I'm going to head to Florida to visit my mother and see a few new-to-me relatives discovered via DNA and Ancestry.com. We may try to do a vacation trip later in the summer...it's been a few years. I'm not doing the miles I was doing any more and most of it now is taxi service for my older daughter and picking up stuff at the home center or more worthy material suppliers.

Jon, lots of cup and bottle holders, for sure, But the two in the front center console are a bit too big for the typical drink cups from S'bucks, etc., so I need to get a sleeve to fix that problem. The most common fix for that right now is to get the sleeve that's used with the ash tray in the "smoker's kit". The sleeve is available separately for a few bucks and they are apparently selling like hot cakes. The same cup holders in our 2016 Outback Limited with Eyesight are slightly smaller, but still a "little" loose. Only our 2011 Outback Limited has spring-loaded cup grips.

[eugene thomas]

I use to love my Subaru. then bought one with cvt transmission.....

[Matt Mattingley]

Congratulations on the new vehicle. The pictures show up pretty shitty on my side of the 30 foot tall Mexican fence. But enjoy your new ride. You definitely got a ride that will trump most others!

[Rich Aldrich]

At first I thought you got the Festool Semi.... Congrats on the Subaru. We have a Crosstrek 2014. Decent car, but goes through light bulbs like candy. Brakes are an issue too. Going to get an Ascent in s year or so. All wheel drive and good ground clearance are nice here in the Great White North. We got pounded with snow this year. .

[Peter Kuhlman]

Back in 1979-81 A couple Subaru models were available that they fitted snow plows to! The plows were made of some type thick plastic. Worked great on short concrete driveways like in a sub-division but people being people many tried using them for more than they were designed to handle. Uni-body construction just wasn’t made for that type punishment!!! I was selling Toyota’s at the time.

[Brian Tymchak]

Green with envy that you're so close to Hearne Hardwoods. Congrats on the new vehicle and some premo lumber!

[Jim Becker]

Green with envy that you're so close to Hearne Hardwoods. Congrats on the new vehicle and some premo lumber!
Yea, I don't get there often because it's still an hour and fifteen ride each way, but I just love the place. I call it my "candy store". I buy "ordinary stuff" locally for obvious reason, but when I want something special, I head to Hearne. The English Brown Oak has become one of my favorites to work with on interesting projects. It's basically a white oak that was turned brown by a fungus. The brown color is awesomely rich and the sapwood is really creamy. It works beautifully. In fact, the first piece I made with it...a hall table...was the first time I did a 100% hand planed surface. No sanding.

https://2uphew.bn.files.1drv.com/y4mnFk1XbaGQ3V4gjLgFaOPw7jA5Vp-F-czz3tb1PUTfW8MZ08D1xWCwSOKJNk-coDVSrrEr4j6RD8kKMURX787rYNS0kHA1ylutWPRnGR49rGi5S Fu2IuG5vXtEcD1yXMtaDs5E9JA251YGB9FfF9yTw8EMhAL6fo5 uTV6qJumdy9fbOjCZsPOGTT9OHarQ3j-xe8qxSMGme_nih2SoQj1Xg?width=440&height=660&cropmode=none

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And another one more recently where the material was more "wormy" and the sap not quite as bright...

https://flpsew.bn.files.1drv.com/y4mmfny6F_gdnvHC6qrB7eajvUgvYDfWZ2AW_G99c1f-Z_pkhqPTs8Mf3FJ7s5nv-1sTVWpenH-mijvmbhxa4AYtmEpPvksIUtdk7_DHly33FYIIlWarbUyR0Dqxu 5SBA8V6zDAL2CDWmETfY0LVOJ4tRC2LAwEdlOVas-yS8k4Rli92pw74Mpt7Xk-B9_MeH9EjuUT2yD1082KETt4WkNSzA?width=660&height=541&cropmode=none

https://evpsew.dm.files.1drv.com/y4mac_Jt9vyyDQEktpAmOsMk8iuqBT-fI37azVK-GGecOd6X5qtkl5GVsh5Sx6RMIFBrU9rKkZonj67FlXPZ9HozXn ACpQvUCp6JdwmkjzB5hTZHnO61VUDrEbeAhv9UzZZCyc3qjSOs ZhLnuhqu5JlKE38cevAlZhmWvYtKYA_c0nLS93xiZbXt5HZJR2 vS0DIamU01_7vzzj1--Eno0bInA?width=660&height=495&cropmode=none

[John TenEyck]

I use to love my Subaru. then bought one with cvt transmission.....


Unless you buy one with a manual tranny, a CVT is all you are going to get in a Subaru these days. No idea why you don't like it though; my '16 Outback Limited 6 cyl. has all kinds of guts yet gets very good milage. I will admit I was completely put off by the 2016 4-cyl., however, so maybe that's your reference point. The motor/CVT sounded and felt very loud and unrefined, and that pushed me to the 6 cyl. Turned out to be a great choice. And now I'm waiting on the 2020 which only comes with a turbo 4 cyl. on the ones I'm interested in. Once I actually see and drive one I'll have to decide if I'm going to buy another, which would be my 5th, Subaru or look elsewhere. I've had 4 Subaru's now - never have I had more reliable vehicles. VW, Audi, BMW, Toyota, Ford - none were as dependable and trouble free, so I'm definitely brand loyal at this point.

Jim, the Ascent looks like it's going to be a great fit for your needs. I'm sure it will give you the same reliable service mine have.

John

[eugene thomas]

The 15 impreza cvt transmission is crap. Gets good miles but keeping dealers busy changing out. Mine went at 61k but right around that time Subaru extended the warent on the transmission to 100k think to avoid a class action lawsuit. If only would of listened to the better half and got her the manual version.

[Matt Day]

We’ve had the CVT in my wife’s ‘14 Forester, the first iteration of Subaru's new CVT. Never had an issue.

Sure there will be issues on some, and sorry to hear about yours Eugene, hope you get it fixed up soon.

[Darcy Warner]

I didn't realize people bought anything besides trucks. Can't see the point of a car.

[Doug Dawson]

I didn't realize people bought anything besides trucks. Can't see the point of a car.

I can rent a truck when I need one, of whatever size, so I don't see the need to buy one. It's saved me a boatload of money over the years.

Try hanging a 16-foot board off the back of your crewcab. :^)

[John TenEyck]

I didn't realize people bought anything besides trucks. Can't see the point of a car.


I could use a truck about 2 days a month, probably about the same as most people who own one. My brother's Silverado cost something like $64K and gets about 16 mpg. No wonder he complains about the cost of gas. I paid $36 for a fully loaded Outback that gets 25 mpg, and hauls anything I need with a rented trailer. To each his own.

John

[Nathan Johnson]

Glad you guys are happy with your Subarus. I had an 18 Outback and there was so much to like about it, but the seats were so horrifically uncomfortable that I got out of it after a year. That and the awful cupholders were my only complaints. Heck of a practical vehicle.

Very comfortable in my Buick now. :)

[Darcy Warner]

I can rent a truck when I need one, of whatever size, so I don't see the need to buy one. It's saved me a boatload of money over the years.

Try hanging a 16-foot board off the back of your crewcab. :^)


I could use a truck about 2 days a month, probably about the same as most people who own one. My brother's Silverado cost something like $64K and gets about 16 mpg. No wonder he complains about the cost of gas. I paid $36 for a fully loaded Outback that gets 25 mpg, and hauls anything I need with a rented trailer. To each his own.

John

I would never own anything but a crew cab with a 8 foot standard long box, or a CC with a 12 foot flat bed.

I own three trailers, enclosed, bumper pull and a gooseneck deck over.

My truck gets used as a truck most days.
I hate taking my wife's car anywhere.
Hate climbing out of it.

I don't care what diesel fuel costs, how much maintenance costs or what kind of milage I get.

I could never own and drive a car.

We always take the truck, anywhere we go.

[Matt Day]

Darcy, you’re one of the few guys that can justify owning a real truck. But you’re an outlier. A lot of people with pickups don’t know how to use a shovel and the pickup bed is spotless.

For my situation, The way I explained it to my kids is this:
I chose to have a car that can fit a lot of people in it 100% of the time, and hook a trailer up for the 1% when I need to haul something. Rather than hauling around an unused pickup bed 99% of the time.

The height of my car is perfect for me (at 6’1”) to slide into rather than fall into.

[Darcy Warner]

My kids call those trucks manny Van's. Lol

I would love a 6 door with a 12 foot flat bed.

Or just buy a 359 Pete, yeah that's what I need.