As part of a Christmas thing that is done for families by a few local people, a 14 year old boy asked for a tablet 2 years ago, and it ended up he only asked for the tablet to give to his younger sister. The mom and grandpa ended up letting us know that the 14 yo wanted a small saw to do small cutting clearing work with and use with his weedeater and mower to earn money with.
After an agreement that the 14 yo learn how to use the saw and only use with supervision from the grandparents or the mom(dad is not in the picture)- I gave the boy a Wild Thing I had gone through.
That was 2 years ago. He came by my shop right after Christmas and was wanting to pay me to show him how to rebuild his Wild Thing. His Wild Thing had had it- it was shot, it wasn't cracked up or anything but the crank was walking enough to be worrisome about it grenading at high speed.
I had a Poulan 3400 and he wanted to buy it. I offered him a deal where I would go through a piston ported 38cc-40cc John Deere(Remington/MM style) with him and in exchange for his labor help, he could earn the Poulan.
He was busy, I was busy, so he finally came by this morning and we cleaned up the cylinder on the Deere, put in the piston and rings I had for it, and when we got done, I explained I needed the Deere like I needed a hole in the head. I told him he could have it too with the 3400, same deal as the Wild Thing- adult supervision only.
Both of his grandpas have small acreage with trees and he goes out with any time he can during fall and winter to cut wood for firewood and if he gets clearing work in spring and summer, his grandpas switch out and drive him to the jobs and "supervise".
I had someone ask me if I was doing the right thing wasting money on giving away saws, and I had to laugh because the kid is saving his money to attend school for something he can use- he wants to be a forester or go into welding or try the CNC machining program. He pays the weight on a lot of his families expenses- power, heating during the winter, groceries.
I am not trying to make a political thread. I am not trying to tell anyone else what to do, I am not trying to tell anyone do anything I do, but if there is some place or someone who could use a saw or its parts, don't throw it away. The 3400 and the John Deere had both been trashed at a local salvage yard for aluminum. I gave $5 each for them.
I don't like Poulans myself anymore. I used to, but honestly these days both saws were junk to me.
Watching a kid like this struggle and there is no more I can do for him almost hurts sometimes. Sometimes it just makes me mad. Why ? I had a 20 year and a 21 year old who go to school at the college in Cullowhee want to work over Christmas and I had hired them to help skid trees out with my John Deere dozer. They lasted 3 days before coming to work blasted on weed and sneaking off to pop percocets.
I'm not bragging about doing this, I didn't do it to be thanked by the kid, I think people can help other people without a gun to their head or being forced to do it.
After an agreement that the 14 yo learn how to use the saw and only use with supervision from the grandparents or the mom(dad is not in the picture)- I gave the boy a Wild Thing I had gone through.
That was 2 years ago. He came by my shop right after Christmas and was wanting to pay me to show him how to rebuild his Wild Thing. His Wild Thing had had it- it was shot, it wasn't cracked up or anything but the crank was walking enough to be worrisome about it grenading at high speed.
I had a Poulan 3400 and he wanted to buy it. I offered him a deal where I would go through a piston ported 38cc-40cc John Deere(Remington/MM style) with him and in exchange for his labor help, he could earn the Poulan.
He was busy, I was busy, so he finally came by this morning and we cleaned up the cylinder on the Deere, put in the piston and rings I had for it, and when we got done, I explained I needed the Deere like I needed a hole in the head. I told him he could have it too with the 3400, same deal as the Wild Thing- adult supervision only.
Both of his grandpas have small acreage with trees and he goes out with any time he can during fall and winter to cut wood for firewood and if he gets clearing work in spring and summer, his grandpas switch out and drive him to the jobs and "supervise".
I had someone ask me if I was doing the right thing wasting money on giving away saws, and I had to laugh because the kid is saving his money to attend school for something he can use- he wants to be a forester or go into welding or try the CNC machining program. He pays the weight on a lot of his families expenses- power, heating during the winter, groceries.
I am not trying to make a political thread. I am not trying to tell anyone else what to do, I am not trying to tell anyone do anything I do, but if there is some place or someone who could use a saw or its parts, don't throw it away. The 3400 and the John Deere had both been trashed at a local salvage yard for aluminum. I gave $5 each for them.
I don't like Poulans myself anymore. I used to, but honestly these days both saws were junk to me.
Watching a kid like this struggle and there is no more I can do for him almost hurts sometimes. Sometimes it just makes me mad. Why ? I had a 20 year and a 21 year old who go to school at the college in Cullowhee want to work over Christmas and I had hired them to help skid trees out with my John Deere dozer. They lasted 3 days before coming to work blasted on weed and sneaking off to pop percocets.
I'm not bragging about doing this, I didn't do it to be thanked by the kid, I think people can help other people without a gun to their head or being forced to do it.
