We are excited to launch our tool reviews videos! We've been working to build a relationship with Stihl to give us the opportunity to review some of their products. Plano Power Tools who is an authorized Stihl deal provided the tools and equipment for the reviews!
We started with a review of the battery life on their AK series of battery powered tools.

The test was simple. I wanted to see if we could mow, trim and blow an average front yard on a single charge with just one battery.

Tools Used
- Mower: RMA 460
- Trimmer: FSA 56
- Blower: BGA 56

I was impressed and excited to see that not only did it have enough power to get the job done, the tools were incredibly easy to use as well. This is not the comprehensive review of each tool. Those videos will be coming out in the upcoming weeks as well as reviews of other battery and gas powered tools.

For more videos click here!

What Is A Root Barrier?

Jim cuts through some of the confusion about what radiant barrier is right for you.

It's a barrier that is used to protect something from the damage that can be caused by root growth. You severe the roots that are growing toward the object you want to protect and place an artificial barrier in place to stop the root from growing that direction any longer.

What depth of barrier should you use? Jim recommends using 3ft barriers as the typical 18 inch barrier allows the tree to grow underneath the barrier and cause damage.

What shape barrier should you use? A half moon shape barrier will encourage the roots to grow in the opposite direction where as a straight barrier allows the roots to grow around the outside edges.

What type of barrier should you use? A high density plastic barrier is what Jim recommends instead of the Bio barriers available. Bio barriers allow moisture to go through the barrier which encourages the roots to continue to grow towards the barrier. Plastic barriers stop moisture and force roots to turn in order to continue to grow.

Is it dangerous to your tree? Typically you only sever about 20% of the roots when you instal a root barrier so you won't cause serious damage to your tree by installing a barrier.

Never root barrier a tree that is older than the home it is next to! The soil around the house is used to the amount of moisture that the tree is removing. Installing a root barrier on a tree that is older than the house will increase the moisture in the soil and can cause your house to raise higher leading to more problems.