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Is building your own shed still worth it? With today's lumber prices, even a small backyard storage shed can get expensive. But Dad and I built this 12' x 9'8" DIY shed for less than $500 in new materials by reusing an old deck, salvaged metal roofing, and leftover lumber. While we're using this building as a woodshed for firewood storage, the same basic design could work as a garden shed, tool shed, or general-purpose storage shed. It's a practical example of building an affordable shed using reclaimed building materials rather than buying everything new. In this video, we take you through our budget shed-building project, from framing and roofing to installing rough-cut pine siding purchased from a local Amish sawmill. We also put several of our Ryobi cordless tools to work, including the framing nailer, circular saw, metal shears, and oscillating multi-tool. But was all the work and effort really worth the money we saved? We also made a few decisions that might be controversial, including building the shed on blocks rather than a permanent foundation and installing green rough-cut pine siding without leaving intentional gaps for ventilation. The goal was simple: build an affordable, practical place to protect our firewood from rain and snow. And one of the best parts of this project was getting to work on it with Dad! TOOLS USED IN THIS VIDEO: 🟢 Ryobi Cordless Framing Nailer: https://link.amazon/B00wHFVqN 🟢 Ryobi Cordless Circular Saw: https://link.amazon/B09g2Qqki 🟢 Ryobi Metal Shears/Cutter: https://link.amazon/B0cDlGQRd 🟢 Ryobi Oscillating Multi-Tool: https://link.amazon/B03vfFFF3 PROJECT DETAILS: Shed dimensions: 12' x 9'8" Building materials: Under $500 Rough-cut pine siding: $240 from a local Amish sawmill Reclaimed materials: Old house deck, metal roofing, and leftover pressure-treated lumber Roof: Reused metal panels from a hail-damaged barn roof Future addition: Sliding barn-style doors using repurposed horse-stall hardware NOW WE WANT YOUR OPINION! Would you build your own shed or buy one? Would you have left more space between the siding boards for airflow? And what would you do differently before we build another woodshed at our house? Share your experiences in the comments. We read them and appreciate the advice! Thanks for watching Purple Collar Life! Subscribe for more real-world projects, tractors, equipment, vehicles, DIY repairs, and discussions about making smarter decisions with your money. WATCH NEXT — OUR METAL ROOF EXPERIENCE We recently replaced our hail-damaged roof with metal roofing, and discovered a few things we wish we'd known beforehand! Watch our video: 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Getting a Metal Roof https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8geoHixSnVg #PurpleCollarLife #DIYStorageShed #DIYShed #DIYProjects #FirewoodStorage #DIYwoodshed Some links may be affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. ------------------------------ Please subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/PurpleCollarLife?sub_confirmation=1 Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Purple-Collar-Life-107918060952197 Our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/purplecollarlife/?hl=en Our website: www.purplecollarlife.com Partners and Sponsors Toro: https://www.toro.com/en Artillian: https://www.artillian.com/ Curtis Industries: https://curtisindustries.net/ Good Works Tractors: http://www.goodworkstractors.com/ref/12/ Carlstar Tires: https://www.carlstar.com/ RimGuard: https://www.rimguardsolutions.com/ We live in Northwestern PA and have around 70 Acres of Land, in the middle of family homestead land from more than 4 generations back. We have one daughter, one rescued Great Dane, and one cat. We enjoy working on our property and making improvements. We enjoy tractors, chainsaws, splitting firewood, rural living, and all purple collar life projects. Our day jobs are primarily white collar job, but our rural life is full of blue collar and purple collar activity. #purplecollarlife YouTube Community guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks The content of this video is intended for entertainment purposes only. Clicking on the affiliate links does not cost you any more, but does give us credit for sending you to Amazon. *We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for your support. Email: purplecollarlife@gmail.com #purplecollarlife Published October 25, 2026 Current subscriber count at the time of upload: 112,421 Purple Collar Life is a privately owned channel and part of Education Situation Specialists. Sponsors: Toro, Artillian, Curtis Industries, Earthway, Andersen, B&W Hitches, RimGuard, Carlstar Clovis lubricants: http://www.clovislubricants.shopamsoil.com/ Chapters: 0:03 - DIY woodshed project

Just bought land? What equipment should you buy FIRST — and how much do you really need to spend? If you had $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 to spend on equipment, what would you buy? Six years ago, I shared my recommendations for the first equipment purchases every rural property owner should consider. Since then, we've added more acreage to our 70-acre homestead in northwest Pennsylvania, purchased additional equipment, and learned quite a few lessons along the way. Today, I'm revisiting those recommendations with seven machines lined up in front of our pole building! We're looking at our vintage Ford 8N and 641 Workmaster tractors, John Deere 2210 and 3039R, Polaris Ranger UTV, Honda Foreman ATV, and even our old Club Car golf cart. I'll share why our Ford Workmaster with a Woods brush hog was one of the best equipment bargains we've ever found, why a small tractor with a front-end loader is so valuable, and why I'd seriously consider TWO older tractors instead of spending $15,000 on one newer machine. We'll also discuss whether you really need a skid steer, mini excavator, or expensive UTV when you're just starting out — or whether you're better off saving your money, renting equipment, and avoiding unnecessary debt. NOW IT'S YOUR TURN! You just bought 20 acres with a mixture of woods, fields, and a driveway to maintain. You've got $15,000 to spend on equipment. Would you buy one newer tractor, two older tractors, a skid steer, or something completely different? Tell us what you'd buy, how much acreage you maintain, and what you've learned from your own equipment purchases. I look forward to reading your experiences and recommendations! ▶️ Watch my original video from six years ago: https://youtu.be/aY-v-MqcNWY Things a Ford 8N does really well - https://youtu.be/1-ewXSa9oDk What to look for when tractor shopping - https://youtu.be/uKO_2ThkQfs Thanks for watching Purple Collar Life! #PurpleCollarLife #TractorBuyingGuide #HomesteadEquipment ------------------------------ Please subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/PurpleCollarLife?sub_confirmation=1 Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Purple-Collar-Life-107918060952197 Our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/purplecollarlife/?hl=en Our website: www.purplecollarlife.com Partners and Sponsors Toro: https://www.toro.com/en Artillian: https://www.artillian.com/ Curtis Industries: https://curtisindustries.net/ Good Works Tractors: http://www.goodworkstractors.com/ref/12/ Carlstar Tires: https://www.carlstar.com/ RimGuard: https://www.rimguardsolutions.com/ We live in Northwestern PA and have around 70 Acres of Land, in the middle of family homestead land from more than 4 generations back. We have one daughter, one rescued Great Dane, and one cat. We enjoy working on our property and making improvements. We enjoy tractors, chainsaws, splitting firewood, rural living, and all purple collar life projects. Our day jobs are primarily white collar job, but our rural life is full of blue collar and purple collar activity. #purplecollarlife YouTube Community guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks The content of this video is intended for entertainment purposes only. Clicking on the affiliate links does not cost you any more, but does give us credit for sending you to Amazon. *We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for your support. Email: purplecollarlife@gmail.com #purplecollarlife Published October 18, 2026 Current subscriber count at the time of upload: 111,825 Purple Collar Life is a privately owned channel and part of Education Situation Specialists. Sponsors: Toro, Artillian, Curtis Industries, Earthway, Andersen, B&W Hitches, RimGuard, Carlstar Clovis lubricants: http://www.clovislubricants.shopamsoil.com/ Chapters: 0:03 - Don't spend $150,000! 00:40 - What Equipment Do You Really Need to Own Land? 01:20 - Six Years Later — What Has Changed? 02:21 - Best Used Tractor for a $5,000 Budget 05:41 - $10,000 Budget — Why a Front-End Loader Matters 09:06 - $15,000 Budget — Two Older Tractors vs One Newer Tractor 11:33 - Why I Upgraded to a John Deere 3039R 12:49 - UTV vs ATV vs Golf Cart — What's Worth Buying? 15:08 - Do You Really Need a Skid Steer or Mini Excavator? 17:32 - What I've Learned About Buying Equipment 18:37 Your Turn — How Would You Spend $15,000?

Are older vehicles actually becoming the smarter choice? Our previous video asking whether it’s really cheaper to keep an old vehicle passed 1 MILLION views and generated thousands of comments. After reading through those comments, one thing became clear: a lot of people aren’t driving older vehicles simply because they have to — they actually prefer them. In this video, we’re looking at 5 major reasons people are going BACK to older cars, trucks and SUVs. We’ll use two of our own high-mileage vehicles as examples: • 2009 Ford Expedition 5.4L V8 — about 186,000 miles • 1995 Ford Bronco 5.8L V8 — about 189,000 miles We’ll talk about the true cost of owning a newer vehicle, today’s $787 average financed new-vehicle payment, expensive electronics, DIY repairability, vehicle tracking and privacy, depreciation, and why some older trucks and SUVs are actually becoming more valuable. Modern vehicles are safer, more efficient and packed with technology — but that technology comes with a cost. At the same time, many older vehicles are simpler to diagnose, easier to repair, cheaper to own, and have already taken most of their depreciation hit. And in some cases — like older Ford Broncos, square-body Chevys and other desirable trucks and SUVs — values are actually moving the other direction. So here’s the question: If someone handed you $25,000 today and told you it had to go toward your next vehicle, would you put it toward something brand new? Or would you buy the nicest 15-, 20-, or even 30-year-old vehicle you could find? Let us know in the comments. And if you’re daily-driving an older vehicle, tell us: • What is it? • How many miles are on it? • Why are you still driving it? ▶️ Watch the original video that started this conversation: “Is It Really Cheaper to Keep an Old Vehicle?” https://youtu.be/-q3ojgKfNMo Data referenced in this video includes Q3 2026 new-vehicle financing figures from Edmunds and connected-vehicle privacy information from the Federal Trade Commission. Thanks for watching Purple Collar Life! #OlderVehicles #UsedCars #FordBronco #FordExpedition #CarPayments #VehicleOwnership #OldTrucks #CarRepair #UsedTrucks #PurpleCollarLife ------------------------------ Please subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/PurpleCollarLife?sub_confirmation=1 Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Purple-Collar-Life-107918060952197 Our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/purplecollarlife/?hl=en Our website: www.purplecollarlife.com Partners and Sponsors Toro: https://www.toro.com/en Artillian: https://www.artillian.com/ Curtis Industries: https://curtisindustries.net/ Good Works Tractors: http://www.goodworkstractors.com/ref/12/ We live in Northwestern PA and have around 70 Acres of Land, in the middle of family homestead land from more than 4 generations back. We have one daughter, one rescued Great Dane, and one cat. We enjoy working on our property and making improvements. We enjoy tractors, chainsaws, splitting firewood, rural living, and all purple collar life projects. Our day jobs are primarily white collar job, but our rural life is full of blue collar and purple collar activity. #purplecollarlife YouTube Community guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks The content of this video is intended for entertainment purposes only. Clicking on the affiliate links does not cost you any more, but does give us credit for sending you to Amazon. *We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for your support. Email: purplecollarlife@gmail.com #purplecollarlife Published October 11, 2026 Current subscriber count at the time of upload: 111,325 Purple Collar Life is a privately owned channel and part of Education Situation Specialists. Sponsors: Toro, Artillian, Curtis Industries, Earthway, Andersen, B&W Hitches Clovis lubricants: http://www.clovislubricants.shopamsoil.com/ Chapters: 0:03 - 1 million views - is it cheaper 1:44 - The average car payment 3:21 - Reliability of older vehicles 6:24 - Electronics - consumable parts 8:10 - Privacy and tracking 14:00 - Classic Ford Bronco

Here’s the description I’d use: We’ve wanted to add onto our 40x60 pole building for years — and replacing the hail-damaged metal roof finally created the right opportunity. In this video, we show the process of adding a 14x60 enclosed addition, giving us another 840 square feet of storage space for vehicles, tractors, implements and equipment. Rather than building a lower-pitched lean-to roof underneath the existing eave, we continued the original 6:12 roof pitch all the way down over the new addition. That allowed us to use one continuous run of new roofing metal from the original building to the new eave. We walk through the entire build: - Drilling holes and setting laminated treated posts - Framing the new walls - Installing 2x12 rafters and tying them into the existing roof structure - Matching the original tan siding and dark-brown wainscoting - Installing windows and an entry door - Replacing the hail-damaged roofing with new Everlast textured metal - Handling nearly 40-foot-long roof panels with a seven-person crew - Adding double-bubble insulation beneath the metal for condensation control - Finishing the soffit, fascia and gable ends We also talk about something that surprised me during the project: adding onto an existing pole building isn’t necessarily cheaper than building another one. We saved money by using one existing wall and taking advantage of a roof replacement that already needed to happen. But we also spent quite a bit preparing the site, bringing in more than 20 tri-axle loads of shale, removing existing soffit and fascia, and tying the new roof structure into the old building. If we had already had a perfectly level site elsewhere on the property, a separate 800–900 square foot building might have cost almost the same — or possibly less. But for us, the goal wasn’t simply the cheapest square footage. We wanted the space attached to this building, and this was probably the best opportunity we were ever going to have to build it the way we wanted. There’s still more to come: two 12x10 garage doors, electrical work, gravel, and hopefully concrete down the road. Thanks for watching Purple Collar Life #PoleBarn #PoleBuilding #BuildingAddition ------------------------------ Please subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/PurpleCollarLife?sub_confirmation=1 Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Purple-Collar-Life-107918060952197 Our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/purplecollarlife/?hl=en Our website: www.purplecollarlife.com Partners and Sponsors Toro: https://www.toro.com/en Artillian: https://www.artillian.com/ Curtis Industries: https://curtisindustries.net/ Good Works Tractors: http://www.goodworkstractors.com/ref/12/ We live in Northwestern PA and have around 70 Acres of Land, in the middle of family homestead land from more than 4 generations back. We have one daughter, one rescued Great Dane, and one cat. We enjoy working on our property and making improvements. We enjoy tractors, chainsaws, splitting firewood, rural living, and all purple collar life projects. Our day jobs are primarily white collar job, but our rural life is full of blue collar and purple collar activity. #purplecollarlife YouTube Community guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks The content of this video is intended for entertainment purposes only. Clicking on the affiliate links does not cost you any more, but does give us credit for sending you to Amazon. *We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for your support. Email: purplecollarlife@gmail.com #purplecollarlife Published October 4, 2026 Current subscriber count at the time of upload: 111,188 Purple Collar Life is a privately owned channel and part of Education Situation Specialists. Sponsors: Toro, Artillian, Curtis Industries, Earthway, Andersen, B&W Hitches Clovis lubricants: http://www.clovislubricants.shopamsoil.com/ Chapters: 0:03

Tilt trailer, equipment trailer, landscape trailer, deckover, car hauler, dump trailer… which one actually makes the most sense for us? I went trailer shopping in person to compare the different designs, features, capacities and compromises before spending thousands of dollars on the wrong one. In our previous trailer video, I explained why we need an equipment trailer and the difficult decision between buying a smaller 7K trailer for the equipment we own today or spending considerably more on a 14K tandem-axle trailer that could handle heavier equipment in the future. Watch that video here: https://youtu.be/piwf1_ccfyM This time, we’re getting much more hands-on. I walked through a trailer lot and looked closely at the different styles we’ve been considering, including: Landscape/utility trailers Traditional equipment trailers with ramps Car haulers Deckover trailers Dump trailers Gravity tilt trailers Mega-ramp equipment trailers Single axle vs. tandem axle Steel vs. aluminum Rather than just comparing specifications online, I wanted to see these trailers in person and look at the things that actually matter for how WE would use one: loading angle, deck height, ramp design, usable deck space, payload capacity, maneuverability, maintenance, construction and the ability to haul both the equipment we own now and equipment we may have in the future. Our current equipment includes a John Deere 3039R with loader and future loaded rear tires, John Deere 2210 with 210 loader, Ford 8N, Ford 641 Workmaster, Polaris Ranger, ATVs and other property-maintenance equipment. We’re also considering future equipment such as a mini skid steer, mini excavator and compact track loader. That’s what makes this decision difficult. A smaller trailer may handle nearly everything we move most often, while a larger 14K trailer gives us much more flexibility—but also adds cost, weight and maintenance. After looking at all of these trailer types in person, some features moved way up my priority list…and a few trailer designs became much less appealing. If you own an equipment trailer, let me know what you bought, what you’d change, and which features you would absolutely insist on if you were buying again. And if you’re shopping for a trailer yourself, I hope walking through these different options with me helps you figure out which features actually matter for YOUR needs. Which would you choose: tilt or ramps? Single axle or tandem? 7K, 10K, or 14K? Steel or aluminum? #EquipmentTrailer #TiltTrailer #TrailerShopping #Tractor #PurpleCollarLife #excavator ------------------------------ Please subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/PurpleCollarLife?sub_confirmation=1 Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Purple-Collar-Life-107918060952197 Our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/purplecollarlife/?hl=en Our website: www.purplecollarlife.com Partners and Sponsors Toro: https://www.toro.com/en Artillian: https://www.artillian.com/ Curtis Industries: https://curtisindustries.net/ Good Works Tractors: http://www.goodworkstractors.com/ref/12/ We live in Northwestern PA and have around 70 Acres of Land, in the middle of family homestead land from more than 4 generations back. We have one daughter, one rescued Great Dane, and one cat. We enjoy working on our property and making improvements. We enjoy tractors, chainsaws, splitting firewood, rural living, and all purple collar life projects. Our day jobs are primarily white collar job, but our rural life is full of blue collar and purple collar activity. #purplecollarlife YouTube Community guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks The content of this video is intended for entertainment purposes only. Clicking on the affiliate links does not cost you any more, but does give us credit for sending you to Amazon. *We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for your support. Email: purplecollarlife@gmail.com #purplecollarlife Published September 27, 2026 Current subscriber count at the time of upload: 111,033 Purple Collar Life is a privately owned channel and part of Education Situation Specialists. Sponsors: Toro, Artillian, Curtis Industries, Earthway, Andersen, B&W Hitches Clovis lubricants: http://www.clovislubricants.shopamsoil.com/ Chapters: 0:03 - Comparing the Trailer Options 0:30 - Landscape / Utility Trailers 1:20 - Equipment Trailers With Ramps 4:14 - Car haulers, dovetail trailers with pull-out ramps 4:50 - Tilt Trailers 6:33 - Steel vs Aluminum trailers 8:34 - Wood vs steel deck 10:08 - Deckover Trailers 10:57 - Mega Ramps 11:50 - Gooseneck vs bumper tow 12:18 - Dump trailers

Do we buy the smaller trailer that handles what we own today—or spend thousands more on a bigger trailer for equipment we may own tomorrow? We’ve been debating an equipment trailer for years, and after actually shopping them, the decision has become harder—not easier. In this video, I explain why Purple Collar Life needs an equipment trailer, what we need to haul, and why we still haven’t bought one. Our current equipment includes the Ford 8N, Ford 641 Workmaster, John Deere 2210, John Deere 3039R with loader and loaded rear tires, Polaris Ranger, ATVs and more. A smaller 16-foot single-axle tilt trailer could handle most of that equipment today. In fact, a nearly-new 16-foot tilt showed up on Facebook Marketplace for only $3,500 and I was ready to seriously consider it…until it sold before I could even go see it. That led me to look at a new Interstate 16-foot single-axle tilt. But at $5,349 out the door, the decision gets much more complicated. For only a few thousand dollars more, we start finding 14K tandem-axle gravity tilt trailers with roughly twice the payload and enough capacity for equipment we could realistically use in the future—including a mini excavator or compact track loader. So where do you stop? Do you buy the trailer that fits the equipment sitting in your garage today? Or spend more now so you hopefully don’t have to sell it and buy another trailer later? This video is the overview of our trailer decision—why we need one, what we're considering, and why choosing the right size and capacity has been surprisingly difficult. And this isn’t the end of the trailer search. In an upcoming video, I’ll walk around several different trailer types in person and show you the actual features I like—and don’t like—including different tilt designs, ramps, single vs. tandem axles, deck configurations, construction details, and which features best fit the equipment we need to haul. If you have experience with single-axle tilt trailers, 14K equipment trailers, gravity tilts, PJ, Sure-Trac, Big Tex, Quality, CAM, Interstate or other brands, let us know what you’d buy and why. Would you buy for TODAY—or buy for TOMORROW? Subscribe to Purple Collar Life to follow the decision and see which trailer we eventually choose. #EquipmentTrailer #TiltTrailer #Tractor #JohnDeere #Takeuchi #PurpleCollarLife ------------------------------ Please subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/PurpleCollarLife?sub_confirmation=1 Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Purple-Collar-Life-107918060952197 Our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/purplecollarlife/?hl=en Our website: www.purplecollarlife.com Partners and Sponsors Toro: https://www.toro.com/en Artillian: https://www.artillian.com/ Curtis Industries: https://curtisindustries.net/ Good Works Tractors: http://www.goodworkstractors.com/ref/12/ We live in Northwestern PA and have around 70 Acres of Land, in the middle of family homestead land from more than 4 generations back. We have one daughter, one rescued Great Dane, and one cat. We enjoy working on our property and making improvements. We enjoy tractors, chainsaws, splitting firewood, rural living, and all purple collar life projects. Our day jobs are primarily white collar job, but our rural life is full of blue collar and purple collar activity. #purplecollarlife YouTube Community guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks The content of this video is intended for entertainment purposes only. Clicking on the affiliate links does not cost you any more, but does give us credit for sending you to Amazon. *We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for your support. Email: purplecollarlife@gmail.com #purplecollarlife Published September 20, 2026 Current subscriber count at the time of upload: 111,000 Purple Collar Life is a privately owned channel and part of Education Situation Specialists. Sponsors: Toro, Artillian, Curtis Industries, Earthway, Andersen, B&W Hitches Clovis lubricants: http://www.clovislubricants.shopamsoil.com/ Chapters: 0:03 - Trailer decision - it's tough 0:30 - Single axle tilt 7000 lbs 1:01 - Why we need a trailer 1:35 - Types of trailers 3:22 - Neil's PJ T1 Tilt trailer 6:50 - Am I being too picky? 8:11 - Tandem axle - 14K trailer 10:23 - Future proof? 11:18 - $3500 marketplace find 11:50 - Which one?

Before we could build our 14x60 pole-building addition, we had to do the work before the work — clearing the site, changing the grade, moving dirt and bringing in more than 20 tri-axle loads of shale. That gave us a great real-world opportunity to compare our John Deere 3039R compact tractor with a Takeuchi TL8 compact track loader and see where a tractor works well — and where a purpose-built earthmoving machine starts to make a lot more sense. Our 3039R with the 320R loader is an incredibly versatile machine. It can move dirt, haul material, run PTO equipment, use three-point implements, brush hog, grade, move pallets and handle all kinds of work around our property. But site preparation like this is a different kind of job. Once we started stripping topsoil, changing the elevation and repeatedly moving large amounts of material, the advantages of the TL8 became pretty obvious: faster cycle times, better maneuverability, more pushing ability and a machine designed specifically for this kind of loader work. So this isn’t really about deciding that one machine is “better” than the other. It’s about figuring out which machine makes the most sense for the work you actually need to do. And I’ll admit — this project also reminded me how much I miss our old Takeuchi TB235-2 mini excavator... and it definitely made me want a TL8. This site work is only the beginning of a much larger project. We’re adding a 14x60 enclosed addition to our existing 40x60 pole building, and I’ve been documenting the entire process. We’ll get into why we finally decided to build it, why the timing made sense, and whether adding onto the existing building was actually the most cost-effective choice in an upcoming video. What would you rather have for your property — a compact tractor, a skid steer/compact track loader, or both? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for watching Purple Collar Life. #JohnDeere #Takeuchi #SitePrep #polebuilding #buildingpad #shale ------------------------------ Please subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/PurpleCollarLife?sub_confirmation=1 Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Purple-Collar-Life-107918060952197 Our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/purplecollarlife/?hl=en Our website: www.purplecollarlife.com Partners and Sponsors Toro: https://www.toro.com/en Artillian: https://www.artillian.com/ Curtis Industries: https://curtisindustries.net/ Good Works Tractors: http://www.goodworkstractors.com/ref/12/ We live in Northwestern PA and have around 70 Acres of Land, in the middle of family homestead land from more than 4 generations back. We have one daughter, one rescued Great Dane, and one cat. We enjoy working on our property and making improvements. We enjoy tractors, chainsaws, splitting firewood, rural living, and all purple collar life projects. Our day jobs are primarily white collar job, but our rural life is full of blue collar and purple collar activity. #purplecollarlife YouTube Community guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks The content of this video is intended for entertainment purposes only. Clicking on the affiliate links does not cost you any more, but does give us credit for sending you to Amazon. *We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for your support. Email: purplecollarlife@gmail.com #purplecollarlife Published September 13, 2026 Current subscriber count at the time of upload: 110,872 Purple Collar Life is a privately owned channel and part of Education Situation Specialists. Sponsors: Toro, Artillian, Curtis Industries, Earthway, Andersen, B&W Hitches Clovis lubricants: http://www.clovislubricants.shopamsoil.com/ Chapters: 0:03 - John Deere 3039R and Takeuchi TL8

I bought two of the cheapest brand-new gasoline chainsaws I could find — $65 and $75.99 delivered — to answer a bigger question: are chainsaws becoming disposable tools? The 62cc VEVOR surprised us in more ways than one. It has good power and actually cuts pretty well, but within about two minutes of use, both bar-cover nuts had vibrated off and disappeared. We had to borrow the nuts from the smaller VEVOR just to keep cutting that day. We also found some other noticeable differences compared with my professional-grade STIHL MS 261. But the biggest surprise may have been the little 12-inch top-handle VEVOR. After a couple weeks of use, it has actually become my go-to saw for small limbs, trimming our crabapple trees, and quick jobs around the property. So which philosophy makes more sense? Buy once, cry once: spend considerably more for professional-grade equipment, maintain it, repair it, and potentially keep it for decades? Or buy something inexpensive enough that if it eventually needs a major repair… you simply replace it? That raises an even bigger question. If consumers increasingly decide that inexpensive equipment only needs to be “good enough”, what does that eventually mean for premium manufacturers like STIHL, Echo and Husqvarna — along with dealers, repair shops, parts availability, and equipment designed to last for decades? In this video we compare the two inexpensive VEVOR chainsaws with my STIHL MS 261, look at where the differences actually show up, and talk about whether chainsaws could eventually become more like microwaves and other appliances that are often cheaper to replace than repair. VEVOR chainsaws / discount VEVOR tracking link: https://s.vevor.com/QT1GNP Discount code: VEVT5 To receive the discount and properly credit Purple Collar Life, please use both the link and code at checkout. We purchased both VEVOR chainsaws ourselves. This video was not sponsored by VEVOR. The link above is a creator/affiliate tracking link, and Purple Collar Life may earn a commission when qualifying purchases are made through it at no additional cost to you. The 62cc saw is not replacing my STIHL MS 261 for serious cutting. But the little $65 top-handle saw has genuinely earned a place around our property — and that wasn't the conclusion I expected when we started this test. What would you do? If a $65 chainsaw needed a $50 repair, would you fix it — or replace it? And does the idea of a gasoline chainsaw becoming a disposable tool bother you? Thanks for watching Purple Collar Life — white collar people doing blue collar work. #Chainsaw #VEVOR #Stihl ------------------------------- Please subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/PurpleCollarLife?sub_confirmation=1 Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Purple-Collar-Life-107918060952197 Our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/purplecollarlife/?hl=en Our website: www.purplecollarlife.com Partners and Sponsors Toro: https://www.toro.com/en Artillian: https://www.artillian.com/ Curtis Industries: https://curtisindustries.net/ Good Works Tractors: http://www.goodworkstractors.com/ref/12/ We live in Northwestern PA and have around 70 Acres of Land, in the middle of family homestead land from more than 4 generations back. We have one daughter, one rescued Great Dane, and one cat. We enjoy working on our property and making improvements. We enjoy tractors, chainsaws, splitting firewood, rural living, and all purple collar life projects. Our day jobs are primarily white collar job, but our rural life is full of blue collar and purple collar activity. #purplecollarlife YouTube Community guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks The content of this video is intended for entertainment purposes only. Clicking on the affiliate links does not cost you any more, but does give us credit for sending you to Amazon. *We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for your support. Email: purplecollarlife@gmail.com #purplecollarlife Published September 9, 2026 Current subscriber count at the time of upload: 110,791 Purple Collar Life is a privately owned channel and part of Education Situation Specialists. Sponsors: Toro, Artillian, Curtis Industries, Earthway, Andersen, B&W Hitches Clovis lubricants: http://www.clovislubricants.shopamsoil.com/ Chapters: 0:00 - The Gutter Problem

Our new metal roof exposed two different gutter problems. During heavy rain, some water moves so quickly that it overshoots our existing gutters entirely — but we’ve also captured footage showing our 5-inch gutters completely full and overflowing even when the water is falling directly into them. So what’s actually causing the problem — and what’s the smartest way to fix it? ▶️ Watch our first metal-roof video here: https://youtu.be/8geoHixSnVg In this follow-up, we take a much closer look at what’s happening and work through the different solutions we’re considering: Raise the existing gutters Move the gutters farther OUT from the fascia Replace the 5-inch gutters with larger 6-inch gutters Add metal roof-edge trim or water deflectors Install additional downspouts Add gravel and improved drainage below the gutters Backfill and regrade around the house so water moves away from the foundation One of the biggest things we’ve learned is that this may not simply be a 5-inch vs. 6-inch gutter problem. Our house has changed considerably over the years. The wrap-around porch added more roof area and gutter length, and later our 20x40 great-room addition added even more roof. Portions of that additional water eventually ended up being handled by drainage that was originally designed for a much smaller house. In other words, the house changed around the drainage system. We’ve also received some really useful feedback from gutter installers, roofers and homeowners on our previous video. Some believe larger gutters are the answer. Others have made the case that if a 5-inch gutter is already full of water, the better solution may be getting that water out of the gutter faster with additional or larger outlets and downspouts. Then there’s another option we’re considering: a formed metal roof-edge trim that could potentially redirect fast-moving water downward into the gutter while allowing us to leave the gutters lower and farther away from sliding snow and ice. Could that solve the overshooting problem? Maybe. But it won’t increase how quickly the gutter drains — and we still have questions about how that trim would behave during extremely heavy or wind-driven rain, and accumulating snow. So we haven’t made the final decision yet. If this were your house, what would you do? Would you keep the existing 5-inch gutters and add more downspouts? Upgrade to 6-inch gutters? Move the existing gutters? Add the roof-edge trim? Or use some combination of these solutions? If you install gutters, metal roofing or drainage systems professionally, we’d especially like to hear what you would recommend — and why. Thanks for watching Purple Collar Life. #MetalRoof #Gutters #HomeImprovement #downspout ------------------------------- Please subscribe to our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/PurpleCollarLife?sub_confirmation=1 Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Purple-Collar-Life-107918060952197 Our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/purplecollarlife/?hl=en Our website: www.purplecollarlife.com Partners and Sponsors Toro: https://www.toro.com/en Artillian: https://www.artillian.com/ Curtis Industries: https://curtisindustries.net/ Good Works Tractors: http://www.goodworkstractors.com/ref/12/ We live in Northwestern PA and have around 70 Acres of Land, in the middle of family homestead land from more than 4 generations back. We have one daughter, one rescued Great Dane, and one cat. We enjoy working on our property and making improvements. We enjoy tractors, chainsaws, splitting firewood, rural living, and all purple collar life projects. Our day jobs are primarily white collar job, but our rural life is full of blue collar and purple collar activity. #purplecollarlife YouTube Community guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks The content of this video is intended for entertainment purposes only. Clicking on the affiliate links does not cost you any more, but does give us credit for sending you to Amazon. *We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for your support. Email: purplecollarlife@gmail.com #purplecollarlife Published September 7, 2026 Current subscriber count at the time of upload: 110,687 Purple Collar Life is a privately owned channel and part of Education Situation Specialists. Sponsors: Toro, Artillian, Curtis Industries, Earthway, Andersen, B&W Hitches Clovis lubricants: http://www.clovislubricants.shopamsoil.com/ Chapters: 0:00 - The Gutter Problem 2:00 - What Changed With the Metal Roof? 3:30 - 5-Inch vs. 6-Inch Gutters 5:15 - The House Changed Around the Drainage 6:35 - Our Possible Gutter Solutions 7:34 - The Metal Roof Trim Idea 9:13 - More Downspouts = More Drainage? 11:34 - Fixing the Grade Around the House 14:41 - Change pitch on the gutter? 16:30 - What Solution Makes the Most Sense?