Preparation Categories - Modern Survivalists

John Deere F1145 Electric Fuel Pump Mod / Upgrade

I have been mowing with a JD F1145 front mower for several seasons now. It’s powered with a 3-cylinder Yanmar diesel engine (3TN75RJ) and has been a great mower for our hilly property.

One thing that has always been a hassle though is the mechanical lift pump kept having issues. It is fed by two different fuel tanks, with a selector switch in between. This leaves a lot of fuel lines and connections for a vacuum leak. Once the lines get old and tanks get dirty it doesn’t take much for one suction leak to start pulling air into the fuel system. Then the engine cuts out and won’t restart until you bleed the air – usually on the steepest hill and farthest point from the garage!

Lithium Solar Generator Battery Upgrade

5 years ago I created a series of how-to videos for a DIY solar generator. It has had a lot of traffic and is one of the most watched solar generator videos on YouTube. It has also had a lot of requests for a Lithium-ion version. Today we show you how to upgrade its battery bank to Lithium (LifePO4).

Be Prepared for Natural Disasters: Create an Emergency Plan with Your Family

Depending on where you live, natural disasters may be a regular part of your life. Regardless of their frequency, it is always important to have a plan in place with your family in the event that disaster strikes. Just like fire safety, it’s equally important that your children are aware of the plans in place. Below are some basic emergency tips from Modern Survivalists to help your family be prepared.

A Homeowner’s Guide to Enhancing Safety and Security on a Budget

Modern homeowners place a premium on security and self-sufficiency. Knowing that you can retreat to your private space when you need a break from the world can bring great peace of mind. But how can you create a safe property—without breaking the bank? This guide tells you how it’s done.

Field Testing the OKMO 1000W Portable Power Station

OKMO has kindly provided me with their 1000 Watt Portable Power Station to test out and review. I was a bit skeptical of the unit at first since it was priced a little bit less than most of the competitive models. I was pleasantly surprised by its performance!

Setting up a MEP-802A Military Genset for Portable Power Needs

A good friend of mine bought a MEP-802A military genset recently. It so happened I was looking for ways to power a 240V arc welder and some larger 120V shop tools well away from any grid power hookups. I was considering renting a diesel powered welder / generator, but it turns out the military genset worked great instead.

Do It Yourself Home Energy Audit

Winter is here. Much of the country is experiencing windy bitter cold days that can sap the energy right of not only you – but your home as well! But on the bright side, you can actually take advantage of these frigid days to conduct your own DIY home energy audit. And it can cost you nearly nothing once you know where to look!

What is a Solar Generator & How Does it Work?

A Solar Generator is a term for a device that can convert solar energy from the sun into electrical AC power. Most Solar Generators use one or more solar panels to generate DC electrical power. The DC electricity is then converted to AC electricity with an AC power inverter.

Solar Golf Cart!?

Can you realistically run an electric 48 volt golf cart on solar panels? Well, we plan to find out!

I picked up a super cheap Yamaha electric golf cart (48 volt G19) to tinker with. First we need to get it fixed up and running. I came with two new 8 volt batteries, but will need 4 more in order to reach the required 48 volts the controller needs.

How to Cut a Timber Frame Mortise & Tenon – Part 1

We use a variety of tools to see what works best for cutting Mortise & Tenon joint into some old timber beams.

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I have been working on a building a new base for an old pool table to put in our basement. The table was picked up for free because the original base had been ruined. We decided to cut some timber frame beams and build a new base for it with Mortise & Tenon joints.

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