Think that winch sound is more about cable tension than load balance.

Oh man, @alicea26, I read somewhere that pride really does delay the inevitable!

Used to think any old feeder would do the trick but this changed my mind completely. I had one of those cheap plastic tube feeders from a big box store and the base cracked after one good storm, then the whole thing flopped over and spilled seed everywhere. Ended up replacing it with a metal roost feeder from Duncraft and it's held up through two winters now, no sagging or rot. Found out the hard way that wood needs a good weatherproof sealant or it just falls apart fast.

You just smashed them flat" - yep that was me with a sad-looking avocado last week. I switched to whetstones a few months ago and honestly my first few attempts left my knife looking like I tried to sharpen it with a brick. But once I got the angle right it's night and day. Now I do a quick pass every other day instead of that loud electric grinder that probably took off more metal than it kept.

Is it really that deep though...