About Rural Gear HQ
Rural Gear HQ (earlier published as Rural Gear Math) is a small independent site. Its core is a set of calculators for rural property decisions and dated field notes from owned equipment. The calculators cover sizing a solar panel and battery for a gate opener, checking 12V voltage drop, estimating compact tractor loader lift and ballast, checking trailer payload and towing margin, and working out gravel, culvert, and fence-post quantities.
What is and isn't firsthand
We would rather be clear about this than let a page suggest more than it can back up:
- Garage & Field Notes document work on equipment we own. Each update separates what is physically installed or observed from what is still planned, unresolved, or awaiting a later fit check.
- Calculators use published formulas and the numbers you enter. Each one lists its assumptions on the page. The math is checked by automated tests every time the site is rebuilt.
- Buyer guides are based on manufacturer specifications, published ratings (such as working load limits, 3-point hitch categories, and battery group sizes), and fit and compatibility reasoning. Unless a page says otherwise, we have not bench-tested or field-tested the products it names.
- We do not publish invented test results, measurements, photos, star ratings, or prices. Hands-on notes are labeled as firsthand and dated; an open observation is not presented as a diagnosis or fix.
How products are chosen
- A product is named only when we can confirm its exact listing and model.
- Each pick has to fit a different buyer or job; we cap guides at a handful of choices.
- Every pick states who it fits, how it differs, fitment checks, and its limits.
- Picks we can't tie to a specific model are removed rather than replaced with generic search links. Some links earn us a commission — see the affiliate disclosure. That never decides whether a product is listed.
How the site is maintained
Pages are reviewed in small batches. Recent work has been removing pages that didn't fit the site's focus, replacing short and search links with verified product links, and removing recommendations that contradicted a guide's own advice. Field notes receive a dated entry only when there is a real installation, observation, measurement, or revision to document. Found a wrong number, a broken link, or an outdated spec? Email contact@ruralgearhq.com — corrections are the most useful feedback we get.
Not professional advice
Our results are planning estimates, not a manufacturer guarantee. They don't replace professional engineering, legal, financial, or safety advice. Always confirm fit, capacity, and installation with the manufacturer and your local code.