OT Mini gloat

Wahoo! Congratulations!!! That's a "perfect score". Worth bragging about.

As far as the welder goes, I had to spend many times its price, on stuff like decent casters, cabling, electrode holders, etc. That was sobering.

A similar story to your washer story, happened to my outside central A/C compressor. It worked and sometimes it did not, and would start working if I kicked it lightly. At some point it ceased to work. I opened up the box and saw that a female blade connector simply broke and was barely touching the male part. Saved a bunch of HVAC $$s.

i

That (and lazyness) is one of the reasons why I'm willing to dismiss my parsimony and pay a hauler to take our weekly household trash to the town's "refuse collection center".

They have a shipping container there set up as a "goodie dropoff" and the wealthy non-techies who love to turn their Mercedes and Caddy SUVs into garbage trucks leave appliances and computer stuff there because it's cheaper to buy new ones than have them repaired.

If I took my own trash there regularly our home would gain mass faster than a black hole.

If anybody in Red Sox country area needs an electric broom, just 'cmon over. I must have 5 more of them than I need. All snatched from sidewalk trash placements, and each needing but a few moments of easy work to resuscitate.

Jeff

Gloat accepted!

As for the tossing it out: If you don't have the tools and the know how, do it yourself repairs are a crapshoot. Example: I have a Sears washer that has a troublesome mechanical timer. Give it a whack on the top and it starts right up again. I have replaced the timer once, perhaps a dozen years back, problem shows up again. So do I spend the $90 for a new timer and HOPE? Or tear down the timer with it's 30 or so contacts and HOPE I can find the troublesome lead and HOPE I can get it back together?

And hav> Well, this is not a score like the recent Monarch 10 EE for $800, or the

========================= In my not so humble opinion you have just identified one of the two major threats to the nation. [The other is the credit binge.]

We are a civilization/culture largely based and increasingly dependent on these two progressively more questionable foundations.

As a retiring college educator/administrator, I am shocked but not surprised about how little people know about either topic.

A neighbor gave me a "nonworking" dishwasher after he replaced it with a new one. I pressed the reset button, and then used it for years.

I bought a "nonworking" dental AirStar compressor from the military for $400. A little air hose was leaking air and had to be trimmed back a bit. The compressor sold for $1260 and the buyer was quite happy with it.

I am sure that the military dentist was not a fool, he probably wanted a new toy at our expense.

i

I confess I bought a new pressure switch when my portable compressor quit a few years ago. After getting it installed and it still not working, I noticed this big red button on the motor.....

- - Rex Burkheimer Fort Worth TX

Leo Lichtman wrote:

Must have been the old Crapsman/Devilbis model. Being the skinflint that I am, I procrastinated long enough that I finally saw the red button before I bought the new switch! Still have that thing.

Gary

No, this was a Champion. In my defense, that red button was covered in the same green paint that covered everything else. it had flaked a bit, revealing a hint of red.

Don't HAVE sockets and screwdrivers?? Most wouldn't have the first clue what to do with them if they had them.

98% of them would fill their $300,000 basements with water if they even tried fixing the washer. But hey, they've got a 4 year "degree" in something.

Primary reason most of them are "in need". Too damn lazy to get off their asses and fend for themselves.

Tom

"Tom" wrote: (clip) Most wouldn't have the first clue what to do with them if they had them. (clip) But hey, they've got a 4 year "degree" in something. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ One night I could see, outside in the dark, that a new neighbor was moving in. They were useing a Coleman lantern to illuminate the inside of the van, and then carrying in their furniture, using the same lantern to light the rooms they were moving into. I went over to offer them some help, and found that all they had to do was close the main switch, and they had lights. This guy was starting his new position at UC, Berkeley as an electrical engineering professor!

Couple weeks ago I bought a 16" electric chain saw (old, all metal, heavy) for a dollar 'cause it needs new brushes. Got it home and checked - both brushes about 3/4" long, but the chain was so tight on the bar it couldn't be moved. Works great now. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Just goes to show that those that can't do - teach!

There are educated idiots and there are ignorant idiots. Educated idiots are the worst because they think they know it all, while the ignorant idiot at least can admit he don't know nuthin'. A stupid man will state that he knows everything. A wise man will admit that he knows nothing.

Sheeessss.... All this time I thought a "perfect score" would be when someone actually *pays* you to take something good and of value. :) Ken.

I noticed a nearly new bronze pedestal sump pump by the curb near our house, almost identical to the one in our sump. We live right next to a flood plain, so having a spare pump ready to install is a good idea. I took it home to check it out and noticed an imporvised weight hanging from the float switch (one of those with the sliding float rod running through it) by a piece of string, obviously an attempt (apparently unsuccessful) by the owner to get it to cycle properly. I took off the weight, moved the rod up and down, and readjusted the adjustment screw on the float switch so that its "hysteresis" was the same going both ways. I still have it and it still works perfectly. I guess the guy never tried that screw, or didn't understand what it did.