Fix It!!!

I am starting to think that I may have an obsession with fixing things. Maybe I should be throwing them out and buying new instead of repairing. Yesterday I put new fuel lines in my string trimmer, and it ran. I went to use it today, but it wouldn't start because the primer bulb ruptured. I have a new one of those on order now along with a few related parts. Parts are so easy to get on line. Last fall my forty year old Kuhn tedder jumped time. I couldn't find why this spring so I put it back together, and used it, but also started the process to rebuild my parts unit which turned out to be much better than the one that I have been using. It got all new bearings, then mission started creeping pretty bad and it got a thorough clean up, prime and paint. A few years ago my chainsaw wouldn't run so I ordered a replacement carburetor. My Ferris mower lost the belt that drives the blades. So I ordered a new one. Changing the belt was easy getting to it took a couple hours. My Ford Escape needed new flex lines for the front brakes so I replaced them along with the calipers. Since I was doing brakes I went at the F-350 because it had a pulse. That turned out to be just remove, disassemble, and lube except that one rotor needed turning. My biggest project is my 67 Datsun roadster which in Jan of 2015 was going to be just a quick prep and paint but turned into removal of everything except the suspension and rear axle. I didn't get to where I was actually starting to get closer to being done with it until ten months ago. A lt of my stuff is old and maybe it should be retired. I remember twenty years ago noticing that old people think that anything that they bought in the last twenty years is like new. I am thinking that that is me now.

Don't worry, I do the same, even worse. At
least it didn't all end up in a landfill.

Perfectly normal. Broken fuse holder, cut a piece of brass and solder it in bent to shape. I believe the only thing a person should nt try to fix is a vacuum tube or
light bulb. Jim

I'm the same way, hate to throw anything away without at least trying to fix it.

But if it weren't for people throwing things away, I wouldn't have half the treasures I now use! LOL

The plan for tomorrow is to try to save the plastic door handle on my Silverado. The threaded insert pulled out that holds it to the door. Going to make a longer insert to reach further down in the plastic, epoxy it in.

Why? Called the stealership today, $109 with tax! For a piece of chromed plastic! If I can't fix it I can order one online, OEM for $60.

Considering everything you buy today is junk I thought it was just a part of life to have to repair everything.

I'm the same way. I fix alot of "junk" around the place that my wife thinks I should just replace. Today put new bearings in 10" foam filled tires/wheels on our milk wagon. I think new rim/tire combo would probably be $12-15 each at the farm and fleet store or Harbor Freight. Bearings were $18 for all 4 wheels. I also sanded and repainted some rusty lawn chairs my grandpa gave me when I moved out of the house.

Unfortunately alot of stuff sold today is intended as a throw away item. Trying to find parts for relatively new equipment is impossible sometimes. Why can I buy parts for a 75 year old tractor, but nothing for my 5 year old pressure washer?

I have revived quite a few trimmer, chainsaws, mowers etc that people have thrown out. Most of the time its either fuel lines, primer bulb or simply gummed up with bad gas.

My most recent freebie was a 3800W generator, guy said it wont start, gas runs out of the carb as quick as you pour it in the tank. I cleaned the carb, changed the oil, replaced the air filter, spark plug and pull rope and it runs like a champ for $30 in parts.

Sometimes I fix things that most people would toss. Then I tell myself that, that fix was just practice for the real, emergency, that needs fixed, that is yet to come!

I believe this is a common affliction. If it wasn't no one would be restoring antique tractors that don't get used. I realized it many years ago when
I became obsessed with fixing a piece of avionics in my wife's plane that neither of us intended to use. It's just that every time I got in it and
looked at it it irritated my like an itch that it didn't work right. After I finally fixed it I never used or touched it again but I was happy and all
smiles every time I looked at it. Maybe not being able to "fix" something is an internal badge of defeat for folks like us.

I love fixing things. I like learning how things work, how different brands vary. I like the challenge. The greatest pleasure I get is proving people wrong or making their day. I have resurrected many items that were deemed non-repairable or beyond repair much to people's surprise. I am probably a little crazy but to me very few things have a shelf life or are considered throw away items.

Yep, me too ! Am 75 yrs old now and still cannot let something sit broken....