Imagine not having tools.

[pcmeiners]

"When it stops working, they pay someone to fix it. This is what makes the economy go around."

Yes, and a good part of the reason 25% of Americans have clean hands but no retirement savings.

 

[lovetap]

Might have something to do with the obliteration of pensions, the lack of financial literacy (especially the magic of compound interest), and the buy now, pay later mentality merged with the obsession with owning new cars. But I guess paying for service work falls in there somewhere

 

[brownbagg]

i would love it, something breaks, go buy new

 

[JCU]

Not in this life.

 

[larry_g]

I realize that a lot here consider a "tool" as something that comes out of the Snap-on, SK, Proto or the like catalog and it is for fixing a machine. But consider a camera for the photographer, a trowel for the mason or gardener, a scalpel for the surgeon, or any of the specific tools that other trades or professions use. Many tradesmen and professionals use tools and are quite literate in their place yet know nothing of fixing mechanical things. Is the engineer that designs aerospace vehicles but can't change a tire someone to be shamed by some backyard mechanic? The surgeon that replaces parts within your body something less of a man because he doesn't fix lawnmowers?

Stop and realize that we are a society, each of us has something to offer, and together we are greater than the sum of the individuals.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[pcmeiners]

"But I guess paying for service work falls in there somewhere"

Once I figured how much I saved by not paying for services I did myself. That included car repair, construction, electronics, law, accounting etc etc...turned out to be >$600,000 in 60 years, so I say it falls in there somewhere .

"Might have something to do with the obliteration of pensions, the lack of financial literacy (especially the magic of compound interest), and the buy now, pay later mentality merged with the obsession with owning new cars."

Might also have something to do with stupidity, lack of self education due to laziness, and irresponsibility (as in not being responsive to obvious economic situations) . I do not feel sorry for those who expect a pension from being born or who need a new $70k car on a lease every few years .

 

[dwasifar]

Might have something to do with the obliteration of pensions, the lack of financial literacy (especially the magic of compound interest), and the buy now, pay later mentality merged with the obsession with owning new cars.

Might also have something to do with stupidity, lack of self education due to laziness, and irresponsibility (as in not be responsive to oblivious economic situations) . I do not feel sorry for those who expect a pension from being born or who need a new $70k car on a lease every few years .

Yeah, that is quite the problem. Right now the average new car loan is 67 months for people with excellent credit and 72 months for people with lower credit scores. And that's the average. The 84-month car loan is gaining on the 72-month.

A lot of these people don't want to take the whole six or seven years to pay off that car, so they trade early and roll the remaining debt into the next loan. Interest rates are higher for those longer loans. Plenty of extra profit for the banks and the dealers, but the buyers are oblivious; all they're thinking about when they sign is whether they can afford the monthly payment (and sometimes not even thinking that far). And that's just the way the dealer finance office wants it.

 

[bobg03]

"When it stops working, they pay someone to fix it. This is what makes the economy go around."

Yes, and a good part of the reason 25% of Americans have clean hands but no retirement savings.

If everybody was a master of all things needing repair, how many service techs of all trades would be out of work?

Imagine if you will, a world with no lubey dubes, or buying tires and having to install them yourself?

 

[zendriver]

Might have something to do with the obliteration of pensions, the lack of financial literacy (especially the magic of compound interest), and the buy now, pay later mentality merged with the obsession with owning new cars. But I guess paying for service work falls in there somewhere

Back when people had a pension plan, they didn't have to squirrel a large portion of their pay onto a 401K, so might be why they had money to pay someone else to do things.

Growing up (1960s) many local teachers spent the summers painting houses for others, usually school parents. Now some of those same home are decrepit with peelings paint. Poor people, gearheads, landlords and farmers seemed to be the only people doing all their own work, back then.

People were not obsessed with new cars in the "good old days?" in 1965 alone, Chevy sold over 1 million Impalas. Every dealer had a service department, as the have had to this day.

IMO big part of the popularity of Harbor Freight, is that people can get enough inexpensive tool to "DIY" = whether they want to do the work - or have to. That's why I shop there.

 

[Compressed]

It's an Ol' saying, and when something does not go well on the job I always say" I should of been a Dentist" Hermey from Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer, everybody brings something to life and presents it on the table it's up to YOU to find out if you can bake the same thing. I know my limitations, but somethings you have to try or what the heck am I here for?
Anyways Hermey did not want to build toys he wanted to fix teeth, I didn't want to start off as a plumber for my uncle at 16, but everything else fell into place, that's when i just have to Thank Him!
I liked what larry_g had typed, as like coaching Lil' League, each kid had his own attributes, fielding hitting running faster, ect... I always marveled at just sweeping with a broom, somebody has to do it.

​

 

[toyotadriver]

 

[krole]

Older generations always complain about the younger generations yet seem to fail to realize their generation is the one responsible for raising them.

 

[CS454]

Older generations always complain about the younger generations yet seem to fail to realize their generation is the one responsible for raising them.

It's those goddamned phones.

 

[rdoty]

Before smart phones it was MTV.

Before MTV it was American Bandstand.

Before American Bandstand it was comic books.

The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.
-- Socrates, circa 400 B.C.

I apparently hang out with the wrong crowd - most of the kids we know have grown up to be responsible, productive and successful adults.

 

[ste6168]

While I agree with some here, that not all folks share the passion for tools, I do think that everyone, home owners and renters alike, should have a basic toolkit - Pliers, hammer, screwdriver, etc. Theres way to many tiny, simple things that come up where a basic toolkit is handy. Not saying that everyone needs to be able to build their own house, but tightening a hinge, hanging a picture, etc.

I work in the marine industry, boat electrical. Most of the 12v stuff is extremely basic, I would be wiling to bet everyone on this site could do it. I think all the time when sending someone an invoice its a lot of money, but they don't own the tools, have the knowledge, the desire, or the care to do it. They'd rather call me when their pump isn't working, or their electronics wont turn on, of their battery is dead, or toilets not flushing. I am always happy to collect the check in the end.

My brothers are very different than me, neither of them have much interest in tools or fixing things, and thats OK, they both have their own hobbies. I have always been one to try and DIY as much as I can, have a full woodshop (nicely equipped) and a good amount of hand tools. That said, I won't work on cars, that stuff *****. I gladly take the vehicles to a mechanic, and happily pay the price.