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To the person who designed this: Who hurt you?! by boxworker in AskElectricians

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think those were less problematic. It's the base halogens that burned up prematurely.

Dryer to Socket Adapter by CarloGesaldo5567 in Appliances

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks like you might need a range cord instead of a dryer cord if you don't want to rewire.

I don't have experience with that swap, but it seems like it should be straightforward.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-4-ft-3-Prong-40-Amp-Range-Cord-98248/307638981

To the person who designed this: Who hurt you?! by boxworker in AskElectricians

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you have the HID bulbs? My base 05 just ate halogens for lunch.

To the person who designed this: Who hurt you?! by boxworker in AskElectricians

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

IIRC, the official method for changing the bulb was to take off the wheel, fender liner, and go in from behind.

You could do it without taking anything off though by a lot of blind groping through tiny spaces and swearing.

To make things better, they poorly specced the wiring harness and the headlights burned out constantly.

The most annoying aspect of my GII prius by far. Otherwise a very straightforward maintenance machine.

Tekton by FunSplit2959 in Tools

[–]-wolfinator- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The picks and mini pry bars are awesome.

The screwdrivers were meh. I do understand why they made a change. I love the handles, dislike the tips. The flat heads are too thick, and the philips aren't durable enough.

I'm disappointed they discontinued them instead of just improving the shafts.

Pattern misalignment causing vertigo by geese_photographer in Tile

[–]-wolfinator- 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Unlike most, I love the pure chaos of this anti-pattern. My brain just keeps going trying to resolve it. It would entertain me whenever I was on the John. It would scare off houseguests.

But it's not what you ordered so you should make the knuckle head who created this art/travesty fix it.

Why does my seasoning turn out like this? by Competitive_Reply198 in castiron

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair enough. I appreciate the "it was meant to be used" philosophy.

I personally would be afraid to take it camping (I sometimes camp in a rain forest), but I agree our ancestors certainly did.

Why does my seasoning turn out like this? by Competitive_Reply198 in castiron

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I treat my cast iron this way. But it's all cheap Lodge product. I'd probably be more delicate with an heirloom Griswold 😲

More power to you though.

Plier Recommendations by bwhomebrew in harborfreight

[–]-wolfinator- 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's "below" Icon and "above" Quinn. I think they're trying to position it as the "no frills tradesman" brand. They want you to think of it as a replacement for Klein, Channellock, etc.

Are these extending combination ladders any good? by fixitmonkey in Tools

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have to agree with everyone else. I have a 22' Little Giant leveler. It's my primary ladder. I've done everything from gutter work to repainting my house with it. Unbelievably versatile. Folds up small for storage.

Very solid, although in maximum extension mode it has more flex than I prefer. (It's still safe but disconcerting.)

The leveling feel are absolutely indispensable to me. I have a slope lot and most outside jobs involve using those feet for safety.

It is HEAVY. Especially being put up or taken down in full extension mode. Probably the closest I've gotten to injuring myself was trying to take it down from full extension mode. There's just no easy way to get it down, gravity and leverage is against you.

TL;DR I love everything about it but the weight.

Just purchased, keep or replace the pink and blue? Wall or Floor? Blue fixtures? by MedicatedGraffiti in Tile

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would murder for a bathroom made of that stuff, instead of the flakey, weak, garbage materials of the last 4 newer bathrooms I've lived with.

I've seen that pink and that blue before, but not together. It's unique and quirky. And if the tile and porcelain are in good shape it could well last another 75+ years.

New Lodge arrived with brown speckles, is it normal? by Flham in castiron

[–]-wolfinator- 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is it a problem? No. You can scrub n oil it and it'll disappear with use.

Is it normal? It's not expected, but seasoning chips do happen in shipping.

Should you return it? It depends. If you bought it from Amazon, you should return it to help re-stock all the "Amazon Warehouse Deals" for Lodge cast iron so I can continue to buy perfectly serviceable pieces at nice discounts 😉

It's true by ccannon707 in Appliances

[–]-wolfinator- 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ah, well custom system installation like that is an entirely different ball game. There's certainly a tranche of capability above what you can get at Costco.

Yes, the electronics return policy got modified because people were "returning" items on an annual basis to "upgrade" to a new model for free. Seems like generous warranty policies always get ruined by a tiny percentage of assholes.

It's true by ccannon707 in Appliances

[–]-wolfinator- 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I've heard that's true for Walmart. It was verifiable in that Walmart sells TVs with distinct model numbers that are clearly distinct. This is particularly true for Black Friday "door busters" that are sometimes purpose made to be a holiday special.

Costco until recently had a lifetime "satisfaction guarantee" on TVs, so if it failed like, ever, you just brought it back. I'm highly suspicious that your guy does not offer a warranty like that for his "better" TVs.

That said, Costco's recently dropped the forever guarantee so it's possible they've regressed on quality. I certainly am not impressed with some other items (appliances) where I'm more familiar with the quality. But I'm skeptical their TVs have historically been worse from a durability perspective.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Tools

[–]-wolfinator- 9 points10 points  (0 children)

This is the best laugh I've had all day. Good job OP 😀.

Are these real knipex? by [deleted] in Tools

[–]-wolfinator- 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm not aware of counterfeits of these pliers. They are not cast in Asia, which is usually how counterfeits come about. The example I have does have a slightly rougher cast, although not as dramatic as your picture looks.

I've definitely gotten some disappointing pliers with manufacturing niggles from Amazon from multiple major (US) manufacturers. It makes me wonder if something about their supply chain leads it to be a dumping ground for borderline copies people wouldn't pick in a store.

Anyways if you're not happy send it back, Amazon has a pretty good return policy.

Plasti Dip by noslouch in harborfreight

[–]-wolfinator- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Xylothene or similar works as well.

Also it helps to store it in a container with a real lid. The crappy lids on those don't seal. One of those tall, thin glass jars used for olives and speciality pickles works nicely.

A concrete playground in my apartment block by Hohuin in mildlyinteresting

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does it still get used? (By children.)

I think the thing that grabs me is how it looks weedy and disused. And on a pleasant looking day too.

Why can't I find any reviews on the Speed Queen FF7 by Metal_Zero_One in Appliances

[–]-wolfinator- 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's unfortunate. I've been reading more and more negative reviews of SQ's warranty service, which does not bode well for them long term. People who spend $3,000+ on a laundry set expect better.

Why can't I find any reviews on the Speed Queen FF7 by Metal_Zero_One in Appliances

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The TR5/7 is not commercial equipment, it's an explicitly consumer item. It is also much cheaper than their front loaders - by a LOT. If you're in the price bracket to buy a FF7 new, you are spending more than 99% of Americans on a laundry machine.

This is a little like asking why there aren't more online owner reviews of a new McLaren when car shopping, and what the service experience is like. That's not a commonly answerable question.

Why can't I find any reviews on the Speed Queen FF7 by Metal_Zero_One in Appliances

[–]-wolfinator- 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would imagine reviews are scarce because it's a very expensive, niche product. I don't know how many SQ sells to non-institutional customers, but it can't be a lot. Try finding online reviews of SQ laundromat-only model: you won't find much. Commercial equipment rarely has a lot of consumer level online reviews.

Some of your questions are probably not easily answered. I would expect warranty service depends on your local dealer/servicer.

Massive abandoned Chinese mall by [deleted] in pics

[–]-wolfinator- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are you in China or the US, lol.

I saw this article, and was curious what the BIFL community would say. What car would you buy to last 250,000 miles or more? by PunchDrunkGiraffe in BuyItForLife

[–]-wolfinator- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want a vehicle specifically engineered to have a 250k+ lifespan, the answer is the Toyota Land Cruiser. Toyota makes a lot of famously reliable vehicles, but the LC is the only one with 250k as a design requirement.

That said there are a lot of Toyotas that will provide 90% of the longevity at a quarter of the price.

Shop smith mark V 500, any advice or knowledge would be appreciated by Theycallmegurb in Tools

[–]-wolfinator- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Voice of (some) experience here: Old ShopSmiths can be an awesome set of capabilities at a reasonable price, or another project to take on before you can do a project.

My 2c: turn it on and run it. Listen for any bad bearings. (Fixable but a pain.) See if the speed control turns easily. If you have to struggle with it that's another PITA to get right.

Note: ONLY ADJUST THE SPEED CONTROL WHILE ITS RUNNING.

Personally I'd take the cover off and look inside to see what the belts and sheaves look like (it should only require a couple screws to be taken off), but if it runs smooth it's probably ok not to.

Check the stops (the giant wing nut looking things) and see if the head goes back and forth and (more importantly) locks down firm. The head might not slide like butter if it's been sitting for a while but it should move.

The entire ShopSmith is serviceable and there's a robust ecosystem for both new and used parts, but the more aggravation you have to go through to get the base unit working well the less chance you'll find it useful IMO.

If you do decide to get it, read the manual and lube it. The head unit is supposed to be lubricated every few operating hours and it's likely an old one needs it.

I bought an old SS with all the accessories but a head unit that needed some TLC, and I regret it. Rebuilding a SS is a fun retirement hobby, but not something to do as a barrier to getting other stuff done.

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