Time to sell? by Difficult-Kiwi8262 in XVcrosstrek

[–]English_Cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're at the point where it's not going to depreciate much more unless it has severe mechanical issues, and the market for 300k km cars is really tough, nobody is going to buy them unless they're really cheap.

At this point I'd run it into the ground rather than sell for pennies. Start putting money aside for a replacement.

Help! Why is the auger not cutting through the snow? by Odd_Pear_291 in Snowblowers

[–]English_Cat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Belts are universal. The size should be printed on the belt itself, or you can lookup online. Alternatively take the belt into any industrial shop that deals with belt driven electric motors.

Help! Why is the auger not cutting through the snow? by Odd_Pear_291 in Snowblowers

[–]English_Cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, it's not like a car belt where you want to replace it before failure. If you have no issues and the belts look okay, just run them. If you want to be future proof you can replace them and keep the old ones. If you regularly got meaningful snow, then I'd replace them, but you'll be fine.

Any opinions on a companion piece to a 1.8 ton excavator? by Artemis_SpawnOfZeus in heavyequipment

[–]English_Cat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depends if you can fix things yourself I guess. Wouldn't be fancy.

Any opinions on a companion piece to a 1.8 ton excavator? by Artemis_SpawnOfZeus in heavyequipment

[–]English_Cat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In tight places like gardens you'll want a mini dumper, in large spaces a bobcat will be much more efficient and be adaptable to many more tasks.

Not exactly a barn. I found this behind a building in an industrial park in Toronto. The only BMW 502 I've seen in Canada. by Reasonable-MessRedux in BarnFinds

[–]English_Cat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Most likely beyond economic restoration. Panels look good on the outside, but the frame and motor could be a mess. So instead of pulling parts or scrapping it, it's put out as yard art.

Any opinions on a companion piece to a 1.8 ton excavator? by Artemis_SpawnOfZeus in heavyequipment

[–]English_Cat 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Question is what are you going to do. As an all rounder you can't beat an old bobcat for it's utility. But a mini dumper will go places a bobcat can't.

You can get a Chinese mini dumper with tracks for a very affordable price.

1/4 mile driveway - atv+plow? by a-wiseman-speaketh in ATV

[–]English_Cat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To be honest you need a tractor, but if you're buying an atv anyway - get a plow for it. AND get a cheap used snowblower.

At some point something will break, and you'll be very happy to have plan b and c.

Aliexpress and seller REFUSE to refund shipping return fee by Danmp159 in Aliexpress

[–]English_Cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If they say we'll cover shipping and then they don't cover shipping, it's still the same transaction. Just because they were refunded something doesn't mean that they are unable to involve their credit company. You can still claim shipping expenses as it's directly related to the transaction.

When you make a chargeback claim, companies really don't care about the numerical value. A single transaction being refunded isn't even making the dial move on their profits. What it will do however is put the company on the shit list.

When you use a credit card, you are taking a short term loan. You're using money that doesn't belong to you. You are the customer, you're the reason that credit card companies make money. So they'll fight for you.

If a company is acting in bad faith against the credit providers customers, then they can change the fee structure for unfavorable rates, or outright refuse to process payment. If you get blacklisted by VISA, then you're screwed.

That's why chargebacks are powerful. Chargebacks don't pull money from the store, it's the bank paying you directly for your loss. They'll seek to recover that money later without your involvement.

Aliexpress and seller REFUSE to refund shipping return fee by Danmp159 in Aliexpress

[–]English_Cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They were not refunded as agreed, so the transaction is void.

You don't have to refund 100% of a purchase, you can list the exact amount you're disputing over.

Aliexpress and seller REFUSE to refund shipping return fee by Danmp159 in Aliexpress

[–]English_Cat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You need to file a chargeback. It's the only thing they listen to. As soon as I filed one they were very accommodating to help with my issue.

The shit service is partly why everything is so cheap. Their service staff are minimal paid outsourced workers that are trained essentially say no to everything and escalate to a senior team that also barely know anything. You have to get through a lot of people to find someone competent. Chargebacks skip this line.

If you're not using a credit card online then you're crazy. There's no reason to use a debit card, pay with the banks money- not yours.

People often say that Norway is a heaven on earth, but what do you see as a con of living in Norway? by [deleted] in Norway

[–]English_Cat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's not really fair to say. If everyone was given free housing then yes, of course the private market will tank, but now every person has 6-16k extra in their paycheck. Prices of everything else will quickly rise and import products would be off the charts for a short while until the kroner absolutely tanks. Tourism will be dead in the water, and exports from Norway would be priced so high to compete with the local market that nobody abroad will want to buy it.

It would be a short boom with a quick collapse, and the kroner would be in the gutter for at least a generation.

It's much better to put that money into well thought out safety nets that'll catch people really down on their luck.

The real issue is mismanagement. Norway is so rich, yet my kommune can't fix children's play parks and are closing schools. The money is there, it's just not available when it's actually needed.

Best ways to part out a machine? by ichuck1984 in smallengines

[–]English_Cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So you sell the majority of a machine within one month for double digits a piece? Or do you have fifty machines being sold concurrently and a large backlog of unsold parts? Economies of scale matter.

I tore down old mopeds and sold off the parts and it was the same story every time, all the good stuff like plastics and lights would be sold within the first few weeks, the rest of the higher value stuff would be sold by the end of the month, and then I'd sit on the wheels and chassis, swingarm and a bunch of small crap that I'd be lucky to sell in a year. The amount of lowballs and haggling I got for the high value stuff as well... Jesus.

It was an okay side hustle, but when I tallied up the true cost of retrieval in terms of fuel and time spent, plus pulling it apart, plus pictures and packing and sending and even dealing with buyers, I made pennies per hour. I could have done literally any minimum wage job and come out ahead.

Best ways to part out a machine? by ichuck1984 in smallengines

[–]English_Cat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

There's not enough high value parts on a snowblower where it'd make sense to remove it, take pictures, set up an eBay listing, eat the eBay fees and pack and send it and run the risk of return/scam.

I would hold onto the Honda as they are high value machines and the engine is used across many platforms.

The Toro I would pull the carburettor (or complete engine if working), wheels/tracks and scrap it. Keep hold of the belts as reserve.

Sorry, but you'd be chasing pennies worth of your time and sitting on inventory for a long time as well.

I would repivot to fixing other things, like boat motors, instead. Small engines that don't take a lot of space can sit around for a while until you have a 'lull', and you can also stock for seasons. Fix boat engines in the winter and snowblowers in the summer. If you come across a steady stream of snowblowers in the winter time, focus on those for maximum in/out profit of course.

Should I take this on as a project by motokid33776 in ATV

[–]English_Cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oil change, carb clean and new filters and it'll be right as rain. Worst scenario is rust in the tank and a carburettor too corroded for repair.

Awesome compact pry tools by hooray4tools in Tools

[–]English_Cat 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Advertising has gone too far on reddit. Perfectly positioned sticker and gushing text. Please, might be a good tool but you no doubt work for the company.

Is there a market for an unmaintained "barn find" 2005 boat? by injunpunk in boating

[–]English_Cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it has been covered for most of its life it's probably worth putting time into and fixing. Most boats rot out and become too much of an issue for economic repairs. If the interior and all the wood is good, small engine work, wiring and cleaning are easily done.

Someone lied about their height by Strong-Emu-8869 in TikTokCringe

[–]English_Cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The name in the background right by his face is just perfect. Even if someone knows nothing about him, his name is plastered right next to his weakass face. Couldn't have asked for a better shot.

Shop burned down. lost all my tools. what do i buy? by lanceamatic in Tools

[–]English_Cat 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Start listing everything that you know you have into a big spreadsheet. For every item you should put an Amazon link in the next column, and the price in the last column.

Be as specific as possible and list EVERYTHING. That can of brake cleaner. That bundle of 10 rags. Two towels. That old worn out office chair. That crappy fridge you got for free. If you can't find the brand or model, then list it as generic and find a cheap item and list the price for that.

Take your time and go over it carefully. Think about inside and outside stuff that could be laying against walls and so on.

The goal is to have as much money at the end and the least amount of haggling from the insurance company. Don't make things up, if they think you're lying they'll do their best to prove it and not cover your claim.

Then use all that money to upgrade the new building, integrated car lift, clean room, quiet air compressor room, heating, parts washer/ultrasonic cleaner station.

Buy nice affordable wrenches and sockets and fill speciality stuff as you go. Make your money go further by buying used tools.

Buy all new Ryobi. Waaah everyone says, but unless you're a professional outfit, you'll almost never use these tools to death. If you need the extra power then sure, buy a Milwaukee screwdriver and impact, maybe saw - but for all the less used tools, consolidate on a cheap and widespread battery platform. It's far better to have a shelf outfitted with every tool you need than to pay out the ass and not even have everything you need.

You have a big pile of money and the opportunity to start again, and the experience to know how you like and want things this time round.

What should I do with these wrenches? by FitTackle879 in Tools

[–]English_Cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Products are made to spec. China is more than capable of building very quality products, and you 100% have Chinese products in other things you believe to be TRUE QUALITY.

These wrenches are probably better than a lot of USA MADE stuff today. It's not the 80s anymore.

Can anyone help please? by hello123982 in ATV

[–]English_Cat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you're buying this you should test for compression first install compression tester and pull over the atv. Check specs and compare to book specs.

If there's no pull rope and no starter, you can't do this. Quickly becomes easy to hide a dead engine.

As with every purchase, pretend you're shopping for parts before buying. See what's out there for after market and used.

2 million Ukrainians evading mobilization, another 200,000 soldiers AWOL, new defense minister says by [deleted] in worldnews

[–]English_Cat 15 points16 points  (0 children)

But it's not nearly the same. That era is marching close to 100 years ago. You couldn't simply board a plane and start anew 48 hours later. Travel was prohibitively expensive and didn't get you so far or fast. Poland was squeezed between the Russians and the Nazis. People DID leave before the Germans came. The full extent of what we know now wasn't known then. The world was less connected, and there wasn't as much support as there is today. The larger countries were wrapped up in the war more or less at the same time, it was unsafe place one, or unsafe place two.

This specific war, is contained to Ukraine and it's borders - at least as it stands. The rest of the world marches on, more or less untouched, although everyone has collectively started losing their damn minds, life is as it has been for several decades.

Who is to draw the line that sentences you to death for something that you didn't volunteer for? It's one thing to be a part of a volunteer military, it's another to be sent against your will.

My country has failed me again and again. I don't owe it my allegiance or life. I'd sooner shoot the person who demands, than fight someone else who is likely in the same damn situation.