I am loathe to throw or abandon tools that have served me well. Increasingly the concept of long ownership is out of favor, as we are driven to constantly evolve and improve while subscribing to services that enrich the globo-corpo Bros at greater expense. Ironic, isn’t it, that progress has become less efficient for us and more beneficial to a select few.
This resonates with me. Just the last few weeks I've been doing some serious cleaning/organizing under my modest homes where I have some storage and a decent "work-space". I really have a hard time getting rid of tools/equipment even if they are redundant - I mean I have a hard time throwing a screw in the trash can if it is still functional!
Saw your note today and thought I'd check out the place - I haven't read this article in full, but I also........ "am loathe to throw or abandon tools that have served me well" ...... I even have trouble getting rid of ones that only seem to have potential use in the future. It ends up mainly being about space for tidy storage I reckon.
I think I need to post an article on this at my Substack place - regarding the space under my homes and the tools/equipment stored therein after many hours trying to tidy things up.
But while tis such a fine trip back in time and tools with cords get a lot of power, the time of tools with batteries is upon us and batteries if they got enough voltage make for good tools most of the time - but sometimes no doubt a cord is needed in order to get the juice required by the tool at hand no doubt!
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So - a trip back in time is the video above - but why not - tis harmless mostly.
Re old tools I kept my old ryobi even though I can no longer get the base pad. I figure I’d try to get it running something if I can monkey with it. The motor still is in good shape, maybe I can adapt it to spin something for me, a mini lathe? That could be a cool hack. Who knows?
So I read more of your article and I respect somebody likes to keep things corded, but the batteries they have nowadays can put out 60W or 80 for that matter. And when it comes to leaf blowers I've come to appreciate the 60W battery I have - 8 amp hours mind ya - and that battery holds a lot of juice and can deliver the power needed for many functions - and I just got me another one - for sale at Tractor Supply - here let me share a link of it:
The one I got had an 8ah battery - and if you purchase that directly from Greenworks it cost about $350, but apparently the "Chinese" are on to that and one can purchase a potentially equivalent battery for about $127 - let me see if I can find the link for that being they now supposedly have a 5-ah battery on this so-called deal. Odd how that has changed but whatever....
Here is the cheaper version - ok forget it - can't find it just now but I saw it yesterday - it was $127 for a 60V 8ah battery equivalent to the one Greenworks sells for about 1/3rd the price give or take - no wonder they had that lawn mower on sale at Tractor Supply I reckon.
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When it comes to using tools when climbing on the ladder you can hardly deny it is better to not have a cord attached - cords are a pain in the ass and batteries can be better for many purposes - especially when on a ladder no doubt.
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Bottom line is I save all the tools I got - I just think they have value.
I got a couple chain saws that a few pieces got lost, but I can't bring myself to throw out the motor that could be used with a winch or in some other way - the question becomes when does the tool take up more space than it is worth, but there might be a time I need a winch powered by a motor and a chain saw motor can power a winch can it not. Fact of the matter if a tool is reliant upon too many pieces then that is a tool breaks down and I'd just assume have tools that are reliable - but a chainsaw is no doubt a complicated tool.
Amazing how it is one can purchase so many tools so cheaply nowadays, but the best tools are well made and they are reliable. Those are the sort of tools I hold onto.
This resonates with me. Just the last few weeks I've been doing some serious cleaning/organizing under my modest homes where I have some storage and a decent "work-space". I really have a hard time getting rid of tools/equipment even if they are redundant - I mean I have a hard time throwing a screw in the trash can if it is still functional!
Saw your note today and thought I'd check out the place - I haven't read this article in full, but I also........ "am loathe to throw or abandon tools that have served me well" ...... I even have trouble getting rid of ones that only seem to have potential use in the future. It ends up mainly being about space for tidy storage I reckon.
I think I need to post an article on this at my Substack place - regarding the space under my homes and the tools/equipment stored therein after many hours trying to tidy things up.
Regards,
BK
Thanks so much do the links. Ike I said some of my habits predate the batteries and we were used to dealing with cords, but it was a PITA for sure.
At some point there’ll be a bundled deal that may make me take the plunge.
Take the plunge - why not?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX-RaO_QqQA&list=RDW2msh0jut2Y&index=2
Like this video - a trip back in time it is.
But while tis such a fine trip back in time and tools with cords get a lot of power, the time of tools with batteries is upon us and batteries if they got enough voltage make for good tools most of the time - but sometimes no doubt a cord is needed in order to get the juice required by the tool at hand no doubt!
~
So - a trip back in time is the video above - but why not - tis harmless mostly.
Re old tools I kept my old ryobi even though I can no longer get the base pad. I figure I’d try to get it running something if I can monkey with it. The motor still is in good shape, maybe I can adapt it to spin something for me, a mini lathe? That could be a cool hack. Who knows?
So I read more of your article and I respect somebody likes to keep things corded, but the batteries they have nowadays can put out 60W or 80 for that matter. And when it comes to leaf blowers I've come to appreciate the 60W battery I have - 8 amp hours mind ya - and that battery holds a lot of juice and can deliver the power needed for many functions - and I just got me another one - for sale at Tractor Supply - here let me share a link of it:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/greenworks-60v-pro-22-in-push-mower-(1)-5ah-battery-and-3a-single-port-charger
The one I got had an 8ah battery - and if you purchase that directly from Greenworks it cost about $350, but apparently the "Chinese" are on to that and one can purchase a potentially equivalent battery for about $127 - let me see if I can find the link for that being they now supposedly have a 5-ah battery on this so-called deal. Odd how that has changed but whatever....
~
Here is the battery from Greeenworks - https://www.greenworkstools.com/products/pro-60v-8ah-rpl-battery
$350
A fine battery it is - but not cheap.
~
Here is the cheaper version - ok forget it - can't find it just now but I saw it yesterday - it was $127 for a 60V 8ah battery equivalent to the one Greenworks sells for about 1/3rd the price give or take - no wonder they had that lawn mower on sale at Tractor Supply I reckon.
~
When it comes to using tools when climbing on the ladder you can hardly deny it is better to not have a cord attached - cords are a pain in the ass and batteries can be better for many purposes - especially when on a ladder no doubt.
~
Bottom line is I save all the tools I got - I just think they have value.
I got a couple chain saws that a few pieces got lost, but I can't bring myself to throw out the motor that could be used with a winch or in some other way - the question becomes when does the tool take up more space than it is worth, but there might be a time I need a winch powered by a motor and a chain saw motor can power a winch can it not. Fact of the matter if a tool is reliant upon too many pieces then that is a tool breaks down and I'd just assume have tools that are reliable - but a chainsaw is no doubt a complicated tool.
Amazing how it is one can purchase so many tools so cheaply nowadays, but the best tools are well made and they are reliable. Those are the sort of tools I hold onto.