Are you a handyman?

[dognutz]

I'm in a trade so I can do many things. A few years ago I thought I'd shingle my garage. Took me 2 x 12 hours days and still had to tarp it. Was sore for a week, never again.

This time I decided to change my own brake pads. One night I did the front 2 and it went well. However I didn't pump the brakes and damn near rolled onto a busy road like an idiot. Did the back 2 today, went great til the last one and the caliper was seized. Tied it up and thought 3 brakes were good to get me to a mechanic as I knew it was beyond my knowledge. I was changing them in a relatives driveway and brake fluid spewed all over the driveway. I ended up getting it towed to the garage.

What a fucking stupid waste of time and money. Never again.

 

[Butler1000]

I would NEVER deal with brakes, tire changes or anything else. Garages have the tools and daily experience to handle that shit.

Its one thing to change out a light switch, a faucet, drywall patch, things like that. But heavy electrical, plumbing, or anything where a misstep can cause fire, flood, or car malfunction? Not a chance.

 

[Robert Mugabe]

I'm in a trade so I can do many things. A few years ago I thought I'd shingle my garage. Took me 2 x 12 hours days and still had to tarp it. Was sore for a week, never again.

This time I decided to change my own brake pads. One night I did the front 2 and it went well. However I didn't pump the brakes and damn near rolled onto a busy road like an idiot. Did the back 2 today, went great til the last one and the caliper was seized. Tied it up and thought 3 brakes were good to get me to a mechanic as I knew it was beyond my knowledge. I was changing them in a relatives driveway and brake fluid spewed all over the driveway. I ended up getting it towed to the garage.

What a fucking stupid waste of time and money. Never again.

Get stinkynuts to give you some help. He does brakes.

 

[angrymime666]

You tube man. Plus sounds like you didn't bleed the lines.

 

[xmontrealer]

I can change light bulbs, and single-action light switches. Beyond that it's time to call a pro...

 

[SchlongConery]

I can build or fix just about anything, and do it well.

But by the time I fuck around getting organized, doing the work, cleaning up... I've screwed up other parts of my life.

For example. I had a Ford F150 with a Triton engine that are famous for blowing spark plugs out of the head. It was $500 to get it fixed, plus $100 towing. I bought the coil insert and a set of new plugs and did it myself. Soaked the other plugs with penetrating oil and did it all correctly. Nonetheless, I fucked it up, and another plug thread and an electrical harness connector that I didn't know how to unlatch correctly! Had to get it towed to get the head removed and machined and then put back on. By the time it was all said and done, it cost me $1500 and seven days from when the plug blew out. And I was pissy about my stupidity in not valuing my time. If I had have just had it towed and fixed by a pro, I'd have saved money and time.

But I still fall into the trap of doing things for others when they should just hire someone to do it. In fact it would probably be cheaper for me to pay someone to do it and I put in a few hours more time on what I make money doing!

 

[bazokajoe]

Other than changing a tire, wipers and topping up fluids, I never do mechanical work on my truck. Basically because I don't know how,lol.
I'll stick to my woodworking hobby and minor house repairs.

 

[SchlongConery]

Even the tow truck driver yelled at me. He's been doing it 32 years and looks like someone doing it 32 years. Said he can work all he wants. I thought I was helping him, he basically said get outa the way.

This time is it for me. I didn't change the rotors and the first thing the mechanic said when it was dropped of was how awful the rotors looked. I basically said do what you have to. Complete waste of my time and others who I dragged into it.

Exactly.

But I do admit to doing my own brakes the last two times. Once on another older vehicle. It was just stupid expensive (like $3500). For $1500 I did everything... full brakes, calipers, pads, rotors, flex lines, fluid change and it wasn't my daily driver so I was in no rush. I prepared and took my time and enjoyed doing it. A vacuum bleeder made all the difference! Saving $2,000 was worth it for me. I used to be a hot rodder in the 80's but had my fill. But I still like to swing a wrench once in a while.


And I do my own winter/summer tire swap, purely for convenience and saving time. I have an electric impact gun and a floor jack and can do all four and be cleaned up in just under an hour. Taking it anywhere takes half a day.

 

[SchlongConery]

I'm in a trade so I can do many things. A few years ago I thought I'd shingle my garage. Took me 2 x 12 hours days and still had to tarp it. Was sore for a week, never again.

Roofing is backbreaking work Especially if you have to strip off old shingles. Did it at the family cottage 2x and then after a windstorm stripped some off, I stripped the roof and put on metal Barn roofing. Steel roofing is fast, light, easy, lasts way longer than shingles and is cheaper.

 

[LTO_3]

Like many here, I'll do simple household (lightbulbs, new window (just did one last week), washers, taps, etc) and car (wipers and fluids) repairs but anything beyond that I'll let the pros do it. That way if it's not done right they can fix it.

LTO_3

 

[AlmaOttawaMA]

There's something so hot about a guy that knows how to use tables saw, cut n drill, wield a hammer ect. It's just sooo !

Just simply watching a guy in the process of fixing or making something with those tools is such a turn on.

 

[Smallguy]

I guess I'm one, of the lucky guys. I work at a shop, with greasy mechanics.

I pay the guys, and get parts at a 20% discount. Last time my breaks & rotors cost me 175...plus the 80-100 for the experts to Install them.

 

[shack]

I'm in a trade so I can do many things.

I was very good with my hands but I wasn't handy.

 

[shack]

There's something so hot about a guy that knows how to use tables saw, cut n drill, wield a hammer ect. It's just sooo !

Is it hot when you see a guy missing 4 fingers because of a table saw accident? I knew a guy like that.

 

[joweeejojo]

I'm in a trade so I can do many things. A few years ago I thought I'd shingle my garage. Took me 2 x 12 hours days and still had to tarp it. Was sore for a week, never again.

This time I decided to change my own brake pads. One night I did the front 2 and it went well. However I didn't pump the brakes and damn near rolled onto a busy road like an idiot. Did the back 2 today, went great til the last one and the caliper was seized. Tied it up and thought 3 brakes were good to get me to a mechanic as I knew it was beyond my knowledge. I was changing them in a relatives driveway and brake fluid spewed all over the driveway. I ended up getting it towed to the garage.

What a fucking stupid waste of time and money. Never again.

out of curiosity, what trade are you in?

 

[IM469]

In my youth I did pads/drums, oil, minor tuneups. Now I doubt I could recognize much under the hood. I was getting my season tires swapped and realize that I'm not sure if I could fix a flat without reading the manual to find out where and how to use the jack.

 

[SchlongConery]

There's something so hot about a guy that knows how to use tables saw, cut n drill, wield a hammer ect. It's just sooo !

Just simply watching a guy in the process of fixing or making something with those tools is such a turn on.

That is SOOOOOO true with many women! Works for me!

 

[newguy20]

I grew up learning to do things myself. Mostly because we were broke, but also because I had uncles and friend's parents in various trades and I was interested in learning.
By my early 20s, I was a jack of all trades (master of none).
Decks/Fences, kitchens, bathrooms, roofing. Even small additions or creating basement apartments with full plumbing and electrical. No problem.
Brakes, tune-ups, even a full engine swap. No problem.
I still do my own home renos when needed, because I have all the tools and I enjoy it. Except roofing, because fuck that shit.
My cars go to the pros. I don't have the tools or the enjoyment. My mechanic is way more cost effective than me trying to do it on my own.

 

[drstrangelove]

I stay away from car repairs but I am quite handy at renovation work. I've totally renovated my own house, flipped 3 others and done work for friends and neighbours, kitchens, decks, etc. I'm self taught but do plumbing, electrical, (own property only), drywall, trim etc etc. Quite enjoyable until I got too old.

 

[Jenesis]

I have had to learn how to be “handy” with some things. Especially with my trailer and my boat, as getting repair guy for either is quite difficult. Having a guy come to the site is hard and boat repairs are months behind with backlog.

So I YouTube and fix a lot of things on my own. Gas value and part replaces on my water heater, black water tank piping, re-roping the pull start for the motor. I do all the winterizing, changing the plugs, blowing out the lines in the trailer, etc.

I have done hose changes and stuff to my car. I replaced a rad hose in the CT parking lot about 15 years ago. LOL. I drove right to my mechanic to make sure I did it right.

I can “change a tire” but often can’t because I don’t have the strength to loosen the nuts. I find this is my problem now. I don’t have the physical strength I once had which as women is often not enough for some of these jobs. The knowledge is there, the physicality is not.