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My dad has a set of the plate with wheels version he would use to get his ~5,000lb boat through a single car garage door and then rotate sideways against the back wall. We had to jack up the trailer to put it on 4 dollies, line it up with the door, jack it up to remove the dollies to go over the expansion joint to get out the door, jack it up to put it back on dollies to make the turn once it's in the driveway, then finally jack it up to remove the dollies. It took three people to move it. Thankfully we only had to do it twice a year. After he moved into a house with a door that was two cars wide we could at least just drive mostly in and then only put it on dollies once. Now that we've attached a winch to the wall it can be done with one person. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, cheap dollies suck to use but they're better than nothing.
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Jul 20, 2023 00:24
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I built a power bleeder for about 20 bux and it works...fine. I'm sure a real one works better but I'm cheap and don't bleed my brakes often.
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Jul 20, 2023 23:27
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So there's a chance the ground could come undone then the hot also comes undone? I know it's a machine that vibrates your parts clean but unless they volunteer to just mail you a new one, I'd just reassemble those terminals with some loctite (assuming that they're screw terminals).
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Jul 28, 2023 17:49
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Now if they could only just agree on a battery architecture. Hell, the thread title is still somehow a reference to when I posted about Greenworks and Kobalt 80v batteries being the same battery made by the same company using different colored plastic but they changed where the slots are that guide it into the tool so they won't fit.
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Aug 18, 2023 18:31
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I was just thinking about those cool lasers that burn rust off parts. What would happen if you pointed one at an unclean white fiberglass bathtub? Would it do nothing because the grime isn't dark enough or sensitive to the right wavelength or whatever? Would it perfectly burn all the soap scum off, leaving behind a clean bathtub and a hell of a smell? Would it set the tub on fire like Left Eye?
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Aug 19, 2023 04:40
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fins posted:I'll let you know in ~6 weeks. Have the laser, have the rust cleaning head, have the chiller, don't have the 3 phase. The rust cleaning lasers are all 1064nm ish, fiberglass itself cuts well with CO2 lasers, but the whole gelcoat/expoxy fiberglass interaction makes it hard to figure out what exactly will happen. My money says it'll be fine. Eagerly awaiting trip report. Lol at that dude cleaning soot off an LED lightbulb and what I'm assuming was an Australian flag. At least something positive came from me getting mild food poisoning and spending too much time staring at my shower I haven't cleaned in a week and, to be honest, I kinda half assed it too.
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Aug 19, 2023 20:35
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Hey, haven't seen a proper load tester in a while. My highschool auto shop teacher used to swear by them: "If you can't cook hotdogs on it, it's not really testing your battery". They're simple enough I can't imagine a company not able to build one that works. Flip side of that is I'm not sure if that's too expensive for one, but jumper cables are expensive too so who knows? That said, I'm usually a proponent of taking your battery to the auto parts store for them to check because it's free and if your battery is hosed you'll need a new one anyway.
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Aug 21, 2023 18:16
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https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/flotool-super-duty-24-quart-drain-container-42004mi/10658442-P I bought one of these forever ago. I filled it with oil and left it upside down for a half hour and nothing leaked out, not even from the snap shut breather a bunch of people say is defective. When stored upright, all the oil is below the three openings anyway. They're also sold at O'Reilly's, (I think) Northern Tool, and possibly other places. I don't know why Blitz can't make an oil pan that has threads that don't leak. Their gas cans don't leak. poo poo, even Coke and Pepsi make tons of threaded caps every day for pennies that don't leak.
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Aug 27, 2023 06:10
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I know how you feel. I wear nitrile gloves pretty much the whole time I'm at work for that reason. They get dirty? There's more where that came from. I even wear them under my big thick gloves* so I don't get my hands messy when I take them back off to do something requiring dexterity. I've done that for so long that it feels weird when I first put on winter gloves, like putting on shoes without socks. *Not to be confused with the oil change technique my friend got me to start using, where you put nitrile gloves over a pair of mechanix gloves so they don't get all oily, but you still have the thermal and impact protection of thicker gloves. Sometimes I feel like a Captain Planet villain, but at least it keeps me from using so many paper towels from frequent hand washing.
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Aug 29, 2023 01:30
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eddiewalker posted:My wife went digging in the garage and wanted to talk about all of the condoms she found. "I need some extra large condoms for my Magnum caulk"
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Aug 29, 2023 17:56
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No no no, that's the earwax they use to insulate the motor windings you were smelling.
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Aug 30, 2023 19:18
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Fwiw I have the cheapest AliExpress meter that has a DC clamp ammeter and it's been pretty good for automotive use and it isn't wired to read amps using the probes so I'd be impressed if it found a way to explode.
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Sep 5, 2023 18:46
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mobby_6kl posted:The Aneng AN8008/9 is pretty good for a real cheapass one, I've had one for a few years and it's good for electronics and car stuff: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000957681855.html Hey, I've got the Aneng ST212: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803530094502.html I was having trouble finding a DC clamp meter for twice that from a legitimate retailer, and I really just want to know if my alternator is working, "working", or stone dead. Having a second meter for voltage, ohms, etc. so I don't need to go get my other meter (the cheapest digital meter RadioShack had when I was in highschool  ) is a nice bonus though.
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Sep 6, 2023 00:26
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Hadlock posted:I've always wondered if you could just make your own with a used 42" sheet metal brake and then buy the drawer slides and drawer pulls. Really time consuming but sheet metal is basically free, sheet metal boxes are dead simple to construct and you can resell the brake for close to what you paid for it. Those massive snap-on tool boxes seem like a really efficient way to go multiple $10,000s in debt pretty much instantly. Drug dealer seems like an apt comparison "People keep saying
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Sep 6, 2023 18:15
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High psi isn't so much about being able to write your name in cement as it is about making the work go faster. More pressure means you can switch to a wider tip or move the wand further away and still be able to clean. I haven't sold pressure washers in years, so I can't recommend anything in particular, but try to get something with a triplex pump if possible. And winterize it at the end of the season if it's going to get cold. A can of pressure washer antifreeze is about  and can be used twice.
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Sep 22, 2023 04:05
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Dr. Lunchables posted:Realistically you should be getting it re-cert/recalibrated every time you drop it too. I doubt anyone’s doing that. I have gotten my Harbor Freight torque wrenches recalibrated every time I've dropped them...technically.
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Nov 2, 2023 02:48
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One day I'll go to remove an axle nut and actually have the right socket without having to go buy one. Most recently, I had a 36mm socket but not a deepwell 36mm socket. Surely next time it'll be one that I already have. WTFBEES posted:I bought a huge (by my standards) toolbox today and am now posting about it. Congrats. I got a deal on a clearance display of the 48" version of that this summer. Huge upgrade over my old 3-tier Harbor Freight box. Also the exact dimensions of the cargo area on a Grand Cherokee. I used to load a bunch of poo poo into people's cars back when I worked at Lowe's so I was trying not to be that customer, but the two guys that were helping me load it at the store weren't very good. My wife was much more helpful getting it back out. I'm still slowly moving stuff over because I'm lazy.
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Nov 25, 2023 23:00
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But then I won't have it for next time! Not long ago I took the Miata to the store for one of it's last drives of the year and found I'd forgotten a $280 rental ball joint press in the trunk for over a month. Oops. Somehow I hadn't lost the receipt yet when I finally took it back
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Nov 25, 2023 23:15
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the yeti posted:What do you guys even use to keep sockets organized? I kind of hate the above mentioned cheap blow molded case kind of situation for sets of small parts but that’s what they seem to often come in. This style in a big drawer (formerly the top of my old, smaller box):  I like that they don't take any effort to pick up or put back, even though you sacrifice portability. I keep the oddball sizes wherever they fit off on the ends. Ignore all the sockets I haven't put back yet, I just finished something. I should probably clean these out now that they aren't out in the open for (saw)dust to collect on everything.
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Nov 26, 2023 18:13
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WTFBEES posted:If you do, make sure you get the free 2.5Ah battery too! Hit the Shop This Offer button on the right side or otherwise you won't get it. This is some bullshit on Home Depot's part. Lowe's website will automatically add an item to your order if you don't choose one and give you a button in your cart to select something else. Meanwhile, I now have to exchange something I bought from Depot because I forgot to click the button and was at least lucky enough to notice before the sale ended. I like that Depot splits the sale price so you can return any free stuff you don't want, but they could make it a lot harder to screw up your order.
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Nov 28, 2023 02:26
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The Top G posted:Hand tools, only. The only place I know that does the “hassle free exchange” for power tools is Harbor Freight and Menards on their Masterforce power tools. Maybe Hilti and/or Snapon depending on your relationship w your rep Lowe's does it with Kobalt power tools too. Any other power tool brands they have to send out (not 100 percent sure on Craftsman). Technically you're supposed to have your receipt but if the date code on the tool is new enough it depends on the cashier.
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Dec 22, 2023 12:28
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WTFBEES posted:We are edging dangerously close to "the right number of angle grinders to own" territory. I had a good chuckle when I opened up the power tool closet in maintenance and there was a shelf that was just angle grinders. I also thought of this thread when I saw one of the maintenance guys had a Snap On jacket.
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Dec 30, 2023 01:13
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Powershift posted:Obviously a long shot but does anybody recognize what this logo could have been? Weyland-Yutani, but with the wrong logo color.
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Jan 2, 2024 23:18
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Lithium jump packs are so nice to have. The old lead acid jump boxes were huge and had to stay plugged in all the time or they'd be dead within a month. Lithium packs are small enough to keep tucked away in a storage cubby in your car and they'll still have a charge 6+ months later when you need to use it. I've used mine to start:
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Jan 16, 2024 04:34
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So my 8 gallon Harbor Freight air compressor didn't want to come on yesterday, and before I found the breaker reset button (after I'd removed the 6 screws that hold on the cover  ) I went looking at a replacement on craigslist. Unfortunately, my wife told me I couldn't get this 50hp rotary screw compressor complete with refrigerated line drier. I'm sure I could get a pretty decent compressor just for the price of running 480v three-phase to a residential address though.The post says only 179cfm even though the tag says 183. Its nice to see someone under-promising on craigslist.
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Jan 21, 2024 04:52
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My favorite thing about Project Farm is that he shows his methodology and shows all his data so I know if a test was perhaps too sketchy and I can prioritize different results.
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Jan 24, 2024 18:23
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Motronic posted:This one is cheap and does the job. Perfect toolbox/trunk meter: https://www.amazon.com/AstroAI-Multimeter-Auto-ranging-Resistance-Capacitance/dp/B08MTCMWLB drat, I think that's even less than I paid for my AliExpress DC clamp meter.
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Mar 6, 2024 18:49
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What a weird coincidence that just yesterday I had to borrow my dad's Harbor Freight ZURICH ZR15s to tell my radiator fan to turn on so I could try and diagnose my power steering issue (thanks Jeep!). I don't know enough about the competition to recommend it (I'm still using Torque and a Bluetooth adapter) but it's easily the nicest thing I've ever used from Harbor Freight at least.
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Mar 18, 2024 17:38
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A 2 prong adapter and a 3 wire cord is functionally the same as the two wire cord you're looking to use. The ground doesn't need to be tied into anything because you aren't planning on using it anyway.
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Mar 26, 2024 11:15
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If you snip the tip, cram it into the other end so you can't accidentally plug a three prong cord into it.
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Mar 26, 2024 19:03
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Motronic posted:Everyone who even pretends to supply the electrical trade has them. It's a very standard and common part. In fact, even Menards has them: https://www.menards.com/main/search.html?search=1-15R For those not in the know, Menards is the Walmart to Home Depot's Target and is pronounced like someone from the 90s talking about their testicles.
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Mar 27, 2024 02:37
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Galler posted:Menards is way better than Home Depot and Lowe's. It's literally the only thing from the Midwest that I miss. For me there's just something about Menards that makes my teeth itch when I'm there. It's like if Wall-e needed to buy a socket wrench and went to the Buy n Large hardware store, it would just be a Menards. I will at least concede that their unorthodox approach to shelf/overstock layout let's them carry a bunch of weird poo poo their blue and orange competitors don't have room for. Whenever I'm there it's because I need some large socket or metric tap or whatever and don't want to order it. Alright, it's also fun to say "Ow, Menards!" as I drive past one.
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Mar 27, 2024 11:28
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I've heard good things and Menards' lumber, although it sounds like a pain if you only need 1 board.stealie72 posted:The true Midwestern gem is Meijer, anyway.
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Mar 27, 2024 17:22
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Sometimes I buy other things and one board and now it's either two transactions or looking up item numbers instead of just handing the cashier something with a barcode on the end. Not usually how I buy lumber but it comes up.
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Mar 27, 2024 21:29
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One thing I don't miss about my local lumberyard was the wood getting wet every time it rained.
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Mar 28, 2024 11:28
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If you're cold, they're cold. Bring them inside. Seriously though, even the cheapest tools will have some kind of coating to prevent corrosion. I've never had anything rust while sitting in the garage unless it was bare steel like the fresh edge of a mower blade, and even that can take a while.
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Apr 27, 2024 22:47
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Check out Harbor Freight's ZURICH ZR15s. I borrowed one a while back and it's the nicest thing I've ever used from Harbor Freight. There's much fancier stuff out there but the manual available on their website should be able to tell you what it can/can't do and if it'll be sufficient for you.
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May 2, 2024 02:13
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What's that tool that makes it easy to do those spring clamps used on, among other things, radiator hoses? Also, anybody ever used a V shaped tire valve stem extender to leave on your spare so you can check/add air without having to remove the tire? Do those work, or just leak all your air out within a couple days?
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May 3, 2024 19:35
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