As an old guy, I'm an Expert at the Pro level!

[Pistolero]

 

[Fox Mike]

I resemble that description. My wife calls me MacGyver. I fix things that most people don't realize are broken.

 

[s4s4u]

Yep, so many things I have repaired that nobody even knew about (y)

 

[xTopGun]

Oh ya, just stand back - out of harms way . . . . .

 

[gunzo]

Which has the higher position, puttering or piddling?

 

[TestEngineer]

Piddling: The act of doing dozens of little chores that don't need to be done, and no one notices have been done.

So Puttering wins the higher position by a margin of half a beer.

 

[Jeepnik]

For years when folks at various facilities would ask what I did, the staff at those places simply said, "he fixes stuff".

 

[contender]

Guilty of it myself!

 

[Johnnu2]

I fix many, many things at home and for the neighbors .... then we call in the Pros to fix most of what I messed up.
Doesn't stop me even a little...

J.

 

[Jim Walsh]

I owned a six apartment rental property in my 30’s. I fixed anything and everything myself but all electrical work was done by a licensed electrician. A fire in a rental property can easily turn into a fatal tragedy. I didn’t want that on my conscience.

 

[xTopGun]

I discovered years ago that I could do any equally half-azzed job as any paid professional contractor..... and not have to buy them a new truck for a simple job . . .

 

[coach]

Been there, doing that.

 

[coachk64]

I've always figured that my time at home is worth a certain amount, and that's gone up through the years. If I could have it done for less than my time is worth, then I'd have it done. Sadly though, I'm just about always cheaper than anyone else and I almost always end up doing it myself.

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

I, too, like to tinker with broken stuff around the home. I once overheard my bride tell a friend that I was "pretty handy with home repairs," something she'd never tell ME.

But many things I first research (YouTube, etc.) so I have a better chance of repairing it, correctly, the first time. Just did such a chore last month when I replaced the shark-fin antenna on my 2018 Ford Explorer (car wash ate the old one). The Ford dealership quoted me $1,000 for this fix. And the "simple" video suggested it would be a 15-minute job plus a $150 replacement antenna. Finally I found a "better" video which showed what actually needed to be done, including removing the back half of the roof liner. Fortunately, I had the right tools (courtesy of work done years ago replacing my 2002 Corvette's interior and installing an aftermarket stereo/navigation system). Even then, only after I got the old (broken) shark-fin removed, did I discover that MY shark-fin was different from the one that Ford's "enter your vin" search tool promised me I needed. So back to duck-duck-go to find one with similar electrical connectors (I needed an antenna with TWO dual-barrel FAKRA connectors, not one and a ground). I waited five days for UPS to deliver the one that would actually work, all the time with the rear roof liner duct taped to the roof to give me rear view visibility. All in, I spent $220 for the proper antenna and $1 for the Modelo Negra I consumed in celebration.

Next chore - I need to repair (or maybe replace) a torn driver seat cover (bottom) on that Explorer (small tear out of sight to everyone except me). I know how this goes, generally, since I rebuilt the entire interior of my 2002 Corvette. But each car has its "secret" screws and plastic connectors which, if not discovered and carefully disconnected, will send me to the Ford parts store to buy replacement connectors.

Last night I fixed a backed-up sink drain. Seems the drain in our AC's attic-located dehumidifier ties into a bathroom sink's drain, and that entire contraption was full of gunk that looked like old tissue paper. I showed the gunk to my bride but didn't "accuse" her of anything - message sent and received. It was a 1-hour job, mostly to disconnect and clean out the pea trap PVC, run a drain snake through the entire system, and finally reconnect all of the plumbing. My 78-year-old back, with fused L-3-4-5 vertebrae, made this an interesting chore, but I "got 'er dun." Better than a $200 plumber's charge.

I'm unafraid to tinker with most home electrical stuff but won't touch replacing interior wiring or circuit breakers. Replacing ceiling light fixtures and ceiling exhaust fans in the bathrooms is a snap. I even installed 110-v wiring in my attic to power a light. Just threw the circuit breaker to that circuit while I added the new wiring and light fixture. [Note to self: next time, do this in the daytime, when dormer windows' ambient light is sufficient, and do it in the late fall, when attic temperatures aren't overwhelming.]

Tuning my outdoor sprinkler system is a recurring chore - replacing sprinkler heads, re-routing sprinkler lines, etc. I've even replaced/rewired the system's electrical controller/timer. I actually enjoy getting muddy doing that work. Only thing I won't do is replace the sprinkler stations' solenoids. I know where they are located (all 8 of them), but I can't justify buying the necessary tools to do a once-every-10-years repair.

Same with replacing leaky hose bibs. The ones in our neighborhood fail over time (15 years or so) - our water's high mineral content corrodes the bibs' brass cut-off valves to the point that rubber washers fail to prevent constant dripping. But the bibs thread into connectors which are located behind our exterior brick walls, and if the bibs aren't "carefully" disconnected, the connectors get damaged or twisted off. THAT is a $500 catastrophe - chisel out 3 or 4 bricks, replace the connector, etc. (that's what it cost my next-door neighbor when HE tried to do this). So I leave that to a plumber and let him deal with the consequences.

 

[eveled]

I frequently say to myself.

“They’re gonna miss me when I’m gone”.

 

[redhawker]

Is that the same as piddling?

 

[Jeepnik]

One of the best compliments I ever received from a chief engineer was"we saved that for you so it would be done right".

Mind you this wasn't in the scope of my contract. But I often did stuff to help customers out. This particular chief had a full crew but most of them weren't licensed engineers.

 

[drycreek]

I never was in love with cars, so other than the simple things I didn’t learn them. Kinda glad, because hardly anything is simple on them now. Never was a carpenter, a plumber, and all I know about electricity is pay the light bill.

Now, let’s talk about bulldozers ! Need your undercarriage worked on…I’m your man ! Change your rollers, change your sprocket segments, how about turning your pins and bushings ? Get in line, I’ll be with you in a couple days. :)

 

[Teflon97116]

Same here, 70 laps around the sun and retired 9 years ago. I always have several dozen legit/current household projects to pursue.

But instead...

Today is the day I will take apart the rusty old 7' garden windmill, measure/replace the bearings and weld rebar spikes to the feet (bent into 90s) so I can step on them and drive it into the soil where it'll stay.

I should also re-string a classical guitar that I never play.

And, of course, I need to scan/digitize some photos that I took overseas in the 1970s.

Or mount an old scope - on the BB gun.

I never don't have something pressing to do.

 

[Jeepnik]

Still can't figure out why folks keep saying that today's cars are more complicated and harder to repair. First off diagnosis is often immeasurably quicker and easier. Many times the onboard diagnosis can tell you exactly what part to replace/adjust (though there isn't much in the way of adjustment these days, just R&R). Once you know what's wrong it's just a matter of taking stuff off to get to the bad part, put on the new one and then put the stuff you took off back on. Gee, that sounds exactly like my mom's 1957 Bel Air wagon when Dad and I rebuilt the engine.

 

[M118LR]

My father was a journeyman machinist, I was employed as a machinist prior to my Father opening his shop. I was credited with modifying many machining procedures for Greyhill electronics that supplied the equipment used on the space shuttles. I've produced items to tolerances that most can't fathom. Yet the artisan world is fading at best. Ping and Ruger lead the way, forged in fire has lost to castings in modern manufacturing. All those that line up on Uncle Bills Platform have created the demise of individual craftsman. JMHO YMMV.

 

[protoolman]

There is an old time hardware store here with a huge inventory of old stock finally closing for good. They are selling off everything. I wish I could invest thousands to take all of it home. I was in tonight looking at hammer handles, adze heads, parts for Aladdin lamps, conversion bases for mogul bases to standard light bulbs, automotive aisle has lighting for 1950s stuff. Good selection of plumb bobs and square shank bits for your brace and bit. This has to be the last huge old time store to close ever! I bought a lot in Montana when the last one like this closed but that was 1991! I can't putter without parts!

 

[rcs9250]

Which has the higher position, puttering or piddling?

Don’t forget tinkering.

 

[rcs9250]

One of the best compliments I ever received from a chief engineer was"we saved that for you so it would be done right".

Mind you this wasn't in the scope of my contract. But I often did stuff to help customers out. This particular chief had a full crew but most of them weren't licensed engineers.

Similarly, many years ago when I worked at Caterpillar Tractor there was a woman in the office that worked close to my desk. Every now and then something would break and I would fix it. Nothing complicated but just some no how and past experience with stuff.
One day she said to me “If the world goes to hell, I want you in my survival shelter”.

 

[rcs9250]

About 48 years ago I bought a garage door opener from Sears. At the cash register the sales guy asked me if I wanted to buy the extended warranty. I told him I could fix anything from a lead pencil to a space shuttle, this opener falls somewhere in between, I’ll pass.

 

[Jeepnik]

Similarly, many years ago when I worked at Caterpillar Tractor there was a woman in the office that worked close to my desk. Every now and then something would break and I would fix it. Nothing complicated but just some no how and past experience with stuff.
One day she said to me “If the world goes to hell, I want you in my survival shelter”.

I know I have a sick sense of humor but the old line "cash, grass or A$&" just popped into my mind.

 

[M118LR]

So how long have you been giving folks access to your A$$? Since cash is in short supply once your living on government fixed incomes.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Don’t forget tinkering.

. . . and putzing.