Don't be this guy

[IndyJay]

I keep a happy moderate approach going and never have a hard time tossing things that can't be fixed or don't look like they'll be worth fixing.

But Ms. SmallChange is a different story. One time I had to argue with her because she wanted to save a burnt out light bulb. I can see some of her argument: the glass was perfectly good, the threads were perfectly good, etc etc.

But can you imagine how much time and money it would take to repair a burnt out light bulb???

It took me a week just to do two.
I only have five more to go.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

Trying to mulch some leftover leaves, I tore up the belt on my KingKutter 60in finish mower. Luckily I had a spare. After replacing the belt and finishing stirring up a lot of dust in the neighborhood, I went to throw away the ruined belt. My first thought on picking it up, was to save it for some future unspecified project. Then I came to my senses and threw it in the trash (but that won't be emptied for a while, so I have the chance to retrieve it). I look around my garage and small outbuilding and noticed all the other ruined things I have saved in the past. Broken and warped mower blades (could be useful killing zombies), pieces of dry-rotted air hoses (probably useless against zombies), various sized pieces of inner tubes (did use some of that to patch my mouse eaten waders). Neither of my kids seemed to have taken after me, but my 10 year old grandson is even worse than me (don't try to throw away that toy packing). My father-inlaw is much worse than me. What is the craziest thing y'all pack-rats keep?View attachment 733712

Nothing. If I don’t really think I’ll use something in the next year or two I throw it away or give it away or sell it. Too many people will build a $30k building to house $3k worth of junk. And then they get to pay property tax on it forever.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

I'm a bit of a hoarder, but my father can teach a graduate level course in it. Back in 2010 we closed and moved his business that was in the same spot for over 40 years. 300 tons of scrap metal (junk plow trucks) and 7 tractor trailer loads were removed from a 40x60 building and 1 acre lot. The scrap was taken out by a company, but the seven 53ft trailers were loaded by me alone.

While I believe in re-use for moral, environmental and economical reasons, please think of the folks who have to deal with it later.

To me, a busted V belt is only good to run to the store and check against the new one. I would only keep it long enough to get a new spare and put that away.

One concept that I try to enforce with my father is that we have to balance the usefulness of something with it's inevitable time requirement. One thing we can't hoard is time.

Spot on! I’m not buying anything else that is going to require maintenance unless it’s replacing an existing piece of equipment. There’s too much I want to do already and not enough days left.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Broken and warped mower blades (could be useful killing zombies)

I saved all my old mower blades with the idea I would someday straighten & sharpen them. Over the years, I created quite a pile.

I did find a use for them recently however. I welded a chain link to the tip of each one. I then hung them in groups of four, spaced close together, on a horizontal piece of rebar on my pistol range. They make great reusable targets since you can see where the bullet goes by watching which one moves. Makes a nice chiming sound as well.

 

[Buggs67]

View attachment 734175

110 plastic nut jars suspended under shelf. Rails from aluminum sliding glass door frames grip lids. Never too much storage.

I aspire to that kind of organization.

 

[Buggs67]

I save stuff I might be able to use and recycle the rest if possible. Short pieces of wood get used and the end goes in the "burn box". Odd metal gets saved, pieces used and then the scrap goes to the recycle 1-2X a year. I saved a bunch of empty jars/nut containers and then throw the rest in recycle. My main problem is getting it all organized.

Before I moved (to here) in 2017 I had to get rid of all my accumulated stuff. I piled up enough sheet metal, sheet steel, pipe, etc to fill a large trailer (free pickup). I could use that 4"OD 1/4" wall 8' long pipe right now. And I filled a 10 yd dumpster.

Now I have a 32x80 building which includes a heated section for the woodshop as well as 4 bays. And so it begins anew.

 

[Raul-02]

because she wanted to save a burnt out light bulb.

Oh to have been a fly on the wall.