Hi from Mississippi,USA

[curtisun]

Dunno about you, but I've found that 90% of any skill is not necessarily about what you know already, but more about your ability to find and comprehend the information that is required to diagnose and repair a problem. After that, it's a matter of pulling wrenches, crimping wires, or swapping parts, mostly basic crafting skills. These days, most things are so modular it's hard to fix a small problem without replacing an expensive module. The biggest tricks are to use the little skills together as a skill set and knowing the end results if it's done wrong or with shortcuts. Keeping the mind active after a technical career can be challenging. I've thought about hanging my shingle back up to try to pick up some automation work, and then I remember all the sleepless nights waiting for a problem that "can't happen" to occur. Pass. I like answering to no one (except the missus) and doing what I want to do and getting outta bed when I want to. I still get up earlier than some, but only if I feel like it or have a need to get something done. Bad weather days have me dreaming up ways of automating some of my home brewing process, or perhaps designing something for my tractor or implements. I get ideas for either from forums like this one but use a lot of common sense and experience from the school of hard knocks to refine my ideas.

Ennyhoo, welcome to the forum from a 'neighbor' over in Alabama.

Thank you and Very True. It is being able to see past the symptoms and see the problem that caused the symtoms. That is not the easiest thing to do. But in order to see past the symtoms you have to know the operations, mechanics and electrical systems of what you are working on. The same symptom can be cause by many different things and/or multible things happening at the same time. My main work was troubleshooting so I had to develop different techniques for electrical, electronics, mechanical, pneumatics and hydraulics. As you said the main thing is being able to find and comprehend the information you get from the people, the machines and from research.
Keeping your mind active and uptodate is a problem. There is no easy way. I do not know how many modules, inverter drives and plc's cards I have repaired over the years instead of buying new ones but I had the equipment to find the problem. I calculated it up one year I saved the company 250,000$ just from buying parts wholesale. Witch now they have outside contractor doing the work so they are paying through the nose lol. See I Retired because of the way I was treated after I got 66. Reduced salary by not furnishing insurance, management using the you will or else type supervision, and they way they got on to me in front of the whole company for something I did not do as if I was trash. So I packed up my tools and said adios amigos. You pile straws on a camels back and that last straw breaks it. I think it was planned because they knew I would not stand for it. Well if it was they got their wish lmao. Now they have to pay retail for parts the outside contractor replaces.
I am doing like you said what I want when I want. I did answer to my wife of 53 years until she passed away last July. Now I have a great grandson that came to live with me. So I am not alone except during the day when he is in school.

 

[California]

I made a 3 point hitch and cut down a PTO shaft for it. It seams now I am going to be working
on tractors a good bit more...

Location? You might put that in your profile, that shows on the left.

And welcome!

 

[Yander]

Though I've been on TBN less time than you, Welcome to TBN. My condolences on the loss of your wife. 53 years is a great run. Sounds like losing an employee like you was their loss for sure. But some companies don't get that until it is too late. Too many big egos in management.