You Know You Are Old When

[scootr]

How many 1/4-20 nuts does one need?

I have 300-500 on hand at any time... I use them in my work.

 

[MossRoad]

I have 300-500 on hand at any time... I use them in my work.

I probably have the same, but just accumulated over time.

At my old newspaper job, they had a service that would come in and restock all of the nuts, bolts, washers, drill bits, roll pins, etc.... once a month. I don't know what it cost them, but boy, was it nice! Everything in both metric and standard. I spent my last three years there as a mechanic on all of the printing and packaging equipment. Amazing array of machinery. I do miss that job.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Mine are sorted, but not down to specific sizes, just generally "small, medium and large" bolts, nuts washers separately. Finally made up a rolling cart out of a couple of HF bolt bins:
View attachment 2033758

How I wished I had that at 25yo. Either that or now if I make it to 200.

 

[dadohead]

I used to be able to park my truck pretty well.... I could sock that baby right between the lines anywhere.

Since getting my 2017 f150... I stink at parking! It's crooked, on the lines, or both. I get out and think "Wow, you're getting old". Lately though I'm wondering if the highly angled bevels on the hood are throwing me off? I've been practicing trying to ignore the hood by focusing out beyond. Getting better but still often walking away in shame.

 

[Runner]

How I wished I had that at 25yo. Either that or now if I make it to 200.

I just built that a few years ago. Before that, I had probably 50 each coffee cans and cigar boxes full of hardware and fasteners. Some of it was mine but most came from my Dad's shop when I cleaned it out. Spent several days sorting through it all and actually threw quite a bit of the obsolete stuff away.

I really don't mind keeping old stuff around because I am constantly using it for some project I'm building. For instance, when building my "mower discharge chute stop bracket" for my CC ZTR, it was nice to be able to just walk over to the bin and pull out an old bolt that I could weld into it. Same thing with scrap steel and lumber. It is well worth the space it takes up for me to have it right at hand when I need it.

Sometimes, if I need multiple new bolts for a project, I will buy a whole box of them and I keep them separately in my storage cabinet.

 

[dadohead]

Just before I retired from JD, i was at the local hardware store at night buying hardware for a project when a retired manager came in looking for metric carriage bolts (not common).

He said he had just bought a new JD snowblower and the hardware supplied wasn't right. After making sure the tractor he was installing on was a current model, I offered to meet him at the Engineering building, swipe him through security, and get the exact bolts he needed from Experimental. He chose a few bolts and promised me he'd email the SB engineer what was wrong and work with him to correct the spec/installation.

I mentioned to a good friend about seeing that retiree. He said "Oh man, you let him in to steal bolts???" Oh crap, I didnt see it that way at all! I was sweating bullets all weekend.

Sure enough, Monday morning Mr Big called me into his office. I was sunk. He said "Mike called and said you helped him straighten out his new SB." "Thanks for helping him. That's exactly how we should quickly straighten out issues." Yup. Phew!

 

[Runner]

Just before I retired from JD, i was at the local hardware store at night buying hardware for a project when a retired manager came in looking for metric carriage bolts (not common).

He said he had just bought a new JD snowblower and the hardware supplied wasn't right. After making sure the tractor he was installing on was a current model, I offered to meet him at the Engineering building, swipe him through security, and get the exact bolts he needed from Experimental. He chose a few bolts and promised me he'd email the SB engineer what was wrong and work with him to correct the spec/installation.

I mentioned to a good friend about seeing that retiree. He said "Oh man, you let him in to steal bolts???" Oh crap, I didnt see it that way at all! I was sweating bullets all weekend.

Sure enough, Monday morning Mr Big called me into his office. I was sunk. He said "Mike called and said you helped him straighten out his new SB." "Thanks for helping him. That's exactly how we should quickly straighten out issues." Yup. Phew!

After I bought my JD 2520 in 2007, they sent me a customer satisfaction form to fill out. Because I was unhappy with my dealer, I sent them a 6 page letter back, mostly describing my disturbingly bad dealer experience. But I also mentioned that I was unhappy with the fact that the three-point draft arms interfered with the rear tires and that I thought they should have introduced the "new style" arms for this model earlier.

A week later, they sent a guy out in a suit and tie with two of the new-style draft arms and he installed them for me in the rain. I asked if he wanted to take the old ones with him and he said no you can keep them.

John Deere corporate does care about their customers.

 

[dadohead]

But I also mentioned that I was unhappy with the fact that the three-point draft arms interfered with the rear tires and that I thought they should have introduced the "new style" arms for this model earlier.

My 2011 2520 had the same issue. They swapped the arms and threw in an i-Match hitch for the trouble. A good dealer makes all the difference.

I can't remember why they said the updated arms were not made production (availability at Yanmar?) Every 2520 with R4's had the issue though.

 

[Runner]

My 2011 2520 had the same issue. They swapped the arms and threw in an i-Match hitch for the trouble. A good dealer makes all the difference.

I can't remember why they said the updated arms were not made production (availability at Yanmar?) Every 2520 with R4's had the issue though.

I love JD to death, but still can't figure out how a design flaw like that can get out into production tractors. How could someone in quality control not have seen that problem?

 

[dadohead]

I love JD to death, but still can't figure out how a design flaw like that can get out into production tractors. How could someone in quality control not have seen that problem?

I wonder too. I assume buying the tractor from Yanmar then installing wheels at Augusta has something to do with it. Maybe the R4 take-rate is small enough it was cheaper to correct at the dealer? Don't know... should have been fixed though.

 

[WinterDeere]

YKYO when you curse your former, younger, and more indestructible self for stupid tool purchases.

The ever-optimistic younger version of me always bought the most heavy-duty version of every tool commonly available. Now every time I look at my collection of orange Werner fiberlgass ladders, I kick myself for not buying yellow, or even aluminum. When you're 25 - 35, you don't think much about the fact that someday you're going to have trouble carrying those things across the property, or hoisting one up against a house 20 - 30 years from now.

 

[dadohead]

YKYO when your most exciting tool purchase is a lighted magnifier.

 

[LouNY]

YKYO when you curse your former, younger, and more indestructible self for stupid tool purchases.

The ever-optimistic younger version of me always bought the most heavy-duty version of every tool commonly available. Now every time I look at my collection of orange Werner fiberlgass ladders, I kick myself for not buying yellow, or even aluminum. When you're 25 - 35, you don't think much about the fact that someday you're going to have trouble carrying those things across the property, or hoisting one up against a house 20 - 30 years from now.

I still buy the red ones at 73 years old. If it's not rated 1A it's not coming to my place.

 

[Runner]

YKYO when you curse your former, younger, and more indestructible self for stupid tool purchases.

The ever-optimistic younger version of me always bought the most heavy-duty version of every tool commonly available. Now every time I look at my collection of orange Werner fiberlgass ladders, I kick myself for not buying yellow, or even aluminum. When you're 25 - 35, you don't think much about the fact that someday you're going to have trouble carrying those things across the property, or hoisting one up against a house 20 - 30 years from now.

I know what you mean, but I sure like the solid feel of my 10 foot Werner step ladder. I really just got it for working inside the building. Glad I don't have to move it too much...

 

[ultrarunner]

YKYO when you finally realize you'll never use the miscellaneous screws, bolts and nuts collected in all the coffee cans...

Im starting to feel this way about all the cars around here...

 

[ultrarunner]

I can't remember the last time I picked up a nail for anything but hanging a picture.

I'm always picking up nails and screws at the work parking lot and have almost a half coffee can full...

I wonder how many flats I prevented?

 

[sixdogs]

How many 1/4-20 nuts does one need?

One more than you have .

 

[WinterDeere]

I still buy the red ones at 73 years old. If it's not rated 1A it's not coming to my place.

I don't get that. I had a full set of red Werners, but the 40 footer was just absolutely insane to lift into place. Needed two people, every time I wanted to move it. I don't mind red for the 28 footer, and I have to admit my red stepladders are nice, but for anything over 30 feet... it's just too much for me anymore.

I just went and bought an aluminum 40-footer (Werner's heavier aluminum), and it's such a pleasure to use. I weight 170 lb, so no concerns with the thing collapsing under my weight, and we have no overhead powerlines.

 

[ultrarunner]

I have them sorted by thread type and it's rare I need to go buy any unless I need more than a few. Before I retired I kept a box of each machine screw thread size in the longest length available and cut them to the length needed. I remember even cutting wood screws with a mini grinder when I didn't have the right length. I also had a box of each length of bolt from 1/4 to 1/2 in all SAE threads. My neighbour says I have a better selection than the local hardware store.

This cabinet has sure saved me a lot of time

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I know what you mean, but I sure like the solid feel of my 10 foot Werner step ladder. I really just got it for working inside the building. Glad I don't have to move it too much...

When I feel better (pneumonia) I'll try posting my ladder pictures. One wooden stepladder I bet is over 100yo, very tall & heavy. Most came from my homeplace bought in the '40s.
People were stronger years ago, I remember my 70s, 5ft ,100# Grandmother dig up tree stumps! It took her all day, we'd haul it off with the tractor.