How to Fix Stuff

[UncLeJunkLe]

It looks well maintained.

Well that picture was from about 10 years ago when I was thinking of selling it because I wanted more space in my garage and never used it much. But I'm sure glad I never sold it because since then I have had to use it a good bit even if only maybe 6 to 8 times. Lots of old trees around and they've been dropping big limbs almost every year. An old, crooked Persian Silk tree fell over 3 years ago - chipped everything but the trunk. It's much more beat up now.

That engine is quite a workhorse, too.

But when you accidentally shred the bag, ummmm, you got problems

I think you could probably sew it back together. It wouldn't be fun, or pretty, but I think you could close up those holes well enough to make it work again.

If you have a cobbler or someone with an industrial sewing machine, they could do it pretty quickly. If not, I would hit up a fabric store for some heavy duty thread, like for sewing jeans seams or upholstery, any color would work. Get a large upholstery needle with a large eye that can fit the thread and punch through the bag fabric. A mattress stitch might be best, but I think a simple whip stitch would work too.

I've been thinking about it. Not sure if I'm gonna attempt it though. Sewing pates on the tears with vinyl might also be a good solution as opposed to just sewing the tears up. We'll see. I like the idea of finding a decent bag for under $50 better, though .

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Well, I admit I'm a piker but it goes beyond that. After considering new machines I wasn't impressed. At all! They're junk! They don't last, they do a crappy job, and they take forever to wash a load of laundry (1.25 hours). So I was motivated to fix my old one. And that's what I'll keep doing. It's really not that hard.

Our last set was a total piece of junk. There was actually a class action lawsuit on it. It was a super duper high end whirlpool set that we paid 2k for many years ago. It had to have a circuit board replaced under warranty and something else but don't remember what it was. Then it started acting up and the bearing and the washer drum was all one piece and was pretty expensive and the impeller or something was on it's way out. It didn't last 7 years. We went to a factory direct appliance store and bought an old school set with an agitator after that and paid less than half of what we did for the fancy one. We're still using it and its been several years.

I fixed my old 18 year old washer a few times in the last 5 years of it's life but I couldn't find a timer knob for it, so it had to go. I bought a "high efficiency" top-loading "Maytag" washer about 5 years ago and frankly I hate it. I should have spent the extra money for a speed queen. I hear Speed Queen washers are the way to go if you want an electric washer without all the BS electronics and sensors today's washers have. It takes about an hour to wash a full load doing all these wacky things and making all these annoying modern noises with a lot of dead pauses in the meantime. In the end, the clothes are not always as clean as they were with my old washer. But it does a decent job considering it's a snowflake lol. I just have no idea how much longer it's gonna last before it starts needing costly repairs that I can't do every year and that bothers me.

 

[Bronze]

Send that bag to the General, he'll fix it or re-purpose it.

I think you could probably sew it back together. It wouldn't be fun, or pretty, but I think you could close up those holes well enough to make it work again.

If you have a cobbler or someone with an industrial sewing machine, they could do it pretty quickly. If not, I would hit up a fabric store for some heavy duty thread, like for sewing jeans seams or upholstery, any color would work. Get a large upholstery needle with a large eye that can fit the thread and punch through the bag fabric. A mattress stitch might be best, but I think a simple whip stitch would work too.

Cats is right. If you cannot find a replacement then I definitely would sew it. I’d probably use a hefty needle and some spider wire (fishing line 10lb test).

I fixed my old 18 year old washer a few times in the last 5 years of it's life but I couldn't find a timer knob for it, so it had to go. I bought a "high efficiency" top-loading "Maytag" washer about 5 years ago and frankly I hate it. I should have spent the extra money for a speed queen. I hear Speed Queen washers are the way to go if you want an electric washer without all the BS electronics and sensors today's washers have. It takes about an hour to wash a full load doing all these wacky things and making all these annoying modern noises with a lot of dead pauses in the meantime. In the end, the clothes are not always as clean as they were with my old washer. But it does a decent job considering it's a snowflake lol. I just have no idea how much longer it's gonna last before it starts needing costly repairs that I can't do every year and that bothers me.

You shoulda been able to find a timer on ebay. Good source for used washer parts. Truthfully, you can find pretty much any part you need for those old style washers. I’ll just keep fixing mine. Cripes, I know enuf about them now that it’s generally no big deal to fix them anymore.
And yes, you wont lose with Speed Queen. Laundromats use them with good reason. Probably would be last wash machine you buy.

 

[kas122461]

Someone on here several months ago was also raving about speedqueen, about 2 weeks later my old one finally quit, it was a whirlpool, I hated it. So I bought the speed queen TR7003WN.
I really don't like working on washers. One year after I bought the whirlpool, the spin cycle quit working, right after the warrantee ran out, it was a piece of . I am very happy now.
KAS

 

[Bronze]

Someone on here several months ago was also raving about speedqueen, about 2 weeks later my old one finally quit, it was a whirlpool, I hated it. So I bought the speed queen TR7003WN.
I really don't like working on washers. One year after I bought the whirlpool, the spin cycle quit working, right after the warrantee ran out, it was a piece of . I am very happy now.
KAS

That SQ will put that problem to rest.

 

[kas122461]

That SQ will put that problem to rest.

It definitely will, this one has a 7 year warrantee.

KAS

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

You shoulda been able to find a timer on ebay. Good source for used washer parts. Truthfully, you can find pretty much any part you need for those old style washers.

I couldn't find it anywhere. Not ebay, not parts sites, nowhere. Most other smaller parts were still available, which allowed me to keep fixing it but when it came to the timer I was SOL.

BTW: Although I don't always buy my parts from them anymore because they can be pricey, RepairClinic is what got me fixing my own washer. They had videos that showed me exactly how to fix a lot of stuff on my washer. Great site, but not always the best price when shipping is figured.

 

[Bronze]

I couldn't find it anywhere. Not ebay, not parts sites, nowhere. Most other smaller parts were still available, which allowed me to keep fixing it but when it came to the timer I was SOL.

BTW: Although I don't always buy my parts from them anymore because they can be pricey, RepairClinic is what got me fixing my own washer. They had videos that showed me exactly how to fix a lot of stuff on my washer. Great site, but not always the best price when shipping is figured.

Yeah, most of those appliance parts joints are expensive. But they tend to be OEM so there’s that.

 

[CMD-Ky]

Jump Start:

Do any of you you have thoughts or experience with this starter? I have thought about a lithium starter for my daughter's car but saw this. Some reviews raise questions.

Amazon.com: Autowit SuperCap 2 Portable Car Jump Starter, 12V Super Capacitor Jump Starter (Up to 7.0L Gas, 4.0L Diesel Engine), Super Safe Battery-Less Jump Starter with Carrying Case and Quick Charge, Orange : Automotive

 

[hittman]

Jump Start:

Do any of you you have thoughts or experience with this starter? I have thought about a lithium starter for my daughter's car but saw this. Some reviews raise questions.

Amazon.com: Autowit SuperCap 2 Portable Car Jump Starter, 12V Super Capacitor Jump Starter (Up to 7.0L Gas, 4.0L Diesel Engine), Super Safe Battery-Less Jump Starter with Carrying Case and Quick Charge, Orange : Automotive

It sounds almost too good to be true. Under questions one of the people said that if the battery is completely dead then it won't work.

 

[Bronze]

Jump Start:

Do any of you you have thoughts or experience with this starter? I have thought about a lithium starter for my daughter's car but saw this. Some reviews raise questions.

Amazon.com: Autowit SuperCap 2 Portable Car Jump Starter, 12V Super Capacitor Jump Starter (Up to 7.0L Gas, 4.0L Diesel Engine), Super Safe Battery-Less Jump Starter with Carrying Case and Quick Charge, Orange : Automotive

I have no idea.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

It sounds almost too good to be true. Under questions one of the people said that if the battery is completely dead then it won't work.

If the definition of "completed dead" is defined as the battery can no longer be charged, then I'm pretty sure not even a battery powered jumpstarter would be useful.

 

[zoiDman]

Jump Start:

Do any of you you have thoughts or experience with this starter? I have thought about a lithium starter for my daughter's car but saw this. Some reviews raise questions.

Amazon.com: Autowit SuperCap 2 Portable Car Jump Starter, 12V Super Capacitor Jump Starter (Up to 7.0L Gas, 4.0L Diesel Engine), Super Safe Battery-Less Jump Starter with Carrying Case and Quick Charge, Orange : Automotive

The Product Review Distribution looks pretty good. And the Seller has a pretty good rating Also.

If you sort the Product Reviews by "Most Recent", things seem somewhat Less Glowing that the 78% 5-Star rating. But still a Solid Rating.

Just based on Reviews, there are others in a Similar Price range that have better Overall Reviews. Maybe the Concept is Good but just a Different Model is worth looking at?

 

[CMD-Ky]

This was a new concept for me and thought some guidance might be helpful. Since it would be for my daughter and, while she does get regular maintenance, she is a turn the key sort of driver. I am still leaning towards a lithium jumper with a bolt on battery connector, sort of a mechanic's idea of plug and play.

 

[Bronze]

The Product Review Distribution looks pretty good. And the Seller has a pretty good rating Also.

If you sort the Product Reviews by "Most Recent", things seem somewhat Less Glowing that the 78% 5-Star rating. But still a Solid Rating.

Just based on Reviews, there are others in a Similar Price range that have better Overall Reviews. Maybe the Concept is Good but just a Different Model is worth looking at?

You think like me. I like tried and true when it comes to products like this. New fangled scares me.

 

[zoiDman]

This was a new concept for me and thought some guidance might be helpful. Since it would be for my daughter and, while she does get regular maintenance, she is a turn the key sort of driver. I am still leaning towards a lithium jumper with a bolt on battery connector, sort of a mechanic's idea of plug and play.

I Don't know all that much about these "Battery Jumpers". Just that All the Roadside Help people have gone to them as the 1st thing they grab to "Jump" a Car.

I tend to Run with the Numbers on Amazon. Meaning I gravitate towards things with Higher Review Percentages with Larger Number of Reviews. Checkout the Numbers on something like this...

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GB40-Ul...654789013&s=automotive&sr=1-3&ts_id=318336011

59K worth of Reviews. And a Very Solid Distribution of Stars. But Most of all, a High Loading of 5 Stars for the last 3 ~ 6 Months. Something with Good Reviews from 2 or 3 Years ago Isn't all that meaningful to Me. Because a Lot can Change (Bad and Good) in 2 or 3 Years.

All this Doesn't mean you are Guaranteed that what you get will Work like you Want it to of course. But at least it seems like it Minimizes you chances of getting something that is FUBAR.

 

[Bronze]

I Don't know all that much about these "Battery Jumpers". Just that All the Roadside Help people have gone to them as the 1st thing they grab to "Jump" a Car.

I tend to Run with the Numbers on Amazon. Meaning I gravitate towards things with Higher Review Percentages with Larger Number of Reviews. Checkout the Numbers on something like this...

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GB40-Ul...654789013&s=automotive&sr=1-3&ts_id=318336011

59K worth of Reviews. And a Very Solid Distribution of Stars. But Most of all, a High Loading of 5 Stars for the last 3 ~ 6 Months. Something with Good Reviews from 2 or 3 Years ago Isn't all that meaningful to Me. Because a Lot can Change (Bad and Good) in 2 or 3 Years.

All this Doesn't mean you are Guaranteed that what you get will Work like you Want it to of course. But at least it seems like it Minimizes you chances of getting something that is FUBAR.

I evaluate reviews the same way. Most recent gets more weight. The number of reviews helps too.

Amazon cut me off from reviewing products. They never told me why but that I will no longer be allowed to submit them (how can I go on living!). They also removed all my past reviews. They have a link where you can inquire. So I did. No response. I think I hammered their return policy on an item and that got me banned. So they clearly manipulate reviews. I can't be the only one.

 

[zoiDman]

I evaluate reviews the same way. Most recent gets more weight. The number of reviews helps too.

Amazon cut me off from reviewing products. They never told me why but that I will no longer be allowed to submit them (how can I go on living!). They also removed all my past reviews. They have a link where you can inquire. So I did. No response. I think I hammered their return policy on an item and that got me banned. So they clearly manipulate reviews. I can't be the only one.

Yeah... I don't put a lot of faith into Older Reviews. Some, but what Joe/Jane Public thinks about the one they got Last Week is Much More Meaningful.

I also like to see if the "Company" makes more items than the one I'm looking at? And see what people say about them? So I'll search for the Name Brand and check out the reviews for their Other stuff.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

I learned the hard way about 3 years ago that these jump starters are great things to have when you need them because most people don't carry jumper cables anymore and even though I had them, I found it very difficult to find someone to provide me the use of their own battery/vehicle to help me jump start my car at one of the local grocery stores. People just aren't that willing to help others out as they once were (which is understandable to a degree).

I used to have one of those big yellow ones from back in the 90s, but it no longer holds a charge enough to jump a battery so it sits in the garage lol. Never used it on my car, but helped 2 others jump theirs when it did work lol.

A lot like like this one...
630 Peak Amp Portable Jump Starter and Power Pack

 

[CMD-Ky]

The reviews on a Tacoma forum I frequent are rather mixed for both the capacitor model and some of the lithium models. I am not a fan of Amazon reviews or Amazon in general. Whatever I decide, it will not be an Amazon purchase, I have seen too many comments from people that I have grown to trust on forums saying watch out for knock offs.