steve wrote:


TV's can't be repaired

now it's cheaper to buy a new lawnmower then to fix one (due to China
the price of a new one is less now then 25 years ago, and our income
has gone way up, the cost of parts, however, has stayed the same)

car's rarely break now, and they need very little mainteance (tune
ups), yes you still can and need to change your brakes, alternators,
starters but it simply doesn't justify the cost of a well appointed
home mechanics workshop, like it did before when the typical repair
list was twice as long and 5 times more frequent


TV's can be repaired, but it probably not cost effective unless you
enjoy puzzles. My wife does crossword puzzles, I do different kinds of
puzzles. Yesterday I repaired the dishwasher. One of the hinges had
fatigued and failed. It was less work to remove the door and hinge,
weld the hinge, and reassemble than it would have been to go buy
another dishwasher and install it.

If you are looking for lawn mower parts, look on Ebay. Lots of places
that sell things as pistons and rings at reasonable prices.

Cars may not break as often, but they do still have problems. I need
to pull the gasolene tank on my truck and fix the fuel gauge sensor.
It won't take a well appointed home mechanic workshop to do most of it.
Fixing the sensor might. Have not seen what the problem is.

But are these basic skills in todays world. To me basic skills today
are more about how to determine who is a good dentist, auto mechanic,
plumber, etc. How to use Ebay and Craigslist, to find the things you
want and need. Figuring out what stocks to buy is more important than
being able to create you own well. Knowing how to find information
when you need it is a basic skill.

Dan