"Joerg" wrote in message
.. .
So yesterday I fixed, sharpened and lubed the big garden shears I had busted
hours before. $30-40 would have bought a new set but that goes against my
grain.

In your case, since presumably $30-$40 is not a lot of money to be without,
how about hiring someone to spend the hour or so doing it? Have any
reasonably competent teenagers living nearby? That way you can spend more
time working making more money, you "employ" someone, and you keep the shears
out of the landfill.