I spent six months fighting with a dryer that stopped heating properly, replaced the thermal fuse twice and the heating element once, before a guy at the repair shop said 'just check the vent hose, dummy'. Turns out a lint clog was the problem the whole time, and now I'm wondering if most appliance fixes are really just cleaning issues in disguise. When do you draw the line between tossing something for good and digging deeper into a repair?
I was about to haul this beat up 1950s Craftsman drill press to the scrapyard. The belt was slipping and the chuck wobbled like crazy. Then my buddy said he fixed his with a $15 belt from Amazon and some PB Blaster on the chuck. Took me 45 minutes and now it runs smoother than my dad's new Ryobi. Anyone else hung onto old tools and been surprised?
My fence on a Delta contractor saw was about 1/16th off at the far end. I spent two afternoons shimming it and adjusting the rail bolts. Finally tried clamping a cheap 36 inch aluminum straight edge to the fence as a temporary guide. Cuts came out perfect and I haven't touched the fence adjustment since. Has anyone else found a simple workaround for a bum fence instead of replacing parts?
That 2005 Maytag dryer at my duplex in Austin kept eating the belt every 2 months. Replaced the idler pulley twice, the drum rollers once, and even the motor. After the fourth fix lasted a week, I tossed it and bought a basic Amana for $380. Am I the only one who finally learned that some stuff just isn't worth the headache?
Bought one of those all-in-one leather repair kits from Amazon because my cat scratched up the arm of my couch. Followed the instructions exactly, mixed the color match stuff, and it came out looking like a skin graft from a different animal. The texture is all wrong and it's shinier than the rest of the couch. Now I'm wondering if I should just toss the whole thing or try to sand it down and start over. Anyone else have better luck with a specific brand or trick for blending?
I was walking to my car in Chicago and the zipper pull just snapped right off the track, leaving the coat flapping open. I grabbed some pliers and a paperclip from my glovebox and managed to jury-rig a temporary pull that held for the rest of the day. Has anyone found a reliable way to fix a jacket zipper at home without replacing the whole thing?
I always thought changing filters every 30 days was a waste, so I pushed it to 90. After my energy bill hit $210 last January, Art showed me the caked up filter I pulled out after just 60 days. Turns out that $5 filter swap saves me about $40 a month on heating. Has anyone else found a big difference by sticking to the 30 day schedule?
She told me I was ruining her dog's coat with a regular slicker and made me switch to a curved one. Has anyone else had a brush recommendation that actually changed how you groom your own pets?
I bought a $20 set 4 years ago expecting to replace it in 6 months, but I've abused those sockets with a breaker bar and only snapped one. Has anyone else found a budget tool that just refuses to die?
Thought I'd save time using that $40 battery pack I got off Amazon, but it barely cranked the engine after 15 minutes. Jumper cables from my neighbor's truck got it going in 2 minutes flat. Has anyone else had luck with those portable packs or is it just me?
I was about to toss this desk lamp I've had for 3 years because it wouldn't turn on. Took it to the hardware store near my apartment on Elm Street and the guy there spent 5 minutes checking it out. Turns out the switch was just jammed with dust and the internal wire had a loose connection. He fixed it for free and told me 90% of lamp issues are just loose wires or dirty contacts. Now I'm gonna check every broken appliance myself before tossing it. Anyone else had a cheap fix that saved them from buying something new?
That chair had been sitting in my garage for 3 years with a cracked arm and loose rungs. I kept thinking it was too far gone, but last Saturday I grabbed some wood glue and a clamp from Ace Hardware. Total cost was like 8 bucks and it took maybe an hour to sort out the wobble. Has anyone else been surprised by how easy some fixes actually are once you actually try them?
Picked up a cheap Hamilton Beach blender from Walmart about 2 months ago. Tried to make a frozen mango smoothie this morning and it smoked out the kitchen after 10 seconds. The motor just seized up. Is there any hope fixing these cheap motors or should I just toss it in the recycle bin and spring for a better one? Has anyone had luck swapping out a blender motor on a budget model?
So my $15 toaster from Target stopped popping up last week, and I figured I'd just glue the little plastic latch back on (you know, the one that holds the lever down). I used a whole tube of Loctite, let it sit for 24 hours, and when I plugged it in the latch held fine but the toast started smoking and the metal casing got hot enough to burn my hand. Turns out the glue melted from the heat and dripped onto the heating coils, creating a little fire hazard. Has anyone else tried a quick fix on a small appliance and just cooked it even more?