Hello all,
Welcome to the one and only May 2025 all-topic thread.

Jim

 

Well, I got my second rent increase notice yesterday. The first rent increase of $4.00 came from Section 8. This one of $74.00 comes from the greedy landlord. I am sure Section 8 will cover most of the increase, but I am also sure my portion will go up. It will be $926 a month starting in July. In today's economy that is pretty cheap, but when you are on a fixed income, it just means having to tighten my belt even more. I am sure I will receive a notice from Section 8 with the new payment schedule. According to the notice I received it is an 8.8% raise in rent.

Jim

 

I’m here , is it me or is everybody price gouging since Covid2020, the dollar don’t go as far , it’s not all tariffs some stores are just jacking up prices for no reason.

 

Just goes to show you how greedy people/corporations have become.

Jim

 

Today (I think) they start the "de minimis tariff" where 145% tariff is applied to shipments of less than $800. If anything you buy even touches China, the prices are going to go through the roof.

 

Ten-dollar hammer for twenty-five dollars. No problem, as soon as Uncle Sam gives me a 145% increase in my income I will be all over it...

Jim

 

gives me another reason to buy USA , Harbor freight was just a convenient quick tool , I’m thinking this tariff will hurt them , Time to budget anyway , I don’t really have much room in my tool box , plus the tools I have now are the older that has lasted a couple of generations or more .
on another note everybody should already have dry goods stocked up , I’ve stocked 30 year shelf life goods plus Ammo , probably to much in way of 22 mag but if bartering has to happen then you get a brick for a gallon or two .

 

Still selling fireworks at Walmart. Now they have three different varieties instead of the one they had at my last visit.

Jim

 

Does any one of us need more tools? Of course we do.

Like a lot of people, I started off years ago with a set of wrenches. 12 point wrenches. They are everywhere, and cheap. Even the Harbor Freight sets are good enough for the homeowner. Until you encounter the nut or bolt that's too tight. Then you need a longer handle for leverage, or a 6 point wrench for correct fit.

I bought long pattern wrenches 1 at a time. Like a 15 mm for the extra leverage on the oil drain plug. Etc. I finally bought a set. 2 sets. SAE and metric. Although even American cars are using metric. My old motorcycle is mostly SAE. Mostly. Although it does have a Japanese carburetor which uses Japanese Industrial Standard screws, and German line fittings.


I bought 6 point wrenches the same way. 1 here. 1 there. I finally bought a set. I should have bought a set decades ago. Then, as is now, 6 point wrenches were just expensive and sets were difficult to find. Weird, I know. We live in a world of 6 point fasteners, and almost every set of wrenches is 12 point. Although I have never seen a 12 point fasteners.

Why can't they make a long handle 6 point wrench? Why can't they make a 6 point wrench longer?

As far as I know, and I don't know much, it can't be cheaper to make a 12 point wrench, but they charge more for a 6 point wrench, or a longer wrench. As if there's a global tool conspiracy to make you round off fasteners.

It pains me to spend more. It's not about if I can afford it. I can afford the difference between a $2 wrench and a $6 wrench. It just upsets me. Like I am being cheated.

 

One advantage to being disabled is I don't need a lot of tools. Except for the Stanley socket set, all my tools were bought at Harbor Freight. And I have not even used ten percent of them, or the socket set since I bought them. I have a cordless drill that sits in the cupboard and never gets used. maybe once a year I charge it up and use it for something. I have a tap and die set brand new still in the shrink wrap I bought because a friend said he needed it. Never used it and I didn't return it for fear I would need it someday. So far someday has not arrived. When I was going to college to learn the automotive trade, they would have tool trucks show up. Snap-On, Cromwell, Mac Tools. All with lifetime warranties, ll pretty expensive. I decided to go with craftsman. Same lifetime warranty and Sears stores everywhere. not true now, but even then, I never amassed a lot of tools. Now, it would just be a waste of money. The only thing I can do to my truck is change the air filter, and maybe the battery. Don't need a roll away full of tools for those two jobs.

Jim

 

Lifetime Warranty is now on almost every hand tool sold. But every seller is different. It used to be that Sears, tool trucks, etc , would just give you a new tool, no questions asked. Today, with most companies, you have to go through a claims process.


Lifetime Warranty is a limited lifetime warranty. Misuse or abuse is not covered. So if you are using a screwdriver to open shipping crates, they will see the hammer marks , chips, scrapes .... And tell you "no".


I broke a Harbor Freight socket. Maybe because the fastener was over tightened. Or I was using too much leverage. Possibly my fault for hitting the ratchet handle with a hammer. The store clerk gave me new socket without a hassle. They actually opened a new set to give me 1 piece.


There was a broken Crescent ratchet handle which was sitting around at work. One of those things that seemed to be used as a paperweight, door stopper, or makeshift hammer when something needed a tap. It didn't belong to anyone. So I sent it in to Crescent. Just a little piece of paper with my contact information. They never called me or sent a letter. Crescent sent a new one back. No questions asked.

 

And since I bought a plasma lighter, I also bought a knife with a fire steel rod. I always wanted something like that. Sure, I have a ferro rod. I have had many. All were lost, misplaced, etc. I have plenty of camp knives . Now. I finally have the gimmick where I can lose the fire starter and the knife together.

 

I have only had to return one broken tool. Decades ago, I took a Craftsman socket to Sears, the salesman gave me a new one, no questions asked. Those were the days. I doubt I will break any of the tools I currently have since they spend most their life in the tool bag/box.

Jim

 

Happy Saturday Nor-Cal!

Jim

 

OK now the dog is looking at me wondering why I'm suddenly laughing.