Yeah they took our bedroom set but they wouldn’t take the matching headboard. Didn’t make much sense to me but guess they didn’t want bed stuff. So cut it up and off to the dump. Sometimes its like putting an animal out of its misery-you don’t think about it and just do it.
I guess I can’t figure out tonight how to do multiple replies.
At any rate I’ve been bracing for the golfing and biking stories, but I kinda have to agree though, I’ve been out sawing trees at about 50 degrees and its not fun. We had a big storm come through so it ain’t all gonna get done this year before snow. I think I made a smart alack remark about hurricanes last year and am now discovering the what a tornado is like. I’m gonna get a new chain saw though.
The 12V inflators work fine if you aren’t filling the tire up from flat. They are easier than a compressor, especially when you are on the road.
I find it funny that it was mentioned that a perfectly good one was thrown in the trash. My best one actually came from one of those community trash disposal days. I was helping my dad throw away some stuff and there was a portable tire inflator being dumped right when I showed up. It is maybe half the size of a cinder block so a larger one. It works great and I just used it to top off the tires on a vehicle that isn’t frequently used earlier today. There were a couple other things still in the box being dumped as well. This was in the middle of summer so guess the space heater still sealed in the box wasn’t the ideal item to keep. Anyway, I picked that up, a perfectly good working microwave, and a few other items. Lots of other people were picking over the stuff so I am sure anything good didn’t go into the landfill.
Yes, I can also attest to the fact that charities are getting really picky about donations. Apparently people use them as a dumping ground these days and their dumpsters are overflowing with crap. I had an old desk to get rid of once. I told them I had it but it wasn’t perfect so didn’t want to bother to haul it in if it wasn’t what they wanted. They said no. I can burn this in a brush pile on my property so no biggie for me. Burning it is actually easier but figured someone might want it.
I have tried to donate working computers/electronics many times as I am commonly left with these since I work on that equipment for a living. Old printers are a dime a dozen and the ink costs as much as the printer so these are disposable. Computers must be pretty much perfect and 3 years old or less, otherwise they don’t want them. I tried to take in a working DVD player that had no remote because it broke. That was a no go as well. I tried to take in some mowers that needed some work but were perfectly repairable to a tinkerer. That was a no-go as well. Basically the stuff that you donate these days must be in close to perfect condition or they consider it trash.
I give away computers at community events and people getting a free computer sometimes turn it down because it isn’t new. Keep in mind it has been gone over, the operating system wiped and reloaded from scratch, all updates loaded, a free antivirus and office loaded, etc. It includes the monitor, power cords, keyboard, and mouse. Nope! It isn’t good enough for people, even getting it for free. Luckily a deserving person usually ends up with this but it always gets me how entitled people are these days.
Yeah, I could have tried to sell the unwanted items on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace but have lots of trouble and drama from that. Things I don’t want to deal with normally get recycled if that is an option. I used to sell project type things ranging from electronics to cars. That just isn’t worth it anymore. Some of these people you get from online sale sites can’t read or write and it becomes a big mess to try and deal with some people. It seems things have really taken a turn for the worse since FB Marketplace came onto the scene. CL had its issues but FB is far worse from my experience.
I carry a foot pump. I’d worry about a pump that used the battery drawing it down in cold weather, or it unworking. As a bicyclist I’m used to pumping by hand.
That is why one is well-advised to keep the engine idling while using a tire inflator that plugs into the cigarette lighter. If I only have to inflate one tire, I will do it without starting the engine, but if all 4 (or 5) tires need air, I do it while the engine is running.
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Yes, always have the engine running with an electric inflator. It will also pump with more gusto with the extra power from the alternator and fill the tire sooner. It also puts more wear on electric motors to run them at low voltage.
Couple of notes here, to paraphrase an old saying, a cheap inflator in the trunk when you need it is worth two high dollar compressors back in the garage.
If you buy one for less than $50, it almost doesn’t matter how much less, they should only be used for about 10 minutes at a time. They need at least 20 minutes to cool off after that. Ten minutes should top off a low tire. Even if it doesn’t get you all the way to the recommended tire pressure, it should give you enough air to get home or to a garage.
No matter how cold it is outside, the inflator still gets hot as it runs.
I keep a 12V inflator in every one of my vehicles, just in case.
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You know, now that you mention it, I think I have one of those cheap battery operated inflators in the trunk of my Pontiac. I think its part of the battery pack thing I’ve never used except to start the lawn mower with a dead battery. I take it out and charge it up every once in a while but otherwise just takes up trunk space. I think its the battery pack, inflator, maybe a light, and maybe something else-I’ll have to go look. Paid less than $50 for it a couple years ago. No wonder I throw so much away-I’ve got about five of everything.
Gotta go buy another chain saw before they are all sold out.
I’ve been using the same small inflator for almost 20 years, I bought for $6 and it’s always in my car. It’s great at topping off a tire. You can fill a totally flat tire but it takes around 30 minutes. You have to let it cool down every 10 minutes. I hardly ever use an inflator at a gas station.
Wind Knocking down trees?
Try the 60V Snapper from WalMart or the Echo 58V from HD. You’ll never go back to gas. So much easier to start.
Nothing hard to start about the lawn tractor if the battery isn’t dead.
I have noticed a couple folks now proudly using their battery operated lawn mowers in St. Paul though around Como when I was up there and one guy still having a long cord that just hasn’t upgraded yet. These were very small postage stamp front yards though. When the snow comes though they’ll need a little more capacity than a battery to clear the drive way. My prediction anyway.
I have a Black & Decker air station that works reasonably well. I have inflated an SUV tire that was flat although it took awhile. The disadvantage is that it has to be plugged into a 120 volt a c. outlet.
I also had a small 12 volt compressor I assume was for the air horns on a truck. I rigged up with an air hose and Chuck, battery clamps and a starter button. I inflated a flat tire on a car with this outfit.
I mainly use these compressors for bicycle tires, but they work for me car tires. My main use is to keep the tires at proper pressure.
I was in St Louis last week and the tire warning light came on so I stopped at a gas station with a FREE AIR sign and found that it made a lot of noise indicating it was working but using it actually dropped the tire pressure. After a few more stops where I dropped quarters in slots but got no air I found a Harbor Freight store and for $9 bought a 12v pump and in 5 minutes that seemed like an hour brought the pressure from 26 to 36psi. BTW, the pressure was 31psi when I first recognized the dash warning light on.
My spare on the boat tire needs air every spring. I use the free air at gas stations, but not one I have seen yet have a gauge, so toss one in your glove box. So there I am filling up the spare on the boat tire, and some lady decides to park right in front of me. I had to back up to get out. The parking lot was not striped on the side with the air. grrrr,
I don’t know of any FREE air anymore. Hess gas stations was the last one that did. But when they got bought out by Speedway - they took out the FREE air and added the $!.00/4 min pumps.
I’ve never had a problem with the Free air or pay air systems in extremely cold weather (-10 or lower).
There are free tire air stations near me but it is true that they are not everywhere.
Run a 200 HP engine to put some air in a tire. I’m astonished that I’m the only person in this thread who would use a hand pump.
If it took 30 minutes to fill a tire with an electric pump I would also use a hand or foot operated pump.
I have a bike pump that I use to top off my tires actually. It has a nice accurate dial gauge on it and it really doesn’t take long to put in 5-10 PSI in an automobile tire