Hey Folks

[oldlawnguy]

So, what's the purpose of this site? To lend a hand when you think you can or to analyze and discourage the people asking for help and those who try to help without your years of experience?

My view is your 1st point caveated by the etiquette of the OPer and their willingness to learn & do with forum help on their time, their effort, their added research, their $ etc. If intent is to "do it all for me" then that is usually where posts can go sideways.

I have yet to see lack of collective forum help on any post with: a problem summary AND equipment model #. I'm here as a continuous learner from all contributing on this forum no matter how many years of experience. My 3 adult kids are still teaching me...

 

[hlw49]

Well I see a lot of good points here on both sides. I have been in the lawn and garden industry for 45 years and love what I do. I work at a hardware store that sells and services lawn mowers and hand held equipment. I have repaired all types from 2 stroke to commercial mowers. I now only do the lawn mowers. What really gets me is the person who comes in wanting parts for their equipment without the model # and expect you to know with a comment like it's a Dixie Chopper. I bought it here. Like going to the parts house saying I need an air filter for my car and saying it's a Chevy.

Then the joker who comes in and wants free advice and I am always kind enough to go and talk to them. Then they do something dumb like answer their cell phone or start arguing. Sorry dude you just lost me I have turned and walked away for idiots like this. We get $80.00 and hour to work on the equipment I am kind enough to take the time to answer their question and they think I am going to stand wait for them to chit chat on the phone.
think not. One guy did this I walked away, he went to the store manager and demanded he fire me on the spot. Yea really good luck with that one.

A thanks and respect is not too much to ask. Just my to cents worth or maybe a Dollar. LOL

Great forum and some really good posters here thanks to you all.

Those of us with years of experience are getting older and we like it or not are a dying breed. I am 70 years old and still working every day. Still love what I do.

 

[bertsmobile1]

So, what's the purpose of this site? To lend a hand when you think you can or to analyze and discourage the people asking for help and those who try to help without your years of experience?

Like about 50% of all sites on the www it is here to make money for the owners
The other 50 % are there to spread properganda .

But I do like to get inside peoples heads

 

[SamB]

Guess some people think I’m looking for thanks, based on two PM’s. Couldn’t be farther from the truth. To those members I say this. If I only do this to get a pat on the back, I would have stuck around for 9 years. I do it because it is part of a teachers character to help others learn. Just like the real world, most people think that all professionals charge too much and feel because they pay the bills that’s thanks enough. Plus they have been hurt by the 10% bad ones, they feel we all are out to get them. That’s why you’ll see me belittle everyone of them who rants about them when they can’t get what they want on their own terms. That’s one reason why I wish this forum had a way to identify which members are technicians, so when professionals reply, the OP’s know it’s not a garage mechanic just giving an opinion. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of good DIY guys here, but only the pros can indentify them quickly, but most time they are professional enough to just let it go. Most of them “slept at a Holiday Inn last night” If you’re old enough to remember that commercial.

While I'm not an OPE repair pro,I do have a long mechanical employment background. So I can somewhat tell if the poster offering help and a solution is a learned professional or not, just by how the problem is approached. It's a simple courtesy to everyone here to report back on what worked or what solved the issue at hand. I I have learned a lot about issues I have not had (yet!) by just sitting back and listening to those with a lot more knowledge about mowers and engines than I have,all the while enjoying the read. I thank the technicians here and listen to what they say. While there may not be a flag that shows them to be technicians, to a lot of us,it shows!
I like to adhere to the adage that you can't(or won't) learn anything when your mouth is open!

 

[SamB]

But I do like to get inside peoples heads

Not sure you'd like it there. I myself am out of it sometimes! LOL!

 

[bertsmobile1]

Not sure you'd like it there. I myself am out of it sometimes! LOL!

People are facinating and what makes them think a particular way is even more facinating.
Like some here who think that The President actually controls the price of fuel .
Firearms are always fun along with fire arm regulations or lack there of.
Then there is "freedom"
Amazed how many people think not wearing a face mask is a sign of "freedom" from authority
Yet the same people have a Google & face Book accounts , giving them all of their personal information and generally a pile of reward cards for shopping with .

What people think is of little interest because I know I am right & they are all wrong but why they have come to those wrong conclusions is the interesting bit .

One of the very good things about the moderating of this forum is that the moderators do allow threads to go off topic & delve into personal beliefs and even religions provided that the discourse remains civil.
Most forums will not allow this at all and that tends to make them some what sanguine.
I have been kicked off several forums because of "communist subversive comments " , " un American attitude " or even "un Christian comments "
And the one that floored me was a forum where Chinese made items were denegrated on a daily basis and all sorts of inuendoes about the interlect of Chinese was quite acceptable.
When some one asked about "Indian parts " I suggested that the poster might be a little racist as India the country actually makes nothing but there are thousands of people in India who do make things and considering them all to be the same is a touch on the racists side unless he knew which Indian was making the parts he was considering .
They tossed me off of there because I used the word "racist"

 

[hlw49]

Like about 50% of all sites on the www it is here to make money for the owners
The other 50 % are there to spread properganda .

But I do like to get inside peoples heads

I don't mind helping just don't like to be taken advantage if people come into the shop on my time they should show a little respect and appreciation. I get paid an hourly wage plus a percentage of the labor I turn. To me and the place I work it is not cost productive. Most of the people who come in like that are not paying customers anyway just want something for nothing. Oh they might buy some parts but a lot of them will find out what they need and buy the cheap stuff off the internet any way.

 

[bkeller500]

The world has changed. Now with the internet, Google & YouTube and others, we have made information available and have encouraged people to use the internet to get information and to purchase new stuff and to repair their old stuff. For example car dealers use the internet to promote their dealerships by offering discounts and incentives. But when you go in to get one of their deals, they switch tactics and actually get upset when you tell them your going to shop on the internet for another quote. When I Google cars, I come up with a lot of options. Manufacturers have encouraged us to use the internet to find them and to shop. Unfortunately for them we also see their competition. The internet has taught us to research and to educate ourselves. DIY has come a long way because of the internet. When seeking advice on a help site like this, we as seekers owe it to you to ask intelligent questions and provide adequate information so you can assist. And follow up with a thank you and results of the assist. Often times this process is lacking due to the original post not being clear on his needs. Just as with our children, guidance, patience and forgiveness come into play.

 

[StarTech]

Then maybe poster can understand my frustration when I see totally off the wall posts. I am learning just not to reply to them. One recently was about a two piece flo-jet carburetor that repling poster thought that they could only be that the float was miss adjusted or damage or the needle/seat wasn't sealing. I have fix several over the years that there is another cause possible but I kept quite about it.

And the original poster asking for help understand that each equipment config can be unique and that we are not mind readers as we are not standing by their sides. We ask for equipment number so can look up things so we can become familiar with what have in front of them.

I will not look at a YouTube video any more on repairs; unless, it is posted by the OEM. It sorta like all those use JB Weld to fix things which I have never got work. Heaven forbid one tries duct taping a blade on. I have have seen it to come into my shop once.

 

[bertsmobile1]

The world has changed. Now with the internet, Google & YouTube and others, we have made information available and have encouraged people to use the internet to get information and to purchase new stuff and to repair their old stuff. For example car dealers use the internet to promote their dealerships by offering discounts and incentives. But when you go in to get one of their deals, they switch tactics and actually get upset when you tell them your going to shop on the internet for another quote. When I Google cars, I come up with a lot of options. Manufacturers have encouraged us to use the internet to find them and to shop. Unfortunately for them we also see their competition. The internet has taught us to research and to educate ourselves. DIY has come a long way because of the internet. When seeking advice on a help site like this, we as seekers owe it to you to ask intelligent questions and provide adequate information so you can assist. And follow up with a thank you and results of the assist. Often times this process is lacking due to the original post not being clear on his needs. Just as with our children, guidance, patience and forgiveness come into play.

Getting off track, but the internet has taught us nothing other than how to be greedy & lazy
Greedy to expect to get the cheapest possible price from everyone to the point of being abusive if the vendor does not match the cheapest internet price.
Lazy because we really do not search, we let google / facebook do that for us
Stupid because we do not question what we see on the screen.

A TV commercial can cost anything from $ 5000 on late night TV to $ 5,000,000,000 during the super bowl , every time it is run
Add $ 100,000 for production and they become very very expensive
A You tube add can be produced for under $ 1,000 if self made and as low as $ 10,000 if done by pros
A you tube / face ache presentation costs nothing to the poster per viewing so their only cost is what they pay to the web host to direct the viewers to their add which is generally a few cents per click through .
A brouchure or catalogue can cost a small fortune to produce then twice as much to print & distribute.
However an e-catalogue can be made virtually for free and costs nothing to distribute.
Even better is it can be changed at any time and with high speed printers the dealer can run you off one in a couple of minutes if you want some paper to take home .