People that Won’t Survive when SHTF

[devilock76]

I see a lot of this. One of the things that strikes me is lack of common sense science and engineering understanding. I am not talking understanding particle physics. I am talking understanding the basics of say a freaking lever, or pulleys. We really have lost a lot of the spirit of DIY as a society in general.

Tomorrow, the power goes out and your drinking water is unsafe, how many would know what to do to make sure they have just basic safe drinking water. It just feels more and more that people just don't know how things work, and more so are afraid to try. Recently my fridge went out. I fixed it myself, and I will be the first to say appliances are not my specialty. But I went out and learned, from the internet and a friend who does know appliances and used what I already knew about other electronic devices to fix at the cost of a fan motor vs a new fridge or repair service. Yeah whoopty do for me. I am a cheapskate so I think like that and I knew the useful life of the fridge was still about half there. But so many in the states just have a very disposable attitude to things...

Just my rant on a similar thread...

Ken

[Burnsey]

^^ I hear you, I'm a rabid doityourselfer. My bro in law asked me the other day if we might be the last generation that knows how to use tools? lol Were both sixtyish.

[Riggins44]

^^ I hear you, I'm a rabid doityourselfer. My bro in law asked me the other day if we might be the last generation that knows how to use tools? lol Were both sixtyish.

No but I think your close, I'm 40 ish, own a home and a rental property, and rarely pay for repairs. I'll go online and figure out how to repair something foreign to me. I refuse to pay for repairs for the most part. I think the only thing I let someone else do was install a furnace.

Same with vehicles. I just changed a fuel pump (it was in the gas tank) of my truck. It was pain in the ass, but I figured it out with a YouTube tutorial.

[hokiehi82]

I've done all this and more. Next time my septic tank is backed up all the way into my house and clogged up in the outlet lines however, I'm calling someone. DIY be damned on that one.

[Skell18]

I've done all this and more. Next time my septic tank is backed up all the way into my house and clogged up in the outlet lines however, I'm calling someone. DIY be damned on that one.

hahahahaha! Don't blame you!

[lxskllr]

A lot of things aren't made to be fixed. The part cost is 60% of buying a whole new item, and that's assuming you can get a part number, and a place to order from. Then there's stuff like computer printers which are bottom of the barrel junk for almost free, and you get raped on the consumables. I'd rather pay top dollar for repairable hardware, and pay what the consumables are actually worth.

[devilock76]

One of my proudest moments as a father was coming home from work and seeing my oldest at just 4 years old with a wrench removing his training wheels from his bike, well trying to. However later that day I found that he had also removed the air cleaner from my motorcycle for some unknown reason. So that lead to two discussion. NEVER TOUCH DADDY'S BIKE!!! And ask for help when getting tools always.

Every repair thing I have done they are interested in watching and as long as it is safe for them to be near me I will show them what I am doing and why. I was the kid who took a part the toaster as a child, I want to foster that curiosity, even if it costs me a toaster since as a child it took a little while to get to the putting the toaster back together stage....

Ken

[Mordred]

A lot of things aren't made to be fixed. The part cost is 60% of buying a whole new item, and that's assuming you can get a part number, and a place to order from. Then there's stuff like computer printers which are bottom of the barrel junk for almost free, and you get raped on the consumables. I'd rather pay top dollar for repairable hardware, and pay what the consumables are actually worth.

This. Compare old cars with new ones and you will quickly notice that the new ones are designed to make it damn near impossible to fix anything yourself. I can't remember which car it was, but a friend of mine had one where you couldn't remove the battery without taking apart the bumper assembly, making something that would otherwise take 5 minutes an hour-long job for a couple of mechanics. And don't even get me started on the ways (pentalobe screws) that Apple uses to make it impossible to fix their phones.

We are being forced out of DIY by the manufacturers.

[Frankie Reloaded]

Exactly. One of the lights in our Toyota (or Nissan, I do not remember which one it was) died when we were visiting our rural in-laws. Father-in-law is a hardcore DYI man complete with an old car on wooden blocks in the backyard. He laughed heartily at my suggestion that I go to the authorized service to exchange the bulb... started working... brought more tools... hung a strong light over the engine compartment... called his brother with more experience... and finally did the job himself with a little help from his friends. Only took some 2 hours. A single headlight bulb. Used to be exchangeable on the side of the road in a minute or so.