Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Ever sell off all your tools?

From: Ian McFetridge <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2015 20:02:18 -0400

I did it in 2009.
From: 4 bedroom 4000 sqft house, 3 bay garage and 22 x 16' shop with 80
gallon air, etc.
To:  Manhattan apartment
I gave/sold a bunch of stuff to local friends, but the bulk of it went to
my inlaws farm (they have tons of space, out-buildings, etc.)
It's at once nice to not have to worry about anything...while also
constantly telling myself if I had [this tool] I could fix that rather than
pay someone a small fortune or wait for an HOA/building person to do it
(usually not to my satisfaction).

THEN, we got pregnant with twins and moved to the suburbs (circle of
life?).  I gradually moved things from the farm to the new house and bought
some new tools, but the exercise has made me rationalize many purchases and
curb my packrat nature (e.g., I get by with a pancake compressor instead of
an 80 gal with hardlines).  Our latest house does have a 20 x 40' woodshop
setup by the PO, so it's temping to fill it back up.

The wife and I saw the perks of boro/city living and will be going back to
that when the boys graduate high school, so we say (we'll be in our 50s).
A friend of mine has a nice compromise, he lives in a condo, but is a
volunteer firefighter and has access to a really nice shop/tools at the
station--not a bad compromise.

-Ian

On Sat, Aug 22, 2015 at 7:33 PM, Jim Franklin <[email-masked]>
wrote:
>
>
> I'm curious if any of you have considered this, and what the outcome was.
> None
> of the tools are sentimental, or (with the exception of the Festo circular
> saw) high end.
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From: Lee Hart <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2015 00:43:37 +0000

I bought a set of tools that way. They were mostly Snap-on tools in a pair of
Snap-on chests, bought for roughly the price of a new set of chests. The
former owner owned an auto repair shop and had not spun a wrench in a long
time.  He moved into a townhouse half the size of his house that I was buying.
He did regret the sale.

Lee

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

-------- Original message --------
From: Jim Franklin <[email-masked]>
Date: 8/22/2015 16:34 (GMT-08:00)
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [Shop-talk] Ever sell off all your tools?

I turned 50 this year, and realized the past 25 years were one long fix-it
session. While I made a living at it, and saved some $ DIYing, I'm
contemplating moving into a condo in the city and just writing that monthly
HOA check.

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From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2015 23:37:42 -0700

> I'm

Takes all kinds, I guess.  That would be the kiss of death for me, only two
steps removed from the nursing home.  

I just turned 60, and retired.  It's not about saving money or making a
living, but doing the things I enjoy.  Got a 1914 player piano that I'd love
to make play again; and here in a few days I hope to hear a 1948 "Johnny
Popper" make that lovely exhaust note once again.  With no tools, I'd be
sitting on the couch watching Seinfeld reruns!

Just noticed your email addy.  Say Hi to Arlo for me <G>

Randall

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From: "Peter J. Thomas" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2015 12:54:41 -0400

On 8/22/2015 7:33 PM, Jim Franklin wrote:
> I'm curious if any of you have considered this, and what the outcome was. None

More like the reverse.  Moved from apartments when single to house when 
married.

When single I kept a tool chest, small floor jack and stands for the 
car.  For non auto a couple of buckets with the basic hand tools, 
circular saw, jig saw, corded drill, sander, router, angle grinder, 
etc.  With a clamping straight edge and saw horses I could do most of 
what I use my table saw for now.

You might consider going through your tools and culling them down to the 
basics.  The big tools you could sell/donate to a close friend/family so 
you can use them if needed.
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From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2015 20:24:39 -0500

> On Aug 22, 2015, at 18:33, Jim Franklin <[email-masked]> wrote:
>

Another alternative is to outsource the bits you don't like (lawn care, snow
removal, routine car maintenance?), and do the stuff you do like (restoring?
Fabrication?).   Depending on where you are, things like lawn mowing can be
ridiculously cheap, and give a bunch of time to other things.

On the other hand, if you do go for a condo, keep enough tools to do stuff
you'd feel like an idiot calling a plumber for.
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From: Scott Hall <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:48:45 -0500

Jim,

I just spent 2.5 years in apartments for work--two years in Coral Gables
(Miami), six months in the snowy north.

Had a co-worker that did nearly the same thing and said he loved it.

...I did not. There was always a loose doorknob/faucet/whatever that
required that tool that I had but left in the house 500 miles away. There
would be some mini-project I wanted to deal with but no tools (and no where
to work).

The only time I liked it was when the fridge in the apartment died. I had
no tools and no multimeter. I just called the landlord. Took way too long
and three trips and the guy left a incredible mess behind, but I don't know
anything about refrigerators anyway.

Car stuff was the worst. Oil change? There is _no_way_ I'm taking it to
someone to put God knows what cheap oil and filter in it for $69.99, or
$299 for new brake pads, etc. So everything meant a 500 mile (one way)
trip, sometimes in a car I'd prefer not to be driving.

I just bought a house partially just to get out of apartments. Yes, I might
blow up the house changing gas lines (actually, I haven't so far, but I
hook up the new heater this weekend), but at least I'm not waiting,
wondering when the slack-jawed moron will finally show up to do a
half-assed job. If there's going to be a slack-jawed moron half-assing it,
I'll be that moron, at least.

I think it's just a personality thing. If you think you might like it, you
probably will. I know my co-worker said he had lots more free time, and
enjoyed it. If I had mechanics and repairmen that I knew to do good work,
timely and at reasonable prices I might like it more. I don't, so I didn't.

Scott

On Sat, Aug 22, 2015 at 6:33 PM, Jim Franklin <[email-masked]>
wrote:

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