I have to become the expert at everything

[Tompet]

the old saying: "If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself."

the new corollary: "...after becoming an expert on the subject on the internet."[

Funny addendum....or the old fashioned way.....go to a library?


Ultrarunner....that story reinforces value of good info available online.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

If we collected all these stories into a thread; Muhammad would have to buy another file server and bank of storage drives. I guess that is why I have tools for about every trade out there including diagnostics instruments. After screwing with car dealers over auto AC problems I now have all that equipment again (my old trade i sold off the tools for many years ago. If I replaced every thing in my garage I would get out of debt including the house (tongue in cheek). Good thing this forum, we can trade solutions to problems.

Ron

 

[dstig1]

I can't argue with you at all. When I find someone competent, I am pleased and amazed. I often know more than the people I hire about their tasks, except the day to day details of the install. And still I notice things that make me go hmmmmm. I would call it 50/50 on the subs I have used on my house build. The good ones have been recommended by the guy who framed the place (I knew him from earlier). The rest have been a mix of good to bad. Too many bad for "professionals". But of course as we often say it, "professional means you get paid to do it, not that you are necessarily good at it."...

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Sigh.

So many people start well but not as many finish.

I'm on my 3rd plumbing outfit.

 

[ultrarunner]

I can't argue with you at all. When I find someone competent, I am pleased and amazed. I often know more than the people I hire about their tasks, except the day to day details of the install. And still I notice things that make me go hmmmmm. I would call it 50/50 on the subs I have used on my house build. The good ones have been recommended by the guy who framed the place (I knew him from earlier). The rest have been a mix of good to bad. Too many bad for "professionals". But of course as we often say it, "professional means you get paid to do it, not that you are necessarily good at it."...

Pretty much how I feel...

I keep getting told I need to hire more out... thing is for simple property maintenance jobs I still need to be there and having to wait around for someone is about the same time it would take me to do the job...

I bought a professional cable machine for drain lines... about 3k with accessories used... like new used.

It has paid for itself over many times... just in time savings... I can pull up on my schedule and take care of it... no more blank checks to unsupervised trades people..

The thing to remember is tractors owners are doers... already puts us in a different category.

I manage trades for my day job and there are guys I can just turn loose... they take care of the problem and bill fair.

One of my neighbors hired a plumber to clear a line... the neighbor was paying the guy to drive twice to the hardware store for supplies... paying $80 an hour... then he said he needed to call his buddy to camera the line and was already working on an estimate for replacement.

I drove up and saw the problem... said I will take care of it... neighbor paid the guy to leave.

That was 7 years ago and no plumbing problems since... see the grandkids had spent the weekend and a few toys had been flushed...

 

[fxdb96]

From vehicles to house repairs to the 50 hr service on my tractor. I simply dont / cant deal with trusting anyone nowadays. It seems like every time i let my gaurd down i get screwed. Sounds kinda glum i know .... And it is glum!!!! Haha

 

[Wakey]

Spot on Pirate. I refer to it as hand holding.

 

[s219]

I had a renewed sense of trust after working with excellent subcontractors when we built our house. But I have concluded these guys were all rarities, carefully chosen and retained by our builder, who himself is one of the best in the area. Without that level of vetting, it's a crapshoot.

When I can get one of those subs back to do work -- which is tough because they are tied up with new homes -- things go well. When I have tried someone new, it has again reminded me why I normally do everything myself.

 

[kf4uda]

Wow, I think we should name this group. I am certainly a member. I too do most everything myself mostly due to not trusting others to do what they say. I don't mind paying for a service as long as I get what I pay for. As others have said, I too have had several bad experiences to justify my mindset.

Sometimes I choose to do things myself to save money. I have found that lots of times even if a repair requires buying a special tool, I can buy it, come out cheaper and have the tool I wouldn't have bought otherwise.

 

[tcreeley]

The money I have saved doing it myself has more than payed for the extra tools I needed to get the job done. Then I always have the tools for something else!