Elliot Coleman (u/elliotc10)

Posts

I wasted $150 on a 'flush kit' for my transmission

Bought one of those pressurized flush machines for my 2004 Tacoma thinking I was doing the right thing. Three weeks later the transmission started slipping bad and my buddy at the shop says I probably dislodged years of gunk that was holding it together. Any of you guys had a flush go sideways on an older high-mileage truck?

3 comments

c/balcony-vegetable-gardens•

elliotc10•3d ago

Wasted $45 on those self-watering balcony pots that claim to fix overwatering

I bought four of those plastic self-watering pots from a garden center downtown thinking they'd save me from killing my cherry tomatoes again. Turns out the wicking system barely works in direct sun on a concrete balcony because the water just evaporates before it reaches the roots. My basil drowned in one pot and my pepper plant dried out in another within 3 weeks. Has anyone else had luck with a specific brand or should I just stick to drilling my own drainage holes in regular pots?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

elliotc10•4d ago

Wasted $200 on a power stretcher I barely use

Bought a top of the line power stretcher thinking it would speed up every job. Turns out most of my residential work in older homes has tight hallways and closets where that thing just gathers dust. Anyone else find themselves reaching for the knee kicker way more than they expected?

2 comments

c/diesel-mechanics•

elliotc10•10d ago

Can we talk about those counterfeit fuel filters floating around?

Last month I grabbed a cheap filter for my Cummins off a third-party site and it collapsed inside the housing after just 200 miles, has anyone else seen these junk parts ruin a pump?

2 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

elliotc10•11d ago

Old timer at the plant gave me a tip about hard troweling I still use

I was at the ready mix plant in Nashville about 2 years ago waiting on a load. This older finisher named Dave walked up and saw my boots were still wet. He said "you're gonna burn that slab if you don't wait for the bleed water to leave." He showed me a scratch test he does with his finger to know when it's ready. I've used that trick on every job since and it stopped me from ruining at least 3 floors. Has anyone else picked up a simple trick from a stranger that stuck with them?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

elliotc10•12d ago

Vent: Old homeowner watched me work for 2 hours then asked if I used the right screws

I was hanging board in a basement remodel up in Green Bay last Tuesday, this guy in his 70s just sits on a bucket staring at me. After two hours he walks over and points at my drywall screws and goes "those ain't the blue ones, are they?" I told him no, they're black coarse thread for wood studs and he just nodded and went back to his bucket. Has anyone else had a customer question your fastener choice like they knew better?

2 comments

c/dumb-landlord-stories•

elliotc10•13d ago

My landlord tried to fix a leaky faucet with duct tape and called it a permanent solution

He said real plumbers are too expensive and that tape holds everything together in a pinch, but now I'm dealing with water damage in the cabinet below and he's blaming me for using the sink too much.

2 comments

c/backyard-chicken-keepers•

elliotc10•14d ago

Mocked my neighbor for using a heat lamp in the coop during winter...

I always thought heat lamps were for fancy show chickens, not my hardy Rhode Island Reds. Then we hit -12 degrees last January and I lost two birds, while his flock was laying eggs like it was July.

2 comments

c/antique-tech-support•

elliotc10•1mo ago

Talked my grandpa out of getting a vintage laser printer from 1993

Last weekend my grandpa found some old LaserJet from 1993 at a thrift store for 20 bucks and wanted to buy it. I told him to hold up and think about it because those things weigh like 50 pounds and use proprietary toner cartridges you can't find anymore. He said 'but it's built tough, they don't make em like that.' I reminded him that modern printers are cheap and the toner costs less. He then showed me a picture of the inside and the rollers were all crusty and the fuser had a burn mark. I told him it could literally start a fire if the power supply is shot. He finally gave up and bought a Brother laser for 80 bucks on sale instead. Has anyone else had to talk someone out of a fire hazard from the early 90s?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

elliotc10•1mo ago

Guy at O'Hare taught me a trick with lockwire that I still use

Met this old Delta mechanic in the break room at ORD during a layover, and he showed me how to double-twist lockwire with my eyes closed. Has anyone else had a random person drop some unexpected knowledge like that?

2 comments