The state of the economy at the street level

[wayneL]

I'm seeing a lot of tools on temu that sell here for 3x the price. Exact same tool.

I bought a bunch of fake dewalt battery's to try them out. Anyone that uses dewalt knows the batteries often get a dead cellll that renders them useless. They also stopped using nickel strip's so you can'tamf easily change the cell out.
Anyway the battery's work really well. So far less faults then the dewalt.

I got all fancy an' **** and bought an AEG angle grinder (plug in to run off my big 240v li battery. Burnt it out in 3 months.

In disgust I replaced it with an Ozito el cheapo. Three years later still going strong.

 

[mullokintyre]

Barrie Cassidy is, so I am told, a wise and well respected but now retired Jornalsit and TV Presenter.
However, i struggle to explain how he could not see the non sequitur in the statement below.


So many of the the cost increases for the peasants are mostly, if not entirely due to government policy, government intervention and government spending.
The peasants complain about the cost of beer, at least half the cost is made up by excise and GST.
The peasants complain about the cost of tolls on the road, tolls driven by government policy.
The cost of education, driven by government policy, including increases in wages to teachers.
The cost of gas and electricity has gone up, due in no small part to government policy.
The RBA themselves were quite open about keeping interest rates , and thus mortgage costs , above recent times because they were concerned that government spending was pushing up inflation.
I could go on, but I suspect thet the good Mr Cassidy does not read ASF.
Mick

 

[TimeISmoney]

I'm seeing a lot of tools on temu that sell here for 3x the price. Exact same tool.

I bought a bunch of fake dewalt battery's to try them out. Anyone that uses dewalt knows the batteries often get a dead cell that renders them useless. They also stopped using nickel strip's so you can't easily change the cell out.
Anyway the battery's work really well. So far less faults then the dewalt.

I bought some ebay Makita copies and a charger, batteries seem to work well but the charger was suspect. I dropped it on the ground, and it used to make a loud musical sound once the battery was charged, but only faint beeps now.

So I dismantled it and found half of the circuitry was missing, where the diode for the overheating light was meant to be, it wasn't there. When I bought the genuine charger, it also came with an internal fan that the copy didn't have.

 

[Dona Ferentes]

if you buy it at Bunnings and have the receipt, take it back within 12 months and they will refund.

 

[sptrawler]

I bought some ebay Makita copies and a charger, batteries seem to work well but the charger was suspect. I dropped it on the ground, and it used to make a loud musical sound once the battery was charged, but only faint beeps now.

So I dismantled it and found half of the circuitry was missing, where the diode for the overheating light was meant to be, it wasn't there. When I bought the genuine charger, it also came with an internal fan that the copy didn't have.

Yes this is a huge problem in the lithium equipment space, lithium batteries unlike earlier nickel metal hydride have a lot more energy density and are a lot more volatile, also their BMS (battery management systems) are more complex and their are more variations.

Unless you are a bit of a geek and are pretty switched on with electronic design, definitely use the manufacturers battery and charger. I have pulled quite a few battery packs apart from electric scooters, electric bikes and power tools, I'm always looking for the DIY fix.

Some manufacturers use cells that have the BMS actually on the cells, some use multiple strings of cells with BMS modules on each string and other manufacturers put the BMS in the charger.

So put simply, if you buy a cheap copy charger and it is cheap because it doesn't have a BMS, but the original one did, there is every chance you will get thermal runaway and maybe a fire, because the cells probably don't have a BMS.

Hope that helps.

P.S A mate of mine who is a 70 year old tiler still working, was telling me about buying the exact same thing from Temu about a month ago, I mentioned the same to him and said just charge them out the back for a while and see that they are o.k

 

[TimeISmoney]

Yes this is a huge problem in the lithium equipment space, lithium batteries unlike earlier nickel metal hydride have a lot more energy density and are a lot more volatile, also their BMS (battery management systems) are more complex and their are more variations.

Unless you are a bit of a geek and are pretty switched on with electronic design, definitely use the manufacturers battery and charger. I have pulled quite a few battery packs apart from electric scooters, electric bikes and power tools, I'm always looking for the DIY fix.

Some manufacturers use cells that have the BMS actually on the cells, some use multiple strings of cells with BMS modules on each string and other manufacturers put the BMS in the charger.

So put simply, if you buy a cheap copy charger and it is cheap because it doesn't have a BMS, but the original one did, there is every chance you will get thermal runaway and maybe a fire, because the cells probably don't have a BMS.

Hope that helps.

P.S A mate of mine who is a 70 year old tiler still working, was telling me about buying the exact same thing from Temu about a month ago, I mentioned the same to him and said just charge them out the back for a while and see that they are o.k

My golden rule is to never leave lithium batteries charging unattended, and I always feel if they're getting hot.

The other problem is that when they catch on fire they also leave a toxic residue behind, if they don't burn the place down.

Fairly sure all of the 26650s cells have an internal cut off for under and over voltage, it's usually written on the battery. The battery packs I have, do have separate circuitry in them also. I always keep them charged over 80% on the shelf.

There's a scooter fire here at least once a week, where the house burns down.

 

[mullokintyre]

Barrie Cassidy is, so I am told, a wise and well respected but now retired Jornalsit and TV Presenter.
However, i struggle to explain how he could not see the non sequitur in the statement below.
View attachment 196173

So many of the the cost increases for the peasants are mostly, if not entirely due to government policy, government intervention and government spending.
The peasants complain about the cost of beer, at least half the cost is made up by excise and GST.
The peasants complain about the cost of tolls on the road, tolls driven by government policy.
The cost of education, driven by government policy, including increases in wages to teachers.
The cost of gas and electricity has gone up, due in no small part to government policy.
The RBA themselves were quite open about keeping interest rates , and thus mortgage costs , above recent times because they were concerned that government spending was pushing up inflation.
I could go on, but I suspect thet the good Mr Cassidy does not read ASF.
Mick

And another thing for Barry to get his well used mind around.


Mick

 

[sptrawler]

While we are on the DIY issues on the tight ar$e thread, the son has an Amarock 4 cyl diesel that kept snapping the serpentine drive belt, when he came to my place he mentioned it and I said weell something has to be causing it.

So out with the milk crate and torch, pen and paper, make a drawing and then it is just a process of elimination.

So cutting to the chase, we worked out that the alternator on the car has a huge output, compared to what alternators used to put out this means they have a heavy rotating armature.

This in turn causes a huge amount of extra inertia, which transfers a lot of energy onto the drive belt when the throttle is sharply lifted off.
To overcome this, manufacturers have put overrun bearings on the alternator drive pulley, so when the accelerator is suddenly lifted the alternator rotor just freewhees and keeps spinning, thereby not putting huge stresses on the belt and of course the tensioner.

So I had the son put a thin screwdriver through the air vent holes in the front of the alternator and try to spin the rotor, the rotor wouldn't turn, the overrun bearing was frozen(stuffed) problem solved.
Why I brought it up is, the other day one of the ladies I talk to said she was having trouble with her Ford Puma, she was coming back from Manjimup to Mandurah and her drive belt snapped, tilt bed truck to the Ford dealer and they couldn't find the problem.

I said to her to ask them if the Puma has an overrun bearing on the alternator, next time I saw her, she said they reckon she is a legend.

Obviously this new addition to cars, is starting to come to the end of its usable life, ah the good old days when cars were simple.

 

[sptrawler]

My golden rule is to never leave lithium batteries charging unattended, and I always feel if they're getting hot.

The other problem is that when they catch on fire they also leave a toxic residue behind, if they don't burn the place down.

Fairly sure all of the 26650s cells have an internal cut off for under and over voltage, it's usually written on the battery. The battery packs I have, do have separate circuitry in them also. I always keep them charged over 80% on the shelf.

There's a scooter fire here at least once a week, where the house burns down.

Yes the early 18650 cells had all sorts of variations and they were the goto cell for most applications, from Tesla's to Ryobi drills.

Older Tesla models, like the Model S, Model X, and Roadster, used battery packs containing 7,104 to 7,256 18650 cells.

Ryobi 18V ONE+ batteries typically use 5 or 10 18650 cells, depending on the battery's capacity.

 

[sptrawler]

And another thing for Barry to get his well used mind around.
View attachment 196178

Mick

From memory Barry was a great champion for the loonie left, maybe now he has removed the RCA plug from his ABC jack he is starting to think rather than autocue. Only my opinion.

 

[sptrawler]

if you buy it at Bunnings and have the receipt, take it back within 12 months and they will refund.

If you still have the Bunnings thermo printed receipt in 12 months, it will be a blank piece of paper, the print will have evaporated.

Take a photo of the receipt and file it.

 

[qldfrog]

if you buy it at Bunnings and have the receipt, take it back within 12 months and they will refund.

Exactly, i needed heavy concrete drilling a few years ago : bought ozito drill cheapie, burnt one and exchanged it within weeks, completed the job and still have #2 for the odd job around.
My expensive Makita would have suffered, and i would have sent it to repair, spend money there and still need a cheapie during repairs.
Ultimately gave up with it
Ryobi and Ozito is as high i go now, got Stihl tool set and just repairing one broken would be more expensive than a Ryobi

 

[qldfrog]

If you still have the Bunnings thermo printed receipt in 12 months, it will be a blank piece of paper, the print will have evaporated.

Take a photo of the receipt and file it.

Alternatively record the purchase on your powerpass

 

[divs4ever]

I don't know Divs, I'm just a puppet in the free markets. The markets do what they have to do to, crush me, squeeze me, jump on me.

How well I can manage my risk is how well I come out the other side.

View attachment 196151

that was happening to me back in 2011 , that is why i devised my clumsy ( but flexible ) strategy to extract the investment cash when sensible while keeping a toehold ( in case i backed a good one )

it is a way easier decision to sell out completely of a holding , when it is 100% profit waiting to be scooped up

this does NOT happen with every stock i hold ( i have plenty of duds ) but say 30% of the portfolio is 100% 'no cash risk ' sure takes the bite out of a crash ( like March 2020 )

 

[divs4ever]

I do think that we are in danger of mediocrity and low living standards. We had a good run over the past 40 years, beating most of Europe in living standards, freedom and minimalist governance.

Looking at Europe now and they seem to be coming out of the dark times of excessive regulations and bureaucracy. While we load up the credit card for the children of our children's children to pay off.

regarding Europe , not from what i am reading , they seem to be holding the torch as they lead us into to abyss of entanglement , remember that climate narrative was embraced in the EU first and way quicker than say the US , China or India

BTW did i hear correctly that the Swiss Central Bank slashed official interest rates TO 0.25% ?

that doesn't look healthy to me

 

[sptrawler]

Alternatively record the purchase on your powerpass

WTF's that?

 

[macca]

If you still have the Bunnings thermo printed receipt in 12 months, it will be a blank piece of paper, the print will have evaporated.

Take a photo of the receipt and file it.

I bought an Ozito pressure spray for $99 at Bunnings with a 3 year warranty, I figure $33 pa for a pressure spray is a good price.

It works as good as the Ryobi one we toasted

If it dies I get a replacement until the 3 years are up so it will do me

 

[divs4ever]

regarding Europe , not from what i am reading , they seem to be holding the torch as they lead us into to abyss of entanglement , remember that climate narrative was embraced in the EU first and way quicker than say the US , China or India

BTW did i hear correctly that the Swiss Central Bank slashed official interest rates TO 0.25% ?

that doesn't look healthy to me

went to the local town today ( second time this week )

now this isn't a huge place but has 4 reasonable size public primary schools ( unlike the 3 classrooms in the local village )

but i note in the picnic/BBQ facility on the edge of the town has what appears to be a permanent resident in a sheltered ( 3 brick sides and a decent roof ) picnic table

while there are plenty of occupied caravans on urban properties and about 100 cottages/units owned by the council for single occupants ( mostly older/ill males )

but sleeping 'rough' in clear view on the main road/highway .... will have to watch and see if the 'picnic table ' directly adjoining acquires a resident as well

 

[sptrawler]

went to the local town today ( second time this week )

now this isn't a huge place but has 4 reasonable size public primary schools ( unlike the 3 classrooms in the local village )

but i note in the picnic/BBQ facility on the edge of the town has what appears to be a permanent resident in a sheltered ( 3 brick sides and a decent roof ) picnic table

while there are plenty of occupied caravans on urban properties and about 100 cottages/units owned by the council for single occupants ( mostly older/ill males )

but sleeping 'rough' in clear view on the main road/highway .... will have to watch and see if the 'picnic table ' directly adjoining acquires a resident as well

Coming into the large town I live in, about 500M from the main drag, there is an elevated empty block on the West side with sea views, full of makeshift shelters it actually looks like something from a third world documentary.
Must admit though, the homeless look happy.
@IFocus , you can check it out if you come into town past the Silver Sands pub, go through the lights and keep your eye on the vacant blocks on the right, it is getting really well established.
I'm sure they would appreciate any help you think you can afford, I'm fully booked up with helping family, but I did give them a couple of esky's I don't use anymore .

 

[frugal.rock]

WTF's that?

It's a special pass from Trump to avoid Cunnings rip off by around 5% discount, aka, a trade discount card.
One can apply for credit on it also or just present it at POS for a discount.
Apparently the "Handy Man" choice category gives the widest range of discounts.

I'm here for this. I haven't bought a pair of jeans in 25 years at least...

Clothing retailer Jeanswest collapses, hundreds of jobs to go

Clothing retailer Jeanswest has collapsed, with more than 90 stores set to close within months and hundreds of employees set to lose their jobs.

www.abc.net.au