The big news of this week is that my shop press sold at my parents’ garage sale! I apparently feel the need to tell the world.
The shop press was one of those purchases of overreach. I have a few other purchases like that, too, but they are at least cool. The shop press was this 160-lb monstrosity that followed me around for years. It was difficult to assemble, it was difficult to disassemble. When did I buy that? I can’t even remember. It was supposed to allow me to change wheel bearings, but spent most of its time taking up a lot of space and being a butt.
It was one of those things that you hate but you keep around because it “could be useful” someday. When I first started this blog nearly 4 years ago, I noted that we often keep things we hate out of fear, and this was definitely one of those things. Because, whoa, you know? – I might need it to change my wheel bearings someday. It’s really important to be able to do that instead of just paying a shop, no? (There are better tools for the job, actually). Oddly enough, it would also have been useful for pressing the passenger side axle bearing out of its carrier, which has a reputation over many different years and models as being a giant pain, but there’s another solution to that: buy a new carrier bracket. And I think I saw a used one on eBay for cheap, too.
Honestly, it’s a huge relief to finally be rid of it. I did get a little money from the transaction ($50), but I would have been willing to give it away for free if it came down to it, so the money is just icing on the cake. Strangely enough, it didn’t cost much in the first place ($150-$200).
Life’s too short for that crap – get rid of stuff you hate.