Eliminating equipment

[JCM 8,658]

There comes a time when looking around the yard, shop and garage I say to myself, do I really need all this stuff. For example this 2005 Fisher 8' Stainless X-Blade plow that had under 100 hours on it that has not been used since 2012. If Kev @Pullstart lived closer he would have been sent a PM to see if he would be interested for mounting this on one of his GM trucks. This sold this month after 2 days advertised for full asking price. Other things since this past Fall was a 310-8. thanks @Sparky  you got the ball rolling for me, and a 2008 Polaris sportsman ATV with under 300 hours on it which sold to a good friend. Next up most likely will be the Farmall Super A and all its attachments, parts,books and manuals, too much to list. One of the projects I have been working on is getting rid of is Plumbing and Heating stock that I have been around since 1971 when I started as a Plumbers helper. A lot of parts have been tossed in a dumpster, some have been scrapped, overwhelming to say the least, sad.

[ebinmaine 63,214]

I understand the cognitive situation there all too well. 

In years past I've struggled greatly to discard or pass along anything.  

Back about 10, 11 years ago I made some major life changes and improvements.  

One of them is deciding in a PRACTICAL WAY what items need to stay or be rehomed. 

 

The last few years I've been carefully choosing what stays, goes, or gets aquired.  

 

 

Remember there's more than one way to "cleanse".

De-cluttering is a wonderful way to create a physical and  MENTAL cleanse..

 

 

[squonk 38,965]

I bought My Power King mainly to build a loader to handle snow. Man it worked great. But we haven't gotten squat for snow for like 3 years now. I need it for 1 job a year it seems like. Mostly it sits and takes up a lot of room in the garage. I know if I ever sell it we will get blasted

[Pullstart 59,744]

Nice plow too, with a spring trip edge!  Attaboy Plunge!  

[JoeM 7,649]

Rules of 7,

Keep the last 7 things you thought you were going to need, and get rid of the rest. 

If they are important, they will come back.

 

I kind of practice the rule of 25. 

Slow learner. 

[ebinmaine 63,214]

11 minutes ago, JoeM said:

 

 

I kind of practice the rule of 25. 

Slow learner. 

 

 

 

 

 

11 minutes ago, JoeM said:

Rules of 7,

Keep the last 7 things you thought you were going to need, and get rid of the rest. 

If they are important, they will come back.

 

While learning to organize and create the life I now lead I read about different ways to get where you want to be as far as possessions.  

 

I've seen quite a few "rules of such n such" 

 

MANY are flat wrong.  

Some wanna be famous dingbat that lives in an apartment in a mediocre temperature environment that could live with a spork and a pillow. 

 

 

Practicality is an incredibly huge variable depending on living situation.  

 

As Trina and I try to become more and more self sufficient the limits (both up and down) change and vary every year.  

 

An excellent recent example: 

We currently have several sizes of Wheelhorse plow blades.  

Our friends plow broke because of an old bad weld. 

I'd been considering giving up a couple of the "extras".

I did not.  So they had easy access to a much needed blade.  

 

[SylvanLakeWH 24,175]

I'm in long term declutter mode. One trash can / recycle bin per week and / or donate. 

 

Good feeling and over due...

 

Another thing i've done for years: one new clothing item in? Two get donated... slowly keeps the clutter down...

 

[squonk 38,965]

2 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

I'm in long term declutter mode. One trash can / recycle bin per week and / or donate. 

 

Good feeling and over due...

 

Another thing i've done for years: one new clothing item in? Two get donated... slowly keeps the clutter down...

 

My wife works part time at a 2nd hand store that only sells donations to help the homeless. I can't donate as fast as she buys and brings home! 

[ebinmaine 63,214]

1 minute ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

clothing item

Reminds me I need to donate some old work shirts.....

 

Cotton clothing is shredded for shop rags. We have very little cotton because of the life we lead being outdoors so much. (cotton + hiking = bad) 

 

The rest, polyester rayon etc  is for the salvation army.  

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,580]

3 hours ago, JCM said:

There comes a time when looking around the yard, shop and garage I say to myself, do I really need all this stuff. 
Other things since this past Fall was a 310-8. thanks @Sparky  you got the ball rolling for me

 

 

 

You’re welcome Jim…I could see in your face that day that you weren’t sure you wanted to sell that 310.
  Patty on the other hand was delighted 

[JCM 8,658]

1 hour ago, Sparky said:

You’re welcome Jim…I could see in your face that day that you weren’t sure you wanted to sell that 310.
  Patty on the other hand was delighted 

You may want to only bring 3 WH tractors on your trailer to the 6th annual M & G on the 7th of September this year. You just never know what might follow you home.      Once a week I find a picture of that 310 and weep a bit.    @Raven  is very neutral, doesn't matter if I have 1 or  oh yeah down to 9, that's enough.

[Handy Don 10,635]

5 hours ago, JoeM said:

Rules of 7,

Keep the last 7 things you thought you were going to need, and get rid of the rest. 

If they are important, they will come back.

 

I kind of practice the rule of 25. 

Slow learner. 

I, too, fight with recurring bouts of the “more is better” disease.

[Handy Don 10,635]

3 hours ago, squonk said:

My wife works part time at a 2nd hand store that only sells donations to help the homeless. I can't donate as fast as she buys and brings home! 

As long as it isn’t the same items making round trips....

[JoeM 7,649]

A couple years ago the wife and I did what I call a "purge" to the basement. 

It all started with some rules. 

There will be three piles

Keep, Throw or Donate.

The keep pile must never exceed the size of either throw or donate. If so, items must be moved.

She sat on the steps and I carried the items in front of her for a look then into a pile they went. There was a method to the madness. 

I admit it was tough but 30 some black trash bags later. They were either donated or thrown away. 

I think there is a dozen totes down there now and 3 are mine. 

[ebinmaine 63,214]

8 minutes ago, JoeM said:

A couple years ago the wife and I did what I call a "purge" to the basement. 

It all started with some rules. 

There will be three piles

Keep, Throw or Donate.

 

 

Well-done. Takes a fair amount of gumption to get that done.  

[Beap52 587]

I wrote a couple of months ago about mom having a serious operation following what seems to have been a botched biopsy.  She is now in assisted living and will be remaining there for the foreseeable future.  As a result we are preparing to sell her house and small acreage.  She used to joke that every time she went to an auction or antique store that she was leaving me something to have to deal with after she was gone.  Well, she is getting to help make decisions of what to do with her stuff.   As  most of us know, we get attached to our possessions and she gets teary eyed--I believe it's not as much of the stuff but the memories associated with them.  At Christmas, even though mom was in lockdown (and not being able to join us) because her room mate had covid, we divided up 18 quilts mom had made with her 6 grandchildren.  The family heirlooms are being distributed among family members and the rest is either transferred to her two room apartment at assisted living or sold.  As I stroll around mom's house and barn, I'm amazed how a woman, now in her late 80's has made a life for herself, by herself since dad died 26 years ago.  She had a circular saw, drills, leaf blowers, steel post drivers, you know, the stuff to keep her farm operational.  She got her ham radio license about ten years ago and I found a faraday cage full of equipment she had decided she needed protecting.  She has let her CCW expire.   I can relate to others that have written about culling out possessions that we have worked so hard for.

 

 

[ebinmaine 63,214]

44 minutes ago, Beap52 said:

  I can relate to others that have written about culling out possessions that we have worked so hard for.

 

I've said/written this before and it bears saying again. 

 

Your life and possessions are YOURS. 

 

We have what we have because WE as individuals have obtained them for one reason or another.  

 

OUR possessions are not someone else's.  

 

It's perfectly acceptable to not want or need those things your friends or relatives have aquired.  

 

Be free and easy with other's possessions.  It really is OK.  

 

 

 

[AMC RULES 36,945]

16 hours ago, Sparky said:

Patty on the other hand was delighted 

 

Patti is priceless... 

[Racinbob 10,296]

As we all get older our mindset starts to switch gears. Most of my 'stuff' is just that.....stuff. When I'm gone folks can have at it. I'm also changing in that if I no longer use something why have it around. Why not get it in someones hands that will appreciate and use it. That was only one of the reasons I let the Indy 500 I restored go. I knew I really wouldn't use it and I also wanted it to go to a good home. The guy who now has it owns a fairly large iron works business and wanted to put it in his lobby as a showpiece/conversation starter. Sounds like a good home to me. Most likely my Suburban 400 will be in somebody elses hands by spring as well. It just sits in the barn covered up. 

As I sit here writing this I got to thinking about some things I want to part with. Each and every one of them means something to me. About 95% of the tools in my workshop only have meaning to me because I'm fortunate enough to still use them a lot. When the time comes that I can't it's out the door. Same goes for my firearms except for one in particular (that's a conversation in itself). Before we moved to Florida I had a 3200 sq ft building filled to the hilt with 'stuff'. I wouldn't sell a thing until we had decided to liquidate and travel in our motorhome. 20+ years can sure change things. 

[JCM 8,658]

34 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

. Before we moved to Florida I had a 3200 sq ft building filled to the hilt with 'stuff'. I wouldn't sell a thing until we had decided to liquidate and travel in our motorhome. 20+ years can sure change things. 

AMEN Brother 

[wallfish 15,937]

Clutter chaos and disorganization is my middle name. LOL

Definitely been thinking a lot about unloading some stuff and have already let some go. Stopped buying constantly. 

For the collectable engine stuff the fun was in the search, the hunt and the excitement when found and acquiring them. Some are one offs and pretty rare. Then having them sit on a shelf, not so much fun although they do get out for display at a show every once in a while. Working on them is still fun though! Age starts to open the eyes as I dread leaving that mess and clean up for someone else if I'm incapacitated or gone.

[JCM 8,658]

3 hours ago, wallfish said:

 Age starts to open the eyes as I dread leaving that mess and clean up for someone else if I'm incapacitated or gone.

It most certainly does my friend.  

[ebinmaine 63,214]

 Make a WILL. Make your wishes known. That's the best you can do. 

[squonk 38,965]

4 hours ago, wallfish said:

Clutter chaos and disorganization is my middle name. LOL

Definitely been thinking a lot about unloading some stuff and have already let some go. Stopped buying constantly. 

For the collectable engine stuff the fun was in the search, the hunt and the excitement when found and acquiring them. Some are one offs and pretty rare. Then having them sit on a shelf, not so much fun although they do get out for display at a show every once in a while. Working on them is still fun though! Age starts to open the eyes as I dread leaving that mess and clean up for someone else if I'm incapacitated or gone.

Just get another van John! 

[Blasterdad 2,564]

As of a week ago I'm finally an empty nester. My son & his fiance' finally found a place that fit their needs. He's had the whole finished basement to himself since he was 8.

I've been down there going through things & cleaning, making piles of things for him to sort through, ended up with another truckload of stuff that went to the city transfer station this morning, (fancy title for the dump). This was the easy part, self explanatory items such as, what I think started out life as a futon, mini fridge that quit working 5 years ago, 3 leaf bags full of hairy dog blankets, and my favorite...hidden treasures holding up the bottom of said futon.

Now for the hazardous part, I came across the ashes & photo album of Jake, his/our first family dog that passed a couple of years ago...

You guessed it, Big Bad Ol' Dad started to cry half way through it & decided it was the perfect time for me to get into my truck & go to McDonalds & not get anything,

I just made a pot of coffee & I'm about to head back down there to vacuum & Lime Away the sink, hopefully I won't have to go to McDonalds again.Wish me luck...