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[bkenobi]

I miss being able to go to the store and pick up the item I wanted.  I could make sure it was the right item before I left the store and even easily return it if I decided it wasn't the right item within 90 days.  With online, I can order anything in the world from anywhere in the world and I end up with the wrong item most of the time since I can't see it in person.  I get that makes me old fashion, but being able to get the item I want with no hassle has not been my experience with online ONLY shopping in general (meaning not inspecting in person before ordering it online).  I wonder if this is some of the push that Amazon has seen in justifying a "regression" back to brick and mortar?

[dave w]

I lost my waterfall pump last Saturday.  Ordered a new one. Estimated delivery via USPS is Friday. USPS tracking says it hasn't been received yet.
I don't think I'll have it by the weekend.

Yeah, I get this all the time also. I order a lot from Ebay. The problem occurs when the Ebay seller uses the Ebay app to print the label. When the label is printed, Ebay then sends a notice (email) to me saying "item is shipped". But it isn't, only the label was printed. So the seller still has to pick, pack, seal, affix label, and get it to USPS, before it is "shipped". I have seen this process take a day or more. I guess it is a trade-off for low price. Five 33k 3watt resistors from Mosler is near 30 bucks with shipping. From a China seller, is under four bucks for everything. Maybe three weeks ship time however.

[Knightrider]

I use 1 hp sump pumps. They're cheap. My last one made it 2 seasons before the magic smoke came out. Starting cap is bad, but I have no desire to open a sealed unit and then throw it back in my pond. For now, I can spin start it.

[dave w]

I use 1 hp sump pumps. They're cheap. My last one made it 2 seasons before the magic smoke came out.

Wow, smoke out of a submerged pump. Now that IS magic. 

Sounds like you have quite an estate in Buckeye land. I think you should have that fire belching pipe organ down at the end of the drive playing Thunderstruck, something like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgzZLNwqvdQ

[Knightrider]

Now I'm curious how he did that. A fake pipe organ is one thing. Real bagpipes are another.

[HA Dave]

I miss being able to go to the store and pick up the item I wanted.  ........................

I shop in stores all the time (at least a lot... for an old retired guy on a fixed income). Still lots of stores that haven't closed up.... yet.

........With online, I can order anything in the world from anywhere in the world and I end up with the wrong item most of the time since I can't see it in person...….

I feel the same. The large selection... the greater number of choices...... can/does cause misunderstandings, errors, bad decisions and even greater numbers of crooked vendors.

[bkenobi]

There are still a lot of stores, but they are more and more carrying only the quick moving items.  If you need a part for a grill that you purchased from HD that was their standard brand, you probably have to buy the part from them for in store pickup or shipped.  They don't sell enough to keep them on the shelves.  The problem with that logic is, if I know they won't have that item in the store, I'm not going to the store.  When I go to HD, I typically spend a lot more than $5 for the seldom purchased grill part.  Without that being in stock, they lose all of the other purchases too.  From what I've been seeing, all the box stores (HD, Lowes, Walmart, etc) seem to be following the same logic.

I know a lot of people are very happy buying online (and I do it a lot too).  I just feel that if I need some nails, it would be easier to look at them in person next to the project in the store to confirm that it's the right size/type rather than waiting 3-4 weeks after guessing at what is actually being sold.

[HA Dave]

People my age used to complain that products were no longer made to be repaired. Now that "boomers" are no longer the majority purchasers.... even parts are hard to find. It's become hard to find repair people as well. At least for now.... we've become a disposable society.

[bkenobi]

That's true, but it doesn't mean I can't try to fix things that were designed to be thrown out.  I would rather waste my time than add to the landfill because it's easier.

[HA Dave]

That's true, but it doesn't mean I can't try to fix things that were designed to be thrown out.  I would rather waste my time than add to the landfill because it's easier.

I didn't mean to sound like I advocate waste. I do NOT. But fixing/repairing is an uphill journey at this time. And some recent advancements in products makes not modernizing... a burden. 

[bkenobi]

Absolutely.  I have a GPS collar for my dog that stopped working.  It's made by Garmin who is considered top of the line for that stuff.  I contacted them and was told that while it normally would be under warranty, because it's an older model they don't have stock of them and won't offer a repair/replacement.  Since I can't replace it or fix it professionally, I opened it to see the board (which is what they would have done).  The board is SMD so that's bad for me, but I found a single scorch mark by a component.  If I knew what it was, I'd replace it.  But, because they won't tell me I am probably going to have to throw out a $200 collar for a $0.10 chip.  I assume it's power related, but since it's only marked with "731" I can't find it anywhere.   

[brobin]

Sounds like it's a 730 ohm 5% resistor (see http://www.resistorguide.com/resistor-smd-code/) but replacing it may not address what caused it to fail.  If the unit is under warranty the warranty language usually states that a company will repair or replace with an equal or better product if the original model is no longer available. Might be worth taking another run at them and ask for a supervisor.  I try to use only credit cards that offer extended warranties where they usually double (up to one year) a product's warranty.  If the item goes bad they just credit your card with what you paid for it. I've had to make occasional claims and it's really easy.

[bkenobi]

I assume it's some kind of power IC if it got that hot.  It's a 6-SIOC and it's TINY!  I removed it with my hot air gun so I could see if there was any other damage and maybe find an ID on the back of the chip.  Nothing...  The only thing that comes up on Google is TI Audio amplifiers but I'm not sure how that would be applicable.

I contacted Garmin a couple times and the resolution was that the warranty would cover it but they seem to have shortened the term somehow.  I don't have a receipt at this point, so I'm not sure I could prove anything to them.  They would replace it with a like unit but they don't have any left so they offered an upgrade at a higher cost than I can find outside the Garmin store.  So, I'm probably going to get something soon, but I was hoping to repair this one as a backup.  Last communication from them was "we don't have any information on the board or the chip, sorry".   

[BackAgain]

I use 1 hp sump pumps. They're cheap. My last one made it 2 seasons before the magic smoke came out. Starting cap is bad, but I have no desire to open a sealed unit and then throw it back in my pond. For now, I can spin start it.

Harbor Freight's submersible sump pumps have wording on the packages that they're meant for tempo0rary use and should not be left submerged for long periods.  I've used one in a cistern for a while to pump out for lawn and plant watering.  They work OK for a while, but eventually the motor seizes for some reason.  I've been able to open them up and lubricate them, but even that doesn't last.

For my pond, I've tried a few different pumps intended for ponds.  I find the impellers degrade over time and no longer push water.  I can't find suitable replacement impellers, so I end up having to replace the pump.  Companies get $50 instead of $5 if you want to know why parts are not readily available.

Last one I got this past March is a 1,235 GPM unit for $44 so we'll see how long it lasts.

[JeffVolp]

1,235 GPM

That is one huge pump unless you meant GPH.

Jeff