Topic: Why I prefer to do things myself

[madmtnmotors]

...but the hamfisting I see in them sometimes just turns my stomach.

FTFY there, Mark-

"Editor in chief" nails it again! 

[Keith]

I was in the car repair business, Mostly European vehicles. Try to HIRE a competent employee!!! I could write a book about the incompetent "technicians" I have seen... And fired. My rules...All wheels torqued by hand with a torque wrench. No adjustble wrenches allowed in the shop. Period. Yep, I was a miserable prick, but we were a professional shop, and did a professional job. I cannot begin to tell how many botched jobs from other shops we had to fix.

[madmtnmotors]

I was in the car repair business, Mostly European vehicles. Try to HIRE a competent employee!!! I could write a book about the incompetent "technicians" I have seen... And fired. My rules...All wheels torqued by hand with a torque wrench.

Kudos to you Keith!   

The "tuned extensions" for the impact wrenches is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. Over torqued lug nuts is personal pet peeve of mine and is a plague that seems to have no cure. It also happens to be a sad testament to the overall condition of the automotive service industry as a whole when you can't even get a wheel lug properly tightened.   

Of course, the automotive service industry is not alone. Competent techs are a rare breed in many occupations.   

[CycleRanger]

I was in the car repair business, Mostly European vehicles. Try to HIRE a competent employee!!! I could write a book about the incompetent "technicians" I have seen... And fired. My rules...All wheels torqued by hand with a torque wrench.

Kudos to you Keith!   

The "tuned extensions" for the impact wrenches is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. Over torqued lug nuts is personal pet peeve of mine and is a plague that seems to have no cure. It also happens to be a sad testament to the overall condition of the automotive service industry as a whole when you can't even get a wheel lug properly tightened.   

Of course, the automotive service industry is not alone. Competent techs are a rare breed in many occupations.   

Word.
Last time I got a set of tires at NTB there was a huge banner in the shop area that said "We hand tighten every lug nut".   
I was watching the guys in the shop and they would use the air gun on the lug nuts then pick up a lug wrench and, I kid you not, quickly tap the end of the lug wrench on each lug nut and move on to the next wheel.
When they got around to putting my tires back on I walked out in the shop and stood next to the guy and told him he'd better not use that air gun on my lug nuts.
To his credit he took it well and did them by hand as I asked.

In almost 30 years the only time I've taken any of my vehicles to a shop was when I had the dealer do a clutch job on my Nissan 4WD because I just didn't have the ability to drop the trans and transfer case by myself. The guys at the dealer shop didn't really enjoy it either but they did a good job.
(Well, I guess I did take the Tundra in for the 02 sensor recall but I don't really count that.)

[Duke McDukiedook]

As a project manager, I see this all to often - there is no pride in workmanship these days.  Workers just want to carelessly get the job asap, no matter how the job turns out.

I could debate you on this.
A young, hopeful, and enthusiastic me USED to practice great diligence and detail in my work efforts.
Then I got a job working for someone else.
They told me to cut corners
They told me to hurry the hell up
They told me to ignore the details
They told me not to take initiative
They told me quantity was all that mattered
They told me to Make the most money for the least effort.

Then they still tell me I was doing it wrong and fire me.

These were baby boomers that told this millenial what to do.
So i have zero sympathy when they complain about "the younger generation is so (blah blah blah)"

You were working for the wrong employer. Once they ask you to cut corners on the necessaries it is time to cut ties with them.

[chewbacca5000]

Some things are much more fun to do with a partner, and if you live in the state of Nevada professional assistance is readily available.  Although I don't know if they have YELP ratings for that.