{Stus-List} "Cheaping it"

[Robert Skene]

There is an old saying about farmers...but it could pertain to almost 
anybody:
"A farmer never has enough money to do it right -- but he always has 
enough money to do it over!"
Regards
Bob Skene (ex-farmer)

On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:49:20 -0700 (PDT)
  "Dennis C." <captbuy at yahoo.com> wrote:
>  As a guy who is around boats, works on boats and generally just 
>likes "messing about with boats", I see a lot of less than optimum 
>decisions made by boat owners, including me.
> 
> OK, me first.
> 
> On the trip from Mandeville to Pensacola, the engine oil pressure 
>reading began to increase, finally pegging out at over 100 psi.  I 
>figured it was a bad sending unit or secondly a bad gauge.  
>Provisionally I decided to do an oil change and filter change 
>and anchored and did so noting nothing abnormal.  When I got to 
>Pensacola, I located a Westerbeke distributor and found out a sending 
>unit was $70+.  I couldn't find the resistance specifications for it 
>to locate a "universal" unit.  Heck, a sending unit is a sending 
>unit, right?  Being in a particularly unusual "cheap" mood, I went to 
>a local auto parts store and got a 0-100 psi sending unit with the 
>correct thread size and installed it.  The gauge still pegged out.  
>$15 bucks down the drain.  I called my buddy in Mandeville and 
>ordered a new OEM gauge and sending unit.  Installed the new sending 
>unit and gauge this weekend and the readings are normal again.  It 
>was the sending unit.  I
> kept the old gauge as a spare.
> 
> A few weeks ago, my 2nd "cheapie" air conditioner cooling water pump 
>died.  This $50-60 pump came with the original air conditioner.  I 
>installed my spare "cheapie" pump (the 3rd pump in 7 years).   I just 
>never upgraded and always carried a spare.  Now I'm upgrading to a 
>$250 Dometic pump which should have much more longevity.  I will keep 
>the 3rd "cheapie" as a spare.  
> 
> My buddy called me tonight to tell me about a boat having electrical 
>issues.  In particular, the refrigeration system wasn't operating 
>properly.  On investigation, the owner had replaced the two 4D house 
>batteries with a couple of much smaller series dual purpose 
>batteries.  Heck, batteries are batteries, right?  The owner wasn't 
>happy with having to pay my buddy a couple hours labor to tell him 
>he's a dumbass and he should go buy some 4D batteries.  (Well, I'm 
>sure he said it more tactfully.)
> 
> I had that same discussion with one of my clients.  He wanted to do 
>the same thing.  I told him that not only would he adversely affect 
>the electrical system on his boat but that he would decrease the 
>boat's value.  Fortunately, he listened.
> 
> Point:  every time you "cheap" something, you pay twice, once for 
>the cheap shot and then again for the right way.
> 
> I could go on and on.  It's a lesson we never seem to learn.
> 
> Sorry for the rant.  I just hope it prevents someone from paying a 
>little bit now and then a lot later.
> 
> Anybody else want to share similar experiences?
> 
> Dennis C.
> Touche' 35-1 #83
> Mandeville, LA
> 
> 
>