scrap and learn

**huntscrap** · 04-13-2012, 12:48 AM

I've been reading alot of posts on here since I found this site and learned quite a bit about ewaste which I never thought about before.

It realy sucked when I seen 2 of the biggest ewaste buyers in Ohio are about 5 miles from my house and I never knew anything about this stuff. I get POed thinking about all the money I gave to another scrapper. LOL
Just like to thank everyone for the ewaste education.

As mentioned in my intro when I was younger I used to find things in the trash and fix and sell them at a flea market my father went to tv's, radios, record players. I got my first car from money made by scrapping and shoveling snow. That was before Al Gore invented the internet.

I've dismantaled quite a few things and learned how they go together which in turn helped me figure out how to fix different things. Like microwaves, drier, washers, fridges.
When I'm scrapping an appliance that is the same make/model of appliance that I own I always save and check different parts to keep for repairs to my own appliances.

Call me cheap or whatever but, I can't see paying an appliance repairman $60.00 for a service call, then charging me $160.00 for repairs when the part is $5.00.

Learn how to use a good multimeter, not one of those little cheap ones from HF or Walmart.
You can save yourself so much money or make some by learning how to use a good multimeter to test different parts of appliances.

Selling a drier or microwave on craigslist for $40.00 that you repaired from free parts is alot better than scrapping it and some times faster to fix it than tear it down.

Ok I better quite rambling.

**miked** · 04-13-2012, 10:19 AM

Excelant post. Thank you for putting into words the reason I keep pushing new members to read the old threads. It can pay off big.

As far as selling the finds for more than scrap is always something to consider. In the ewaste side there is more money in selling used parts than just as scrap. Much like your use of a multimeter and the experience to repair appliances ewaste will require similar skills and dedecation. Its just the beginning, Mike.

**Bear** · 04-13-2012, 11:02 AM

mine's an actron cp7672 multitestor, that's a cheapy isn't it? that's ok, i never did much learn how to use it anyway lol

**thortek** · 04-13-2012, 11:09 AM

I have two.. I have a nice one from Radio Shack....and the Free one from HF. The HF one is pretty decent though!

I built my first BOOMING Car stereo by fixing radios, amps, and speakers. Everything in my system was broken on some level....