Another mans trash.....turns into my treasure

[Grant Davis]

I always laugh when I see people stopping to pick up peoples trash at the ends of the driveway. Today I became one of those people.......on my way drive home I saw a guy pushing an upright Sears compressor to the end of his driveway (tomorrow is trash day in our neighborhood). I immediately stopped to see if he was indeed putting it out for the trash man and he said yes. I asked him what was wrong with it and he said he thought the tank had a hole in it because it took a long time to fill and after filling would bleed off. He also said that his wife had bouhgt him a new larger one for his birthday.

I asked him if he minded if I took it because I have the same type of compressor but mine is the horizontal tank unit. He told me it was mine for the taking and I parked my car on the street and walked the compressor three blocks to my house and went back to get my car. When I got back home I plugged it in and the motor runs smoothly so I took the cover off to check it out. I could not believe my eyes when I realized that the only thing wrong with it was the fittings on the tube from the compressor to the tank were loose. A little plumbers tape and a quick tighten and it is running like a new one. It needs new gages and a bath but I think I will keep it.

6908769088

[Bruce Page]

It's amazing what people will throw away!
Great find!

[Tim Morton]

I always laugh when I see people stopping to pick up peoples trash at the ends of the driveway. Today I became one of those people.......on my way drive home I saw a guy pushing an upright Sears compressor to the end of his driveway (tomorrow is trash day in our neighborhood). I immediately stopped to see if he was indeed putting it out for the trash man and he said yes. I asked him what was wrong with it and he said he thought the tank had a hole in it because it took a long time to fill and after filling would bleed off. He also said that his wife had bouhgt him a new larger one for his birthday.

I asked him if he minded if I took it because I have the same type of compressor but mine is the horizontal tank unit. He told me it was mine for the taking and I parked my car on the street and walked the compressor three blocks to my house and went back to get my car. When I got back home I plugged it in and the motor runs smoothly so I took the cover off to check it out. I could not believe my eyes when I realized that the only thing wrong with it was the fittings on the tube from the compressor to the tank were loose. A little plumbers tape and a quick tighten and it is running like a new one. It needs new gages and a bath but I think I will keep it.

6908769088

A nice gesture might be a GC for dinner for two to a nice resaurant for the old owners.;)

Nice score!!!

[John A. Williams]

I'd drive by his house every Monday
John

[Don Bullock]

Now that's what I call a gloat. Congratulations.

[Brett Baldwin]

It really makes you wonder how many things are in landfills because of a loose/missing something-or-other.

[Jim Becker]

Gotta love it! Now, that's a fine gloat!

[Tom Cowie]

Anybody been checking Bob Marino's trash lately..:D


Tom:)

[Bruce Wrenn]

Nice haul. About a year ago, I bought from govt. surplus agency a Delta 12" radial arm saw. Paid about $150. Some idiot cut off 220 plug and added 110 plug. Saw is plainly marked 220 ONLY. Replace plug with correct plug, and saw runs great. Oh yeah, saw currently sells for about $2000, plug tax and freight. I have had several rescued air compressors also. My Rockwell contractors saw was being thrown out when I got it.

[John Shuk]

I just got a small gas powered pressure washer the same way. I cleaned the carb out. Got rid of the old gas and changed the oil. It works like a charm.
I've been wanting one for a while and have never wanted to part with the money.

[Russ Cass]

Great find. I wish I was that lucky!

[Rob Will]

I'm wondering if the trash people would actually pick up a compressor......and put it in a compactor truck(?):eek:.

Nice Gloat!

Rob

[Kyle Kraft]

You bet they would. If I was a sanitation specialist, I would have to tow a trailer behind the truck for MY treasures!!

Just last Friday, I scored a pre-formed backyard pond liner and matching waterfall basin with pump!!!!

[Sean Kinn]

Yeah, this gets me all the time....I can not believe the stuff some folks consider trash. Nearly every time I'm at the dump (Wash. DC suburb) I see all sorts of stuff that looks nearly new (lawn mowers, patio furniture, shop equipment, even full virgin 2x4s and such) being dumped. Unfortunately, there is a strict "no scavenging policy" that they actually enforce. I really wish they would to set up a section where people can drop "good stuff" and others have 2 days to pick through it. They do this at the dump at my father in laws place in Mass. and all of the locals love it. It's pretty much a running joke that people go home with more than they take. Everyone wins, those that are willing get good stuff for free, and the landfill company gets it hauled away for free.

Yes, I admit it...I occasionally dumpster dive as long as its not covered in some un-identifiable goo.

[Keith Beck]

Man, you suck! What a great score. How come I never happen upon treasures like that? :confused:

Keith

[Russ Filtz]

You should have fixed it and wheeled it back the three blocks..........just kidding!

[Robert Mayer]

If a guy needs a compressor bigger than that one you would think he has enough mechanical knowledge to fix a compressor.

[Luciano Burtini]

If a guy needs a compressor bigger than that one you would think he has enough mechanical knowledge to fix a compressor.

I think maybe the guy has too many dollars and not enough sense?

[Jeff Raymond]

My kinda guy. Nice work!

[Steve Clardy]

Congrats.

Sounds like you have made your first step in being a true dumpster diver :D

[David DeCristoforo]

Am I the only one who thinks that this "gloat" is maybe just a little bit grasping if not downright avaricious? Am I the only one who feels even a little bit sorry for the poor sap? OK maybe he's not poor. After all he was able to spring for a new compressor. But come on...how about slipping the guy a few bucks and letting him know that next time he should get someone to look at his compressor. Why does everyone have to rejoice in the fact that someone has suffered an unnecessary loss simply because he didn't know any better?

I know....I'm really asking for it this time......

[Gary Keedwell]

Am I the only one who thinks that this "gloat" is maybe just a little bit grasping if not downright avaricious? Am I the only one who feels even a little bit sorry for the poor sap? OK maybe he's not poor. After all he was able to spring for a new compressor. But come on...how about slipping the guy a few bucks and letting him know that next time he should get someone to look at his compressor. Why does everyone have to rejoice in the fact that someone has suffered an unnecessary loss simply because he didn't know any better?

I know....I'm really asking for it this time......

Trying to stir things up a little, David:confused: :D

Gary K.:)

[Steve Clardy]

Am I the only one who thinks that this "gloat" is maybe just a little bit grasping if not downright avaricious? Am I the only one who feels even a little bit sorry for the poor sap? OK maybe he's not poor. After all he was able to spring for a new compressor. But come on...how about slipping the guy a few bucks and letting him know that next time he should get someone to look at his compressor. Why does everyone have to rejoice in the fact that someone has suffered an unnecessary loss simply because he didn't know any better?

I know....I'm really asking for it this time......

I thought about that too. But.............

It was given to the man after he asked.:)

[Paul Libby]

David, I understand your point, and feel bad for the guy. But, apparently he didn't care to expend the effort on the "broken" compressor to figure out what the problem was, and his wife bought him a gift of a larger, new one.

Far better that someone is making good use of the discarded compressor, than it being compacted by the garbage truck and deposited in the land fill. Which was where it was headed.

[Jason Boushard]

maybe the guy loosened the fittings to get the wife to buy him a new compressor lol.

[Josiah Bartlett]

maybe the guy loosened the fittings to get the wife to buy him a new compressor lol.

I'd be guilty of that.

I have a similarly sized compressor to that, and I've been waiting for it to die. I need a 60 gallon 5hp unit to mount in the attic, but I need an excuse for it.

In my neighborhood if you have something you don't want, you put it on the street on a non-trash day. There's a gentleman's agreement that things left out are free for the taking. I've gotten rid of all kinds of things that way.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Far better ...than it being compacted by the garbage truck and deposited in the land fill. Which was where it was headed."

Too true.

"...you put it on the street on a non-trash day. There's a gentleman's agreement that things left out are free for the taking..."

Same in my neighborhood. When I lived in Nevada I had a neighbor who would watch my shop door like a hawk. We had one of those "gentleman's agreements" that anything that went flying out the door was fair game and he would hustle up there and grab whatever it was before I had a chance to change my mind. I think he furnished several rooms with half finished pieces aquired in this manner.

[Tom Cowie]

http://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/dung-beetle_8470_blog.jpg

Toss it out and someones bound to want it !:D

Tom

Great gloat!!

[Steve Clardy]

http://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/dung-beetle_8470_blog.jpg

Toss it out and someones bound to want it !:D

Tom

Great gloat!!



Lol. Been several years since I've seen one of those.

Can't type out here on this forum what we called them back then :eek:


:D :D :D

[Clint Winterhalter]

I'm never that lucky!

I do however on occasion put things out for the dumpster divers.

Things that aren't worth the effort to sell, no one in the family wants or needs. The neighbors have passed. All it takes is a little "Curb Magic" Poof its gone. Heck I've even had then take stuff that wasn't worth the effort to load in their truck!

I agree with the comment about keeping an eye on this guys weekly trash haul!
You might land another gem!

Good Luck with it!

Clint

[Jason Roehl]

It won't be tools, but it's almost dumpster diving season here in Lafayette/West Lafayette...in the coming weeks, we will paint 200ish apartments, and there is always tons of stuff in and around the dumpsters at the apartment complexes and buildings. Furniture, TVs, computers, kitchen stuff (sometimes high-end cookware) and all other manner of things. I've even picked up a large Disston (IIRC) crosscut (timer?) saw. Sometimes I take the family along while I paint, and the kids love checking out the floor for loose change left behind--the three of them netted about $40 last year in change.

[James Carmichael]

Man, you suck!

We have a "dawn patrol" that scoops up anything of value on the curb. I watch them from my home office window at dawn on trash day and sometimes the night before, cruising slowly by.

[James Carmichael]

Am I the only one who thinks that this "gloat" is maybe just a little bit grasping if not downright avaricious? Am I the only one who feels even a little bit sorry for the poor sap? OK maybe he's not poor. After all he was able to spring for a new compressor. But come on...how about slipping the guy a few bucks and letting him know that next time he should get someone to look at his compressor. Why does everyone have to rejoice in the fact that someone has suffered an unnecessary loss simply because he didn't know any better?

I know....I'm really asking for it this time......

You may not be the only one, David, but if he was unwilling to spend the time and effort to familiarize himself with his tool, or see if it was fixable before tossing it, he gets no sympathy from me.

[Kevin French]

Man, you guys don't know the other half of 'Dump Pick'n'. Today I had to break down and hoe out the barn and put up shelves to put my collection on.
DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE. They're going to throw out good stuff, whether you're there or not. Be kind, and load it up/carry it home, THEN celebrate. The pigeons might catch on and sell the stuff if you drop a gloat in his driveway.

I on the other hand have one of he 'World's Best Transfer Stations' (Fancy name for a Dump) Gett'n back to the barn, I was at the point if I wanted to put something in I had to take something out. This is the 'Dark side of Dump Pick'n'. My garage if full. My shop is full, I have stuff in the woods behind the barn. I found stuff I didn't know I had and bought new stuff when I needed it.

"If you have it and can't find it, you ain't got it."http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g179/sweeper54/Stuff.jpg

Here's a pic of today's effort. 99% of this is from the dump.

[Bruce Page]

You may not be the only one, David, but if he was unwilling to spend the time and effort to familiarize himself with his tool, or see if it was fixable before tossing it, he gets no sympathy from me.

I agree. Stupidity or laziness does not outweigh common sense!

[Jude Tuliszewski]

If you want to see a lot of waste, just drive through apt. complexes at the end / beginning of the month. I have recycled everything from (yes 100% working) TV’s to sofas, and everything in between. I will not even begin to list all the wood that I have recycled. It seems like this happens because people are too lazy to take it to Goodwill, or the like, which is what I have done with a fair amount of discarded stuff. To me, it is very foolish to not let people retrieve something from a dump site. As was said, just think of the space that could be saved at all the land fill sites. I still tell my wife that I should get a job as a garbage man :rolleyes: , her reply is NO WAY :mad: , that enough stuff finds its way to our house as it is :eek: .

[Bob Moyer]

Another great time to pick up stuff is in the spring at the end of the college semester, it is amazing what these kids put out with the trash.

[Mike Jones NM]

Not really dumpster diving but a couple years ago I stopped to say howdy to the neighbor as he was standing outside(lives a ways away, no real neighbors to speak of). Sitting in the truck and he asked if I had a minute if I would give him a hand unloading a table saw his wife had bought for him.
Gave him a hand getting it into his shop. As we were talking he asked if I had any use for a saw. Of course the answer was YES.
He pulled off an old tarp and underneith was a BIG craftsman table saw. Cast iron table etc. His wife had bought him the new one to replace it.
Takes 2 men and a boy to move this beast but it now sits in my shop.
Nohing wrong with it he just needed a smaller saw for his shop.
Pays to be a good neighbor.

[John Schreiber]

Why am I never at the right place or the right time?

[Mike Deschler]

I also found a cast away Craftsman oil-less compressor one day not too long ago. After examining it I determined it only needed a new reed valve assembly. About $25 later, I have a fine running backup compressor. I doubt if my Ingersol Rand 5hp unit will fail but who knows? Pack rats keep everything.