Author Topic: setting up a community enginre bank  (Read 2489 times)

ajaffa1

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setting up a community enginre bank
« on: January 04, 2019, 10:26:30 AM »
Hi Guys, it`s coming on council clean up time again, this is the time of year when you can put out busted machinery for recycling. I am considering setting up a Community project where I fill a shed with second hand equipment that can be rented out for next to no money, while their own equipment is being repaired.

I already have a collection of pumps, pressure washers, whipper snipers, lawn mowers, chainsaws and ride on mowers all of which have been dragged out of the bush and fixed for little or no money. People today are hopeless, they have no experience in either using or maintaining equipment and consequently throw out perfectly good stuff which ends up in landfill. Today I was given a pressure washer that does n`t work, a quick inspection shows that it stopped because the low oil level mechanism turned off the magneto coil. Further inspection suggests that the engine has probably run for 5 to 10 hours max.

Would this business model work? How much should I charge for second hand equipment hire? I`m a good engineer but I`m a lousy businessman and my health is shakey at best.

Thoughts and advice please,

Bob

dieselspanner

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Re: setting up a community enginre bank
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2019, 06:12:54 PM »
+1 for wot Glort said

If you want to make a few bob put them on Ebay, Gumtree or whatever works for you, sold as seen.

A mate of mine, always say's 'Don't buy work', gotta bear thinking about.........#

Cheers
Stef
Tighten 'til it strips, weld nut to chassis, peen stud, adjust with angle grinder.

ajaffa1

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Re: setting up a community enginre bank
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2019, 07:14:36 AM »
Thanks guys for the advice, I was planning to only provide the service to the local community of about 200 people that I know. Any equipment that gets damaged will get cannibalized for spares for other council clean up finds. So the overheads should be close to zero. Yes it`s a lot of work but seeing that I am unemployable at present and have a lot of time on my hands, it might give me something useful to do and help out those in need. I`m not planning on building an empire, just trying to save the locals a few bucks.

I guess if I was a business man I`d take Stef`s advice and just fix them up and sell them. Won`t ever get rich going at my snail pace.  :laugh:

Bob

mikenash

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Re: setting up a community enginre bank
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2019, 07:39:49 AM »
Community stuff is good.  Will be interesting to see if folks appreciate it or abuse it.  You might start something great - one of those community things where people trade scones with whipped cream-and-jam for lawn-mowings . . .

guest23837

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Re: setting up a community enginre bank
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2019, 08:27:54 AM »
When I was selling lawn mowers I used to take trade in's. I'd buy a non runner usually it had a gummed up carb or some other simple problem and fix it. I sold locally and cheap enough compared to other sellers. Half the time the trade in's had the same issues are were easy repairs.

ajaffa1

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Re: setting up a community enginre bank
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2019, 08:43:04 AM »
Hi Guys think doing trade in`s has merit but being as useless a businessman as I am I doubt it would workout profitable. Did someone mention scones with cream and jam? Just found my motivation again!  :laugh:

Bob

dieselspanner

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Re: setting up a community enginre bank
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2019, 08:47:57 AM »
Now I'm liking it, Mikes idea of people paying in credits in the form of strawberry jam is a winner IMHO.

Keep it local and as long as people understand they are 'borrowing' the said lawnmower from a neighbour rather than renting it from a commercial enterprise and you are happy that there may well be problems based on 'the mechanical ineptitude of the masses' I think you'd be in with a chance

Around here we have a Yahoo user group called 'Bagners Billboard, where there are posts like 'Need a lift to the airport, Monday 27th' or 'Just slaughtered our latest hand reared bull' (honest!) etc. If you can hook into or develop something like that, then get some of the local community behind the project and put any profit into the village green flower beds (or billabong refurbishment scheme) then I can see it taking off.

Start swapping work credits with other tradesmen and you'll never paint a fence again!

Cheers
Stef

Tighten 'til it strips, weld nut to chassis, peen stud, adjust with angle grinder.

ajaffa1

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Re: setting up a community enginre bank
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2019, 09:01:57 AM »
Hi Stef, did a bit with work credits years ago in the UK. It worked remarkably well as it was a form of labor barter so the government missed out their tax dollars. Problem with it was that some people reneged on their end of the deal, I guess with social media and etc they would n`t get away with it now.

Not sure I have the skills, time or inclination to set up an online local enterprise but I know a man that might, could be a model for others to follow. I`ll make inquiries.

Bob

ajaffa1

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Re: setting up a community enginre bank
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2019, 12:32:10 PM »
Hi Glort, happy to do the lathe work for you provided the outside diameters are n`t bigger than 300 mm.

Still involved with the canoe center, despite the inevitable xmas internet outage (four days) making it impossible to access the online booking system or take credit/debit card payments. Cost the center around $20,000 in lost income. Guess what, the telco`s aren`t liable for any of that loss due to our pathetic government  capitulating to big business instead of the voter/small business person!

I think we will be having another election in March, nothing will change except the names of the ars*holes
in charge. Same lack of leadership/vision for the future and the same snout in trough attitude.

I`m presently eating for free cos we have been looking after a friend`s garden while they were away. Fresh fruit  and veggies coming out of our ears. Narelle has also taken to turning some of our eggs into ice cream, probably not what the cardiologist would recommend but hell it tastes good.  :laugh

Bob

ajaffa1

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Re: setting up a community enginre bank
« Reply #9 on: January 08, 2019, 10:45:19 AM »
Have to agree with you on both counts, most of what is on the TV is a mixture of manipulation, advertising and  gender/non gender BS. Most of what happens in parliament is also a mixture of manipulation, advertising and gender/non gender BS. I hardly ever watch TV now as it is all very lame, they couldn`t even run to a decent movie on Christmas day.

It amuses me enormously that some Australians want to ditch HM Queen and replace her with a democratically elected president. Once again I ask the simple question, where are we going to find the presidential candidates? Just look at what has been going on in the USA. Do you think that the right to elect a Trump would be good for Australia? In fairness I should point out that I don`t think Hillary Clinton would have been any better.

Bob