do Not throw it away

[old2soon]

       That cheap H/F cen tech multi meter. Was doing some pre winter maintanence and I needed the multi meter. Set at 20 volts turned it on and it did sorta start out correctly BUT Would NOT read on what I KNOW is a fully charged battery. I just wanted to check the cars voltage guage to the multi meter or verse vicea. W T H Over? Further examination showed two recessed holes on the back lower case and a small phillips screw driver was put to work removing those 2 screws. Gettin the case opened revealed a 9 Volt battery inside the case. Aha! Go to my spare battery stash grab a fresh? 9 volt battery install same and wala! That multi meter Now workin like the day I brought er home. I'd spent enough money at H/F that it was a give away. BUT I am for all intents and purposes a cheapskate. Dad taught us a Long time ago to make stuff last and keep workin. Thought it might be a disposable unit after it crapped out but a new(ish) 9 volt battery brought it back to life!  Anywho hope this helps others here on Our Board. RIDE SAFE.

[Jims99]

Biggest problem I’ve had with those are the ends. Need to solder them for a better connection.  Last one just fell off. Lol. I always try and fix disposable things first, already broke so can’t make it worse.

[Bagger John - #3785]

Fluke and similar higher-end test equipment usually doesn't have these problems.

Do what I did and buy surplus/shop-closing sales, if possible.

[mello dude]

So, things don't work when the battery goes dead?

[Rio Wil]

Its a lot of fun to make disposable items last forever. I bought a Fellowes DM12C paper shredder about 12 years ago at Costco for $90 bucks and it happily shredded stuff for about a year then it died. Looking it over, the end of the frame where the motor was mounted was a sheet metal frame. The other end was a sort of hard plastic frame....it had cracked under the stress of shredding. I contacted Fellowes to see if I could get a replacement part......no such luck. Pissed me off, so I cranked up the old end mill and made a replacement one out of a harder plastic and about twice as thick........11 years later it is still shredding anything you can throw at it up to 12 sheets at a time..... Fellowes must have sold millions of these things with predetermined lifetimes......

[gordonv]

I've still my inexpensive meter from Radio Shack my Bro gave me on my 16th birthday (58 now). Have soldiered those leads at least 10 times each. Luckily mine only uses a AA battery.

I did buy a new set of leads for cheap. Has a set of micro pines, good for probing connectors for signal. Also some alligator leads with them too.

[Jess from VA]

I have a Tensor desk lamp that I got in law school for study (dark room, bright light for study on a door turned into a table).

I took that light with me from school, to work, then into service and shipped all over, then here to VA where is it's right here on my 'puter table.

It has worked continuously (and many long hour sessions) for over 40 years.  The fluorescent tube bulb has never burned out.  The on switch is trying to short out.  But not yet. 

This one.