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lazydavid

What are you protecting? My high-dollar equipment either gets plugged into a UPS (mine are all APC, but there are other good brands also) or a Tripp Lite Isobar surge protector. For other things, your basic $6.99 whatever brand is just fine, IMO. No risk to have too many devices on a power strip, un...

lazydavid

Thank you! So do I just Google "lease broker" to find one? The forums at leasehackr.com are the best place to start, IMO. Many of the higher-volume brokers post spreadsheets of deals they're able to negotiate with dealerships that they work with a lot. Some may be local to you, which is a...

lazydavid

As an example, my parents are considering a new car lease. The "standard" lease terms (meaning without negotiation) for a vehicle with a $45k sticker is $3,995 due at signing and $439/mo. Total cost $19,799. If they decide to pull the trigger, they will be leasing a top trim model with ad...

lazydavid

Two things we do that avoid the situation you experience: 1. Towels are used for drying clean surfaces only. Just like I wouldn't wash a dirty pot with a towel, I'm not going to wipe a dirty counter with it either. It gets a quick clean with a sponge (scrubby side if necessary), then the water is mo...

lazydavid

What happens if 1 year into this three year lease you need a different vehicle or are driving a different amount of miles or your vehicle needs change really in any way? You do an early turn-in, trade the car, or sell it outright, and get hosed on the value, exactly like you would with a financed c...

lazydavid

What happens if 1 year into this three year lease you need a different vehicle or are driving a different amount of miles or your vehicle needs change really in any way? You do an early turn-in, trade the car, or sell it outright, and get hosed on the value, exactly like you would with a financed c...

lazydavid

Also consider the LX570, which is the GX's big brother and Lexus flagship. You can get a 2011-2013 in great condition for the mid-high $30k range. Mileage is immaterial. They (along with corporate cousin Toyota Land Cruiser) are literally the most reliable SUV ever made by anyone, with a designed se...

lazydavid

Fire Cube requires pressing a button on the remote for TV voice commands? If so, Echo/Alexa has a big advantage there. No, the stick does. That's why it's a major advantage for the cube, at least in my household. I don't have to care where the remote is, I can just tell Alexa to do my bidding. :) W...

lazydavid

Comfortable ride, great off-road capability, bulletproof reliability and atrocious gas mileage.

lazydavid

In our case, doesn't appear to be a strong case for the Fire Cube over a Fire Stick 4K and Echo/Alexa. Apparently they provide equal capability for voice interaction with the TV, and neither has a performance/connection advantage. The voice interaction feature set is similar, but the caveat with th...

lazydavid

lazydavid, thanks for your reply- Fire Cube is kind of a mystery to me. Does Fire Cube have any advantage over Fire Stick 4K with Echo/Alexa? Is one easier to use? Can Fire Cube do everything that Echo does? The basis for selecting one option over the other isn't clear. The main differences with th...

lazydavid

Every now and again I look at whether it makes sense to pay off our mortgage, and the answer is always no. Currently have about 10 years left on a 15-year note at 2.5%. The NPV of all my remaining interest payments is only about $700 more than the amount of capital gains taxes I'd have to pay in ord...

lazydavid

As others have said, always buy the 4k models, as the performance is better. We elected to put Fire Cubes on all the main-room TVs, and Fire Sticks on the occasional-use TVs in bedrooms/office. Remotes are identical between them, so there's no adjustment needed. But the remote-free voice control and...

lazydavid

Every home that I've ever lived in, save one (which was on a slab) has had an ejector pump for ALL of the sewage, not just what came from the basement. They work fine. As others have said, don't go cheap. I would recommend a cast iron unit, and Zoeller is my go-to brand. They last pretty much foreve...

lazydavid

Does the Rubicon 392 have the steel skid plate? I took a quick look at the Wrangler Brochure and didn't see a pic. All Wranglers come with the same (pretty thin) skid plates covering the entire gas tank, and part of the transfer case. All Rubicons come with rock rails standard. Here's a picture of ...

lazydavid

You would definitely want a specific paint like Flora suggested above. This application will require a TON of flex agent, which a traditional exterior paint wouldn't have.

lazydavid

Carguy85 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:46 pm That dial shift selector is cute.

The dial is the mode selector (comfort, sport, track). The shifter is pushbutton, and to the left of the mode selector:

lazydavid

Can you custom order a car for a lease? Say I want a Blue Honda Accord, Touring trim, beige interior and the dealership is willing to sell it for under invoice. Will they not care if you're buying it or leasing it? Of course. The dealership is selling a car no matter what: If you pay cash, they are...

lazydavid

Lease calculation is based on MSRP value. Cash buyer based on whichever negotiated out-of-door price (usually 10-20% less than MSRP?) This demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of how leasing works. The lease calculation is partially based on MSRP, in that the residual value is a percentage o...

lazydavid

The last car I bought was under invoice and from a dealership 800 miles away. Even with the plane ticket and cost driving it back, I still saved thousands over what any local dealership would sell the car to me. If I were handing back the keys, that would be another $4-600 in travel expenses to and...

lazydavid

Sounds like a good option if none of the original assumptions made going into the lease ever change. I think the major assumption that would have to change would be the residual value of a 3-year-old Honda. It would have to be both higher AND lower, so you couldn't take advantage of selling the car...

lazydavid

Leasing can also be tax disadvantaged in some states where you pay sales tax on the entire price of the vehicle rather than just the total lease payments. True. Leasing is often not advantageous for people living in Texas and North Dakota for this exact reason. But the other 91% are ok in this rega...

lazydavid

2021 Corolla. Excellent credit. $1,160 down. $299/month - 72 months. Toyota Payment Estimator - https://www.toyota.com/payment-estimator You can lease a new Corolla for about $150/mo with about $1800 down. At the end of the 3 years you own nothing. In the buy situation, you own the car outright aft...

lazydavid

I just read that Bronco article. That is unacceptable and the hill they went up is powder puff in my opinion. Wranglers use an ancient transfer case with a chain drive front engagement. When locked in, there's nothing but gears, a chain and oil. No fancy AWD stuff. I don't know what the Sahara uses...

lazydavid

I've been lusting after and planning the purchase of one since it was announced. After all, the mid-engine Corvette has been a dream of mine since I had the poster of the "Corvette Indy" prototype on my wall as a kid. Plan has been to buy one in ~2 years when my 13.5 yo steals my current r...

lazydavid

I realize this post is now 6 months old and OP has likely done whatever he/she was going to do. I was in a similar situation in January, with the exact same model (51PN8500) that just went black one day while we were using it. No power whatsoever. So I elected for both options. I immediately replace...

lazydavid

Can you link the auction, if it hasn't been purged already?

lazydavid

EDIT: Using the laptop's serial number, I was able to determine that the original OS was Linux. So, it appears that the seller somehow got a hold of a Windows 7 Pro key that requires the laptop to connect to a KMS server every 180 days to keep Windows 10 activated. To clarify, they didn't "som...

lazydavid

I disagree: not a beast, unless you enjoy diagnosing and replacing parts that are not considered consumables. As I mentioned you have the nuisance of having to buy used parts (motors, etc.) and hoping they're better than the ones you spent an hour digging out of the chassis to remove. Yes, for the ...

lazydavid

An outlet tester is only $8: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Ben ... /202867890

If the outlet tests out good, replace the fan.

lazydavid

I have an HP LaserJet 4 Plus that I purchased new in 1994 for about $1500 that is still in relatively good working order. That whole series (4/4 Plus, 5/5+, 4000/4050, 4100/4150, 4200/4250, 4300/4350) were all beasts. I got a 4100 for free when it was being retired from a bank after 10 years and 12...

lazydavid

Buying cheaper vehicles is a great way to save a lot of cash. I understand the safety part but the reality is the safety argument is not that solid. If you get in a bad accident these newer cars will not save your life....my as well drive something cheap and keep investing :D Aside from the industr...

lazydavid

I was inexplicably driving through a Dodge/Jeep dealership last weekend taking a casual look at some of the Wranglers when a nice looking Dodge Ram caught my eye. Not a dually but a sport/off road type but I didn't catch all the ins and outs of the options/model etc. because I didn't linger long wh...

lazydavid

In general, I think for Honda or Toyota, you're going to be looking at lightly used Fit's or Matrices , and 5+ year used Civic's and Corolla's for the price target stated. Those cars should still be good for 10+ years of reliable use, though. We must have different definitions of "lightly used...

lazydavid

Instead of handing it back this time, get buyout quotes from Carvana, et al. You very likely have positive equity in the SUV (assuming you negotiated well upfront) This. I have a friend who has been leasing luxury cars for over 20 years. He's never once turned one in--he trades them because he come...

lazydavid

Doesn't meet your "used" specification, but just over a year ago one of my employees bought a Chevy Cruze hatchback for his long (now nonexistent) commute. All in with tax and 120k mile extended warranty he paid $13k. I'd probably look at the Hyundai Elantra. It's a great car, but doesn't ...

lazydavid

Cayman GTS? He contrasted it with the Boxter Spyder, so I'm guessing it's the 718 Boxter GTS 4.0. Congrats! I've started looking at the Boxter GTS 4.0 and Spyder recently myself. Post either your Porsche Code or build sheet so we can all enjoy! How far out is your allocation, and what, if any disco...

lazydavid

Another option I would consider is a used Lexus RX 450L (hybrid) with second row captains chairs. This is a horrible option. The RXL only exists so Lexus can advertise a "3-row SUV" without actually having to build one. They just added 4 inches to the existing RX and crammed a pair of tin...

lazydavid

That was from 15 years ago. Oh I know, was just pointing out that at that time, it had been going on for a while. Do you know how long before 2000 they began the program, and were they the first (or who started that wave)? And aside from the 2017 changes (reduction) was it the same program for near...

lazydavid

Was that corporate on all vehicles or only local dealer? Local dealers have always done free oil changes to keep you coming back, sometimes lifetime, but corporate policy seems to ebb and flow. February 13, 2006 12:00 AM Bumper-to-bumper free maintenance remains a part of BMW's strategy BMW is the ...

lazydavid

Let's look at the crop-sensor dSLR Nikon line a bit. I have a D7500. It is what most people would call an "enthusiast" camera and very clearly fits in between their D500 and the D5600*. What's the difference between a D500 (clearly their pro crop sensor camera) and a D7500? 1) The D500 ha...

lazydavid

A few years back, BMW started with 4 years, but I think it's now only 3. https://www.bmwusa.com/explore/bmw-value/bmw-maintenance/ultimate-care.html It was more than a few years back. My 2000 BMW 3-series came with 4 years of maintenance, which included everything but tires. I got my wiper blades r...

lazydavid

I can't tell you how to spend your money, but that's not how I do it. My insurance is a jumpstart in the trunk (with lithium battery that can last a very long time). And I replace a battery when it really dies. I do this as well, but there is a little bit of a false sense of security involved. When...

lazydavid

My ancient D7100 has a built in flash, but I basically never use it. In cases where i might need a little bit of fill, the tiny but awesome SB-400 lives on the hotshoe full-time. Far more powerful than any built-in flash, and can be bounced easily. If I know I'm going to need a flash, my big SB-800 ...

lazydavid

Ok, you all have persuaded me that a miter saw would be better than a table saw. I did use the table saw for moulding in the living room and dining room. It took me awhile to figure out the correct angles for the saw blade, and it was a pain. Perhaps with a miter saw I will put moulding in the bedr...

lazydavid

Not to belittle the pandemic, but seems like that would have caught up a bit by now. Most WFH have been sent back or already bought a printer by now, I would think. I went to Best Buy today and the entire shelf was bare of lasers. Tons of inkjet printers (yuck). The supply chain is in absolute sham...

lazydavid

Get snow tires regardless (single most important safety factor, regardless of vehicle), but I agree the Odyssey is a far more compelling vehicle overall than the Sienna, so I wouldn't let its comparative lack of AWD dissuade you if that's what you really want. I live in the Chicago suburbs, so somew...

lazydavid

I'm going to order a new separation pad and pickup roller from this place: https://www.quikshiptoner.com/catalog Cost is $38.66. I have had to buy only one new toner cartridge for this printer. The original one seemed to last forever. In the interest of being "green" I bought a "recy...

lazydavid

I would never recommend anyone buy a new Sequoia. Its sole redeeming quality is exceptional reliability of its ancient drivetrain. It is more cramped than it should be for its size, technology and safety equipment is literally a decade behind everything in its class (and pretty much any class, for t...

lazydavid

Nicolas wrote: ↑Thu Apr 01, 2021 5:20 pm
praxis wrote: ↑Thu Apr 01, 2021 5:15 pm I stopped roasting at home because I like dark roast and it smokes too much
I roast in my garage. In nice weather I roast on my deck. Never inside the house.

I roast on a cutting board I set top of my stove, and the range hood helpfully routes the smoke outside for me.

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