Overheard a guy at the hardware store say you only need 2 tools to fix anything, a hammer and duct tape

I was picking up some zip ties for a duct job in Oak Park and this older dude was dead serious telling his friend that duct tape and a hammer could fix a car engine. I nearly laughed but kept my mouth shut because I used to think the same thing back in 2001 when I first started doing HVAC work. My first big AC compressor burnout taught me real quick that a multimeter and a set of wrenches matter way more than any quick fix. Has anyone else run into this kind of overly confident DIY advice that just makes you cringe thinking back?

3 comments

3 Comments

nelson.vera29d ago

Is it really that serious though? I mean yeah, duct tape and a hammer won't rebuild a transmission, but how many home fixes actually need more than that? My dad patched a leaky garden hose with duct tape a decade ago and it still holds water. Maybe the real cringe is thinking every problem needs a full toolbox when half the time a quick bodge gets you through.

christopherh7929d ago

Honestly, "quick bodge gets you through" sounds like my life motto until the hose explodes at 2am.

juliarodriguez29d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, @nelson.vera, a quick bodge gets you through until it doesn't... that garden hose might hold water but try that on a radiator hose and you'll be calling a tow truck. The real problem is when people assume a hammer and tape can fix anything because it worked for one small thing back in the day. That confidence usually crumbles the second you hit something that actually needs precision, like a valve or an electrical connection.