> and (to an increasingly smaller extent) automotive maintenance
I disagree, with the cost of maintenance these days. The cheapest shops in my area (large city, Canada) charge $110/h, reputable (and/or German) charge $125-$150/h, and dealerships start there and go up. I know people paying $100 for a seasonal tire change (swapping rims, not dismount/remount), plus storage for your off-season tires. A good jack and stand set is $180 ish, and you can either buy a breaker bar for $30 or an impact for $100, along with a torque wrench for $40, and be set for life for tire changes. The tools will pay for themselves in a year and then save you every year thereafter. And you now have the basics to do the easy-to-get-to stuff like brakes and suspension components, saving you even more.
Of all the trades, automotive is one of the easiest (and cheapest) to start doing yourself, aside from maybe plumbing. Especially if you have a second car to rely on in case you’re not confident in your ability to get a job done on time.
I disagree, with the cost of maintenance these days. The cheapest shops in my area (large city, Canada) charge $110/h, reputable (and/or German) charge $125-$150/h, and dealerships start there and go up. I know people paying $100 for a seasonal tire change (swapping rims, not dismount/remount), plus storage for your off-season tires. A good jack and stand set is $180 ish, and you can either buy a breaker bar for $30 or an impact for $100, along with a torque wrench for $40, and be set for life for tire changes. The tools will pay for themselves in a year and then save you every year thereafter. And you now have the basics to do the easy-to-get-to stuff like brakes and suspension components, saving you even more.
Of all the trades, automotive is one of the easiest (and cheapest) to start doing yourself, aside from maybe plumbing. Especially if you have a second car to rely on in case you’re not confident in your ability to get a job done on time.