June Banter 2021

[nw baltimore wx]

I installed two Mitsubishi units here last year. The garage got a ceiling unit while the addition upstairs got a wall unit, and they are fantastic.

[RDM]

25 minutes ago, nw baltimore wx said:

I installed two Mitsubishi units here last year. The garage got a ceiling unit while the addition upstairs got a wall unit, and they are fantastic.

Yup - Mitsubishi split-packs are one of the gold standards in split-packs.  The newer inverter technology has very high SER ratings (efficiency).  Plus, like Stormfly said, they have multiple-units now where there's only one outdoor compressor unit that can power up to 5 or more indoor FCUs (Fan Coil Units).  With precharged freon lines, they are something Harry Homeower can self-install with a little electrical knowledge. My former employer used hundreds of split-packs in the middle-east and Afghanistan.  On reverse cycle they provide heat too.  But not all of them have the reverse cycle option.  

Beyond Mitsubishi, there's some other Japanese brands that are also very good.  Hitachi being one of the other very good options.  Japanese homes don't have central AC and heat.  They heat and cool the room they are in when they are there because electricity is very expensive.  Much more per kWh than here in the USA.  So there's a lot of pressure on efficiency.  When I lived there in the mid 90's, my electric bill in the summer routinely approached $1000 per month.  And that was for a relatively small 3 bedroom house.  Can't fathom what the electric bill would be to run a central AC unit like we have in the USA at the cost of electricity in Japan.  

[vastateofmind]

On 6/29/2021 at 9:48 PM, WinterWxLuvr said:

Never had anything but a stick until I bought an F150 in 2019. And I hate having that automatic transmission 

 

On 6/29/2021 at 10:43 PM, RDM said:

Nie on impossible to find a regular ole manual these days.  Only a handful of vehicles have them.  Another dying trend, like cursive writing.  

 

21 hours ago, Stormfly said:

I'm old school.  Don't like automatics, ABS, traction control.  Could you imagine the kids growing up today driving an old farm truck in the snow? 

Wow, I thought I may be one of the few folks left on earth who preferred driving stick. I learned on manual, in fact, when my siblings and I were learning how to drive (we ONLY had manual transmission cars), my parents would take us to a notorious traffic light in our town...that stood at the top of a 30 degree grade, and where 5-6 cars would stack up during a given light cycle.    You can figure out the rest...lots of frustrated teen drivers and stalled manual transmission cars at THAT light.

STILL love/prefer driving manual transmission...always felt like I had more control...even though I haven't had a car with one for probably almost 20 years now. Honda spits out a sport Civic now and then with a 5-speed manual that is a little tempting at times. It always amazed me how clutches were like people...SOOOO many personalities. But, driving stick is like when you learn to ride your bike as a kid -- it's a skill and muscle memory that somehow doesn't leave you.

[H2O]

The biggest reason I had for not using an manual anymore?  Traffic.  Having to drive in so much crappy construction backups and now how I-95 is said the days of clutch foot needed to end.

[toolsheds]

12 minutes ago, H2O said:

The biggest reason I had for not using an manual anymore?  Traffic.  Having to drive in so much crappy construction backups and now how I-95 is said the days of clutch foot needed to end.

the arch cramping......

[mattie g]

26 minutes ago, H2O said:

The biggest reason I had for not using an manual anymore?  Traffic.  Having to drive in so much crappy construction backups and now how I-95 is said the days of clutch foot needed to end.

I had a manual for 13 years and was in the same boat. I enjoyed driving it, but driving it in traffic sucks.

I honestly haven't missed that car one bit. Automatic just makes driving simpler, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with getting behind the wheel of a car that's easier to drive.

[Stormfly]

Traffic definitely is bad but at least with hydraulic clutch assists the days of cramping are over.  My 1984 Shelby-Z had a cable clutch with pull of 110 pounds and stop and go was truly feared!

I have to say EVs are interesting to drive especially in one pedal mode!  Very good pickup and passing range is quite stout.  On the high end you have sub 10s quarter mile times!  In a vehicle that ANYONE can drive, it's like playing a video game.  Grab the wheel, hold on and push the pedal to the floor!

But let's not kid ourselves.  There's nothing like rowing through a gearbox in the turns, rev matching on the downshifts and just keeping things on the edge of breaking traction through the turns.  That's what made driving fun.

[toolsheds]

16 minutes ago, Stormfly said:

Traffic definitely is bad but at least with hydraulic clutch assists the days of cramping are over.  My 1984 Shelby-Z had a cable clutch with pull of 110 pounds and stop and go was truly feared!

I have to say EVs are interesting to drive especially in one pedal mode!  Very good pickup and passing range is quite stout.  On the high end you have sub 10s quarter mile times!  In a vehicle that ANYONE can drive, it's like playing a video game.  Grab the wheel, hold on and push the pedal to the floor!

But let's not kid ourselves.  There's nothing like rowing through a gearbox in the turns, rev matching on the downshifts and just keeping things on the edge of breaking traction through the turns.  That's what made driving fun.

I loved downshifting through the winding backwoods roads of Carroll and Baltimore Counties growing up.  It really was a fun ride.  I also noticed that my break pads didn't wear as much either. 

[nw baltimore wx]

56 minutes ago, toolsheds said:

I loved downshifting through the winding backwoods roads of Carroll and Baltimore Counties growing up.  It really was a fun ride.  I also noticed that my break pads didn't wear as much either. 

I had a manual Tacoma for 15 years and went to automatic four years ago, and the only time I miss manual is 4WD mode in snow and hills.

Unfortunately, that isn’t very often recently.

[nw baltimore wx]

2 hours ago, RDM said:

Yup - Mitsubishi split-packs are one of the gold standards in split-packs.  The newer inverter technology has very high SER ratings (efficiency).  Plus, like Stormfly said, they have multiple-units now where there's only one outdoor compressor unit that can power up to 5 or more indoor FCUs (Fan Coil Units).  With precharged freon lines, they are something Harry Homeower can self-install with a little electrical knowledge. My former employer used hundreds of split-packs in the middle-east and Afghanistan.  On reverse cycle they provide heat too.  But not all of them have the reverse cycle option.  

Beyond Mitsubishi, there's some other Japanese brands that are also very good.  Hitachi being one of the other very good options.  Japanese homes don't have central AC and heat.  They heat and cool the room they are in when they are there because electricity is very expensive.  Much more per kWh than here in the USA.  So there's a lot of pressure on efficiency.  When I lived there in the mid 90's, my electric bill in the summer routinely approached $1000 per month.  And that was for a relatively small 3 bedroom house.  Can't fathom what the electric bill would be to run a central AC unit like we have in the USA at the cost of electricity in Japan.  

I did most of the install except the main electrical box. I ran all the lines and connected them to the units, but I had @losetoa6 stop over and connect to the breaker box. Then I had an HVAC friend stop by and check all my work at startup.

[H2O]

7 minutes ago, nw baltimore wx said:

I had a manual Tacoma for 15 years and went to automatic four years ago, and the only time I miss manual is 4WD mode in snow and hills.

Unfortunately, that isn’t very often recently.

All these 4x4s now seem to have traction control which takes over so that you don't even need to feather that clutch in snow.  They def are making cars as idiot proof as possible which is a tall order.