Last updated scan of the month... August 2023?
Lumafield co-founder and CEO here. Stay tuned - we’re bringing SotM back!
Readit NewsEduardo3rd commented on What went wrong inside recalled Anker PowerCore 10000 power banks? lumafield.com/article/wha... · Posted by u/walterbell
Eduardo3rd commented on RapidSlide Adjustable Wrench mechanomy.com/posts/22121... · Posted by u/bcon
> I've long subscribed to the philosophy that you should buy the cheapest tool you can find and use safely, use it until it wears out, breaks, or your skill surpasses the capability of the tool - and only then should you spend money on high quality tools.
Overall, it's not a bad philosophy. But I can think of a couple of complications here:
- For battery-operated tools, standardizing on one system means you can buy a handful of pricy batteries and share them among many tools. Batteries wear out, and eventually need repeated replacement. And only needing to replace, say, 3 batteries from a single brand is convenient.
- A lot of times, it's possible to buy medium-quality tool sets (say, hex wrenches) for less than $100. I'm literally going to use many of them as long as I live. Why not spend $70 and get something halfway decent, instead of the $30 junk?
- If you're doing a big project (refinishing kitchen cabinets, building a deck, etc), that can easily justify spending a few hundred dollars on a quality key tool. A quality drill/hammer driver pair is game changing, for example. Saves countless hours compared to my old gear.
I had Craftsman power tools until battery replacements were only available from fly-by-night companies and a couple of the tools started failing (after 20 years). I wound up buying a couple of DeWalt tools on sale and they've been rock-solid. So I added a couple more as needed. I tried a Ryobi line trimmer a few years ago, and the battery system failed within two weeks. So I took it back and paid $50 extra for a DeWalt version that has run flawlessly. I could save some money by buying less-used tools from a second, cheaper brand. But that would double my battery replacement costs over the next 20 years, and I'd need to do more research for each purchase.
So sometimes a set of "79 auto tools for one low price!" is a good move. And sometimes, mid-to-high end homeowner gear or even a contractor tool is worth the money.
'I had Craftsman power tools until battery replacements were only available from fly-by-night companies and a couple of the tools started failing (after 20 years). I wound up buying a couple of DeWalt tools on sale and they've been rock-solid. So I added a couple more as needed.'
I think we are in complete agreement! After 20 years of use are are more than qualified to know what you need and go get it regardless of the price point!
Eduardo3rd commented on RapidSlide Adjustable Wrench mechanomy.com/posts/22121... · Posted by u/bcon
I strongly disagree. Cheap tools are a pain to use, and break when you need them most, and perpetuate throw away culture. If a good tool is too expensive to own find a rental or buy used, otherwise buy high quality.
High quality is a joy to work with and will serve you a long time.
High quality tools are absolutely a joy! I love the high end tools that I get to use in my professional life as a mechanical engineer. (less frequently now that I am a manager, but you never get tired of using a well designed Festool, Bosch, or Wera product)
However,I don't need the same level of quality in the things I have at home. I've built, repaired, and otherwise tinkered away on countless projects over the years with things I found/bought on sale/picked up along the way with no issues. I'm not a professional [plumber, carpenter, electrician, mason, machinist, etc] and I don't need the same tools they have to get the job done safely.
There's nothing wrong with choosing to spend your personal money on high end tools. In general I find the attitude around tool ownership to be one of gate keeping though, and I'm more interested in getting started and discovering what I really need with less expensive tools than I am in spending my entire budget on high end equipment only to learn that I don't need specific expensive features after a few uses.
Eduardo3rd commented on RapidSlide Adjustable Wrench mechanomy.com/posts/22121... · Posted by u/bcon
I've long subscribed to the philosophy that you should buy the cheapest tool you can find and use safely, use it until it wears out, breaks, or your skill surpasses the capability of the tool - and only then should you spend money on high quality tools. Too much money is thrown away in the name of "buy once, cry once" only to discover that you don't need the capabilities offered by the top of the line options.
Eduardo3rd commented on Michael Crichton’s and John Grisham’s ambition types calnewport.com/blog/2022/... · Posted by u/1123581321
This is wonderful advice. I wish I would have received it (and been receptive to it) 15 years ago.
Back then I was a Crichton, but have realized I’m just causing myself unhappiness and anxiety on that path. Now I want to try to be more of a Grisham.
One challenge though: How can you be a Grisham in the “deep tech” startup space? The whole culture is so geared towards Crichtons. Is there a beaten path, or will I have to create it?
I would argue that outside of the Elon Musk tier of the deep tech world (and there's really only one person like that) almost every other person I know making measurable progress in hard technology is extremely focused on one thing at a time. The Crichton style 100-things-at-once approach grabs more headlines, retweets, and attention - but most of the engineers I know working on fusion reactors, electric vehicles, carbon capture, artificial intelligence, space travel, and medical advances are not trying to be VCs, entertainers, authors, and philanthropists at the same time they move their field forward.
Focus on running towards what actually moves the world forward and you'll discover the other people who are keeping up with you quickly. Don't worry about all of the noise around busier people working on other things. None of that will last.
“Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways men can be immortal.”
― Ernest Hemingway
No one remembers the names of those yet to be born. The frame of reference matters a great deal here.
Meter | https://careers.meter.parts/ | San Francisco, CA and Boston, MA | Full time | Onsite
Meter is a developing next-generation volumetric imaging technology. We are building a machine that can see inside of anything and cloud-based software for processing the complex, volumetric data that the machine produces. Our technology will give engineers, designers, and eventually medical practitioners more confidence in their processes and lower the barrier to high quality imaging and inspection tools.
Our team of engineers includes world-class researchers, industrial designers, PhDs, founders of successful startups, and zero egos. We are backed by some of the top venture capital funds and angel investors in Silicon Valley and beyond. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, MA and has an office in San Francisco, CA.
We’re hiring across a number of open positions including…
Computational Imaging Scientist - Build state-of-the-art image processing systems
Research Scientist - Independently lead and contribute to applied research projects
Mechanical Engineer - Design structural components and motion systems for products
Backend Web Engineer- Drive development of the backend tech stack behind Meter’s customer-facing web app and websites
Computational Geometry Engineer - Build state-of-the-art geometry processing systems
DevOps Engineer -Architect Meter’s cloud data processing pipeline for performance and scalability
Frontend Engineer - Build user-friendly 3D experiences utilizing React, Typescript, Three.js, and WebGL
Apply at https://careers.meter.parts/ or email jobs@meter.parts if you have any questions
Meter | https://jobs.lever.co/meter | San Francisco, CA and Boston, MA | Full time | Onsite
Meter is a developing next-generation volumetric imaging technology. We are building a machine that can see inside of anything and cloud-based software for processing the complex, volumetric data that the machine produces. Our technology will give engineers, designers, and eventually medical practitioners more confidence in their processes and lower the barrier to high quality imaging and inspection tools.
Our team of engineers includes world-class researchers, industrial designers, PhDs, founders of successful startups, and zero egos. We are backed by some of the top venture capital funds and angel investors in Silicon Valley and beyond. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, MA and has an office in San Francisco, CA.
We’re hiring across a number of open positions including…
Computational Imaging Scientist - Build state-of-the-art image processing systems
Research Scientist - Independently lead and contribute to applied research projects
Mechanical Engineer - Design structural components and motion systems for products
Backend Web Engineer- Drive development of the backend tech stack behind Meter’s customer-facing web app and websites
Computational Geometry Engineer - Build state-of-the-art geometry processing systems
DevOps Engineer -Architect Meter’s cloud data processing pipeline for performance and scalability
Frontend Engineer - Build user-friendly 3D experiences utilizing React, Typescript, Three.js, and WebGL
UI/UX Designer - Lead design for an integrated hardware/software ecosystem
Apply at https://jobs.lever.co/meter or email jobs@meter.parts if you have any questions