The Magic Electrician

[Buckrub]

Back in June, we called the local electrician (the ONLY one) at the farm to come fix the wiring so we could have a stove. He had previously charged us $247 in the spring to come out and figure out why the stove and oven (They are separate) didn't work. His prognosis was that the wiring under the old house was rotten and not working and new wiring would be required.....but he couldn't run it under the house because my MIL had put in a beam to shore up the sagging floor (it doesn't work). His estimate was $1,000.00. We said no.

But in June we went back and fuses started blowing and plugs didn't work and so we called him and gave up, and said "OK, do it". However, he said "I'll get to it when I can, but it'll probably be November". Mercy. He said he'd try and do a little here and there. I left him a list of things to do and never heard back. We went back in August and still he had not come, no calls, nothing.

So, I went on the Arkansas Hunting site and said "Is there an Electrician anywhere in SE Arkansas?" and a guy answered me and gave me a number. I called this guy, and it's a 26 y/o kid in a town about 48 miles away. Yet, he said he'd do it, and was glad to get the work.

We went there for ML Season last week, and got there a day or two earlier than the Saturday start. He showed up on Friday. And boy o boy o boy.

The kid is a magician. Somehow he fiddled and finagled and did the hokey-pokey, and both oven and stove started working. Only two 'eyes' on the stovetop work, but that's not an electrician problem. He could not answer why the other guys said new wiring was required. Bam!

OK, I also had the dishwasher go out. I had bought a used dishwasher (at the same site) for $30 and carried it down there. I asked Mr. Electrician if he knew how to install one. He said yes, and I showed him that the only thing wrong with the Kitchenaid dishwasher was the electronic control panel......it was stuck on Child Lock. I researched online how to fix, and the fix did not work. Repeatedly. The online info said "Tough, buy a new control panel", which is $360!!!! That's why I bought the used one. Mr. Electrician said "How did they say to fix it?" and you hold Button X down for five seconds, and he did............AND IT WORKED! It started working fine! I guess we had either done it wrong 50 times, or else it had been unplugged long enough to reset itself. Beats me. But he fixed it.

So, it's been a whopping two hours by now......so I had 4 new receptacles to replace the old ones in the kitchen that weren't 3-prong, and he did that. And labeled all the old fuses on the 1940 fuse panel, that are so frustrating to figure out what goes where......(that took 45 minutes!)

THEN, he saw the two boxes I had of new motion solar lights and he put them up on the outside around the garage! Bam.

And all that was less than $300.00!!! AND he's coming back when we go back for modern gun season 11/14 to do some other stuff, including putting in a 30/50 amp pole for the travel trailer.........and I may get him to help me redo the screened in front porch (it's a mess)........he said he did a lot of 'handyman' stuff.

THEN I got a text when he got home thanking me for being a great customer and hiring him and was just gracious and hoping we'd remember him next time.

WOW!

OH........another subject..........I had cameras out since end of August at the farm, and before ML season started, I ran them and got some pics off................and this bad boy was on there. The date/time is bad wrong, I screwed that up......this is mid September........and it's about 30 feet from my stand!!!

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Buck7088/Farm%20Pics/Farmbuck_zpscz67kihh.jpg (http://s279.photobucket.com/user/Buck7088/media/Farm%20Pics/Farmbuck_zpscz67kihh.jpg.html)

[Cards01]

Wow. That is great all the way around Bucky!! Got a lot of stuff fixed up for cheaper than you expected. A very nice prospect buck to hunt. And lined up a handyman for future work. Sounds like a huge success!!

[Chicken Dinner]

If you can find somebody that'll do good work for a good price, hang onto them. Good looking buck. Locals probably got him last night with the Hunter's Moon.:AR

[HideHunter]

xellent! congrats..

[DeputyDog]

Before someone else says it....."He'll be a nice deer in a couple years". :wink

[Buckrub]

I have a poacher, a long time JERK that lives close...........and who asked me if he could lease this land (I said no)........and I am not sure he's not around. But I've not been there a lot in the past, and will now, so I doubt he's much of a bother.

One good thing is that I've talked to most of the folks around me, my neighbors, and they are not meat killers........they have let little guys walk for years. I have the normal doe with little ones, and spikes, on camera.........but this is not deer dense territory......which also bodes well for them being bigger........Mid South Arkansas (the deer club, in the piney woods) is small deer and lots of them. The farm is like hunting Saskatchewan (as an analogy only)....not many, and most days you see nothing....but the big boy is out there. Had a big Atypical killed 120 yards from me last year.

[Thumper]

Next time he's out, have him check to see if those non-working elements are getting power. Replacement elements generally just plug in and are barely more difficult than changing a light bulb. Who knows? You may get lucky and have a full working stove. Leave a message on the first guy's answering machine to screw himself. ;)

Buy a nice flashlight for ol' Mossy Horns ... he'll prolly only be out at night come hunting season. ;)

[Buckrub]

First guy can't get in.....we installed a security system, and our lessor has the code.......and he's been told to ignore the first guy (which is a friend of his). Heck, this new guy also did a small job for our lessor as he left.........which made him more money, and was something Michael couldn't get done for months, either.

He already rewired the two nonworking elements. Still don't work. I haven't told Mama, but I'm THINKING of just going to Lowe's and getting the cheapest stovetop and have the kid install it when he comes............trouble is, I need a ventahood too, the old one has the on/off switches IN the ventahood! These are NOT plug in elements. I've never seen any like this. OLD!!! You have to unscrew them, and take them apart, and there's a ceramic piece that has to go back together. Not worth repairing. BUT, we can cook now!

As for the big boy, my Grandson is coming from South Carolina to hunt with me the week of Thanksgiving, and bringing a friend of his........and I can only hope one of those two boys gets this guy.

[Thumper]

We scored on a new stove from Craig's List. Ours went out a couple years ago and we found one that was "brand new" on CL. We went to look at it and the story was, the guy had just bought the house. It was brand new (never been lived in) and the builder included all upscale appliances in the price of the house. The problem was, he refuses to cook on anything other than a gas range and had a gas line installed along with a gas stove. The electric range was in the garage and still had all the paperwork etc. taped onto the oven racks. He quoted a price (don't remember what it was, but it was a GOOD price) and Lynn hesitated. She actually kind of embarrassed me a little. He then asked what she wanted to pay and she said $50. He said, "It's yours!" He had a Lexus and a Mercedes sitting in the driveway and just wanted to get the junk out of there (he was still in the process of moving in) so he could get the cars in the garage! :D

[Nandy]

Im so glad you found that young man. I can see a great customer/business relation there.
Hope the grand kid get's that one but then he will be hard to find something larger... Still, that would be something.

[Captain]

Bucky, that dude sounds like a good resource to have on all kinds of stuff not just wiring. You might have just found a reasonable helper for upgrading/fixing things.

[LJ3]

I'd be getting a night scope for that bucky, bucky.

[Buckrub]

I have a VXr, close as I can get!

[Big Muddy]

Bucky, years ago, I was fortunate to hire a young black high school kid for some part-time summer work....after he graduated high school, he wanted to work full-time....he was a hard worker, so I hired him....he's honest, smart as a whip, can fix about anything, and takes initiative to look for things to do.

He turned 51 years old, last week, and is still working for me....even though I've leased out my farm land, I assured him that I still had plenty of work for him around the farm.

I'm not saying hire your "magic electrician-handyman" full-time, but treat him right and with respect, try to give him as much work as you can, give him a few bucks extra in tips or a bonus at Christmas time, and he'll be at your beck and call, whenever you need him.

Sounds like you've made a rare find....good luck with that.

[Buckrub]

Amen.

I ALMOST sent him a note and said "I don't think you charged me enough. Here's the difference in a check".......but I don't have his address, and he's coming back and I'll do it then.

[Nandy]

I think a big tip will work better as a motivation to keep his good work.

[Bwana]

Looks like you made two great finds.

Good luck to the boys and keep us posted on your progress.