Unpopular opinion: good equipment doesnt matter if you dont maintain it

I was cleaning houses for a client in Austin last month and my vacuum just died halfway through. $400 machine but I never bothered to clean the filters or check the belts. Had to finish with a broom and dustpan like a caveman. The client watched me struggle and said "you know you can rent a decent vacuum from the hardware store right?" Felt so dumb. Now I check all my gear every Sunday night before the week starts. How often do you guys actually service your tools?

2 comments

2 Comments

susansingh15d ago

Found out my lawnmower blades were basically butter knives when I finally replaced them after three years. Could have been mowing with a pair of scissors.

brookefox15d ago

My buddy Mark finally sharpened his mower blades after two years and he told me the grass looked like it had been through a blender before. He said the old blades were so dull they were just mashing the grass down instead of cutting it clean. @susansingh you are spot on about the scissors thing because Mark was basically ripping the grass blades in half. He showed me a video of the difference and the lawn went from looking like a bad combover to a fresh haircut overnight. It's wild how much smoother the cut gets when the blades are actually sharp.