I think you are right "trying" to keep the see saw balanced using an hourly exchange instead of "$ per hour". I would opine that if he spends 4 hours working on your car (for example) you spend 4 hours of your time working on his problem (should that ever happen). The rates of pay, or fees, or charges, or whatever you want to call it.....are largely subjective (to all kinds of marketing pressures/factors) and are really just somebody's opinion of what the traffic should pay. But as you stated, 4 hours (of someone's finite lifetime) spent for your benefit is 4 hours they could have spent doing something for themselves instead. So, if the scales would ever be balanced, it would have to be in "raw time", not some arbitrary $ amount. The tougher (for me) aspect of bartering time is trying to categorize persons that I might be "bartering with". Some persons are simply enjoyable to be around, no matter what I'm doing for them (or they are doing for me) and I place a higher value on the mutual friendship than could ever be expressed in monetary terms. Realistically speaking, this subject is much deeper and complex than what can be addressed in brief. The subject almost always has some factors rooted in benevolence, and even "familial altruism" (when it comes to relatives and in-laws/outlaws.

deeredoctor, I'm not an engineer (though I did get to sit in the engineer's seat of a locomotive once. 8^) I'm a mechanic (for about 40 years now, started at age 16 and had 1 year in trade school to that vocation). I have an incurable compulsion to read and study and experiment and build and on and on (shut up already!!!!) I have worked as a professional electrician (2 year stint with a good sized electrical contractor in the early 1980s) and as a welder (1 year at trade school to that vocation). You are correct to point out that the OEMs don't always "get it right the first time". I have seen addendums to the addendums of Factory Service Bulletins throughout the years that make you wonder just how many committee members were actually in attendance when the first bulletin was written. You are also correct in that many things do come down to a "matter of choice" in how one does their work/projects and such. I don't want you to think I was belittling you or the work you have done. I just wanted to make sure every reader got the point about what a fuse/fusible link/circuit breaker is needed for and why it really should be a detail to consider when modifying circuits on ANY type of electrical system. Just as I would NEVER suggest anyone remove or defeat any overcurrent device provided by an OEM, neither would I suggest that new or add-on circuits be rendered without addressing the aspect of short circuit/overload protection. Your highlighting the odds of getting struck by lightning are good too. We all know that it could happen and thus don't (I hope) do things to to increase the chances of being a "lightning rod". Glad you mentioned the part about Ford (though probably not the only OEM "guilty" of being off the predicted mark). That their fuse DID NOT prevent every possible scenario shows (at least to me) either the original estimate of amp draw in that circuit was wrong...or somewhere between concept and production, the parameters changed (like maybe the ampacity of those ignition switches or the associated wires on it) and nobody caught that or went back to change the rating of the fuse/fusible link.

OK, I'm glad I'm not the only one confused by the whole idea of "trading houses". I guess what OP is really saying he he will sell his house to the builder for (just throwing out some numbers) $200K and then take out a mortgage for $400K to buy the builder's house. So the builder will get out of his $400K mortgage/construction loan and take on a smaller 200K loan. The builder still needs to sell that house, but his risk is only 200K rather than 400K. SO, OP is has to pay closing costs on selling his house, will have to do 100% financing to cover the purchase price, and still come up with several thousand more for prepays and costs on buying the new house. The builder, OTOH, may have enough cash to buy OP's house outright and certainly should have funds to cover closing cost. It seems to me OP is taking a HUGE risk and the builder actually seems like a decent guy. It just seems like an incredibly bad idea, IMO.

Hi everyone, I know i sound like a tape recorder but my craftsman 1/2 hp has been working fine for 3 yrs. Not sure what happened to the remotes, but they stopped working. I first tried replacing the batteries but after that didnt work i went out and brought two brand new up to date chamberlain klik3u universal garage remotes. Retail 40 bucks per. They say in the manual they are compatible to my garage opener which was manufactured in 1997. They wont program as well. My garage opens and closes fine. I guess im here to find out if anyone has any other trouble shooting facts to program because the "press the red button like a door bell, hit the button you want programmed" basics isnt working for me. I called chamberlain about the remotes and they basically told me go jump in a lake, all our remotes program fast and easy!!! I need help ppl. Plzzzzz