Quote Originally Posted by bulldog View Post
I totally agree with you Dean, but this is why we are the old guys. With Youtube you have some average Joe making a video and you have no clue what experience they really have. A shop manual is straight from the manufacturer so you get the correct information….but it does take some intelligence to understand it. Yet, tell that to a younger person as most want an instant answer that requires little effort…and reading is a lot of effort nowadays it seems!

Yeah I’ve always bought the shop manuals too as I like that paper copy I can sit down and read and take with me while wrenching. Hell I read a book a week and still have yet to find one of my younger buddies who even read anything more than the internet.
I see the whole YouTube scenario differently. I use YouTube almost exclusively for reference purposes. YouTube is a way for people to connect and see what others are doing. For instance, Reloading. I have several reloading books/manuals. I have my own recipes for load data that I use. However, I use ReloadersNest.com all the time for information on tweaking a load. Or to gather information on different kinds of loads guys are using for a given round.

Same with YouTube, I can access YouTube to see what guys have to say about reloads they have done. What has or hasn't worked for them and then see them shoot it in real time to get side by side comparisons of different loads. YouTube really helped me with the 5.7 reload. I was about to undertake the process of reloading for the 5.7(in pistol) and read several on-line articles and watched several YouTube videos of guys recommending "against" reloading for the 5.7 pistol. 5.7 in a P90 is fine but for the FiveSeven pistol it's not a good idea. It is doable and many have done it, however it is an arduous process that takes things a step beyond a typical reload. A process that I initially didn't think would be a pain, and after research and some testimony I decided against reloading the round.

Same goes for vehicles. Sure, I've got tons of Chilton and Hayes manuals for vehicles I've owned over the years. However, it is nice to actually see someone do the exact same part replacement that I was going to do and have the helpful pointers that would save time. If I followed the manuals, it draws the process out. Watching someone with some experience is nice to see the tricks of the trade they have come up with to help save time.

For some things technology is great and has made the old ways obsolete. When properly utilized technology makes things faster, more efficient and trims the process down with less headaches.

I think what ultimately helps when it comes to motor vehicle work, is having the proper tools. Back when I was younger, I had just a set of wrenches and sockets, with a few screw drivers.

Now, I have a cacophony of tools and a tool chest. Each tool has it's use, and each drawer a specific tool in it for work I'll do. Gone are the days of busting my knuckles with insufficient tools. I don't use a ratchet and socket for sh*t anymore. Now, I get the air tools out and blast through the project in half the time. I don't even use screwdrivers for much anymore. I have two cordless drills with an infinite amount of bits and attachments. I couldn't tell you the last time to actually used a screw driver to take something apart. I use my cordless drill for everything. I don't even wind my strings for my guitars by hand anymore. I have an attachment bit that goes in my cordless drill that does that for me.

I'm with you on books though. I have an ever growing personal library. I much prefer to read the old fashioned way and that's with old ink and paper. I don't understand how people can read on those Kindle's or Ipads. Seems so impersonal to me, feels automated. When I have a book in my hand, I relish the feeling of the crisp paper pages. Love the sound the page makes when I put a dog ear on it. Am completely entranced by the smell of the ink and paper. One of the first things I do when I get a book, is open it and take a deep breathe to take in all the glory of the smell of ink and paper. Nothing beats the journey you take in the story when you read with a book in your hand.