Same Difference

I took a call yesterday from a guy who wanted an air pedal and hose assembly. Basically, that's a rubber or plastic hose, typically six feet long, with what amounts to a ball on the end. When connected to a machine, it acts as an on/off switch, starting the unit when you depress the pedal (You're a useless, no good pedal!) with your foot and stopping it when you step off. He was disappointed when I said I needed the make and model number of the machine. "What difference does it make?" he asked incredulously.

It makes a lot of difference. There are different hose sizes. There are differences in how the hose attaches to the diaphragm switch which they generally must engage. The length sometimes matters. You get the point.

He seemed to believe that such items are universal. They aren't. To be sure, they act the same in principle. Yet in particular they can be significantly different. Fords aren't Chevys, as any Ford (or Chevy) man will tell you.

From the way he responded to my questions, I believe the man thinks I was giving him a snow job. I wasn't: I wanted his money. Indeed, I truly wanted to help him. Yet without complete information there isn't much I can do.

He said he'd have to get the machine out of his storage place and get back to me. We'll see what happens.