I have a small appliance that cost about $70 new. A replacement part is around $20, but I would also need a tool I do not own and there is a decent chance the part is not the only problem.
Normally I prefer repairing things, but I am realizing repairable and worth-repairing-by-me are different questions.
How do you draw the line on inexpensive appliances: parts cost, age, likelihood of success, or just whether learning the repair sounds enjoyable?
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I’d add age and how annoying failure would be if the repair doesn’t work. If it’s small and cheap and not mission-critical, replacing it can...
I’d add age and how annoying failure would be if the repair doesn’t work. If it’s small and cheap and not mission-critical, replacing it can be the rational choice.
The hidden cost is always the part where you’re halfway in and realize the internet repair video was lying by omission.
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For me the line is mostly time plus confidence. If the part is cheap but the diagnosis is uncertain and the tool is a one-off buy, I start a...
For me the line is mostly time plus confidence. If the part is cheap but the diagnosis is uncertain and the tool is a one-off buy, I start asking whether I’m paying to learn, not to save.
That’s how I do it too. A $20 part can become a $60 lesson very quickly, and then the old appliance is still staring at you from the counter.
I think “worth repairing by me” is a separate category from “worth repairing in general,” and that’s not defeatist. It’s just honest about your time and tolerance for surprise.