People don't fix things anymore

[WhizkidTN]

Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
I have a rather ridiculous theory that sort of maybe kind of goes along with all this. No more basements. Back in the day, lot of houses had basements, like the built-in-1923 English Tudor style old place near a park in the city where we grew up, that mom and dad bought for $18,000 in 1965. Basement that was a bee hive of activity for the family-- laundry, mom's artist table and painting stuff, picture frame making mitre table, dad's "gun room" with reloading (shot shells) stuff, my converted ping-pong table with h.o. gauge slot car racing track (AFX's they were called), and .... dad's work bench and table with vise and tools hanging along the wall, old pickle jars full of assorted nuts and bolts and etc. He could fix anything.... we could fix... anything it seemed.

Oh well, told you it was a ridiculous theory. There are also garage workshops. And you have to have a place you can go lay stuff out to fix it. Kitchen table doesn't always get it done...


My parents have lived in the same house for 63 years w/basement and workshop (only 1 car garage however) so I can relate. I think you're on to something.

Exactly why as the wife and I downsize (single level), we are building our 1st home and I have a tandem garage with A/C and heat. I will have a nice area to work on cars and hobbies (if I had one).

 

[WhizkidTN]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Ok, years ago TVs had tubes for the circuits. When one broke you could find a tube tester, test the tube and buy a new one if needed. Then came solid state and ICs. Then they got dirt cheap. It was not any thing.

But cars unlike a $300 TV are made to be maintained and repaired.


Reminds me of the new B&S push lawnmowers that "never" need to have their oil changed, just topped off.
Just plain nuts to me...

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: madRiver
Cars I agree most folks replace and others pick up there leftovers. New vehicles financed are the biggest enemy of folks building any wealth.

TVs/electronics you throw them away, long ago they were very expensive now relatively cheap.

Phones not sure, I have no had great experience with "repair" I tend to trade them in if something went amiss.




If buying new cars is the deciding factor whether your build wealth or not-your doing something wrong. Does it help not to buy new cars? Yes. But as I mentioned-it shouldn't be the deciding factor.

Most who are anti new cars here on BITOG can't afford them. OR-don't want the payments. Yes-there are exceptions.

I spent my early years building wealth-and always drove newer cars.

I often see the opposite, many new/er car owners can't afford them, and those of us driving older cars, can but have better stuff to spend our money on. Also we use our cars as tools and I hate having to be overly careful with newer stuff that the kids are going to be using.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: SeaJay
If you are willing to spend enough money, any car can be fixed and kept on the road.

At some point the expense, time and aggravation to keep doing, ever more frequently as things keep wearing out.this reaches a point of no return. There is no bright line at that point, and everyone makes their own decision as to when that point was reached. Some earlier than others,and some will seemingly never give up on their 25 year old car pushing 400K miles.


That's the conventional view. OTOH, once you replace a component, its replaced, and (unless it was used) it'll be a while before it fails again.

I'm probably due a clutch and maybe a head gasket fairly soon. If I'm staying in Taiwan after next semester (don't know yet) I'll probably do them.

I'd guess one "point of no return" would be a gearbox failure, since parts for a rebuild probably aren't going to be available and would be expensive if they are. I'd think that just about anything else would be fixable if I can get the bits, though I won't know until I try.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted By: CKN
A service call for a washing machine is $100.00(or more) Then it's parts for whatever is wrong with it. A new one is $300.00

If your not a do-it-your-selfer the choice is an easy one.


Please link me to this $300 washer? Then I'll bet it won't hold/fit my King-sized blanket, when washing is necessary. I'll also bet every component is plastic (weighs very little) and it bounces all around the laundry room during high-spin.

The #1 reason why people do't fix vehicles anymore is their mother never worked on cars. You see, most households raising kids these past few decades involve single parent households...... usually / predominately moms.

Mom maybe has a few screwdrivers - one hammer and a few multi-purposes pliers/wrenches.... that's it.

 

[Tundragod]

I had to refinished a bathroom vanity recently. My thought and intention was that it will be cheap and better then a new one. Well, it was cheaper and maybe better but I wish I bought a new one instead of taking the time to refinishing it. Especially, sanding and spraying clear lacquer.

 

[4WD]

About a year ago there was an older man sacking groceries - it looked odd since mostly (high turnover) young folks do this.
He looked familiar - and he spoke as I was leaving. This man used to have a busy TV repair business ...

 

[Alfred_B]

It's the labor to fix things. It costs too much and most of the time it's done badly.

This is a nation of incompetent hacks that can't get anything done properly. You never know what you are going to get and the hassle of following up to save a few bucks is sometimes not worth the trouble.

DIY is a different matter if you are handy enough.

 

[exranger06]

I'm getting ready to send my Explorer off to the junkyard. I could fix it and keep it going, but it would cost over $3k on top of the several hundred or so I already put in it over the last several months. And then I would still have a rusty truck with trashed interior and 219k miles on the engine and suspension. Not to mention hours and hours of my time spent to fix all of its issues. Instead, I spent $3900 on a used Honda CR-V with about 64k fewer miles and no issues except it needs brakes and some fluids changed. Sometimes replacing is a better choice than fixing. All is not lost though - some of the Explorer's parts will get removed and be used to fix other people's Explorers and will help them stay on the road longer. Then the rest will get recycled into new, useful things. Circle of life.

 

[grampi]

I have noticed a lot of people these days don't bother getting their cars fixed when they end up with body/paint damage, even with newer vehicles. I don't know how people can stand having their new car damaged and not get it fixed...

 

[KrisZ]

I'm waiting for a thread asking why we don't hear about basket weaving anymore. lol.

That's how these things go. Even the most skilled repairmen pale in comparison to people that used to live almost 100% from the fruits of their own labors with minimal trading with others.
Is anybody here yearning for farming their own land with a horse and basic hand tools, hunting for food, making your own clothes and other everyday items?

Besides, it's not profitable to have people that can rely on themselves and their own skills.

 

[Donald]

Ok, years ago TVs had tubes for the circuits. When one broke you could find a tube tester, test the tube and buy a new one if needed. Then came solid state and ICs. Then they got dirt cheap. It was not any thing.

But cars unlike a $300 TV are made to be maintained and repaired.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted By: CKN
A service call for a washing machine is $100.00(or more) Then it's parts for whatever is wrong with it. A new one is $300.00

If your not a do-it-your-selfer the choice is an easy one.


Please link me to this $300 washer? Then I'll bet it won't hold/fit my King-sized blanket, when washing is necessary. I'll also bet every component is plastic (weighs very little) and it bounces all around the laundry room during high-spin.

The #1 reason why people do't fix vehicles anymore is their mother never worked on cars. You see, most households raising kids these past few decades involve single parent households...... usually / predominately moms.

Mom maybe has a few screwdrivers - one hammer and a few multi-purposes pliers/wrenches.... that's it.



You can search the web-Sears, Kmart have washers that list for around $400.00/ish dollars. On sale these can be purchased for $300.00. Washer/dryer on sale for less than $600.00 (for the pair) is not uncommon.


I purchased these on sale for a rental property for less than $600.00 for a washer/dryer.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
It's the labor to fix things. It costs too much and most of the time it's done badly.

This is a nation of incompetent hacks that can't get anything done properly. You never know what you are going to get and the hassle of following up to save a few bucks is sometimes not worth the trouble.

DIY is a different matter if you are handy enough.


I agree with this. Anytime I've had to have something repaired because it either requires a lift or some ungodly expensive special tools,something else is always broken in the process or forgotten to be put back on etc,requiring multiple visits to get it right.

 

[Tdog02]

Having skilled craftsmen is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Reasonable charges and affordable parts are quickly leaving the scene also. I wanted to repair a vacuum cleaner recently (it was 7-8 years old) and they don't make parts for it anymore. The one place that rebuilt the motor for the direct drive was more expensive than the vacuum was originally.

I do most of my maintenance and repairs just to make sure they are done right! However, I am getting older and the day will come when me crawling on the ground under a vehicle just will be too much. Till then full steam ahead and [censored] the torpedos!

 

[oilpsi2high]

Originally Posted By: Tdog02
Having skilled craftsmen is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Reasonable charges and affordable parts are quickly leaving the scene also. I wanted to repair a vacuum cleaner recently (it was 7-8 years old) and they don't make parts for it anymore. The one place that rebuilt the motor for the direct drive was more expensive than the vacuum was originally.

I do most of my maintenance and repairs just to make sure they are done right! However, I am getting older and the day will come when me crawling on the ground under a vehicle just will be too much. Till then full steam ahead and [censored] the torpedos!


When you get to that point, that just means it is time to reward yourself with a nice two-post lift!

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: madRiver
Cars I agree most folks replace and others pick up there leftovers. New vehicles financed are the biggest enemy of folks building any wealth.

TVs/electronics you throw them away, long ago they were very expensive now relatively cheap.

Phones not sure, I have no had great experience with "repair" I tend to trade them in if something went amiss.




If buying new cars is the deciding factor whether your build wealth or not-your doing something wrong. Does it help not to buy new cars? Yes. But as I mentioned-it shouldn't be the deciding factor.

Most who are anti new cars here on BITOG can't afford them. OR-don't want the payments. Yes-there are exceptions.

I spent my early years building wealth-and always drove newer cars.


Mostly agree. Pretty much anyone with a full time job can drive a new car home with the return of easy credit. Whether this is wise is another matter.
Every self-proclaimed personal finance guru will tell you that buying new cars is financial suicide, but this pronouncement is as valid as that old chestnut that your new car loses thirty percent of its value as you drive it off the lot.
We've bought new and used cars over the years and either makes perfect financial sense if you buy them right and use them for some reasonable span. A new car will most likely be very cheap to own since it should need no more than fluid changes, brakes and tires for the first 100K. After that, you may be looking at replacing more wear items, but nothing that should break the bank. Shop as smart for service as you did for the car or DIY and you should find most cars pretty cheap to own well past 150K.
Fewer people these days seem interested in getting their hands dirty even though cheap but serviceable tools abound as does free expert advice complete with pictures and videos these days.
Cars are neither investments nor stores of value. Their value lies in the transportation they provide. By that sensible standard, a new car will often have the same cost per mile of use as will a used model.

 

[eljefino]

I've fixed stuff to another level.

New $2 bearing in an idler pulley instead of the whole pulley.
New 50 cent resistor in an instrument cluster instead of the cluster.
New bushings in a headlight motor instead of a new motor/ gearbox assy.
"Rebuilt" switch with an earplug and a ziptie.

Sometimes when something breaks, it's something in that something, like a Russian doll.

As for new cars, I don't know what's wrong with them. Huge gamble. I've done well avoiding OBD-II for as long as possible, and am presently avoiding ABS and TPMS. It doesn't hurt that most of them are ugly with horrible user interfaces, visibility, and no increase in functionality for all the weight/ height/ safety gear.

 

[CT8]

It usually doesn't pay. It cost me $68.00 to fix a ten year old dryer An equal new one on sale could be bought for $379.00. Add another $150.00 or more for the labor of fixing the dryer and what would be the better use of money? the new dryer with a 1 year labor and parts warranty.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
suicide plugged solar panels and used oil assphelt too...some things don't need to be "fixed"


What?!