What is your personal pitch/repair $$$$$ amount????

[Big Wave D]

My question arose from a response to this thread:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/172480-analog-multi-meter-question.html

I won't retype my soap-box response about the day and age in which we live, but please feel free to click on the link and read it under replay #3. I'd be interested in other people's take on Modern Living.

It just got me to thinking. What is your personal tip point? How much does an item have to cost before you decide it's easier to go with new, rather than repair the old?

$100, 350, 700, 1000, or higher

For me, it's kind of low, around the $250 mark.

 

[LarryD]

I have pondered this very question and I can't say I would pitch anything base on cost. I try to fix everything and time seems to be the deciding factor as well as age of the item and the possibility of someyhing else going bad.

When the dryer seemed to be slow, I chased it down to one of two bad heat coils. Repair coils (had to buy the pan with coil assemblies) were $120 while a new dryer was only $220. Old dryer went to the scrap yard.

The self retracting cord on the vacum stopped retracting. It's an older canister vac but still works well so I bought some new cord and installed it. I probably could have purchased a new one for less than $200 but this one seems to have life left in it.

This weekends purchase was a good used ZTR for lawn mowing. I have a 12 year old rider that seemed to need some adjustment or repair everytime I go to use it. It was just taking to much time to keep it running so I found a good deal on a used (128 hrs.) 2 year old Husqvarna mower.

I agree with your comment that a persons age seems to play a part in whether something is repaired or simply thrown away. Mechanical aptitude probably goes a long way to.

 

[mjncad]

Too many variables in my opinion to assign a blanket price determining pitch or repair.

But yes; I think it's sad that so much crap ends up in the landfill because its cheaply made. How come the tree huggers aren't whining about that? In the span of a week, we received two DOA new computer items (printer - Canon, keyboard - Logitech) made in China. They went back to Amazon, and will either be refurbished or pitched no doubt.

For me it's a matter of cost, my time, can it be repaired, intrinsic value, etc.

 

[Cat_Driver]

For me it's a percentage thing. If I can fix something for 10-20% that's a no brainer but when it gets to 50% I have to put a lot of thought into it and that includes a lot of variables.

Depending on age that also factors in if something breaks down and I want a newer model anyway.

My last refrigerator which was a high end fridge would lose all cooling capabilities so I didn't bother fixing it. I bought a new one and gave my brother the broken one. He plugged it in and it worked fine and he took the opportunity to call me and tease me about it.

Then one day the fridge stopped working while he was at work and lost a lot of valuable food - I didn't use the opportunity to tease him though. He fixed it for a few hundred bucks it was a bad defroster switch.

He was happy because he got a high end fridge free and the wife was happy she got the latest model.

 

[wendallb]

I try to fix things most of the time but if something is very old and needs very expensive parts that run 50% of a new one then it's a newone.

At times the cost factor will dictate what I do and what i can afford at the time.

Most of the time I can repair something cheaper but I do not always win in the long run if something else goes wrong.

 

[sld]

I will almost always try and fix something.

It really boils down to how much pressure the wife is putting on me to fix or replace it. If it is something that is used all the time or she really needs it I will have a quick look at it. Then time becomes the factor not necessarily the cost of fixing it.

 

[sweettractors]

25% under new about does it for me. The new has a manufacturers warranty and that figures into the decision I would make. Ken Sweet

 

[Ken]

I had answered other forum about when to repair or replace.
Remembered this April on a camping trip the 5th whl. air conditioning unit had quit cooling.
Rv place said to repair or check needed to remove unit from camper. $200 bucks + repair costs.then again $200 to put back on camper. so $400 to look at and new unit costs less than $500. Looking at unit there was a power plug. and 4 bolts to get unit off camper. $50 bucks a bolt. Purchased new unit from another deaier. and hour after it was delivered had removed old unit and installed new.
And returning from trip the home Heat pump had failed. called repairman he said lightening and because R-22 in unit needed to total replacement of units. to have the new freon in new units.
As for the pitch or repair sometimes unable to fix do to changes in design.
ken

 

[fixit]

I like to try and fix every thing i also like to buy what i feel i can repair so that in the long run i can save money but that doesnt mean i buy the cheap product

I try to get my clients to do the same but i find as time goes by more and more poeple only think about what is cheap in the short term and spend much more over time

a sign of the times

I whole heartedly believe in repairing as a form of recycling
but i don't believe that all recycling is half as green as we are lead to think

The best way is to make quality products that last in the first place. Made like things were with a veiw to repairing them. Then we could all fix things but after all most things are consumer lead
By the way i am only 34 and not so many my age feel like i do

 

[fixit]

In the Uk we have been using a drop in replacement for R22 called MO29 supplied by a company called IDS but this may not be avaliable across the pond. We have used it on our equipment (1000-30000L milk cooling tanks on farm) with very good results the only mod we have done is to add about 10% ester oil to aid oil return
On new equipment we have been using R404a for some time
I helped to retro fit R404a in the milk cooling equipment in the expo center in madison a few years back when i was over with boumatic
just as a test before we imported some for the UK market