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Does anyone fix things anymore? I was wondering. In the last week I've repaired a DVD player (cost, about 20 mins labour and a blob of solder).
I've been given a

Hi Mark...

Have asked that question a good many times myself...

We left two antique clocks at the old homestead.

The year before we moved I had them both given a good medical...they passed.

However...I had to drive two hours to get them looked at.

The jeweller who ran the little shop in our village retired and the new jeweller would not touch them as he said there was no money in fixing old clocks.

He actually told us it was cheaper to throw stuff away than to repair it.

Have not been back to him since...

[quote]Does anyone fix things anymore? I was wondering. In the last week I've repaired a DVD player (cost, about 20 mins labour and a blob of solder).
I've been given a

Yes I do too. Recently fixed: Electric window motor (take apart - clean everything, lubricate), Snapped garden lights cable, power shower (renewed almost all components), broken car glove box hinge, ipod touch battery replaced (not easy - have to buy specialized tools,

A well times question Mark;

This last week I started with the dishwasher. It did not heat up at all. I Googled the make and the symptom and got a hit. Two items could have been at fault. It involved the removal and strip of the door and removal of the side panels and water tank to get to a part that becomes gummed up with fat over time. Mrs Ex-Pat came home to find the dishwasher in a thousand parts all over the kitchen. Well I can report it now works like new and being duty hero it was my lucky weekend.....

Next it was on to my two chainsaws that decided to give up the ghost at the same time. One electrical the other mechanical. Both stripped, parts replaced and now both are full functional.

Then it was onto a Wii controller. A plug in part that enhances the movement, upon unplugging it from the controller, my oldest had a hand full of parts. A strip down, a spot of glue and all was fine again.

Then hoover was so full of (20 years worth) fluff, dust and hair wrapped around the beater bar it was only tickling the carpet. Strip, clean, reassembly and function was restored.

Lastly, the screen on our Canon Ixus 70 point and shoot camera was full of dust. Went to Youtube and typed in Canon Ixus 70 disassembly. There was a video covering this very camera. An hour later, it is back together, dust free and fully functional.

I saved myself around

I'm glad it isn't just me then. I just can't believe people are chucking out hundreds of quids worth of something for the sake of a part that costs a couple of quid.
David is loving his trike. I've just finished fixing a hotplate unit and a friends laptop (being off ill and a 4-day weekend gives one a great chance to catch up on jobs).
So tomorrow I'm cleaning up Scalextric track and putting new pick-ups on all the cars ahead of the first ever Chesham GP on Friday. Got a circuit plan and just need to clean, check and test everything. Can't wait. Emi has already checked her yellow Mini and is ready to ram everyone off the track when she has the inside line

Me too:
My headset: Broken 5 times, fixed 5 times.
My cellphone: dropped it in the water, fixed a few days later.
My old computer's screen died so I opened it up and re-soldered a connection that was loose and it worked again.
Most of my RC planes and a few other things...

I tell you, there's no feeling like the one you get when you're successful at fixing things. I only give up when I can't find any other way around the problem, or when the solution is more expensive than buying a new product.

I pulled a boom box out of a dumpster a couple of years ago.

With CD/AM-FM/Cassette I thought some part of it might still work.

The polarized power plug had been jammed in backwards.

I unplugged it and reversed it and it has worked fine ever since.

I hooked it up to some external speakers and the sound is great too.

Well the only thing in my old main computer that I haven't upgraded or replaced myself was the motherboard. And that finally crapped out last week. Found one on eBay and I'm back up and running. I guess when the paint on the old case goes bad I'll just repaint it.

I'm glad it isn't just me then. I just can't believe people are chucking out hundreds of quids worth of something for the sake of a part that costs a couple of quid.

It's time. Factor in the value of what your time is worth, and many people will decide it's not worth the time to dig in and fix something, much like the clock repairman mentioned. Did it make sense for him to spend 2-3 hours to fix the clock with the resulting charge, at the hourly rate? Probably not. If you're in a career these days, your personal time is precious and limited. That said, fixing an electric trike for the kiddo was certainly a wonderful way to spend your time, worth alot.

Changing the switch to fix the bike took about 10 mins to get it out, 2 mins to order the replacement of the correct size on the internet, about 10 mins to connect it up and re-assemble the trike.
Wow 22 minutes of my life used up there for hours of joy for Wee Man.
I think some people really just have their head up their bum or more likely are just plain lazy.

I too get great satisfaction in fixing things myself but for me that's only part of the reason I fix 'em rather than replace 'em. The main reason:  I'm a cheap son-of-a-gun!

I fix everything, if i can. 
Just fixed my wife, then i were allowed to go fishing

[quote]I fix everything, if i can.

[quote][quote]I fix everything, if i can.