Do you fix your broken things?

[Frag Mortuus]

We live in a society that is starting to deem everything disposable. Which is understandable because it seems most companies build their products without repairs in mind. Parts are scarce and tearing them down to replace what ails them is sometimes nearly impossible. But, as I've gotten older I've become more aware of how I spend my money. I try to get all the use out of an item that I can.

Case in point: I use a Harmony 880 remote in my living room. I got this thing for Christmas about 8 years ago and by this point it is showing a lot of signs of wear. The battery door is broken and the front plate with the buttons is a mess. The finish on the buttons is worn off and the buttons themselves are really spongy and don't have that firm click that they used to. Well, seeing how this remote has been out of production for years now, I figured it was time to retire it. So, I go on eBay and search for the same remote because I like it and figured since they are so old, I could get one in better condition for a reasonable price. But, what do I find? a replacement battery door and a new front plate, which includes the buttons. All for $20 shipped. The good thing is that I know my remote works fine and that these parts will get it back in brand new condition. This has resparked my interest in fixing instead of replacing.

So what about you all. Do you fix or replace?

[SpoonyBard]

What about the people who claim they're going to fix it and never get around to it? That's about where i'm at.

[fastbilly1]

I fix everything I can. Heck I even fix stuff I find on the other side of the road and give that to people who help me fix things I can not fix. I have a whiteboard beside the door in my garage to keep track of our big projects we are working on and next steps.

[SirGawain]

I try to fix things to the best of my ability. There is always a sense of satisfaction from using something that was broken before.

[Luke]

I usually just break things.

[Frag Mortuus]

I seem to break more than my fair share too.

[TSTR]

I fix things that aren't broken.

[ApolloBoy]

I fix things that aren't broken.

That describes how I treat my game consoles to a T I think.

[Ziggy]

I fix things until they break.



Ha Ha lol and whatnot but seriously...

It's no secret that I fix things. I like to fix things. It might even go beyond a hobby, to a borderline addiction. If something breaks, I'll look to fix it. But I also have that pile of stuff I claim I'll fix but never get around to it, like SpoonyBard said. And with that pile of stuff to fix, I'll still find broken things and decide to take and fix them. Hell, I just picked up a hand truck off the side of the road. It's a nice heavy duty one. I just gotta fix the wheels, clean up a little rust and spray it.

But this is one topic that I think about often. Everything is disposable these days. Things are made so cheaply that they're usually not worth fixing. Being able to, finding the parts, etc, that's one thing. But factoring in cost, some things are cheaper to just replace. Which is a damn shame, and such a waste. I try and fix whatever I can.

One thing that bothers me whenever I think about it is this digital clock we keep in the back room at work. Years ago, a coworker and friend of mine dropped a knife rack and severed the electrical chord to the clock. So, he threw it out and bought a replacement. I'll give him the credit for spending his own money to replace something that he broke. But dammit, it would have taken me like 30 seconds to fix it! And even worse, the replacement doesn't have a very bright LED display and it's really hard to see it with the harsh florescent lights back there. So pretty much every day I'm reminded of this, and it annoys me every time. And to this day, if I'm around my friend and I think of it I'll tell him, "I can't BELIEVE you threw it out!"

[CRTGAMER]

Taking a break from car repairs, I just finished fixing my Garden Hose Reel this morning.

The center would always explode apart after applying water preassure, needed an addition braket to keep it sandwicheded together. I could have just bought a new one, but with spare PVC and screws lying around an easy inexpensive fix.