[Hesman]

not know how to fix things?

[Malachai Constant]

Most things now cannot be repaired even if you tried. Electronics are a lot different than when you pulled a burnt out tube or electrolytic capacator. The guts now are usually embedded systems in machine language. Cards are computer run and you replace the computer if you can, but it usually cost as much as the car is worth. Most everything else is cheap Chinese plastic junk which when broken is irreparable. Do I sound like Andy Rooney.

[cairn builder]

I bet you call someone under 40 when you need to figure out how to do something invoking a computer.

[Malachai Constant]

No I have been working in the industry since before the IBM PC came out and when the OS was Unix.

[Windstorm]

I agree there's a lot of stuff that's more difficult or impossible to repair. Plastic stuff that breaks is particularly annoying. However, I imagine there are a lot of things that could be repaired if people knew how to use a screwdriver, wrench, or needle and thread. When the Velcro came off a strap on my gaiters, I sewed it back on. Now if only I could find a small enough star drive to tighten the screw on my pocket knife.

[Chico]

[sten]

[tigermn]

With what it cost to fix things that can even be fixed, it seems we live for the most part in a disposable society. Spend a few hundred dollars for a piece of electronics and it breaks in a few years... It would cost at least $100 for someone to even look at it.... With computers you can replace pieces to some degree, but if you've had the computer for a few years you can usually buy something way better for not a lot more than a repair would cost.

[nuclear_eggset]

This reminds me of a tale of "fix the broken toy for the crying kid" that we had from a couple years ago. I found a random toy flower that had a little "press a button and it plays a song" in it. My daughter loved it. And then it started going ... funny. Two year olds do NOT understand "it doesn't work any more" as a final answer. And, why should it be?! So, we took apart the flower, tested out what was going wrong where, bought a new battery and re-soldered a wire that had come loose. It works again! (Well, mostly. These things aren't exactly durable...) I hope to teach my kid(s) to at least try to do this sort of thing as time goes on.

She also "helped" us replace a drive in the Tivo when it failed. :P

DSC_0170

But I think a lot of people are afraid to tinker with things because you run the risk of breaking them beyond repair, which is just as expensive as replacing them. Not to mention it isn't as easy to ask a real person you know to show you how to fix things. I mean, there are YouTube videos for everything these days, but it's not the same as direct person-to-person instruction.

[marzsit]

[Gregory]

Nobody hear has mentioned the leaky faucet or the squeaky brake or the dragging glass sliding door.Hell i am fifty and can build my own damn computer.With plug and play these days you snap it together and turn it on. I was just talking to the wife about this yesterday.I have a snap on preasure washer that the trigger wore out on.I took it apart and tried to source parts to re seal it.You can not do it.So I bought a new wand at the box store.Does not fit.Now i am looking at damn near the original purchase price to fix it. Why can I not just by a Teflon seal and ball? Because there is no market because people do not fix things,they throw them away. Edit :Proof of this study to me is the fact that a long time local repair and parts business recently quit selling parts.I bought everything from my lawn tractor belts to the defrost heater for my refrigerator from them.

[JPH]

Being under 40 I never realized this, but I guess that plumbers, electricians, carpenters, mechanics, cobblers, handymen, etc are all professions that came around in the last 20 years* since before that everyone fixed all their own stuff. (*-except new construction)

[Opus]

YouTube has been incredible for fixing things. For almost anything there's a video showing how to do the repair. I've fixed my bike many times, a toilet, toaster, minor car repairs, etc. Many things just can't be fixed, especially modern electronics, but if it can be repaired the information to do it is easier than ever to find.

[Malachai Constant]

I have changed batteries in iPods and altimeter watches from utube videos.

[cairn builder]