Posted June 14, 2012
No problem. ;) I'm just venting...
orcishgamer: When my washing machine broke down it was the coupler (and this is the most common thing to go providing you didn't burn up the motor), the part is 20 dollars and a moron could do it with any half decent pair of pliers. I know because I did it, even found pictures on the internet of how to remove the outer parts of my machine (seriously my exact model). I did repair the first of the washing machines myself. I found the main defect to be that the coals (what are they called?) inside the motor were used up. Replacement coals cost me ~5€ including shipping. Overall the whole diagnose and repair cost me a minimum of two whole days.
orcishgamer: The dryer, can't help you, but they're really simple inside, if you didn't burn up the motor you should be able to fix it (you probably could switch to motor too, it's just so expensive it might not be worth it). I dismantled this machine too. I guess it may be some sensor or the heater unit that needs replacing. My plan is to buy a proper multimeter to see what what part needs replacing. It's just that the time hasn't come around to actually do it.
orcishgamer: The car, eh, it's weird in America we usually have places we can work on our own cars and Hayne's manuals are 20 bucks, parts stores are common and the staff knows what they're talking about. You really can do repairs yourself, it'll take you five to ten times as long as a guy with a shop, if you know very little, but you can do it for the price of a manual, wrench set, and parts. I can see that not being the case in lots of places over there. Still, some repairs are cheap and most people actually don't do the maintenance they should on their cars, therefor when shit breaks it's unexpected, whereas if you do your maintenance the chance you'll suddenly need a tow for a snapped belt is low. So, basically, do your maintenance, if you don't know what it is check with a dealer or a trusted mechanic, they'll tell you everything your car needs and how soon it must be done. Do safety issues NOW, everything else can wait a month or two for saving. It's basically the time problem again for me. I could have replaced one of the parts that needed replacing myself and as far as I know you can get car parts on ebay nowadays. What made me turn to a professional mechanic (on top of me not having enough time) is that several parts of the exhaust system had to be replaced. Over here we have to have our cars undergo a mandatory inspection every two years. If for some reason one of the replaced parts turns out to not be properly certified or if my car exhausts more "fumes" than allowed it would loose it's allowance to be used on public roads.
orcishgamer: Sorry for the diatribe, I do take issue with the idea that no one makes anything to last, some companies do, and what's more most people can afford products from said companies most of the time. For the rest repairs are possible some of the time. You also feel really good when you repair something yourself. I'm with you on this. Basically there seem to be two grades of quality nowadays. There is stuff you can repair and stuff that can't be repaired (at a sane cost). Usually the more expensive goods tend to be more on the "repairable" side. I would be OK with it if they would advertise this fact openly.
What I wanted to get through is that even though I may be able to repair some of the goods it's still a major inconvenience when your stuff breaks and you don't have the time to do something about it. Imagine various items around your house breaking one after another. I can't help the feeling that my limited time could be used more sensible. With all my day work and the constant stress of daily commute to a different city I feel like I'm quickly losing motivation to go through such hassles.
We're talking about washing machines from Siemens and Bauknecht. I forgot the make of the dryer but if I remember correctly it was some cheap japanese build to begin with.
What I wanted to get through is that even though I may be able to repair some of the goods it's still a major inconvenience when your stuff breaks and you don't have the time to do something about it. Imagine various items around your house breaking one after another. I can't help the feeling that my limited time could be used more sensible. With all my day work and the constant stress of daily commute to a different city I feel like I'm quickly losing motivation to go through such hassles.
We're talking about washing machines from Siemens and Bauknecht. I forgot the make of the dryer but if I remember correctly it was some cheap japanese build to begin with.
Post edited June 14, 2012 by itti
