BBC Breakfast - Mending stuff
 

Anyone else watching (watched) the item about repairing broken electronic stuff rather than throwing it away?

Apparently new items aren't lasting as long as they used to......

And parts are difficult/impossible to obtain - manufacturers seem to be "restricting" supply along with little or no service information and sealed units that cannot be accessed.

Shock, horror, apparently it's not environmentally friendly to make new stuff rather then mend older stuff....

Sound familiar? :}

Andy.

Yes I've just watched it, I wonder if they could have found anyone any more "geeky" to interview than the couple on the sofa?

I have the workshop manual for a 1982 ZX Spectrum if anyone needs to see if their ZTX650 is in good order though :cool:

Brian :D

I watched it as well. It's been going on a while, I've seen a few workshops like that where people bring in things to be repaired.

There's also plenty of videos online about repair household items, I've used a few to repair a phone, washing machine etc.

Only problem with this is people want cheap electrical items, yet ones that are repairable. Unfortunately you can't have both. Designing it so it can repaired and carrying lots of spares all costs money.

Erm....

What stops something being both repairable and cheap?

Surely if it can be put together it should be able to be taken apart again?

Or am I missing something fundamental here?

It's got to be simply daft to throw away say, a washing machine, because the brushes need changing in the motor or a simple bearing needs replacing. Or a TV because a control module has packed up.

Maybe manufacturers should publish the design life of their product(s) and be liable for failures.

We, the consumer, could then make a genuinely informed decision about whether to spend, say, £300 on an item which is designed (and no quibble guaranteed) to last 3 years or say £400 on one designed to last 5 years.

As has been mentioned elsewhere a full, thorough, cradle to grave environmental (not £££'s cost) impact assessment would make for interesting reading.

Andy.

It costs more money to design to be repairable rather than just a molded/sealed unit. All the spares you want over the years cost money to store, have catalogues etc.

Mmmm Hemi 😎👍

Regarding products today, it is all about built-in obsolescence. They are only designed to last x years (typically 5-6 tops) so that manufacturers can generate new sales. Manufacturers don’t want products to last a lifetime.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46807198

Here's the follow up article.