Repair or Replace Chart for Electronics

[Terry Olaes]

The Consumerist found a guide by Consumer Reports that has repair-or-replace charts for electronic devices. These timelines are based on CR’s own data combined with survey data and seem to be a helpful guide when trying to decide if it’s worth the money to repair or replace a broken TV or camera. What do you think? Is this chart accurate in your more learned experience?

Yeah I know, this suddenly sounds like a sales pitch, but look: if after checking out the chart above you're still planning on shopping for a new electronic device, at the very least stop by your library/bookstore and take a freebie look at the guide. It might actually help you save money, even if you don't want to buy a copy.

 

[Sycraft]

Way off on computers. For computers it goes like this:

Is there a better part out? If so, replace it with the better part, even if the one you have now works fine .

 

[OCgamer666]

Way off on computers. For computers it goes like this:

Is there a better part out? If so, replace it with the better part, even if the one you have now works fine .

if Else Overclock the shit out of the current part.

 

[kioras]

Computers are always a crap shot, if you bring your computer to something like Best Buy or such, you are looking to get hosed, with prices similiar or worse for repair.

[H] people, easy to swap out the part for much cheaper, on many eletronic devices. Non [H] people? They're screwed.

 

[coder_t2]

Computers are always a crap shot, if you bring your computer to something like Best Buy or such, you are looking to get hosed, with prices similiar or worse for repair.

[H] people, easy to swap out the part for much cheaper, on many eletronic devices. Non [H] people? They're screwed.

I agree. It all depends on how much you spent on the computer, or other electronic for that matter. There replacements cost seem off. A 32-37in tv for 750+? Maybe 2 years ago. You can easily find sub-400 32in TVs. And good brands too, like Samsung or Toshiba. I disagree with this list. I would think replacing anything over 2 years ago is pretty much a given, depending on whats wrong. Unless you buy high-end stuff and are dropping a lot of dough. I pretty go cheap. $450 laptops, sub-$100 cameras, etc. Technology advances too fast, and gets so cheap so quickly.

 

[Chiplg]

I've never taken anything in to be repaired outisde of warranty. If I can't fix it myself, it's time for a new one. If it's not worth my time/money, it's time for a new one. PCs are easy. The repair is usually turned into an upgrade which makes it worthwhile. TVs, DVD players, microwaves, etc are a little different. It's usually not to hard to find what components failed. The issue is sourcing the components for a decent price. Last time I sourced a magnatron for a microwave, it ended up being $10 more than a new microwave. On the other hand, power supplies are usually cheap to fix as long as you can find equivalent components for replacement.

Of course, now that TVs, cameras and other electronics are improving so rapidly, I feel much less inclined to repair anything that is past warranty. By the time it burns warranty, I want a better unit anyway. I find myself wishing my TV would stop working. I have also noticed I don't keep most electronics long enough to have as many failures as I did in the past.

 

[Jakalwarrior]

if Else Overclock the shit out of the current part.

When a new part comes out, overclock and overvolt the hell out of your current part in hopes of burning it up "Honey I need a new video card, mine died".

 

[GabooN]

Is it [H] now a days to just be able to swap out hardware? Honestly is depends on the device, take laptops for example the number one thing in my experience that breaks on a laptop is the AC Adaptor, my mother and father were able to not only order the correct part but also install, :0, of course I had to tell them what was broken hehe.. Desktops I would say HDD followed closely by RAM and PSU, most HDD manufactures carry 3-5 year warranties so the cost is free depending on the manufacture.

It’s a shame that we buy from these electronic companies whom only sell devices at 90 day warranties, any electronic should come with 3 years and go up from there. If it’s out of warranty and I can’t or someone I know can’t fix it, then it’s time to recycle or find a new.

 

[coder_t2]

I had a friend who had an old P4 laptop die a few months ago. I told him it was probably just the Harddrive, and I could fix it for like $40, or however much a hard drive costs. But it was beat to hell, and just wasn't worth it. Survived 4 years of college and a year outside, so that is a long time for a computer. So he just went and bought a new HP for $400. He could have gotten it working again for cheaper, but it was so outdated, it wasn't worth it. Not to mention, who knows what else was going to die on it.

 

[SamuraiInBlack]

I had a friend who had an old P4 laptop die a few months ago. I told him it was probably just the Harddrive, and I could fix it for like $40, or however much a hard drive costs. But it was beat to hell, and just wasn't worth it. Survived 4 years of college and a year outside, so that is a long time for a computer. So he just went and bought a new HP for $400. He could have gotten it working again for cheaper, but it was so outdated, it wasn't worth it. Not to mention, who knows what else was going to die on it.

In a case like that it makes sense to just buy a new laptop. If it was still relatively new, it would've been better to try and get it repaired, especially if he paid a pretty penny on it to begin with.

 

[Atamido]

The link doesn't appear to be working anymore, but I can't seem repairing most electronics. If the warranty will cover it, then great. But usually it seems like repair costs on small electronics (cameras, cell phones, etc) cost only a little less than getting a whole new device.

 

[Format _C:]

Article is dead but most consumer electronics (TV's DVD Players/Blu-Ray Players) are meant to be disposable and most manufacturers do not even stock replacement parts so you will have to find a part from another broken set assuming it does not have the same problem. On the other computers are a somewhat different story as long as the computer is from the past three years most likely finding a (Better faster) part will be easy. My example is see how long LGA775 lasted and as far as I know is still being somewhat supported

 

[drakken]

The biggest problem I saw with the list was that it does not touch on modular equipment. While most PC that come as a system generally are better off just being replaced most of the time since the cases are pita to work inside the mobo and psu are usually proprietary versions that were cheaper to make. Which means your gutting it anyway and may as well buy a new pc or build one and just carry over the pieces worth keeping.

Modular pc or ones that started with a decent case may or may not be worth upgrading it really depends on the person. But the one thing on that list that should not be is SLR cameras as if you actually knew what you were doing (and not just spending a lot to money to say you spent too much) you would have bought a body and lens as separate pieces and unless you did something major like dropping it off a two hundred foot cliff or a car ran over it usually all that happens is the electronic die and you replace the body as it is the cheap part.

Then again I think the list is really aimed at consumers and most at hardocp are prosumers. Thought I think the terms should be idiot and consumer with the people not willing to demand quality really are the blame for all the companies that cut corners because they can. Just because something works does not mean that it could not being doing twice the quality at half the price.

 

[jwalk6]

Link is dead on the site. My bet is CR's lawyers made them pull it over copyright infringement. You don't get anything from them unless you pay for it.

I always found CR to be at least a year behind the times. I used to get their magazine and rarely found anything useful in it. They don't take advertising but they still seem to have a bias towards certain vendors regardless of what their propoganda says.

As for the context even without seeing their list. I figure most stuff I buy has a shelf life of a year if I'm lucky. One or two runs without a sale on Ebay and it's either trashed or donated.