Remember when you could fix a toaster with a butter knife?

I keep seeing posts about people throwing away appliances that just need a $2 part. My grandma taught me to open up a toaster when I was 12 and replace the mica sheets. She had one from 1972 that worked until she passed. Last month I spent 20 minutes on a neighbor's blender that just needed a new gasket. He was ready to drop $80 on a new one. Does anyone else still do basic repairs instead of tossing things out?

2 comments

2 Comments

scott.jana3d ago

Tried fixing an old vacuum cleaner last week and found the belt had just stretched out, cost me three dollars at a hardware store. The thing that bugs me is how companies make these parts impossible to get unless you go through them. My aunt had a sewing machine from the 60s that she could take apart with a screwdriver, now you need a special tool just to open the casing. Saving money is nice but I get a weird satisfaction from proving the manufacturer wrong about something being "unrepairable.

finleym433d ago

Old belts can shrink too, not just stretch.