A rant about STUFF

Seriously. If I need a new hacksaw blade, I don't want to pay the same price for the blade as for a new saw. The old saw is perfectly good, I just need a new blade!

If I need a new PART, I don't expect to pay the same price as a new unit, whatever that might be. They push the throwaway society, then tell us we need to reduce. Those making a profit off of the throwaways are the same people pushing "reduce your consumption!" even while they buy mansions and planes and all the STUFF that goes in them.

This morning it was a blade for a pipe cutter. The pipe cutter itself is FINE. But a new blade? More expensive than buying a new cutter. In some cases, several times more. I have people say, "Why save that? You can just buy a new one," and I want to scream at them.

Then they come to me and say "I can't get such and such, do you have..."

Screaming would just wear out my throat and they wouldn't understand why I was screaming.

I hear you Lauren, and raise you - that "new" stuff isn't anywhere near as good a quality as the old stuff. Less metal, less quality construction, not made to last!
So I hold my nose and pay more for the part because I usually find that using the old equipment has a lot going for it - usually more comfortable in my hand, better balanced, and a greater feeling of security.
However, that also means it's often heavier, so I wear decent shoes incase I drop it!

I do watch for occasional sales on "parts" like saw blades, or general "20% off on one item with this coupon" type deals and buy spare parts in advance.

Old hacksaw, made of metal, new hacksaw mostly plastic. Old stove, needed a new control panel--I should have just bought the control panel and learned how to install it because the "new" is a piece of junk with lots of "safety features" that make it harder to use.

Fixed the washing machine. If I ever have to replace it I'm trolling the classifieds for someone who is getting rid of an OLD one.

Printer ink cartridges.  I haven't used a home printer in several years, but I am completely guilty of buying a brand new printer with three ink cartridges installed, because one replacement ink cartridge cost as much as the new printer!  I realize there are refill kits now, but at the time I didn't know about them.  

Just last week, I paid $90 for a single bearing for my old chipper shredder.  I paid less than $300 for the entire unit (used).  I bought it online because the lawnmower/small engine store in town wanted $200 for the bearing!  The guy at the store told me not to buy it from him, and to search it out online.

It's crazy.

Years ago I had a voltage regulator go out in my car in a tiny community in the middle of nowhere.  The mechanic made the phone call to find a replacement.  It would take a week or two for the delivery.  He took out the old regulator.....pried it apart...and went to work on it.  The car was working in minutes. He may have charged me $5.

I keep hoping that, as 3D printers increase in quality and decrease in price, it will someday be possible to just print up the missing parts, no matter what material they're made from.

For plastic parts, the files for printing them might already be online.

Ellendra Nauriel wrote:I keep hoping that, as 3D printers increase in quality and decrease in price, it will someday be possible to just print up the missing parts, no matter what material they're made from.

For plastic parts, the files for printing them might already be online.

My friend's dentist had one for printing various medical tools.