this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2025
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When I was a kid, I remember my parents frequently taking electronics for repair. Our old VHS and Television had been repaired 7 times over and lasted years.
It really does grip me that every tech device made these days which relies on a battery is near impossible to self service. For years I built PC’s for people so not unfamiliar with components but I can’t change a battery on Samsung / iPhone or change the battery in my £300 Sony Bluetooth ear buds.
The problem is everywhere not just tech as such. Recently my kettle element gave up the ghost. No problem I thought, I can pick up an element for a few quid and change it.
Kitchen Aid however have decided to internally solder their elements so once that’s gone, throw it. £250 kettle with literally not a blemish on it, in the bin because a component that costs all of about 50p to manufacture is no longer replaceable.
I find it so egregious and wasteful…… I do look as far as possible at repairability before buying anything these days but alas, it’s a bloody uphill struggle and as other have said, with so much crap also being manufactured we’re in a pretty sad state which is only going to get worse :(
Not just that, but appliances (and cars!) came with wiring diagrams
Pretty sure they still do, as long as you aren't getting the cheap "everything controlled by one board" models (though the diagram might actually be in the service manual, not in the box).
Although there is still repairability. I repaired my TV by replacing the speakers. Some years ago I repaired my furnace by replacing the control board.
Something like a kettle makes more sense for being sealed, though, because it's water and electricity.
Thankfully, the right-to-repair movement is growing as wins stack up.