There’s 8 questions about choices on purchase and repair of consumer goods:

https://forms.gle/PCkAwBFaBSHT6xyRA

It’s a google form so works like a standard online survey – just tick boxes and hit submit.

Thanks in advance if you complete it.

Done.

Instructions?

Just take it apart to see how it works is my preferred method.

Done

I think California were about to introduce a right to repair law – Sonos are the worst offenders but Apple are pretty bad!

John Deere are always held up as the worst offender, funnily. If the tractor decides it needs some attention it will literally not restart until an authorised repairer has plugged a laptop in and confirmed the work has been carried out.

There’s now a whole industry in Ukraine devoted to cracking their software and providing downloadable toolsets for telling the on board computers that a repair/service has been done by an authorised dealer.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/06/nebraska-farmers-right-to-repair-john-deere-apple

Done

I think there are going to be some regulations in Europe on repair-ability and availability of spare parts, but without some regulation on the price of the spare parts it isn’t as useful as it might be although it might create a market for ‘breakers’

https://eeb.org/europe-paves-way-for-right-to-repair/

done

Doneski.

Done.
Good subject.

Done. Replacement instead of repairing is the elephant in the room when it comes to ‘greening’ our way of life. Most people recognise its importance but most people want the latest new shiny thing.

Done

Link doesn’t work on my phone, tries to redirect to Google Play.

Done. Interesting questions

Done, and especailly relevant as I pulled a probably 20+ year old dyson dc01 to bits at the weekend to work out why it had stopped sucking properly, looks like the impeller bearing was the culprit, as it was very hard to turn, I think the quantities of plaster ducst it’s sucked up ove the years finally overcame the seals, hopefully the £4 replacement will sort it for another decade or two.

Done – thought provoking – thanks!

Done.

Yep, good topic. I had to put on my rose tinted glasses before answering “Do you think that modern electronic devices are harder to repair than older items? “

Yes, done.

Very good.

Last question should really be separated, I answered unsure, purely because I do believe in a right to repair, but not necessarily that manufacturers should make things easily repairable, as that could possibly stifle innovation and lead to a technological plateau for consumers.

Done. And you tell your son that he’s made a better job of designing the survey than most do.

Done, and what Grey beard said.

Done

Done, I love taking stuff apart and occasionally putting it back together successfully.

Done. The last question should include an explanation / link to an explanation of what the right to repair is, or possibly be split into a series of sub questions. I answered unsure as I do think that people should be allowed to repair stuff, but also see a lot of potential issues with designing mass consumer items to be easy to dismantle and work on.
Also, I’m sure that less questions leads to more responses but I (and I suspect a lot of others) pretty much ticked every option on every question as they are all quite general!

Done

Done

Do you think that modern electronic devices are harder to repair than older items? *

Needed more nuance.

I’ve taken really old stuff apart and been unable to repair it due to unavailable parts or lack of skill, or just a severe case of the CBA’s when there’s lots of working ecamples on ebay. But the repair can just require time rather than money or parts (e.g. cracked solder joins or a bit or ribbon wire) conversely if a laptop PC component fails, you just fit a new part which is pretty much plug and play, as long as it’s available.

Needs a bit more clarification about what goods the survey is aimed at – it refers to ‘electronic goods’, which to my mind excludes white goods, cars and similar which is what I think should be the target of any law changes.

IMO, electronic goods are never going to be ‘repairable’ by the average consumer unless part replacement is made as simple as battery replacement ie a modular plug in structure, with easy diagnosis, and that’s going to mean big compromises to the design of devices.

Done. I love trying to repair stuff but it often ends up being extremely infuriating. I do actively consider ease of repair when buying stuff now.

Recent wins include a Gaggia Classic coffee machine, Dyson V6 vacuum, Dualit toaster, G-Shock watch (strap).

Recent loses include AEG washing machine (impossible to change door seal without removing counter balance which crumbles when you touch it), AEG tumble dryer (leaking moist air from every conceivable gap – impossible to put bac together), the wife’s haird dryer.

Done survey, over the years I’ve lost count of the times a power tool has suddenly stopped working and an hour or so later after taking it apart it’s going again. We need to adopt more make do and mend as opposed to throw away and buy new.

IMO, electronic goods are never going to be ‘repairable’ by the average consumer unless part replacement is made as simple as battery replacement ie a modular plug in structure, with easy diagnosis, and that’s going to mean big compromises to the design of devices.

I hear what you’re saying, but I don’t think that it’s entirely true. It’s bloodyminded manufacturing/design decisions that are infuriating. Stuff doesn’t need to be made ‘easy’ to repair, it needs to be possible, by someone reasonably skilled, that’s all.

It’s at best lazy design and at worst it’s deliberate built in obsolescence that is the problem; which should be illegal. It’s as anti green as plastics and fossil fuels in my mind.

I bought a previous-generation Macbook as they were just making the change from screws and pins to glue and solder. Very helpful when I changed to a SSD and replaced the battery.

Best fixing ‘win’ was sending a second hand DeLonghi coffee machine for repair, getting quoted over £200 for the fix, declining and asking for it to be sent back for a DIY job, but finding they had fixed it anyway without charging me.

Over a 120 responses from singletrack so far – thanks everyone 🙂

121 🙂

Done, good survey that

Done.

Done

Done

Be nice to see things that will wear (such as washing machine bearings etc etc) having maintainability built in, ditto electrics at a sensible component level.

“We need to adopt more make do and mend as opposed to throw away and buy new.”

We used to have this, in our case it was based on a lower standard of living (less money so more inclined to repair), less ‘integrated/sophisticated’ devices so often more possible to repair, different attitude w.r.t stuff (keeping up with the jones seemed to be a lot less of an issue). When I was very young we used to go to the dump and come back with stuff, it doesn’t work that way now and I suspect that an awful lot of people wouldn’t contemplate that way of life. I still always look in every skip I pass………..

Done.

Done.
Yeah, I love a good home repair.