I hate how unrepairable everything is

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Last few years, I've been noticing stuff that is just molded as one piece. No case, no fasteners, nothing possible to open or remove, just one solid mass bonded to the guts inside. Sort of like potting compound on a circuit board if you remember that.

You used to be able to replace a handle on a door knob/lockset. Now some are made in such a way that simply isn't possible.

 

[Muse]

Same with any subscription based software or hardware, that's not any better either even if no apps are involved. They seem to be pushing this a lot too even for cars now. Super terrible. You will own nothing and you'll be happy.

My 1997 Mazda 626LX 2.0 liter sedan has less than 35,000 miles on it. It drives fine, passes smog like a new car AFAIK. Doesn't leak oil, doesn't presently have an issue I'm aware of. I had the A/C fixed when it wouldn't work and I liked the shop so well (there was an owner and 4-5 mechanics, every one of whom, I was told, had been trained in A/C work). I liked them so much I brought my car back the following week to get my 30k service, although the car was IIRC about 2k short of 3k. I figured why wait? I want to know if there are problems, it's an old car already. This was in 2014, 9 years ago.

My notes:

Everything looked OK, well almost:

Constant velocity joint boots - outer boots starting to crack... (not bad enough to act on now)

I wanted to have something looked at a couple years ago, don't remember what, maybe to just check out the car before I go on a little trip. That shop had closed. I called a recommended shop and was told they will not work on cars as old as mine. I haven't had the car looked at now except for the legally required smog testing for a few years. I'm not sure I can find a mechanic who will touch it. This is no simple1958 Ford. This car has a computer, specialized equipment is needed to troubleshoot problems. I may have to just get rid of it if something "major" goes wrong.

 

[highland145]

It was a "reason" to order bits. 😀

 

[Ajay]

I could look them up, but what the frick are those?

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Jansport backpack circa 1998. It has been all over the world and I can pack for any two week vacation out of it.

My wife hates it but god damn the things a tank, is always carry on, keeps my hands free to haul around my family's monster Samsonite + other items. Aside from some of the interior lining falling apart with wear and age, everything on the pack still works (zippers included).

I looked into modern Jansports and holy shit their backpacks for kids are pure garbage now. Made out of some thin recycled plastic material. In their defense both kids have been using them for a few years and they've held up, but they lack that weight that we often identify with durability.

Wonder if Jansport has a "classic" line that still uses that heavy canvas material etc.

 

[highland145]

I could look them up, but what the frick are those?

Vandal proof torx bits.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Bits for vandal resistant Torx screws.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I have this one and a couple of sets with fewer bits.

 

[highland145]

@Lost_in_the_HTTP

what is the y shaped bit for?

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I've encountered several Y shaped security screws. You can't tell in that picture, but some of them are an offset Y, one arm goes at a nonstandard angle.

But ... you mean the big Y in the lid, don't you? I can't recall just right now, but I seem to remember a specialty need for it. Some kind of a wingnut type thing.

 

[VashHT]

The ones with the holes in the middle are telecom screws right? I got a nice Klein set for those so I could open the telecom box outside my house, has a lot of other stuff too it's a pretty nice set I'll have to see if I can find it

 

[Red Squirrel]

I need to find myself a set of those torx bits. I have a warranty claim Greenworks 80v battery that I'm "sending to the recycler" and the screws on it are that style. I AM the recycler! A piece of solder fell out of it, which triggered me to do the warranty claim, but I really don't think there's anything wrong with it, but want to open it to make sure. It's a 4ah battery too, that is the same size as the 2ah ones, so they work well in the chainsaw. 3 of them came with my snowblower. The replacement one was an older model that is taller, so not as ideal for the chainsaw.

 

[Muse]

I need to find myself a set of those torx bits. I have a warranty claim Greenworks 80v battery that I'm "sending to the recycler" and the screws on it are that style. I AM the recycler! A piece of solder fell out of it, which triggered me to do the warranty claim, but I really don't think there's anything wrong with it, but want to open it to make sure. It's a 4ah battery too, that is the same size as the 2ah ones, so they work well in the chainsaw. 3 of them came with my snowblower. The replacement one was an older model that is taller, so not as ideal for the chainsaw.

I have two of something like this (I keep one set in the kitchen, the other upstairs), maybe the exact same item, just a different seller ( ). GREAT!!! I used one recently because I needed a very small torx wrench to replace the gone-bad NiMH battery in my Oral-B Triumph tooth brush a few weeks ago. The circuit board was held in place by a Torx #5. This is a nice kit with case:

25 in 1 Precision Screwdriver Set Torx Glasses Repair Kit Micro Jewellers Watch

25 in 1 Precision Screwdriver Set Torx Glasses Repair Kit Micro Jewellers Watch | eBay

<li> - 100% Brand New and High Quality</li> <li> - Wallet type packing, light and portable, internal type batch head bayonet fixed, not</li> <li>easy to scattered, different from the traditional plastic box, easy to crush, scattered</li> <li> - High precision screwdriver head, a high-end...

www.ebay.com

 

[lxskllr]

A lot of the time I deal with torx by finding the appropriate sized flathead to fit the points :^D

edit:
Oh, and I just ran across this pic...

 

[Jon-T]

But the old AC has NO internet connectivity

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Good. Who needs that anyways?

But it isn't always true any more. Some window units now have it.

 

[Muse]

I haven't turned on my one AC, a window job i picked up at Lowe's some years ago, in over a year. The noise and energy usage bug me, so if I can work around using it (in my upstairs bedroom) I do. I'll sleep downstairs on the couch if it gets too hot to sleep upstairs. Have done it 2-3 times, I guess. So far this year, I'm good.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

When it's in the 90s and dewpoint is in the 70s, we don't really have a choice. I try to hold off until the house is around 80.

I need a place to cool down to avoid illness from heat. I'm set up where I can close doors and only cool one room.

 

[Ajay]

When it's in the 90s and dewpoint is in the 70s, we don't really have a choice. I try to hold off until the house is around 80.

I need a place to cool down to avoid illness from heat. I'm set up where I can close doors and only cool one room.

Same, at 80 I turn on the AC - usually to 76F, but it typically sits at 78F if the humidity is high.

 

[WilliamM2]

I keep my heat at 70 in the winter, AC at 70 in the summer (both lower when I sleep). I didn't work all my life to be uncomfortable.

Cheap bastards.

 

[repoman0]

A lot of the time I deal with torx by finding the appropriate sized flathead to fit the points :^D

edit:
Oh, and I just ran across this pic...

View attachment 85666

As an owner of a house with a bunch of the units on the right … funny and partially true. We had one unit “die” and the HVAC guy wanted to replace it for $5000 after a fake diagnosis. I took it apart and cleaned all the hidden gross moldy dust out of it. Magically it started working again and is perfectly fine two years later.

My mysterious sneezing and runny nose in that room also disappeared. Any AC unit should be opened and cleaned out every year or two. You don’t want to see or breathe the toxic hazard dust inside the 50 year old unit that just chugs along with no attention.

 

[MtnMan]

I could look them up, but what the frick are those?

Security torx.

 

[Denly]

Travel luggage is pretty bad. Not small electronics bad but up there. Wheels get beaten up all the time and those should be easily repairable or replaceable. But nope - if your suitcase is more than a couple years old good luck finding wheels. I'm waiting for rando wheels from China that are almost exactly the right size to see if it will be good enough for one of our less frequently used suitcases. And even then I had to take a hacksaw to the broken wheel because it's not made to be repaired. The suitcase is otherwise in great condition and barely used. If I have to get rid of it....what a waste.

Can't say I know how you felt as the last time I checked in a piece of luggage was....at least 20 years ago, all my belongings usually fit under the seat and I have a packable duffle bag in case I bought things.

 

[purbeast0]

Most things are still repairable if you like to tinker with stuff. You just have to have that desire to learn how things work and like doing it.

 

[Fritzo]

There's an engineering principle that says "The easier a product is to use, the more complicated the engineering behind it." Things are unrepairable because we have to have 18000 features packed into a small space, so every nanometer of free real estate is used. This means a lot of layers and interconectivity takes place.

And...well...that makes things difficult to repair.