What's your personal fix/replace cost ratio?

[Oliver Closehauf]

So your thingamajig has failed in some way. You can fix it, probably, if you take the time, or you can pay to have it done. If you do it, you may have to buy new tools which you will have and might use again, maybe. If they do it, it's one less seldom used tool you would have taking up space. If you do it you would get the satisfaction of doing it yourself, and knowing (as long as you were actually able to do it) it was done the way you wanted it done (or maybe not).

So how much do you have to save before you say my time is worth more than that and just pay for a new part or someone else to fix/replace it? Do you have categories for different types of repairs? Are there things you are willing to have someone else do even though you could do it just because you don't want to deal with the mess? What's your criteria?

 

[GTyankee]

I will make it simple

Remember that day when you built your own
Tinker Toy structure ?
Customized your first Skate Board ?
Put the Chain back on your Bicycle & adjusted it so that it never again came off.

That feeling never goes away, on my good days, i still go out to the garage & work on some project.
My brain is still coming up with new things to do next

& i have a very large assortment of wrenches that fit 1/2" nuts & bolts, of course they will disappear too

 

[Rlaf75]

This one's easy for me. I've been a mechanic for 30+ years. I will do all my own work unless it's covered under warranty. Even then I will try to diagnose the problem before I bring it to the dealer so I know what to expect from the dealer. Plus it allows me to see if the dealer is truthful or not. The couple of times I had to take there they have been good

 

[zrock]

Up until i purchased my new to me ram i did all my own repairs. But the point of the new truck was i was tired of working out in the weather to get things done. Now unless its something basic that i can rip off in a hour it goes to the shop or i get one of the guys at my shop to do it.. Not to mention anything over a hour or so and my body hurts so much its not worth it. A few years ago i used to repair equipment and set up modular homes by myself. Done a bit of damage to my body from doing that and now that im not active like that everyday i pay the price when im rolling around under the truck. Last night i payed one of my co workers to do a wheel bearing glad i did as it was seized in pretty good

 

[Scottly]

I don't like gasoline baths or transmission oil baths...So I don't take them. If it don't involve that and I think I can lift it bent over a fender or laying on my back, I'll give it a go. I'm less inclined to do more complex things if it's on my primary transportation, because I'll miss the 2-for-1 sale on Hagen Daz.

 

[Moose2]

Well, these days it seems we have come full circle back to my more youthful years. There was a time when the choice was made by need, and money. If I need it and I don’t have money to replace it, I repair it. One particular time comes to mind: I bent a rod in a string trimmer, rod and piston were $25, new one was $50-55. I needed the trimmer but I only had the $25 so I fixed it and used that trimmer an additional 5years.