Small appliances like oven toaster, microwave and electric fan are considered disposable and are not fit for repair. We have sad experiences with a broken electric fan that after paying for the repairs, it broke down again after 2 months. When our toaster broke down, we decided to just buy a replacement instead of having it repaired. The same with the microwave oven. At least we spend for a new appliance with a warranty. Repairs costs minimal but the regret of spending for nothing is stressful.
However, though, if you did have the talent to repair small stuff, then you might be able to save a decent amount of money. In fact, I'm sure there are YouTube tutorials on how to fix toasters and the like. However, like most people, I don't really take the time to learn.
I agree with both of you because if you are a ms or mr fixit why not save a bit of money and repair it. But if you're not a fixit type of person, buying a new one on sale is much cheaper than having it repaired, sometimes. I wait for sales on small appliances when I need them or just about the time for my appliances to break, I watch for sales and shelf them for future use. Sales is the way to go for small appliances so you can have the most modern appliances and save money.
I am umdergoing through the same dilemma as I type. My Shimono electric blender has burnt out its rubbers and in my area there are none available that are compatible. I still donot know how to dispose that blender off. After reading hete, I might try to check out on Youtube to try my luck. I would invest little in the repairs rather than buy the whole new set again which had costed me a fortune, so to say.
When I want to repair my appliances, I will always make a comparison between the repairing cost and cost for a new product. When there is no bigger difference, I will opt to buy new instead of repairing. Recently, our water pump broke. The repairing cost was $20 where as the new product would cost $50. There was no guarantee whether the repaired product would work, on the other hand the new product had one year warranty. I bought a new water pump.
