I love everything about kits. I build what I use, I know how to fix it, and I can get any part I find broken. It is sad that there aren’t more people that are into this sort of thing because the DIY-ers don’t represent a significant enough portion of any market to drive manufacturers to offer their products as kits. Given that we are currently in full last-minute-gift-shopping mode, I thought this article about why kits are the way to go would be well timed:
…Now as I am older (read: paying more bills) I find myself identifying with some aspects of minimalist living. Living this way makes me lament the fact that more products aren’t sold as kits. I understand the reasons behind kits being unpopular: it is easier to buy than build, and the prices are lower thanks to cheap, non-serviceable production completed by people working for low wages.
But what so few consider is the inevitable occurrence of a ‘cheap and easy’ device breaking. Or worse, when an expensive name-brand device breaks because the manufacturer decided to offshore production and ‘optimize’ the design for cost savings. I’m tired of stuff breaking almost as often as the R/C car I’d drive off ramps at 25 MPH. What really drives me up the wall is when I attempt to repair it, finding that the device was designed only to make it beyond the 1-year warranty period and NEVER be serviced. Even when I do get into the device and determine root cause, finding a replacement part that I can buy for less than 50% of the entire unit’s purchase price is unlikely…
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