Repairable Products Make Good Sense
Repair is good for manufacturers, good for the economy, and good for the rest of us.
95% care
iFixit community members overwhelmingly say that a successful repair makes them more likely to buy more products from that company.
400 charges
The battery in your cellphone only lasts for a year or two. Phones with easy-to-replace batteries last longer.
90 million lbs
Computers can have a second life. Dell refurbishes and resells 90 million pounds of used electronics per year in Goodwill stores.
70% Less
DIY repair saves money: iFixit members spend nearly 70% less on repairs than the average American homeowner.
People don’t have the information they need
to buy quality products.
Many companies want to make quality products, and people want to buy stuff that lasts. But some greedy manufacturers build in planned obsolescence, forcing us to buy new products. To make matters worse, some short-sighted companies sabotage local repair shops by making repair manuals secret.
The History of Planned Obsolescence
There’s a better way.
iFixit has published repair manuals for every Apple product made in the last decade. Millions of people are using those manuals to repair their iPhones and MacBooks—saving money and making their gadgets last longer than Apple’s engineers imagined possible.
Buy cheap, buy twice.
Say no to cheap, breakable stuff. Support companies that make quality products. It’s worth it to spend a bit more on a product that will last three times longer.
Patagonia, for example, will repair any product you buy from them. Davek says you should never need to buy another umbrella. Saddleback bags have a 100-year warranty.
Great products build brand loyalty.
Repair isn’t just good for consumers—it offers great benefits to businesses, too. Many companies embrace DIY repair. They know that people who fix their stuff are dedicated customers. Giving people the information and tools they need to fix products cuts down on support costs. Customers love it when they can get their stuff fixed quickly—whether by themselves or at a local repair shop.
Some companies sue themselves in the foot.
Unfortunately, some companies use legal threats to prevent people from fixing their products. They hide behind copyright claims to take down online repair manuals and scare people away from DIY repair.
Is changing a tire on a car dangerous? Sure, a little. But are you going to call out a Ford engineer every time you get a flat? Of course not. Even tricky repairs can be straightforward with the right knowledge—the knowledge, that is, that manufacturers don’t want you to have.
Repair is better.
Better for companies. Better for the environment. Better for us.
Learn More
Who fixes stuff? Find out more about the iFixit community.
Like documentaries? Want to hear more about planned obsolescence? Check out The Light Bulb Conspiracy.
Take Action
Buy durable products—look for lifetime warranties and products that come with repair manuals.
Help us write open-source repair manuals for everything.
Help us write open-source repair manuals for all Toshiba products.