Do you go to a Repair Café when something is broken?
First of all: I am aware that volunteer work must not endanger jobs.
For several years now, I've been going to the Repair Café once a month, spending three hours helping other people with broken devices. This ranges from initial assessment (scrap or worth preserving) to troubleshooting and complete repair.
If you wish, you can leave a small donation at the end, which will be used to pay for small parts, tools and sometimes even complete spare parts for those who simply cannot afford repairs in a professional workshop.
I do this because it helps protect the environment and reduces electronic waste. I enjoy it; I'm with nice people and I get coffee and cake. And I'm happy to help—even for a simple thank you.
How about you:
Do you go to a Repair Café when something is broken?
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A Repair Café does not endanger jobs. What’s going to be fixed today? I would have bought a new printer unnecessarily, if I hadn’t had the opportunity to bring him to a Repair Café.
Okay, I could have my jacket sewn on that occasion. I would have let someone else do it “in business.”
Thanks for your valuable work.
Thank you for the nice words.
For the same reasons, I also like to repair myself and meanwhile a lot for friends, neighbours and acquaintances. So far I haven’t been in a repair café, but I find such projects important. I have to help as a repairer in a repair café, but unfortunately I have not found the time to do so.
It is always amazing which small defects can cause a whole device to lie down and which is unfortunately bought too often new because of this.
In my opinion, repair cafés should be widespread, especially in rural areas. Often these are also rarely and not regularly held, as a further spread of the concept would certainly also provide remedy.
I repair a lot of myself, so I don’t go to the repair shop. I think it’s good that there’s something like that. It’s throwing too much away. Unfortunately, many products are no longer intended for repair.
One question: how do you do this with spare parts? Often it is found in troubleshooting that you need a certain part for repair. You can’t do that. So you have to get it. Will that make your “customer” and come a second time? Who carries the risk if a repair doesn’t work anyway?
The spare part is ordered and is in stock next month. Before, however, it is clear whether the “customer” wishes a repair at this price. The whole is first paid from the donation fund. If repair is then, it doesn’t matter if repair is successful. The customer throws something into the donation fund or leaves it – this is his decision. But the experience shows that people are actually all honest and sometimes someone also says that he cannot afford the repair. Then he gets the repair (if it is a affordable small part) but from the outset he gets free. But I had an older couple at the last, who had an old stereo tower with a double cassette drive. The belts were over, the repair cost 14 €. They took the plant back – to dispose.
Sounds good. I know the problem with the belts. They’ll get up with time. I had a device, there was only a black grease left from the belts. The most important thing about the repair was removing this mass. Commercially, you can’t do that, I’ve probably cleaned three hours on the part before I could even build a new belt.
14€ is really just the material price – incomprehensible that was rejected.
But this is unfortunately the mentality of those who can afford something new.
And unfortunately also the mentality of today’s (growing) generation: glue on the road to protest for their future. But use synthetic adhesive from plastic tubes and date over their latest smartphone – because the old one was not up-to-date after a year.
Of course,
I like to help there.
In cases where specialist workshops
no longer make the hands dirty
So can no longer be repaired economically.
Hansi
Thank you for the answer, colleague.
I can fix some things on my own or I’ll give them someone who can
We don’t have a Repair Café, but we have a valuables farm. You can then see what’s going to be thrown away, even though it still works or could be repaired with a little effort.
“I consume, so I live” seems to be the motto in our society.
Something like this is very rare, then maybe once a year and nobody knows about it.. I think that’s what you want.
With us (city in the Ruhrpott with approx. 95,000 inhabitants) there are two locations, which alternately open their Repair Café once a month.
But there is also a nationwide calendar where you can see when something happens.
But cool idea. I can’t imagine that jobs are endangered. I’m sure there’s no one with a broken car or a broken TV. In the context of social neighbourhood aid and its own limited possibilities to carry out small repairs, where the professionals probably no longer commit, because it is not worth it, is a beautiful thing.
In fact, some people only come to ring with coffee and cake. Their small repairs are a side thing.
But I am now surprised by the accumulating answers that there are apparently only a few repair cafes.
Joa, can I imagine that lonely reindeers are stuck in the toaster to get past.
Google says that at 40 kilometers distance would be the next for me.
OK, at 40 km, the ride costs so much that you can leave it.
Not in general, since some can be repaired.
Since we are talking about our own workshop, I see these workshops as problematic.
We also have problems in social housing, even there craftsmen can build the houses honoraryly!
“even there craftsmen can build volunteer houses“
Don’t worry, this project doesn’t go so far. It is only repaired, which is portable, no longer has a guarantee and where, in general, the repair with wages would be uneconomic. So it would end up in the ton anyway.
Unfortunately, you cannot choose to go there unless you can repair the device yourself.
Haaach, don’t be petty!
I’m not going there either so I can carry out my own repairs.
But of course, you’re right: I’ve only listed the answers I just received. There could have been more.
Unfortunately, you can only choose one answer, even if several should apply. Why is that? I don’t know.
(uuups, wrong landing)
Can you suggest?
There are always possibilities for improvement.
unfortunately…