Comment Re:If anyone actually cared... (Score 2) 710
I have a Maytag dryer that I bought in 2002. Bought the washing machine with it, like most people who buy appliances when setting up a new house.
That dryer developed a nasty high-pitched squeal - metal on metal rubbing that didn't used to do that. Spend some time looking around on google, and this model has a known problem with this. It's a front-load dryer, and the drum sits on two rollers. The right-side roller is directly under a vent and gets condensed water dripping on it. So the metal wheel inside the roller rusts, wears away, and the dryer starts squealing.
You can buy a replacement roller kit on Amazon for about $7. It takes 1-2 hours to take the dryer apart (door, front panel, drum access plates, drum) to get access to the drum roller on the back inside wall of the dryer, change the roller, and put it all back together again. There are videos on Youtube giving step-by-step directions for doing this.
I've done this twice now. The first time was a pain to do, the second was just annoying in a "What? Again?" kind of way. I assume I'll do it a third time in another year or two.
It's worth doing for $7 DIY.
No way I'd pay someone $100-$200 to fix it for me. The attitude is "The dryer's not worth that much!"
As you say, the labor costs kill the repair market.
But if you can use a screw driver and a pair of plyers, it's amazing how much stuff that is designed to fail with "planned obsolescence" you can fix and keep working.
I'm told you have the same issues with cars, but frankly there I'm willing to pay someone to do the maintenance for me. I think I'm mostly worried about an expensive "learning experience" that leaves me without a vehicle at an inconvenient time. But I've got friends that would never pay someone to do an oil change on their car. They can do it themselves easier and cheaper, plus they like working on cars.
It's personal comfort level as much as anything else.