advice needed: is it worth fixing? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

jaded · 10-22-2004, 03:48 PM

hi all,

first time posting here. i have a panasonic 35 in. regular tv that just stopped working all of a sudden. i just had a repairman come in and examine it and was told that the transformer got broken. the total estimate cost of fixing it (parts+labor) is $220. the tv is 5 years old and was working great before. my question is: do you think it is worth fixing for 220 dollars? i could get a new 27 in. at this price. the repairman told me that the most expensive parts in a tv are the tube and the transformer and then he just said the transformer is broken. of course i have no way to tell whether it is indeed the transformer that's broken, so whatever he says/charges i'd have to accept if i decide to get it fixed. another concern is that after this is fixed, would some other parts come loose or get broken later b/c it's an old tv? a new tv might be relatively safer in this regard. am debating myself what to do with it...

i know the problem might sound trivial to you, but i am a student so have to think about financial constraints. your input would be highly appreciated! thanks in advance.

1slOwCD8 · 10-24-2004, 01:25 PM

Are you gauranteed that it will be fixed after the repair. It could be fixed for a while and then break down on you again. I made the mistake of taking my old tv to repair shops numerous time, and eventually just gave up and bought a new tv. If i were you id buy a new tv, atleast itll be gauranteed to work for a while. Unless u must have a 35in tv.

jaded · 10-24-2004, 04:19 PM

yeah, i had the same concern. the repairman gives a three-month guarantee yet i just don't know if it's worth it to repair the tv for the price of a new one. on the other hand, i'd hate to just throw the 35in away knowing that it is fixable... i loved it as it was working great...

disgruntled · 10-29-2004, 08:04 AM

With the improvement in quality and reliability of TVs over the years I would definately buy a new TV in your case. Buying a new TV ensures that you will have a working one and with the cheap warranties many large electronic stores offer now you can ensure that it will work for at least 2-3 years (more?). Repairmen often over charge and can be unreliable so I try to avoid them all together, and 220$ does sound like a lot for a transformer replacement... but i could be wrong...

william · 11-10-2004, 06:02 PM

It's not completly true that all repairmen overcharge for their services, but this gives a good reason to buy the service warranty. Case in point - you bought the tv at Sears 3 yrs ago, w/full-service warranty. It takes a crap now. It's not worth it for the tech to fix it. New TV.
The warranty may sound expensive at POS, but it guarantees replacement and is cheaper than a new tv.
Not to say that all tv's are crap, but it happens.

bal8664 · 11-11-2004, 07:44 AM

i'd day definatlyreplace it, but for 220 your not gonna get a 27" tv of the same quality your panasonic was, that'll probably get you an RCA or a Sharp which don't have as a good of a picture, You'll probably have to put out at least 250 for a good one. I recommend sony, tohiba, samsung, or panasonic.

Dane Bramage · 11-11-2004, 08:14 AM

Well, I'm gonna be the vioce of opposition here.

I say repair. $220 isn't outta line for a transformer + installation. Transformers tend to be very expensive, so it sounds like a good deal to me. 5 years is not what I would consider 'old' for a TV. They should last at least 10 years, IMO. bal8664 is completely right... you won't get anywhere as much TV for $220 as you now have, but if that doesn't matter to you, then...

If you are really concerned about the prognosis, then get a second opinion.

The other option is to finance. If you want more TV than you can afford at the moment, then you can always get a loan or finance it through the store you get it from. It's a great way for a student to begin to develop some credit.

bal8664 · 11-11-2004, 10:20 AM

I agree that a tv should last more than 5 years, but when you have a problem like a blown transformer who knows what else could've been damaged and is just waiting to go. And if you replace the transformer for 220 bucks then in 6 monthes soemthing else breaks that costs 100 to repair, then that 220 was worthless because you'll probably go get a new tv anyways.

braisler · 11-11-2004, 10:25 AM

Yeah, definitely go with a new set. But don't throw the old one in the trash. Run an ad in your student newspaper (cheap or free) or put some flyers up for your TV at like $50. Just disclose what is wrong with it (needs new transformer). You might be able to recoup at least a little bit of change from it. Some engineering student who is good with electronics will pick up your TV for $50 and put the $70 part in it and have a working 35" TV. Everybody wins.

I understand where you are at having recently been a grad. student myself. Every $50 counts!

jaded · 11-11-2004, 01:16 PM

thanks everyone for your suggestions! an update, the tv is still sitting in my room, not fixed, and i still haven\'t bought a new one either. waiting for a deal around thanksgiving maybe.

yeah, my concern was maybe something else will break. the technician said, if you don\'t want to get it fixed, call me and i\'ll take it away for free. and i was like, sure you\'d like that. sigh, why me, why this tv...

bal8664 · 11-11-2004, 04:57 PM

be sure to keep a look out at the bestbuy and circuit city flyers for thier weekly deals. Also you can get some pretty good open box deals at those places. I worked at bestbuy for a while and most of the open boxes are tv's people bought, and returned because they didnt fit in their entertainment center , brand new but they have to sell them as open box since they have been sold once already. Also you can usually get the open boxes with the 3 year warrenty for less than the tv brand new, so it'll becovered for a efw years to make sure you dont blow any more transformers heh.

10-22-2004, 03:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
jaded Crazy	advice needed: is it worth fixing? hi all, first time posting here. i have a panasonic 35 in. regular tv that just stopped working all of a sudden. i just had a repairman come in and examine it and was told that the transformer got broken. the total estimate cost of fixing it (parts+labor) is $220. the tv is 5 years old and was working great before. my question is: do you think it is worth fixing for 220 dollars? i could get a new 27 in. at this price. the repairman told me that the most expensive parts in a tv are the tube and the transformer and then he just said the transformer is broken. of course i have no way to tell whether it is indeed the transformer that's broken, so whatever he says/charges i'd have to accept if i decide to get it fixed. another concern is that after this is fixed, would some other parts come loose or get broken later b/c it's an old tv? a new tv might be relatively safer in this regard. am debating myself what to do with it... i know the problem might sound trivial to you, but i am a student so have to think about financial constraints. your input would be highly appreciated! thanks in advance.

11-11-2004, 08:14 AM	#7 (permalink)
Dane Bramage Insane Location: Charlotte, NC	Well, I'm gonna be the vioce of opposition here. I say repair. $220 isn't outta line for a transformer + installation. Transformers tend to be very expensive, so it sounds like a good deal to me. 5 years is not what I would consider 'old' for a TV. They should last at least 10 years, IMO. bal8664 is completely right... you won't get anywhere as much TV for $220 as you now have, but if that doesn't matter to you, then... If you are really concerned about the prognosis, then get a second opinion. The other option is to finance. If you want more TV than you can afford at the moment, then you can always get a loan or finance it through the store you get it from. It's a great way for a student to begin to develop some credit. __________________ Every passing hour brings the Solar System forty-three thousand miles closer to Globular Cluster M13 in Hercules — and still there are some misfits who insist that there is no such thing as progress. Kurt Vonnegut - Sirens of Titan

11-11-2004, 10:25 AM	#9 (permalink)
braisler Addict Location: Midway, KY	Yeah, definitely go with a new set. But don't throw the old one in the trash. Run an ad in your student newspaper (cheap or free) or put some flyers up for your TV at like $50. Just disclose what is wrong with it (needs new transformer). You might be able to recoup at least a little bit of change from it. Some engineering student who is good with electronics will pick up your TV for $50 and put the $70 part in it and have a working 35" TV. Everybody wins. I understand where you are at having recently been a grad. student myself. Every $50 counts! __________________ --- You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother. - Albert Einstein ---

10-24-2004, 01:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
1slOwCD8 Psycho Location: chicago, illinois	Are you gauranteed that it will be fixed after the repair. It could be fixed for a while and then break down on you again. I made the mistake of taking my old tv to repair shops numerous time, and eventually just gave up and bought a new tv. If i were you id buy a new tv, atleast itll be gauranteed to work for a while. Unless u must have a 35in tv.

10-24-2004, 04:19 PM	#3 (permalink)
jaded Crazy	yeah, i had the same concern. the repairman gives a three-month guarantee yet i just don't know if it's worth it to repair the tv for the price of a new one. on the other hand, i'd hate to just throw the 35in away knowing that it is fixable... i loved it as it was working great...

10-29-2004, 08:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
disgruntled Tilted Location: Vancouver BC	With the improvement in quality and reliability of TVs over the years I would definately buy a new TV in your case. Buying a new TV ensures that you will have a working one and with the cheap warranties many large electronic stores offer now you can ensure that it will work for at least 2-3 years (more?). Repairmen often over charge and can be unreliable so I try to avoid them all together, and 220$ does sound like a lot for a transformer replacement... but i could be wrong...

11-10-2004, 06:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
william Psycho	It's not completly true that all repairmen overcharge for their services, but this gives a good reason to buy the service warranty. Case in point - you bought the tv at Sears 3 yrs ago, w/full-service warranty. It takes a crap now. It's not worth it for the tech to fix it. New TV. The warranty may sound expensive at POS, but it guarantees replacement and is cheaper than a new tv. Not to say that all tv's are crap, but it happens.

11-11-2004, 07:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
bal8664 Crazy Location: Rochester, NY	i'd day definatlyreplace it, but for 220 your not gonna get a 27" tv of the same quality your panasonic was, that'll probably get you an RCA or a Sharp which don't have as a good of a picture, You'll probably have to put out at least 250 for a good one. I recommend sony, tohiba, samsung, or panasonic.

11-11-2004, 10:20 AM	#8 (permalink)
bal8664 Crazy Location: Rochester, NY	I agree that a tv should last more than 5 years, but when you have a problem like a blown transformer who knows what else could've been damaged and is just waiting to go. And if you replace the transformer for 220 bucks then in 6 monthes soemthing else breaks that costs 100 to repair, then that 220 was worthless because you'll probably go get a new tv anyways.

11-11-2004, 01:16 PM	#10 (permalink)
jaded Crazy	thanks everyone for your suggestions! an update, the tv is still sitting in my room, not fixed, and i still haven\'t bought a new one either. waiting for a deal around thanksgiving maybe. yeah, my concern was maybe something else will break. the technician said, if you don\'t want to get it fixed, call me and i\'ll take it away for free. and i was like, sure you\'d like that. sigh, why me, why this tv...

11-11-2004, 04:57 PM	#11 (permalink)
bal8664 Crazy Location: Rochester, NY	be sure to keep a look out at the bestbuy and circuit city flyers for thier weekly deals. Also you can get some pretty good open box deals at those places. I worked at bestbuy for a while and most of the open boxes are tv's people bought, and returned because they didnt fit in their entertainment center , brand new but they have to sell them as open box since they have been sold once already. Also you can usually get the open boxes with the 3 year warrenty for less than the tv brand new, so it'll becovered for a efw years to make sure you dont blow any more transformers heh.