Saturday, January 07, 2012

cheap chips


I love modern conveniences -- except when they aren’t.


The first week I was in Oregon, I threw a light load of laundry into my washing machine.  When I pulled out the clothes, they were as wet as pool cleanup towels.  Sopping.


I have been around washing machines long enough to diagnose the problem.  Something was amiss with the spin cycle -- either a belt, a clutch or a gear.  I felt smug in my acquired knowledge.


Until the repairman arrived.


I had forgotten this was the computer age.  The repairman informed me the equivalent of the washer’s motherboard was dead.  Maytag seems to have an engineering defect.  So much for the lonely repairman image.


He installed a used board, ordered a new one, and I was ready to finish up my laundry.  A few days later, he returned to install the new part.


$425.95 (US) later, I was back in the laundry business.


Having lived in Mexico for the past three years, the bill astounded me.  For one-tenth of that, a local repairman in Melaque would fully overhaul the washer.  Of course, the washing machine would operate on pure mechanical power rather than enough computer memory to run the Apollo program.


The comparison is a bit academic, though.  I do not use the washing machine at my duplex in Melaque.  I rely on the services of my local laundress with her own bank of washing machines and dryers.


And for what it cost me to repair my washer in Oregon, I could have Anita wash about 106 loads.  Almost nine years of dirty shirts that she returns to me folded, bagged, and smelling like my grandmother’s sachet drawer.


That is a modern convenience I can live with.

14 comments:

Kwallelno said...

I had a washer get back fed by a tree falling on the wires down the road a few years ago, it fried the motherboard on the washer. I looked up the price of a  new motherboard online and put the machine out by the road for the scrapers. The new board was better than half the money for a new machine that had never been zapped, something like 280 dollars.  

Steve Cotton said...

I thought about getting a new washer and dryer, but I do not need to buy a new set when I would like to be rid of the house.

Don Cuevas said...

When considering home appliances, I try to avoid digital anything. (Especially in México, where voltages vary.)

We have a small but effective washer in our garage, and to dry, we rely on Sr. Sol.

Saludos,Don Cuevas 

Steve Cotton said...

That is probably one reason I do not see the $1500 dryers I encountered in American stores this past week.  The Mexican variety seem to be a bit more basic.

Tancho said...

You got too Mexicanized with the labor rates. For that price you miqht have been able to pick up a set on craigslist, since you are NOB, have to agree with Sr, Cuevas on getting bare bones non electronic controlled anything whether you are north or south of the border.
1500 bucks for a pair? Must be those new color front loaders that you see on TV...
And thank you from all of us.....for washing your clothes.

Steve Cotton said...

The price of laundry sets has passed me by.

jennifer j rose said...

This is a harbinger of what you can expect from the Oregon house and its contents. Sell it now.  And BTW, $25,000 MXN and higher washers and dryers can be had at Liverpool and Sears in any major Mexican city. And, yes, people do buy them.

Steve Cotton said...

But not in my neck of the woods.

Blog said...

I am sure you could buy a very high tech washing machine herein Mexico for the price of your repair job there - ouch!

Laurie Matherne said...

In hot, humid climates it's best to not buy electronic type appliances, if you decide to go that route in Mexico. I have a simple dial type washing machines. And microwave, too. I don't microwave the clothes, though. The sun does a good job in Honduras. 

Steve Cotton said...

Wait until you see Sunday's post.

Steve Cotton said...

The weakest link in my Mexican electronic chain is my computer.  But it is much better now that I have moved away from the beach.

Gary Denness said...

I know exactly what you mean. I knew things would be more expensive in the UK when I returned, but I do find myself staring at bills and wondering how the hell some of these prices are justified. I look forward to getting back to DF and paying a tenth of the price and having someone else do my laundry...

Steve Cotton said...

I suspect repairmen in London and Salem are accustomed to lifestyles a bit more elaborate than my Mexican neighbors' expectations.