Maybe I can finally fix my broken robot …

[JoyfulNoise]

Colorado To Become 1st State To Pass ‘Right To Repair’ For Farmers

The law follows a nationwide outcry from farmers that manufacturers prevent them from fixing their own machines when they break down.

www.huffpost.com

Interesting development. All political leanings aside, this should be interesting to watch. I believe there are several European countries that require this already - manufacturers must make all a spare parts and service manuals available. I think it’s the right way to go, personally speaking.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Matt,

I think the problem is that Maytronics is providing you with all the spare parts they have. I really doubt they stock individual motors for their own repairs.. They just buy the motor box as a unit.

In a way it is like any circuit card in a device you buy. It makes perfect sense to me that the manufacturer should stock replacement cards, but does not much much sense to me that they stock each individual part on the circuit card.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I’m not saying that they need to sell individual circuit components but they should supply the same parts as they do to service techs. And there are techs that can get the individual motors in the motor assembly. So if a tech can get it, then consumers should have access as well. Now that may make Maytronics decide to not service anything internal to the robot and that’s their choice. But in a free market there will be suppliers that do decide to allow their customers to do repairs and so let the market decide …

 

[Jimrahbe]

And there are techs that can get the individual motors in the motor assembly.

Matt,

If that is true, then I agree, but I've been told that spare parts for the motor box parts are not available. Where did you hear differently?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Matt,

If that is true, then I agree, but I've been told that spare parts for the motor box parts are not available. Where did you hear differently?

Thanks,

Jim R.

Comments on the forum from a user that services them. Online on certain pool equipment websites you can see the drive motors listed (with a price) but never in stock. Margaret once said that the motors can be acquired by service shops but that they are rarely ever ordered because no one wants to liability of opening up the motor assembly and getting stuck with a can of worms. I would bet that Maytronics at a corporate level probably dissuades channel retailers from doing any service to avoid having to stock and ship lots of spares. Cosmetic service is fine, but anything deeper than that is just too into the weeds for any retail shop to deal with.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I think legally a company could only claim that a sub-assembly is not serviceable if it is sealed. The way Maytronics designs their motor assembly it has hand-engaged compression clamps and o-rings. It literally screams “open me and fix my insides”. So, if Maytronics is going to claim that they can’t sell you internal components to the motor assembly, then they should simply thermally weld unit shut so it cannot be opened. Otherwise, too bad, you need to make the internal parts available to everyone.

 

[phonedave]

I think legally a company could only claim that a sub-assembly is not serviceable if it is sealed. The way Maytronics designs their motor assembly it has hand-engaged compression clamps and o-rings. It literally screams “open me and fix my insides”. So, if Maytronics is going to claim that they can’t sell you internal components to the motor assembly, then they should simply thermally weld unit shut so it cannot be opened. Otherwise, too bad, you need to make the internal parts available to everyone.

I'm all for being able to repair your own things, but I do have some experience with the manufacturing chain (granted, mainly on electronics, not mechanical items) and it is a long and convoluted path.

You get three different companies that make three different part in three different countries. A fourth company takes all of those parts and assembles them into a sub assembly. That then gets shipped to an other company who then puts it into their product. Not that it matters, but then that product usually gets shipped off to a kitting vendor who puts it in a box along with instructions, power cords, etc.

With some items there may be dozens of individual companies providing parts (any of which can go out of business, have supply chain issues, or not be permitted to ship their items direct to a certain country).

I am fine with companies being required to make available to consumers the same parts and resources they make available to their licensed repair shops.

Designing a item takes into account every single little step involved to bring it in to a specific price point. Having to permanently seal a sub-assembly that otherwise does not have to be just adds additional cost into the manufacturing process.