Stockpiling parts

I tend to keep cars and appliances for a long time. Part of that FIRE thing. Anyhow, I like my car to look nice, even though it is more than 10 years old. So, I had someone touch up some dings about 3 years ago at a cost of $170. Well worth it. Recently, I noticed that the carpet floor mats are well worn. Tried to get OEM carpet mats. They are no longer available. Yes, I can get look a-likes and yes, I can keep a watch on Ebay. Will it cause me to spend $25,000 on a new car? No!

Recently, I did periodic maintenance on my 8 year old kitchen appliances. Some of the parts in my dishwasher were looking kind of ragged. So, after just having the above car experience, I spent $120 on some of the interior parts of the dishwasher, with the thought that manufacturer could stop making them any day and I would have to pay ridiculous prices for parts. I will probably replace those parts in a few months.

Anybody else struggle with buying parts before manufacturer stops making them? I have the same issue with other appliances, tools and cars.

I have pretty much the same attitude, but I just don't sweat over it. While I prefer OEM parts and I am willing to pay a premium, there is a limit. These days there is actually pretty good availability of quality new and used parts including aftermarket (how did we survive before the internet?). It is not without hassles. I bought a new lower dishrack for my 16 yr old GE dishwasher from ebay and it didn't fit well. It had free return shipping so I bought from a different mfr and it fit perfectly but it is not OE quality.

Auto manufacturers are supposed to make parts available for 10 yrs so it depends on the details. I have a 25 yr old car that shares a few parts with 3 other model years but some parts were unique to my year so I do keep an eye out on ebay and car forums for those parts. It's easier with cars because so many people are passionate about them and custom work is available for a price.

I don't stock pile, but have experienced the problem you're describing. Many years ago, I went all out (for me) on the lawn tractor I bought. Thought was buy it once and keep it for life. Well, when the mower deck rusted out after about 10 years, they no longer made the deck. Worse, a few years earlier I was looking at replacing the deck and decided to wait. Bad choice. It was no longer available. Sure, I could have got the deck welded and repaired, but it was frustrating given the initial thought of keeping it for life.

As for the car mats, look up Weathertech floor mats and see if they make them for your car.

No, when an appliance breaks I just buy another one. I get something a little better than bottom end, but a long way from the top. I never ever repair appliances.

They tend to last a dozen to 15 years and then I replace it. The new stuff is always quieter and more efficient than the old stuff. My new dishwasher is 6 months old cost $400 plus tax so about $430 delivered (free delivery and free removal of old unit) so if it lasts 12 years that's a whole $36/yr.

One lunch at the sushi bar costs more than that.

Struggling with this issue myself. I have a fountain in the front yard that's about 10-15 years old and needed refurbishing. I was very happy to find a replacement underground cistern of the same size on Amazon (must be a common application). Now that I know it's available, I can't help feeling I should keep a spare on hand. So far I haven't because of having to store a box of that size, but I can't quite shake the notion.

I can't imagine trying to stockpile parts for something. The likelihood that you'd guess which parts would break is pretty low. I think a better approach is to just make sure you do recommended maintenance; and then if it breaks you weigh the cost of repair vs. replacing it.

convergent said:

I can't imagine trying to stockpile parts for something. The likelihood that you'd guess which parts would break is pretty low. I think a better approach is to just make sure you do recommended maintenance; and then if it breaks you weigh the cost of repair vs. replacing it.

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I agree, with the internet these days I find it hard to imigine a need to stockpile parts. I've had the same $20 part on my 12 yo dishwasher break 3 times, I'm actually hoping something more expensive breaks next time so I have a reason to buy a new one. Even if that part suddenly shoots up to $80 I'd still likley replace it, but if that part were unavailable, I'd be buying new...and I'd probably be much happier.

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I do it once in a while if the part is lower cost. But it does evolve some risk sometimes you get suck with it. That has happened to me to.

enginerd said:

I agree, with the internet these days I find it hard to imigine a need to stockpile parts. I've had the same $20 part on my 12 yo dishwasher break 3 times, I'm actually hoping something more expensive breaks next time so I have a reason to buy a new one. Even if that part suddenly shoots up to $80 I'd still likley replace it, but if that part were unavailable, I'd be buying new...and I'd probably be much happier.

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We put a brand new stainless steel LG dishwasher in our last house... was on the pricier end of our range. It kept leaking over and over again on our hardwood floors and got to the point that we never used it unless we had a tray under it to catch water. Had it repaired over and over and it never became reliable. Moved out of that house into our current place and it has a much cheaper dishwasher. Haven't had a single problem with it in years; and it washes the dishes way better than the expensive LG. Appliances aren't what they used to be.

Appliances from the 1980s were made at the peak of durability of those products. I'd love to keep spare parts for them but it's so tough to know which ones and not worth the space to stockpile them all.

I don't stockpile parts either. We have enough junk around as it is without adding to the pile. My father did do that with car parts and after he passed away I took an entire pickup truck load to the dump since the cars they were for had long since gone to the junkyard.

This is why I like relatively cheap but common cars and appliances. Lots of interchangeable parts because they make millions of the cars/appliances. I had no problem buying parts for our 16 year old Honda civic and accord because there must have been millions of them between the 4-5 years of the same build design.

GrayHare said:

Appliances from the 1980s were made at the peak of durability of those products. I'd love to keep spare parts for them but it's so tough to know which ones and not worth the space to stockpile them all.

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Boy, isn't that the truth? We can order parts pretty easily (probably all aftermarket) for our appliances of that era, but they sure do last.

We do have a considerable number of spares for the old school bus, though, because it is a 1992 Thomas/Chevy and those parts will get harder to find. However, I do admit that we've not had to use any of them, not even on the road. But if you think it is hard to find online parts sources from the comfort of your couch and high speed wifi, try doing it from some scruffy roadside coffee shop in the dodgier parts of the world!

FUEGO said:

This is why I like relatively cheap but common cars and appliances. Lots of interchangeable parts because they make millions of the cars/appliances. I had no problem buying parts for our 16 year old Honda civic and accord because there must have been millions of them between the 4-5 years of the same build design.

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Yep. I take that approach as much as I can. For the kinds of things you buy multiples of (phones for example), if one breaks and is not fixable, it becomes spare parts for the others. Buy multiples of batteries as replacements, and always have a spare. And so on.

When I can, I extend that to our extended family. A bunch of us have the same router, the same laser printer. So I know the ins/outs of each, buy multiples of toner cartridges for a discount, etc.

-ERD50

rec7 said:

I do it once in a while if the part is lower cost. But it does evolve some risk sometimes you get suck with it. That has happened to me to.

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Put the no longer needed inventory on ebay. List all parts together for that particular model. ebay is a great way to get rid of such items. If you don't list on ebay, you most likely have a friend or son/daughter who will do it for you.