Right to Repair

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Madison420 , in Obscure screw added so appliance cannot be disassembled

I mean a blender isn't exactly the worst things to have security bits on.

an_onanist OP ,

Really? It seems to me that if you believe blenders should be tamper-proof, you must believe that all appliances should be.

Madison420 ,

A single tamper proof screw that all that's required to remove is knowledge... Yes. Unfortunately stupid people try to do things they shouldn't and that single screw removes an idiots ability to sue after they screw with things they know not.

ThatWeirdGuy1001 ,
@ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world avatar

Or they could just not be able to sue a company for being an idiot 🤷‍♂️

Madison420 ,

There's the way the world works and the way the world aught to work according to xyz.

One is reality the other isn't. Realistically if you don't expect a security screw when taking apart dangerous electronics you probably shouldn't be working on them.

MiDaBa ,

The tamper proof screw is NOT there to protect you, It's there to discourage repairs plain and simple. A warning label is more than adequate on other blenders, why not this one? In fact, there are plenty of dangerous devices I can think of that don't need to be locked down to prevent lawsuits. A lawsuit would require negligence on the part of the manufacture and while you're trying to say by not locking it down it could be considered negligence you'd be wrong. Otherwise I could quit my job and just file lawsuits all day.
Let's not try to defend these companies that engineer planned obsolescence into their products. All they want is to be the sole repair option (big profit margins) or have you buy a new over priced high markup item. Nevermind the waste generated by hrowing away perfectly good products that a simple easy repair would fix.

Madison420 ,

The tamper proof screw is NOT there to protect you, It's there to discourage repairs plain and simple.

Point to where I said it was there to protect you. It's quite literally to avoid lawsuits putting the screw there implies it's meant to be taken apart by a professional, not Ted down the street who stopped school in third grade.

All they have to do is point to that screw and the lawsuit dies then and there no further action.

It's also not planned obsolescence in this case, it's a barrier to repair. Literally a hoop too small to jump through that catches the dumbest of the well meaning. It would be planned obsolescence (arguably) if it prevented repair, it doesn't it simply complicates it. It's the same reason your seatbelt part ≈00 is held down by a large torx t50-60 and no longer a 15mm bolt.

lemmyhavesome ,

You lost me on the seatbelt thing. What's going on there?

Madison420 ,

Nothing they got the point of. Essentially manufacturers use security through obscurity, put in a tamper proof screw in and most people who aren't capable of doing the repair won't have the correct bit and will understandably not attempt to muck around with whatever it is.

Why dude wants to argue with a master tech about tamper proof bits purpose not being to resist tampering is beyond me, next they'll argue how people movers aren't meant to move people but rather to shift lifeforms from place to place....

uis ,
@uis@lemm.ee avatar

It's quite literally to avoid lawsuits putting the screw there implies it's meant to be taken apart by a professional, not Ted down the street who stopped school in third grade.

You got it so backwards...

Madison420 ,

Not at all, and nuh uh is rarely a valid point.

uis ,
@uis@lemm.ee avatar

So you keep saying that company can say "screwyaboo" in court and it will work? America is such wild place.

Madison420 ,

Essentially yeah.

MiDaBa ,

Madison, I'm not really sure what you're argument is here. Let's look at your seat belt argument. Torx (or star bits as they're now called since Torx is a brand name) has become a ubiquitous standard in the automotive world and absolutely irrelevant to the poor point you're trying to make. Auto makers use star bits because they enable a rounded dome shape that is smaller and requires no space around the bolt head to accommodate a thick socket. You may have assumed it was to prevent removal but no auto maker has ever declared that as a reason. Considering that even basic starter tool kits come with star bits these days I'd say that makes them a poor choice as a lawsuit prevention method. There are too many other "dangerous products" out there that don't have silly screws and yet somehow are able to avoid frivolous lawsuits. I'm not sure why defending this practice is the hill your want to die on but making repairs difficult to avoid a lawsuit is something only a sucker would believe.

Madison420 ,

They're literally called security bits you absolute bell end, the name is literally the description of their purpose.

ThatWeirdGuy1001 ,
@ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world avatar

Personally to me I think we need to stop idiot proofing everything.

I'm not saying remove all safety standards or warnings but we've gone too fuckin far to the point a complete moron has to be protected and treated like a child which just holds the rest of us back.

Madison420 ,

I'm all for having less idiots but reality differs.

Bytemeister ,

Excuse me, I thought this was America!

uis ,
@uis@lemm.ee avatar

and that single screw removes an idiots ability to sue after they screw with things they know not.

It's not how it works...

Madison420 ,

That's exactly how it works and honestly this photo series is a pretty good illustration of why it works.

maculata , in iFixit ends self-repair collaboration with Samsung, because Samsung was not committed to it

Samsung has been leading the charge towards enshittification for many years.

aasatru ,
@aasatru@kbin.earth avatar

A dominant market position will do that to you, it seems.

MxRemy , in Obscure screw added so appliance cannot be disassembled

My library has a lendable "Ultimate Screwdriver Kit" that has every bit size and type I've ever heard of, security Torx, pentalobe, oval, gamebit, spanner, etc etc. Also a bunch of different styles of bit holder, and a bunch of attachments like angle adapters, depth setters, torque limiters, etc. Only tangentially relevant I guess... but if you run into a problem like this again, check your local library to potentially avoid having to buy obscure bits online!

Nougat , in Obscure screw added so appliance cannot be disassembled

My vacuum cleaner. You know how the roller brush gets all tangled up with hair and threads and whatnot, and the way you fix that is to remove the roller and cut it all out?

The external screws are torx security bits. The internal screws are Phillips. The only reason is to get someone who isn't persistent to go buy a new vacuum cleaner when their roller gets tangled

WalrusDragonOnABike ,

I just pull the hair directly off the roller as is. No need to take it out. I clean it often enough that it would take more time to take it off no matter what screws it has. The worst part imo is the internal screws being phillips. Torx (whether "security" versions or not) > Phillips/Flathead.

MachineFab812 ,

Pro-tip: cut the hair along the roller with a knife. Don't have to unwind it more than a single turn this way.

prettybunnys ,

Name the brand so we can avoid

peto ,

At this point I think at least a modest tamper kit should be in a household the same way a screwdriver was previously.

humorlessrepost , in Disable tracking on Chevy Bolt 2019

Cadillac here. I just unscrew the cellular antenna from the onstar module before leaving the lot. Looks like the onstar module is less conveniently located for bolts (it’s under my rear seats, I think it’s behind your screen), but that’s a good way to avoid collateral damage to other things on the same fuse. Since it’s a separate antenna from the gps, I even still get navigation, just without map updates. It’s all the good of a cell jammer, with none of the prison or fines. For now.

kalpol ,

Even better because without the antenna load, the transmitter may burn out.

Underwaterbob , in Obscure screw added so appliance cannot be disassembled

Looks like a job for a regular flathead and a grinding wheel.

EndOfLine , (edited ) in Obscure screw added so appliance cannot be disassembled
@EndOfLine@lemm.ee avatar

Thought they might sell these specialty tools online, but 3 minutes of searching came up with nothing. Might be time to get creative.

Do you have the room to get a Dremel in there the cut it so a regular flathead will work?

If not, maybe try to use needle noise pliers as your screwdriver.

As a last resort, pick up a cheap screwdriver and cut it to make it slotted.

Edit: I love how quickly several people have commented with links to the needed tools. Thanks to all of you!

KazuyaDarklight ,
@KazuyaDarklight@lemmy.world avatar

Depending on the size, I've absolutely gotten small versions of these bits in IT/Electronics repair kits.

jws_shadotak , (edited )

https://www.ifixit.com/products/mako-driver-kit-64-precision-bits

iFixit sells kits like this that have every screw head imaginable. No need to get creative.

Edit: fixed link

EndOfLine ,
@EndOfLine@lemm.ee avatar

Nice. Thanks for the link.

FYI: There is an "s" missing from the end of that url. https://www.ifixit.com/products/mako-driver-kit-64-precision-bits

aniki ,

Hows the durability of their stuff? I've been intrigued.

jws_shadotak ,

I've had this kit for about two years and it's been excellent. I don't use it for much outside of electronics, which is not very taxing on these tools.

aniki ,

Awesome appreciate the insight! Next time I need something weird I'll grab a kit and chuck the rest of my amalgamation of random one-offs.

twack ,

If you snap one, they will send you a replacement for free. I chipped one of the security torx once, and was surprised at how easy it was to get replaced.

aniki ,

thats whats up!

jws_shadotak ,

FYI: There is an "s" missing from the end of that url. https://www.ifixit.com/products/mako-driver-kit-64-precision-bits

Thanks, fixed

steal_your_face ,
@steal_your_face@lemmy.ml avatar

I have this kit and I remember seeing a similar head in there. Highly recommend it. I’ve used it a bunch.

kernelle ,

Same, and I bought one over 6 years ago. Would buy again 11/10

AngryCommieKender ,
umbrella , in Disable tracking on Chevy Bolt 2019
@umbrella@lemmy.ml avatar

inb4 manufacturers start baking it into the fuel injection cpu, and spending (your) extra money with encryption to lock the "owner" out like modern phones

SatansMaggotyCumFart ,

My cell phone doesn't have a fuel injection cpu.

loudWaterEnjoyer ,
@loudWaterEnjoyer@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Pathetic, how old is your phone??? Like a thousand years or something?????

RvTV95XBeo , in Disable tracking on Chevy Bolt 2019

LMK if anyone finds the fuse my Kia uses to track my sex life per the TOS. Also unrelated, but please LMK if anyone finds my sex life. I seem to have misplaced it.

ohlaph ,

It's in your glove.

Noodle07 ,

Have you looked in your socks?

joshcodes , in Valve's iFixit partnership is a game changer
@joshcodes@programming.dev avatar

Imagine the alternative world where you had to back up your data, discard the device and buy an entirely new one because a simple piece of plastic broke.

Apple will tell you this practice allows them to build innovative and superior products while integrating hardware and software compatibility closer than ever.

CaptDust ,

When it happened, I was entirely ready to accept the drop as an excuse for OLED model upgrade, then I found the iFixit shop and those thoughts were dashed haha

catch22 , in ‘It has officially happened’: Mechanic says he can’t work on your car because they’ve officially been locked out of computer systems
@catch22@programming.dev avatar
M0oP0o , in Obscure screw added so appliance cannot be disassembled
@M0oP0o@mander.xyz avatar

Oh, I have that bit. Its not even the weirdest

aniki , in Obscure screw added so appliance cannot be disassembled

Were you able to fix it?

an_onanist OP ,

I destroyed the casing to learn why my Phillips screw driver couldn't grab the screw head.

ForgottenUsername , in To buy no longer means anything.

Funnily enough I've been talking to Microsoft since the first announcement, asking them for a refund for (now) locking me out of a game I paid for.

It has not gone well unfortunately, Microsoft really do not give two shits about the consumer, so long as they can milk you for all the data your worth and charge you for the privilege.

Might be petty, but I won't buy a Xbox or another Microsoft game until they give my Minecraft/$20 back. I guess I'm a pirate

uis , in Obscure screw added so appliance cannot be disassembled
@uis@lemm.ee avatar

I know I have terrible eyesight, but it seems like I opened blind or dyslexic community. Why only few people noticed

I had to cut the casing open in order to discover why I couldn't unscrew the fourth.

Tikiporch ,

Must be your eyesight, my friend. Looks normal to me...

MachineFab812 ,

The screw head was at the bottom of a 2 inch shaft.

They didn't have to cut shit.

uis , (edited )
@uis@lemm.ee avatar

Which was discovered AS RESULT of cutting open.

You are quite spammy, aren't you?

MachineFab812 ,

No, the shaft was not uncovered as a result of cutting the thing open. They were able to reach the screw-head with a regular screw-driver, just not turn it. Says right there in the post.

Learn to read, stop spamming people with your shit takes, and sure, let's pretend replying to your copy-pasted bullshit with more copy-pasted bullshit is somehow worse. Anything to feed trolls like you.

uis ,
@uis@lemm.ee avatar

No, the shaft was not uncovered as a result of cutting the thing open.

I had to cut the casing open in order to discover why I couldn't unscrew the fourth.

I'll reply with your quote:

Learn to read, stop spamming people with your shit takes, and sure, let's pretend replying to your copy-pasted bullshit with more copy-pasted bullshit is somehow worse. Anything to feed trolls like you.

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