Like an old car, you eventually reach a point where you have to decide wether to keep repairing your equipment, or bite the bullet, and replace it… the answer to this one is sometimes not so simple! But the decision can be made a bit easier, if you ask yourself a few things,
- how old is the equipment
- Was it relatively cheap or expensive when you bought it
- How much have you spent on repairs so far, and have any integral parts been replaced
- If it breaks down again, how will it affect your ability to operate your business.
If the equipment is more than 5 years old, was relatively cheap to buy, and your business could suffer in a major way if it breaks down, I’d usually advise my customers to plan to replace.
If the appliance was relatively expensive when you first bought it, you should expect it to last about 10 years without too many major issues, assuming it’s been well cared for! If you have a more expensive piece of equipment that needs a major repair, it’s about 5 years old, and is pretty well looked after, then I’d be advising a repair over a replacement.
The most important question you have to ask yourself is, how will repeated or long term breakdowns affect me business!? Sometimes it’s better to spend the money early, get a service or replace a machine, if you thinks it’s getting to that stage and could severely impact your operation if it’s out of action for an extended period of time…
