Fix it or nix it: A broken product can bust your budget

In this flagging economy there's at least one service that's going strong—customer help lines. Calls involving broken appliances and other home gear have increased exponentially as homeowners try to squeeze the last bit of life out of their equipment. The maker of Hoover and Dirt Devil vacuums reports a 20 percent increase in calls and Briggs & Stratton, which makes outdoor power equipment, says call volume has gone up 60 percent, according to the Wall Street Journal. The readers of Consumer Reports told us about the troubles they've had with 53,218 products—turns out some products are more repair-prone than others.

As much as you may want to repair something you own, some products are worth it and some aren't. In general, Consumer Reports recommends that you replace a broken item if the repair will cost more than half the price of a new product. Our readers say that repairs of gas cooktops, built-in refrigerators, digital camcorders and home-theater systems can be frustrating because they take an inordinately long time or cost a lot, or because the item requires further service. Repairs of dryers, electric cooktops and digital cameras have the highest success and satisfaction rates.

This is all to say that you should check our repair-or-replace timelines before embarking on a costly repair that may not fix your problem. Some items last longer than others. If an over-the-range microwave oven becomes balky in three years, you can consider a repair. After that, however, a replacement may be in order. A built-in refrigerator, on the other hand, may be worth repairing well into its eighth year of life. Makes sense given the initial cost.

The Wall Street Journal offers a host of so-it-yourself repair websites. But if you need a replacement, check our Appliance and Home & Garden sections.

—Mary H.J. Farrell