Who does USB repairs?

[RetiredGuy1000]

Only results from any marketing I have been doing today were two calls, both inquiring about repairing USB ports. In both instances, the computer was dropped.

Looks like a motherboard soldering job which I don't do. Is soldering something everyone else does on here or do you pass on it as I did?

 

[phaZed]

I do MB soldering repairs like that, pretty much anything non-BGA... but I'm really the only one in my area who does.

 

[Mainstay]

our competitor does... they use hot glue! Guess what happens when the port heats up?

Always wanted to do DC jack repairs but 1) lack of knowledge and skill and 2) liability have made me pass. See much less of these repairs these days anyways.

Wouldn't a $20 USB hub be a more direct and economical solution?

(also, if the unit was dropped, be sure to check HDD health)

 

[Porthos]

Wouldn't a $20 USB hub be a more direct and economical solution?

Exactly

(also, if the unit was dropped, be sure to check HDD health)

Even more important.

 

[RetiredGuy1000]

All USB ports are out. So, there isnt anything to plug a USB hub into. The guy even said 'I saw the YouTube video on what to do...'. lol

Both callers were looking for major surgery and seeing how I hadn't graduated from medical school yet, I passed.

 

[Mainstay]

All USB ports are out.

sounds like there is more going on with that system than just a simple damaged port.

I passed.

you will not regret it.

 

[nerd2u]

The problem with stuff that has been dropped is you may take it in for a usb port repair then the minute they get it back and discover something else that doesn't work they will blame it on you.

If you do take on jobs like this be sure to have verbage in your contract to cover yourself against opening a can of worms

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[Porthos]

The problem with stuff that has been dropped

Or spilled on.

 

[mikeroq]

Always wanted to do DC jack repairs but 1) lack of knowledge and skill and 2) liability have made me pass. See much less of these repairs these days anyways.

We've done some DC jack soldering replacements.

Honestly though it's been years since I've seen a laptop with a DC jack direct on the motherboard. Done tons where it's either on a cable or a little daughter board. EZ PZ.

 

[14049752]

I've done repairs like that in the (increasingly distant) past. LOTS of DC jacks, usb ports, bios chips, and a vga port in one case. I would NEVER accept a repair, where the customer is telling me that's what it needed...I'd do my own diagnosis, check the area for pcb damage, and tell them that it may be possible. If it's dropped, it's almost never just the port itself.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I used to, no longer... Too much risk, too little profit. Powered USB hubs are too cheap, and too easy.

 

[nlinecomputers]

My eyes are too bad for that kind of work anymore.

 

[HCHTech]

My eyes are too bad for that kind of work anymore.

This + the liability issues = I don't even talk about repair of this stuff anymore. Broken USB port = new motherboard. Broken power jack = (hopefully) new daughterboard. I need zoom mode on my phone to read freaking serial numbers anymore, soldering is right out.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@nlinecomputers, @HCHTech, I honestly forget how bad my eyes are most days... but when I need to do some course soldering for say, car audio stuff I'm tinkering with another problem crops up... I may only be 38 but my hands just aren't what they used to be. I'm not sure I can hold a micro-soldering iron on target anymore.

 

[lan101]

My area doesn't have too many people that'd be willing to pay the proper price for anything like that. With as cheap as refurbs are now it doesn't make sense to probably fix a whole lot of pc laptops. Always could be special circumstances but I wouldn't think you could build a business around that now...other than NYC mac repair like Rossman Group. That does well because there's much higher margins to be had when he can knock out a board in 25 minutes and make $300-$400 per repair. Pc laptop repair I'm lucky now to get many residential folks wanting to put in $200. Some days even $150 is a tough sell. Regardless of skill level if the money isn't there it doesn't make sense.

 

[phaZed]

Pc laptop repair I'm lucky now to get many residential folks wanting to put in $200. Some days even $150 is a tough sell. Regardless of skill level if the money isn't there it doesn't make sense.

Agreed, if the money isn't there. May I ask what area? If not a State, perhaps for the region? Midwest, East Coast etc..

Most of my tickets are over $200 and lately with SSD's really popping, I've been regularly hitting $300+ with parts. My area, though.

 

[nerd2u]

I can't solder to save my life.

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[lan101]

Agreed, if the money isn't there. May I ask what area? If not a State, perhaps for the region? Midwest, East Coast etc..

Most of my tickets are over $200 and lately with SSD's really popping, I've been regularly hitting $300+ with parts. My area, though.

Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana areas. I can usually get $200 with ssd installed if I can clone it. If its ssd plus moving data because of a bad hard drive it can be way more depending on the amount of work involved.