Should you repair or replace your broken appliance?

Consumer Reports lays out the framework for the most common appliance dilemma — fix it or buy new — built around a few simple inputs: the appliance’s age relative to its expected lifespan, the repair cost relative to a new unit (the well-known “50% rule”), and the energy and warranty you’d gain by replacing. Its interactive tool runs those numbers for refrigerators, washers, dishwashers, and more.

The one input the tool can’t supply is the most important: what actually broke, and what the repair will really cost. That’s the number the whole decision hinges on, and it’s exactly what OwnWise gives you. Describe the symptom and your model, and OwnWise identifies the likely fault, estimates a fair repair cost, flags whether it’s DIY or pro, and checks your warranty — turning CR’s framework from a rule of thumb into a decision with real figures.

CR tells you how to weigh it; OwnWise gives you what to put on the scale.