I've always liked the idea of DIY, and am inclined to so when possible. However I've had quiet a few that ended up with a final cost within 20% of just going out and buying it which usually bums me out.
For example I'm pricing out DIY stirplate with parts from radio shack bare minimum I"m looking at about $25 bucks include tax. That's assuming I can scrounge up the extra wire and wall wort I need. If I have to buy 2 spools of wire cost would go to about $30. (I have tons of PC fans and dead hard drives lying about)
By comparison I could simply order a pre-made stirplate from Stir Starters: Yeast stir plate for the home brewer for $42 shipped.
So if I do the DIY right and don't screw anything up at best I'm looking at a 40% savings off retail, not counting my time. That's usually a good enough breaking point to go the DIY route for me
This lead me to wonder what everyone's breakeven point is on when they decide to head down the DIY path vs just buying it off the shelf (and getting a warranty).
For example I'm pricing out DIY stirplate with parts from radio shack bare minimum I"m looking at about $25 bucks include tax. That's assuming I can scrounge up the extra wire and wall wort I need. If I have to buy 2 spools of wire cost would go to about $30. (I have tons of PC fans and dead hard drives lying about)
By comparison I could simply order a pre-made stirplate from Stir Starters: Yeast stir plate for the home brewer for $42 shipped.
So if I do the DIY right and don't screw anything up at best I'm looking at a 40% savings off retail, not counting my time. That's usually a good enough breaking point to go the DIY route for me
This lead me to wonder what everyone's breakeven point is on when they decide to head down the DIY path vs just buying it off the shelf (and getting a warranty).