Whether it be electronics, automobiles or medical equipment, the manufacturers should not be able to horde “oem” parts, render your stuff useless if you repair it with aftermarket parts, or hide schematics of their products.
Summary video by Marques Brownlee
Great channel covering and advocating right to repair, Lewis Rossman
Basic blender went bad (motor ran but spindle wasn't rotating). I wanted to disassemble to see if it could be repaired. Three of the four screws were Phillips head. I had to cut the casing open in order to discover why I couldn't unscrew the fourth. It was a slotted spanner.
My vacuum cleaner. You know how the roller brush gets all tangled up with hair and threads and whatnot, and the way you fix that is to remove the roller and cut it all out?
The external screws are torx security bits. The internal screws are Phillips. The only reason is to get someone who isn't persistent to go buy a new vacuum cleaner when their roller gets tangled
I just pull the hair directly off the roller as is. No need to take it out. I clean it often enough that it would take more time to take it off no matter what screws it has. The worst part imo is the internal screws being phillips. Torx (whether "security" versions or not) > Phillips/Flathead.
At this point I think at least a modest tamper kit should be in a household the same way a screwdriver was previously.
Looks like a job for a regular flathead and a grinding wheel.
Thought they might sell these specialty tools online, but 3 minutes of searching came up with nothing. Might be time to get creative.
Do you have the room to get a Dremel in there the cut it so a regular flathead will work?
If not, maybe try to use needle noise pliers as your screwdriver.
As a last resort, pick up a cheap screwdriver and cut it to make it slotted.
Edit: I love how quickly several people have commented with links to the needed tools. Thanks to all of you!
Were you able to fix it?
I destroyed the casing to learn why my Phillips screw driver couldn't grab the screw head.
My library has a lendable "Ultimate Screwdriver Kit" that has every bit size and type I've ever heard of, security Torx, pentalobe, oval, gamebit, spanner, etc etc. Also a bunch of different styles of bit holder, and a bunch of attachments like angle adapters, depth setters, torque limiters, etc. Only tangentially relevant I guess... but if you run into a problem like this again, check your local library to potentially avoid having to buy obscure bits online!
I know I have terrible eyesight, but it seems like I opened blind or dyslexic community. Why only few people noticed
I had to cut the casing open in order to discover why I couldn't unscrew the fourth.
Oh, I have that bit. Its not even the weirdest