Nobody repairs anything any more. That, at least, is a sentiment you may hear from family or friends. But if Brent Lenz, who has heard it often, is standing nearby when it's said he'll point out that he repairs things.
He's been fixing electrical and electronic appliances, equipment and gizmos since 1977, and has been the proprietor of Brent Lenz Electronics since 1984. In his cubby-hole of a shop, just off Main Street in downtown Long Prairie, Lenz will fix stereos, TVs, radios, heaters, amplifiers, vacuums, sewing machines, CD players, toasters and whatever else uses electricity.
"In a small town you can't specialize," he said.
On this particular day he even has a tube radio and a microfiche reader on his crowded floor. He repaired a 60-year-old waffle iron once.
"It was in pristine condition but the wiring needed to be replaced," he said. The waffles had a special flavor for the owner. A flavor only she could taste.
"It had been a wedding present and the woman's husband was gone," Lenz said.
Lenz has developed a philosophy of repair.
"If you buy something that's cheap and it breaks maybe you should think about repairing it," he said. "Even if the repairs seem a little expensive you may save money. If it's a simple thing like a clothes dryer, you may fix it once or twice and then there won't be much left to repair. After those repairs it may give you years of service. You can kind of get ahead of the repairs. Besides, don't you think we have a responsibility to keep things out of the landfill?"
Lenz keeps shop hours Tuesday through Friday afternoon. The rest of the time he makes house calls. He repairs dryers, washing machines, TV antennas, microwaves, stoves and other appliances too big to bring into his shop.
"When television went digital I shortened my shop hours because I had so many house calls," he said. "It still hasn't slowed down. My customers have been very patient with me. I appreciate that."
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Back Roads: Philosophy of repair
Originally published in the April 30, 2010, print edition.
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