Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
So? Anybody with a decent machine shop can build their own electric motor, but not many people bother.
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For most (but not all) mass-produced goods, the economies of scale make it more expensive for an individual to make the product from scratch in small quantities.
For example, I can buy a common 12v to 120v inverter for less than what I would spend on parts making one. But less common inverters including those that accept something other than 12v, output something other than 120v, and/or have grid tie capability would often be cheaper to build than buy. (That is especially true of grid tie inverters.)