Well, the point is more that cars are run in a very harsh environment but are still very reliable and trouble free (unless you have an Audi/VW :P), and pianos will give you problems even if they're babied. These days, the drivetrain is expected to be trouble-free for 200000 miles *minimum*.

The difference between car maintenance and piano maintenance is this:

Changing oil is really easy, you unscrew the plug, unscrew the filter, pop a new one on, pour new oil, and it's done. Changing say an oxygen sensor is really easy, you buy a new one, get a 6 dollar sensor wrench, unscrew the old one, screw the new one on. Changing tires takes more effort but you can get the place where you bought your tires from to mount them for very little money. Basically, a lot of maintenance stuff is a matter of buying a new part and turning a few bolts, which anyone who's done so much as held a wrench before can do. Don't want to do it yourself? Take it to a shop, not the stealership, and it's not that bad in terms of cost.

For a piano, it's completely different. Everything is entrusted to the technician to the tune of [large sum of money] per hour, on top of part costs, and since things aren't as simple as bolt it on, it tends to take quite a few high dollar hours to get anything done. My piano has had almost 2000 dollars of such "maintenance" already, and the technician pointed out that the hammer bushings are in pretty bad shape and should be replaced, and something else in the action is extremely worn down and should be replaced too.

For a piano, it's completely different. Everything is entrusted to the technician to the tune of [large sum of money] per hour, on top of part costs, and since things aren't as simple as bolt it on, it tends to take quite a few high dollar hours to get anything done. My piano has had almost 2000 dollars of such "maintenance" already, and the technician pointed out that the hammer bushings are in pretty bad shape and should be replaced, and something else in the action is extremely worn down and should be replaced too.

Frankly, I'm surprised that wool, leather, and wood performs as well as it does, but at the same time, the mechanical strength demands on piano action parts are really quite pathetic, and it would make me really happy to see some better material choices.

I guess I am pushing the car comparison a bit far, but my point is that a car is designed to be easily serviced, and the things that are not easily serviced are designed to last far past the useful lifespan of the car. On the other hand, it seems like a piano's action (difficult to service, I liken it to the engine) doesn't just need tuning up, the "bearings" inevitably wear out.

Well, the point is more that cars are run in a very harsh environment but are still very reliable and trouble free (unless you have an Audi/VW :P), and pianos will give you problems even if they're babied. These days, the drivetrain is expected to be trouble-free for 200000 miles *minimum*.

The difference between car maintenance and piano maintenance is this:

Changing oil is really easy, you unscrew the plug, unscrew the filter, pop a new one on, pour new oil, and it's done. Changing say an oxygen sensor is really easy, you buy a new one, get a 6 dollar sensor wrench, unscrew the old one, screw the new one on. Changing tires takes more effort but you can get the place where you bought your tires from to mount them for very little money. Basically, a lot of maintenance stuff is a matter of buying a new part and turning a few bolts, which anyone who's done so much as held a wrench before can do. Don't want to do it yourself? Take it to a shop, not the stealership, and it's not that bad in terms of cost.

For a piano, it's completely different. Everything is entrusted to the technician to the tune of [large sum of money] per hour, on top of part costs, and since things aren't as simple as bolt it on, it tends to take quite a few high dollar hours to get anything done. My piano has had almost 2000 dollars of such "maintenance" already, and the technician pointed out that the hammer bushings are in pretty bad shape and should be replaced, and something else in the action is extremely worn down and should be replaced too.