JohnnyK

Sometimes OEM parts are the way to go -that said If I can make it better/stronger/work longer with other better parts I'm all in with that.
So really its a mix.
 

I like to tinker so I always try to reverse engineer anything I use.  Doesn't always turn out well, but I feel like I understand what I'm doing a lot better once I've tinkered with it.  In my head, everything can be fixed and companies do not invent things.  That means anything can be fixed if it's not some kind of structural deficit.
When I tell people that, so many people say yeah you can fix anything yourself but it's not worth the time.  Well I guess that depends on your definition of worth?  If knowledge is worthless then I agree!  In that case ignorance is bliss.  But if you find value in knowledge then any experience repairing or maintaining your equipment is priceless.
So this is sort of in the same vein as last week... If I can see a path, I will take it!

It depends on the piece of equipment and the part. Many manufacturers of pottery equipment; wheels kilns, slab rollers, etc,  use stock parts that are also used in the manufacture of other items, industrial equipment and more.  I agree when it comes to elements. My experience with third party elements over the years has been inconsistent and years ago I decided to only use elements manufactured by the kiln maker. However, fuses, drive belts, bearings, motors, status lights, switches,  insulated wire, switches, electrical connectors, and other parts are often available from other sources.. The key to success is to be sure that the replacement part is either an identical part or a direct replacement. If you aren't confident in your own knowledge, or experience, or that of the source of the replacement part, your only option is  the manufacturer of the equipment that you're repairing.

I like OEM for elements or at least known very high quality elements by others, even when more costly. For proprietary stuff, knobs, handles, etc... probably the manufacture. Grooved bricks, OEM for sure.  For products they don’t produce themselves, relays I can buy equal or in many cases superior. For wire and connectors I will often buy superior because it’s available and I have specific knowledge it is common in other industries. For the simplest of things That are costly for the manufacture to build in all their kilns but simple for me to do a single kiln, say a rusty #8 sheet metal screw, it probably just gets replaced with a #10 stainless.
So I guess to answer your question, both -  always trying to replace with anything reasonably known superior so  hopefully I don’t have to revisit it in the near future.

I guess that I'm the luckiest so far...Alpha Fired Arts in Sacramento is all of about 15 minutes away in traffic. They are a multi-purpose facility that not only carries a good supply of Laguna Clay, but also a great inventory of raw glaze materials and a pretty complete array of glazes from Amaco, Duncan and Coyote. They have a studio equipped with about a dozen Brent wheels as well as a variety of kilns for firing work made by their "tenants". It is where I got my start in ceramics with a "Learning Exchange" class. They have a gallery space where local artists can display their wares and also a "Paint-your-own" space where outsiders can come in and get instruction on painting their own pieces prior to firing...They have a very knowledgeable and helpful staff too!

Just think of the shipping charges you save just on clay!

At this point I am using primarily Amaco's Potters Choice glazes and have been OK with the cost so far. I'm buying gallons of my most used colors and have been pretty happy with the output of my products and the prices I am getting for them. I've also got an inventory of dry ingredients for the glaze formulae I have looked at and some time in the not too distant future will be mixing my own glazes.

At this point I am using primarily Amaco's Potters Choice glazes and have been OK with the cost so far. I'm buying gallons of my most used colors and have been pretty happy with the output of my products and the prices I am getting for them. I've also got an inventory of dry ingredients for the glaze formulae I have looked at and some time in the not too distant future will be mixing my own glazes.

Or skipping life because they are on their phones!
Remote living makes one  look at things and stuff lying around with different eyes

If I can't fix it, the other half usually can.  The only thing he won't play with is the final stages of electricity.  He will rewire plugs, wired up everything in the conservatory when that was built, and got a sparky in to check and connect.  Metal wood is his domain, clay, ceramics and textiles is mine.  We did get  a builder in to convert a bathroom to a shower room, with all new fittings, tiles etc.  But that wasn't coz we couldn't do it.   We decided we could make better use of our time.

Since I joined the USAF back in '68 I was and am the person that people that can't fix it hired to take care of the problem. I found that I had an innate ability to analyze problems and solve them. All of the myriad jobs I had over the decades involved a position that enabled me to use my abilities culminating as a remodeling contractor which spanned 40 years. I'm still asked by friends for solutions to their various problems and if I can talk them through so they can do it themselves, so much the better.
So, to answer the question... I look at the problem, see the outcome, and proceed to fix it!

Since I joined the USAF back in '68 I was and am the person that people that can't fix it hired to take care of the problem. I found that I had an innate ability to analyze problems and solve them. All of the myriad jobs I had over the decades involved a position that enabled me to use my abilities culminating as a remodeling contractor which spanned 40 years. I'm still asked by friends for solutions to their various problems and if I can talk them through so they can do it themselves, so much the better.
So, to answer the question... I look at the problem, see the outcome, and proceed to fix it!

Around the house or for ceramic equipment etc between my husband and myself we don’t ever hire anyone to do anything. It just goes against the grain to think of hiring someone to do work that we can do ourselves. I think it started when we lived in a very remote place where materials had to get either flown or barged in. if you needed something done you either did it yourself or chances were it didn’t get done. Same with making do with what you have, adapting scrap materials whenever possible to repurpose into something else.

To me, if I can understand a system, I can make it whole.  So as someone who is curious and skeptical, I don't accept that things work by magic, or that the way they work is unaccessible to the common person.  Everything can be understood, at least on a general level, which can be used to deduce a possible issue.
So I try to understand and fix everything, even if it's more expensive.

When looking for answers it’s very helpful for all of those who try and help or contribute to a post to have a rough idea of the original poster's experience or knowledge base in regards to their question. 
If a member has been posting here for a while we can get an idea of their experience and try and tailor our replies to reflect what we surmise to be their knowledge / experience level. This is really hard to do with new members or those who post infrequently! 
We all try to be as helpful as possible but the answers can, at times, be more confusing than the questions. Mentioning your experience should get you more relevant answers than us overloading information but we can’t do this without an idea of knowledge / experience.
Including as many details as possible, photos if relevant, and knowledge / experience relevant to the question being asked will hopefully aid everyone is both giving and receiving their questions and comments.
Thank you

One combination of tools is a set of shade brackets mounted on the wall above a desk that I use for a photo station. When not in use as a photo station, I have a large painting on the wall and a wedging platform on the desk,  but when I want to shoot photos, I take down the painting, remove the wedging platform, and install a white window shade that I pull down and use for a seamless background to shoot my pieces. When done with the photography, I roll and remove the shade, hang the painting, and put the rest of the stuff back in place.

One combination of tools is a set of shade brackets mounted on the wall above a desk that I use for a photo station. When not in use as a photo station, I have a large painting on the wall and a wedging platform on the desk,  but when I want to shoot photos, I take down the painting, remove the wedging platform, and install a white window shade that I pull down and use for a seamless background to shoot my pieces. When done with the photography, I roll and remove the shade, hang the painting, and put the rest of the stuff back in place.

Old credit cards! Excellent scrapers inside glaze buckets, I also use for screening. Cut to any shape for custom jigs, shapers and trimmers. Clean off wheel head and clay tables without scratching.

I use the cap from a gallon milk jug when trimming. Just put the bowl upside down on the wheel head and put the milk cap on top and you can push the bowl down with the cap while you trim to steady it.  It's real slippery plastic so it acts as a kind of bearing. 

In the summer I don't spend as much time in the studio as I would like, so I put a very damp tea towel or other towel-rag in my clay bags to keep the clay from drying out. Here's where the mold forms. This time around some of the blue dye in the towel leach out to combine with the mold and left some interesting striations in my extrusions...

How about a large plastic storage tub with lid made into a Damp Box? Mix enough potters plaster to make about a 2" layer in the bottom and after it sets hard, add a cup of water to the tub. (I add about a cup of water every 4 to 6 months and as long as I keep the lid closed, that's all it seems to need to keep things moist.)  I checked mine today and I have a pair of bowls that I threw in 2013 and they are on the damp side of leather hard...too soft to trim. I want to see how long I can keep them there before they start to fall apart. Place the box on a dolly from Harbor Freight and it can be rolled anywhere!

How about a large plastic storage tub with lid made into a Damp Box? Mix enough potters plaster to make about a 2" layer in the bottom and after it sets hard, add a cup of water to the tub. (I add about a cup of water every 4 to 6 months and as long as I keep the lid closed, that's all it seems to need to keep things moist.)  I checked mine today and I have a pair of bowls that I threw in 2013 and they are on the damp side of leather hard...too soft to trim. I want to see how long I can keep them there before they start to fall apart. Place the box on a dolly from Harbor Freight and it can be rolled anywhere!

How about a large plastic storage tub with lid made into a Damp Box? Mix enough potters plaster to make about a 2" layer in the bottom and after it sets hard, add a cup of water to the tub. (I add about a cup of water every 4 to 6 months and as long as I keep the lid closed, that's all it seems to need to keep things moist.)  I checked mine today and I have a pair of bowls that I threw in 2013 and they are on the damp side of leather hard...too soft to trim. I want to see how long I can keep them there before they start to fall apart. Place the box on a dolly from Harbor Freight and it can be rolled anywhere!

How about a large plastic storage tub with lid made into a Damp Box? Mix enough potters plaster to make about a 2" layer in the bottom and after it sets hard, add a cup of water to the tub. (I add about a cup of water every 4 to 6 months and as long as I keep the lid closed, that's all it seems to need to keep things moist.)  I checked mine today and I have a pair of bowls that I threw in 2013 and they are on the damp side of leather hard...too soft to trim. I want to see how long I can keep them there before they start to fall apart. Place the box on a dolly from Harbor Freight and it can be rolled anywhere!

How about a large plastic storage tub with lid made into a Damp Box? Mix enough potters plaster to make about a 2" layer in the bottom and after it sets hard, add a cup of water to the tub. (I add about a cup of water every 4 to 6 months and as long as I keep the lid closed, that's all it seems to need to keep things moist.)  I checked mine today and I have a pair of bowls that I threw in 2013 and they are on the damp side of leather hard...too soft to trim. I want to see how long I can keep them there before they start to fall apart. Place the box on a dolly from Harbor Freight and it can be rolled anywhere!