It is not just the manufacturer. The large chains in retail have some responsibility in this as well. That same make/model machine you buy at a big national ch

It is not just the manufacturer. The large chains in retail have some responsibility in this as well. That same make/model machine you buy at a big national chain store might very well have cheaper components in it than the same make/model at a small retailer because the chain used its negotiating power to drive down the price-point. Well, at least that is what a repair guy told me years ago.