A friend of mine has a mid 1960's residential Zinsco panel. I am always trying to talk him into replacing it as I know they are somewhat notorious for burning down houses. He wants to just replace the breakers since that seems to be where the problem is. I think he's crazy and should just do the whole thing. I did a quick search and found that breakers for this panel about $250 a piece, if you can even find them. Is this just how much they cost? Obviously, for that kind of money, you'd just do a new panel. Are there any other points I can make to talk him away from trying throwing more money into a fast sinking ship?

You know the old saying, You can lead a horse to water, but ........

Here's a link to a previous thread that has lots of info and more links to read. If this doesn't convince him, well, you done your best.

Zinsco, and also Zinsco replacement breakers, are readily available.
They are nowhere near 250.00 each.
They run anywhere from 10.00 to 30.00 each for 1-poles, 2-poles and tandems if you buy them from reputable supply houses..
My comments are only on the availability and pricing of them.
I do not know enough about the panels to say whether they cause problems or not.
I can only speak from my own experience. I have worked on probably 30 to 40 Zinsco panels over the last 30 years and have never run into one that has caused any problems.

So, I know these panels are controversial at best... actually, any panel that is 40 years old should probably be replaced in my opinion. But, just for the sake of argument, let's say you could replace all of the breakers for a couple hundered bucks. Is this in anyway a smart move? It seems all of the controversy surrounds the breakers and if they can be replaced, why not do it? Is it just considered false economy to throw a few hundered dollars into this panel?

It's clear to me, from the links provided, that the culprit with these panels is not only the breakers, but the buss bars get scortched. New breakers on bad buss bars isn't gonna help. I guess it all depends on what price you put on your comfort zone. Wonder what a fire would cost?

If I had to choose between replacing all of the breakers with new Zinsco breakers or replacing the whole panel, I would replace the whole panel.
Material wise, it would be cheaper to buy a new panel and breakers in a current brand than to buy all new Zinsco breakers.

Pay heed to what Dora says. These panels are famous for burned bus bars. Not much sense in putting new breakers in. Around here Zinsco`s go for more than a dollar an amp. Home depot and others keep them in locked glass cases similar to what they keep new handguns in

So, what's with the disparity in prices? I looked them up after a Google search at 'circuitbreakersorama.com' or something and they wanted $250 for a breaker... someone earlier in the post said they are $20 - $30... so how much are they?

To what some would consider a fault, I am an advocate of throwing away the old in favor of new... so, with any luck I will talk my buddy into just starting over with a new panel...... but, I am just curious about these replacement breakers. What if you take all the breakers out of an old Zinsco or FPE panel and the buss bars are shinny silver with no sign of past damage? Do you replace the breakers and sleep okay?

Prices will vary depending on where you find them.
Just as with almost anything else, most wholesale houses will usually be the cheapest, hardware stores will be the most expensive.
Here's some sample prices for new breakers:

From :
Breakers Unlimited - Noblesville IN
Eagle Circuit Breaker - Lawrenceville, GA
Electrical Outlet - Arvada, CO

Zinsco
1-poles 14.80
2-poles 33.50
tandems 29.40

UBI replacements
1-poles 11.50
2-poles 23.00
tandems 23.00

From:
Dale Electric Supply - Glens Falls, NY

Zinsco
1-poles 20.50
2-poles 46.35
tandems 40.85

From:
The Breaker Guy - Little Falls, NY

Zinsco
1-poles 9.00
2-poles 18.00
tandems 18.00

UBI replacements
1-poles 7.00
2-poles 14.00
tandems 14.00

From:
Pacific Coast Breaker - McClellan, CA

Zinsco
1-poles 25.00
2-poles 49.00
tandems 45.00

You can also find these in used and reconditioned for lower prices.

Quote:

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Do you replace the breakers and sleep okay?

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That would be up to the individual person.
If the brakes on your car fail, do you replace them or buy a new car?
If your furnace breaks down, do you get it repaired or buy a new furnace?
If lightning hits a large tree in your yard and it falls just missing your house, do you cut down the rest of the large trees in your yard that may fall on your house if they also get hit by lightning?
You need to get all the information you can on the subject and then make your own decision as to what to do.