Our humidifier started to make loud harsh noises two years ago, and there didn’t seem to be a way of getting at the fan motor. I finally found two screws hidden under plugs, with tamper-proof Torx heads. I was delighted to find a big assortment of tamper-proof bits on sale for $12.00 at the local big box store.
When I got the screws out, I was able to pry up one end of the top, just enough to get my hand in and put a few drops of oil on the end of the fan shaft. That was all it needed. The fan has been quiet since, and I have a set of tamper-proof bits! 
Our Breville coffee grinder had an on-off toggle switch that failed (totally redundant since there is already a start/stop pushbutton). I managed to do some keyhole surgery through the hole where the switch was, and crimped the two leads from the switch together. It has now been working longer in this state than it did in the original. I notice that the more recent version of the same model no longer has the toggle switch.
