Online do-it-yourself kits to repair a cracked iPhone screen can save you a costly visit to a repair service, but there are questions about how complicated the DIY process is.

Consumer Reports tested how tough the repairs are by getting one of its engineers to order a replacement screen repair kit for $64.99 and then watch a 30-minute tutorial video from iCracked.com.

He also recruited people with various skill levels, including complete novices who aren’t comfortable working with electronics, to test out the kit.

Some of the Consumer Reports volunteers breezed through the process, while others regretted the decision.

After dealing with a lot of small parts and fragile pieces, it took most volunteers about an hour and a half to replace the cracked screen. But for the technically challenged, it took much longer.

In the end, Consumer Reports repaired five iPhones using seven replacement screens. One screen was defective and one screen broke in the process.

Consumer Reports says if you’re thinking about replacing an iPhone screen yourself, realize that it can save you some money, but it will probably cost you a fair amount of time and aggravation.

You can buy an insurance policy to cover damage to iPhones or buy Apple’s extended warranty, called AppleCare+. But given the costs and caveats, Consumer Reports thinks neither offers good value.

A better investment might be a phone case that wraps around the edge of your iPhone screen. Cases like that start at about $20.