Teardown specialists iFixit have published a new tablet repairability guide that quickly tells you how difficult it’s going to be to mend your broken Android, iOS, or Windows 8 slate. The guide features 18 popular tablets, which have been given a repairability score between one and ten. The higher the score, the easier they are to repair.

Unsurprisingly, Apple’s iPads are some of the hardest tablets to fix, second only to the Microsoft Surface Pro — the only tablet with a score of one. Amazon’s Kindle Fire’s, on the other hand, are relatively easy to repair, as are Dell’s devices.

iFixit explains what each repairability score means, and how it is applied:

A device with a perfect score will be relatively inexpensive to repair because it is easy to disassemble and has a service manual available. Points are docked based on the difficulty of opening the device, the types of fasteners found inside, and the complexity involved in replacing major components. Points are awarded for upgradability, use of non-proprietary tools for servicing, and component modularity.

The Dell XPS 10 is determined the easiest tablet to repair, scoring nine points — more than any other tablet in the list. It’s closely followed by the original Kindle Fire, the Dell Streak, the Motorola Xoom, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 — all of which scored eight points.

At the other end of the list, you’ll find all of Apple’s iPads — apart from the original, which scores six points — which all score two points. The only tablet deemed harder to repair is the Microsoft Surface Pro, which scores just one point. iFixit explains that “tons of adhesive holds everything in place,” and that” opening the device risks shearing the display cables.”

So, if you have butter fingers and your devices are always in for repair, maybe it’s worth consulting iFixit’s repairability guide before picking up your next tablet.

• SourceiFixit