And that's why I bought few years used Miele washer instead of new AEG. Just works, reliably. And it weighs around 90 kg :).
They Used To Last 50 Years
351–360 of 877 posts
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#352Can't resist: my parents bought a KitchenAid dishwasher in 1970. It still operates to this day (45 years). For a fun read, find the Smithsonian magazine article about the inventor of the dishwasher. Incredible.
I like my Bosch dishwasher, even if I think it has only five more years max.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#353I've worked on hundreds of domestic appliances. Newer ones from any manufacturer are indeed failing more often, and are designed worse. The only explanation is that this is on purpose - just like cars or laptops or smartphones, they are designed to fail faster so you buy new ones. Planned obsolescence, plain and simple. The best appliances today, by the way, are made by Bosch/Siemens and Miele. None of the other manu…
High end Bosch is now manufactured in Turkey as well :/.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#354Earlier quoted context omitted.
Microwave ovens are another classic. We got ours 25 years ago, and it's still going strong. In fact several people who know about appliances have warned us never to ditch it - apparently the magnetron tubes for all modern microwave ovens burn out in a couple of years.
When we moved into this house, the wife made noises about replacing the "ancient" oven [0]. I asked "Has the technique of cooking food with heat, changed drastically since the 70s?" We left it in. When I went to college in 1993, I was given my grandmother's original Amana RadarRange microwave from 1968 or so, the model with the two dials and the "done" buzzer that wouldn't stop until you hit a button [1]. It was huge…
well ... your wife refers to the oven (baking) and you respond to cooking. while I would still agree and keep the old oven, I have to say it does make a difference. modern ovens are much more easily regulated to and kept at specific temperatures. to give one example.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#355Earlier quoted context omitted.
"The only explanation..."? What about "never attribute to malice..." and Occam's Razor. I think a more likely explanation is that in the majority of cases when shopping for an appliance and your choices are a $1500 one and a $2000 one, you buy the cheaper one. This forces manufacturers to compete on price, and to cut costs wherever possible to remain profitable. Additionally, I just spent 30 seconds googling and a wa…
Came here to say the same thing. I am always skeptical when people use the phrase "they don't make them like they used to" because the reason they used to make them like that is either (a) they had to hand make them and it wa super expensive, (b) they didn't have cheaper materials so they used thick and strong stuff just so it wouldn't fall apart before being delivered, (c) they didn't have the infrastructure to repa…
>jackets
I used to buy a nice looking faux-leather jacket from Zara three years ago. The faux leather layer started discoloring making it look like shit after a year and completely peeling off after a year. Worst shit ever. I learned that I have very little need for fancy clothes, and I don't care about styles. But I learned to buy leather jackets after that. A good (not nice) leather jacket is very much worth the money I paid for. Same for shoes, shoes that are built to last are very valuable to me.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#356Which startups are working on this problem? Just in Amsterdam, I know of two [1], so undoubtly there are more out there? [1] https://www.bundles.nl/ and https://www.peerby.com/
I think but owning a washing machine can be indeed a good approach.
The other one is knowing which appliances you have and how long they last.
With smart power outlets the aggregated data across many households comes available. That means that consumer protection programs get a lot of ammunition to hold manufacturers accoutable.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#357It looks like there is no other solution than to criminalize planned obsolescence.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#358It 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.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#359Earlier quoted context omitted.
"The only explanation..."? What about "never attribute to malice..." and Occam's Razor. I think a more likely explanation is that in the majority of cases when shopping for an appliance and your choices are a $1500 one and a $2000 one, you buy the cheaper one. This forces manufacturers to compete on price, and to cut costs wherever possible to remain profitable. Additionally, I just spent 30 seconds googling and a wa…
If I can buy $500 ones that last 10 years I will be better off than buying 1 for $4500 that lasts 50. Although the planet wont be
Having to worry about safety (electric shocks, leaks, fires, short circuiting) when something breaks, hauling big heavy appliances in and out of the house, selecting new ones,... those are costs you have to factor in when choosing to go with the shit that doesn't last. I'd prefer having the stuff that lasts longer for a little bit more money if I had a choice.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#360Earlier quoted context omitted.
My problem with the current market is that it's next to impossible to determine the quality of a machine. I would gladly pay $3000 for a washer if I could somehow tell that it will be better built, with higher quality metals, inner parts, and overall longer lasting. But it seems that the extra money these days just buys more flashy bells and whistles that just increase the chance of failure. Sadly my strategy has bee…
> I would gladly pay $3000 for a washer if I could somehow tell that it will be better built Perhaps you should check out commercial washers. The kind that you find in laundromats are designed to take a lot more punishment than the residential ones.
And they're designed for repair and maintenance too, since commercial operations care about total cost, not just up front cost.
The same goes for ranges, ovens, refrigerators, microwaves, you name it.