The failure mode for pre-80s compressors was to continue heating up until the windings short out.
A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
361–370 of 531 posts
Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
#362One of the YouTube channels that I watch from time to time is a guy who is ranting/passionate about technology.
The Antique Toaster that's Better than Yours - https://youtu.be/1OfxlSG6q5Y
and
How to design an actually good toaster with lessons from the 1940's - https://youtu.be/bLk1cjZ4ll0
It's not a fridge... but similar design thoughts. There is a recent video about a fridge...
This goofy fridge has a really clever design. It's also kinda terrible. - https://youtu.be/8PTjPzw9VhY
Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
#363Earlier quoted context omitted.
I get a little tired of repeating this, but there are some good reasons why fridges (and most appliances) are the way they are now: * Strong regulation on energy use by appliances (modern fridges are much, much more efficient than ones from 70 years ago) * Extreme competition from companies all over the world * Consumers who care more about convenience and cost above all else, and reliability basically not at all The…
> Just take a look at modern clothes washer agitators compared to the old ones. Huh? Good modern clothes washers don’t have agitators. Agitators clean well, but they are terrible for clothing. A good modern front loader cleans almost as well and damages your clothing much less in the process.
Last time I looked into it, I saw that the large, conical agitator had been replaced with a sort of agitator-plate that was much smaller.
Part of that is it's also more efficient, iirc.
Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
#364Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've lived with two of these (at home growing up, and later via a roommate) and I hated both of them. The toast slot is too narrow. You can't heat a bagel - well, technically you can force it in there, but it won't come back out with some help from a utensil. They get flakey and you end up bouncing the toast a dozen times to get it to lower. Yes, I know there's an adjustment, but it's finicky and annoying. It's a toa…
I'm pretty sure that the reason they stopped getting made was influx of dramatically cheaper toasters, at a time when the idea of paying top dollar for premium kitchen tools was not very common. I'm also pretty sure that fixing all of your issues would not be hard with a modern re-design. It would just result in a ~$100+ toaster. The crazy thing is is that _there are more expensive toasters than that_, that are basic…
> fixing all of your issues would not be hard with a modern re-design
I'm not so sure. You could probably make the slot wider, but it's still a 100% analog device that operates via heat expansion of metals. The adjustment is going to be finicky. People expect toasters to "just work" without maintenance.
As soon as you add digital electronics to automate the analog adjustment... why bother with the complicated analog part?
The only major advantage this toaster has over a spring/timer device is that the toast (usually, but not always) goes down by itself. Pushing down on a toaster spring just doesn't seem like that much of an inconvenience.
Have you ever owned one of these things? Did you genuinely like it?
Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
#365Earlier quoted context omitted.
I get a little tired of repeating this, but there are some good reasons why fridges (and most appliances) are the way they are now: * Strong regulation on energy use by appliances (modern fridges are much, much more efficient than ones from 70 years ago) * Extreme competition from companies all over the world * Consumers who care more about convenience and cost above all else, and reliability basically not at all The…
> The other problem is really with consumers. All (the vast majority of) consumers care about is convenience, cost, and looks. They want a fridge that has the ice maker and the water dispenser, stainless steel, french double door, etc. They don't care about the reputation of the brand - they just buy the cheapest one that fits those checkboxes. That leads manufacturers to cut cost as much as possible - especially sin…
>why are consumers so cheap
Because consumers have limited time and effort available. I enjoy spending some time getting good products, but even I admit it takes a lot of time and effort to really research and understand what makes a product good. Looking at a multitude of reviews (avoiding the ones that are bought out), looking over recommendations from repair people with many years in the field, looking at online discussion forums for people really interested in X product, etc. Really starting to understand the different parts and pieces, and manufacturing approaches. You need to actually learn how the product works internally to an extent.
It can take weeks of back and forth discussion and research.
Most people have very busy lives with children and work and sports and whatever else. They don't have the time or energy to spend weeks finding the PERFECT refrigerator. They just buy one that works and move on with their lives.
Price is easy. Smaller number better. Don't need to think about that one much.
Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
#366Earlier quoted context omitted.
Without proof of 25 year warranties, I call bullshit. If a seller had a product good enough to offer a 25 year warranty, and they could sell it for 5x cheaper than a product with a 5 year warranty, they would not have stopped selling it, because people would not have stopped buying it.
It's not bullshit, my parents had the same fridge from when I was born until I graduated from college.
The claim was not that your parents’ fridge lasted 25 years, it was that appliances in general lasted 25 years.
If that was true, manufacturers would have been advertising 25, or least 10, 15, 20 year warranties to win customers.
Nobody putting their money where their mouth is is a better signal than anecdotal data.
Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
#367> Thing is, producing crappy, cookie-cutter, uninspired, overpriced junk that falls apart within 5 years (generously speaking) pays more to the shareholders. That's how we got from there to here. This summarizes it quite well for me.
I get a little tired of repeating this, but there are some good reasons why fridges (and most appliances) are the way they are now: * Strong regulation on energy use by appliances (modern fridges are much, much more efficient than ones from 70 years ago) * Extreme competition from companies all over the world * Consumers who care more about convenience and cost above all else, and reliability basically not at all The…
I will second this as I recently went through an interesting road of purchasing a new fridge. I looked for good energy efficiency, a long warranty, replacement parts availability, and nothing else fancy. None of the models from the famous brands (Samsung, LG, etc.) had these; instead, they had internet connectivity, an ice/water dispenser, all sorts of nooks and crannies, and (what is currently quite popular) a low price.
I found a bland-looking Liebherr at a discount (still pricey compared to mentioned brands), and I'm happy for now. It looks like reliability and serviceability are considered a premium these days.
Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
#368Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think freon fridges were inherently mechanically any more reliable than fridges using modern refrigerants. If anything slightly less so all else being equal, I'd have thought.
ALL older appliances were way more reliable than any you can buy today. I'm just old enough that all our appliances are from the 1980s, plus a huge chest freezer from the 60s or 70s bought secondhand on Craigslist for $45. They are simple, reliable, faster, and work better than their modern counterparts. Our refrigerator, bought in 1989, has never had any problem at all. They can be easily fixed, and parts are still…
While old appliances have good features, LG and Samsung have earned a reputation of being bad. Whirlpool and GE still make some good stuff and they still sell parts. The reason you keep the old washer is the new versions legally cannot use as much water, and so they don't clean as well.
Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
#369Earlier quoted context omitted.
What system do you recommend instead?
The shortest answer is "a system with strong pro-consumer regulations where you can't buy people and laws legally and illegally". This idea proved to be a nice one, but unfortunately it includes humans. In a more broader sense, we needs checks and balances. A better version of this idea is a "bigger government", where government not only regulates, but builds the baseline products which pushes other companies to comp…
i think "consumer protection" laws is a good start. "bigger government doesn't quite correlate with "better product".
Re: A fridge from 70 years ago has better features than the fridge I own now
#370Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is there really a correlation between price and durability in appliances?
Yes. It's far from perfect, of course, but there are high-end appliance manufacturers who do make very reliable appliances.
There is a curve. High end appliances don't have enough volume to shake out all the problems and fix them in the next design. Mid range does.