The same thing is true with other categories of stuff. I was surprised to learn a few years ago that 'old' clothes and shoes can last 20 years and in some cases longer.
They Used To Last 50 Years
501–510 of 877 posts
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#502A good rule is just to buy Miele or high-end Bosch. Make sure it's made in Germany and sold in the German market. They have higher standards. I don't know if this is true for ovens, but with other appliances it's a good rule to follow. I can see an opening for Trump here. If he wants the US to be known for high quality, long-lasting products, he could differentiate US products from cheap and crappy Far East stuff. Th…
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Especially when he seems to be removing such rules from auto manufacture.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#503There's a subreddit ( https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/ ) trying to track objects that don't suffer from planned obsolescence. Not a lot of appliances there, though. The article seems very US-centric, and doesn't mention European brands such as Miele, Bosch, Siemens and Jura (coffee machines), all of which are wholly owned and produce high-quality stuff.
Bosch and Siemens (and Neff) are owned by BSH, most of the european brands are also parts of conglomerates and have stratified low/medium/high end. Except for Miele, but who wants to spend 1000 quid on a washer?
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#504Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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.
I go for this strategy for everything from audio equipment to washing machines. Pro gear is still well built.
Works for non electronics as well: restaurant tableware is much better value than the same brand consumer stuff (e.g. Wedgwood), as long you're happy with plain white and buying things in packs of 12.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#505Earlier 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…
"would gladly pay $3000 for a washer" Miele. https://9to5mac.com/2011/03/07/how-steve-jobs-picks-a-washer...
Yep, Miele. Washing ~5 loads/week an a 27 year old machine. Replaced main water valve ~5 years ago (20€ part). Resoldered one relais PCB ~10 years ago (instructions on the internets).
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#506My parents bought me a microwave when I started studying, and I used it for about 22 years until the mechanical knob on the front end came loose. It was a great piece of kit.
I then decided to buy a new one and got a flashy Samsung. It microwaves at best poorly, the food in the center will still be cold by the time the food on the edges of the plate will start to burn you.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#507OK, everyone hates bad quality, I can relate.
But `shortevity` also has advantages: If most of the consumers would not buy new phones every 2 years, innovation cycles would be even slower.
The challenge is to deal with the waste responsibly: Recycle resources and use renewable energy.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#508Earlier quoted context omitted.
Could it be that the lifespan of a appliance is shortened because it his to be more energy-efficient? The old fridges (and car-engines, or antything) were not very economic. A few decades ago getting 10 km per liter of petrol was more or less standard. Now the engine with the same cilinders (1.6 liter for instance) easily get as much as 20 km for the same liter of petrol. The engine is highly optimized by cutting awa…
That is partially true, of course. Energy saving makes devices more complex, thus they have more things that can be broken. However, it is also clear that e.g. control electronics is simply not made to last. E.g. they use the cheapest of electrolytic capacitors, which will leak and break in 5-10 years. Using proper ones might cost 1-2 cents more per device. This also means that old dead TVs and stuff may often be rep…
That is very true. We have a vehicle that is now.....13 years old from new, 300k miles on the clock, and it runs perfectly fine. The wishbones need replacing every 4 years or so, and we had to replace the compressor once. But other than that, no mechanical problems as such - and it's a hugely complicated car, with a massive V8 engine, adjustible suspension, automatic all terrain control, 3-zone AC etc etc. All of it works(ok, the CD drive doesn't, but I don't recall the last time I wanted to use a CD). I think I replaced the bulbs twice, as the Bi-Xenon bulbs last around 5 years of daily use(and over here you have to have lights on 24/7).
And then I remember my dad telling me that if you bought a new car in the 70s, if it wasn't a Merc, the best thing you could possibly do was to take it into a garage and get all hoses checked, bearings greased, nuts tightened, and then maybe you would have a trouble-free car for a year or two.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#509A good rule is just to buy Miele or high-end Bosch. Make sure it's made in Germany and sold in the German market. They have higher standards. I don't know if this is true for ovens, but with other appliances it's a good rule to follow. I can see an opening for Trump here. If he wants the US to be known for high quality, long-lasting products, he could differentiate US products from cheap and crappy Far East stuff. Th…
It's all talk. This is why you should never ask someone "would you buy this?" When you're demoing your startup idea. Everyone will say yes. Say "I'll sell this to you for twenty bucks." And see the different song.
Like all the people who chat shit about not having account support for their Google account. Tell them to get Google Apps and they all go quiet.
Except for that one guy who complained about Google Search limiting. Which is reasonable.
Almost anything is available for a price. None of you want to hear it, though.
Ten thousand blogposts about how you like quality won't work so long as your revealed preferences are different.
Re: They Used To Last 50 Years
#510Oldest fridge, 1928 GE - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2357737/Oldest-known...
Longest mileage, 1966 Volvo P1800 - http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/g121/million-mile-club-...
I'm sure there are lots of other examples. Simple, mechanical, solidly built. No gimmicks.