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They Used To Last 50 Years

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Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#541

Post by Zelmor »

2T1Qka0rEiPr wrote: post #520
expnsv_hdphns wrote: post #512

When I went to the first semester of engineering school at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, there was a class called Engineering Professional Development 160: Introduction to Engineering. One of the early class sessions was a lecture from a guy at a power tool company, making some kind of jigsaw or handheld cutting tool. He explicitly told us, paraphrasing, "You don't want to make your product too reliable, bec…

Whilst this is clearly how no company should aspire to be, it's easy to understand that they want to make a profit, and if you design a "once in a lifetime" product, you'll find yourself out of business within 10 years or so after everyone owns said product. The outcome is planned obsolescence as highlighted in this article. As the article also points out, not only does this damage us economically, it also damages us…

Time to stop thinking about profits and start thinking about sustainable developments.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#542

Post by slim »

gommm wrote: post #540
expnsv_hdphns wrote: post #512

When I went to the first semester of engineering school at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, there was a class called Engineering Professional Development 160: Introduction to Engineering. One of the early class sessions was a lecture from a guy at a power tool company, making some kind of jigsaw or handheld cutting tool. He explicitly told us, paraphrasing, "You don't want to make your product too reliable, bec…

I had a similar experience in a mechanical engineering class, our professor was discussing MTBF (mean time between failure) and how calculating this more accurately allowed companies to better engineer their product for obsolescence. For a company, a product that is too reliable is unprofitable in the long term and so they adjust by making sure that the product works beyond the terms of the warranty but not much more…

Mean Time Between Failures

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#543

Post by IshKebab »

skyisblue wrote: post #524

We've got a 30 year old National microwave that's still going strong, haven't had to service it once.

I also have a very old microwave that is still working perfectly. My theory is that early products are over-engineered because they haven't had time to do cost reduction. In the beginning time-to-market is more important than squeezing every gram of profit out of your manufacturing chain by making parts as thin as possible, using snap fittings instead of screws, optimising for specified lifetimes and so on.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#544

Post by vatotemking »

sddfd wrote: post #507

OK, 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.

Interesting viewpoint. Perhaps we should make recycling profitable for companies. Right now, It probably cost more to recycle vs making a product from scratch.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#545

Post by IshKebab »

ishi wrote: post #474

Here's an idea: build a website that collects reliability statistics about home appliances by maker and model. Let users report when exactly they bought a specific appliance, and how long it lasted without repairs (or following repairs). Such statistics could help users make an informed choice, and also put some pressure on manufacturers to improve the reliability of their products. Or maybe they'll just sue the site…

Basically Which?

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#546

Post by donkeyd »

foobarian wrote: post #242
mrbill wrote: post #174

When we moved into this house 12 years ago, I got the cheapest, simplest, most "mechanical" washer and dryer set that Lowe's offered (I think it's branded GE). Haven't had a single problem other than the light inside the dryer eventually burned out when a housemate left the door open. I know that when one of them eventually fails, it will hopefully be a cheap and simple mechanical fix. I have no desire to own a "majo…

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…

On a Dutch TV show they calculated that it's better to buy a cheaper washer that breaks down sooner. After it breaks you will buy a new one, which is often more efficient, saving you more money. Also, the quelity in washing results is often negligible.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#547

Post by ballenf »

simonbyrne wrote: post #504
rorykoehler wrote: post #378

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

webstaurant.com is awesome for getting restaurant grade stuff at reasonable prices. Pretty incredibly well designed website too in subtle ways. (no affiliation with them, just a fan)

I bought some restaurant grade coffee mugs that are just fantastic. Pretty much impossible to chip and guaranteed.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#548

Post by lsaferite »

skywhopper wrote: post #529

I seriously doubt a real study of appliance reliability over the past 70 years would show that the stuff sold in the 50s is actually more reliable or longer-lasting than the stuff sold today. Sure, you can find appliances that old that still work fine, but you don't see the ones that broke down after a year or two--they were junked decades ago and forgotten about. Since you can't grow the supply of working 50-year-ol…

I think that's what is called survivor bias, no?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#549

Post by frostburg »

gommm wrote: post #540
expnsv_hdphns wrote: post #512

When I went to the first semester of engineering school at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, there was a class called Engineering Professional Development 160: Introduction to Engineering. One of the early class sessions was a lecture from a guy at a power tool company, making some kind of jigsaw or handheld cutting tool. He explicitly told us, paraphrasing, "You don't want to make your product too reliable, bec…

I had a similar experience in a mechanical engineering class, our professor was discussing MTBF (mean time between failure) and how calculating this more accurately allowed companies to better engineer their product for obsolescence. For a company, a product that is too reliable is unprofitable in the long term and so they adjust by making sure that the product works beyond the terms of the warranty but not much more…

Miele did have parts for a 30 years old vacuum cleaner a couple of years ago when I needed them.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#550

Post by dagw »

mrbill wrote: post #200
foxylad wrote: post #189

Earlier 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…

"Has the technique of cooking food with heat, changed drastically since the 70s?"

Convection ovens and steam ovens have become a thing since then. Modern ovens have also become a lot better at keeping a constant temperature.

Also my 'modern' (~8-9 years old) oven gets a lot hotter than my old oven.

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