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They Used To Last 50 Years

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Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#591

Post by IgorPartola »

jimmies wrote: post #355
IgorPartola wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 mo…

I wear leather jackets because I like them. A good leather jacket is better than a shitty faux leather jacket. But for the same price, synthetic probably wins.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#592

Post by fnordfnordfnord »

Johnny_Brahms wrote: post #464
tiatia wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"would gladly pay $3000 for a washer" Miele. https://9to5mac.com/2011/03/07/how-steve-jobs-picks-a-washer...

With risk of sounding like a shill. Miele is the only thing I ever buy. We had an old washing machine that broke after 10 years, so I called a repair man. He came, and looked at it and said: "I have been working for 5 years, and this is the second time I see a broken Miele. They practically never break". It was an easy fix, and the machine ran for another 7 years until lightning killed every electrical thing in the h…

Ours is super quiet. I wish it hadn't cost so much, but I can't say I regret it.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#593

Post by fnordfnordfnord »

cyxxon wrote: post #421
reitanqild wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Miele Seconded: the Miele that my family insisted on buying us for the wedding is well beyond 8 years and we haven't had a single problem. 10 years warranty but rumour have it they might easily last up 20 years although you might have to change parts somewhere between 10 and 20 years. Oh, and I think it cost something less than USD1000.

Disclaimer: I work for Miele, but in the IT department. It is not really a rumor per se, I'd say - the internal idea at Miele is that the stuff should last 15 to 20 years with normal use. So of course it can break after 8 years, everything can, but it shouldn't - that's why Miele sells service certificates (extended manufacturer warranty) for 10 years etc.

The only thing I'm unhappy with about our Miele dishwasher is that I was told if I installed it myself, that Miele wouldn't honor the warranty. We're kind rural, and there's no local Miele dealer. I almost bought another brand instead.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#594

Post by geekifier »

therealmarv wrote: post #452
throwaway729 wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this true? I bought a (new) washer I never understood front-load anyways. Topload fails safe. Front load fails in a giant puddle all over your floor.

In Europe you will find nowhere toploader. We know they are poor engineering: Bad water and electricity efficiency combined with more stress and wear out for the fabrics during washing. Only plus side I can see is that it is faster... but wasting so much resources does not justifies it IMHO.

This is not true. Modern top loaders, such as Samsung High Efficiency top loaders don't waste water like the old mechanical top loaders. They weigh the clothing, adjusting the water levels accordingly. They also don't have agitators, and wear fabrics less than the spinning action of a rotating drum. For a 2nd story laundry, they are a no-brainer, because the spin cycle (which is much faster than an old-school top loader) results in significantly less vibration than a front loader.

Source: owned a front-loader, several cheap "old school" top loaders, and a modern, High Efficiency top loader. The last one, is the best by far.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#595

Post by nkoren »

three14 wrote: post #565
nkoren wrote: post #515

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just wanted to send a note to icantdrive55 of the sibling comment: your comment is dead for some reason. Looking through your history, you seem to have a long track record of making on-topic, non-glib, non-ad-hominem posts, so there's no reason you should be getting downvoted. But almost all of your posts are dead from downvoting (I guess?). Either someone has a vendetta against you, or an algorithm has gone rogue. E…

Note that if you click on the time next to the comment to open the page for the comment, you can click "vouch" and at least help save the individual comment.

Whoah, thanks for the tip!

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#596

Post by masklinn »

kalleboo wrote: post #426
x0x0 wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That 25 year old refrigerator is almost certainly very expensive to operate. Look at the energy use over time: 1990 -> 2015 saw a halving of power usage (1000 kWh/y -> 500 kWh/y) -- over a ten year lifespan with CA electricity at $0.19/kWh, that's $950 in increased energy expenditure as compared to a new refrigerator. ie it would be close to free. http://aceee.org/blog/2014/09/how-your-refrigerator-has-kept... For re…

When I moved in with my wife, we replaced her 10-year old bachelor-sized fridge with a new one that was over 3x bigger and the new one had nearly the exact same power draw...

That makes a lot of sense though, a bigger fridge can have better circuit and insulation and will have a significantly larger "cold inertia".

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#597

Post by masklinn »

c3833174 wrote: post #513
my_username_is_ wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The gelatin covering the board does serve a purpose--it helps with vibration, among other things. It's called a potting compound, and you'll find it around electronic components in other high-vibration applications (automotive, power tools, etc.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potting_(electronics)

Don't know why LG does that when Miele only has a dedicated compartment containing the bare motherboard + service manual in plastic bag

Potting is less expensive than designing an entire suspended/isolated container.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#598

Post by cholantesh »

threepipeproblm wrote: post #564
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…

Right, no one would ever make products intentionally worse as part of creeping modernism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel No one would ever, for economic reasons, plan (or just allow) for the lifespan of their products to decrease. http://resource.co/article/lifetimes-household-appliances-be... Technology is always getting better! The old timers who almost universally report this phenomenon just don't kn…

>Technology is always getting better!

>The old timers who almost universally report this phenomenon just don't know enough arm chair statistics. Delusional, basically.

Most all the links that you've referenced do acknowledge the role of perceived obsolescence, ie, replacement of an appliance before its useful life is up. That, along with selection bias and the absence of solid data from the 50s-70s, are important factors that are unaccounted for. Snark won't change that.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#599

Post by kerouanton »

redsummer wrote: post #493
kerouanton wrote: post #489

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see two objections here. First, it's often more expensive than people can afford. Most relatives I know are "stuck" buying low-grade appliances/furniture just because they can't afford more, and they know they will have to replace it in 4-5 years. Second: fashion/mode/trend. I was surprised to see many people throwing functional appliances, computers and even furniture just because it was outdated, not trending. su…

A legally enforced 10 year rule would be great. Works for 10 years or your money back! I've got a mid-2007 iMac I'm still using. Great build quality. Unfortunately the latest macs seem gimmicky - thin iMacs and touchbar MacBooks etc.

I don't know if it's the case elsewhere, but for example in France there is a law enforcing a 10 year warranty for every building or repair on buildings. https://www.french-property.com/news/build_renovation_france...

Apple aims at planned obsolescence. Those 2007 Macs are still reliable (I have one) but you can't upgrade to the latest OS, so you miss security patches... Same for IOS devices.

Re: They Used To Last 50 Years

#600

Post by mikeash »

orless wrote: post #481
mikeash wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If a manufacturer is confident that their product will last, they can convey this to the buyer by providing a really good warranty.

You can purchase an additional warranty for decent money. Handling repairs is still a huge mess and burden - even if you're not paying for them. I read a couple of "four weeks without refrigerator" horror stories. That they happend on the warranty time did not make them any better. I don't want a good warranty, I want a well working equipment.

A good warranty from the manufacturer is different, since it incentivizes them to make a product they don't have to repair in the first place. Once you're paying for a warranty, that goes out the window.
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