Our "new" old microwave!

[dustin92]

Just picked this dinosaur up from a friend for all of $10, it's in really nice condition and works perfectly. It is replacing our 2006 GE that is quite literally falling apart, the coating under the turntable is flaking off and causing it to get caught in the turntable's wheels and rotate unevenly, Slopping liquids out of their containers. Plus it's made an awful noise for the last 5 or so years. Still cooks ok though. So out with the new and in with the old! It works perfectly so far, but it's a heavy beast, Would not want to move it often! It has a date of April 1985 on the back. I haven't even wiped the inside out yet, it's pretty much as found.

 

[supersuds]

An aunt had one just like it. It seemed to be a good machine.

 

[jamiel]

that was my mom's microwave--she redid the kitchen in 1986 so would have been the right age. It was fine, except it would not cook bacon worth a da**. No matter now much paper toweling you used, or what kind of a rack, it would not cook it.

 

[dustin92]

I don't think it was used much, everything looks really clean and shiny, no wear on anything and although I haven't used it to actually heat or cook anything yet, it brought a cup of water to steaming in a minute.

 

[yogitunes]

I know a number of people who got a microwave for what ever reason, and yet, wouldn't use it, or barely at that....

all the more reason for machines like this to last......

I am also a fan of these older machines for their size, most all the new ones today are getting smaller, barely room to fit a plate inside...

nice find!

 

[dustin92]

Pretty much all we use a microwave for is reheating leftovers and coffee, I might occasionally use it to steam frozen vegetables. But I do appreciate the size, our old/new one was a medium size unit, smaller than the 1992 GE spacemaker we have downstairs though. I would have just brought that one up and used it, but although it works fine, the display has gotten very cloudy and dim. Almost impossible to see.

 

[a440]

Sharp made / makes a very good microwave.  I have several in the "convection oven" version of this vintage.  They do hold up very well.

 

 

[tolivac]

There is a Sharp Carousel microwave in the kitchen here at work-been with us here as long as I could remember.It has a card slot at the top of the digital timer dial display.Don't know where the cards are-probably lost years addn years ago.The thing works fine.The display is faded and hard to read-but the oven works.It replaced a newer GE that died a few months ago.Was intered in the site dumpster.

 

[psych101]

Nice to see I'm not the only one who appreciates these old beasts. I have had a few Sharp Carousel microwaves and have always found them very robust and well-made. If you take care of yours it will likely last a while longer yet. Microwaves of this vintage were all very sturdy and it's a shame that quality has gone.

Here's my National (Panasonic) Microwave of the same vintage - mine's a July 1985 make. Despite the enormous cabinet size and internal compartment, it's a mere 650 watt power output - half the power of the modern Panasonic that is my everyday microwave. I got this one for 99 cents from a lovely older couple who were re-doing their kitchen, complete with the instruction manual and cookbook (worth reading for the heinous recipe ideas haha!). The display screen on this one is still nice and bright so I don't think it was used a lot. I have now fully cleaned it inside out, and it sits on top of my refrigerator as a backup microwave. It also doubles as a medicine cabinet when not in use. Visitors always comment on it!

 

[dartman]

We a old Sharp for a while and it worked fine, but like said very low wattage. I think ours was 650 as well and it was slow and could hardly pop pocorn. Even back then in the late 80s early 90s it was pretty weak but that was the kind of ovens I found at garage sales cheap. I replaced it with a newer bigger Emerson that has 800 watts.
Eventually I'll probably get a Panasonic with 1200 watts as they seem well made and powerful with useful features.
Mom gave us her much newer Panasonic that is like 1000 watts but the inside is rusty from them never cleaning it I guess so probably not going to use it. The Emerson is much older 1.4 cubic feet and no rust anywhere.

 

[dustin92]

This one is 700 watts, doesn't seem terribly slow to me, does the job just fine as far as I can tell.

 

[dartman]

Well the extra 50 watts probably makes a big difference and it probably is a better design probably distributes the energy better.
Ours was pretty early but it never failed to work. The Emerson failed once but it was just a cracked solder joint on the main board that killed the magnetron from working, resoldered it and it's worked fine since.