They Used To Last 50 Years

[kb0nes]

Even IF appliances were made the same way as they were in the 60's I'd wager that they would still be replaced every 10 years or so on average. Appliances today by and large just aren't repaired like they were years ago. The consumer sees an indicator light fail and they wonder what next and they trash the machine preemptively. Add into the mix the idea of new and fresh and a lot more replacements are done needlessly (see also Stainless Steel).

A couple years ago Annette's father has the draft inducer motor in his 6 year old furnace fail. It was going to cost nearly $900 to replace it. He pondered it a while and wondered what would be next to go. Out of fear alone $6000 later a new replacement was installed for that perfectly good furnace. Funny how people fear the possible replacement cost but they will just pay it upfront when the decision is theirs.

 

[launderess]

People chuck relatively new appliances because the cost of repair (parts, labor, etc...) can and often does equal cost or near buying new.

We all have repaired vintage items in our collections, and once that is done the things go back to work.

Old top loading washers could often be repaired and kept running until something major such as a tub rusting through occurred. Commercial Laundromat front loaders past and most now are all built to be not only repaired but in some cases rebuilt. You can find scores of Wascomat/Wascator front loaders from say the 1980's or even 1970's still chugging along. They may have been rebuilt/refurbished but still.

As noted in above posts and in the video above modern appliance design and construction have largely produced machines that while cheaper than in the past, also have a certain planned obsolesce.

Font loading washing machines for domestic use now by and large come with one piece inner/outer tub, bearing and seal assemblies. If something happens to one part the entire thing often must be junked.

 

[frigilux]

In addition to the points made by Phil and Launderess, I think young adults are conditioned to replace their electronics and appliances on something closer to a 4-5 year schedule. A five-year old phone, laptop, tablet or car is considered old technology. To me (with the obvious exception of washers and dishwashers) 4-5 years is only the break-in period. Entirely different mindset.

 

[kb0nes]

cost of repair (parts, labor, etc...)

The sad part is most of my friends and acquaintances don't ever bother to find out the cost, they always seem to assume the worst. Frequently the repair is simple, but they just toss out the machine anyhow because they are afraid to gamble on a service call. Funny that often they are regular lottery and casino players! Apparently they don't want to play a game they may win...

Just recently we had an axis drive failure on a CNC machining center at work. We swapped the drive electronics around and isolated the failure to the Yaskawa drive. The only repair for these is to send them in and pay a ~$900 flat rate fee for the repair. I had to open up the the drive to at least look for a failure. Sure enough a 30 amp fuse in there had just failed from age (the drive is from 1997). I got a replacement fuse for $40, machine runs great now. Moral of the store it it is almost always money ahead to get a diagnosis before replacing something expensive, the repair may be far cheaper.

 

[henene4]

CNC machining

The place I work at now has several 30 year plus old Deckel CNC machines. One of them has a faulty transmisson somewhere, thus only running at 50% max speed. Asked my boss about it: Replacing that transmisson would take close to 70 workhours. So much about old stuff being easy to repair.

 

[kb0nes]

Henrik, that is a problem with mechanical systems, they are complex with lots of expensive and labor intensive parts to swap out. Our two newest CNC machines have no geared transmissions at all, they are entirely speed controlled with a variable frequency drive. The latest CNC machining center has a direct drive spindle too, it is just silent even at 10,000RPM.

Just like with the appliances, the advanced electronics are bringing in higher efficiency, better control, more reliability and simpler easier to repair drivetrains.

 

[henene4]

Going completly off topic here.

We have a big, not even a year old CNC drilling station as well. I think its a Hurco HBMX 80 or such. Hige thing.
Drilled 3 50mm diameter holes through about 600mm of stainless steel today. That thing is even more scarry then some of the old big bolted down Wascomats going into spin...

 

[vacerator]

My neighbor works

for Heller. A German tool company which makes the machines that make CNC machines for manufacturing. They keep spares at a large off site warehouse.

 

[sbond22]

My machinery ignore will show...

... but. Some years ago I found myself visiting a production facility. In the center there was something that to me resembled a submarine conning tower with "bullet proof" windows. I asked the operator next to it what it was. He said that inside it was a computerized lathe that automatically switched tools as they were needed. I asked about the bullet proof windows and he said it was in case something "went wrong." I asked what it was making now and he said " I have no idea".

 

[dartman]

I bought my 28102 Kenmore because it had good reviews, was made by Whirlpool, and is direct drive and appears to be easy to repair, it also saves me a lot on my water bill and is quiet.
I had a early 90s direct drive whirlpool before and it worked great and parts were cheap and easy to replace.
I got tired of 300 buck water bills, it needed another repair, and it was super loud.
Sold it to a rehabber for 30 bucks and so far only problem with the 102 so far has been a penny caught under the impeller.
Was super easy to pull and remove the problem, and my clothes get clean and it holds way more too.
Hope it lasts as long as my old one, but I did repair it a few times and will this one if it breaks.
Had the old one since about 93 and replaced it in 13 with the 102 I got a good deal on.

 

[henene4]

Bullet proof windows on machining equipment

Yes, these are pretty much bullet proof. You all know tge exploding FL drum on european Candy/Hoover washers? If a part isn't properly secured, simmilar thing can and have verry easily happend.

 

[frontloaderfan]

My $0.02

Having recently ventured into the appliance section of the local big box store after a long hiatus in the appliance world and seen what "WhirledPoo" (love that!) is now offering for washing machines, I have to say I was literally shocked at the obviously cheap quality of the VMW machines. The metal is thin and cheap as is the paint. The useless post thingy on the ineffective looking wash plate was nothing short of pathetic, IMO.

Yes, they were only about $300.00 but what is the average consumer going to get out of these machines, other than headaches? Not having actually used one, I can't speak to their actual performance, but judging strictly by first impressions, I'd say these are truly disposable appliances.
I, for one, would never buy one.

 

[qualin]

The race to the bottom has to stop somewhere. When someone else can build a superior product that lasts longer, cleans better but costs more, eventually people will come to their senses and spend the money that they NEED to spend.

We've all grown complacent with cheaply built stuff and buy it because it is cheap. What pisses me off is when I spend a considerable amount of money for something and it still is cheaply built.

I have a Sharp Microwave I bought back in 1998 for my bachelors apartment. I remember spending $200 for it and it was refurb unit. It still is in my kitchen happily humming away when it needs to. In comparison, my workplace has replaced the Panasonic Microwave at least three times in the last ten years I've worked there, with another Panasonic unit.

I once walked into a kitchen supply store and looked at a commercial Amana Microwave. $1700 for a 1200 watt unit, the same as my Sharp Microwave. Well, nobody in their right mind would spend $1700 on a Microwave right?

Well, I'd sooner spend that much on one, then have to buy $200 Panasonics every couple of years because the variable inverter units keep burning out. (Heh, I'm still waiting on my Sharp to burn out.. They don't even sell them in Canada anymore, at least, not standalone models anyway.)