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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2010 2:12:14 GMT
I had to borrow a vacuum cleaner from a friend/neighbor today (my piece of crap supposed state of the art one finally died..) and she has this 1950's Electrolux brand cannister style vacuum cleaner that ,pardon the expression,really sucks. It doesn't make a lot of noise at all,and it is so efficient,it got me thinking about how cheaply made,junky plastic pieces of crap that they sell
just can't compare!! The same goes for older model irons,the newer ones aren't nearly as efficient as the ones made now. I run across this often these days and given our superior age of technology,things just aren't built to last (on purpose I know).
I have to take a picture of this thing before I return it. It is so classic looking '50's too!
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Post by fumobici on Jul 7, 2010 2:26:01 GMT
Simple economics dictate cheesy crap pushing quality manufacturing out of the marketplace except in niche markets. Build quality is inherently expensive and the same money per unit spent on marketing/brand building and "features" will yield higher per unit profits. In many cases now entire product sectors where manufacturing has been off-shored to low labor cost developing countries and tax havens, the option of high quality manufacturing simply doesn't exist even if it were a priority. Cynics might even point out that well made products that last decades will inevitably cut into the demand side as well.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2010 2:33:44 GMT
Which is why put in parenthesis ,"(on purpose I know)".  |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 7, 2010 3:34:54 GMT
When we built our house @1995, we installed a Jenn-Air stove. It was identical to the one my sister had in her house, except that my sister's was at least 15 years old and so much better made than mine.
Right now I hold my mouth just right every time I use my two-tub, free-standing washing machine. It's about 12 years old & repairmen tell me the new ones are garbage compared to this little workhorse.
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Post by fumobici on Jul 7, 2010 4:56:44 GMT
A 20 year old Maytag washing machine that hasn't been abused will perform the same and have a longer projected service life ahead of it than a new one. True. But people want new with shiny paint and cool LEDs, touchscreens, paper thin stainless steel fascias etc. more than they want actual functional quality. The same could be said of many appliances, the fashion appeal outweighs all else.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 7, 2010 6:14:42 GMT
Well, in fairness, sometimes they have no choice. Young people buying their first big appliances or old people whose well-cared for, decades-old appliances finally bite it pretty much have to go to the store and take what's there. The kids might not see the difference, but the older people know that "they don't make 'em like they used to".
I will say that even people who should know better are dope fiends for water-&-ice-in-the-door fridges.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2010 6:48:38 GMT
As attached as we are to the old appliances, they are certainly not energy efficient.
Meanwhile, I certainly would not refuse an ice maker in my refrigerator, but I would have absolutely no use for a water fountain.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2010 10:34:40 GMT
I am still kicking myself for my husband and I being too lazy to have taken the stove out of my mother in laws house right before we sold the house. It was an old O'Keeffe and Merritt gas stove. It weighed a ton and there were stairs involved etc. I'm quite happy with my Chambers 1940's gas stove but,this one was bigger (oven size especially). Anyway,here's the 1950's Electrolux vacuum cleaner that really sucks. My friend told me that there's a gentleman out in Metairie that repairs/refurbishes these older models and often has ones for sale. I am definitely going to pay him a visit. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2010 10:42:46 GMT
When there is a Chinese neighborhood, you can often get things fixed even when the proper spare parts are not available.
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