From: "Michael A. Terrell" 
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking misc.consumers.frugal-living sci.electronics.repair alt.home.repair misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Planned Obselescence....A Good Thing?
Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 20:21:33 GMT

Rick Brandt wrote:
> 
> Ecnerwal wrote:
> > In article ,
> > "Rick Brandt"  wrote:
> >
> > > This raises an apparent contradiction.
> >
> > Perhaps you've not been adequately involved with your appliances to
> > see that there is not a contradiction, even "apparently".
> >
> > The old ones were, for the most part, designed to be repairable. "This
> > part always breaks eventually, we'll isolate it and make it easy to
> > replace".
> >
> > The new ones are, for the most part, designed NOT to be repairable,
> > and/or parts prices/availability are manipulated to render them
> > effectively non-economic to repair. [snip]
> 
> What you say speaks to the issue of why did we repair in the past and why don't
> we repair now, but it says nothing about the comparable reliability.  If
> appliances in the past were "built to be repaired" that can be interpretted to
> mean that failures were expected.  If failures were expected and people could
> make a living performing those repairs then that suggests that the appliances
> were not that reliable.


   Yes, my mother used her first clothes dryer for over 30 years.  We
replaced the belt three times.  A new dryer might last five years,
total.  The washer lasted 18 years before the hard water ruined it, and
it had a timer replaced when it was 12 years Old.  You think that the
new designs are an improvement? :(


-- 
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida