I recently donated to charity a Toastmaster electric waffle iron that was a wedding gift to my grandmother in 1934 - still works! I just didn’t have the space for it anymore.
When I bought a larger Kitchen Aid mixer, I gave my old one, which had been my mother’s (ca. 1972), to my best friend. I do think the old one is better built - in those days, Hobart made them for Kitchen Aid, and to the same standards as the commercial mixers. Now someone else makes them and you can tell, it just doesn’t feel as durable.
None of the appliances I have bought myself is older than about 5 years - in fact, in most cases I’m already on the second, and I’m only 34.
My parents’ toaster was a wedding present in 1955. They were given two and used the first one for almost 30 years. When that one died they pulled this one out of the box. It’s not quite what the OP asked, but I think it’s rather amazing. And the really cool thing is that the chrome and black trim styling is way “in” now. They’re hip without trying.
I have in my basement a 1983 model year Sanyo VCR (with a sticker that says “Sanyo: Official electronic products of the 1984 Olympics”). This beauty is a top-loading, wired remote control, 3 day 1 event timer, Beta model.
Not too long ago a brought it up and hooked it up for laughs. Still works! Or at least, it still played some old beta tapes I had. Didn’t try recording anything. Maybe I’ll have to hook it back up and set that 3 day timer.
My mom recently got rid of a still running but larger than a cargo cvan ( ok, not that big) chest freezer that she bought used in 1963ish for $25. It was about 20 years old at that time.
We inherited a Sears Craftsman Garden Tractor that my inlaws bought in 1970. It has a cigerette lighter in the dash, I mean, how cool is that: Smoking atop a bunch of gasoline? Death Wish anyone? It was still running last year when I finally had enough of its slow poke, non grass cutting ways. It was time to pull the plug as the parts for it are obsolete and it spewed smoke no matter how much tinkering Mr. Ujest did to the engine. Pushed to the curb it was, and within a day, one of our odd neighbors - we refer to them as the Cult House - now has it in his driveway. He is probably is waiting on a part…that will never come in.
My uncle has a percolater coffee pot that he has used every day for fifty plus years.
Well, the furnce in my basement has inspection stickers on it dating back to the late '50s, and it may be original to the house, which was built in 1941. Most of my major appliances are fairly old, but they’re new to me as I just bought the place last year. I do still have my mom’s old KitchenAid stand mixer, though, which she bought some time in the late '70s, and it still works just fine.
The toaster my folks got as a wedding present worked well past their 50th anniversary, and only stopped because a toddler toasted a plastic toy in it.
I’ve bought several toasters, and they die in a year or two. Phooey, I won’t buy any more. Too bad manufacturers. Maybe we’ll fix the old Toastmaster, which is stored away.
As to the drier, did you get it looked at? It could be just a belt or something…
My clock radio is at least 30 years old, because I remember my grandfather listening to Reds games on in in the early 70’s. My dryer’s pretty old too, bought it used so I’m not exactly sure how old it is. Both still work great.
Just go to a flea market, or garage/estate sale, and find an oldie, 1950’s toaster, and use that one, dont buy a new one, and no need to fix the old one. A lot of old appliances, if they are not considered “antiques”, are very cheap.
I’m a do-it-yourselfer and some things, like dryers, are easier to fix than you think. You might have dropped a belt or broken one of the rollers that keeps it in place. You have nothing to lose by popping the back off and having a look-see.
I replaced the rollers on my mom’s dryer years ago. It gave me insight on my first purchase. I was ready to buy brand X because of the bells-and-whistles when a sales rep for brand Y spoke up. He pointed out the heavy duty rollers on their machine. Guess which machine I bought?
This post reminded me that I haven’t bought a present for the wedding THIS weekend at which I will be the best man. But now it’s on my radar screen. Hundreds of mindless hours of SDMB surfing finally pay off, and social disaster will be avoided. DaddyTimesTwo, I owe ya one.
What does quid mean in New Zealand, where I’m assuming the OP is from? I thought they use dollars in NZ, now. Do they use the word quid to mean dollars, or did they use to use pounds when the story started 36 years ago?
I had one of those! Actually, I bought mine in the late 70’s.
It ran faithfully for about 25 years. It finally developed a short in the power cord where the cord entered the handle. I figured it had done its time, and rather than replace the cord, I tossed it.
My dad has a lot of old stuff that still works. There’s a Heath Kit stereo system that he built 40 years ago, which is still what we use to play the christmas music when it’s that time of year. It has a real-to-real track (still works) and an 8 track (ditto).
He was one of the last to give up the super 8 camera, only doing so when it became very hard to find film.
Two years ago, at the age of 53, Dad bought his second lawnmower. He’d owned a Toro since he was 20 at the oldest. Of course, old Toro didn’t have any of its original parts when it was buried, so it’s a matter of debate whether it’s the same lawn mower.
Newer stuff, but still rather incredible to me: The Atari 2600, purchased in 1981, still works. So do most of the games. Can’t say as much for the Nintendo (1988 - 1993, RIP).
Got a Maytag washer that’s done 2-3 loads a day for 22 years now. We had to replace the belt once.
I have a Casio calculator watch from 1981 that I finally tossed in the drawer after about 10 years when even new batteries wouldn’t bring the display up. Last year I found it, put another set of batteries in just for yucks, and now I wear it again every day. Got a neat little game on it to play while sitting on the can, too.
My stereo speakers date from the 70’s. Why replace something that sounds great?
Put me in the 1962-era toaster club. Nearly no moving parts, so it can last a while, and the kids like seeing their funny reflections in the chrome sides.
My mom has a 35 year old refrigerator in her basement (Avacado green) Was replace in the Kitchen because the ice maker stopped working 15 years ago. Still chugging along (and replacments have been replaced 3 times)
I have an 18 year old microwave from college that I still use in my office. The light doesn’t work anymore but still runs good.
My hubby has a 32 year old clock radio, slightly melted in its travels, that still works perfectly even if it’s kinda “U” shaped now.
My parents gave me my clock radio as a present for acting in my seventh grade play. that puts it at about 11 years old, and still going strong, thank you.
You got a cite for the above factual assertions (specifically, that companies in “every corner of the manufacturing sector” have decided to not make products as long-lasting as possible because they would somehow profit from this)?
I believe that most economists would say you’re wrong about this (unfortunately popular) notion.