# My microwave oven is 17 years old **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 16, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601 "2003-11-16T22:35:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/1 "2003-11-16T22:35:19Z")
Shortly after I moved into my apartment, my dad bought me a microwave oven as a housewarming gift. Since I’m moving, I put the oven with my boxes of stuff, and I can see the back. It was made in September, 1986. Still works fine, too. 🆒 [sub]How’s _this_ thread for being “mundane and pointless”?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Hot\_Buttered\_Toast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b38774/32.png) [@Hot\_Buttered\_Toast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hot_Buttered_Toast)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/2 "2003-11-16T22:36:18Z")
Um…tell it I said “happy belated birthday”? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/3 "2003-11-16T22:44:38Z")
Yeah that amazes me you even looked for the date. People give our thrift shops ovens a lot: Boss: “Hi, a customer donated this oven” Me: “Does it work?” Boss: “Yes, customer said that it’s just a couple of years old, works great” Me: “Look, on the back it says 1991!” ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/4 "2003-11-16T22:50:55Z")
I think the ones that were made in the 80’s were better, if you don’t mind the fact that it’s HUGE. I got one in 1985 that died quietly in 1999. I’ve been through 2 since then, and the one that died last year tried to take the whole family with it. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/5 "2003-11-16T22:51:42Z")
Some stuff just soldiers on. I got my microwave second hand in 1983. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/6 "2003-11-16T23:11:37Z")
Another early '80’s microwave owner here. Except, it died earlier this year. I had to get a new one. But the new one cooks S-o-o-o much better, faster, etc. Mucho dependable. Waxing nostalgic over a 20-year-old dinosaur is pointless. The new ones are better. How can you object to spending a lot less for something that’s infinitely better at doing what it does? Is is made more poorly? Probably. But that’s life. It ain’t gonna change. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/7 "2003-11-16T23:18:53Z")
My mom’s microwave is 20 years old and still works fine. (The handle to open the door has broken off about a dozen times, but a little superglue always fixes that.) ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/8 "2003-11-16T23:30:09Z")
Johnny, I got my microwave from my parents as a “Congratulations for leaving that \*\*\*\*\*\*\*” Christmas gift - after I left my first husband. Circa mid to late 80’s. Still using it too. 🙂 But _DAMN_, it sure needs cleanin… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/9 "2003-11-16T23:31:42Z")
Whoa! 17 years old? You’re not standing next to it as the food is cooking, I hope! The good news is…you can buy a brand new one for around 1/4 of what you paid for the original. Go to the nearest Target, **Johnny L.A.!** OHHH, look at this one! [http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-7705821-3529753?asin=B00005OTZH&alt\_view=images#images](http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-7705821-3529753?asin=B00005OTZH&alt%5fview=images#images) ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/10 "2003-11-16T23:33:12Z")
I hadn’t realized it, but my microwave is 17 years old too. I bought it when I was very pregnant with my daughter and she’ll be 17 next month. It’s never been to the repair shop and still works just like it’s supposed. It is, as was pointed out above, huge and gawdawful heavy but I can cook a whole meal at once in the damn thing if I had to. ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/11 "2003-11-16T23:57:41Z")
“When I was seventeen, I drank my very first beer. It was a very good beer…” ---
**Author:** ![TheOnlySaneOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/12 "2003-11-17T00:50:13Z")
Congratulations. Your microwave oven is older than I am. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/13 "2003-11-17T01:03:53Z")
Mine is coming up on 20 years, still works fine. They don’t make things like they used to, do they? ---
**Author:** ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/14 "2003-11-17T01:16:09Z")
If you have kids that are able to work the doggone thing then the product life is certainly shorter. The first one we had was 15 years old but once our kids started to use it then it died quickly. The new one is pretty good though and is better is a lot of respects. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/15 "2003-11-17T01:24:30Z")
My husband gave me mine for my 30th birthday - January 1984. It works as well as ever, and it will be going to college with my daughter. I hate to lose it, but it’s too big to take on the boat, and when we build our new house, I want a built-in model. My MIL got the same model a month before I did and she managed to kill it. Mine is a gem! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/16 "2003-11-17T01:48:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Yeah that amazes me you even looked for the date. I took apart my table, so I’m using the computer on the floor. At this level the data tag on the oven is just there. > [@](#): > > Waxing nostalgic over a 20-year-old dinosaur is pointless. The new ones are better. How can you object to spending a lot less for something that’s infinitely better at doing what it does? Is is made more poorly? Probably. But that’s life. It ain’t gonna change. I can’t object to spending less to get something that may or may not work better, but why spend anything at all as long as it’s working? 😃 > [@](#): > > The good news is…you can buy a brand new one for around 1/4 of what you paid for the original. Heh heh. This one cost me nothing! > [@](#): > > If you have kids that are able to work the doggone thing then the product life is certainly shorter. My mom got a Tappan oven when I was 10. It had two dials and three buttons (0-60 seconds, 1-30 minutes, “on”, “off” and “defrost”). I wanted a hard boiled egg, so I filled a cup with water and put the egg in it. When the egg exploded, it cracked the plastic cover on the inner top. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/17 "2003-11-17T03:48:52Z")
This morning I made waffles with my 95 year old waffle iron. My microwave was made in September 1986, so count me in on the 17 year old microwave club. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/18 "2003-11-17T04:15:36Z")
My grandparents had one that they bought in 1975, and donated it to our church a few years back, and they still use it. The bell is broken, but the digital numbers still work. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/19 "2003-11-17T04:21:07Z")
Our microwave dates from about 1985. We are also still using a battery-operated Casio alarm clock that Mr. S bought in 1986. Amazing when I consider how many cheap-ass electric alarm clocks I went through before I met him . . . ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601/20 "2003-11-17T04:34:32Z")
My microwave was purchased in September, 1979. I use it maybe three times a week. I don’t cook with it at all. I heat water for single cups of tea, I reheat cups of tea and I make popcorn. That’s about it. Why replace something that works? > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Muffin_ > **This morning I made waffles with my 95 year old waffle iron.** I made pancakes in a 103 year old cast iron pan. They were delicious, too. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-microwave-oven-is-17-years-old/213601.md?page=2)