# Stuff that works, stuff that holds up **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 2017, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781 "2017-09-08T04:45:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/21 "2017-09-08T18:09:38Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > 4:20? That is the time my watch shows. Always.😃 It’s funny, because some people notice and smile/nod, but the majority of the folks who see it have no clue. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/22 "2017-09-08T18:32:17Z")
My mother had an electrolux vacuum that lasted well over 30 years. The only reason she stopped using it is the they stopped making the bags for it. The only parts that went on it were the hose and the plug which were both replaced cheaply. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/23 "2017-09-08T18:33:53Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > I have a[S&W Model 15 revolver](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%26_Wesson_Model_15). It’s the weapon that I carried when I was a deputy sheriff back in the 70s. It was worked on by a top-notch gunsmith and has about a three pound pull on double-actions, smooth as glass. Funny youu should mention that. I have 3 Colt handguns in my safe that are each over 100 years old. I still enjoy shooting them occasionally. Especially the Police Positive .22. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/24 "2017-09-08T19:04:02Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I’ve been using my Revereware saucepans for 15 years now. My mother’s been using hers for 45. I got my Revereware sauce pans when I moved into my first house in college in 1990. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/25 "2017-09-08T19:28:19Z")
Hmm…My husband recently commented that we need new saucepans. I have a pair of waterproof Merrill winter boots that I bought in college. So… 15 years ago. I wear them every season and they still look new. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/26 "2017-09-08T19:37:25Z")
My wife bought her Kitchenaid shortly after we married 33 yrs ago. My preferred hand drill is my dad’s old corded craftsman - has to be 60-70 years old. Many modestly-priced garden tools - spades/shovels/dirt rakes - will outlast the original purchaser. My preferred hand trowel is one I case for my mom in HS foundry class in the 70s. Quality furniture (hardgoods) lasts pretty much as long as you wish - so make sure you know what style you like and buy quality. Any number of kitchen tools - candy dishes/colanders/measuring cups/parers - last a lifetime - and end up in estate sales. It can be hard to wear out a quality hat if not terribly abused. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/27 "2017-09-08T19:52:17Z")
Zippo lighters Honda engines Filter Queen vacuums ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/28 "2017-09-08T20:33:48Z")
We’ve got probably half a dozen cast iron skillets that we inherited from either my parents of **Rhiannon8404’s** grandmother, which have got to be 50 years old at least…possibly much more. They are the only skillets we own, and get used on a daily basis. I see no reason they shouldn’t outlast us, and our son as well. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/29 "2017-09-08T21:11:21Z")
I am wearing a wedding ring that is 53 1/2 years old. My wife has one of the same vintage. We still use a Dutch oven that we got as a wedding present. We use constantly a microwave that is 22 years old. We have a Cusinart that is about 40 years old and, while the plastic bowl is showing signs of disintegration, it still works. We bought a replacement recently, but it is not nearly as easy to use. But a lot cheaper. The original was well north of $200 in 1977 dollars. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/30 "2017-09-08T21:37:35Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I have a 2002 Toyota Echo and a 1999 Ford Ranger still both humming along. > > My alarm clock was a cheap, AA battery powered one bought around 1995 and it’s still going. > > I bought my hiking/work boots 35 years ago and they’re still wearable and used. > > Kitchen stool/step ladder. I think my parents got it around the time they married so… over 60 years old > > The desk my computer sits on (and that I’m sitting in front of right now) is 75 years old this year. > > My sewing machines is a 1910 Singer. Still working. > > Have an heirloom book passed down through the family, still in good condition, over 160 years old. > > I have a spinning wheel 175 years old, still working. > > Probably have some more old stuff I’m still using. My family tends to buy decent quality and take care of our stuff. Cool that you have a spinning wheel. Two questions, if I may: 1. Do you still use it? 2. Is there any reason why the spindle needs to be particularly pointy? Pointy enough to, say, prick one’s finger upon… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/31 "2017-09-08T21:46:58Z")
We still use the Hitachi rdce cooker was got as a wadding gift nearly 34 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/32 "2017-09-08T21:51:59Z")
I got the Sears digital clock that is on my nightstand for Christmas around 1975. The microwave in the kitchen (also Sears) dates from around 1984. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/33 "2017-09-08T21:56:09Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > We’ve got probably half a dozen cast iron skillets that we inherited from either my parents of **Rhiannon8404’s** grandmother, which have got to be 50 years old at least…possibly much more. They are the only skillets we own, and get used on a daily basis. > > I see no reason they shouldn’t outlast us, and our son as well. Well, yeah, cast iron skillets. I have my great-great-grandmother’s. I have hemochromatosis so I can’t use it, but my dad used it in college and my parents cooked in it when I was a kid. It’s hard to wear those things out. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/34 "2017-09-08T22:00:23Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I have hemochromatosis so I can’t use it, but my dad used it in college and my parents cooked in it when I was a kid. It’s hard to wear those things out. Sorry to hear that. I have the less severe condition erythrocytosis but the treatments are similar. After nearly 2 years of regular phlebotomies my ferritin levels have dropped to a reasonable level and I don’t have to watch the iron intake anymore. Hope things work out that way for you. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/35 "2017-09-08T23:07:03Z")
Yeah, I have a couple of 85 year old guitars. Small-body Martins. I love the sound and feel of an excellent older guitar. Lasting that long has a stability to it - the line is that it’s had more time to vibrate as a constructed unit. Whatever it is, a great old guitar sounds different that a newer equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/36 "2017-09-08T23:13:37Z")
In 1980, I bought one of those K-mart $10 handtrucks. I had to get a strut welded about 6 months later and have replaced the wheels once, but I’ve beat the living hell out of it for 37 years and it’s still a work-horse. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/37 "2017-09-08T23:47:06Z")
Every day, I use a set of RevereWare pans that I got from Grandma’s sale ~1975. She got them as a gift from her sons, when they came back home after serving in WWII. So they’re approaching 75 years old. There are a couple of pieces added from my mother’s set, new somewhere about 1995 – they aren’t as good as the WWII ones. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/38 "2017-09-08T23:48:14Z")
I received two mugs for my birthday in 1978 that I still use regularly. I have a really nice wool coat that I got when I left California to go to college in Boston in 1981. I had it re-lined, but other than that, it is still beautiful and functional. My toaster oven is looking a little sad lately, and the door handle fell off, but I still use it regularly. I got it in 1985. And of course 14k gold pieces last forever. I still have a ring I bought in Israel in 1978, and my first pair of hoop earrings bought in 1982. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/39 "2017-09-09T01:20:00Z")
I bought a small pair of B&W bookshelf speakers going on 20 years ago, and they sound as good as ever. You can trust me that they have periodically been cranked to un-neighborly levels, too! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781/40 "2017-09-09T01:21:48Z")
My wife and I have an electric floor fan from K-Mart that gets daily use. I bought it in 1976. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-works-stuff-that-holds-up/795781.md?page=3)