I have an Amana Radarange microwave from 1979. It works, the lightbulb has never burned out, the only thing that it’s ever needed was a replacement for the glass tray inside which broke when I dropped it into a stainless steel sink. It’s another one of the huge ones, very powerful, no hot or cold spots, I can fit a 9" x 13" pan into it, and it pops a full-sized bag of popcorn in two and a half minutes.
The small television in our kitchen – do TVs count? – is also from 1979, as is the clock radio that lives on my bathroom counter.
I can date all of these things to 1979 because that’s when our house was burglarized. When I moved out on my own the next year, it happened to be shortly after my mother came into a nice chunk of money, so she decided to take the occasion of having a newly “empty nest” as a good reason to redo the whole house. She gave me a bunch of the household stuff that she bought after the burglary and bought all new things for herself. They still work fine, so why not keep and use them?
Additionally, my toaster, waffle iron, mixer and blender are all 24 years old, all received as gifts at my wedding shower. Our clothes washer and dryer (Kenmore) are 24 years old, bought one month after we got married. Our chest freezer is maybe two months younger. This stuff has followed us from Pennsylvania to Tennessee to Arkansas to New York to Pennsylvania to Virginia to New York to Pennsylvania to New York. It’s going to be rough to take when one of them gives up the ghost!
We still have my wife’s pre-college stereo, which must date it to 1980 or so. I am told it still works, although we don’t use it.
We moved so many times for a while there that we both tended to get rid of things rather than move them, and neither one of us is much of a pack rat.
I just remembered I also have a rotary dial phone that AFAIK still works although I haven’t tried it in years. I came by it around 1980 from a relative but it could have been close to 20 years old then. It was originally hard-wired to the wall and I had to modify it to one of the old four prong adapters, then later get another adapter to get it to work with the current phone outlets.
We have a wood stove in our place, installed when the building was built - in the 1920’s. Does that count?
Also a 1910 Singer sewing machines - works like a champ. I did have to replace the drive belt 15 years ago, but other than that mostly original parts.
And I’m not sure if this is considered an appliance today, but when it was new the 150+ year old spinning wheel I own was certainly considered practical household equipment. That, too, is in working order.
The early microwaves must have been well built. I’ve got a GE which was purchased used at an auction in the early 80’s. Still using a Heathkit TV (my third), along with a Lafayette quadrophonic receiver (new in '76), a Dual belt-drive turntable, an Akai reel-to-reel, and a JVC cassette deck (all pre '80). The Oster kitchen center is circa '78 (harvest gold). My Craftsman table saw is mid fifties-a gift from Dad, and there’s an older scroll saw. Dunno if you’d call it an appliance-the Simplicity tractor which my Grandfather bought used, gave to my Dad, and who passed it on to me still runs the snowblower-the parts people give me that ‘you’ve got what model?’ look when I need a part. Lastly, a Hallicrafters SX-42 from the late 1940’s.
We are using a Sears refrigerator that we bought in the early 1960’s. I’d like to replace it but my wife says that the new ones “won’t fit in the space.” Alter the space is my answer.
We had a freezer that we bought at the same time that went up in smoke (figurative) 3 years ago. When we got the new one our electric bill dropped by about 25%. If we got a new refer Southern California Edison would owe us money.
We have a hand operated Singer sewing machine which I dated very accurately. By entering the serial number into the Singer web-site I found it was made in Scotland in 1922. It is still working but now my wife prefers to use her much more modern electric Singer.
My great grandmother’s (I’m 39) waffle iron. It’s so old it has a cloth-wrapped cord. It makes the best waffles ever.
Providing you don’t burn the house down in the process, of course.
Hijack
About Toasters
If anyone ever has a chance to mosey into one of the ten bajillion displays at the Smithsonian Exhibits, there is a rather awesome one of Toasters. The history of Toasters and how we are obsessed with browning our bread. I think the first toasters had more metal in them than my three current vehicles and farm tractor.
But what I wouldn’t give to have a toaster that propelled the bread into the air when it was done.
I sort of collect very old small appliances. The best one is the waffle iron my grandparents got for a wedding present in 1926. Works great! I used to have a working 1906 electric iron, but it was stolen.
Would you believe Singer still makes parts for all models of its machines … including the antique treadle machines? (which is what I have)
I went to a Singer outlet and repair store and asked for one. They pointed me to where the drive belts for treadle machines hung on a wall - right next to the punch cards for several models of some other one of their machines.
They still make treadle machines in fact - sell 'em mostly to southeast Asia and the Amish.
Unlike my spinning wheel, for which I had to make some replacement parts myself.
And as I said above , if you want to know how old your Singer is, just go to their web-site , input the serial number and it will tell you what factory it was made in and the year of manufacture,
A Panasonic VCR we got in 1984. It’s currently in my room, while we have a VCR/DVD player downstairs. I believe the first VHS tape it played was “Mr. Mom”.
Other than that, the oldest appliance I have is a thirteen-year-old clock radio (which isn’t that old anyway).
If I’d been asked this question a week ago, the answer would have been my vacuum cleaner, which is 25 years old. Unfortunately, it decided to retire this week - I plugged it in and the light came on and then faded out and now will not come back on. It’s as dead as a doornail. I could probably have it repaired, but I’ve been looking for an excuse to replace that thing for years! The newer models are so much more lightweight.
I guess the death of the vacuum doesn’t leave many electrical applicances over six years old in the house… I think it’s the last of hand-me-downs to be replaced.
I’m unsure of exactly how old they are, but our refrigerator and stove are harvest gold, which puts them fairly solidly in the mid-to-late seventies. The oven runs 50-75 degrees hot, but that’s the only problem with either of them.
Currently, it’s my crockpot, which is about 10 yrs. old. My previous microwave was a wedding gift. I replaced it after 13 yrs, but it still worked. I inheirited my mom’s electric mixer, which she bought in 1968. It died 3 years ago.
Not an appliance but, I have my grandmother’s rolling pin from 1918. It’s surrvived 2 house fires and my husband putting it in the dishwasher.