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Nobody's building stuff that lasts these days. Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Tue, 13 May 2008 09:11:53 In Reply to: Saabnet gets another hit! And quicker obsolesence., EricG, Tue, 13 May 2008 08:03:29 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
That's just life. My old washer ate it's transmission after about 15 years. I dropped in a new one ($75, late '90s). I took the old one apart - all metal. I eventually replaced both the washer and dryer.
The tranny on the new washer died after about 6 years. I dropped in a new one ($165, last year) and took the old one apart. All plastic gears, so stripped gears are no surprise.
No, the equipment is built cheaper these days. But we're getting more performance (features) for about the same money. Given inflation, that means the stuff is actually cheaper. No way to make it cheaper than to, well, make it cheaper.
Everybody wants really reliable stuff, but few want to pay for it. So a company that made really reliable washing machines and charged extra for it would not sell very many. Yes, you and I may want one, but 95% of the world buys stuff based on (1) how shiny it is, and (2) how cheap. And it takes 20 years to prove something will last 20 years. So although we decry throw-away stuff, that's how business works. Sigh.
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