First the dishwasher, now the microwave… (2025 Update)

That’s certainly my thinking.

Bugger.

Well I kinda know that but I was wondering whether a component like the magnetron might have been used unaltered for enough years to be available. I’ll have a peek under the cover an look for a part number. I do accept that it’s unlikely to be available.

My machine has the full circuit diagram stuck to the inside of the cover.

Thanks for your feedback Paul, I was kinda hoping that I’d get at least one sensible reply. ;-)

Tim

If you are so minded, the GTi model from the same range may be a source of parts for the old one - you could do a complete transplant of the HV section, assuming the parts are the same. It sounds like the digital front panel is just mains-side - ie the timer just switches the mains to the HV transformer, and it doesn't make a difference whether that timer is digital or analogue, the HV circuit is maybe the same?

Although whether it's worth doing that, given the HV and RF risks, is another question.

Theo

The cracking sound suggests that the HT is still working, so chances are the filament on the magnetron has failed. The things usually have an quoted life of 2000 hours - but that is at the point where they have lost 20% or more output, not complete failure. So it is not uncommon for them to run for significantly longer times but with falling output power.

We replaced our original MW last year - it was 30 years old and still worked - but cooking times were getting noticeably longer.

I spent a bit more for a semi pro one. Power setting, timer knob and a ping. Stainless steel easy clean

My National is now quite literally 50 years old and is still going fine and doesnt take any longer than it used to and has been used virtually every single day in that time. I don't use it to boil a mug of water for tea or coffee tho, most days just to cook the frozen peas and beans and corn and before I got the digital air fryers, a single potato in its jacket.

That's not a bad plan. You also get more power than a domestic one, so it cooks quicker (one thing I noticed when moving from a 700W to a 900W).

It seems like once you go beyond £30 Asda clockwork specials, you get a fancier control panel with a ton of features that nobody uses. At least the pro manufacturers know they will never use them and don't bother.

(it seems like Buffalo = Samsung here)

Theo

The small £50 microwave I bought from Argos a few days ago has both of those. Has settings on the power level and time rotating knobs for defrosting.

I still make of the use their facilities frequently to set a delayed start on the microwave and a programme of different cooking times and different power levels. E.g. I can put veg in the microwave, main in a conventional oven, and come back when both are ready. Naturally no commercial kitchen will cook like that but I don't see why I should be chained in the kitchen like a galley slave :)

And rice cooked by absorption works much better when you can have two different stages, first on full power to get the water boiling and then the second phase on med-low power.

And I would prefer both appliances to be app controlled so you can have a set of canned meal recipies with your own name and picture and just tap that to do all that needs to be done for a particular meal and just tell you when its all ready to plate and eat. Appliances should be my slaves.

I got similar in tesco, but it was small

Digital timers are also good for precision. For instance, I occasionally buy some dough-balls with a garlic butter dip. I know that exactly 12 seconds will leave the dip just right. 11 seconds or 13 seconds and it is slightly too solid or slightly too liquid.

I have a talking microwave that needs repairing, but its only half the age of that one and spares are no longer made, so if its an ordinary part, then these may be repairable, but though its a shame, it does seem that if its a part made only for that model, you are stuffed. In the case of mine I think its the low voltage psu inside, but your fault could be part of the ladder of rectifiers used to power the Magnetron, then you need to decide what blew them, if it was just a mains spike, then it might be worth fixing. You could be lucky and find its the relay of course. I think it would be a labour of love though unless price is no object, most things can be fixed up to work, I've never seen a Magnetron fault, they generally just get less efficient with age. Brian

Spot on. My 1980s oven allowed that. Sadly the Panasonic that replaced it only allows 10 second chunks. I've had to adapt by setting e.g. 10 seconds at 1000W then 10 seconds at 250W. As with most things though, needs a lot more button presses :(

We've got exactly the same model, it's practically a family heirloom. Belonged to my wife's late grandmother. It stopped working in the late 1990s and we had it repaired straight away, repair cost about £40. Same symptoms as yours, I think that it needed a new magnetron. It's been working fine ever since although in 2007 we upgraded to a combi with grill and convection. We're now on our third combi microwave, each combi has stopped working due to a failed magnetron. Cheap combis weren't worth fixing when second hand replacements were available for less than the price of a new magnetron - and what's the point in repairing something that didn't last long in the first place? It'll just break again. The Toshiba ER 672-ET is a different matter, it's clearly well engineered and built to last. Back in the late 1990s the repairer said it probably wasn't economic to repair! We've lent it to friends and relatives since we bought the combi in 2007, it always comes back to us when they move house/fit a new kitchen etc. It's led a hard life, been moved multiple times, something that is often the death knell of consumer appliances. Our most recent combi broke the other day so we're back with the Toshiba ER 672-ET. We'll get another combi because they're great for doing pizzas and baked potatoes but we're hanging on to the Toshiba and we'll pay to get it fixed if it ever goes wrong again. That £40 repair that the repairer said wasn't worthwhile has turned out to be an absolute bargain. So in conclusion, yes, it is worth it. Parts are available second have on ebay and amazon etc.

If you've ever fancied a spot-welder, that weighty transformer could be repurposed.

(reply tagged on here because I can't see the full thread on Eternal September)

I'd certainly endorse looking at getting it fixed. If as has been suggested it's the magnetron heater then it could be a no-go but there are other possibilities IMO. There are several big fuses on the main board of my Sanyo and one of them died so much of the rest of the machine kept on working. Why did it die? Well, it was forty years old and had just grown tired of life, I guess. It's replacement has soldiered on without any problem. There's a degree of vibration in the system so I wouldn't dismiss a possible fatigue fracture of a joint or a wire somewhere. That somewhere is IMO in a low tension circuit otherwise an HT fracture would almost certainly be arcing and you'd know about it.

It's worth having a poke around - but as others have said, for goodness sake make sure everything is completely discharged first!

Nick

Tim.

I have one of these with a broken handle. My mother in law is looking to scrap it! Everything else works fine.

Get if you want it for free. Based near Wigan. Would be cool to see it used forever. She got it as a wedding gift in 1983!

If you reply on here I think I can pass you my email somehow.

No need but thanks. Having dragged it out for a repair man to have a look at it, it spontaneously healed itself and is soldiering on magnificently.

Incidentally, I found that searching for a magnetron based on the model number printed on it, I found a compatible replacement so when the magnetron *does* die, I should be able to replace it.

Tim