well presumably that depends upon how often they are used
I very much hope that my used once a week machine lasts an order of magnitude longer than a used every day machine
I hope it to last as long as the kitchen
It isn't just the cost of the machine, but with built in appliances the aggro of getting the old one out and the new one in
Often not worth the paper they are printed on. Free replacement parts but they have to be installed by an approved installer charging a lot more for labour than a local independent service technician.
I can remember washing machines from 25 years ago requiring spares/repairs after a few years. For everyone that has a washing machine that has lasted 20+ years there are probably many more that have replaced the "better engineered" machines of the past on a more regular basis.
My current cheap as chips washing machine used and abused on a regular basis is coming up for its 9th birthday without any replacement parts or repairs.
IME warranties/guarantees have overall been of negative value, primarily resulting in 2 things:
- higher upfront cost
- time wasted when I could get another or fix it myself far easier/quicker/cheaper
From what I've observed it seems most people eagerly throw away electronic devices there's nothing wrong with. Why? They seem to have some quite unrealistic ideas about their longevity & the rate of technological progress. Also some nonsense about keeping up with the joneses & typically cluelesness about quality.
NT
Oh, quite so. I doubt I will ever invoke such a guarantee if the machines suffer a breakdown likely to be costly; it might well prove more economic to buy a new one. But like the machines they replaced, they could last >10 years so any non-minor breakdown after that means they will be junked.
_At best_ it'll last 7 times longer - not the 10 times of an order of magnitude. In practice some faults are linked to age, not usage, and will be unaffected by the use.
Worst case is the one you get with rear disc brakes on lightly used cars
- they rust. Then the rust wears the pads out really quickly.
Andy
Some of the fridges and fridge/freezers taken to our local amenity tip still have ice in the freezer section, so presumably being dumped after a 'kitchen upgrade'. This is silly, there is a 2nd hand white goods shop in Worthing called "scratch'n'dent" who would take it away for nothing.
Yup. The core problems are
- many people throwing goods away for no sensible reason (as well as people doing so for sensible reasons)
- far more goods available than people wanting to buy or even take them for free.
It seems we live in a society of, what would you call it, illusion or delusion?
NT
When I took my CRT TV to the tip the guy who helped me get it out of the car commented that he sees a lot of CRTs. Then was surprised when I told him it was broken...
(Probably not beyond fixing I admit, but it was a scan fault and I'm scared of HT)
Andy
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