It seems things are cheaper now but also cheaply made, am I paraniod?

[NN]

I always wondered why I run into people who have some machine or
electronics that seem to last forever. What was worst that I never had
a story like that nor could I find a particular brand to buy and have a
story one day. I now figured it out to be a "catch 22" situation.
The things that last so long were bought during a period where they
were build to last (mostly US made) and now they are using wrong parts
because it is cheaper to make (China stuff). For example I bought a
Colman home electric pressure washer made in usa which last a while.
The most expensive part was the continuos duty brush-less motor. I
picked up one made in China that lasted two weeks and another for two
months (They both started smoking and quickly lost power and died).
It was half the price and I found out why. They had substituted the
lot cheaper high speed intermittent use motors ( brushes, or the same
moter in vacuum cleaners). There are so many things they switch out to
save money. Am I paranoid or this is really a peek at the future?

 

[NN]

The old story - you get what you pay for, still holds up!

Examples:

For 15 years ago I bought A Philips "el-saver" light bulb,
you know...those new "fluorescent" tungsten-lamp-replacement-bulbs
that uses neon tubes rather than those tungsten lamps.

This one still works, and I've used it everywhere. Cost me
a pretty penny back then. They used to cost about 30 dollars
just for the "bulb" but for 15 years (and still going strong)
this is a bargain.

People don't understand "quality" today - they only understand
"price - what does it cost today?" nevermind if it works only
a year...just so they get it "half-price!"

Same with video (although most use DVD-recorders today)
I used to pay 1200-2000 dollars for a nice home S-VHS recorder
(usually from some fancy brand like Panasonic) - worked for 10-12
years easy..

Today? Purchased some crappy 200-300 dollar S-vhs recorder from JVC
that looks like a re-born ghetto blaster (more ghetto than blaster)
plastic-form-factor-all-in-one-idiot-design....last 1-2 year and
gets worn out.

Piece of JUNK!

Of course - there are exceptions -
I bought a UNITED DVD player that can
literally take ANY format and ANY region.
Cost me 60 bucks or so...lasted over 4 years...and is
still going strong, so there are no rules without
exceptions.

But yeah - the old rule still goes...you really
DO get what you pay for. Don't ever get fooled into
believing anything else.

MaxWell McHamster - yours in technology as always.

Relying on name brands is no longer a good guide because as you said,
they are cheap models also.

another example is these new lighters that have a blue flame (sorta
like a little torch). I bought one many years ago and used it for a
year, lost it and found it a year later in the dirt and used it another
two years. Now they last a month at best. I looked for the
difference and the good one was made in Japan while the junk was made
in china. There was one major part that was different, while the
Japanese one use all brass for the burner assembly with filters at two
points, the chinese ones use a
non metal flexible tube and a screen.

 

[L.]

Relying on name brands is no longer a good guide because as you said,
they are cheap models also.

another example is these new lighters that have a blue flame (sorta
like a little torch). I bought one many years ago and used it for a
year, lost it and found it a year later in the dirt and used it another
two years. Now they last a month at best. I looked for the
difference and the good one was made in Japan while the junk was made
in china. There was one major part that was different, while the
Japanese one use all brass for the burner assembly with filters at two
points, the chinese ones use a
non metal flexible tube and a screen.

My parents bought a dryer back in the late 60s. It was "only" a 120 volt
dryer but it does the job quite well. It has had to have 3 belts replaced
since bought - one due to the lid bracket coming loose and cutting it. The
pulley was also replaced as well as the pig tail (thanks to a bad outlet). A
total of say $40 in parts. They paid about $100 for it then. It STILL works
like new. Oh yeah, they didn't have much money - bought it on a "Scratch and
Dent" sale.......... They sure got their monies worth. You "might" think the
electric bill is higher - but the total bill complete with the dryer used 2
days a week and TVs on all night - not to mention many other uses of
electric - $38 per month. The clothes get dried in "A" cycle with no
problem.

Our Fire Station bought a $5300 or so dollar Big Screen Tv. Within the first
month, it had to be repaired. DO YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR? NOT ALWAYS. Lets
go another route....... Air Jordan Tennis Shoes. They go roughly $70 a pair.
I can buy 7 pairs of cheap shoes for that price, and get almost as much wear
out of one pair as one pair of the Air Jordans. NAME is NOT always
"Everything"... Sometimes - you are paying FOR the name - NOT the quality.

In my own opinion, MOST items today ARE JUNK - regardless of price OR name.

L.

 

[L.]

My parents bought a dryer back in the late 60s. It was "only" a 120 volt
dryer but it does the job quite well. It has had to have 3 belts replaced
since bought - one due to the lid bracket coming loose and cutting it. The
pulley was also replaced as well as the pig tail (thanks to a bad outlet).
A total of say $40 in parts. They paid about $100 for it then. It STILL
works like new. Oh yeah, they didn't have much money - bought it on a
"Scratch and Dent" sale.......... They sure got their monies worth. You
"might" think the electric bill is higher - but the total bill complete
with the dryer used 2 days a week and TVs on all night - not to mention
many other uses of electric - $38 per month. The clothes get dried in "A"
cycle with no problem.

Our Fire Station bought a $5300 or so dollar Big Screen Tv. Within the
first month, it had to be repaired. DO YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR? NOT
ALWAYS. Lets go another route....... Air Jordan Tennis Shoes. They go
roughly $70 a pair. I can buy 7 pairs of cheap shoes for that price, and
get almost as much wear out of one pair as one pair of the Air Jordans.
NAME is NOT always "Everything"... Sometimes - you are paying FOR the
name - NOT the quality.

In my own opinion, MOST items today ARE JUNK - regardless of price OR
name.

L.

Also - in SOME cases (not all) - some things ARE cheaper ONLY because the
manufacturing method has been made more efficient. That process is a savings
for the company AND consumer - alike. Then too, there is "competition" or
"price-wars" as you please............. THAT is good for us - the consumer -
too.

L.

 

[NN]

My parents bought a dryer back in the late 60s. It was "only" a 120 volt
dryer but it does the job quite well. It has had to have 3 belts replaced
since bought - one due to the lid bracket coming loose and cutting it. The
pulley was also replaced as well as the pig tail (thanks to a bad outlet). A
total of say $40 in parts. They paid about $100 for it then. It STILL works
like new. Oh yeah, they didn't have much money - bought it on a "Scratch and
Dent" sale.......... They sure got their monies worth. You "might" think the
electric bill is higher - but the total bill complete with the dryer used 2
days a week and TVs on all night - not to mention many other uses of
electric - $38 per month. The clothes get dried in "A" cycle with no
problem.

Our Fire Station bought a $5300 or so dollar Big Screen Tv. Within the first
month, it had to be repaired. DO YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR? NOT ALWAYS. Lets
go another route....... Air Jordan Tennis Shoes. They go roughly $70 a pair.
I can buy 7 pairs of cheap shoes for that price, and get almost as much wear
out of one pair as one pair of the Air Jordans. NAME is NOT always
"Everything"... Sometimes - you are paying FOR the name - NOT the quality.

In my own opinion, MOST items today ARE JUNK - regardless of price OR name.

L.

Tennis shoes example is a really good one where you are paying for a
name rather than the quality of the show. If fact last month on CNN
another basketball star opened a tennis shoes brand. They are the same
quality as some that go for $200 this fall. He is selling them for
14.95 a pair .
US used to make quality products when they made them, I don,t know
when price became the most important feature of a product.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

For 15 years ago I bought A Philips "el-saver" light bulb,
you know...those new "fluorescent" tungsten-lamp-replacement-bulbs
that uses neon tubes rather than those tungsten lamps.

This one still works, and I've used it everywhere. Cost me
a pretty penny back then. They used to cost about 30 dollars
just for the "bulb" but for 15 years (and still going strong)
this is a bargain.

They sell as low as 99 cents in the USA now. At that price, who cares?

 

[Homer J Simpson]

US used to make quality products when they made them, I don,t know
when price became the most important feature of a product.

When immediate profits became more interesting than long term growth of a
company - it's a slash and burn mentality out there now.

 

[Maxwell McHamster]

I always wondered why I run into people who have some machine or
electronics that seem to last forever. What was worst that I never had
a story like that nor could I find a particular brand to buy and have a
story one day.

The old story - you get what you pay for, still holds up!

Examples:

For 15 years ago I bought A Philips "el-saver" light bulb,
you know...those new "fluorescent" tungsten-lamp-replacement-bulbs
that uses neon tubes rather than those tungsten lamps.

This one still works, and I've used it everywhere. Cost me
a pretty penny back then. They used to cost about 30 dollars
just for the "bulb" but for 15 years (and still going strong)
this is a bargain.

People don't understand "quality" today - they only understand
"price - what does it cost today?" nevermind if it works only
a year...just so they get it "half-price!"

Same with video (although most use DVD-recorders today)
I used to pay 1200-2000 dollars for a nice home S-VHS recorder
(usually from some fancy brand like Panasonic) - worked for 10-12
years easy..

Today? Purchased some crappy 200-300 dollar S-vhs recorder from JVC
that looks like a re-born ghetto blaster (more ghetto than blaster)
plastic-form-factor-all-in-one-idiot-design....last 1-2 year and
gets worn out.

Piece of JUNK!

Of course - there are exceptions -
I bought a UNITED DVD player that can
literally take ANY format and ANY region.
Cost me 60 bucks or so...lasted over 4 years...and is
still going strong, so there are no rules without
exceptions.

But yeah - the old rule still goes...you really
DO get what you pay for. Don't ever get fooled into
believing anything else.

MaxWell McHamster - yours in technology as always.

 

[L.]

When immediate profits became more interesting than long term growth of a
company - it's a slash and burn mentality out there now.

Speaking of profits, etc........ I'm hearing Wal-Mart is not doing so well
all the sudden. Losing profits, laying off workers, cutting hours, freezing
pay increases, etc. I've heard this from someone who said they either read
about it in news or heard it on TV. I've also heard it from several Wal -
Mart employees. Suddenly - the attitude went from "nice" employers - to -
"pricks" - according to those I've heard from. Hmmmm.

Looks like the "instant" giant is about to go down to it's knees........ As
they say - the bigger they are - the harder they fall. Strange, seems like
most of the "giants" have come and gone OR at least been brought to their
knees. Mom and Pops - don't give up yet, we may still need you after all.

L.

 

[Arfa Daily]

They sell as low as 99 cents in the USA now. At that price, who cares?

However, there are exceptions. Take cars. When I was first buying them back
in the 70's, you were lucky to get 60,000 miles out of an engine, and had to
have it serviced every 6000 miles. New plugs, new breaker points, new oil,
new filters. It rained too hard, the engine stopped. Too cold ? Wouldn't
start. Set of tyres ? 12,000 miles tops. Spluttering engine ? New
distributor cap. New plug leads. Clutch ? 20,000 miles - less if you're a
hill-holder. Transmission ? Synchro cones worn 60,000 miles. Brakes ? Not
very good at the best of times. New shoes every 6,000 miles. Think about it
now. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, cars probably cost less now than
they did then. Engines now are still going strong at 120,000 miles. Major
service intervals are 20,000 miles, and the EMUs work so well that even
then, you wouldn't know that it needed a service. Modern synthetic oil just
doesn't wear out or turn black. Only really needs topping up. Filters last
for ages. There is cartloads of electronics - I think I read somewhere
recently that there are over 200 microprocessors in a modern car. the
reliability of this electronics, considering the hostile conditions that it
has to work under, is unbelievable. Clutches these days just never wear out,
no matter how much abuse you give them, and transmissions are as sweet as
the day the manufacturer put them in, even after 100,000+ miles. Brakes
nowadays are so good, and so reliable, that you can almost forget them for
the life of the car.

So all in all, it can be done. A lot of what drives the crap electronics
business, is the incredible rate at which development in the field is driven
these days. Most consumer electronics goods these days, are seen as
short-ownership items, whereas a car isn't. There are new developments
coming out all the time now - faster than you can read about them, and Joe
Consumer wants them - all ! So what's the point of building a VCR or
whatever, that's going to last for 10 years, if by the time that it's a year
or so old, there has been another three developments in the field, that you
know your customer is going to want ?

Arfa

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Speaking of profits, etc........ I'm hearing Wal-Mart is not doing so well
all the sudden. Losing profits, laying off workers, cutting hours,
freezing pay increases, etc. I've heard this from someone who said they
either read about it in news or heard it on TV. I've also heard it from
several Wal - Mart employees. Suddenly - the attitude went from "nice"
employers - to - "pricks" - according to those I've heard from. Hmmmm.

Wal-Mart stopped being nice when Sam died - or before. Costco is the nice
employer.

Looks like the "instant" giant is about to go down to it's knees........
As they say - the bigger they are - the harder they fall. Strange, seems
like most of the "giants" have come and gone OR at least been brought to
their knees. Mom and Pops - don't give up yet, we may still need you after
all.

They need you to drive to them. Gas prices make that less acceptable.

FWIW, if terrorists ever smuggle a WMD into a shipping container Wal-Mart
will implode more than the weapon.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

However, there are exceptions. Take cars. When I was first buying them
back in the 70's, you were lucky to get 60,000 miles out of an engine, and
had to have it serviced every 6000 miles.
.......................................Think about it now. Pound for
pound, dollar for dollar, cars probably cost less now than they did then.
Engines now are still going strong at 120,000 miles. Major service
intervals are 20,000 miles, and the EMUs work so well that even then, you
wouldn't know that it needed a service.

When colour TV came in I used to set aside 4 hours to set up a set in a
customer's home and tweak the thing into shape. Now you buy it and take it
home and it works.

 

[[email protected]]

I always wondered why I run into people who have some machine or
electronics that seem to last forever. What was worst that I never had
a story like that nor could I find a particular brand to buy and have a
story one day.

Its easy, buy old stuff thats lasted.


NT

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Its easy, buy old stuff thats lasted.

I bought an old Bendix front load auto washer and kept it going for another
20 years! But you could get the parts then.

 

[NN]

Its easy, buy old stuff thats lasted.


NT

True, but a good product is hard to find used, I remember trying to
buy a particular model car used and no private party was selling them.
I finally found one way above the blue book, I went home to close the
deal the next day and he had raised the price! why? He showed me the
new blue value just realized with higher prices. He changed his mind
and I could not get the extra money. That is the problem with good
old stuff.
The issue is really durable goods here, appliances and such. Things
that are supposed to work at least 15 years are now at half.
Sears is really the only good service I remember at least in the
eighties. In collage we had a small sears air-conditioner that mounts
in a houses window. We put it in our buick limited drivers side
window and ran it of a gas generator on a rack. The airconditiner
eventually burned out the compressor for lack of current. We went to
sears ( year or so later) without proof of purchase and telling what we
did and they replaced the compressor but warned that they will not do
it again if we use it with low current.

That is well beyond any warranty I have ever heard of.

 

[James Sweet]

When colour TV came in I used to set aside 4 hours to set up a set in a
customer's home and tweak the thing into shape. Now you buy it and take it
home and it works.

Though it really could use a bit of setup, especially for the nicer
sets. Out of the box the brightness and contrast are cranked up so high
it just about burns your eyes out, and you're lucky to get 5 years out
of the CRT(s).

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Though it really could use a bit of setup, especially for the nicer sets.
Out of the box the brightness and contrast are cranked up so high it just
about burns your eyes out, and you're lucky to get 5 years out of the
CRT(s).

Who would pay a tech's fee nowadays? When the set cost $200 and the fee was
75 cents/hr that was one thing. Now the set costs $400 but the tech costs
$150 for travel and service.

 

[L.]

Though it really could use a bit of setup, especially for the nicer sets.
Out of the box the brightness and contrast are cranked up so high it just
about burns your eyes out, and you're lucky to get 5 years out of the
CRT(s).

My neice had a TV set which died JUST (a day or so) after being a year old
and out of warranty - of course! I called the company who "sold" the set -
they said the set's manufacturer was now out of business. How convenient.
Without a schematic - I went as far as I could - tested a few "suspect"
parts to no avail. It had other issues too, but I've since corrected those.
Still trying to get it going and find info.........

L.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

My neice had a TV set which died JUST (a day or so) after being a year old
and out of warranty - of course! I called the company who "sold" the set -
they said the set's manufacturer was now out of business. How convenient.
Without a schematic - I went as far as I could - tested a few "suspect"
parts to no avail. It had other issues too, but I've since corrected
those. Still trying to get it going and find info.........

Try one of the below for a free set.

http://freecycle.org/

or

http://www.craigslist.org/

--

 

[[email protected]]

True, but a good product is hard to find used,

I guess you must live somewhere else than here. Here most markets are
flooded. Some used quality goods are all but unfindable, but not many.


NT