April 1982 Wow!

[rangerfredbob]

My wife had a cupcake tray or something that she didn't like but it had a cover that's like described above, it's lived in the microwave for a couple years... myself I don't need food to be lava so I don't use it a lot for the spatter but it keeps the moisture in more so I think things warm up faster and less dried out...

The microwave we use is a ~2000 era unit that was $25 at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store years ago... then a couple years ago the plate exploded with some popcorn for some reason so I had to buy another for $40 on Ebay...

 

[jyoutz]

Microwaves are a special case. Actual operating time is often only a few hours per year.

We often use ours to cook winter squash. About 35 minutes each time. I know we have more than a few hours per year even with reheating dinner leftovers.

 

[jyoutz]

My 102 neighbor has a bought new Maytag Washer and Dryer pair with zero issues bought new in the 80’s and used every Saturday.

Grandkids bought him new front loaders which he told me how can I refuse?

Now I have an extra pair with a wipe down look like new.

I think only in America are so many good appliances kicked to the curb…

We had to switch back from a fancy front loading set to the old style manual dual type. Our electric coop has power outages and surges often enough that it fried the computer on the front loader.

 

[ultrarunner]

My wife had a cupcake tray or something that she didn't like but it had a cover that's like described above, it's lived in the microwave for a couple years... myself I don't need food to be lava so I don't use it a lot for the spatter but it keeps the moisture in more so I think things warm up faster and less dried out...

The microwave we use is a ~2000 era unit that was $25 at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store years ago... then a couple years ago the plate exploded with some popcorn for some reason so I had to buy another for $40 on Ebay...

The really old ones don’t have revolving plate but overhead the microwave source spins best I can tell.

 

[California]

Pretty sure those were made by Sharp. Sharp Carousals were the best microwaves for a long time. I love mine that is put away and still used when needed.

Sharp Carousels are great. I retired one from home out here to the ranch, after the screen went weird. It cooks fine but you don't see a countdown, just random segments of the digits. Researching online I found this is repairable, the display is laminated and it needs to be pressed back together with a little heat ... or something like that. A simple repair. Not critical so I've never bothered.

The other Sharp Carousel at home is the same model and flawless. A $20 Goodwill find.

But for old appliances, the two gas floor heaters at home in town are original from 1941. And the gas water heater has a date code so old that the first time I saw it, 44 years ago when we bought the house, I thought it would need replacement soon. It still works fine. Now I can't find the date code listed anywhere. It doesn't have a pressure relief valve on top. Anyone know when those were first added?

 

[rontaki]

Onya Oosik. A good Aussie brand. I have had quite a few microwaves over the years. Some didn't last more than a year. In fact one blew up the day before warranty expired so they just refunded me. Interior lights didn't last in some of them and the Panasonic I had blew 3 magnatrons before they refunded me.
I have had LG, Samsung, and a few other top brands but that means nothing nowadays.
Hence the Breville. So far the nicest one I have had with soft close door and lots of menus. And it just works as it should.

Breville - the best toaster oven I ever had. It's used several times every day, makes nice even toast done to perfection. L
Has outlasted every other one I've had, and unlike one popular brand it won't try to burn the house down. That was the one that made me decide to spend for quality.

 

[Midniteoyl]

The really old ones don’t have revolving plate but overhead the microwave source spins best I can tell.

The microwaves come out of a waveguide on the side (square/rectangle nonmetallic cover plate). What you are seeing in the top is a rotating blade, called a 'stirring blade', used to vary the refraction (distribution) of the microwaves. Used a lot before rotating plates became popular. Some units used both methods.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Sharp Carousels are great. I retired one from home out here to the ranch, after the screen went weird. It cooks fine but you don't see a countdown, just random segments of the digits. Researching online I found this is repairable, the display is laminated and it needs to be pressed back together with a little heat ... or something like that. A simple repair. Not critical so I've never bothered.

The display on mine is hosed as well. What I love about the one I have is the sensor cooking. Unlike the modern ones that have pre-programmed cooking times for the different 'modes', this one uses actual sensors like listening for the pops of popping pop corn, or the amount of steam from baking potatoes, or when your plate is reheated or meat is defrosted. For most things you can just through it in, tell it what it is, what you want done (cook, reheat, defrost) and hit start. No telling it how many oz, or number, or looking things up in a chart.

I hate how 'dumb' modern appliances have become. Shoot, even my older vacuum has a dirt sensor the new ones dont.

 

[CADplans]

First TBN member that wants to pick it up and carry it off can have it. First NON TBN member that wants to pick it up and carry it off can have it too!.

If you look at the many things that can be built from the transformer in that thing,,
YOU WILL NOT GIVE IT AWAY!!
Look at YouTube for ideas,,,

You can have a nice spot welder, for example,, a few feet of heavy copper wire, a couple copper electrodes,,,,,,,,

 

[ovrszd]

I need to look into one of those. I already sprayed some potato soup liberally about the interior.

Here ya go James. She got it at Wal-Mart. It's labeled "Nordic Ware".

 

[scaredychicken]

Boys I got my butt beat good one time. Caught me with a bottle of gear oil in the micro. Makes it pour easier in that old Willys pickup truck. They didn't care...

wheels in the dishwasher ?

are you that guy ? LOL

 

[ultrarunner]

The microwaves come out of a waveguide on the side (square/rectangle nonmetallic cover plate). What you are seeing in the top is a rotating blade, called a 'stirring blade', used to vary the refraction (distribution) of the microwaves. Used a lot before rotating plates became popular. Some units used both methods.

Makes sense... thank you!

 

[ultrarunner]

Sharp Carousels are great. I retired one from home out here to the ranch, after the screen went weird. It cooks fine but you don't see a countdown, just random segments of the digits. Researching online I found this is repairable, the display is laminated and it needs to be pressed back together with a little heat ... or something like that. A simple repair. Not critical so I've never bothered.

The other Sharp Carousel at home is the same model and flawless. A $20 Goodwill find.

But for old appliances, the two gas floor heaters at home in town are original from 1941. And the gas water heater has a date code so old that the first time I saw it, 44 years ago when we bought the house, I thought it would need replacement soon. It still works fine. Now I can't find the date code listed anywhere. It doesn't have a pressure relief valve on top. Anyone know when those were first added?

Both late 50 homes had original hot water heaters with out pressure relief valves... the reason I know is PGE rolled out a free water heater blanket program and Dad signed up and grandma.

PGE declined both due to lack of PTRV.

Another home circa 1960 had one that was all plumbed 3/8 coil copper to daylight... but it did have the safety feature

My first home had a ancient HOYT copper tank gas heater with lifetime leak warranty and Hoyt Heater was on High Street in Oakland so many Hoyts around...

Humphrey was a coil copper continuous hot water heater some of the really old Berkeley houses had...

 

[buckeyefarmer]

We use plastic plate cover, but I still put a paper towel over anything that will splash, then put the cover on. Any mess is on the towel.

 

[k0ua]

We use plastic plate cover, but I still put a paper towel over anything that will splash, then put the cover on. Any mess is on the towel.

That sounds like a great idea! Tnx.

 

[Torvy]

I teach my history class about trends every decade. We are just hitting WWII and the 40s. Commercial microwaves came out in the middle of the decade. Huge and heavy.

We didn't even hear about them growing up until the late 70s.

Tappan used to have a facility in Sioux Falls, not far from my work.

My current one is built in. I don't like them eating my counter space.