How long should things last?

[HawkinsHollow]

I think I am mosty pleasantly surprised how well things last around my place. I also enjoy fixing thigs/reengineering things to suit my needs. I was very lucky to get a bunch of old made in America tools from my dads garage that I expect to outlive me and serve my sons quite well for most of his life too.

Just did a reno/addition and buying appliances was one of the most stressful thing about the whole process. Fingers crossed I made all the right choices.

 

[Oaktree]

I would never buy an LG refrigerator,

Ours is an LG, we've had it 5-6 years now, it's been trouble free. Just a basic model, no icemaker, water dispenser, etc. I make ice the old fashioned way.
We do make sure to clean the dust off the coils once a year.

 

[grsthegreat]

I dont know, i have an LG front load washer and dryer, both 4 years old and absolutely trouble free.

My main refer and freezer combo is a GE Monograms built in 48” model. Installed in around 2000. Ive had to do some small repairs to the door ice dispenser only. Had to replace the electronic board 3 times now and the upper motor fan once about 5 years ago. But other than that is trouble free. My GE Freezer lasted 20 years and replaced it with 2 of the largest upright frigidare freezers i could find 3 years ago.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

My Burnham boiler's new circuit board only lasted one year.

At least the original hung in there for 12 years.

 

[Torvy]

Inflation hit hard August first… almost across the board everything the hospital buys increased 10 to 25%… never seen anything like it.

That's not inflation. Companies have decided that since the tariffs get the blame (rightly so) for some increases, they can increase prices and blame tariffs even if they are not affected by them.

Current inflation rate is only 2.7%

 

[Santa Craig Cringle]

That's not inflation. Companies have decided that since the tariffs get the blame (rightly so) for some increases, they can increase prices and blame tariffs even if they are not affected by them.

Current inflation rate is only 2.7%

Agreed. However, I still wince at the grocery store checkout when I see how little you get for a hundred bucks.

I still remember 30 years ago when $100 would fill a cart to overflowing with 2 or more weeks of groceries. My visceral response is ... that's how much stuff should cost. Mentally, my mind has trouble processing just how much prices have gone up and I almost always under-budget on groceries and household items.

 

[MossRoad]

... I make ice the old fashioned way....

You earn it.

 

[Torvy]

The only way for that to happen is with deflation. Ever since we went off the gold standard, deflation is virtually impossible over the mid to long term.

Iirc, there's only been maybe 2 or 3 quarters since then where overall prices dropped.

Look back into the 1800s and early 1900s. You would have double digit inflation for a year or two followed by double digit deflation for a year or two. Stability is the friend of commerce.

Imagine you are farming in 1880. Prices were up 20%. Your costs are up for planting...1881 comes along to sell and prices are down almost 6%, 1882 up almost 8%. The next four years, all down from 2-10%.

If you need a loan, deflation lowers your income, but not your debt. (Think the opposite of buying property as a hedge against inflation). Many farmers (then and now) bought seed with a loan using the harvest as collateral. Huge drops in prices wiped many out.

This, in part, led to people supporting income taxes. Tariffs were wildly inconsistent in terms of income generation and added to that volatility. Tariffs were good for those who had local markets, but brutal for those (like Ag) who exported a great deal of their products.

 

[MossRoad]

Yikes! We've been married 40 years and are on our 2nd washer, 3rd dryer, and 2nd refrigerator, and that's only because we left the old ones with the house we sold.
...

So now I'm wondering how long our deep freezer will last.

Unnecessary anxiety! Thanks fellas.

 

[Torvy]

So now I'm wondering how long our deep freezer will last.

Unnecessary anxiety! Thanks fellas.

Imma find you if my breaks now. We've had it since before 2000. Its been with us in 3 states in 4 locations. For 17 years it was in the garage in Texas...running a lot. In SD and WI, it was worked less, especially in winter. In the new house, I designed a spot for it indoors.

 

[newbury]

Inflation hit hard August first… almost across the board everything the hospital buys increased 10 to 25%… never seen anything like it.

Hang on for the roller coaster ride. With the current process of setting tariffs based on analysis of which way the wind blows businesses have to plan for the worst. And the emphasis is on the first four letters of analysis.
Smile, it could get worse.
I'm back in to "COVID hoarder mode".

 

[bigtiller]

Imma find you if my breaks now. We've had it since before 2000. Its been with us in 3 states in 4 locations. For 17 years it was in the garage in Texas...running a lot. In SD and WI, it was worked less, especially in winter. In the new house, I designed a spot for it indoors.

With my luck, I'll probably be joining you...
We bought a used Amana deep freeze in 1992 from my folks when they moved out of state.
It's been running ever since it was new.

 

[MossRoad]

My dad bought a commercial freezer made by Tyler sometime back in the 50s. He passed away in 1995. We sold it with the house, as it was too large to move. I recall it putting out a tremendous amount of heat.

 

[MossRoad]

Oh, and we'd find things in the bottom of that freezer that no one could recognize!

 

[kenmbz]

The GE washer/dryer we had, at 3 years in started showing a lot of wear on surfaces.
Year 4 had to replace washer motor, dryer "bearings" which were just teflon strips, wore through.
Year 5, 3rd and final motor driver board and the whole "bearing" holder.
Then both started acting up again and we bought a new set, neither made it to year 6.

I would expect more than 3 years trouble free, and parts to last at least 5 years, got neither.

I have the original washer dryer from when the house was built , sitting in the garage. I use them as backup, they still work almost 40 years later.

I still have original incandescent light bulbs working in the house, been here 9 years.
In that time I replaced all the fluorescent "bulbs" twice and most of the LEDs at least once after replacing the Fluorescent. Not many LEDs made it past 5 years either.
I used to buy name brand, but it seems they die just as quick as store brands.

Yet the >9 year old incandescent keep working, some are in heavy use areas, on at least a few hours each night.

 

[mjonesnh]

The GE washer/dryer we had, at 3 years in started showing a lot of wear on surfaces.
Year 4 had to replace washer motor, dryer "bearings" which were just teflon strips, wore through.
Year 5, 3rd and final motor driver board and the whole "bearing" holder.
Then both started acting up again and we bought a new set, neither made it to year 6.

I would expect more than 3 years trouble free, and parts to last at least 5 years, got neither.

I have the original washer dryer from when the house was built , sitting in the garage. I use them as backup, they still work almost 40 years later.

I still have original incandescent light bulbs working in the house, been here 9 years.
In that time I replaced all the fluorescent "bulbs" twice and most of the LEDs at least once after replacing the Fluorescent. Not many LEDs made it past 5 years either.
I used to buy name brand, but it seems they die just as quick as store brands.

Yet the >9 year old incan descent keep working, some are in heavy use areas, on at least a few hours each night.

Our first washer and dryer set were Whirlpool, washer lasted 17 years, dryer 24 years. had several washers since then. Current dryer 12 years old , Whirlpool brand also. Have read anything over 7 years for washer and you are on borrowed time

 

[newbury]

Our first washer and dryer set were Whirlpool, washer lasted 17 years, dryer 24 years. had several washers since then. Current dryer 12 years old , Whirlpool brand also. Have read anything over 7 years for washer and you are on borrowed time

Does that include Speed Queen washers?
I now have 3 of the TC5's and am looking at getting a 4th (1@ for me in Va. & Ms., 1 at my son's and 1 planned for my daughters). Only the first one in Ms. is over 6 or 7yrs old.

 

[jk96]

The GE washer/dryer we had, at 3 years in started showing a lot of wear on surfaces.
Year 4 had to replace washer motor, dryer "bearings" which were just teflon strips, wore through.
Year 5, 3rd and final motor driver board and the whole "bearing" holder.
Then both started acting up again and we bought a new set, neither made it to year 6.

I would expect more than 3 years trouble free, and parts to last at least 5 years, got neither.

I have the original washer dryer from when the house was built , sitting in the garage. I use them as backup, they still work almost 40 years later.

I still have original incandescent light bulbs working in the house, been here 9 years.
In that time I replaced all the fluorescent "bulbs" twice and most of the LEDs at least once after replacing the Fluorescent. Not many LEDs made it past 5 years either.
I used to buy name brand, but it seems they die just as quick as store brands.

Yet the >9 year old incandescent keep working, some are in heavy use areas, on at least a few hours each night.

We are around year 13 on our home now. Installed all LED bulbs and almost all are still origional. At that time they were expensive and most had metal housings and heat sinks. I remember wondering how the mfg companies would make any money if the bulbs lasted 20 years. They must have figured it out. I used mostly LED bulbs for our wedding venue when we remodeled 6 years ago. I am always replacing a few it seems like on these newer LEDs.

 

[mjonesnh]

Does that include Speed Queen washers?
I now have 3 of the TC5's and am looking at getting a 4th (1@ for me in Va. & Ms., 1 at my son's and 1 planned for my daughters). Only the first one in Ms. is over 6 or 7yrs old.

Not sure if that includes Speed Queen but we have an appliance store in our small town that sells that brand. When the current washer dies that is our next brand to purchase

 

[ultrarunner]

With my luck, I'll probably be joining you...
We bought a used Amana deep freeze in 1992 from my folks when they moved out of state.
It's been running ever since it was new.

1967 Amana Freezer still going strong…

Same for the 1960’s Zenith Black and White with rabbit ears and digital converter.

Might as well throw in the living room entertainment center featuring DVD and VHS… also rabbit ears and converter.