How long should things last?

[mjonesnh]

1967 Amana Freezer still going strong…

Same for the 1960’s Zenith Black and White with rabbit ears and digital converter.View attachment 3863321

Noticed your decimal equivalent chart on door. Worked 17 years in a gage shop with one of those hanging on my workbench. Also had gage block setup chart for grinding angle on 5" sine plate along with secant and cosign numbers there beside other chart. Don't miss having to grind angles within 15" of angle or tolerances of +/- 0.00005

 

[ultrarunner]

Noticed your decimal equivalent chart on door. Worked 17 years in a gage shop with one of those hanging on my workbench. Also had gage block setup chart for grinding angle on 5" sine plate along with secant and cosign numbers there beside other chart. Don't miss having to grind angles within 15" of angle or tolerances of +/- 0.00005

Yep… I like the large format and still refer to it,

It was a great specialty supplier but my guess is 25 years closed after 75 years in business.

 

[Oaktree]

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

A couple years ago when my sisters and I were cleaning out my mother's house we ran into that with her freezer. What little we could recognize was so freezer burnt that it all went in the trash.

 

[Tinhack]

Don't miss having to grind angles within 15" of angle or tolerances of +/- 0.00005

I have a home shop. I couldn't even measure that if I wanted to. I have two dial indicators that will measure down to 0.0001" I use for my milling table leveling (head setup actually). That's the only time they ever see day light.

Yeah, I have those "cheat sheets" hanging all over the shop--Tap-Drill Size, Metric Conversion, Decimal Equivalent, etc. I don't have one for Metric Tap-Drill Size. That's a easy conversion--Just subtract the thread pitch from the fastener size. And hope that you have that size drill.

 

[ponytug]

I have a home shop. I couldn't even measure that if I wanted to. I have two dial indicators that will measure down to 0.0001" I use for my milling table leveling (head setup actually). That's the only time they ever see day light.

Yeah, I have those "cheat sheets" hanging all over the shop--Tap-Drill Size, Metric Conversion, Decimal Equivalent, etc. I don't have one for Metric Tap-Drill Size. That's an easy conversion--Just subtract the thread pitch from the fastener size. And hope that you have that size drill.

Yes, I can't measure that here either.

I had never heard the metric tap trick before, but mentally, it matches the few I know. I've been known to use the closest inch version... Thanks!

All the best,

Peter

 

[dodge man]

We have a Speed Queen washer a dryer. 7 years old roughly, so far so good, a very simple design.

 

[grsthegreat]

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.

The only thing about these old, still running refers and freezers is the amount off energy they use. Ive had customers complain to me about high utility bills and want to see if theres a problem with the wiring. I would place recording devices on the major appliances. Some of these old freezers could suck down a huge percentage of the customers power use. A hot tub might only add $10 to the monthly bill while an old freezer is sucking 50-75 bucks a month to operate. A brand new efficient unit might only use $10.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
Funny that you say that. I had an old upright which my brother bought when he was in college; it was old then. In 1979 when he graduated my sister bought it, and used it until around 1992 when I brought it home. I moved several times over the next 11 years before buyimg and building here. At some point I lost the top hinge and had it tied shut with a bungee cord. About 20 years ago I replaced it. It still worked but the plastic interior was all broken up and nasty.
In all of the time I used it I never noticed a difference in my power bill. I generally plugged it in around the emd of June when strawberry season started, and unplugged it for a few months in spring when I could put everything in the top part of the frig.

I have never in my life paid more than 60$/month for electricity.

 

[ultrarunner]

The only thing about these old, still running refers and freezers is the amount off energy they use. Ive had customers complain to me about high utility bills and want to see if theres a problem with the wiring. I would place recording devices on the major appliances. Some of these old freezers could suck down a huge percentage of the customers power use. A hot tub might only add $10 to the monthly bill while an old freezer is sucking 50-75 bucks a month to operate. A brand new efficient unit might only use $10.

I hear you… but 10 to 12kWh each day for 2400 square feet home, all 1950’s construction including single pane windows and 2x4 walls year round isn’t bad.

This includes both a freezer and a refrigerator plus electric dryer and stove…

 

[mjonesnh]

I have a home shop. I couldn't even measure that if I wanted to. I have two dial indicators that will measure down to 0.0001" I use for my milling table leveling (head setup actually). That's the only time they ever see day light.

Yeah, I have those "cheat sheets" hanging all over the shop--Tap-Drill Size, Metric Conversion, Decimal Equivalent, etc. I don't have one for Metric Tap-Drill Size. That's a easy conversion--Just subtract the thread pitch from the fastener size. And hope that you have that size drill.

Had Browne and Sharpe 50 mil. indicators with surface plate in shop. Could measure to .00001 in lab on microtrator. Had a set of Pratt and Whitney super mics. in lab that was good for .00002. Really got tired of the .00005 tolerances, Just breathe on it wrong and it was out of spec. Retired in Dec. 2023

 

[ponytug]

The only thing about these old, still running refers and freezers is the amount off energy they use. Ive had customers complain to me about high utility bills and want to see if theres a problem with the wiring. I would place recording devices on the major appliances. Some of these old freezers could suck down a huge percentage of the customers power use. A hot tub might only add $10 to the monthly bill while an old freezer is sucking 50-75 bucks a month to operate. A brand new efficient unit might only use $10.

The ranch kitchen came with a 35 year old refrigerator that sweated like the proverbial pig and ran constantly. We replaced that with a new and dropped our power bill to about 60% of what we started with. Then we replaced the old Kenmore top loader with an LG front loader and dropped it to 40% of the original (the spin cycle got clothes much drier), after a number of years we dropped the electric dryer in favor of a condensing version and dropped it to less than 20% of what we started with.

At our electricity rates the ROI on higher efficiency appliances is pretty darn quick. The price of efficiency is often complexity, and these days the ultra low cost provider gets the business, and that doesn't translate well to long lifetimes. Wasn't someone here posting about appliance control boards that were several hundred dollars a piece retail, but he claimed he could by them for $7/board in quantities of a thousand? (EDIT: it was @kenmbz, posting below)

All the best,

Peter

 

[Oaktree]

I have never in my life paid more than 60$/month for electricity.

We've had a few bills that topped $70, but that was usually during a spell of high oil prices and the utility added a fuel surcharge. Typically, it runs mid 50s-mid 60s, a bit higher in the winter. We'll see what happens when the next rate increase kicks in later this month.

 

[kenmbz]

yes, the $200 control board for the GE, I got for $100 on Ebay I found were $7 each in lots of 1000 from China.
These same boards are used in many brands, not just GE, since most now are made by the same company and in the same plants in China.

I verified my new washer was not made in China and did not have that board.

 

[ponytug]

@kenmbz sorry for not naming you as the source. I remembered the story, but could not seem to surface the post last night. My apologies.

All the best, Peter

 

[kenmbz]

@kenmbz sorry for not naming you as the source. I remembered the story, but could seem to surface last night. My apologies.

All the best, Peter

No worries, it's open info here

 

[ultrarunner]

Number 1 to me is reliability…

While true a broken appliance often uses no energy this misses the fact it comes up short getting the job done.

I got a light used Kenmore Washer/Dryer pair maybe 25 years ago when the widow lady bought new Neptunes… which never worked right so she bought LG and one replaced under warranty and now has something different.

No kids or piles of laundry yet I still have her 1970’s pair and she is on pair number 3…

 

[2manyrocks]

They obviously knew how to build washers and dryers to last at one point. Mom's 50 y/o Maytag clothes washer still running.

 

[rontaki]

Number 1 to me is reliability…

A broken appliance often uses no energy but comes up short getting the job done.

I got a light used Kenmore Washer/Dryer pair maybe 25 years ago when the widow lady bought new Neptunes… which never worked right so she bought LG and one replaced under warranty and now has something different.

No kids or piles of laundry yet I still have her 1970’s pair and she is on pair number 3…

I bought a brand new Maytag Neptune (front loader) that lasted 24 years before a sensor went out. I thought about replacing it, but was having a hard time finding that one, plus it seemed like it was going to start nickel-and-diming me. For the washer's entire life it made a "scritching" squeak noise, probably a main bearing, that never failed. I can only hope the replacement lasts for a long time.
Apparently the Neptune model had a lot of problems with internal mold, and the costs associated with that drove Maytag to sell out to Whirlpool. I always leave the washing machine door open to vent between loads, even with the new one.

 

[ponytug]

I bought a brand new Maytag Neptune (front loader) that lasted 24 years before a sensor went out. I thought about replacing it, but was having a hard time finding that one, plus it seemed like it was going to start nickel-and-diming me. For the washer's entire life it made a "scritching" squeak noise, probably a main bearing, that never failed. I can only hope the replacement lasts for a long time.
Apparently the Neptune model had a lot of problems with internal mold, and the costs associated with that drove Maytag to sell out to Whirlpool. I always leave the washing machine door open to vent between loads, even with the new one.

That reminds me. The house came with the original appliances. Say mid-80s. The dryer always had this clunking sound that I chalked up to out of round / old bearing. After we had had it for fifteen years, one of the thermal sensors went, so I bought two new ones, and opened it up to replace thermal sensors. Piece of cake, ten minute job. The icing on the cake was a D-cell flashlight that someone had left inside the dryer for me.

No more clunking! I do wonder how many decades the flashlight was in there.

We also always leave the washer and dryer doors ajar.

All the best, Peter

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^
Did the flashlight still work?