Your oldest appliance, just for fun

[socaldonnan]

My 1973 harvest gold crockpot along with my 1973 Sunbeam electric mixer. That too is harvest gold.

 

[Gumby]

Things that I use regularly in the house:

Office fan - 1947 General Electric Vortalex
Telephones - 1935 Western Electric Model 202; 1942 Western Electric Model 302; 1956 Western Electric Model 554
Desk lamp - 1950s Dazor Model 1000 gooseneck
Stereo Receiver - 1972 Pioneer SX626
Turntable - 1983 Technics SLQ-200
Speakers - mid 1970s KLH Model 31

Things I use in my workshop as needed:

Stereo receiver - 1963 Voice of Music Model 1467

Table saw - 1950s Craftsman Model 103.23832
Drill press - 1940s Craftsman Model 103.23100
Lathe - 1950s Craftsman Model 103.23070

Capacitor analyzer -- 1936 Sun Mfg. Corp. Model CB-1-60
Variac -- 1935 General Radio Corp. Model 200-CM
Tube tester - 1937 Jackson Electric Instrument Co. Model 630
Multimeter - 1940/50s Simpson Model 260-2

 

[MRG]

I have a bunch of 1911's.

 

[Gumby]

I have a bunch of 1911's.

I only have one, and a 1970s vintage S&W Model 39-2. They're both beauties.

 

[Keim]

I like how Gumby did it, and will attempt to mimic. I will make no estimate on the number of tools and furniture I inherited from various grandparents. Things I use regularly:
ca1910 wall phone (Updated for modern phone lines by yours truly)
ca1940 desk fan (Lovingly maintained by yours truly)
ca1955 GE upright freezer (currently storing a side of beef in the garage)
1958 Grundig Konzertschranke Console Radio (recently restored by yours truly)
ca1960 Tube tester
ca 1970 wife (no updating or restoration required, some maintenance)
ca1976 Chevy Monte Carlo (Restored, mostly by others, some by yours truly)
ca1985 Yamaha turntable (modified for improved sound by yours truly)
ca 1990 freezer
ca1990 refrigerator in regular kitchen use until converted to garage kegerator last summer
1993 Ford f150 (Extensively repaired, new motor, clutch, etc. Not by yours truly. Expert required)
ca1997 Washer and Dryer (had recent repairs to both conducted by... you guessed it)

 

[Boho]

A Hamilton Beach milkshake mixer like this one.

Probably from the 1960s or earlier.

 

[imoldernu]

1894 Singer Sewing machine.

 

[RonBoyd]

Several months ago, our Microwave oven, that we purchased in 1975, gave up.

Interesting story: So I went to Sam's Club and purchased a replacement. I carried the replacement from the car to the kitchen and put it down. (I left the front door open... thankfully.) I, then, slid the old oven off the counter. Was I ever surprised at how much it weighed... at least three times more than the new one. In any event, it was too late to change my mind because I did not have the strength to lift it back up onto the counter -- maybe an inch or so. I, also, knew that I would be unable to set it down but have to simply drop it. Fearing the damage that would cause (I forgot to mention that I was alone in the house), I had no choice but to try to carry it outside. I cannot believe I made it but I succeeded and I made a huge dent in our lawn. Later, DW came home and we both carried it out to the street for trash pickup.

Great Microwave, however, it was the best investment I ever made.

 

[Midpack]

Why such a change in longevity/planned obsolescence? Is it:

• People won't pay for quality products, so manufacturers have been forced to cheapen their products to conform to what people want to pay,

OR

• We've become a society that likes to replace our old stuff with new stuff more frequently (e.g. a new smartphone every 2 years for many). We prefer new stuff, we don't like stuff to fail quickly, but we actually don't want it to last as long.

 

[jon-nyc]

In my kitchen is a 1952 Chambers oven. It is original, purchased new by the then-owners of this house. It's in perfect condition and would fetch a small fortune on eBay.

 

[ERD50]

Why such a change in longevity/planned obsolescence? Is it:

• People won't pay for quality products, so manufacturers have been forced to cheapen their products to conform to what people want to pay,

OR

• We've become a society that likes to replace our old stuff with new stuff more frequently (e.g. a new smartphone every 2 years for many). We prefer new stuff, we don't like stuff to fail quickly, but we actually don't want it to last as long.

I think it is some of both. Plus, in some cases, 'repair-ability' just isn't practical for some high tech stuff, especially if you want it small and light.

To your first point, if people shop for two similar items and one is 20% higher price, but is supposedly more reliable, built with better parts etc, it's probably a tough sell for the average person. It's not 'sexy', not as tangible, and the upfront cost is hitting them in the face. Probably the same people who aren't saving for retirement either. They are probably the majority, so that is what the market provides (in general).


Your second point plays into the first. It's really true that many of the things we buy are being improved at such a fast rate, that a 5 year old version of something just isn't that desirable. Why should we pay extra to have it built to last 10 years?

And then to get back to repair-ability, modern electronics are cheap because of mass production techniques, and those same techniques just are not that repairable. On our production lines, the repair equipment was very specialized, and in many cases had to be programmed specifically to replace a specific IC on a specific circuit board (to provide enough heat to melt the solder w/o overheating other components). It's just not practical to have that in many, many repair shops, or to even keep it maintained for products that have been out of production for several years.

Fortunately, there are things like that Speed Queen washer for those looking for simple and reliable over fashion and bells & whistles. In other products, there just might not be many alternatives. That's just the way it is.

-ERD50

 

[Nodak]

My 1973 harvest gold crockpot along with my 1973 Sunbeam electric mixer. That too is harvest gold.

I forgot about my Sunbeam mixer. It originally belonged to my Grandmother who passed away 60 years ago. I have no idea how old the mixer is; I replaced the power cord about 10 years ago.

 

[misshathaway]

1962 GE oven that came with the house. Stove too, and wall phone. I know a phone isn't an appliance and it's only decoration now, but it brings back memories. Original yellow retro countertops will have to go eventually. The design is worn off in places from wiping down. i will be sad when they go. I grew up in the house.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Whirlpool washer. 30 yrs 1 mo. Excluding hook up hoses, one repair about 25 years ago ( fill valve, under $10) . May keep the thing until we die. Still easy to get all parts for it

 

[CitizenK]

• We've become a society that likes to replace our old stuff with new stuff more frequently (e.g. a new smartphone every 2 years for many). We prefer new stuff, we don't like stuff to fail quickly, but we actually don't want it to last as long.

In many cases, appliances, which were once only functional tools, can now be status symbols or style statements. One reason is open floor plans. Kitchens are now open to the living spaces, so the appliances are visible to guests and are part of the decor. This creates more pressure to keep current with neighborhood norms.

I'd like to think I'm immune, but we replaced a working dryer just so it would match the washer. And they're in a closet.

 

[Boho]

That phone's hook switch is the only one I trust to really hang up when I hang up. I may get one like that if I can find a new one. And if it's a push button.

 

[MBAustin]

Cusinart food processor that was a wedding gift from MIL/FIL in 1986. Kenmore upright freezer (manual defrost) that was a Christmas gift from my parents in 1989 after DD was born. I ran the numbers on electricity use for that a few years ago and it was a 7+ year payback so I elected to keep it.

 

[Lcountz]

A @1920's Victrola Model VV210.....in beautiful working condition and a very nice piece of furniture....I play it every week to keep it in working order...It was in an unheated family summer home/camp for 60 years and still looks and plays really well...

My bedroom TeeVee. A 1990 Mitsubishi 29" diagonal. It has moved with me seven times. I can NOT throw it out....it works, sound is great, and it's like an old friend!!!!

I only watch old teevee shows on it in the middle of the night so it doesn't matter. Mostly re-runs of "Law and Order" ...a lot of which were made in the 1990's!!!!

There is a 1920's "Heatrola" heater in my cellar that was there when I moved in. It weighs about a thousand pounds!!! It doesn't work, but it's in really nice vintage shape and I want to use parts of it that are enameled for something else.....They're still on e-bay....I don't know how they got it down there ( house was built in late 80's)...

 

[jollystomper]

My oldest electronics are Technics turntables (S-LD1, SL-Q2) I bought as a senior in college in 1978 to use for DJ gigs (when real DJs used turntables, vinyl records, felt pads, and their hands to mix and scratch records ). That was more than a weeks pay from my summer intern job, but worth it. I still use them for projects such as digitizing my record collection and recording "continuous music" sequences.

Raising rowdy kids doesn't bode well for long lasting appliances . The oldest is the whole house vacuum cleaner that was installed when the house was built and is still going strong 40+ years later.

 

[ERD50]

A @1920's Victrola Model VV210.....in beautiful working condition and a very nice piece of furniture....I play it every week to keep it in working order...It was in an unheated family summer home/camp for 60 years and still looks and plays really well...

Cool. I've never heard one in person. I need to check out the youtubes for some. I bet that for all it's flaws, it really does have a special sound.

I remember one of the columns in a high end stereo magazine, the guy was a fan of the special sound of a certain type of tube amplifier design, single triode, IIRC. But that design could only produce a very limited amount of power, and he referred to it as a "flea-watt" system. His friend extolled the virtues of his wind-up Victrola, and called it a "no-watt" system!

There is a 1920's "Heatrola" heater in my cellar that was there when I moved in. It weighs about a thousand pounds!!! It doesn't work, but it's in really nice vintage shape and I want to use parts of it that are enameled for something else.....They're still on e-bay....I don't know how they got it down there ( house was built in late 80's)...

Never heard of those - The name "Heatrola" sounds like "Motorola", which was a mix up of the words 'Motor" for car, and "Victrola" for the disc music player, to represent their car radios. They were just trying to be hip and 1920's modern with that name?

Here's a link:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/blast-from-the-past-estate-heatrola.109385/

-ERD50

 

[AlbaCrush]

My electric hot water heater is 21 years old and still working fine.

 

[Rustic23]

45 year old electric chafing dish, used for Queso:

 

[ERD50]

My electric hot water heater is 21 years old and still working fine.

How would you know if it stopped working? How much hotter does your hot water need to be?

-ERD50

 

[GrayHare]

The number of 50+ y/o freezers mentioned, assuming they are regularly operated, is impressive. Presumably they have needed limited maintenace, otherwise they would have been replaced by now. What was different about circa 1960 compressors that made them so durable?

 

[Nodak]

Guess I should include my 45 year old McIntosh C28 Pre-amp, MC2100 amp, and ML-1C speakers along with a Dual 1009 turntable.