Your oldest device or gadget

[DougJohnson]

Grandfather clocks ca. 1750, 1790, and 1900. All running. Chairs made by my multi-great grandfather, 1850, used daily. A bunch of Craftsman tools from the early 1970s. A Fluke multimeter from 1980 or so. Used it a few minutes ago.
-- Doug

 

[GLM]

Good Old stuff- 60'S and circa 1910-1930'S

DH has a timing light from the 60'S.(and a 1966 GTO)

I used my grandmother's hand mixer (you crank it by hand) to whip cream last month when my immersion blender / whisk died.

 

[ychuck46]

Sony Clie

As far as oldest electronic gadget, I still use the Sony Clie organizer I have had for God knows how long (it was an OEM version of the Palm units that used the same software). Still works great for holding important things like passwords that I don't trust to a password manager website.

 

[samcat]

I'm going with "electronics" and still useful.


This gadget has been delivering weather and hazards for over 40 years. Runs even if the Internet goes out.

My dad has one of those.

 

[indiajust]

I sold my great grandmothers pedal pumper sewing machine, an "our special" knockoff from the sewing machine patent wars of the 1880's . Used it to stitch hockey gear, hem pants. Still had the solid chrome button hole attachment. Just get the leather belt damp occasionally to improve friction.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire23]

I came across this article about the oldest device or gadget people have and still use. It got me thinking and for now I think my oldest working device that I still use is a GE AM/FM kitchen radio. It has an attached electric outlet that can be turned on manually, or set set to turn on at a certain time. It's the kind mounted under the cabinets so does not take up counter space. It also has a light to illuminate the counter with Hi and Lo settings for the light level. The tuner is a dial that moves a red bar through the frequency scale. How quaint. Oh, reception is pretty good.

I estimate it's age at 30+ years.


https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52965974

As far as electronic 'gadgets' go, our main phone is a 1964 Stromberg-Carlson rotary-dial wall mounted phone in the kitchen. (we have a crappy little Trac-Fone we turn on once or twice a year if we travel)
My metal lunchbox that I use every day I go to work was made by the American Thermos Co in 1957.
Our house was built in 1910.
The vehicle I drive to work in the summer (on nice days) is a 1979 El Camino.

 

[aja8888]

Just remembered I had this old Waterbury Kitchen Clock from about 1880. Still works when I wind it and the door has a hand painted scene on the back of the glass. It's all original (unrestored).

 

[bolt]

I used to have one of those. Lost it in the divorce of 1983.

Im sure most of us x-audiophiles recall Tech-Hifi in NewEngland.
Marketing galore! It was all about the hype!
After my purchase these tech-hifi brothers did not frown on switching brands like to element*-radioshack* brand for Sonys branding or simalar in 70/80s. Branding escapes me.
I can see its prior purveyors yachts in the Hraaaabaaa from here!


Good luck & Best wishes!

 

[ARW44]

I use my Sharp EL-5806 as well. Its case has many stickers authorizing it to go in and out of a number of extremely highly classified installations, since it completely clears its memory when it is turned off, preventing it from carrying any secret numbers out the door.

 

[Jamie1101]

Tappan Stove still in use

I have been collecting antiques for way too long so I will stick to an appliance I use every day. I acquired my 1920's Tappan Range in 1990. It has four burners plus a "warmer burner" which is perfect for keeping my coffee dripped in the 1940's Wearever pot at just the right temperature. It is an art to control the oven temperatures as there is no thermostat. When the back snaps out I know it is about at 350° and can regulate the gas from that....lots of memorable meals have been cooked on this.....

 

[Surfdaddy]

I still have my ~1974 BIC 960 turntable, still working.
I also have my ~1978 Pentax MX SLR but have not used it since around 2002 or so, but it's in fine shape.
Our garage refrigerator was a Whirlpool bought in 1982.

 

[ERD50]

The triode signal tubes in my stereo preamp are nearly 100 years old. Sound great!

Wow, hundred year old tubes, impressive!

Can you get replacements? I know the common tubes are still being made, or there is NOS (New Old Stock) available, but I don't know about hundred year old tubes. What are the numbers?

I've seen youtube videos of people making their own tubes. Quite a bit of work and time to get then evacuated and sealed, and there is a 'getter' process to draw out impurities (I forget the details).

I probably mentioned elsewhere, a few years ago, I had the opportunity to hear a large gramophone that is in a private museum. I was astonished at the volume and clarity. I recently saw a youtube video that explained whenever you hear a gramophone in a movie, they use an old scratchy, tinny sound as that is what people expect. But the real thing, with a good recording is far better than I expected. Still no match for a good electronic system, but not as bad as what we think of.

-ERD50

 

[gettingthere]

Sunbeam Handheld Mixer from the early 1960s. Works just fine.

Cost 3 S&H Green Stamp Books.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

With the qualifiers - electronic device and still used regularly, it is my mid seventies era 22-204A Micronta mutimeter. I have a couple of digital meters but often prefer this one -
PS, on the rare occasions when I wear a watch, it is my Casio F-500 purchased in 1980.

 

[Scratchy]

Sharp solar scientific calculator 1985, still works fine.

This brought back memories-I had the same calculator. Stopped working many years ago and I remember being very disappointed. I liked the way the buttons felt and that it needed no batteries. You obviously treat your things very well-looks like new and still have the paperwork!!!

 

[financemups]

I own a ton of old **** and like to decorate from the free section of Craigslist or random piles on the side of the road. I have a 1936 (could be as old as 1932, but right in those years there) Corona Duo typewriter that is in perfect condition and have used it the past several years to type out manual 1099s when needed for my work. I still use my grandpa's 10 key which is electronic and was probably new in the late 70s/very early 80s. The lamps in my front room belonged to my grandparents and are from the 50s. My dishes are 80+ years old, belonged to my great grandparents and were scrounged/thrifted by me out of barn storage.

 

[RetMD21]

We have a mid 70s Cuisinart food processor

 

[KB]

Old Electrolux, date unknown, attachments unknown. Use it to vacuum out the car.

My parents had one of those when I was a kid, only it was green.

 

[38Chevy454]

Since the thread has changed from electronic items to just old items still in use, I will add in my numerous old mechanics tools from 1920s through 1940s. My grandfather had a service garage in the 1950s, I inherited all of his old tools. Couple are analog electronic, but I don't use them on regular basis. I do use the wrenches and sockets and other specialty tools.
I have analog dwell meters I still use on my points ignition vehicles. I forgot about them in my first post in this thread. The meters are probably 1960-1970s era.
It's been fun to see what people still have in use. Wonder how our current throw away society would answer this question 25 or more years from now.

 

[aja8888]

I've still got my Heathkit Dwell Meter.

 

[Koolau]

My dad bought an ice-cream scoop about 1965. It's not strictly speaking "mechanical." It's more like a heavy gage knife (looks a bit like a Bowie knife.) No need to clean it (or even wet it) between scoops. The ice-cream comes out more in slices than "balls" but that works out okay in a dish. For cones, you simply bend the slices over into a ball. I've never seen one since and I plan to keep this one (and pass it down within the family.)

 

[JP.mpls]

Boose, please post a photo of the matching table.
My stove was made by a company called AB out of Michigan.
JP

JP.mpls, that almost matches our enamel-topped kitchen table with chrome legs. Which is probably from the same time period.

 

[Ready-4-ER-at-14]

Oldest gadget is whole bunch of electrical tools in a funky metal box that was given to me by the granddaughter of said electrician in about 1984. There was a wire stripper that was so plain and functional that still exists in a similar model today.. just the old one is better able to strip almost microscopic wires without cutting through. A couple of way funky crescent wrenches and linesman pliers with no insulating handles.. an important improvement years later. Old wooden handled screwdrivers and nut drivers as well. Some of the stuff must be 75 years old.

Finally am still using daily calendar freeware software called past present and future made in 1997 that is in machine language and is compatible with win 10... Size of the program is 30.5 KB.. Ty Bob Dolan the programmer.

Of all the stuff I've left behind in moves and downsizing only thing I regret leaving behind was a really heavy anvil surface steel pad about 16" square and maybe 5" thick that mounted to a work bench... When I smashed something between it and a couple pound sledge mallet it whimpered and stayed flat... rosebud.. lol

 

[mcbraemer]

Favorite Guitar "Gadget"

I came across an unusual and quite rare electric guitar to add to my very modest collection way back from a friend in the early 80's who as a side gig bought and sold stringed instruments. An interesting guy, he even got to know Les Paul in his later years and would go occasionally to Les' NYC residence to talk and jam on guitars.
He sold me a 1966 Guild Thunderbird electric which I have and play to this day. What was unique was that it has a metal "kickstand" embedded in the wooden back, and two small metal discs that act as feet. Theory is that a musician would tilt out the bar and stand up the guitar by itself on stage during breaks or before/after playing. This guitar was popular with Muddy Waters (on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland) and with the guitarist from the Lovin Spoonful. In practice, most of the unfortunate players who tried this had the unstable unit fall hard backwards onto the floor, easily snapping off the tuning hey heafstock. Thus, a very limited edition guitar became much more limited indeed.
Looks and still plays like it did way back when, especially when I rock along with the old 60s and 70s songs of our youth.
Below is a picture of Muddy's from the Hall of Fame. Mine is ruby red. It is my link to my early teen years!

 

[mcbraemer]

Pix