This could be the end of consumer electronic repair

[Rental Limo]

This is about the older appliances. Last December when i was attending my uncles funeral i stopped at my aunts house after the wake. When i was at the house i was surprized that the old frost free Whirlpool refrigerator they had for many years was still working. I was not there in 7 years. That refrigerator was in that kitchen since the house was remodeled in 1983, and i think it was in their old kitchen 2 years prior to the remodel! Also i was surprized that the 1990 Magnavox Smart Window console TV was still in the living room working, but that TV does not have many hours on it since they never had cable.

[HepcatWilly]

If you look at companies like Carr amps, Vandersteen, Ohm Acoustics, and (formerly) Cain & Cain and Trainwreck, it's often the president who takes your call and boxes up the part. Maybe there is something in the premium we pay for quality kit...?

I know that Roy Allison still contributes to the Allison Acoustics [fanclub] boards. He's no spring chicken.

[NowhereMan 1966]

It's a shame we live in a throwaway society. The only bright spot in repairing things is I had to replace part of a Pfister faucet, I called the company and they gave me parts for free, I only had to pay for shipping. It took a little while because it was during the summer and their warehouse staff was off for a week, but free parts and paying shipping, that wasn't bad. I also have a 1938 Frigidare refrigerator that still works.

[radiotvnut]

Speaking of appliances, I forgot to mention that my parents had two Sears Coldspot window A/C units that lasted for many years.

1. The oldest was a 110 V unit that was bought around '63 and lasted until the mid '90's when we finally got central A/C. It still worked; but, it didn't cool the best. Dad gave it to the guy that installed the central A/C and he was thrilled to get it. I think he knew how much better that older model was.

2. The next was a larger 220 V unit that was bought in the mid '60's and ran until 1983. I actually remember the night it died. It was working perfectly and then quit, just like the plug had been pulled. My Mother called the local Whirlpool dealer and they were very quick to tell her that the unit was not worth repairing and we needed a new A/C. I don't know if they were telling the truth or if they just wanted to sell a new A/C. That Whirlpool is still in the wall; but, was never the A/C that the old Sears was. We got central A/C in '96 and the only time the Whirlpool ever gets turned on is when the central A/C breaks.

[waltchan]

It's not that the consumer appliances or electronics are falling apart, but it is the whole society itself that is falling apart. Picture this, our living standards back in the late 60s were much better off than today. People today are much more ruder than before. In addition to lower quality appliances, we are also experiencing lower quality music records. I'm a musician, and to me, music records have gone downhill quickly since Radiohead's OK Computer in 1997. I think the downhills in our society has got to do with the invention of Internet.

[Bill R]

Peavey was always easy to deal with. They still will send you any part if they have it, and they usually do, and do not charge shipping. I wasn't an official service center, but when I asked for service schematics, they sent me a copy of all of them for just shipping. It was three or four boxes of schematics. Prints for every piece of old and current Peavey equipment. Their customer service was outstanding.

Bill R

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by waltchan

It's not that the consumer appliances or electronics are falling apart, but it is the whole society itself that is falling apart. Picture this, our living standards in late 60s were much better off than today. People today are much more ruder than before. In addition to lower quality appliances, we are also experiencing lower quality music records. I'm a musician, and to me, music records have gone downhill quickly since Radiohead's OK Computer in 1997. I think the downhills in our society has got to do with the invention of Internet.

I'm another one that thinks music has gone downhill. In fact, I mostly listen to older music from the '70's on back. Many times, those round vinyl things known as records are the only way I can hear some of that old, decent music. I'm certainly not going to hear it on the radio anymore. At least not around here.

[zenith2134]

I agree with many of you here, regarding the lower music standards, recording quality biting the dust, and consumer appliances/electronics becoming junk for the most part. Where did we go wrong? I really wish people still repaired things instead of tossing them. It seems as though automobiles are about the only things that people choose to fix anymore.

Got an old early '50s Westinghouse floor fan. All metal, 2-speed, heavy, substantial machine. This thing has seen so much use in my family (so I've heard) that they claim its a miracle its even still in one piece! I painted the thing, put on a new cord, and oiled the motor. I don't see this fan breaking anytime in my life! Where did we go wrong?

[AnalogDigit]

I wonder how long a new plasma TV or LCD TV will last before something breaks down.

That is why I'm sticking with CRT TV's. At least you can get them serviced.

Not to mention what it does to the environment if a lot of those sets land up in the landfill.

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by zenith2134

I agree with many of you here, regarding the lower music standards, recording quality biting the dust, and consumer appliances/electronics becoming junk for the most part. Where did we go wrong? I really wish people still repaired things instead of tossing them. It seems as though automobiles are about the only things that people choose to fix anymore.

Got an old early '50s Westinghouse floor fan. All metal, 2-speed, heavy, substantial machine. This thing has seen so much use in my family (so I've heard) that they claim its a miracle its even still in one piece! I painted the thing, put on a new cord, and oiled the motor. I don't see this fan breaking anytime in my life! Where did we go wrong?

That's a good point about automobiles being one of the few things that people choose to repair. Most people don't have an extra $30K+ stashed under the mattress to go buy a new one. I do wonder when we'll see "disposable automobiles". I know it's a ludicrous thought; but, most people thought it would never happen regarding everything else that is now considered disposable.

I've got a few old fans myself. I've got a mid '30's Robbins & Myers that works perfectly and the motor does not get hot even after hours of use. I've got a 1940 Emerson fan in the shop that works equally well. Today, I bought one of the newer ('60's or early '70's) Emerson fans with a more modern guard. Otherwise, it looks similar to the older ones from the '40's. I gave $15 for it at a flea market and all it needed was a power cord and lubrication. It's had a rough life; but, it works fine.

I still wish I had my parents' Sunbeam waffle iron from 1947 and their Sears Homart window fan from the same time period. The motor died on the fan and, IIRC, the waffle iron needed a new cord. My dad tossed them in the mid '90's because he didn't see the need in that "junk" sitting here. I'm sure a motor could have been found easily enough for the fan and I'm sure the waffle iron could have been fixed with a new cord.

[waltchan]

Not just music and electronics, but movie also counts. One of the most laughable movies of all time, in my opinion, is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Before it was released, you don't know how many times the marketing has spammed into many people's minds claiming it will be our next legendary movie since Raiders of the Lost Ark. So all the older generations like you took their words, paid $10 to see the film, and then at the end, they will feel letdown and find the movie to be just as cheaply made like all other recent films and not as higher quality as the previous three Indiana Jones films made in the 80s. And they were right, the movie critics only gave it three stars if they had followed the strict old guidelines. But since all the movies made after 2000 are so cheaply made, and none can be qualified anymore, the critics now have to be 30% more lenient than they did 20 years ago, which means, they might have graded five stars when it's not supposed to be five stars in the first place.

I totally ignored all these marketing spams. I have never heard a new movie made after 2000 can exceed the quality from the 80s. Anything made after 2000 is cheaply-made, regardless of how hard the marketers had tried.

I watched the Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade for the very first time ever in my life, and while I was sitting in my chair, I was totally amazed by the quality. I was so thirsty and wanted more. While they were exciting, there was that special feel inside me that I had never felt in more than 20 years in my life, which means what Steven Spielberg produced more than 20 years ago is now really forgotten.

[Rental Limo]

I like movies with real stunts. Not stunts made with the aide of a computer. The stunts on the classic TV show Chips were real stunts. Peoples lives were in jeopardy when filming that show. As for movies made after the year 2000 i like watching the movie Bring It On. That movie has nothing to do with stunts. Its just me ogling the ladies. .

[KentTeffeteller]

Gentlemen,

Case in point! Our broadcast stations got a brand new GE refrigerator 2 years ago. The ice maker uses a PC board as part of the assembly. Any power surge or glitch and that PC board acts like a fuse. We went through 9 of them in 6 months. This part cost $100 per and not warranty covered. After the 9th one, we put it up for sale on the Thrifty Nickel. We replaced it with a 1940 Frigidaire which has had a full servicing and works better than any new one. I refuse to buy any new GE appliances any more.

[MRX37]

To the person who blames the internet for the decline of... everything:

Are you insane?

First off, quality started going downhill well before the internet took off. Zenith in the early 1990's is a great example.

As for Hollywood not producing a great movie since 2000? I happen to think that Hannibal and the remake of Red Dragon were pretty good. Maybe not masterpieces, but certainly not bad. The Others was also a damn good movie.

The internet has its cons, like anything else, but it's spawned a lot of original works. Just look at albinoblacksheep.com.

As for low quality junk: The major well established brands in the USA produce low quality junk, however Japanese and Korean companies make better stuff overall. I could go into how our domestic brands are being kept alive through subsidies and outsourcing, but that's trending into politics.

Overall, things are CHANGING. Places like Hollywood have grown into sprawling decaying mounds of red tape which stifles creativity, hence the number of forgettable movies it produces. Movies like the "new" Indiana Jones movie star aging actors and aging directors/script writers who are over the hill. That's why the newest Indiana Jones movie can't hold a candle to the original.

While Hollywood dies a slow, painful death; independant filmmakers, who are generally NOT making movies for money, are making some movies that don't have bloated budgets, and while they lack the polish that most Hollywood movies have, they usually have a story, and maybe even actors that put Hollywood to shame.

If anything, the internet is forcing old business models to either evolve or die, and it's created, and creating new forms of entertainment. Older mediums like the movies and TV are trying to adapt, hence the 24/7 media coverage and cranking out low quality movies that rehash the same few stories over and over.

[vintagecollect]

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