Three days. That's how long my "new" can opener lasted... Three days.

[KansDem]

Last week my wife bought a new can opener. Now, it wasn't an expensive one--we have had such in the past but when they lasted only about a couple of years, we thought we would go with an inexpensive one. I mean, even an "inexpensive" one should last a year of so. Right?

Wrong. The very first time I used it, it broke. Now, of course we are going to take it back, but really... Manufacturing jobs have disappeared from the US. I now read where General Motors is going to invest $1 billion on manufacturing--In Brazil. And we continue to import more crap from other countries, like China, incidentally the origin of manufacture for my three-day can opener.

This past weekend I thought about all the shoddy products I've bought in the last few years that I wouldn't have tolerated a couple decades ago: Shoes that fell apart in less than a year, tee-shirts that, when I got them home, I found stitching that represented an attempt to "repair" a tear (where was "quality control" on this one?), flashlights that quit working after a few months, even with new batteries, lights that quit working after a year and a half, even with new bulbs (what's with it with electrical appliances?), shirts that had buttons come off within a few months, an outdoor water tap that lasted about three years, and now either I or a plumber will have to get down under the house to replace it--again, etc.

While I was thinking about this, I was putting away a Black & Decker vibrating sander that my stepfather had 40-50 years ago. Yeah, it still works. All metal--the only non-metallic part is the electrical cord. Even its carrying case is all metal.

And I wondered, "What's the great capitalist plan here?" To build quality products that last a lifetime and therefore cuts into corporate profits because they don't have to be constantly replaced? Or to import crappy products that require constant replacing therefore assuring ongoing corporate profits?

I think it's the latter...

on edit: the sander might be a Craftsman. Either way it was American-made at a time when quality stood for something.

[MADem]

1. What kind of can opener is it? Electric???

I use a manual one. Works great.

Something like this, only in stylish red:

[eleny]

6. I had to go back to my old manual one like this because my new manual one is crap

So I cleaned up the old one as best I could and keep it on the job.

[KansDem]

12. No, my older one looked like that but in stylish white

We went with an all-metal one. Cost about $3 and we bought it at a grocery store, but still it should have lasted longer than three days or one use...

It looks like this


...soup sold separately.

[redqueen]

14. I got the same kind a while back, same thing happened to me...

broke the first time I tried to use it.

But I kept it anyway for the cap remover and lid puncher thingy.

[madokie]

30. This reminds me of a story of a couple years back

I went to buy a pvc pipe cuter. When I got to the hardware store they had two brands, one made in china for around 20 bucks and another made in Tiawan for around 10 bucks. My better sense told me to buy the cheaper of the two because the chinese products I've bought for the most part haven't lived up to the task. I figure since the china made one was twice the price hell it must be some kind of good, not just your average good mind you but some kind of good so I opted to go with the higher priced one and came home and proceeded to gather up the supplies I'd need to do this project with and crawled my not wanting to get under the house ass under the house and guess what. The first cut I started to make, and this is after dragging all this stuff and my ass back 50 or so feet under the floor, anyways the damn thing just snapped, broke the damn handle right off. yep shore 'nuf. Pissed me right the hell off and I'm still pissed :-)

[MADem]

32. Yeah, those are lousy--the pointed bit that pierces the can tends to bend away

all too soon. It's as though the most important bit is made of "too soft" metal.

The best ones are the ones with the handles! Black, red, white, or the all-too-rare blue!

[KansDem]

66. That's what happened to me!

Damn thing broke off completely! The first time I used it! :grr:

I'll either replace it with the one you suggested, or one of these:

[hfojvt]

83. my metal one has lasted forever (okay maybe 30 years)

perhaps it helps that I do not open that many cans. Even less so now that so many of them come with pop-tops.

[Mopar151]

92. Yup! (sold as KitchenAid at Loew's)

The "All Metal" ines have a lousy nylon(ish) bushing which fails under load, so the star wheel won't stay in place.

It does'nt help, either, that the can rims are thinner now (saves metal) so the openers don't fit them as well.

[Berry Cool]

38. Those are pieces of crap.

Get a Swing-A-Way. Costs more, but it's worth it. You'll never need to buy another.

[juno jones]

41. May I recommend a brand called OXO?

They aren't cheap, about $5-$10 depending on whether you buy it at TJMAXX or your local grocery, but I've had mine for three years now and it has held up well. I've used them in restaurants to open #10 cans and they have lasted for years in that enviroment as well.

I have nerve damage in my left hand and the padded handles are a necessary feature for me.

[KansDem]

67. I'll check them out...

Thanks! :hi:

[Leftist Agitator]

73. We use an OXO Good Grip can opener at my restaurant.

It's a great tool.

[Jazzgirl]

85. The manual one I have now I believe is OXO.

I've had it for many years. I would look at electric ones but the ones I did buy always fell apart or became unusable within a year or two. I just stay with the good old manual and never have to worry.

[csziggy]

115. I got an OXO to use because my hands were hurting

And it has yet to open the first can. POS. Hubby was laughing at me, saying I wasn't using it right - he couldn't get it to work. So he threw it away. The old all metal like above works, but it makes my hands hurt and the cat gets pissed if I stop to rest my hands before his food is open.

I got a little battery powered One Touch can opener that works pretty good - but it's the type that opens the side of the seam instead of the top and leaves a sharp edge on the body of the can so we have to watch out for that.

https://www.onetouchopener.com/ver4/index.asp?refcode=Opener4


I found mine at a Walgreen's - didn't get the "FREE Grip Mate" but the price was cheaper and I didn't have to pay S&H.

The cat loves it - he hears it start up, and jumps on the counter to watch it travel around the edge of the can. He's still afraid enough of it that he hasn't tried to push it out of the way once it stops, but I would bet that is in the future.

[juno jones]

119. Sorry to hear that.

I've had no problems, but I've seen some changes in their models over the years so perhaps the quality isn't as good as it was. Any chinese made utinsils are pretty hit or miss. If Swing A Way would just pad their handles I'd buy one in a heartbeat. The one that was my mother's is still working, and I think they are still US made.

Personally, I want one of those big restaurant table crank babys but that's just me. :P

[csziggy]

136. My favorite can opener was a rechargeable one tha sat on a base

And could be taken to where ever you wanted. But the rechargeable battery finally died after about 20 years and oddly enough, I could not get it replaced!

I can't believe nobody makes one like that anymore - or if they do, they are keeping it a secret. So the One Touch was the best substitute I could find. I do like that I don't have to hole on to it, but the way it cuts the can makes it difficult to drain liquid out of canned goods - and using the lid to squeeze the water out of tuna is impossible.

But I use a lot less canned food than I used to and just need to make sure I have something that can be used after a hurricane, so the replaceable battery One Touch is OK for now.

[juno jones]

150. Wish I had an electric that lasted so long

Back to that planned obsolescence thingy.

[csziggy]

151. Yes, It was a good can opener

I still have the countertop electric one I bought from Goodwill while I was in college but it lives at the barn. It was old when I bought it in 1975 - coppertone color - but it still works. It's just ugly as sin and there are times when I do not have the use of both hands** so I can hold the can up with one and operate the lever with the other. Otherwise, I would just spray paint the exterior and bring it to the house!

**I just got the word from my physical therapist yesterday - I can't start doing strength training with the shoulder that was operated on until September. So I will not have full use for at least two or three more months. I am not allowed to pick up anything that weighs more than a small cup of coffee, so it is a PITA.

That is why I like the portable electric ones, especially this new one I have that only needs one hand to put it on the can and press the button.

[colinmom71]

152. Another second for the OXO Good Grips brands...

My OXO manual can opener has worked just great and I've had it for 8 years or so. I think I bought it at Target for less than $10.

[reflection]

54. This is the only type of can opener I use also.

I've had it for 20 years.

I took it to the dorm with me when I went to college and my roommate, no matter how many times I showed him how to use it, could not figure out how to use it. He grew up with nothing but electric can openers. Had to open his cans for 4 years. Never did figure out what his mental block was with respect to the manual can opener.

[pschoeb]

69. never buy any utinsels at grocery store

Their overpriced(for what they are) and extremely poorly made, these are designed to be high margin items at grocery stores, as it's not their main market.

This would be my choice for can openers
http://www.nwcutlery.com/Can_Jar_Openers-Swing_A_Way_Comfort_Grip_Can_Opener.html

[Warpy]

70. My arthritis can't take the cheap metal ones

but my Good Grips has lasted for about 8 years so far.

When plastic is stronger than metal, something is seriously wrong.

Offshore quality control is practically nonexistent. Metal and electrical products are especially bad. Plastic they can do.

[tomreedtoon]

118. KansDem, get a SWING-A-WAY can opener.

You won't find it under that name. You might find it at Evil*Mart on their own card, or under some other generic name, but if you examine the metal of the can opener it will say "Swing-A-Way" on it. And it should look something like this:



I used the red-handled Swing-A-Way can opener my late mother bought back in the 1960's up until about ten years ago. I looked for the exact same can opener, and it's still made. (It is the can opener that the astronauts used.) It works beautifully, it lasts forever if you don't drive a truck over it, and you can hand it down to YOUR children.

[KakistocracyHater]

142. I have noticed that we are getting "Factory 2nds", from all kinds of

stores, Walmart, Sears, Target, Amazon-there DOES seem to be NO QUALITY CONTROL at all. I've bought a 'yellow' bell pepper plant that when matured was the CHEAP red pepper instead. I bought a seed packet that claimed to be mixed color hollyhock-turns out all white, NOT the more expensive variety I PAID for.

[Occulus]

145. My mom has one exactly like that

She's had it for, Oh I don't know... I'm 34, and I remember it being around from the time I was a kid.

I think you may have just happened to get a bad one.

[Berry Cool]

37. Swing-A-Ways rule. Looks like the one MADem posted a pic of.

I don't know where these babies are made, but they work forever. My mother had one and I would never buy anything else.

ed. for clarity

[pschoeb]

77. Agree AMCO Swing A Ways are the best

They last forever.

[BlooInBloo]

45. Hey! Gimme back my can opener!

[elocs]

49. I've used one like that for the last 18 years. It works. That's all I need. n/t

[Caliman73]

79. Yup me too

I believe it is a Swing Away or something like that. Mine is black because most appliances in my kitchen are black and stainless. I've had my opener for about 5 years with no problems. Just a wash or rinse after using and a scrub down and some mineral oil every couple of weeks and it is good to go.

[Berry Cool]

105. I confess, I have probably barely cleaned my Swing-A-Way and it still works.

Much less oiled it. And it's gotta be at least 22 years old. The metal those things are made out of is solid as a rock. It will not let you down.

It even has a special unadvertised feature. If you want to hear a cat meow, all you have to do is take it out of the drawer and clack it together a few times. There doesn't even need to be any can present. Just clack it together and twist the knob and, out of nowhere, a cat will appear and meow at your feet*.

*Special feature works only in households containing at least one cat.

[wolfgangmo]

91. I have a manual that ...

... opens the cans with a smooth non-sharp edge. It works great.

Oh. It's made in Canada, which is, for my money, almost like made in the US.

[tsuki]

93. I have a stylish red also. You can never have enough red. nt

[orleans]

102. i have a non-stylish tan

saves electricity, saves counter space

only people who need electric can openers are those whose wrist/hand strength doesn't allow them to open cans with these

a few years ago my wrist was messed up and i thought i'd have to resort to an electric can opener and i was really bummed out by that.

luckily it didn't have to happen--within a few days i was able to slowly/carefully use the manual one again.

[iamthatiamtatsat]

104. Me, too! And it just takes a moment, no electricity...

I don't eat out of cans, so it's not like I am constantly employing this device, but I sure as hell don't need an electric one. I wish people still used manual lawn mowers, too...

[Ilsa]

130. That's the one I have and it works great. nt

[devilgrrl]

131. I have one like that but with white handles - I've had it for 15 years now. Guess where it's made?

The U.S.A.! :wow:

And still going strong :patriot:

This is a great topic of discussion btw.

[MADem]

134. The ones I have are US made, too.

The one I use most often is only ten or fifteen years old, I guess. I have a couple at seasonal locales too--one's fairly new, maybe five years old, and the other one is....Jesus...well, I inherited it in the mid sixties, and I'm betting it was around for a fair while before that!

[Mike K]

139. Your Can Opener

I have the same one, in red, which I use when my Black & Decker electric one won't work, wihch is more than infrequently.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

140. I have this in grey and it is at least 12 yrs. old.

[azmouse]

2. Have you bought jeans lately?

They fall apart in no time. The denim shreds at the bottom, and stretches out in the seat and legs til they look like parachute pants. And it doesn't seem to matter what brand I try they are all the same and of course all are made overseas.

Since going naked isn't an option, what choice do I have but to keep buying clothing that is so badly made it falls apart after a few wearings? The manufacturers have us over a barrel (and soon the barrel may be better to wear than the clothing!).

[KansDem]

15. As a matter of fact I have...

Imported Levis. The first thing to go was the belt loops. Almost every one pulled out and I didn't have them for very long.

[closeupready]

23. Yes, I have noticed this, too. I find the fabric frays at the slightest tug

or irritation - for example, the corner of my wallet, of all things, has eaten a hole in TWO pairs of slacks made in Vietnam. When it happened the first time, I was like, how the hell did that happen? I couldn't figure it out. I thought maybe the laundress at the laundromat where I take my laundry had put a burn hole from a cigarette. Then later, in an aha moment, I somehow figured it out - that the hole was located at the spot where the corner of my wallet rests.

And we are talking a matter of mere MONTHS.

[demosincebirth]

53. Your wallet is too fat.

[satya]

74. You might consider these union-made in the USA jeans ...

http://www.allamericanclothing.com/bottoms.html

[azmouse]

78. Seems a litte unfair that they only have one style for women.

Not much to chose from in denim for women.

[satya]

94. Here are others (not union-made, but made in USA, some from US denim)

http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/jeans.htm

[azmouse]

99. Thank you!

:) I'll definitely check it out.

[dionysus]

122. i had the belt loop break off a pair of calvin klein jeans (bought because they mislabeled it..$30 )

after a month.
i am 32 and still have a few pairs of my old jeans from the 90s that are durable as hell... but used as painting/work clothes now.

[Fumesucker]

3. Planned obsolescence

The time before something become obsolete is becoming shorter and shorter, soon the stuff will be broken before you buy it.

Oh, wait, you already mentioned that.

Never mind.. -Emily Litella

[gmoney]

7. Just replaced my 15+ year old fridge...

Wondering if I'll get 3 years out of the new one. :/

[Kalyke]

21. You can still find very good fridges made right 'chere in the good ole USA.

http://www.usstuff.com/refridge.htm

[lpbk2713]

62. I replaced my 30 yo J C Penney fridge about two years ago.

Never had any trouble with it. It was still running great but I
thought I would get another one that is more economical to run.

Penney's hasn't sold appliances for decades but I had that fridge
and I'm still using a Penney's brand microwave. I didn't check but
I would bet they were both 'Made in USA'.

[TexYellowDogDem]

63. 15+ year old fridge............

We still use the International-Harvester refrigerator that my parents bought in 1949! Still works great. It's in the barn where we use it to store medications for the livestock.

[myrna minx]

147. I was about to welcome you to DU, TexYellowDogDem,

but I see you're an old timer. :hi: Good to see you here.

[ellie]

4. Yes, the latter is right

There is an ongoing pressure to increase profits year after year after year. How to do that? First by outsourcing the jobs. Then by using shoddy materials and craftsmanship. The only way the U.S. is going to have a viable manufacturing base in this country is if workers own factories and everyone makes the same amount of money.

[SoCalDem]

5. I've had TWO coffeemakers conk out since Christmas

and they were not el-cheapo ones either.. The clock area started taking on steam, and quit working, and then it started sputtering half way through the brew cycle and took about an hour and 24 cups worth of water poured in to get to 10 cups of coffee on one machine, and the other one just flat out quit.. I pulled out a $7.00 Sunbeam that I found in a bargain bin and am using that one..:)

[eleny]

16. Sometimes I miss the fragrance of coffee perking on the stove

It takes me back to my kid days when dad was the first to wake up and make coffee every day.

[SoCalDem]

33. I started out with one of these

and then graduated to this one

[dionysus]

123. with my mom it was the damned tea kettle. impossible to sleep through that whistle.

[Blue_In_AK]

112. Similar experience here.

Coffeemaker burned out in less than three months. It was a higher-end brand, too. Now we're back to Mr. Coffee.

[MADem]

129. I use one of these babies, on top of an old jug. I just boil water on the stove

put in the filter and coffee, and throw the water in! Works great. I don't have the under-carafe, though!





I've had it for a few decades now, it's been all over the world. I had a ceramic one in Japan that was good for one or two cups of coffee that lasted for eons too, but it finally hit the floor and broke!

[krispos42]

8. My aunt in Illinois has an old can opener...

... I had to use it when I was there a couple of weeks ago. Probably a couple of decades old. I peeked underneath to see where it was made. And it was made here in America.



Now the only durable goods we make here seem to be firearms and cutlery. :-(

[Bozita]

20. Bought a Chicago Cutlery knife ... made in China

[krispos42]

26. Bought an Ohio Forge tape measure...

...also made in China.

:-(

[gorfle]

68. Bought a table at American Oak...

..made in Taiwan.

[texastoast]

9. Planned obsolescence

Keeps my corporate stock folio just a ticking right along.:sarcasm: Things break, you have to replace it. The sooner they break, the sooner you replace it and so the MORE you replace it.

And when you own a CEO's share of stock in the company, things that break often are a very good thing. Fuck the environment, if you please.

God is in the dollar for these people.

[GreenPartyVoter]

154. Yep :^(

[Hepburn]

10. I have a 15+ year old Hamilton Beach can opener...

...and it works perfectly except the attachment with the magnet that picks the lid from the opened can broke off.

So I go and get a new can opener ~~ label it a piece of shit. It is back in it's box and I am taking it back to the store. I would not open cans...PERIOD.

Yeah, quality control? What a joke.

[Bozita]

34. My 1yr. old Hamilton Beach coffee percolator was made in China

[mikeytherat]

39. Went through two Hamilton-Blech percolators in less than a year.

mikey_the_rat

[JimWis]

11. Good post. Yea, I got stuff around my house that belonged to my

parents that is still in better condition now than similar items I purchased more recently.

[Hepburn]

13. I have an electric mixer that was my grandmother's and it has...

...out lasted two that I have bought. I hear ya...:hi:

[KansDem]

29. I have a blender that my mom used. Must be at least 40 years old

Waring. Glass with metal base. One speed--toggle on-off switch. I made salsa verde in it just last week!

[madrchsod]

60. my daughter bought a complete kitchen aide for 5 bucks.

funky 60`s yellow but it was never used....

[defendandprotect]

107. This is why so much OLD stuff is trading well on E-Bay . . .

I knew about E-bay but never watched it ... then, after getting rid of
TEFLON pan and finding that one of the new ones-- reduced from $100 made
me sick -- I had to go on E-bay to get old Revere Ware!!!

[TexasObserver]

17. Probably made in China, where much of the modern crap is made.

The lack of quality of goods imported from third world countries is the only thing consistent about those goods.

[madokie]

18. And doesn't it just warm the cockles of your heart

fucking trash that we're offered to buy, it's sucks.

[phantom power]

19. Planned Obsolescence

Will a company spend extra cost and effort at making products that last decades, thus decreasing their long-term revenue?

That question answers itself.
:(

[sinkingfeeling]

22. It's terrible to be older and be able to remember when you bought stuff and it lasted for decades.

I still have several complete sets of sheets from my wedding in 1967. Washed a million times and still going, if a tad thread-bare. Compare those to the ones from Wal-Mart that start out with about 400 less threads per inch and wear through in about 6 months.
I still have an American-made Curtis-Mathes console TV from 1977. It's been moved all over the country and has never had a repair. It's hooked up to cable through a DVD player to get the number of channels required, but still is going.
I also have electric drills, sanders, grinders, etc. from my dad who passed away in 1989.
I recently saw a chart about major home appliances and how long one could expect them to last. I think refrigerators are only good for about 7 years now. I know of several that into their 4th or 5th decade of use.

Things will never be the same again.

[juno jones]

44. The old 'grandma' towels I've wound up with over the years are in

far better shape than the expensive new ones I bought three or four years ago.

If only they weren't so small...:P

[defendandprotect]

108. True -- the new towels aren't good . . . age quickly . . . not color fast . ..

can't wash them in hot water!!

[juno jones]

120. The weave is much tighter and the pile softer.

Just gotta deal with the lousy colors. My current batch is very garish. Someone's grandma was into bamboo patterns in mustard yellow and lipstick pink.

Mebbe if I sew a bunch of them together I'll have one big enough for a real bath towel. :P

[Daphne08]

48. I was thinking the same thing.

There was a time when almost everything we bought was made in America, and the goods and products were well-made.

Most American companies and the people who worked for them had a certain pride in the workmanship and the quality of products back then. Perhaps I'm just remembering the good and not the bad.

But the way things are today...?

Well, it just makes me feel very sad.

[Vinca]

24. Your can opener sounds like my luck with toasters.

I can't bear to spend much on them because it's all cheap shit from China. The latest one has held up a few months and actually toasts the bread after a couple of cycles. It's very frustrating. My favorite 2 appliances are a crockpot and a food dehydrator from the 1970's. They'll never die. I'm always on the lookout for "new old" appliances that were made in the USA.

[Bozita]

40. My China toaster gives off strong, noxious fumes when in operation.

I believe it's from the white stuff used to color it white.

[greguganus]

47. China White? n/t

[Fla Dem]

113. Still using a 35 year old 2 slice GE toaster manufactured in Bridgepot CT, USA.

Yeah the toasting is a little uneven, but it still comes out great.

[babydollhead]

25. when did we get used to things not lasting?

everybody knows that their appliances, gadgets, gizmos and do dads will not last and that's so bizarre to me,,when did it begin and how is it so common place now?

[lpbk2713]

90. Might have started with TV's.

Just my opinion, but back in the 60's or so when a TV went bad the repairman would give an estimate on how much the repair bill would be. A lot of people would gasp and say never mind and get a new one with better features for just a little more money and they might also have stepped up to color from B&W at that time. It was possibly around that time that the average homeowner got conditioned to consumer goods not lasting very long and manufacturers were more than happy to go along with that mindset.

[Berry Cool]

103. My family's first 1960s color TV died after only a few years. Picture tube blew.

At that point, replacing the picture tube and buying a new TV were both about equally expensive, and we couldn't afford to do either. Went back to using the old black-and-white TV we used to use. It continued to work until we could finally afford to replace it in '73 with what passed for a "portable" TV back then (a full-sized but non-console TV with a flimsy handle on top).

In the '70s and '80s, technology progressed so quickly that the cost of replacing a dead TV with a new one with more features quickly shrank to way less than the cost of getting just about any dead TV fixed. The same thing eventually happened to VCRs, and I assume is happening with DVD players and DVRs. It breaks? Throw it away and buy a new one; it's cheaper.

[hileeopnyn8d]

111. That did happen

My Dad used to fix friends, neighbors and coworkers televisions for them, just mainly as a hobby. I can't tell you how many TVs we had that people just decided they didn't want back.

Of course, technology changed too. You can't fix a tv now by searching through your box a tubes for a replacement.

[Doremus]

116. Nope.

TVs were still made in America, at American wages, in the 1960s. We didn't completely offshore the TV industry until the 70s or 80s. It was a sad day indeed when (at the time) Japan took over the US leadership position.

Repair costs didn't start exceeding the cost of new retail until well after the offshoring took place.

[proteus_lives]

27. I've had the same one for years.

Hand-crank ones are the way to go.

[HughBeaumont]

28. C.C.C! All Over Uhmerica!

A look at my Cheap Chinese Crap experience. How many other products from that weird and polluted Uhmerican Corporate slave state have fallen apart within a matter of weeks or months on me? Too many to name, man . . .

[Stevenmarc]

31. I'm still using my mothers can opener it's got to be 50+ years old

[kestrel91316]

56. Probably a US MADE Swingaway. See my post below. And no, I don't own stock

in them, lol. But they are THE BEST.

[Stevenmarc]

72. Yes it is, and it will probably outlive me.

[frebrd]

84. I have a Swing-A-Way screwed to the wall above my counter.......

that I've used for almost twenty years. Still works perfectly!

[Mariana]

35. You might try checking your line voltage.

I found out that mine swings wildly during peak hours after I got a surge protector for my TV that displays the line voltage. At night, it runs at 120V as it should, but I've seen it drop as low as 86V during the day. Anything drawing power while that's going on is going to be damaged and will die sooner than it would have otherwise.

Of course, there's also plenty of utter crap being sold that won't last under the best of circumstances.

[MgtPA]

36. I have a Lady Kenmore electric razor from Sears I received as a gift for my 16th birthday - in 1969.

I just used it yesterday, still works just great.

Made in USA

[corpseratemedia]

43. I have one too, still use, made in 1988...!

lol and only half as old as yours!



What if people end up returning enough crap (I have ended up returning a lot more over the last few years) won't businesses look at their profits and go "Hey, so much stuff is being returned we're losing profits!"? (on edit, forgot to add): "What if we manufacture back in the US?"


No..didn't think so!

[pipi_k]

55. Kenmore still good quality

Three years ago we got rid of our 18 year old Kenmore fridge/freezer and got another one. Not because it died, but because we're out here in the sticks, and if it happened to die in the middle of winter, it would be real hard to get a truck to deliver here.

Same thing with the old Kenmore washer and dryer, that were at least 18 years old. Got new ones in case the old ones died at a time we couldn't get someone here to deliver.

[arikara]

59. Gawd I have a Kenmore washer thats 20 years old

I wouldn't part with it for the world. It broke down a couple years ago, cost $70 to fix. The repairman said hold on to it, they don't make them like that anymore. If the front loaders should quit full of water as they frequently do, they are a bugger to do anything with.

[Stentor7]

42. Re:Product manufacturing

KD,
I believe the operative phrase you're looking for here is planned obsolescence, the paradigm of making things that have a limited lifetime, or a definite Mean Time Between Failure or MTBF. The reason most buttons come off of the clothes is because they use such cheap thread. What about all of the threads, extra stitching, etc. that you have to deal with when you get new clothes? That's usually because the people sewing the clothes together are under time constraints so they do it as hurriedly as possible, sometimes I have found sewn stitching on the inside of my new clothes that extends for several inches beyond the seam just hanging loose like a flag, and I have to cut it off. I don't remember having to do this when I was younger with my new clothes, but now it's a matter of standard operating procedure that when I cut off all the various price tags and other crap that comes with new clothes, I turn them inside out, and trim all the extra stitching off the insides. One time I had a thread that was hanging down past my waist that had come out through my left sleeve on a new t-shirt, unbelievable!

Also think about how disposable everything has become, plastic everywhere, and none of it can be fixed. I had a paper shredder that worked perfectly fine until the plastic drive gear wore down. Wouldn't work after that because even though the drive motor was still good, it wouldn't engage the blades, and there was no way to get, make, buy, a new one. So I had to throw it away, and buy another one, what a waste! Reminds me of that whole kingdom was lost because of a nail for a shoe allegory. We're pissing away our own security for cheap material goods.

[myrna minx]

146. Welcome to DU, Stentor7.

:hi: I couldn't agree more.

[mullard12ax7]

46. Try going into DSW to get some shoes, LOL

I tried on 17 pairs one day, every single pair was a defect or a knock-off. I know some were knock-offs/fakes because I already owned a pair of real Adidas tennis shoes that DSW was selling and the DSW shoes had plastic instead of leather on the tops of the shoes.

As long as we live in a culture that allows criminals to go free, it's all downhill as far as our lifestyle and expectations go.

[pipi_k]

50. Before I buy anything now, I check consumer reviews

They're all over the place, but I usually look on Amazon.com. Doing that has saved me from making many big mistakes. Of course, there's the occasional item that wasn't so great, but it was probably a fluke, especially if other people have reported good results.

One sort of funny thing about becoming spoiled by stuff that used to last forever...

We have two riding mowers. One is an old Craftsman...the other is a Murray. Both of them are on their last legs, mechanically. Mr Pip is really upset with the Murray because it's ONLY 13 years old. The Craftsman lasted 20 years. :7

Oh, and I just remembered the cell phone thing...

Last October was the two year contract date for our Verizon cell service. Well, four months before that, my cell phone died. What's so annoying about it is that I took VERY good care of that damned thing. Didn't even have a lot of use, really, since it only got used when I was out of the house (we don't get cell service near my home yet). It dies a couple of months before the contract date runs out and in order to get a new one inexpensively that means we have to re-sign the contract...but we really wanted to downgrade to the Senior plan because we don't need 700 minutes and the price is a little more than we want to pay.

I see people hurling their phones around, their dogs are chewing on them, they're dropping them in the toilet, etc. I care for mine like a baby and it dies after less than two years.

Fucking Motorola...

I got an LG instead.

hope it lasts.

[kestrel91316]

51. Get yourself a Swingaway manual can opener. My original one

from THIRTY YEARS AGO, IIRC, is still almost like new. It's in my kitchen drawer. I bought a second one for clinic use (with all the pop top cans it gets little use now, lol) and it will probably outlive me.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1278254

I don't know where they are made, but given how great they are, I am assuming the US.

Here ya go. Made in the USA to this day. The ONLY can opener you need ever buy. Tell a friend.
http://www.focuspg.com/finditem.cfm?itemid=1929

[KansDem]

81. Good suggestion...

I'll check into a SAW. All-American, too!

[defendandprotect]

52. All products suck now . . . toaster ovens are exploding, for one . . .

CHECK ALL THE REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING ...

Of course, you'll probably find there's nothing to buy!!!

[defendandprotect]

57. 50,000 American factories have closed over last 10 years . . .!!!!

[madrchsod]

61. 50,002....two just closed in my area

[earth mom]

64. Your post deserves it's own thread.

But my question is-how many politicians in DC are working right now to bring some of those manufacturing jobs back? Few, I'd wager. :grr:

[defendandprotect]

106. Heard that on Schultz the other day, but not enough about the subject

for a thread . . .

And, obviously the corporate press is too busy selling BEER to report

anything on this -- !!!

[earth mom]

133. Gotta keep everyone drunk so they don't know what's really going on!

:argh:

[Bozita]

71. Michigan now has more healthcare jobs than manufacturing jobs.

A recent switch.

[madrchsod]

58. i buy all my stuff from my local charity shop

so far i`ve scored little used..toaster,toater oven,clocks,dishes,and fans that were all made in america. built out of real metal and heavy plastic by real americans who`s labor was shipped overseas or to mexico.

i always think of those folks who made theses things and what they are doing now. i suppose their kids and grandkids are buying crap from china and mexico. and we wonder why we are in the state we are in.

[gorfle]

65. We have raced to the bottom.

I quit shopping at Walmart. Not for any moral reason, but simply because the quality had dropped to the point that it wasn't worth it. I used to buy belts at Walmart. But the tongue of the buckle was ripping through the "leather" holes in the belt within a week. Now I go to a men's store like S&K and spend $45 on a belt that lasts for years, instead of $12 for a cheap one from Walmart.

I used to buy my shirts at Walmart. But they were worn threadbare from washing in less than a year. Now I buy my shirts from L&L Bean that come with a lifetime warranty. So I spend $30 on a quality shirt instead of $15 for one that only lasts a year. Same for pants. I now buy them from a men's store.

Likewise I now buy Craftsman tools with a lifetime warranty from Sears instead of the much cheaper Chinese imitations from the local auto-parts store.

Fortunately I now make enough money that I can afford to do this most of the time when I buy things.

[wolfgangmo]

95. A few of my favorites and a comment.

Tilley clothing has an unconditional lifetime warranty on some of their clothing. I have a hat of theirs from 10 years ago and it's still like brand new. I lost one camping once (it got shredded by a boat motor) and they just sent me a new one.

Snap on tools - pricey but worth it. Craftsman are a close second but you need to make sure that you get craftsman brand and not sears brand. Sears brand doesn't have the warrantee and is made in china.

About leather. My dad is one of the last true from scratch custom made saddle makers. One of the best in the world according to western horseman magazine. He told me that if you see the word genuine and leather together then you don't have leather, you have ground up leather dust and glue. Genuine leather is to real leather what press board is to oak. I have a belt he made me 20 years ago and it still looks good. Try a leather goods store like tandy or go to a saddle shop and ask them where they keep the none crap belts.

[gorfle]

97. Leather and glue.

He told me that if you see the word genuine and leather together then you don't have leather, you have ground up leather dust and glue.

Amen. It took me a while to figure this out. I don't know how they can be allowed to say it is "genuine leather" when it is hardly leather at all.

What do they call real leather?

[lumpy]

75. We are on our 4th toaster purchased in the last 5 years.

Current one was purchased by my son-in-law at a garage sale for $3.00; ugly black, Black and Decker 4 holer. Will see how long this one lasts. No more buying new crap for me.

[Lochloosa]

76. Get a P-38. Best can opener EVER.

http://www.georgia-outfitters.com/page52.shtml

[KansDem]

80. Wow! That looks very formidable!

Probably couldn't take that through airport security...

[frebrd]

87. I've carried a P-38 on my keychain for close to fifty years

(the can opener, not the WWII fighter plane).

Haven't been in an airport since 1980 and don't plan to. I'd probably get pissed off at the wrong person and land in jail!

[Mike K]

141. Never Fails!

:)

[Stevenmarc]

82. That looks like a future trip to the Emergency Room

[gorfle]

98. I agree.

I discovered those when I was a kid in Boy Scouts. They are fast and easy.

[hileeopnyn8d]

109. This lefty could never manage to get the hang of those

Which is strange because you wouldn't think that would be a left-handed/righthanded thing. Maybe I'm just not coordinated enough.

[SleeplessInAlabama]

86. Maybe I'm lucky to have an "old" electric can opener....

My super-doesn't-match-anything-in-any-modern-kitchen whiteish plastic Black & Decker can opener has opened every can I've had since 1989...

Except during hurricanes. ;-)

[Cairycat]

88. And it used to be that things could be repaired

Maybe not can openers, but there were a lot of small electric appliances that used to be able to be repaired for less than buying a new one.

What a different country this would be if Americans not only could buy quality American-made products, but these products could have their usefulness extended by repair rather than automatic replacement.

[tridim]

89. I got that beat. I bought a plastic fly swatter last year..

and it literally exploded the first time I used it on a fly. Yep, a fly swatter that can't survive a simple fly swat. Thanks China!

I think my parents still have the same fly swatter they bought in 1962.

[gleaner]

96. You just stated....

the "Walmart" marketing theory. They sell things cheaply that they know will break and that the customer will have to go back to replace. They even figured out the price range that will trigger replacement rather than buying a better made (if you can find it) product which will last longer, but cost more to begin with.

I read this in an article about how Walmart forced a small company which made excellent lawn mowers, which were guaranteed to last for a lifetime, out of business because the company would not make a cheap, break the same minute, model for Walmart. After they forced the company out of business they made a deal more to their satisfaction with the new owner who didn't care about anything but a quick profit.

Back to can openers now. My Dad bought a manual can opener in the 70s with plastic handles. It worked beautifully and still does. When the plastic handles broke in the 90s, he carefully made wooden handles and riveted them into place. Recently I looked at the can openers in the store which were flimsy, light and looked like they would break if any pressure was exerted on them at all. I passed. I'll stick with Old Faithful. We know each other well, it works and probably will outlast me.;)

[XemaSab]

100. I can't find a can opener that works

The old one was shitty, so we got a new one. That one was shitty too.

The other day in a fit of pique I threw one of them about 4 feet across the kitchen, and the handle totally bent. :wtf:

[onethatcares]

101. find a P38 at an army/navy surplus store and you'll

never buy another can opener the rest of your life.

[Blue_In_AK]

110. We bought a $6 plant light (Sylvania) a few days ago

and it burned out the second I plugged it in. The next one we plugged in is working fine, so it was obviously a defective bulb. We didn't feel like we could take it back because how could we prove that it wasn't a dead one from our house.

[Tesha]

117. Normally, I pillory the "big box" home goods stores here...

but if you bought the failing bulb from one of them (Lowes, Home Despot, etc.),
always take failures like that back. They'll almost always gladly exchange it and,
if you prefer, will often refund it. They probably have some sense of which products
have a high rate of "infant mortality" and which don't so they know, more or less,
if you're bullshitting them or not.

We had a CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) for a while that would fail inter-
mittently. I probably put up with it for six months and finally said "Enough!"
and took it back to Home Despot. They exchanged it with no questions asked.

Tesha

[Posteritatis]

114. My can opener is twice my age; it is mighty and unstoppable. (nt)

[dionysus]

126. coincidentally i just posted the same sentiment. my parents gave me a can opener when i left home,

and even then it was old. and here it is 14 years later, still working great :)

[dionysus]

121. chump. my manual can opener is older than i am and still works. (just kidding)

about the chump part that is... can opener rocks :)

[bullwinkle428]

124. "Repair shops" for all kinds of items were all over the place when

I was a kid, back in the 1970s. Now, they're more rare than hen's teeth, as (all part of the planned obsolesence scheme) prices of new items have dropped just enough to make repairing things unfeasible from an economic perspective, despite the cost burden.

[bullwinkle428]

125. Sorry...duplicate post!

[Robb]

127. Best gift I ever got was my dad's old Milwaukee Sawzall.

Just like the sander, I expect. Metal everything, weighs a ton, works like a charm. Remodeled the whole bathroom with it this year, it's got to be 50 years old if it's a day.

[Mopar151]

143. I love Milwaulkee tools

The 1/2" drills could out-survive Kieth Richards

[ControlledDemolition]

128. Mine, made in the USA, is still going strong after 13 years! n/t

[1620rock]

132. I bought a grass clipper at Lowe's, $15.00....took it out of the package

in the parking lot, snipped it once and a cheap rivet fell out and the blades wouldn't work. Took it right back to the customer service desk to exchange it, and the girl said: here's your money back...you don't want these, go to a garden store and get a GOOD pair.

[Naturyl]

135. Get a Swing-a-Way. They never die.

Not many things last anymore. These openers do.

[Dappleganger]

137. Still using dh's grandmother's old ironing board.

It's copper and heavy as a tank, but it gets the job done.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

138. The Electric Corning Ware coffeemaker....

I have one of those. They are great. I also have a bunch of Corning Ware I inherited from mom and grandma. Stuff lasts forever, I think it's impossible to break.

I have a five quart Corning Ware dutch oven with pyrex lid. I make dressing in it every thanksgiving and the ladies at our church dinner ooh and aah over it. :D

I'm still using a big Cuisinart 6 cup food processor, made in Japan, I got in 1981. Makes fabulous yeast bread.

I also have mom's stainless steel Sunbeam Mixmaster with stainless steel bowls. And assorted hand mixers that still work.

Does anyone else have one of those hand eggbeaters with the crank on the side?

[Patiod]

144. True story about the engineer and her can opener

During an ice storm some years ago, I called my friend, who is a prominant engineer who heads up her own company.

"What are you doing for food, with the electricity off?"

"I'm ordering pizza"

"But you have a gas stove - why don't you make soup"

"I only have an electric can-opener, so I can't open any of my soup cans"

[4_TN_TITANS]

148. I've had the same experience with coffee pots, one after another

We had a 25 year old toaster over until not too long ago. Our washer and dryer are commercial maytags (my grandmother's) from the 70's that still run perfectly. They don't make 'em like they used to.

[followthemoney]

149. When Spain became wealthy from the plundered gold from the New World

the majority of the people became poor because there was no need to manufacture anything when it could be outsourced and imported. Funny how the wealthiest nation in the world is on that same track to poverty.

[Hekate]

153. Lamps really bother me. When I go on vacation I unplug the new ones, likewise the toaster...

It's sad. When I was growing up all lamps had a tag on the cord from the Underwriters Laboratory, which I took to mean the electrical workings were certified safe. When I invested in some new table lamps a few years ago there were tags affixed to the cords, but these ones warned you about things like overheating, and while they also mentioned the polarized plug, it somehow didn't convey the same sense of confidence the old UL tags had.

Hekate