They don’t make em like they used to

Stephen and I bought a lawnmower off Stephen’s brother, a better model than the one we had. We got it for a good price and with it only being three years old, expected we’d get some good use out of it. It wasn’t long ago that the machine wouldn’t start and after getting that fixed, we had about two or three more mows before it died completely. We have been told we will need either a new motor put in or a new mower. And Stephen was also told that nowadays they add emission control devices to the mowers which reduce the life of the engine. This is a lawnmower, for heaven’s sake. We have chosen the option of putting in a new motor, about $300 worth and one that is of the old-fashioned type, ie it does not contain these emission devices. Hopefully we will get some good service out of this one.

But lawnmowers are not the only things being affected by today’s manufacturing. I remember when I left Paul in 1999. I had nothing, so scoured the papers and shops for second-hand appliances, fitting myself with a washing machine, fridge, freezer and everything else I needed. These appliances were already several years old when I bought them and I only sold them when I decided I was ready to upgrade to new ones, several years later. That was a surprise because every one of the new items only lasted a few years before needing replacing, unlike the ones I had just sold.

I remember once buying the most expensive toaster that I could find, after finding the cheaper ones only lasted a short while. That turned out to be a waste of money as I didn’t get any longer usage from this more expensive one.

My two-year-old food processor, also an expensive one, already has an important component broken on it. I can still use it but have to align everything perfectly for it to go.

I have been told that things aren’t made to last these days, unlike in our parent’s day, when they would have ovens and the like for most of their lives. I guess in comparison, prices have probably come down too, making this practise of replacing things cheaper than it would have been in the past. I must say, an exception to this seems to be my current washing machine, a Bosch. Being a massage therapist for more than 10 years, my washing load was huge as after every client I would have two acrylic blankets, two pillow cases and two smaller items to wash. And of course, I had my own washing too. My busiest week was one Christmas period when I had 39 clients. I would have done at least 46 loads of washing that week. That machine is still ticking along nicely and is probably delighted to only have to wash once or twice per day. I know which brand I would like to replace it with when this one finally gives up the ghost.

That brings me to another point. Are some brands better these days than others or is everything made in China by the same people, just being sold under different names?

I guess this is all part of the society we now live in. The days of craftmanship and skill are long gone though it is nice seeing some of the older arts making a comeback. Yay to these craftsmen and women.