I just wish manufacturers would take notice here. There is a moral obligation - in a diminishing world - for manufacturers to make products that last and are economically repairable, and not the throw-away crap they force upon us.
Too mush BS has been spread by large corporations to have us want the latest - as though this was a desirable human trait. This cycle requires inferior products that do not last.
Many thanks to ODK members who repair old stuff.
-------------------------- Jack
p.s. I attach a pdf of this Sydney Morning Herald article.
Beat this. A light blew, so I took the bulb out saw the tungsten filament was broken. As it was long, I swung the bulb around and it meshed with the other contact.... It's just science...... speedy
........................Keep your blades sharp......................
I have kept our Hoover washer going for 30 years now, done the seals, hoses etc. The last thing I replaced was the drive pulley on the motor and the repair place told me that was the last of the parts and there are no gearbox bits left. So when the gearbox goes the machine goes.
This is great but the one thing that I think you have to get the latest is computer technology...lol I am using a computer I have put together back in 2003. This is the computer I am using now typing on this forum...lol
I am still using Windows XP. The only web browser that still works on XP and access the internet now is Mozilla. But the version that I am using it not upgradable anymore and it's only a matter of time until I won't be able to access certain sites etc.
Then there is mobile phones. The only reason I upgraded to a newer mobile phone a few years ago was because all the phone companies switched off the 2G mobile networks. So I had no choice but to go out and buy a newer phone that works on the 3G network, which also will probably be switched off in a few more years.
So yes I am the last to upgrade to newer technology, and will only upgrade when I have no choice.
Now we also have that new darn NBN network. That is another thing I won't bother with until they disconnect my old analogue copper phone line! lol
Cheers!
Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay, another trash picked Victa, hip hip Hooray!
I haven't been on copper line since 2014. Mainly because I moved and DSL isn't available in my area just cable so I got high speed internet of 30megs (just recently they upgraded to 100megs but I don't see any improvements here) and now use an internet based phone service. Still however that RG6 cable is copper clad steel. Only choice I had was the cable service or satellite, which is not that reliable. Neighbors with satellite tv is always complaining about lost of signal.
When comes to computer equipment I start out with a 286 12 MHz system I did several upgrades due operating system and other software going out of date. When do upgrade now I buy refurbished systems. With Windows 7 being kill off next year the last refurbished systems I brought I made it a require that you be upgrade to Win 10. Now I won't go any higher due limited memory expansion.
The main reason I had to do these upgrades is the use of the systems as business computers.
As for other things I have always been a repairman so I repair a lot things that other simply right off. I just got done rebuilding a front cast iron axle that Husqvarna insists it is un-repairable just because they will not provide the plastic bushings. I install a set bronze bushings after they were machined to fit.
Last year I installed a bushing in an otherwise repairable $300 Kawasaki carburetor. Strange problem with that carburetor as choke shafts normally just don't wear out and break. Yet again the manufacture said it wasn't repairable.
The washing machine which is 20 yrs old now as a curb find where the Sears tech told the customer it was un-repairable just to sell a new one. It had a $2 (10 yrs ago price) plastic part broken which I replaced. I have 1100W microwave that is a curb find that only had a blown fuse. 90% of repair shop shelving is made out reclaimed bed rails angle iron and plywood from waterbeds.
It is just that the repair shops find it not economical to do the repairs anymore due to overhead costs and the fact that many of the our electronics supply shops are now gone. I having to order my electronics parts out Texas now. Many of the mowers that wiring problems that I repair other shops insist that they complete wiring harnesses when though just need a new terminal and possibly a connector housing.
Yes I am firm believer in the repair and use of items until become un-repairable then I do my best to recycle them either into a new item here or take to the recycle center. The landfill is the last resort for me.
The only 'major' thing that goes wrong with the toasters regularly is the electromagnet that latches it down - they get crumbs in it and stops latching. Thats all the problem I have had to deal with anyway.
Kettles have the difficulty of the 2 cent bimetallic strip warping and cutting off too early. I haven't had luck fixing that unfortunately.
Converse, that is a good run out of a computer. My last one was killed by a power surge during a lightning storm before I could shut it off. Fried the hard drive, and various other bits. Now on Win 8.
AVB, I'm still on copper and lucky to get 12mb per sec, down to 4mb in peak. It has been down to 0.2 at worst.
I couldn't be stuffed getting the latest phone - I still have a Samsung Flip phone and am still annoyed they shut off 2G - I used to get 3 weeks battery life. Now lucky to get 1 week.
Regarding this NBN rubbish, I got our landline turned off months before NBN was going to switch it off and when I rang Telstra to get it disconnected they wanted to know why and that I would loose my phone number we had had for 40 years. I told him I only got nuisance calls on it anyway and why would I want an NBN plan that was a min of $70 a month when I get all the internet and mobile phone calls I want for $25 a month. He couldn't argue with that. Sure I had to upgrade my phone to a 3G , nothing much I can do about that, at least I have a phone guy just around the corner who fixes phones in his garage and doesn't stitch people up
The Landlines as we know them are past history and merely a decoration left on the wall in the kitchen like ours is.
Call pricing on them is just way out of touch compared to call plans on mobiles that can be had for as little as $9.99 a month with a small amount of mobile data attached. This is what I have and truthfully I've never looked back.
BTW that's $120 a year and you'd get close to that every 3 months on a landline bill and that's even if you never made a call.
So once again I'm with you on this one Norm.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Hi AVB, ha I still remember my first computer was a 386 sx33mhz which I bought on the cheap from a second hand dealer here in Australia called "Cash Converters". I knew the manager at one of the stores and he told me there is a PC out the back which doesn't seem to work and I could just take it for a few dollars, I think this was back in 1996 or 1997. I think it had 4 megabytes of RAM and an 80megabyte hard drive! lol I took it to a mate of mine back then that was more into computers than I was and he checked it out and all that was wrong with it was a virus on the hard drive.lol I then upgraded to a 486 dx266, then a Pentium 166 and so on.
Hi Tyler, I still use an old Black And Decker toaster everyday, I reckon it's almost 30 years old now. The latch is sometimes now sticking a bit even after I clean the crumbs out. It probably needs a more in depth clean and taking it apart. But well it still works so I just leave it alone...lol Also we have an old Philips Australian made refrigerator which would be over 30 years old now and it still works great. Only things that have been changed on it during all those years was the defrost timer and the fan. Just 2 little repairs in over 30 years. As for kettles mate we used those electric one's for years but I just went back to the good old whistling stovetop kettle again..lol.
Hi NormK and Bonnar_Bloke, yes I was on ADSL internet for many years paying $30 a month. Anyway when I looked into my internet usage and how much I could save going on a prepaid wireless internet service I scrapped my ADSL which I was on from 2005 until late 2018. I am now using Optus prepaid wireless. I also did the same with my mobile phone service some years ago. I was with Telstra Mobilenet from 1996 up until around 2016. During 2016 they sent me a letter saying that I could no longer use my old 2G phone as it was being switched off soon, then they even said that I also could not stay on the old $20 a month plan I was on. So they said I have to buy a new phone and also I will have to pay $30 a month to stay on their network. When Telstra done that they lost a loyal 20 year customer! The next day I went to a Vodafone store and moved my number across to them and went on a 365 day expiry prepaid mobile phone plan, best thing I ever did. I am still on this service to this day and have saved a bundle as I don't use a mobile all the time.
Yes I also looked at all the NBN internet plans and they are too expensive when compared to prepaid wireless. The only thing I would connect to the NBN would be the landline to keep the original phone number. But yes it's getting too pricey to have a landline to keep an original house number. I'll just wait and see what they offer when it's time to switch over.
Cheers!
Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay, another trash picked Victa, hip hip Hooray!
Converse, NBN is a complete scam, just as bad as all the energy providers, dirty thieving mongrels and I don't hold back on telling them so. To keep a landline that costs an extra $10 a month on top of your base plan. I took great delight in telling them what they could do with it. I have used Vodaphone prepaid for years but I was ending up recharging it up to 4 times a year so it was costing me close to $600 a year. The way I have it now it costs me $25 a month and heaps more data
I am currently paying 86 usd monthly for both the cable internet and phone service [about 1032 usd yearly] but there is nothing else reliable available and they know it. The phone part is only 20 usd the rest is the internet service. Funny how they keep trying to get me to pay for wi-fi when I provide own thru the routers. I even provide an open wi-fi channel for customers to use.
The only reliable and that really stretching it wireless service here is Verizon at $75 month with limited data. I don't have wireless my myself because too many customer that are on Verizon has to hunt that sweet spot to make calls.
AVB, I was watching a show on TV yesterday on the doomsday cults in America. I thought they had good points but were a bit extreme in their predictions/expectations. I was discussing it last night with my so who is a sparky and he said that America had a real problem with their power supply and if something did happen to shut down the power to a large area the area would decent into chaos with in 3 days due to our total reliance on power these days. Without power you can do nothing, you can't get money from a bank,can't use credit cards, can't but food or any of the basic things needed to survive. The doomsday cults are storing away food and firewood so that they will have a chance of survival, but then the next issue is that they then have to fortify their properties so they can defend their food stores in the event of the electrical meltdown and people starving. Sure you can use a generator to give yourself power but it is pretty useless if you can get fuel for it because the service station can't pump fuel. Apparently Americas energy grid is a bit of a mishmash and not uniform across the whole country leaving them in this vulnerable situation. Bit of a worry for a country with a large population
It has a lot with Human nature too. Most are now dependent upon that quick supply of everything. They don't have a week or so supply of anything on hand. Big cities are the worst as they start looting as soon as they can for no reason other than just doing it.
Here in the Southeast US I learned to be prepared for electrical power outages by having a good stock of non perishables on hand. Most times the electricity is only out a few hours; unless, a storm has done major damage. There have been a few over the years that my electrical service had been for a week or longer. mainly because I am out near the end the service. It is also nice that all of us have learned that is going to happen and behave ourselves.
Several years ago [around 10+] I did stay without electricity for five weeks. This was because of a tornado outbreak that took our three main feeder lines out along major to the rest of the system too. Of course this not just three cable but is was three line of towers that supplied 3 phase via 300-500Kv lines. They only took less than a week to tie into another main feeder grid, basically mile long jumpers which supplied limited electrical power as long as everyone did their part on conserving so the lines wasn't loaded and burned out. Considering the amount of main feeder towers and lines that were destroyed I was surprised that they were to get things back to somewhat normal in this time. The largest city affect only had at the time 300K of residents but are affect has pop of over 1 million combined. It did take over an year to make permanent repairs.
Just like with anything there will be equipment failures but these are very rare due redundancy built into the system. It is the storms that causes most of our problems. Even though the systems are built to withstand normal storms they are getting more powerful as climate change changes the energy available to them so they do more damage.
Now places like New York, Chicago, and Salk City among others it would be different just because of the dependency on electricity. This one the major differences between urban and rural cities and communities.
I used to work work in the office equipment field repairing mainly electronic calculators. With US Army contract we had there was no telling how circuit boards I pieced to together telephone wire after they drop the machine on the floor. At times I would not had been surprised if one started ringing instead the regular hardwired telephones. Many of those machines were quite old and the replacement circuit were no longer available new..
And I just repair a riding mower front cast axle that Husqvarna said could only be replace with a complete unit. Sometimes it takes a good tech that know how get to repair things with custom made parts. Four Cast bronze bushings resized and the customer is good to go again. Probably will outlast the mower this time.
Yes AVB, you are able to repair things but in this day and age you are in the minority. Your determination to repair these things is not driven by the monetary gain as other repair/replace businesses are, your motivation is to prove that you can repair something you have been told is unrepairable Sadly this is not going to change the way the world spins
It annoys me no end that a lot of things make it as difficult as possible to "fix". I don't wear a tin foil hat, but when you see weak points in items that could not have cost more than a few cents to strengthen, you have to wonder. Usually that weak spot is "fixed" and not user replaceable either.
I don't collect mowers. I just require Multiple Mowing Solutions™.
