Scots_Charles_River
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Planned Obsolescence - we teach it in Product Design. The range is from a 4 pint milk bottle to a family car. Cheaper car tyres often have deeper tread than more expensive ones.
My latest conspiracy theory
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BOD
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I am looking forward to devices and systems failing in a crisis or failing and causing crises.
Just as long as I am not aboard when it happens
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
The bloke that last serviced my husquvarna sewing machine as good as said all main label machines made in the 20 years dont last more 5 years and arent up to the job. He collected cast iron victorian machines. I have two victorain singers that still work, and the husquvarna from the year I was born. I have gone through and binned three modern machines. He basically said between computer chips and fragile plastic parts modern stuff is designed to break. I have heard the same thing from car and washing machine repair men.
The thing is cars, washing machine, sewing machines, toasters, kettles, cookers and credit cards worked fine for years without chips. There is no proft in a everlasting lightbulb or a sewing machine that still works after 120 years.
The thing is cars, washing machine, sewing machines, toasters, kettles, cookers and credit cards worked fine for years without chips. There is no proft in a everlasting lightbulb or a sewing machine that still works after 120 years.
dont get me started on modern medical equipment
I used to work on a linear acellerator from the 60's - first of its kind - worked right up to the day it was replaced
its replacement is struggling to make 10 years and to be honest so much of it has been replaced its not even the original machine.....
I used to work on a linear acellerator from the 60's - first of its kind - worked right up to the day it was replaced
its replacement is struggling to make 10 years and to be honest so much of it has been replaced its not even the original machine.....
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Our Samsung fridge kept icing up and although it was out of warranty, Samsung sent an engineer round to fix it, free of charge.
Although I'm sure there is an amount of planned obsolescence, the fact that people aren't (always) prepared to pay for quality is probably a big factor. For example, you could buy an industrial sewing machine but it's more expensive than a domestic one which has to use cheaper parts to keep the cost low
Although I'm sure there is an amount of planned obsolescence, the fact that people aren't (always) prepared to pay for quality is probably a big factor. For example, you could buy an industrial sewing machine but it's more expensive than a domestic one which has to use cheaper parts to keep the cost low
It is simply own product knowledge and skill in calculating the 'mean time between failures' and other statistical measures and designing the guarantee to match the data.
Any product has a life, designed in or otherwise, and a knowledgeable and reputable manufacturer will back its product for that predicted life, but why should they give the punter a free ride when it is beyond its expected life.
I note that no one here has mentioned the service of a reputable manufacturer when an item fails within its expected life. e.g. Leatherman.
Any product has a life, designed in or otherwise, and a knowledgeable and reputable manufacturer will back its product for that predicted life, but why should they give the punter a free ride when it is beyond its expected life.
I note that no one here has mentioned the service of a reputable manufacturer when an item fails within its expected life. e.g. Leatherman.
My refurbished bose headphones have failed 3 times. Each time out of warranty and with no receipt. Each time I have been given a brand new pair including an upgrade to the latest model. So had 3 free pairs spanning 9 years
Years ago I'd agree, but the TV that blew was a Sony, the fridgefreezer was Bosch, washer drier was Hoover, had a snapped DC jack on a Lenova laptop, Gaggia coffee machine failed twice, second time I insisted on a refund and bought a new cafetiere putting £150 back in the bank. I won't pay £100 for a bushcraft shirt but will pay for 'nice, things at home, fact is that the quality of some of the 'better' companies just ain't what it was
Machines are indeed esigned to fail after a certain amount of time.
But..... if you buy a big plasma screen for instance with a 12 month warranty and it breaks down right after that, you can still claim your warranty! There are European laws, jurisprudence and/or court rulings stating that you can expect a piece of machinery of this category to last you at least 2 years. Same goes for other householdappliances. There are standards set for those, but no one knows. Buying extra warranty is nonsense, since you can still claim it, but I guess that's a manufacturers/resellers way of covering the extra costs.
It is based on the Sales of Good Act"
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1677034/Two-year-warranty-EU-law.html
Than additional laws from different countries can influence the warrantytime even further, like in Holland, but the 2-yearperiod applies allways.
It has been a long time ago, since I was in lawenforcement, but if memory serves me well, there are similar rulings for cras and other things you bought.
http://www.consumenteninformatiepunt.nl/page/en/themes/Kopen-in-de-EU
But..... if you buy a big plasma screen for instance with a 12 month warranty and it breaks down right after that, you can still claim your warranty! There are European laws, jurisprudence and/or court rulings stating that you can expect a piece of machinery of this category to last you at least 2 years. Same goes for other householdappliances. There are standards set for those, but no one knows. Buying extra warranty is nonsense, since you can still claim it, but I guess that's a manufacturers/resellers way of covering the extra costs.
It is based on the Sales of Good Act"
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1677034/Two-year-warranty-EU-law.html
Than additional laws from different countries can influence the warrantytime even further, like in Holland, but the 2-yearperiod applies allways.
It has been a long time ago, since I was in lawenforcement, but if memory serves me well, there are similar rulings for cras and other things you bought.
http://www.consumenteninformatiepunt.nl/page/en/themes/Kopen-in-de-EU
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continuing down the "planned obsolescence" thought road, I bet that changing fashions and fads are just a way to make money out of poor, unsuspecting, punters via fashion-conscious friends/family!
also, I can see why the scummy gits at the top do it: keep 'em coming back and keep prices down.
I have expensive clothes that haven't lasted as well as ones a third the price
also, I can see why the scummy gits at the top do it: keep 'em coming back and keep prices down.
I have expensive clothes that haven't lasted as well as ones a third the price
As others have said, building too high quality damages repeat sales, basically because the original purchase lasts too long....High quality is also expensive and makes it difficult to compete with other companies who make cheap versions.
As most customers choose the cheapest option, the companies who make decent quality stuff either lower their costs (quality) or go out of business.
IMO much of the blame lies with customers. They choose the products they buy.
As most customers choose the cheapest option, the companies who make decent quality stuff either lower their costs (quality) or go out of business.
IMO much of the blame lies with customers. They choose the products they buy.
This tumble drier must be around 40 years old as I'm 39 and it was at home as long as I can remember and now it sits in my garage and still works perfectly!! So they can make stuff that lasts but probably not good for business?
Steve.
Steve.
I know a guy who used to design electrical circuits for one of the biggest domestic electrical appliance makers in the UK.
The circuits were designed to fail on average just after the warranty period ran out. They'd work out the operating temperatures and ensure that one of the components was just slghtly under spec to reliably fail.
The circuits were designed to fail on average just after the warranty period ran out. They'd work out the operating temperatures and ensure that one of the components was just slghtly under spec to reliably fail.
This tumble drier must be around 40 years old as I'm 39 and it was at home as long as I can remember and now it sits in my garage and still works perfectly!! So they can make stuff that lasts but probably not good for business?
Steve.
Nice bow rig
Worth a watch
[video=youtube;1LPKhH-LrWI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LPKhH-LrWI&feature=player_embedded[/video]
[video=youtube;1LPKhH-LrWI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LPKhH-LrWI&feature=player_embedded[/video]
Nice bow rig
Ah yes but alas that bow never made it off the tiller and shall forever be named 'ye olde underpant worrier'
Steve
One piece of advice that someone once gave me about washing machines:
It is better to buy the lowest-spec model from the best quality brand, than the highest-spec model from a low quality brand. The reason is that the low-spec model from the higher quality brand will likely have exactly the same quality components as their top-spec models, only the electronics are different. But if you buy the highest-spec model from a low-quality brand, the quality of the components will be the same as their cheapest model.
I think Bosch and Siemens are now practically the same. Likewise Electrolux, Zanussi, Rosenlew (used to have a good reputation in Finland) and AEG are all the same company. This means they will (at least attempt to) share the same components between all brands, gives better purchasing power, allows a modular approach during the development process, reduces the number of spare parts they need to store in their network and reduces complexity in production.
IMO the only company worth buying white goods from is Miele. They are privately owned and have less pressure for short-term returns because there are no greedy shareholders. They still make extremely high quality products.
It is better to buy the lowest-spec model from the best quality brand, than the highest-spec model from a low quality brand. The reason is that the low-spec model from the higher quality brand will likely have exactly the same quality components as their top-spec models, only the electronics are different. But if you buy the highest-spec model from a low-quality brand, the quality of the components will be the same as their cheapest model.
I think Bosch and Siemens are now practically the same. Likewise Electrolux, Zanussi, Rosenlew (used to have a good reputation in Finland) and AEG are all the same company. This means they will (at least attempt to) share the same components between all brands, gives better purchasing power, allows a modular approach during the development process, reduces the number of spare parts they need to store in their network and reduces complexity in production.
IMO the only company worth buying white goods from is Miele. They are privately owned and have less pressure for short-term returns because there are no greedy shareholders. They still make extremely high quality products.
