Things don’t last like they used to…

Quasicat

Quasicat

Member
I hate spending money. Because of this, I keep my stuff as long as I can. In 2001 I bought a 40 inch LCD TV and it lasted me until 2019, so I bought another one at 48 inches (both were Sony Bravia TVs).
This past weekend, I come home and the TV is dead, so now I'm picking up an LG 65 inch QNED.
What I want to know is, what is something that broke for you, that was really not that old, that really pissed you off?
 
Sleepwalker said:
My SSD just died this past weekend, it was barely 3 years old. My old HDD from the early 2010s is still going strong.
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That's fortunately something I've never experienced as I have several backups of my Plex server. Still I would be really angry if that happened to my main PC.
 
My PS5 broke a few months after I got it. My Dualsenses (all 3 of them, 2 launch models and one 1+ year later) all drift. My switch joycons drift.

So basically, gaming hardware.
 
I've lost count how many Nintendo Switch consoles I've had. Funnily enough I've never had drifting joycon which is what everyone seems to cry about. The issues I've had with them are things like Wi-Fi dying, battery issues, disconnecting/laggy joycons, faulty USB C port (was getting flickering when docked).

I just bought a new Switch last month so we'll see how long this lasts.
 
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yes, most things are calibrated to last 2-5 years max of moderate usage. They're also mostly impossible to fix. The other day the carafe for my coffee machine broke, and even though the company still sells the machine, they do not sell replacement carafes and I can't find any that are compatible. Of course this is intentional. The end result is that I have to buy a whole new machine and throw my working one in the garbage. A few months ago my iPad Pro 2018 (which cost me probably $1000 when I bought it) just stopped being able to charge. I took it to the store and was prepared to payfor repairs and they basically said, well it's $600 to replace with the same model, OR I could just buy a new model of course. It's just ridiculous. I'm done.

The only solution is to own less stuff.
 
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diffusionx said:
yes, most things are calibrated to last 2-5 years max of moderate usage.
Click to expand...

I was just about to say it seems to be made to last 5 years based on my own experience of everything that's broken in the last year or so. Worked perfectly, maintained and not mistreated.

Air Fryer
Rice Cooker
Fridge Freezer
Toaster
Hotplate
Beard shaver
I had an air conditioner break too, but that's 10+ years old so fair dos.

I fixed the rice cooker because it was an internal fuse that had blown, I doubt the average person would have figured that out by taking it apart and knowing what that one wire with a lump in it was.
 
diffusionx said:
yes, most things are calibrated to last 2-5 years max of moderate usage. They're also mostly impossible to fix. The other day the carafe for my coffee machine broke, and even though the company still sells the machine, they do not sell replacement carafes and I can't find any that are compatible. Of course this is intentional. The end result is that I have to buy a whole new machine and throw my working one in the garbage. A few months ago my iPad Pro 2018 (which cost me probably $1000 when I bought it) just stopped being able to charge. I took it to the store and was prepared to payfor repairs and they basically said, well it's $600 to replace with the same model, OR I could just buy a new model of course. It's just ridiculous. I'm done.

The only solution is to own less stuff.
Click to expand...

Have you checked taobao/aliexpress? I find all sorts of OEM repair parts there. Your charge issue is annoying because I experienced the same thing. It has to do with apple going cheap on a chip in the USB assembly that regulates voltage. Apple told me to fuck off so I went to a local electronic repair shop and they fixed it for 50$.
 
More movable parts, more complex tech. Ofc shit is more likely to go out of order, nothing magical about that.
 
diffusionx said:
yes, most things are calibrated to last 2-5 years max of moderate usage. They're also mostly impossible to fix. The other day the carafe for my coffee machine broke, and even though the company still sells the machine, they do not sell replacement carafes and I can't find any that are compatible. Of course this is intentional. The end result is that I have to buy a whole new machine and throw my working one in the garbage. A few months ago my iPad Pro 2018 (which cost me probably $1000 when I bought it) just stopped being able to charge. I took it to the store and was prepared to payfor repairs and they basically said, well it's $600 to replace with the same model, OR I could just buy a new model of course. It's just ridiculous. I'm done.

The only solution is to own less stuff.
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Yes, the drive to make you buy new stuff instead of repairing old is disgusting and I would like to see EU-wide legislation being adopted to obligate companies to make products they sell reparable.
 
Quasicat said:
This past weekend, I come home and the TV is dead, so now I'm picking up an LG 65 inch QNED.
Click to expand...
I sense the OLED squad approaching.

jurassic park dinosaur GIF
 
Planned obsolescence is real. Also, there's just more shit to break and go wrong, everything has a goddamn cpu now.

Mom spent like 5K on a fancy washer/dryer set and has had people out to service them like 3 times already in less than 2 years. Meanwhile, the ancient washer/dryer units I picked up for $150 total at a used appliance store are still rocking after a decade of use.
 
NeoIkaruGAF said:
I sense the OLED squad approaching.

jurassic park dinosaur GIF
Click to expand...
I looked at those, but I have a ton of natural light that comes into my living room, and OLED just isn't bright enough. What I like about the QNED is how bright it gets, but with a much higher contrast than I've previously had.
 
Yeah I hear you OP. My current TV is a Samsung that is still going strong in year five, but before that I had a Samsung, then a Sony set that both developed flaws in their screen only like 2 years into their life.
 
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I bought a mouse 3 years ago that is already going haywire with the scroll wheel and the laser. To remedy this, I bought an IBM M-S30 PS/2 mouse from 30+ years ago and it works perfectly. The barely working mouse was brand new when I bought it (Logitech office mouse) and it can't even square up to a mouse 10 times older than it? No thanks, I love the (new to me) IBM mouse more.
 
Tell me about it. Had to send my real doll back four times because she started to moan about who would be making dinner. Bitch pls.
 
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TronNerd82 said:
I bought a mouse 3 years ago that is already going haywire with the scroll wheel and the laser. To remedy this, I bought an IBM M-S30 PS/2 mouse from 30+ years ago and it works perfectly. The barely working mouse was brand new when I bought it (Logitech office mouse) and it can't even square up to a mouse 10 times older than it? No thanks, I love the (new to me) IBM mouse more.
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Mouses is a good choice. Went from having one that worked fine for decades (until i couldn't use it because of the pin connector) to breaking one every couple of years.
 
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I bought a 65" Sony X900F a few years ago that likes to restart itself randomly. I still have a 55" Hitachi Plasma from the mid 2000s that works fine, no burn in. Also have a 52" Sharp LCD from late 2000s that works fine.
 
No doubt some things got worse, some things hold firm. From my experience with things from past and present.

Holds up great. ZERO issues ever
- Any big and small kitchen appliance. Can be toaster or an oven. Always worked

Got shittier
- TVs. My old ass Panasonic CRT worked flawlessly ($600). My Sony 900e TV had pixel and audio issues, and even the NF app barely worked ($1800)

Got way shittier
- Cars. Drove a Civic in the 2000s ($20k), then also a company car Impala for years (free). Zero issues. Even the Impala which is one of those cars which Consumer Reports would grill with black dot ratings everywhere ran fine. Bought a new high end car and got tons of issues. Looks nice, but never get an Alfa Romeo ($60k) unless you want to bring the car in every 6 months for a minor repair under warranty
 
Slightly off topic, but someone mentioned the real doll above. It has me wondering how many of those things they actually sell. I remember hearing about them back in the day on the Stern show and they are still around so there has to be a market for them.
 
TronNerd82 said:
I bought a mouse 3 years ago that is already going haywire with the scroll wheel and the laser. To remedy this, I bought an IBM M-S30 PS/2 mouse from 30+ years ago and it works perfectly. The barely working mouse was brand new when I bought it (Logitech office mouse) and it can't even square up to a mouse 10 times older than it? No thanks, I love the (new to me) IBM mouse more.
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kanjobazooie kanjobazooie is now following you.
 
Quasicat said:
I hate spending money. Because of this, I keep my stuff as long as I can. In 2001 I bought a 40 inch LCD TV and it lasted me until 2019, so I bought another one at 48 inches (both were Sony Bravia TVs).
This past weekend, I come home and the TV is dead, so now I'm picking up an LG 65 inch QNED.
What I want to know is, what is something that broke for you, that was really not that old, that really pissed you off?
Click to expand...
If you bought an LCD tv in 2001 you must be made of money lol. Unless you mean the rear projection LCD.
 
Kilau said:
If you bought an LCD tv in 2001 you must be made of money lol. Unless you mean the rear projection LCD.
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Yep. 40 inch LCD flat panel TV. I don't remember exactly how much it was, but I bought it on sale at Circuit City for over $9000. I lived in campus housing at the time so that was all on student loans and I had no wife or kids. Now I can't spend that kind of money on a TV because of wife, kid, and mortgage.
 
Quasicat said:
Yep. 40 inch LCD flat panel TV. I don't remember exactly how much it was, but I bought it on sale at Circuit City for over $9000. I lived in campus housing at the time so that was all on student loans and I had no wife or kids. Now I can't spend that kind of money on a TV because of wife, kid, and mortgage.
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Damn lol, I'd have kept it that long too.
 
diffusionx said:
yes, most things are calibrated to last 2-5 years max of moderate usage. They're also mostly impossible to fix. The other day the carafe for my coffee machine broke, and even though the company still sells the machine, they do not sell replacement carafes and I can't find any that are compatible. Of course this is intentional. The end result is that I have to buy a whole new machine and throw my working one in the garbage. A few months ago my iPad Pro 2018 (which cost me probably $1000 when I bought it) just stopped being able to charge. I took it to the store and was prepared to payfor repairs and they basically said, well it's $600 to replace with the same model, OR I could just buy a new model of course. It's just ridiculous. I'm done.

The only solution is to own less stuff.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, this is how the market copes with demographic decline, forcing the consumer to buy more often.
For decades, we've been used to spend money more freely, clever marketing has instilled in our consciousness that accessibility equals quality.

What we used to call "average" is now called "premium" and we have to pay extra for it, and even then we are screwed big time.
In this reality, it's getting harder and harder for me to make decisions that wouldn't piss me off.

As an entrepreneur friend of mine once said, "In the past, there was nothing but there was plenty, now there is plenty yet there is nothing".
 
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I suppose I'm mostly lucky in that regard. Stuff I buy tends to last until I no longer need/want it.

The exception is Sony's fucking controllers. Went through 3 DS4 (charge port and button failure) and already on my 3rd DualSense (analog stick drift and jittering). They're the only ones who makes a d-pad I like using for side-scrollers and I can't be assed to try and fix their issues myself. I wish Valve would take another crack at a controller because the Deck controls are perfect. Like remove the screen, push the sides together and add some curves for better ergonomics and every other controller can fuck off.
 
Alebrije said:
It is...all from clothes to electronics are programmed to die at certain time...its the base of actual economy known as "mass consumption"
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It never used to be like this though, anyone who grew up in the 70's, 80's or 90's and got stuck in can vouch for the endless time spent fixing duff products

We even had shops that sold the spare parts or second hand shops that stripped items down you could rebuy..

Take cars for example, I spent most of my youth in the 90's ripping out carbs, checking pistons for pits, adjusting points, throwing solenoids against walls when they pissed me off..

Now look at it. I honestly only know one or two blokes that will even lift a bonnet to even check the oil, companies have certainly homed in on this

It's true that most companies make these products to just be replaced but to play devils advocate, people are just too damn lazy to even learn what to do to fix things

We did it to ourselves.
 
Dr.Morris79 said:
It's true that most companies make these products to just be replaced but to play devils advocate, people are just too damn lazy to even learn what to do to fix things
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Except the small fact that any company will consider the warranty void from the moment you even dare to scratch some stupid warranty sticker. Same with car companies - repairs authorised only with authorised dealers, otherwise the company will not honor the the warranty. Same for all sort of insurance companies - need to go through their middlemen to get anywhere.
 
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Seems a logical assumption that when equipment is made to last less long you're forced to buy said equipment sooner which makes sense from an economic perspective.

But that reason is already post i assume.

There's also the aspects of being lucky with a particular model I reckon.
 
thefool said:
Mouses is a good choice. Went from having one that worked fine for decades (until i couldn't use it because of the pin connector) to breaking one every couple of years.
Click to expand...

I switched to a wired mouse, connection issues and jittering as it got older. Also replacing the battery was an added cost just to remove a wire that isn't that long anyway.
 
Quasicat said:
I hate spending money. Because of this, I keep my stuff as long as I can. In 2001 I bought a 40 inch LCD TV and it lasted me until 2019, so I bought another one at 48 inches (both were Sony Bravia TVs).
This past weekend, I come home and the TV is dead, so now I'm picking up an LG 65 inch QNED.
What I want to know is, what is something that broke for you, that was really not that old, that really pissed you off?
Click to expand...
Newer modems, monitors and a number of things.

The problem is not in engineering so much but supply chain. Things don't last as long because companies invest the bare minimum in material, outsourced assembly (most in the same industrial parts of China) and assembly. Then what happens once the product finally gets freighted, customers brokers are paid and a CIL allows you (e.g. -- TV) to finally be unloaded to the American factories? They're supposed to QC everything under engineering supervision. But, rather than hire people qualified...domestic factories scrape for temps. There's oversighting, mismanaged and your TV ends up being one of those that got the C-grade QC check.

These are then boxed up again for wholesale retailers and that's why businesses like Amazon and Costco suffer a hit from mass returns. Return items have to be refurbished and marked down.

I write this because I've been a director in one of these large businesses for years. I work into the international trade side. We see every step of the flawed process.
 
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Cyberpunkd said:
Except the small fact that any company will consider the warranty void from the moment you even dare to scratch some stupid warranty sticker. Same with car companies - repairs authorised only with authorised dealers, otherwise the company will not go or the warranty. Same for all sort of insurance companies - need to go through their middlemen to get anywhere.
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Yep, times changed. Unless the item was broke out of the box you just used it until it came to fixing it, yourself.

Try fixing a TV now, rubbish.

It's part of the reason I dont buy all this climbate change bullshit.
 
I had so many issues with my Sony Bravia. The screen died one day and I asked them to refund me. I went with an LG OLED which I love.
 
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Quasicat said:
I looked at those, but I have a ton of natural light that comes into my living room, and OLED just isn't bright enough. What I like about the QNED is how bright it gets, but with a much higher contrast than I've previously had.
Click to expand...
I had the same fears but I got one anyway and it's excellent.
 
Dualsense controllers. I got my ps5 a year ago and I'm already on my second controller and it already has drift.

And these bitches got the balls to raise the price to $80 now. This is some bullshit.
 
StreetsofBeige said:
Holds up great. ZERO issues ever
- Any big and small kitchen appliance. Can be toaster or an oven. Always worked
Click to expand...

Wish I had your luck. When we moved into our house in 2009, it came with all new GE appliances. By 2011, the fridge and dishwasher died. A year later, the two rear coils of the electric stove stopped working. Within 3 years of getting the place, we had to replace every major appliance in the kitchen. At least the fridge was still under warranty when it failed. Just before we moved in 2020, the replacement dishwasher's motor went out.

Meanwhile, when my mom died in 2015, she still had the old 80's Magic Chef fridge I grew up with as a kid and it was still running like a champ as a spare fridge in the garage.
 
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I'd love to see actual data on this as I suspect it's no where near what people think. I wonder how much is that things are just way way more complex and what is the cutting of corners and what is planned.

I know that some is all 3. My wife's stand mixer went a few years back and I fixed it but the number of parts inside that were plastic instead of metal (the one I got the parts from) shocked me. They were thin too. Now, I'm not saying plastic stuff is bad but it certainly doesn't seem as sturdy.
 
ssringo said:
I suppose I'm mostly lucky in that regard. Stuff I buy tends to last until I no longer need/want it.

The exception is Sony's fucking controllers. Went through 3 DS4 (charge port and button failure) and already on my 3rd DualSense (analog stick drift and jittering). They're the only ones who makes a d-pad I like using for side-scrollers and I can't be assed to try and fix their issues myself. I wish Valve would take another crack at a controller because the Deck controls are perfect. Like remove the screen, push the sides together and add some curves for better ergonomics and every other controller can fuck off.
Click to expand...
Same here for Ds4 and already on my second Dualsense.
I wish 8bitdo would bring their controllers to PlayStation. I'd never buy a Sony controller again.
 
I have an old General Electric kettle that is half as old as I am and it still works.

Newer shit is made to fail. It's by design.
 
Samsung Refrigerators
Had one of those big two-door monsters in my last house, it failed right after the warranty ran out. Thank god the compressor has 10 years of free repairs on it, because that MF failed as well.
Did loose power now and then and you had to unplug and plug it back in to reset the little computer that´s inside the fridge. Felt like a twilight zone version of IT Crowd when I found this solution on YouTube.
 
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