The Vent and Rant Thread

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

We are awful about maintenance but have not had any issues with out appliances. We bought a new refrigerator, washer/dryer, and dishwasher 8 years ago and no worries. We bought known products, with a good reputation that are in the high/middle price range.

Some folks look for any reason to replace things. I know folks who buy a new car as soon as they finish paying off the old one. The car is still running fine but they want a new car every 3-5 years. My husband is driving the car I bought in 2003. We are hoping that it safely lasts until we have the new mini van paid off. We have every intention of driving the mini van into the ground as well.

I see the same trend with appliances. We want the latest and greatest and trendiest appliances. I just want stuff that works and lasts.

Now we did get a truck right after our car was paid off. We kept the car, but wanted a decent size truck.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

The most economical way to own a car is to buy a good quality car, maintain it according to factory specs, and run it completely into the ground.

This has long been my approach.

I can't see starting with something inherently unreliable, or too much of an unknown quantity. Heck, my LIFE may be riding on this thing, never mind getting to work on time.

It's only now, at 14 years and nearly 200,000 miles that "the ground" is in view, and I have to start questioning the value of repairs.
(I'm opting for the used tranny, by the way, should hopefully be done by Friday...it's what my mechanic said he would do, and I have been given no reason to doubt him over the years.)

For household appliances, I'm all for not letting things go to waste, and I'm generally pretty good with mechanical and electrical stuff (other than engines), as long as the repairs don't have to look pretty when I'm done, and I really WANT to fix stuff and not live such a disposable lifestyle, but as I get older, I'm starting to follow the path of least resistance. Plus I'm getting tired of clutter, and if something is sitting in my garage, waiting to be fixed for a year, it probably needs to get out of my life.

I'll pay to have appliances fixed professionally when appropriate, but with the poor quality of repair services I've been seeing, plus the cost, considering the general low quality of consumer stuff, out-of-warranty repair is seeming appropriate less and less often.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Was your father alive during the depression? That could account for part of it. Or it could be the way his parents raised him.

No, he wasn't; but his parents were. All through the first world war (of which we didn't notice too much in the Netherlands, I'm told), the depression of the 30s, and WW2.

Even so, I don't understand. His pension is so high that he can easily save hundreds a month, and it's not going to get any different until he dies. So what's the deal with a few hundred for an appliance one NEEDS? I think hot water is pretty essential to have...

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

No, he wasn't; but his parents were. All through the first world war (of which we didn't notice too much in the Netherlands, I'm told), the depression of the 30s, and WW2.

Even so, I don't understand. His pension is so high that he can easily save hundreds a month, and it's not going to get any different until he dies. So what's the deal with a few hundred for an appliance one NEEDS? I think hot water is pretty essential to have...

Ok, I can explain your father. He was taught on NEEDS use it until it completely falls apart. Wants are a different story.

And I know it makes absolutely no sense but that is how it was.

You have my sympathy. My mom needs a new washer since hers breaks every 4 months and has since it was new. But it has a warranty so she refuses to get a new one.

She was supposed to get a new stove this year but they decided to go on a cruise instead. Note, her oven doesn't work.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

You have my sympathy. My mom needs a new washer since hers breaks every 4 months and has since it was new. But it has a warranty so she refuses to get a new one.

Yikes, surely there is some kind of lemon law or replacement provision in the warranty that should be invoked?

She was supposed to get a new stove this year but they decided to go on a cruise instead. Note, her oven doesn't work.

I know several people who would have no idea if their ovens worked or not. They use it for storage if anything.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ApK

Yikes, surely there is some kind of lemon law or replacement provision in the warranty that should be invoked?

I know several people who would have no idea if their ovens worked or not. They use it for storage if anything.

If it breaks 4 times in one year, they will replace it.

Now I do keep some cast iron in my oven. Our corn bread pan, griddle and a cast iron pizza pan I use as a grill.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Ok, I can explain your father. He was taught on NEEDS use it until it completely falls apart. Wants are a different story.

And I know it makes absolutely no sense but that is how it was.

You have my sympathy. My mom needs a new washer since hers breaks every 4 months and has since it was new. But it has a warranty so she refuses to get a new one.

She was supposed to get a new stove this year but they decided to go on a cruise instead. Note, her oven doesn't work.

That cruise is exactly what I mean: non-essential, but very expensive things are OK, while essential but much cheaper things are out of the question. All hell breaks loose when I suggest getting a new geyser, or even better: replace the 25 y/o central heater with a modern one, so it also provides hot water.

It would make the hot water reliable when he's in the shower, for starters, but no: "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT COSTS?! IT WILL COST AT LEAST €750 for the geyser, or €1200 for a new central heater!!1111!!"

A day later, he could just decide to get a second (or third) moped costing €2000, just because he wants 'something different to ride in the summer'.

That kind of logic would make Spock's head explode. Mine too, to be honest.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by ApK

This has long been my approach.

I can't see starting with something inherently unreliable, or too much of an unknown quantity. Heck, my LIFE may be riding on this thing, never mind getting to work on time.

One nice thing is that cars have gotten better built and more reliable. I credit the Japanese automakers for a lot of that. They recognized that quality was critical, and built quality cars. Detroit found out the hard way they were right as US buyers began selecting Japanese cars because they were better built and more reliable.

And current vehicles are far smarter. If the car has an issue, the mechanic can plug in to a diagnostic port and the car states what its problem is.

(I know folks who do things like hook logic analyzers to the car's internal bus and capture and decode messages being sent on the car's internal network.)

It's not all sweetness and light. A friend was given a used car by a relative, and spent several grand getting it fixed and usable. It worked fairly well, but had quirks, like a part that failed and needed replacement, but the part was specific to that model and year, and no longer made. Her mechanic had to go online and search for a part from a same model junker that could be used.

Her current car developed a quirk on a trip upstate, where a panel on the front undercarriage came lose and was dragging on the ground. It was essentially a plastic shield extending from the front bumper under the engine. She took it to a nearby Monroe shock absorber outlet. The mechanics jacked it up, removed the pieces, and said "You'd have to go back to the dealer, order the new part, wait for it to come in, and likely pay a lot to get it installed. The car will run just fine without it. We wouldn't bother getting it fixed." "Sounds got to me. What do I owe you?" "No charge for 5 minutes work. Have a nice day."

It's only now, at 14 years and nearly 200,000 miles that "the ground" is in view, and I have to start questioning the value of repairs.
(I'm opting for the used tranny, by the way, should hopefully be done by Friday...it's what my mechanic said he would do, and I have been given no reason to doubt him over the years.)

And 14 years and 200K miles is what I mean by reliable and run into the ground. The used tranny your mechanic recommends sounds like a better option than replacing the car.

For household appliances, I'm all for not letting things go to waste, and I'm generally pretty good with mechanical and electrical stuff (other than engines), as long as the repairs don't have to look pretty when I'm done, and I really WANT to fix stuff and not live such a disposable lifestyle, but as I get older, I'm starting to follow the path of least resistance. Plus I'm getting tired of clutter, and if something is sitting in my garage, waiting to be fixed for a year, it probably needs to get out of my life.

I'll pay to have appliances fixed professionally when appropriate, but with the poor quality of repair services I've been seeing, plus the cost, considering the general low quality of consumer stuff, out-of-warranty repair is seeming appropriate less and less often.

We have an air conditioner in a front window that gets replaced about every two years. It's on 24/7, as the air cleaning function may be the most critical use. (My SO is asthmatic, and needs it.) When we buy a replacement, we get offered a replacement warranty, where the retailer's service folks will come and repair or replace it, and we decline. The retailer is in walking distance, and it's faster to just buy a new one, bring it home, and I install it.
______
Dennis

[Cinisajoy]

Now about 3 or 4 years ago, we replaced our stove and refrigerator. A friend got divorced and even though she had no use for them, she got the stove and refrigerator. She sold them to us cheap.
Both my gas and electric bills went down. Now I can bake in the summer without heating up the house.
Note they are fairly high end appliances. She had used them for about 3 months.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Now about 3 or 4 years ago, we replaced our stove and refrigerator. A friend got divorced and even though she had no use for them, she got the stove and refrigerator. She sold them to us cheap.
Both my gas and electric bills went down. Now I can bake in the summer without heating up the house.
Note they are fairly high end appliances. She had used them for about 3 months.

Wow. That's nice and lucky.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Now I do keep some cast iron in my oven. Our corn bread pan, griddle and a cast iron pizza pan I use as a grill.

Oh sure, grill pan, dutch oven, extra baking sheet. But I'm talking people who keep paperwork, dishes, tools....

[Rumpelteazer]

Oh no, my father has problems with spending money at all. Despite having his own store, when buying other things the concept of inflation is lost on him.

Last week his belt was worn out. He wanted a good quality leather one but did not want to spend more than €10 on it. It's also the case with things he wants. For the past four years he asks for money for his birthday, father's day and Christmas to get a new notebook. He has enough money for a while now to get one that is better than it needs to be (he only uses it to surf the internet) but he balks at spending more than a couple of hundred euros though he wants a good one that doesn't need replacing within a couple of years.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by ApK

I'll pay to have appliances fixed professionally when appropriate, but with the poor quality of repair services I've been seeing, plus the cost, considering the general low quality of consumer stuff, out-of-warranty repair is seeming appropriate less and less often.

Fortunately, we've found a reliable repair person. One smart enough to warn us before he ever comes out if some part is likely to be ridiculously expensive (door seal on a freezer). And when he does come, he does what he says he'll do, does it well, and charges appropriately. Love him (Rocket Appliance, on the Sunshine Coast of BC.)

For cars? Mine is 16 years old, like new, and I could never replace it, so I treat it well. (2000 Honda S2000. Bought in the dot-com glory days.)

Wife has a truck. Her choice, which she now regrets. But both are paid off. No new cars unless something fails.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Fortunately, we've found a reliable repair person. One smart enough to warn us before he ever comes out if some part is likely to be ridiculously expensive (door seal on a freezer). And when he does come, he does what he says he'll do, does it well, and charges appropriately. Love him (Rocket Appliance, on the Sunshine Coast of BC.)

Hey, none of that kind of talk in a Vent and Rant thread!
Your magical fairy land tales will make the rest of us depressed!

[wodin]

My parents were in their ‘teens during the Great Depression of the 1930’s and were deeply indoctrinated in the “waste not want not” philosophy. Added to that, my father was an automobile and construction/farm equipment mechanic for his entire lifetime. If it was broken he fixed it, no matter what it was (except the primitive electronics of the times, and even then he would take all the electron tubes in to be tested). Naturally they tried to raise me and my two brothers with the same mindset. I’m blessed by the fact that they failed utterly with me, not so much with my brothers. My philosophy is to work hard at what I’m good at, make lots of money, buy what I want and throw it away if it’s broken or there’s a newer shinier model.

I find it eminently satisfying.