Thread: stuff that lasts longer than it should

Ive got a york pianola, an a lathe that Im not sure how old it is but its a lot older than me.

Plenty of hand tools kicking around in about the same order.

My alarm clock/radio. Looks like something you'd get from a $2 shop, and would last about a month. Bought about 7 years ago for $20 from Kmart. It's had the crap smashed out of it since I got it, and on a few odd occasions, a hitting with the cricket bat. But still works as good as it did new.

Originally Posted by INter674

Victa 2 stroke circa 1977 - eats fuel but out performs current stuff
Wolf drill - circa 1979 - never touched it, and abused it to hell and back
Makita circular saw and 9" angle grinder - circa 1984 - still going strong
Rodeo 4x4 Isuzu diesel, gutless, circa 1987, 350,000klms, never missed a beat
Massey 12 baler - circa 1973, millions of bales, broke down this year, but fixed easily
Inter4wd tractor, 12,000 hours, 1978, going strong
New Holland 5' hay mower, 1975, still cuts like a dream
Howard 6' slasher, 1970 ish, new body (rusted out) and blades but gearbox just fine
Aussie made drill press, probably 1950s
CIG Transarc welder - 1980, loads of power etc
...see a pattern here - nothing Chinese and I'd rather invest in older more rugged stuff any day than buy that crap!!

I think the term you are looking for is engineered, nothing has build quality anymore it's all made by poor people who don't give a stuff because they get paid bugger all, or machines that have no emotional stance

Originally Posted by BigJon

What do you do with your remote control gear? Fly? Drive? Sail?

I used to fly competition aerobatics, but these days I just fly gliders at the local seaside cliff for fun

Originally Posted by D-Fender

My alarm clock/radio. Looks like something you'd get from a $2 shop, and would last about a month. Bought about 7 years ago for $20 from Kmart. It's had the crap smashed out of it since I got it, and on a few odd occasions, a hitting with the cricket bat. But still works as good as it did new.

Hmmm.... why were you smacking your clock radio with a cricket bat? What did it ever do to you?

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

Hmmm.... why were you smacking your clock radio with a cricket bat? What did it ever do to you?

Well I really just wanted to see if it would take it, and survive. Also, the 'snooze' button is designed on a funny angle so when I push it, I end up pushing the radio off the back of my bed-side table. It then lands on the wooden floor of the windowsill.

I was sitting at the computer and looked over to see a small crack in the speaker, and noticed my trusty cricket bat leaning against my wall. Now, the radio had lasted me a long time so far for 20 bucks, so I didn't have much to lose, so I hit it a few times with the face of the bat, apart from some cringe-worthy sounds of the impact, it didn't actually do anything to the radio.

Radio - one. Cricket Bat - zero.

Fun times.

I brought my first colour tv in 1974 National 20" when I first left home I was 17 at the time it's still working perfect and it's our family tv now has been going as good as the day I brought it, we were going to get a new big lcd but why replace it when it's still going, we have a JVC tv in the bedroom and it has been going since 1979 and I'm just rebuilding my Norton that I brought new in 1976, has done about 150,000 miles and a BMW 1980 RS100R and its still going as good as the day I brought it 5 years ago it's my everyday ride, paint job is showing it's age and most of my hand tools in my shed are from the 70's and I using them on my bike rebuild, my old welder is same age still works well, and my wife drives a old 1970 Volvo 144S with twin SU carbies and 4 speed box we brought it 2 years age for my daughter to learn to drive, no rust and has 4 wheel disc brakes, a good car to learn to drive very safe ...
No Chinese crap in this house...
Cheers Ashley

If they made stuff that lasted forever, then how would they make money? That's the philosophy nowadays.