How old is your oldest working appliance? Couple has 42 yr old working washer/dryer

My oldest appliance is my TV... had it about 23 years. Works fine...but a it's thick as hell compared to the new flat screens.
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Maytag man visits 42-year-old appliances

OLD FORGE, Pa., Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Maytag's "Lonely Repairman" made a stop at the home of Pennsylvania couple who have had their washer and dryer since 1967 -- but the appliances weren't broken.

Clay Jackson, who portrays Maytag's "Lonely Repairman" on the TV advertisements, visited the home of Fred and Grace Augustine in Old Forge Thursday to congratulate them on the longevity of their Maytag washer and dryer and offer them a new refrigerator to replace their ailing fridge, which is not a Maytag, the Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) Times-Leader reported Friday.

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/08/14/Maytag-man-visits-42-year-old-appliances/UPI-92611250287472/

grandfather's level and two-man saw. I realize they aren't "appliances," but they work just fine and are over 100 years old.

the days when things were made to last.

A guy came to fix one of them and said they were actually Magic Chef - a lower end brand - with Maytag labeling. I'll never buy Maytag again.

That's not *really* Maytag.

The dryer is dead and gone, replaced by a Sears Kenmore. The washer is still working although we've had whatever the gizmo is that makes it spin replaced twice and the clothes never have enough water whirled out of them.

When I sold appliances years ago we had that line and I always tried to steer people away from it, either to a real Maytag or to a Whirlpool for about the same price as the Performas. I was always very careful to explain the differences between the Performas and the real Maytag stuff, too. They were freakin' legion, let me tell you. The quality difference was huge.

Maytag label on. When the motor burnt out it scared me to death. Living in a trailer any possibility of a fire is just terrifying.

Our Kenmore set was, we figure, 30 years old when it died.

Our stove still works, kinda (two of the burners are wonky and you have to know precisely where to set them to avoid burning or not-warming whatever's on them). But we don't know how old it is. Our sister got it, used, from her mother-in-law when they got married, we got it from her when we got married 20 years ago. So at least 30, probably more. They don't make the burner liners for it anymore.

place, I think it's 30+ years old. I am not the first owner so I forgot about the stove's age. It barely works.

Only two of the burners work...that's enough for now. Of course, on the HGTV shows buyers MUST have 5 or 6 burners these days and 2 ovens.

last month.

Our ice machine is also at least 40 years old.

Both were from Sears.

..about 35 years old, I think. Pretty much all metal. It really, really sucks.

;-)

but then again, I wouldn't have the mess and then wouldn't need it.

:shrug:

designed by someone who doesn't clean much, i think.

the extension used for corners & small spaces was designed so as to be pretty unmanueverable.

Even if there was some grease on the stove, it didn't look icky. And they looked great with our tongue in groove wood cedar kitchen walls. Sort of woodsy. :D

I miss the color since green goes with so much and it's "retro" now. But I wouldn't give up my newer double door fridge for anything since it's so easy to clean the interior.

I think people had just gotten sick of all the white and pastel from the 50's and 60's.

stainless steel

I spent too many years working shitty jobs in restaurants, I guess, and don't want to be reminded of it. I can't stand stainless steel in the kitchen.

We got one hell of a deal by buying on black friday too.:-)

since they got it for their wedding in 1981.

Duct tape holds part of it together, but it still works like a champ.

Somewhere around here I've got one of those bonnet type hair dryers that we got when I was a teenager in the 1960s. But I don't know if it still works. The bonnet is the soft kind that looks like a shower cap.

But it beat sleeping on jumbo "juice can" rollers all to heck.

And yeah, the heat on the neck sucked also.

Plus my early seventies stereo equipment.

:D

that's over 32 years old. All of our kitchen appliances are over 20 years old but the dishwasher died last year. I hate my Viking range and wish it would finally go kaput! Arrrrrrrgh!

Everything from China is, essentially, crap.

I had an iron I bought at a rummage sale when I was in college, in 1966. I finally got rid of it in 1996 because the insulation on the cord was fraying, though the iron continued to work fine. Since 1996 I have had AT LEAST six irons. The current one is four years old and so far is working fine, but since I've left the outside working world -- now work at home -- I do far less ironing than I used to.


Tansy Gold

All I know is, my parents always had it and I was born in '73. I know they moved in the house we were in around '61, so it's at least as old as me, if not older.

The fridge is starting to whir & runs a lot. :shrug:

My sister bought a Maytag side-by-side fridge 5 years ago & it's already burned out. Another friend's fridge lasted 8 years. Where do all these old appliances go? Can't you get them fixed or is it a convenience factor? Getting a fridge fixed takes more time than buying a new one. ???

My Kenmore side by side fridge is about 10 years old and it cost me $150.00 to get a part replaced.

I use it only when absolutely necessary.

Still going strong.

then I have been through TWO washers, one of which was a (fake) Maytag!

exposed to the NH winters...we drain it every year but that's it.

PS. Now I've jinxed myself...it will explode next week. :-)

one of the big ones you throw cords of wood into in the basement & it turns into forced air heat on the ground floor.

Was helping my brother move & noticed his hot water heater. Montgomery Wards! I figure it must be around 40 years old(?)
Had a good flashback conversation with him about all things Monkey Wards.

I think I had the belt on the dryer replaced once, but otherwise no repairs. They're Montgomery Ward simple models with controls that say silly stuff like "start". Nothing fancy, no electronics - just working machinery. Three kids worth of diapers is way too much to ask of any washer and dryer, but they're still cranking and the eldest is 18 now. They were also the least expensive offerings at the time.

"Three kids worth of diapers is way too much to ask of any washer and dryer, but they're still cranking and the eldest is 18 now."

:rofl:

And we got it used then, so I have no idea how old it is. We had to replace a belt once.

central vaccuum system that was in the house we bought 24 years ago. It still keeps sucking.

It's the one that was put in when the house was built in 1938.

eveything else in my house is Maytag.

One of those "electronic sensor" models - newfangled for its time. Now have to have it on the "driest" level and sometimes have to do a few minutes more -- its companion washer gave out after 20 years.

Probably should preemptively replace - but only use about once a week.

And I just turned 43

They recently replaced their washer with a Maytag and the timer on it failed after six loads. They are not impressed. They have been waiting weeks for the part to come in.

when they got married and moved into their new custom built house which cost $9000. My father was unhappy that he had a "high-priced mortgage" at 2%. My brother lives in the house now, and the refrigerator is still humming away in the basement--now used for beer, or something too large to put in the kitchen fridge.

used in about 1958. We just had it serviced by a guy who specializes in ovens and he dated it for us.

Sorry, I"m usually not THAT into being competitive like that :blush:

We use it almost every day.

Of course I didn't buy it new, I wasn't born til 1961.

until 12 years ago.

Gorgeous large screen model I found at Salvation Army for $ 25 bucks.

I have to admit the old TV had a screwed up sound system, but the picture was just as good as ever. It was not working out well with the conversion to HD, though.

The old TV now has its own place in the guest room.

and that it.

My parents still have a maytag fridge that is still working, things has to be over 20yrs old. My dad has a frigidaire deep freezer thats at least 30yrs old...

Good for them. :toast:

Our 15 year old refrigerator died last month - that was the oldest appliance we had.

We call it the "Beveridgerator" and it looks like the one below.



Its a kickass little unit

but the bowl and case were falling apart. it was 25 years old. i bought it at the marshall fields warehouse sale for the huge sum of $90.
i replaced it with a larger, pristine one of the same vintage from ebay. paid the same amount .

... but they are Gaffers & Sattler and were here when we bought the house 26 years ago. The dishwasher and clothes dryer have not had the same staying power.

I was considering getting a new Maytag with extra features, but then they sold out and moved their operations to China. Now I plan on keeping the old washing machine forever.

Hekate

I'd rather wash my clothes in the tub than buy a Maytag


In 1997, a Maytag engineering team at Maytag Laundry Appliances Research and Development, developed the Maytag Neptune line of front-load washers.<1> A matching dryer was introduced to accompany the new washer. The company claimed the new Neptune model saved energy costs over traditional washer/dryer sets. Production of the Neptune line was later outsourced to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. In 2001, the company acquired the Amana Corporation and its appliance assembly facilities. That same year, Ralph F. Hake became the last Chairman and Chief Executive of Maytag Corporation, serving in that post until March 2006. Once renowned as the standard for laundry appliances, by 2003 the company faced increasing competition from new appliance brands in the US market, as well as from existing appliance manufacturers who had outsourced production a decade earlier in order to reduce costs.<2><3> While Maytag had begun the process of shifting appliance production to lower-cost assembly plants outside the United States, by 2004 the company still produced 88 percent of its products in older U.S.-based factories.<4> In an apparent move away from traditional company marketing strategy, company management decided on a plan to stimulate consumer purchases of new Maytag appliances before their old ones had worn out.<5>

Costs incurred in Maytag's acquisition and integration of Amana and an increased corporate debt load led to aggressive internal cost-cutting efforts in direct materials, manufacturing, and distribution costs.<4><6> Maytag introduced a 'value' priced appliance line under a separate label, Performa by Maytag. To increase sales, the company also marketed Maytag-branded 'Legacy Series' washing machines that were otherwise identical to low-end Amana models, and built in the former Herrin, Illinois Amana assembly plant. The rebranded Maytag models, later termed Amanatags by dissatisfied owners, received poor customer reviews after reports surfaced of major mechanical and/or durability problems.<7><8> The company also consolidated warehouse operations and cut the number of Maytag vendors. Between 2002 and 2004, Maytag corporate management cut new-product investment in half.<4>

An increasing chorus of consumer complaints concerning product reliability and customer service, assisted by the rapid growth of internet consumer forums, began to affect the company's reputation with customers.<9><10><11><12> The company was also slow to react to customer complaints regarding its flagship Neptune washer and dryer line (labeled the Stinkomatic by dissatisfied customers), resulting in further damage to the company's reputation and a $33.5 million set-aside to settle several class-action lawsuits arising from the Neptune problems.<13><14><15><16> By 2005, Maytag's market share had declined to all-time lows, sales were flat, and customer satisfaction surveys ranked Maytag near the bottom of the appliance field. The problems with the Neptune line continued; in 2007, 250,000 Neptune washing machines became part of a nationwide safety recall by the Consumer Product Safety Commission due to fire danger.<17>

On April 1, 2006, the Whirlpool Corp. completed its acquisition of Maytag Corporation. In May 2006, Whirlpool announced plans to close the former Maytag headquarters office in Newton, as well as laundry manufacturing plants in Newton, Iowa; Herrin, Illinois; and Searcy, Arkansas by 2007.<18> Following the Maytag closure, all administration will be in Whirlpool's headquarters in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The Maytag name will still be used on rebranded Whirlpool appliances. Most Maytag employees were terminated, and some were offered jobs in Benton Harbor. The board of directors of Maytag all received five years' severance pay. Former chairman and CEO, Ralph F. Hake, received two years of base salary and two years of target bonus under his severance agreement.<19>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maytag

But we built a new one and got all new appliances.

Let's see, out of the appliances in the old house, the dishwasher wore out in only 10 years, fridge in 17, dryer in 25, washer in 27. The original water heater is still in the house so it is 30 years old; the second one we added for the master bath is about 25 years old. The motor for the original hood over the stove is still working, but when we remodeled, we threw out the hideous metal thing and built a wooden hood and use the old motor and housing in it.

All the original appliances in that house were Kenmore - which probably meant they were really Frigidaire.

Works great! Unfortunately, they DO NOT MAKE BOWLS that fit in the old sized ring. So --- I've got a great old mixer that has no bowl. It sits in the closet all by its lonesome.

Also -- last week my 25-year-old Whirlpool drier blew out its heating coil. Too old to fix, so I bought a new Whirlpool. Hope it lasts as long as the last one!

a how old is your car thread as it appears we no quality when we see it and are not duped into buying the latest thing as they are often not the best

but try your community colleges and engineering schools. They may be able to mill an new one for you, as a project. I have a knife set I made out of an exotic steel used to make jet turbines. Super precise mill I set up in Brazil, can stand temps beyond 1000 f, but alas, not the dishwasher.

it was installed in our house when the house was built in 1947 and kept working (albeit with a
faulty themometer) until 2006

we outsourced all the labor to third world countries and then are surprised when nothing lasts. I have a fan that was made in 1930's and still runs just fine. I dont run it because i dont want it to break, but it is just fine when turned on. It weighs more than an M16 and had metal blades that would notch a finger.

as well as my 1953 B-2 I keep parked at church...she's an old banged up road dog, but she still sounds sweet! Can't beat that old Chicago iron...built like a battleship. Not difficult to service for the most part, either. There's also a Philco console radio from the 40's that plays well and has a rebuilt power supply, but it needs a DeOxIt bath something fierce. We also have a couple old 50's-vintage hand mixers that work perfectly (far better than modern Chinese plastic crap) and a 50's Sunbeam stand mixer with all the attachments that my grandmother had since new.

They don't make 'em like they used to.

Todd in Cheesecurdistan

<>

the clock has quit working but the rest of it works great

The harvest gold fridge still worked just fine but it rarely shut off. Since we got the new fridge in April our light bill has gone down $20 a month. :)

Edited to add: Our upright freezer is 32 years old and is still running just fine. I hate to get rid of it because it's not a frost-free model.

It'll sew through just about anything.

Still use it regularly. And a Norelco electric shaver that I've had for at least 30 years--still sees daily use--it gets weekends off however.

i had a retired neighbor whose lawn mower and appliances were all 15-20 years old at the least...but he was also a magician with tools and knew how to keep pretty much ANYTHING running...

I'm only 28, so my appliances are relatively new. My tv is a hand-me-down from my brother, probably older than the washer/dryer.

I had an old fridge, maybe 20 years old (given to me when I bought my house a couple of years ago), but I replaced it last February after it had been making clunking sounds, I figured it was on it's last leg.

Plus, I had my income tax refund coming in and ended up with a much more energy efficient fridge. Plus, I donated the old one to the local homeless shelter, and I told the guy when he picked it up about the sound, and he was a fridge repair man. In the end, I got something better for myself (lower energy) and a family that needed a fridge got one too. :)

:)

A 15 year old Magnavox t.v.

I can't kill this thing. When it dies I'll buy a new one - but for now - I'm stuck with Magnavox. BTW - in 1994 it was the best of the best T.V. Go figure!

I didn't even buy it. It was given to me.

Rather like my first toaster oven. Ever since toaster ovens started being made in China they don't work for shit or last very long either -- much worse than microwaves, actually.

Hekate

Everything works on it.

I keep threatening to buy a new one, but my son (who cooks a great deal) is having none of it.

I have a 38 year old Craftsman circular saw that I use regularly, and a 40 year old Black & Decker 1/4 inch power drill that works like a charm. I had, until this weekend a 29 year old Black & Decker weed whacker that worked perfectly, but I can no longer get the cutting lines for it. I was really disappointed since that is the only reason I'm still not using it.

( ^ not me nor my tractor)

It might be a couple years older even because I know I used it as a very small child...mom gave it to me when I moved away from home. (Don't use it every single day, probably 12 to 15 times a month.)
It's a Sunbeam. I did replace the cord about 20 years ago but the rest of it is original.

:D

I got it 23 yrs ago yesterday for my 24th birthday. We've been using it at our office since 1994. Made in USA.

1950 Wahl Massager
1979 GE toaster oven

"Universal" Portable Vibrator in a briefcase lookin' thing - you couldn't figure it out?

:silly:

35 years old!!

Oh, I have a power drill from Sears that is about the same age!

Oops, I have a sewing machine over 50 years old, from my great aunt! It is a Singer Featherweight, much in demand on EBay.

never mind.

It works, but has a cracked bakelite handle. I also have some mixing bowls that were my grandmothers.
New stuff sucks:(

One heating element replaced in all that time...

She is good in bed too!

lol.

when she passed. My mother estimates that it's roughly 60 years old.

I bought it in 1983 and it still works. It was the first VCR I ever bought and was worth it.

Next would be my 1989 Sony TV. I kind of wish it would go belly up, it's 27 inches and weighs a friggin' ton.

After these two items I haven't had much luck with electronics or appliances.

still worked but with the digital conversion it got a trip to Goodwill.

it's seen better days but it still works well.

Of course my mother used it a lot more than I ever have!

that runs my 30 year old Studio monitors.

50 year old kitchenaid mixer.

I also have some WWII german headphones that i use from time to time.

I own a 90+ year old Edison electric fan, but i am afraid to plug it in.

My father had this old AM/FM radio at his house back in '62 and after his death, sometime in the early 80's I took it to work for something to listen to during the days. Now get this, at work I turned it on and never turned it off - the radio was on the same Public Radio station from roughly 1995 until 2005, playing continuously 24/7/365 during those years. Finally I retired and brought it home but it soon found its way out into my tool shed. Because of poor reception I had to put it up above a window in the shed with its little old wire antenna up in the rafters - so its turned on again and it never gets turned off. It is playing right this moment, I can faintly hear it right now through the window. So that old radio is at least 45 years old and as far as I know it has played continuously for at least 15 of those years.

Really, I thought it had died the last time I turned it off. When it finally came back to life it only picked up one station (local NPR) and so I put it up where it can't be reached, set the volume at a pleasant level, and its been playing every since.

It took quite a while to find a pic of the 1957 model.

http://radioatticarchives.com/radio.htm?radio=2574

The two batteries alone weigh roughly 5 lb. So much for portability.

not much to look at, but it still freezes lots and lots of food . . .

The fridge is from the early 70's.

Oven from the 60s, and old black Singer sewing machine from at least the 60s.

piano from 1929.

Ugly brown thing, but it still works great, has these ancient-looking dial-like timers, LOL! :)

from my grandpa when he was cleaning out his kitchen. Still works great and bags of popcorn kernels are so much cheaper/less chemical-laden than the microwave stuff.

until last year.

no kidding.