creekland Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Hubby and I use a calculator (when needed) that goes back to our college days (a handful of moons ago). It still works just fine. Today, I sat down to do bills for the month and found out he took it with him on a job site. Since I don't care to do bills without a calculator due to occasional "idiot mistakes," I had limited options. I could locate the one on my computer and toggle back and forth (ugh), or, I remembered one I had in the side table next to my bed - placed there when we moved from FL 18 years ago and likely not used much prior to then either as it will go back to my college - or even high school - days. I think high school actually as I had one in college with a few more buttons as they were more advanced by then. I just went and fetched it - then dusted it off - it still works like a charm. It may have been one of the first solar models to come out. Somehow I doubt if I bought one today, used it for a few years, then stored it away for 30 years or so that it would still work. Off to do bills... need to lower the amount of $$ in our checking account. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 We recently discovered Dfil's slide rule still works and I don't think it's been used for about 50 years. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 We recently discovered Dfil's slide rule still works and I don't think it's been used for about 50 years. :D Ok, hubby has one of these too and I COULD have gone and dug it out of his desk... but I'm not. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 :iagree: Dh got a digital alarm clock for high school graduation, and it was perfect for almost 30 yrs! The one he got to replace it didn't keep accurate time from the get-go. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Isn't that so true? I have a very old adding machine that is my favorite calculator when I'm doing finances. I haven't had the proper-sized paper roll to place in it for at least a decade or so (is it even still made?), but I love that calculator and get all twitchy when I can't find it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I've got a calculator just like that. I got it when I started college 26 years ago and I still use it. I'll be so bummed if it breaks. I just take it for granted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Our 23 year old extra fridge out in the garage works just fine but we're on about our third one in the kitchen. New appliances of any sort just don't have the longevity of those made a generation ago, it seems. Been through enough dishwashers to observe that. I do tend to stick with low-tech clothes washers and dryers, and those last longer than those of friends with all the fancy features. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Ok, hubby has one of these too and I COULD have gone and dug it out of his desk... but I'm not. ;) Bwahaha! Actually we had to look online for the manual as dfil didn't have one. I'm sure he didn't need it but calculators were already invented by the time dh and I were in school. I vaguely remember lessons on how to use one but couldn't remember the details. I actually got through engineering school with a TI-35; it did trig functions. I remember my roommate showing off her brand new fancy programmable calculator that could do matrices! Of course, that was about 30 years ago . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Your not kidding I wish I had't been drawn to the new stainless steel appliances camp. I have had nothing but problems. Same with my washer and dryer. My 14 year old fridge annoys me but it works great and I will not replace it until it dies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 I actually got through engineering school with a TI-35; it did trig functions. I remember my roommate showing off her brand new fancy programmable calculator that could do matrices! Of course, that was about 30 years ago . . . The current type of programmables (first versions) came out when I was graduating college. I never learned how to use them until years later when subbing in school for Calc long term. I still haven't learned how to use them for Stats, but I really should. My own middle son had to teach himself how to use his for Stats... I'll admit that they make many things easier (esp matrices!), but I also know those who depend upon them never truly learn how to do the "math" involved and often can't discern when they've pushed a wrong button and gotten a horribly incorrect answer. Like many things, they come with blessings and curses... They also don't seem to have long lives. We have plenty at school that have had fatal issues already - and they stay in the classrooms, so aren't manhandled by kids at home or anything like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 :iagree: Dh got a digital alarm clock for high school graduation, and it was perfect for almost 30 yrs! The one he got to replace it didn't keep accurate time from the get-go. :glare: My alarm clock from elementary school just died this spring. I wish they still made that brand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 We've got a 35 yr old toaster that my parents bought. We have had others when I've been off at uni and other places but they don't last long or catch fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 We still have the original Black & Decker hand mixer that we got as a wedding gift nearly 28 years ago. It works just fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I have the crock pot that my mother got when she was married over 30 years ago. It still works perfectly. I've b een married 17 years and owned 3 crock pots that wore out over the years. But mama's old orange one is great! Now the mixer the belonged to my grandmother in the 1950s (its a copper sunbeam) is beginning to struggle a bit, but I love it anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I was talking with DH's best friend's mother and noticed that her refrigerator looked like the one I remembered my grandparents having. I made mention of the model and she laughed. She said it was her parents and it still ran beautifully so when she inherited it they have never needed to buy a new one, just do routine maintenance. I have no idea how old it is but all of her kids are in their 30's and 40's... We still use the same can opener we got for our wedding 18 years ago. My rolling desk chair until this last year was one my great-grandfather used in his office from long before I was born. And yet stuff bought today lasts such a short time, sometimes just a couple of years or even just a few months....what a waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I am still using a coffee mug I got when I was 8. I am 41 now. I will be sad when it breaks but I don't want to relegate it to pencil-holding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 DH's cousin and his wife still use his mom's washing machine from 1960!!!! It's been repaired a couple times but it's still going strong and has seen several dryers come and go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I went to visit my brother this weekend. He told me he had a surprise. He pulled out our old 2XL mini robot with the 8 track cartridges. He plugged in a cartridge and it started asking questions. We could press the buttons to answer and it would respond. Only one cartridge didn't work anymore. He says when he found it he was sure it wouldn't work but when he put in new batteries the thing fired up right away. The volume control is a bit off, but otherwise works great. And that sucker has got to be at least 35 years old. Our Atari 800 still works, too, as well as our Atari VCS. Anyone want to play Pong? Or Space Invaders? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I have inherited 2 slide rules and really want to learn how to use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Ahhh! Those robots were the coolest thing ever! I was obsessed with atari well into my teen years and have never so much as touched a playstation or anythjngbthats around now. Oh man what was that one game, where yiure in the jungle and you have to swing on a tope over a bunch of alligators? Found it! Pitfall. Excellent. Space invaders was great, too. http://atariage.com/hack_page.html?SystemID=&SoftwareHackID=90 Pitfall is now a popular app. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Ahhh! Those robots were the coolest thing ever! I was obsessed with atari well into my teen years and have never so much as touched a playstation or anythjngbthats around now. Oh man what was that one game, where yiure in the jungle and you have to swing on a tope over a bunch of alligators? Found it! Pitfall. Excellent. Space invaders was great, too. http://atariage.com/hack_page.html?SystemID=&SoftwareHackID=90 Oh, yes, pitfall! That was fun! What was the one with the parachuting guy? If he didn't land on the platform he would crash into the ground and his little legs would wave around. I always thought that looked incredibly funny. :) I liked Asteroids, Battlezone and Centipede, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I only use the really old (as in 40's/50's/60's) waffle irons. the wells are deeper and closer, they come out far crispier than the modern teflon coated irons too. and the best part is - I have picked them up at garage sales for $1, or even free because no one else wanted it. we've been using this one for over 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Wow, this thread is getting me to change my mind about getting rid of my 16 yo dryer before it breaks. It is energy efficient and works like a dream. Better keep it, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 My parents went on a trip when I was twelve and brought me back a comb. It's in perfect condition, and I've probably used it every day for some (ahem) 40 years. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Wow, this thread is getting me to change my mind about getting rid of my 16 yo dryer before it breaks. It is energy efficient and works like a dream. Better keep it, I guess. My brother is using the same dryer my parents bought 20+ years ago. It has needed virtually no maintenance and still works fine. I, on the other hand, am on my 3rd dryer in 18 years and DH has had to replace tons of parts on it so except for the outer shell it is essentially a new dryer. Does that count as #4 when 80% of the parts have had to be replaced? We only replace dryers entirely when they break beyond repair, by the way. Anne, I say keep your old dryer! I bet it is way better built than what is on the market today... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srs Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 So I can stop worrying that my husband's childhood alarm clock will short out and burn the house down? It's about 30 years old now, still works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Our wedding gift appliances that we still own and use many days per week (all 23 years old now): -Oster toaster -Osterizer blender -Hamilton Beach food processor I'm keeping them as long as I can. They are not expensive or fancy models, but they all work reliably. I'm sure any stylish replacement bought today would last only a fraction of the time. Our problem appliance is the iron. The computer control thing always goes first; irons are almost disposable around here! Dh can fix a lot of things that go wrong with our major appliances. Often the problem is a plastic part that just breaks; plastic isn't really a good design choice but it's cheap. The brackets that hold the tub in our front load washer? Plastic. Dh has done that repair and advises me not to put too much in a load--the plastic just can't handle the weight long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 So I can stop worrying that my husband's childhood alarm clock will short out and burn the house down? It's about 30 years old now, still works fine. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 Wow, this thread is getting me to change my mind about getting rid of my 16 yo dryer before it breaks. It is energy efficient and works like a dream. Better keep it, I guess. Our 20+ year old dryer went earlier this year. We went to an estate sale auction and bought a 25+ year old dryer for $45. It's still running just fine and I like the $45 price tag better than anything I saw in sales flyers. I have no plans to replace it until it dies. Then I might just look at more estate sales for "still working" older models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Our 20+ year old dryer went earlier this year. We went to an estate sale auction and bought a 25+ year old dryer for $45. It's still running just fine and I like the $45 price tag better than anything I saw in sales flyers. I have no plans to replace it until it dies. Then I might just look at more estate sales for "still working" older models. Oooh, what a great idea! Our decades old dryer is on it's last leg (still dries clothes fine... as long as you don't need to talk or hear anything while it's doing it -- LOUD rattle, very nerve-wracking). We've been looking at replacements... but the reviews for them are so terrible! Seems all the new stuff is more trouble than it's worth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Our 20+ year old dryer went earlier this year. We went to an estate sale auction and bought a 25+ year old dryer for $45. It's still running just fine and I like the $45 price tag better than anything I saw in sales flyers. I have no plans to replace it until it dies. Then I might just look at more estate sales for "still working" older models. I agree, this is a great idea! I have not thought about looking at estate sales for washer/dryers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 Oooh, what a great idea! Our decades old dryer is on it's last leg (still dries clothes fine... as long as you don't need to talk or hear anything while it's doing it -- LOUD rattle, very nerve-wracking). We've been looking at replacements... but the reviews for them are so terrible! Seems all the new stuff is more trouble than it's worth! I particularly like estate sales as then you are reasonably assured the appliance was in working condition prior to the sale rather than being a replacement someone else is selling due to upgrading or issues. Sometimes moving sales can be ok as long as you trust that the main reason they are selling is due to not wanting to take the appliance with them. We've gotten MANY decent older working "things" from estate sales. Not only were things made better back then (IMO), some of these older folks really took care of what they had. Others didn't, or got older and couldn't, so as always, buyer beware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I replaced a 7-year-old front loading washer (that needed to be repaired FOUR TIMES but the last repair was way too expensive to justify) with a 20+ yo Maytag that has no electronics or fancy settings. But it washes clothes. It hasn't broken down so far, two years and counting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 My mom is still using the cookie sheets & cake pans she got at her wedding shower.....50+ years ago. I have gone through a bunch of cookie sheets in the 20+ years since I moved out on my own & then got married. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 My waffle iron and hand mixer are each from the 1950s or very early 1960s. I love them. I do wish we could upgrade the electrical plugs and cords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Our 20+ year old dryer went earlier this year. We went to an estate sale auction and bought a 25+ year old dryer for $45. It's still running just fine and I like the $45 price tag better than anything I saw in sales flyers. I have no plans to replace it until it dies. Then I might just look at more estate sales for "still working" older models. Wow! Maybe I should think about looking for a used fridge. Our old GE Harvest Gold fridge is dying a certain death--even though Dh is in denial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 My sister and her husband have a microwave that he owned before they got married. They've been married 21 years now and the microwave still works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 My sister and her husband have a microwave that he owned before they got married. They've been married 21 years now and the microwave still works. Ooh, I'd forgotten that my husband brought our microwave with him into our relationship. Ours is older than theirs! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Wow! Maybe I should think about looking for a used fridge. Our old GE Harvest Gold fridge is dying a certain death--even though Dh is in denial. My parents had Harvest Gold! :lol: :lol: :lol: I had forgotten the term until you brought it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Wow! Maybe I should think about looking for a used fridge. Our old GE Harvest Gold fridge is dying a certain death--even though Dh is in denial. With fridges you might want to be careful as they no longer allow freon to be used regularly. If it needed any, the repair could be far more expensive as it's difficult to get (or at least, so I was told when we upgraded ours about 10 years ago +/-). The porch fridge was bought before the ranch had electricity. You bought it as an icebox and then when REA arrived, you bought the motor. I see that the same model goes for $2500 now! http://www.unlimitedappliances.com/product/ge-monitor-top-129/ It sits next to the 1950's International Harvester freezer! Hmm, I wonder how long I need to keep my appliances before they are worth more as antiques! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 With fridges you might want to be careful as they no longer allow freon to be used regularly. If it needed any, the repair could be far more expensive as it's difficult to get (or at least, so I was told when we upgraded ours about 10 years ago +/-). Hmm, I wonder how long I need to keep my appliances before they are worth more as antiques! Yes, to the top. And :lol: yes to the bottom! I want to know, too. :) My family has a couple of pretty darn ancient appliances sitting in storage. NO idea if they work or not (kind of doubt it :) ) but perhaps as a restored antique...? Hmmmmm, my get rich quick plans may have just changed. :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 My mom is still using the cookie sheets & cake pans she got at her wedding shower.....50+ years ago. I have gone through a bunch of cookie sheets in the 20+ years since I moved out on my own & then got married. The old stuff sure does last. I use Revereware my MIL got for wedding gifts 50+ years ago. I worry a bit about some of the old appliances, though. My parents still use their microwave they bought in 1975. How would one know if it's leaking radiation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I still have my TI34 solar powered calculator that my parents bought for me in 1990 when I started algebra in eighth grade. It got me through all of my high school math and college classes, my real estate licensing classes, and now double-checks my daughter's pre-algebra. Still works perfectly! I joke that it's the only thing I've had longer than DH (since I acquired him a year later, lol). I also have the Jansport backpack that I acquired in 1994, which I used through my senior year of high school, college, my first job, and now hauling stuff when I teach at my kids' co-op. When we bought our first house in 2000, we bought five appliances. Two years later, we moved all of them to our next house and used them for the four years we were there. We left new looking six year old appliances for the new owners of that house, never having had a single issue with any of them. The only one we brought was our chest freezer -- 14 years of continual use, two moves, and it's still working beautifully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellifera33 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I use an old black Singer sewing machine from the 1920s, and it's a tank! It sews through almost anything, and I can fix it myself if something goes wrong. We also use my dh's great grandmother's cast iron pan. It is much nicer than anything I've seen in the stores lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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