<story><title>They Used To Last 50 Years</title><url>http://recraigslist.com/2015/10/they-used-to-last-50-years/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>prodmerc</author><text>I&amp;#x27;ve worked on hundreds of domestic appliances.&lt;p&gt;Newer ones from any manufacturer are indeed failing more often, and are designed worse.&lt;p&gt;The only explanation is that this is on purpose - just like cars or laptops or smartphones, they are designed to fail faster so you buy new ones. Planned obsolescence, plain and simple.&lt;p&gt;The best appliances today, by the way, are made by Bosch&amp;#x2F;Siemens and Miele. None of the other manufacturers come close, period.&lt;p&gt;Interestingly, the high-end machines from Bosch&amp;#x2F;Siemens made in Germany are higher quality than the ones made in Poland, China, Spain or Turkey.&lt;p&gt;Same design, but it seems they use lower quality electronics and metals, as the most common failures are with the motors, control boards and bearings.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>psadauskas</author><text>&amp;quot;The only explanation...&amp;quot;? What about &amp;quot;never attribute to malice...&amp;quot; and Occam&amp;#x27;s Razor.&lt;p&gt;I think a more likely explanation is that in the majority of cases when shopping for an appliance and your choices are a $1500 one and a $2000 one, you buy the cheaper one. This forces manufacturers to compete on price, and to cut costs wherever possible to remain profitable.&lt;p&gt;Additionally, I just spent 30 seconds googling and a washer&amp;#x2F;dryer set cost $495 in 1953, which is ~$4500 in today&amp;#x27;s buying power. You can buy a cheap washer&amp;#x2F;dryer set these days for $500 on sale, which is pretty incredible. I don&amp;#x27;t know what super heavy duty high end washer&amp;#x2F;dryer you could get these days for $4500, but I bet you could find one that would last 50 years.</text></comment>
<story><title>They Used To Last 50 Years</title><url>http://recraigslist.com/2015/10/they-used-to-last-50-years/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>prodmerc</author><text>I&amp;#x27;ve worked on hundreds of domestic appliances.&lt;p&gt;Newer ones from any manufacturer are indeed failing more often, and are designed worse.&lt;p&gt;The only explanation is that this is on purpose - just like cars or laptops or smartphones, they are designed to fail faster so you buy new ones. Planned obsolescence, plain and simple.&lt;p&gt;The best appliances today, by the way, are made by Bosch&amp;#x2F;Siemens and Miele. None of the other manufacturers come close, period.&lt;p&gt;Interestingly, the high-end machines from Bosch&amp;#x2F;Siemens made in Germany are higher quality than the ones made in Poland, China, Spain or Turkey.&lt;p&gt;Same design, but it seems they use lower quality electronics and metals, as the most common failures are with the motors, control boards and bearings.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>PuffinBlue</author><text>Sorry but I&amp;#x27;m not drinking the Miele Kool-Aid any longer. Maybe in the past they were great (my MIL has a 20 years old washing machine that&amp;#x27;s going great) but not the new stuff.&lt;p&gt;Both my washer and dryer failed within 2 months of each other after 6 years.&lt;p&gt;The dryers main board failed and price to repair was nearly £350 just for the part.&lt;p&gt;The washers pump and some kind of water sensor failed simultaneously, leading to a constantly filling drum that wouldn&amp;#x27;t be emptied. Que the film style comedy of water vomiting forth from the soap dispenser tray all over the kitchen.&lt;p&gt;The warranty is only 2 years standard (thanks for that at least EU) but anything more is paid. No 10 year guarantee anymore!&lt;p&gt;And mine wasn&amp;#x27;t the only newer Miele I&amp;#x27;ve seen with expensive early failures as other friends have been caught too.&lt;p&gt;General consensus of the repair technicians I spoke with was all to get the cheapest non-condensing dryer (white-knight was mentioned as reliable but super cheap to repair if needed) you can and an LG washing machine for the sealed direct drive motor which comes with a 10 year [EDIT - seems they&amp;#x27;ve dropped it to 5 years only now]  guarantee.&lt;p&gt;Bosch dishwasher I&amp;#x27;ll concede is still going strong after 7 years. And It&amp;#x27;s really been abused (no filter cleaning for first 5 years!) so I take you point on that.</text></comment>