Spare parts

My tumble dryer was bought in 1972 just before DS was born and is still working well. Try not to use it too much as I always think they use a lot of electricity. Says on the front it is a Jackson, never hear of them now. Probably as they lasted so well they went out of busines

It's August now! Yeah!

My tumble drier (Servis) was about 30 years old and still working perfectly well when I was given a second-hand more modern condensing one by a friend about 10 years ago; that is still going strong (at the moment)

Yes, mine was a DC04

and make them bigger.
I don't think I could lift a bigger kettle full of water crun

oh, annsixty said built in obsolescence as well.
I thought I was being clever and technical.

ps down south it is still July until a second past midnight

Tizliz I wish you were nearer to me - I have a whole bagful of spares for a Dyson DC40, now I have a new Dyson because the motor conked out on the old one.
However - we used to have our old Dyson serviced by a local firm (Bristol area) rather than Dyson themselves. They kept a lot of spares, recycled but still as good as new. I am going to phone them to offer them the spare parts I have hanging around here.
Perhaps there is a firm like that near you.

Our super-duper Canon printer/fax/copier had to go to the tip because, although we spent £30 on spares, it still did not work.

I despair at today's built-in obsolescence.

Interesting JaneA. It always surprised me how good more modern appliances can be. However, I'm also pleased that old ones have lasted so long!

When the electricity is installed in the garage I'll probably go back to tumbling.

I used to think that J52 and at home, I carefully separate the washing into suitable piles, the delicates get washed in their own detergent, the coloureds ditto. The delicates are never tumble dried but hung on a maiden near the central heating boiler. Everything else gets hung outside on my washing line.
Now we are travelling, I have to do the laundry all together, all at the same temperature, same detergent etc. and get it dried as soon as it comes out of the washer.
Guess what? Nothing has suffered. Even my white shorts are still white.
That's why I want a modern dryer - I think they do far less damage to fabrics than old ones do, and they leave the clothes uncreased.
The question is, if I use the tumbler more, and use the iron a lot less, will I use more or less electricity?

I have only had 2 tumble dryers in the past 30 years. Both Currys own White Knight brand. The second is still working, but downsizing meant it had to be in the kitchen, as no electricity in the garage. ( to be rectified). I don't want it in the kitchen, so I'm seeing if I can do without. The kitchen has underfloor heating, so in the winter stuff might dry on the clothes horse or In font of the wood burner.

DIL, a fashion designer, will not have a tumble dryer as she believes they ruin fabric.

Your tumbler is 30? I must have had at least 6 over the last 30 years, they tend to last about a year past the guarantee period, then conk out. One set on fire, luckily we got it outside before any damage was done.

Well I can recommend Miele Liz.
MrA broke my old Panasonic irreparably & I rushed out to John Lewis to get the new vacuum cleaner of my choice before he had a chance to poke his nose in. I couldn't believe how quiet and efficient it is.
Crun I think you are being unnecessarily cynical. Like Liz I buy for quality not fashion, and I like things to last a long time.
But things do improve and develop - at the moment I am doing my laundry in various marinas in Canada and the US and I am sadly coming to the conclusion that my 30 year old tumble dryer is going to bite the dust when I get home because modern ones are so much better.

Must have been asleep when I posted. It is a Dyson DC04, I have used Espares before but they state the part I need is discontinued. I do sometimes look on eBay for spare parts but it is going in the rubbish tip soon.

Yes, sorry I was a day out - but so was my daughter, must run in the family!

crun I understand what you say but our engineering business is geared up for small runs of high end products. Manufacturers like Dyson and Russell Hobbs can have big production runs of spares. I don't buy fashion I buy quality and think that manufacturers should have spares for longer. We offer a life time (that is OH's life time) warranty on our products.

"My OH said he could make a new part for the kettle but it isn't worth it as the replacement only cost an hour of his workshop rate."

You answered your own post here. There is no built-in obsolescence or conspiracy by the manufacturers, it's just the inevitable consequence of economic growth.

Growth stems from productivity improvements which allow us to produce more with the same labour, thus over time labour intensive activities like repair become more and more expensive relative to automated processes like production. Before very long you reach a situation where it's cheaper to make a new product than repair the old one.

There are other factors too, such as miniaturisation. The smaller a product the more integrated the components become, so it's simply not possible to dismantle them.

Fashion is another. Most products are thrown away because they're out of fashion rather than worn out, so it's a waste of money making them last longer.

If you want products that are repairable the answer is simple: get rid of fashion, increase the price, and make them bigger.

We've used them too. Was while ago but as far as I can remember the new seal for the oven door arrived promptly.

Have you looked at this site Liz?
www.espares.co.uk/browse/mt248/dyson/dc40
I'm not familiar with Dysons, being a Miele woman myself, but MrA loves e-spares and has fixed numerous household items with bits from them.

Sorry to disappoint you but it is still July and it is unseasonably windy here.

Are you on a different calendar to me Tizliz?
But I know what you mean and sympathise. I don't even look for spares for small appliances any more. Built in obsolescence.