I remember the days when mom and dad would say, "Things aren't built like they used to be." That was more than 40 years ago. Now it's me telling my kids the same thing. I was too young to really appreciate the high level of build quality back then. But I have a small taste of quality from my experience with machine tools in my home machine shop. Unfortunately, I also have a shop full of poorly engineered and manufactured items from the current era.
I have several machines in my garage that are a testament to quality engineering. The 1965 J-Head Bridgeport milling machine, the 1960s Clausing Lathe, and the 1940s Southbend Lathe are just a few examples of machines that were designed to last. When a friend and I were looking for a good band saw, new units were passed over for a 1960s Doall band saw. There was no solid modeling, no computers, no modern tools. These machines were designed on paper by engineers who knew quality.
When I was growing up, lasting quality was evident inside the house, as well. I can remember my mom having only one iron. Being the fixer of the house, I replaced the cord a couple times. This was expected. Replacement cords were available at the local supermarket. But quality is not a word associated with the build of modern irons.
If price is a reflection of quality, we are now buying good irons. However, these are so poorly engineered that replacement is inevitable. In fact, we regularly save the receipts and boxes to return them as they fail. Sometimes the product lasts a month, and sometimes it lasts six months, but invariably they all fail. In an attempt to save money, my wife has tried buying cheap, basic irons (versus more expensive, feature-filled irons). But there is little difference in longevity or build quality.
I've replaced or repaired the cords on these new models a few times. But these are different from my mom's iron; these were not really intended to continue on after a cord replacement. Just opening these irons is a challenge. Once inside, you'll usually find the cord is crimp-connected to other components. My mom's iron had easy access to cord and screw terminals. Seems like design engineers back then realized that the cord might need to be replaced. What a concept.
Yet all this cord business is usually irrelevant -- the iron fails before the cord needs replacing. I'm always curious as to why the iron failed. So I take a look. I've seen failures in the heating controller, actual heater elements, as well as safety circuits. There doesn't seem to be a pattern in the failures. The pattern that is evident is that it's all junk.
This entry was submitted by Eric Chesak and edited by Rob Spiegel.
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There is actual demand for lowering the quality of test equipment. When the pace of change was slow, it was good idea to pay a premium for test equipment that would last for decades. Now, bandwidths, busses and formats are evolving yearly and that piece of test equipment with sheet metal covers and extruded aluminum chassis might still be functional but no one can use it. Manufacturers and labs don't want to pay for longevity, they want reliable low cost equipment which they know will all be obsolete in their processes in a year or two and have to be replaced. Plastic covers, folded sheet metal and just enough performance at a price that that doesn't require five years of depreciation and IRS accounting is where the market is driving.
Yes, decades ago the stuff was better quality and built to last. But it also cost a lot more, too. Todays consumer item is far far cheaper than the items we bought in the 70's. You CAN buy quality tools and applicances, but be prepared to pay a realistic price. (most consumers just want to pay less.
By the way, you might like to compare the length of the cord supplied with the iron with what you got 40 years ago. I've noticed a creeping reduction in power cable length over the years.
Read 'To Engineer is Human' by Henry Petroski for some insight to reasons we do this.
When using pencil and paper (or slide rules) you did not 'push' the slenderness of features of parts because of the cost testing all scenerios and the cost of failure was high and that there were so many things you could not test for that could come up to compromise the design in the field.
Now with FEA on every Engineers desktop, designs are made just good enough to fullful ther expected life cycle and no more. Reliability is only 'good enough' to statistically (99.8%) make it to the end of the warranty period.
I hope for a backlash against this type of consumerism thinking, and can see a case where MORE analysis again increases the longevity of our products, or at least accounts more fully for real world useage.
MAybe with the widespread adoption of additive manufacturing, etc... a cottage industry will emerge to supply the need for 'improved' components and devices. This is if the liability lawyers don't get involved...
It is true that certain modern items seem to be produced with a lack of quality. People often decry the use of plastic in replace of metals - and often an item's lack of mass is looked at as a lack of "material strength".
For example, the modern car is sometimes looked at as lacking quality because it lacks the heavy iron of yesteryear. However, those old cars really didn't last that long in terms of miles. Flat tires were a common occurance, and everyone new how to tear apart the engine because it was occasionally necessary.
So count me in among those who are generally optimistic about the quality from modern engineered items; especially relative to price and relative to our buying power. For most of us, our parents and grand-parents worked quite hard just to afford a few items, tools, household appliances, etc. Today, I freely toss out or give away any older appliance which begins to fail because buying a new one isn't a big deal. My grandmother probably had one simple sewing machine - my wife has 6-7 fancy one. My grandfather was lucky to have a few simple tools. I am fortunate to have a whole shop full of hand tools and power-tools which are just as good or better than the one he had.
The "stainless" knives reminded me of a trip to Home Depot where I picked up some "copper" plumbing. The "copper" was just a flash over the surface of some mystery metal. The flash wasn't even deep enough for me to brighten up the surface for soldering.
That's true. Consumer cost is the biggest driver in manufacturing. Worldwide, people want the newest, coolest item. Irons, especially, need to be lightweight today. As everyone has said, you sacrifice something with those restrictions.
Seems like there might also be an issue of planned obsolescence here. If you wear it out in a few years, you're left with little choice but to run back to the store and buy a new one.
I think there are several problems. In my humble opinion, I'd list the problems like this:
1. Product Design - Poor Engineering
2. Materials
3. Workmanship
The products are not designed for any sort of longevity US materials. I can't tell you how many "Stainless" kitchen knives that I've had that have rust spots. I can recall a "weld-buster" chisel that I purchased for my air hammer that "flowered" the first time it hit a strip of 7011 weld (rod for mild steel). The workmanship also leaves a lot to be desired. I've had to repair many circuit boards with cold or lacking solder joints. Many times, the electronics will work properly (for a while), if soldered properly. But on other occasions, an electronic part will fail because of a cold or unsoldered joint, for lack of heat sinking, grounding or other issues.
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