Modern appliance = modern welder

[Bonzoo]

[henry42]

So in a nutshell you're advocating old school transformer welding machines (all copper ofcourse)

[jpump5]

We had a 20+ year old washing machine that worked
fine. I bought a new machine and scrapped
the old one (not my choice). In the two years we’ve
owned the new one, I’ve had it apart twice already.
The novelty of the digital display and electronic
sounds wore off pretty quickly. My fridge and stove
are 25 years old and I’m in no hurry to change them.
I also have no interest in “upgrading” my stick and
mig machines to inverter.

[bigb]

The thing about today's appliances is when they break, often they are not worth fixing due to the high cost of labor and parts. Many times the only way to justify fixing them is if you can do it yourself, but most can't or won't so they just buy more junk. My sister's side by side quit when we were visiting, they looked at new ones and couldn't find one they liked as much as the old one, plus they were $2,000 and up. We pulled the back off and found the compressor relay burnt up. $40 later up and running.

[Willie B]

A big part of my work in youth was appliance repair. With enough patience I could follow a schematic, and diagnose a failed appliance. Few had circuit boards in those days. Most had schematics. A dryer element, timer, bearing, or near any likely part was an off the shelf item twenty miles away. Every part except a compressor was reasonably easy to install. A washer transmission was a rebuilt better than new cost $53. That has changed. Very often the part needed costs half the price of a new machine. Factor labor, that comes too close to new.

We seldom do appliance repairs these days. People have the attitude of the owners in the video. Maytag is not going to repair the machine. I am not Maytag, but they don't feel they should have to pay.

[Bluewelders]

I stuck some parts in a Kenmore I was given.
From the plastic and over complicated design I figure it should work "poorly" for about 4 years between breakdowns.

[N2 Welding]

IMO the big difference here between modern appliances and welding machines is quantities and models being sold. Less welder models to keep up with and figure out problems and there is not a lot of room to loose a lot of paying customers who will switch brands because of problems.

[Munkul]

it's not just the inverter or electronics side of it. It's more to do with the modern practice of "planned obsolescence" and building things to both a price point and a lifespan.

Look at cars... for example BMW used to build cars that were designed to be repaired and fixed and live for a long time. These days they design cars to last specifically 10 years. At the 10 year point you can expect things to be worn out and quite a lot of hassle to fix. And the amount of plastic on these cars... plastic timing tensioners, plastic water pumps and housings, plastic flippin' everything...

[jpump5]

A lot of the design of modern consumer products has to do
with ease of manufacturing. Things that were once screwed
together are now snapped together or are permanently
assembled by crimping or ultasonic welding. More and more
parts are injection molded plastic. Major appliances are
expensive,but the consumer is impressed by the new
features and styles, only to be disappointed later when his
year old washer pukes all over and cost him a couple
hundred dollars to have repaired.

[Willie B]

it's not just the inverter or electronics side of it. It's more to do with the modern practice of "planned obsolescence" and building things to both a price point and a lifespan.

Look at cars... for example BMW used to build cars that were designed to be repaired and fixed and live for a long time. These days they design cars to last specifically 10 years. At the 10 year point you can expect things to be worn out and quite a lot of hassle to fix. And the amount of plastic on these cars... plastic timing tensioners, plastic water pumps and housings, plastic flippin' everything...

And, they do not factor cold climates. In cold, plastic is brittle! I see more vehicles, and heavy equipment look ratty because of broken plastic parts. Too often cosmetic plastic parts are not available.

[CrookedRoads]

Manufacturers used to build good products and stand behind them but somewhere back in the 90's they figured out that their products quality and customer service weren't as important as their stock price and things have been going downhill ever since, you can thank Wall Street for that.

[bigb]

A lot of the design of modern consumer products has to do
with ease of manufacturing. .

Yep, even cars. I was reading the self study guide for my 2015 VW TDI and the engine is a modular unit.(Modular Diesel Matrix) for example the Exhaust Purification Module consists of the DPF and CAT combined into one module, the exhaust manifold and turbocharger are one module molded together, the intake manifold and charge air cooler are one module and a module for the twin cams and roller shafts, it is not serviceable just replaceable.

[William McCormick]

So in a nutshell you're advocating old school transformer welding machines (all copper of course)

They are nice. I still use one, has to be pushing 70 years old. It is a P&H The weight is a bit daunting.

Sincerely,

William McCormick

[N2 Welding]

for example the Exhaust Purification Module consists of the DPF and CAT combined into one module, the exhaust manifold and turbocharger are one module molded together, the intake manifold and charge air cooler are one module and a module for the twin cams and roller shafts, it is not serviceable just replaceable.

Sounds pretty much like vehicular designed obsolescence as well as make it as cheap as humanly possible.

[Munkul]

Yep, even cars. I was reading the self study guide for my 2015 VW TDI and the engine is a modular unit.(Modular Diesel Matrix) for example the Exhaust Purification Module consists of the DPF and CAT combined into one module, the exhaust manifold and turbocharger are one module molded together, the intake manifold and charge air cooler are one module and a module for the twin cams and roller shafts, it is not serviceable just replaceable.

this is mostly to do with getting heat into the cat/dpf as FAST as possible, to try and meet the ridiculously tight emissions standards that new cars have to meet these days.

It's more economical to buy an off-the-shelf turbo housing (e.g. garrett or IHI flanged housings) but due to the packaging for emissions they have to actually spend MORE to get the individual manifold/turbo/dpf castings made for each car/engine model.