Turbo2

Why do manufacturers of household goods continue to think that a flimsy bit of plastic is a suitable material for a moving part? I can think of 6 household items of ours that have had to be chucked out this year alone due to the premature failure of a simple plastic component, despite the rest of the product being 100% OK.

Bush Stainless steel electric kettle: plastic on/off lever broke
Steel pedal bin: plastic lid hinge broke
Flymo: plastic (!) wing nuts broke + other plastic parts and rollers fell off
Samsung vacuum cleaner: plastic roller housing broke and other parts fell off
Zoom Broadband router: plastic on/off switch has broken on 2 successive machines.

And this week:...

Wahl electric shaver: one of the flimsy plastic blade support stalks has snapped. I bought this from Argos less than 3 months ago because it advertised a manufacturer's 3 year guarantee I can see me going back to Argos for a "free" replacement shaver for the rest of my life at this rate or at least until Wahl go bankrupt! Not one of these shavers will last 3 years!

What's the point in trying to save 1p on a cheap placky component, when it's going to cost the manufacturer the best part of 35 quid a shot to replace the whole product? I'm no engineer, but I can be 90% certain which part is going to fail prematurely on a product as soon as I have taken it out of the packaging: it's usually any moving plastic part. Don't the manufacturers really test their products in use for longevity before putting them on public sale?

davegtt

Maybe you dont know your own strength

dpb

Xing xong ?

Odds on

Don't use a hammer to turn the switch on the kettle. It will last longer.

Seriously though, I reckon the parts are designed to last exactly the length of the warranty. That way they break, causing you to have to go and buy another one. They must be making them so 'on the limit', that obviously a few fail prematurely.

Leslie

I agree with Turbo. This country used to be renowned for the quality of the goods produced. Pity to see it go down the tubes.

Les

Eddie1980

eSpares - Spare Parts & Accessories for Electrical Appliances - eSpares

Your not honestly telling me nothing in the olden days needed the odd repair? We just turned into a throw away society.

windyboy

bring back bakelite, you couldn't even break that stuff with a sledge hammer.

Also it will give more meaning to the old belfast joke - my da fell asleep whilst smoking a woodbine and set his bakelite

i'll get me coat.

Eddie1980

Bakelite was awesome!!

Used to be able to get it in inch thick sheets as a wearing surface, lasted forever!

Thank god for ebay

1955 bakelite phone on eBay, also, Vintage Phones, Mobile Home Phones (end time 02-Oct-08 10:00:10 BST)

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Ha.........that would be right, if we actually made more than 0.000001% of the manufactured goods on sale here, IN THIS COUNTRY

Thanks to Thatcher and Blair, we no longer have much manufacturing, and what we DO have is going down the toilet, or sold to foreigners.

Alcazar

Eddie1980

^^^
Yes but on the bright side it means that all the goods we use don't contribute to the CO footprint of the UK because they were manufactured elsewhere.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

The CO footprint?

Aaaargh, do we all have a carbon monoxide footprint now?

Alcazar

Eddie1980

Its a really small ^2

But most probably a CO print as well, sigh.

lizbeth

here's a positive angle to it..

Source: Mail & Guardian Online

David Lock

Melamine's the answer