Is everything made to fail?

[Henderson]

Maybe I'm just being a cranky old man, but it feels like everything I buy lately is made to fail within a short time period. I'm finding equipment with plastic wheels, plastic screws, cheap aluminum washers, irreplaceable batteries, and the like. And it's not a matter of getting what you pay for, even pricey items seem to have a short life. Is everything made to fail?

 

[Urban Homestead]

It certainly seems that way. We've spent thousands on riding lawn mowers over the years. Our last one worked for close to 10 years. Our newest one falls apart at least once or twice each season. It's the same with our tiller.

 

[Jack L]

It started with light bulbs. Light Bulb Conspiracy Probes Planned Obsolescence - Consumer Reports

They call it planned obsolescense, and when you look at the products you're talking about, as well as many others, it makes sense. To the manufacturers of course, not the consumer.

Also, look at the warranties they give certain parts in vehicles.

 

[Wildlife]

Seems that way lately from washer dryers to mowers tv etc. and warranties aren't as good as they use to be.

 

[Locksmith]

It's a money grab. If a product lasts longer than 1 generation, 25 years or so, the company that makes that product will not see s steady income. How could a business stay in business like that?

 

[Skyline]

Well, yeah... And I agree with Locksmith too. It’s like those daily tech products that everyone has as well, like phones and such. Same logic, it applies basically everywhere.

 

[Toymaker]

Its a simple combination of factors:

Designed obselence. We as consumers somehow equate "new" with better...we can own a perfectly fine car, but when the payments end...as a whole we think we "need" new as a population on the whole. Companies feed this at it serves their bottom line.

Demand for tech - we demand MORE tech...we want gizmos, cell connectivity, flashlights attached or whatever. Tech is constantly evolvkng and rarely fail proof in the first crack at it...think of gas engines over the years...those first 30 years were no where near the reliability of even the worst of the past 30.

Unrealistic users...again, we tend to overuse/abuse products. See it all the time - cheap ass wont change the oil in their vehicle or take maintnance suggestions...but then cry about a breakdown and not be warranty repair. Of course their solution - trade in with neg equity and buy a newer, cheaper model..only to repeat the cycle.

 

[Toymaker]

Take TVs too...whens the last tome you met a tv repairman?

40 years ago, they were becoming scarcer...you remember the guy with the big toolbox full of tubes...

Of course product reliability spiked with solid state circuit boards...then dropped as we tried to make them cheaper. There is acceptance for a higher fail rate if the price falls to a sharper amount.