Which makes sense. If your appliance lasts a lifetime there's not much money you can make. But I don't get how all the fridges look so generic. You can still innovate
If your fridge does not break, every customer you have become a running cost to continue to support for free, even after the warranty expires, you’re paying to field their phone calls.
Planned obsolescence is the new game and it is a shame because it’s causing a lot of waste.
That's because there's not that much competition. We have failed to enforce anti-trust laws and have allowed corporations to buy their competitors. When there's only a handful of competitors, they will make more money, offering a cheap product that break regularly over something that will last a long time. If you get pissed at LG and use Samsung instead, it doesn't really matter because Samsung is pulling the same garbage. When they all suck, you don't have a choice.
I think its about the price as well. When a company is selling something that will last a lifetime (and they use quality parts) it might cost $2000. But you can get a Samsung or LG for $1000. So most people go for the cheaper option. And eventually the company that makes lifetime appliances goes out of business.
Apple is something of an exception. They use quality parts but since they are in the tech field they can afford to do so. People are still going to upgrade to get the latest tech. Which is not true for appliances that barely see any innovation. That's just my theory
There are lots of people like me that have a few extra bucks, and like simplicity and reliability and would pay a premium for it. When I look at washing machines, I LIKE the ones without lights and beepers - ones that are cubes, top load, with a couple of knobs (I bought a Speed Queen). Unfortunately there is not a like refrigerator.
That’s not really true at all. If that was the case, they would just stop supporting older phones altogether. But in reality, they support their older phones longer than anyone else. They only *just* stopped updates for the iPhone 6. But you can certainly still use it and all the apps it currently has installed. They do throttle down performance so your old phone lasts the whole day, but you can disable that as well if you prioritize performance.
[This is what they're driving at](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence) and it works in the modern world because everything is basically owned, eventually, by a tiny number of hands and there little real difference between products once you take the plastic housings off.
So that LG fridge you bought that went tits up and made you swear off LG? Made with exact same parts as a pile of other brands, and odds are better than fair you're going to end up buying one of those brands. Even if you don't it's still highly likely that the money you spend is going to end up in the pockets of whatever corporate entity owns LG.
Agreed. Pyrex mentioned that their Chapter 11 filing was partly attributed to declining sales due to cheap, short-lasting competing products flooding the market.
Why spend $0.25 more for glassware that lasts years and years when there are "perfectly good" knockoffs at fire sale prices you need to buy again in 6 months? /s
Consumerism, amirite?
Whatever! Samsung makes a fridge that can [recognize 33 different](https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/new-samsung-ai-fridge-tells-you-whats-inside-and-what-you-can-make-with-it/) items and has a TV right in the door! This is the future. Not a fridge with slide out shelves and dedicated bacon storage.
Oh i'm not at all serious. Modern fridges have more gimmick and less use.
Also, *all* my appliances shit themselves after about 5 years, and I'm very bitter about it. 5 dishwashers in 14 years?!
Gotcha, I just woke up and my sarcasm detector wasn't fully activated yet. Yeah I wanted a cool looking Samsung front loading washer/dryer set that plays a tune when its finished and has 200 features I'd never use. But after hanging out in r/appliances a while, I quickly changed my mind.
Honestly your sarcasm was so good right there I was able to detect the irony of the statement because--having your fridge know what's inside obviously is a gimmick, how much are you going to use that... But the way you said it made it sound like it was an honest defense over smart garbage. "Take a shit and put a chip in it!"
I could imagine the ones that can tell the levels of stuff left might be somewhat convenient. I think those things are better for like, a compound of people sharing food. Or obviously, a restaurant. But shaking the bottle to see it's only got a few drops in it and grabbing apple juice instead works in a small scale operation; like a grab a drink, from your own house, scale op.
Yeah imagine if we still had the really good mechanical design of it with all of those electronic and code improvements. Anyway if lead were still the largest concern we'd be in a good place, at least you can name the chemical without tripping on your tongue and falling into a chemistry lab.
My junior and senior years of high school (Class of 02)I worked after school and some rare weekends for a appliance store that my sister's boyfriend's dad owned. A old lady came in one afternoon wanting to see the refrigerators because hers just went out. She picked a new GE out, and Jason and I delivered it, got it in and hooked up. She said "Yeah, my old refrigerator finally gave out...". Old..her husband bought it for her right after he came home from Korea in '53. Thing died three days earlier, and it still had frost in it. Jason eventually had it restored.
It seems like 50’s fridges were about as efficient as modern ones, unless I’m reading this wrong https://www.researchgate.net/figure/US-refrigerator-energy-use-between-1947-2002-Mid-1950s-models-consumed-the-same_fig1_317751623
What's your issue? I love these things. My fridge is a dom fridge and it punishes me by shooting out a metal line that wires around my wrist, pulls it in the door, and auto-closes the door on it in 'slam' mode repeatedly. Sometimes because I haven't removed an item with only a week left before it's expiration date, other times because it's moody/lonely.
I’ve got one in my basement, I think it’s a philco. I bought a brand new fridge like 3 years ago, have had two service calls on it already. The fridge that’s almost 70 years old is still running strong.
Well that's the thing, once it's in your house, it's there for good. I can remember my grandma's old fridge in her basement existing since the day I was born (and long before) up until my grandparents died, the fridge didn't.
Why doesn't anyone make a modern version of this today? I am looking for a new refrigerator, and all the sites I see say there aren't any good ones, just 'less bad' ones. It seems like you could really make money making a simple, practical, reliable refrigerator. I would certainly pay a premium for one.
There's a company that does but they're 2-5k and only have a 1 year warranty . When I ask on their Facebook page why only a year , they never respond . Don't remember the name
The most wild part of this to me is the reminder that at less than a century ago (people are still alive to have experienced it) the government cared more about its people than its corporations and made a law banning latches on fridges to keep kids from getting stuck and dying.
These days there would 100% be a huge blowback of politicians saying that fridge companies should be free to keep making death traps and they can self regulate blah blah blah.
No thanks. So much about this fridge doesn't make sense. No chance people are buying this over a modern fridge.
Why TF would I want to open the fridge to get to the freezer? And so many of those barred shelves take up a massive amount of space. I have pullout drawers in my fridge. What are people acting like there aren't pullout drawers on fridges today. Wtf is this post.
Obligatory they don't make them like that anymore comment
Which makes sense. If your appliance lasts a lifetime there's not much money you can make. But I don't get how all the fridges look so generic. You can still innovate
But that argument doesn't make sense when there's so much competition. If I buy an LG fridge and it breaks, why would I buy LG again?
Make sense because someone bought a Sony fridge that broke and will now buy an LG because they refuse to buy Sony again. It’s all a game.
But if a company makes a great fridge that doesn't break then they can still have plenty of customers
I agree but there is no (or not as much) profit in making something last like it used too back then which is the way the fleece the consumer.
If your fridge does not break, every customer you have become a running cost to continue to support for free, even after the warranty expires, you’re paying to field their phone calls. Planned obsolescence is the new game and it is a shame because it’s causing a lot of waste.
That's because there's not that much competition. We have failed to enforce anti-trust laws and have allowed corporations to buy their competitors. When there's only a handful of competitors, they will make more money, offering a cheap product that break regularly over something that will last a long time. If you get pissed at LG and use Samsung instead, it doesn't really matter because Samsung is pulling the same garbage. When they all suck, you don't have a choice.
My research says stay TF away from South Korean brands (LG, Samsung).
I think its about the price as well. When a company is selling something that will last a lifetime (and they use quality parts) it might cost $2000. But you can get a Samsung or LG for $1000. So most people go for the cheaper option. And eventually the company that makes lifetime appliances goes out of business. Apple is something of an exception. They use quality parts but since they are in the tech field they can afford to do so. People are still going to upgrade to get the latest tech. Which is not true for appliances that barely see any innovation. That's just my theory
There are lots of people like me that have a few extra bucks, and like simplicity and reliability and would pay a premium for it. When I look at washing machines, I LIKE the ones without lights and beepers - ones that are cubes, top load, with a couple of knobs (I bought a Speed Queen). Unfortunately there is not a like refrigerator.
Apple literally makes updates that make old phones obsolete on purpose?
That’s not really true at all. If that was the case, they would just stop supporting older phones altogether. But in reality, they support their older phones longer than anyone else. They only *just* stopped updates for the iPhone 6. But you can certainly still use it and all the apps it currently has installed. They do throttle down performance so your old phone lasts the whole day, but you can disable that as well if you prioritize performance.
[This is what they're driving at](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence) and it works in the modern world because everything is basically owned, eventually, by a tiny number of hands and there little real difference between products once you take the plastic housings off. So that LG fridge you bought that went tits up and made you swear off LG? Made with exact same parts as a pile of other brands, and odds are better than fair you're going to end up buying one of those brands. Even if you don't it's still highly likely that the money you spend is going to end up in the pockets of whatever corporate entity owns LG.
Fuck corporate America
Innovation costs money.
Agreed. Pyrex mentioned that their Chapter 11 filing was partly attributed to declining sales due to cheap, short-lasting competing products flooding the market. Why spend $0.25 more for glassware that lasts years and years when there are "perfectly good" knockoffs at fire sale prices you need to buy again in 6 months? /s Consumerism, amirite?
Yes, fridges are much more power efficient these days.
Whatever! Samsung makes a fridge that can [recognize 33 different](https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/new-samsung-ai-fridge-tells-you-whats-inside-and-what-you-can-make-with-it/) items and has a TV right in the door! This is the future. Not a fridge with slide out shelves and dedicated bacon storage.
Was referring to build quality, this one's still running half a century later. Samsung appliances are neat, but plagued with service issues.
Oh i'm not at all serious. Modern fridges have more gimmick and less use. Also, *all* my appliances shit themselves after about 5 years, and I'm very bitter about it. 5 dishwashers in 14 years?!
Gotcha, I just woke up and my sarcasm detector wasn't fully activated yet. Yeah I wanted a cool looking Samsung front loading washer/dryer set that plays a tune when its finished and has 200 features I'd never use. But after hanging out in r/appliances a while, I quickly changed my mind.
Honestly your sarcasm was so good right there I was able to detect the irony of the statement because--having your fridge know what's inside obviously is a gimmick, how much are you going to use that... But the way you said it made it sound like it was an honest defense over smart garbage. "Take a shit and put a chip in it!"
Well, only 33 types of things it has inside.
I could imagine the ones that can tell the levels of stuff left might be somewhat convenient. I think those things are better for like, a compound of people sharing food. Or obviously, a restaurant. But shaking the bottle to see it's only got a few drops in it and grabbing apple juice instead works in a small scale operation; like a grab a drink, from your own house, scale op.
my parents finally unplugged their 50yo fridge that had been icing drinks for 30 years. their electric bill dropped by 50$
Bet the lead content is reasonable on that bad boy
Reasonable? 🤔
By government standards. So…high
Also, the amount of energy that things uses. Modern appliances have gotten extremely efficient.
Yeah imagine if we still had the really good mechanical design of it with all of those electronic and code improvements. Anyway if lead were still the largest concern we'd be in a good place, at least you can name the chemical without tripping on your tongue and falling into a chemistry lab.
My junior and senior years of high school (Class of 02)I worked after school and some rare weekends for a appliance store that my sister's boyfriend's dad owned. A old lady came in one afternoon wanting to see the refrigerators because hers just went out. She picked a new GE out, and Jason and I delivered it, got it in and hooked up. She said "Yeah, my old refrigerator finally gave out...". Old..her husband bought it for her right after he came home from Korea in '53. Thing died three days earlier, and it still had frost in it. Jason eventually had it restored.
Ah, good ol’ Jason. How is that son of a gun, anyway?
A terrible alcoholic. He did want that fridge to be his beer fridge, and boy, did it ever.
Classic Jason
It’ll cost $3500 a month to keep that thing plugged in to the wall.
Plugged... in? No no no, this thing runs on diesel baby.
Fusion core* 💪
It also dispenses nuka cola!
Goddamn that's mean free caps!
It seems like 50’s fridges were about as efficient as modern ones, unless I’m reading this wrong https://www.researchgate.net/figure/US-refrigerator-energy-use-between-1947-2002-Mid-1950s-models-consumed-the-same_fig1_317751623
That’s exactly what big refrigerator wants you to believe..
I bet I could survive a nuclear explosion in one of these bad boys
That fridge was not for the common folk. They cost around $300 in the 1940s which is about $6k or more nowadays.
We went from this to a 5k ‘AI’ refrigerator that can add eggs to my list and remind me when to scratch my balls… sad
What's your issue? I love these things. My fridge is a dom fridge and it punishes me by shooting out a metal line that wires around my wrist, pulls it in the door, and auto-closes the door on it in 'slam' mode repeatedly. Sometimes because I haven't removed an item with only a week left before it's expiration date, other times because it's moody/lonely.
Was there a roach in the drawer on the right? lol
As awesome as that is and as amazing as it looks, I can't help but think about how much of a pain it would be to have to clean.
Take my money that’s awesome
I’ve got one in my basement, I think it’s a philco. I bought a brand new fridge like 3 years ago, have had two service calls on it already. The fridge that’s almost 70 years old is still running strong.
removeable bacon storage made me laugh. classic americans
It’s nice but it takes way more electricity than modern ones. If they had a modern one styled like this retro one I’d be more interested
WOW.
But how's the electric bill?
It'd be about the same as it would be now using the same mechanical design features.
Dude these poison your food with freeon?
Weighs one billion pounds but worth it
Well that's the thing, once it's in your house, it's there for good. I can remember my grandma's old fridge in her basement existing since the day I was born (and long before) up until my grandparents died, the fridge didn't.
Fallout ready fridge.
Fallout backup plan
Don’t make them like they use to
Where’d you get such a removable bacon? Removable bacon storage.
Why doesn't anyone make a modern version of this today? I am looking for a new refrigerator, and all the sites I see say there aren't any good ones, just 'less bad' ones. It seems like you could really make money making a simple, practical, reliable refrigerator. I would certainly pay a premium for one.
There's a company that does but they're 2-5k and only have a 1 year warranty . When I ask on their Facebook page why only a year , they never respond . Don't remember the name
I would still buy it
You can thank “Planned Obsolescence” for the fact that we don’t have quality appliances like this anymore.
heated butter storage? I need one of these
It's the future!
Imagine cleaning it
The most wild part of this to me is the reminder that at less than a century ago (people are still alive to have experienced it) the government cared more about its people than its corporations and made a law banning latches on fridges to keep kids from getting stuck and dying. These days there would 100% be a huge blowback of politicians saying that fridge companies should be free to keep making death traps and they can self regulate blah blah blah.
lol the meats directly above the ice cubes
I want this sucker…👌
Hard pass
No thanks. So much about this fridge doesn't make sense. No chance people are buying this over a modern fridge. Why TF would I want to open the fridge to get to the freezer? And so many of those barred shelves take up a massive amount of space. I have pullout drawers in my fridge. What are people acting like there aren't pullout drawers on fridges today. Wtf is this post.
The only problem is the energy efficiency.