Your toaster dies the second you unbox it. Pants rip on day one. The quality of everything is trash now. This is what bigheaded people call enshittification. Companies deliberately design products to break right after the warranty. This is due to the so-called “Hunt for Infinite growth.” Steady profits ain’t enough. They need MORE, so they skimp, shrink packages, and shove everything behind subscriptions. Infinite growth is a plague, and it hurts your personal finance.
Disclaimer: This video is satirical commentary and for entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice.
Whenever some device breaks, I try to get a replacement from ancient times so I’ll never have to buy another shitty one again.
When my desk lamp broke, I got a medical lamp from the 1930s. It’s made out of steel and aluminum and will never fail.
When my fan broke, I got a desk fan from the 50’s - it needed just a few drops of oil and has been running continuously for a week during the European heatwave. Everything down to the gears that make it turn from left to right is made out of solid metal.
The next thing will be an analog scale. I have an electronic one from amazon that partly melted when it was sitting a little bit next to my stove (it didn’t even get that hot). And I secretly hope my toaster will break soon, because ancient toasters look fucking awesome and I want one.
I also have an eBook reader from 2008, when Sony went crazy for a bit and actually produced models with a metal shell. All of these things will definitely last longer than me, as it should be.
The only thing I cannot replace are my fridge and my washing machine. :( You just cannot get those old ones - and even if you do, sellers will not ship them and without a car or driving license, I simply can’t get them. But I do what I can to minimize having to spend a shit ton of money every few years to replace my failing devices.
I agree with you aside from applying that to electrical devices. The lamp is probably ok since you can use a new bulb but the fan might pull more electricity than a modern one, maybe I am wrong about that one though (not an electrician!). Other stuff like a fridge I would 100% not want to get an “ancient” one as it will seriously drain your budget with the electricity wasted by it.
looks like the fan could pop a finger or two
It definitely hurts, but hasn’t penetrated the skin of my fingers (yet).
It draws 35W on full power, which isn’t that bad - and I mostly run it on the low power setting. Even modern fans use the same motor type (shaded-pole motors), they just got a bit smaller over the last 80 years.
A modern comparison would be the PHILIPS Mercury 1000 desk fans, they also draw 35 watts.
I’d be more worried about loose windings contacting the metal housing and making it live without a safety ground to trip the breaker. And yeah, high efficiency appliances are considerable investments considering their lifespan and constant energy draw. Annual energy costs add up quick.
The fan is grounded. I have replaced the motor wiring and used heatshrink to properly put it into the case. Even though I love my old devices, I don’t take any chances with brittle mains wiring.
The lamp does not have a ground wire, but the plug is at the top and the bulb is surrounded by non-conductive material so I’m not worried about it.
Kudos! Glad you took that extra (necessary) step adding the ground. The old cord was probably disintegrating and crumbly anyhow
You think the ancient eBook reader from 2008 with a metal shell will survive you?
Yes, that thing is basically just a CPU, a few capacitors and a screen. Unless the CPU just dies for no reason it can run forever. Capacitors can be replaced.