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.
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.
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.
looks like the fan could pop a finger or two
It definitely hurts, but hasn’t penetrated the skin of my fingers (yet).
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