How long should stuff last?

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nobbie48

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If you buy a brand new car and treat it properly, modest mileage, I figure the first five years should be relatively trouble free. 5-10 years will see some major items and 10-15 years going downhill faster. After 15 it's a crap shoot. Far better than the 1950- 1960 era when they were junkers in 5 years.

Electronics get aged out after five years due to incompatibility and the bang per buck seems to keep getting better. Look at what a TV cost in 1970 dollars and what you get today.

I don't see MDF or particle board furniture lasting like Grammas old solid oak stuff but it looks cooler.

Housing is what worries me. Old houses are drafty and inefficient but everything in them was solid wood, stone or metal. I wonder how long some of the new houses will be standing considering the amount of plastics and glue that are used. MDF, waferboard, glue-lam beams, PVC windows etc.

It's not going to happen wholesale in my lifetime but condo townhouses present some interesting legal challenges if they start falling apart and it has happened.

Home appliances? Remember the OLD Maytag stuff? Not any more. Old beer fridges seem to quietly run forever.
 
ya...but porn is better





in truth it's because there's a profit to be had.

businesses would have us believe that people redecorate every five years, so they won't want anything to last longer than that.

You can still get quality products, it's just harder to find.
 
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I did my drywall in my basement recently, even water can melt the wall like sugar, go figure
 
^ yes but rule 34D dictates that two cups is a good thing for someone.

How can you say that isn't progress.


(i was originally referring to things like High-def and wax.)

edit : btw thanks for introducing me to the rules. :lmao:
 
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My early 70's house is built entirely out of 2x4s... I'd rather have a new house, no question about it. They're built sturdier for the most part. At least the exterior framing is 2x6 or better now. Windows are better, doors are better, insulation far better, etc. Stuff like glue-lam is indestructable IMO. Engineered joists too.

Cars are a crapshoot. Rust is prevalent, look at most small Mazdas or Dodge pickup trucks; rusted to hell within 5 years. Others seem to last forever. My 10 year old Nissan SUV is rock solid inside and out- no major repairs ever. It'll probably last another 10.
 
My house is 103 yrs old with a stone foundation made out of granite and it's 18" thick. ALL of the lumber is nominal meaning a 2X4 is a 2X4 and so are the 2X10 floor joists. We have the hot water rads which when you ask the pro's, they say it's the best heat source. Newer housing especially those built in the 90's tract sub division cookie cutter style are crap. My wife's cousin owns one and when he runs across the family room, you can feel the joisting flex. Same with the roofing, a so-called thirty year shingle might last you 18. My interior doors don't heave and close as they should. I've had newer houses myself and will never buy another. It's all about the mighty dollar these days.
 
Dude regarding cars, you know not of what you speak. The majority of automobiles built in North America pre 1970 were solid and dependable. Best of all, the average Joe could do basic maintenance and make repairs without needing a degree or expensive electronic diagnostic equipment.
I agree totally with modern electronics, cheap furniture and appliances.
As far as houses go modern dwellings must meet stick building codes. However, contractors do some rather iffy stuff to make a profit. Watch some of Mike Holmes’ programs that disclose just how crappy many new subdivisions are. I shudder to think what those condo towers in Toronto will look like 30 years down the road. Just look at how the Gardiner Expressway is decomposing.
Best home purchase would be an older single family home that has been updated with modern insulation, windows, plumbing and electrical wiring.
 
mmmnaked said:
My 10 year old Nissan SUV is rock solid inside and out- no major repairs ever. It'll probably last another 10.
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Your pathfinder is a body on frame. They don't come any tougher than that. The VG30 engine in your SUV dates back to 1983. The thing is bulletproof.

Today's Nissans are junk. Of all the Jap automakers, their quality is the worst.


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Stephen W. said:
Dude regarding cars, you know not of what you speak. The majority of automobiles built in North America pre 1970 were solid and dependable. Best of all, the average Joe could do basic maintenance and make repairs without needing a degree or expensive electronic diagnostic equipment.
I agree totally with modern electronics, cheap furniture and appliances.
As far as houses go modern dwellings must meet stick building codes. However, contractors do some rather iffy stuff to make a profit. Watch some of Mike Holmes’ programs that disclose just how crappy many new subdivisions are. I shudder to think what those condo towers in Toronto will look like 30 years down the road. Just look at how the Gardiner Expressway is decomposing.
Best home purchase would be an older single family home that has been updated with modern insulation, windows, plumbing and electrical wiring.
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Pre 1970 = rust perforation, bias ply tires, more oil changes, higher fuel consumption, little crash protection, more tuneups, drum brakes, but yeah you can fix them easier.

Re house built to code, the industry lobbiests push for lower standards and get them.
 
If they last how are you going to buy their latest and greatest thing a few years or even better next year!

Look at all the isheeple that buy a new iphone every year.
 
it's all relative. give and take.

but as for cars. I agree with Stephen W. 1970's.

although the toughest factor is that we are in Canada, and the temperature fluctuations, weathering, and the SALT destroy cars.
 
nobbie48 said:
Pre 1970 = rust perforation, bias ply tires, more oil changes, higher fuel consumption, little crash protection, more tuneups, drum brakes, but yeah you can fix them easier...
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Your original comment was; "Far better than the 1950- 1960 era when they were junkers in 5 years." Tire construction, oil changes, fuel consumption and crash protection have nothing to do with that statement!
I grew up in the 50's and 60's. I remember people keeping their cars for 10+ years. Not trading them in every 3 to 5 as most do today. Furthermore, my family has owned and/or restored cars from the late twenty's through to the mid sixties and although rust perforation is a major problem we're talking cars that have sat for decades deteriorating. NOT cars that were being driven on a daily basis.
 
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Cars in the 50's and 60's WERE designed to last 5 years. Other than thicker sheet metal they had zero durability advantages over today's vehicles. The rate of mechanical failure was high and build standards - low. They required constant tune-ups, leaked fluids like crazy, rust after 2-3 years at times, released from the line with numerous defects, etc. Yes, they were easier to work on. I'm a fan of simplicity but please don't let nostalgia distort your view of reality.
 
My gf's 8 year old Subie is starting to go (and has been for about 35000km lol). Has around 200k on the odo. I put 60,000km on my Lancer in the last 14 months...nbd.
 
Roadside breakdowns were very common back in the day. I can drive all day now without seeing a car on the shoulder, except to make a phone call or MM tossing one off.
 
DemonPig said:
It is also a myth - not supported by any statistics, that people used to keep their car longer on average back in a day. The opposite is true. Today's cars stay with owners for 10-12 years and easily last 300,000km.
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The engine reman. business is way down. Like wayyyyy down.
 
Stuff or things?

Stuff usually should be good for a year. Things should last a minimum of two years, usually five or more.

Now items, those are tricky. They last longer than a year but not much more than two, but some items have been known to last for decades.

Of course artifacts should last for centuries, millenia even. So obviously you should make a point of buying as many artifacts as you can, and avoid all sorts of stuff.
 
What about the stash? How long should it last? Does one stuff the stash or stash the stuff?
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