Throwaway society rant!

[Blackadder]

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My perfectly good (5 year old) lawnmower is pretty much scrap due to a small failed plastic part which is now obsolete, I can't find one anywhere.
Loads of spares websites used to have them for around £5, that's how small it is but without it the mower won't run!

So, not only am I throwing away/recycling this one with all that entails It's going to cost roughly £250 to replace it!

Very annoying, doesn't make sense to me at all.

 

[Lurcherlad2]

My perfectly good (5 year old) lawnmower is pretty much scrap due to a small failed plastic part which is now obsolete, I can't find one anywhere.
Loads of spares websites used to have them for around £5, that's how small it is but without it the mower won't run!

So, not only am I throwing away/recycling this one with all that entails It's going to cost roughly £250 to replace it!

Very annoying, doesn't make sense to me at all.

Is it worth trying to find a broken mower somewhere (freecycle) that could be good for parts?

 

[JudyN]

Very annoying, doesn't make sense to me at all.

It makes perfect sense to lawnmower manufacturers & sellers... It's a crying shame that's the way the world works now

 

[JoanneF]

Can someone with a 3d printer make the part? I've no idea how difficult this is, but it is suggested occasionally on motorhome forums.

 

[Blackadder]

Is it worth trying to find a broken mower somewhere (freecycle) that could be good for parts?

I'm looking but no success yet.

It makes perfect sense to lawnmower manufacturers & sellers... It's a crying shame that's the way the world works now

Does it though, really? I'm not going to buy from the same manufacture next time if this is an example of their product support. If it was 10-15 years old then fair enough but 5?

Can someone with a 3d printer make the part? I've no idea how difficult this is, but it is suggested occasionally on motorhome forums.

I don't know, possibly. Something I'll look into, thanks.

 

[KarenMc]

Through our fluffball Luna, I think we keep the vacuum cleaner industry going!!

 

[Blackadder]

Through our fluffball Luna, I think we keep the vacuum cleaner industry going!!

Yep, I know what you mean! Having said that I have a Miele cylinder vacuum that must be 15 years old & had some use due to dogs/kids...it's still going! Dyson? Oh dear! Mine broke if I looked at it wrong. Didn't buy another!

Edit: Just looked at Miele website & parts are still availble!

 

[magpi]

I also had a Miele cylinder vacuum cleaner. Unfortunately they mustn't make em like they used to because mine only lasted about 3 years. Firstly the retractable cord mechanism broke, then I was having trouble closing the top after putting a new bag in. Finally the extra tool for pet hair wouldn't rotate and the hoover wasn't picking up properly. I gave up and bought a Shark.
I hope you manage to get that part so frustrating to have to pay for a new mower.

 

[JudyN]

Does it though, really? I'm not going to buy from the same manufacture next time if this is an example of their product support. If it was 10-15 years old then fair enough but 5?

Honestly, I think most people would just buy a new lawnmower, quite possibly from the same manufacturer, because they've become brainwashed to accept that that is how things are. I'm sure I heard of some scheme in the UK... ah, here we are: The new ‘right to repair’ law I've not read it, so don't know how well it's adhered to.

I was told that you should replace your pillow every 6 months, and your mattress every 8 years. Really? Even if they are 90% skin flakes, body secretions and dust mites, as long as they're comfy and aren't affecting my health, they're staying!

I know someone in their 60s who replaces their phone with a top-of-the-range one every couple of years, even though they don't use any of the fancy functions. Crazy. He passes them on to his daughter, but last time, she was more than happy with the one he'd given her 2 years before, so she gave me that one - as I really did need a new phone!

But yeah - built-in obsolescence is everywhere, and most people are blind to it.

 

[Blackadder]

@JudyN I wish I could like this post more than once So many conflicting messages, we must have the newest/best no matter what but at the same time we are bombarded with envoironmental issues regarding waste (probably another subject)... the two don't marry.

 

[Buzzer777]

" I'm not going to buy from the same manufacture next time if this is an example of their product support. If it was 10-15 years old then fair enough but 5?"

If your situation across the pond is anything like ours in the USA; almost all lawnmower manufacturers have been bought out by MTD! it's almost impossible to find power equipment made by anyone else these days.

ie: My riding mower is by Yard Machines...10+ yrs old and made by MTD
Snowblower is a Troybuilt..15+ yrs old and made by MTD
Troybuilt gas Generator 20+ yrs old and made by MTD.

Everything still works well and parts are still available but you have to go looking for them. (3rd parties usually)

 

[Mad Murphy]

Yep, I know what you mean! Having said that I have a Miele cylinder vacuum that must be 15 years old & had some use due to dogs/kids...it's still going! Dyson? Oh dear! Mine broke if I looked at it wrong. Didn't buy another!

Edit: Just looked at Miele website & parts are still availble!

I used to have a miele vacuüm it was really good. I now have a shark thats also great for pet hair.
The washing machine is an upright miele though. It replaced the last miele that was almost 20 years old. My mum kept buying cheap machines that broke every two or three years . She actually spent a lot more than I did in the long run.

 

[JudyN]

With our previous car, my mum was always asking us why we didn't get a new one. It got us from A to B just as efficiently as ever, so why would we? It finally died when it was 18/19 years old when it was written off by a drunken idiot in a black BMW.

Our current car is 15 years old, bought from new, and still feels new to us. The plan is to keep it as long as possible, and then go electric (they'll have come down in price by then, right?).

 

[magpi]

With our previous car, my mum was always asking us why we didn't get a new one. It got us from A to B just as efficiently as ever, so why would we? It finally died when it was 18/19 years old when it was written off by a drunken idiot in a black BMW.

Our current car is 15 years old, bought from new, and still feels new to us. The plan is to keep it as long as possible, and then go electric (they'll have come down in price by then, right?).

I can never have electric car. I live in a terraced house and can't park nearby. My petrol car is 9 years old. Maybe my last I don't know we'll see how our pensions go. I bought it in 2018. Only 1300 miles on the clock. I've travelled far in it in my work. If I can keep it until it's 15 I'll be happy

 

[Buzzer777]

Bought mine used in 2016 and it still runs and looks great. It's a 2013 Lexus 350 4-wheel drive. Winters can be a bear here, and an electric vehicle would be a fiasco.

 

[JoanneF]

Not exactly the same, but something you never knew you didn't need.

I was in the supermarket today, and saw silicone tumbler cushions. You put them on the bottom of your glass tumbler so they don't make a noise when you put them down.

 

[Mad Murphy]

One of my biggest bug bears is throw away shoes.
Not just cheap shoes either, OH likes ecco at over €100 but they cant be re-soled . Walking boots when the uppers are still decent but the sole or heel is worn and because of the all in one molded sole cannot be repaired.

It drives me nuts. Im quite heavy on shoes and I have arthritis in my feet so comfortable shoes are a must I hate having to shop for new ones.

 

[lorilu]

One of my biggest bug bears is throw away shoes.
Not just cheap shoes either, OH likes ecco at over €100 but they cant be re-soled . Walking boots when the uppers are still decent but the sole or heel is worn and because of the all in one molded sole cannot be repaired.

It drives me nuts. Im quite heavy on shoes and I have arthritis in my feet so comfortable shoes are a must I hate having to shop for new ones.

Same here. I've been wearing the same boots for over 30 years. Same brand/style I mean. They change the name of the style every few years, but it's the same boot. The soles used to go for a good 2 years, or even three if I had a bad year foot or health wise. However in the last 15 years they only last 6 months before the heels wear down, and like you I cannot wear down at heel boots, for the same reason, degenerative arthritis, plantar fasciitis and Friebergs.

 

[lorilu]

My perfectly good (5 year old) lawnmower is pretty much scrap due to a small failed plastic part which is now obsolete, I can't find one anywhere.
Loads of spares websites used to have them for around £5, that's how small it is but without it the mower won't run!

So, not only am I throwing away/recycling this one with all that entails It's going to cost roughly £250 to replace it!

Very annoying, doesn't make sense to me at all.

My cordless electric lawnmower is also five years old. The hardware started breaking after 2 years. First the chute thing that guides the grass out broke, it falls off a lot, especially in longer grass. Then the deck cover came apart from the deck, the hinge holding it in place broke. I just put it back in place if it goes sideways. Then the flap at the back that is supposed to protect you from back flying debris broke, I tore it off. Like yours, there are no replacement parts, so I've just made do, since it still runs, the battery at least, is fine.

 

[JudyN]

Loo brushes with flushable pads, and mops with disposable cloths. Just no!!!!!

I do wish that clothes would spend longer in their prime and not decline so slowly though. It's not that anyone (well not many people ) get to see me in my underwear, but some of it really is in a bit of a state. I'd be mortified if I had an accident and it had to be removed, but it still works,so I can't bring myself to throw it out.