Planned Obsolescense

[IndyGarage]

I recently saw a video about how the light bulb industry made light bulbs fail early so that they could sell more of them.

The video also talks about computer printers and nylon stockings and several other products.

But recently I've noticed more things breaking at what seems like a much sooner rate than they used to:

- Spray bottles - I have a trigger spray bottle that came with Armor All that is at least 25 years old and works fine. You would be lucky to get a new spray bottle to last much more than the life of the stuff in the bottle.

- Faucets - they seem to last about 6 years before they drip. My old ones would go 20 at least.

- Windshield wiper blades - seem to start leaving a streak in the center of the blade - which is the center of vision - after about a year.

Anybody else see this? or am I just crazy?

 

[TAMPAGT07]

Yupp..Years ago I would buy premium triple blade razors that would last months...Now the "premium" razors seem to be only as good as the cheaper ones...

 

[Jsf721]

Not sure how much is planned and how much is the result of cost containment and using cheaper materials.

I sell trigger sprayers as part of my job and I can tell you quality has done south on these in the last 4 years. So much so that we brought in a higher quality product that lasts and guess what? It sells poorly dispite the fact it will outlast the cheaper version many time over. We will not be re-ordering when they are gone as the demand is not there at all. People buy on price not quality-for the most part. Sad but true.

I try to buy with a price/quality/benefit equation myslef.

I recently saw a video about how the light bulb industry made light bulbs fail early so that they could sell more of them.

The video also talks about computer printers and nylon stockings and several other products.

But recently I've noticed more things breaking at what seems like a much sooner rate than they used to:

- Spray bottles - I have a trigger spray bottle that came with Armor All that is at least 25 years old and works fine. You would be lucky to get a new spray bottle to last much more than the life of the stuff in the bottle.

- Faucets - they seem to last about 6 years before they drip. My old ones would go 20 at least.

- Windshield wiper blades - seem to start leaving a streak in the center of the blade - which is the center of vision - after about a year.

Anybody else see this? or am I just crazy?

 

[4xdog]

It's a well known trend in many industries these days that quality has to be "good enough", and no more. Consumers are voting for this with their wallets. Many companies are reviewing everything they do on a continuous basis for cost-out programs, and especially considering the cost of quality.

It means we get more and more shabby stuff. No end in sight, alas.

Good stuff is still out there most of the time -- but it's rarer and dearer.

 

[dsimatt]

We live in a cheap as possible throw away society. Let's say you have a item that's $10 but will last 5 years then you have one for $5 that only lasts a year, people will buy the cheap one that after 5 years will cost them 2 1/2 times the quality one.

 

[IndyGarage]

Not sure how much is planned and how much is the result of cost containment and using cheaper materials.

I sell trigger sprayers as part of my job and I can tell you quality has done south on these in the last 4 years. So much so that we brought in a higher quality product that lasts and guess what? It sells poorly dispite the fact it will outlast the cheaper version many time over. We will not be re-ordering when they are gone as the demand is not there at all. People buy on price not quality-for the most part. Sad but true.

I try to buy with a price/quality/benefit equation myslef.

Can you tell me where to get or how to spot the better sprayers?

I bought some "industrial" empty spray bottles awhile back and even they only last about a year.

 

[IndyGarage]

Also,
I was just commenting on another thread about cordless tool batteries. Obviously the batteries don't last forever, however the tool companies have figured out how to get you to buy new tools by making the old tools incompatible with the new batteries.

Then they drive the price up on the old batteries and you have to buy new ones.

 

[marlinspike]

- Windshield wiper blades - seem to start leaving a streak in the center of the blade - which is the center of vision - after about a year.

I don't think you can add wiper blades to that list if you get a year out of them. Mercedes literature that I've seen going back several decades has always suggested a 6 month replacement schedule (or close to it).

 

[4xdog]

Also,
I was just commenting on another thread about cordless tool batteries. Obviously the batteries don't last forever, however the tool companies have figured out how to get you to buy new tools by making the old tools incompatible with the new batteries.

Then they drive the price up on the old batteries and you have to buy new ones.

That's a perfect example of planned obsolescence at work! Battery dead = new tool

 

[marlinspike]

Not sure how much is planned and how much is the result of cost containment and using cheaper materials.

I sell trigger sprayers as part of my job and I can tell you quality has done south on these in the last 4 years. So much so that we brought in a higher quality product that lasts and guess what? It sells poorly dispite the fact it will outlast the cheaper version many time over. We will not be re-ordering when they are gone as the demand is not there at all. People buy on price not quality-for the most part. Sad but true.

I try to buy with a price/quality/benefit equation myslef.

I think the only way to sell the good stuff and turn a profit is to turn to the internet. At this point, what I see from my retail job is that the only people who still buy things in stores are the uninformed, though I'm not sure who was the horse and who was the cart.

 

[dsimatt]

Also,
I was just commenting on another thread about cordless tool batteries. Obviously the batteries don't last forever, however the tool companies have figured out how to get you to buy new tools by making the old tools incompatible with the new batteries.

Then they drive the price up on the old batteries and you have to buy new ones.

I average about 1 new snap on battery a year at $100 a pop so to keep 3 batteries going I've almost as much into them ad the impact and light I have.

 

[jeremy v]

The only place I have noticed this trend to the point of annoyance is with the light bulb's modern replacement the CFL, haha.

I have had more CFL spiral bulbs blow out within the first 6 months of use than I ever even had with regular junky light bulbs, and some never work at all or they only flicker dimly right out of the package. I guess they were planned to become obsolete before I even got them screwed into my light fixture and turned them on.

I have tried cheap ones and expensive ones and their reliability seems to almost be more related to what specific lot they are from the factory instead of what brand they are. I can buy a few bulbs and they will all work just perfectly for a long time, so I get my hopes up and then a couple more of the exact same bulbs purchased several months later all burn out quickly and/or have problems.

The worst part is that if I try to return the ones that were bad from the start I get looks and treated as if I am trying to flip out my old bulbs in the package and return them to scam the retailer.

 

[IndyGarage]

I've started writing the date I put a CFL bulb in on the base with a sharpie - they last about a year.

I'm convinced they will figure out how to make LED lights only last a couple years before they will mass produce them.

 

[#1SomeGuy]

I'm surprised you guys have so many issues with CFL's...I'm nearly 4 years in my current house, entirely on CFL bulbs, some of which came along with me from my old place and have lost a total of 2 so far.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

Living in a disposable society lets manufacturers get away with a lot of things they wouldn't be able to otherwise. Can't say I blame them, either.

 

[CNGsaves]

You hit it on the head . . . . also called Engineered Failure . . . .
. . . . OR . . .
. . . . . simply . . . .
. . . . . . . . GREED !!

 

[TAMPAGT07]

You hit it on the head . . . . also called Engineered Failure . . . .
. . . . OR . . .
. . . . . simply . . . .
. . . . . . . . GREED !!

What really does greed mean??? You do realize that if you earn over $35,000 dollars a year that you are in the top 1% in the world? Does that make us all greedy? To 99 % of the people the answer is yes....

 

[TDLMOMOWERS]

Wiper blades don't last because of several factors.1. They are not made in the USA, anymore.2. When we had full service gas stations, the attendent would clean the windshield while your tank was being filled, thus now when you use your wipers, the windshield is dirty, causing premature blade failure. 3. Most newer cars, when you turn on the washers, the blade is already in motion, where on the older cars you could squirt the washer solvent onto the windshield before you turned on the wipers. JMHO.

 

[warmpancakes]

cell phones they all last about 2.5 years before the battery starts to go bad,

 

[bcradio]

Dyson vacuums are another example of this. When they first came out, they were pretty good quality. Now though, they seem to be horrible quality and don't last much at all.

 

[jeremy v]

I think it is fun to vent frustrations sometimes, but I am not pessimistic about it overall either, because it works both ways. If we all owned cars that easily lasted 50 years there would be a lot more cars on the road without airbags protecting our kids in the backseat, ABS brakes, great power to fuel efficiency ratios, low emission exhaust ratings, etc.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the greatest invention of the 20th century, TPMS If I had a dollar for every time TPMS was a thorn in my side I would have about $15 extra dollars in my pocket right now, and how many flat tires has it saved me from, zero.

I do agree with #1SomeGuy though, some people have all the luck with CFL's. My sister's house is full of them and I think 2 have been replaced in 4 years and both the replacements purchased also worked perfectly fine the first time.

Another peeve of mine are the halogen work light bulbs. They are designed to become obsolete and burn out the second I finish crawling to the far end of a tight crawlspace. I have actually started laughing a few times because the bulbs have burned out the second I finished getting everything ready in the most awkward position possible, but they chug along indefinitely if I am just using them in the garage while working on the car as a supplemental light source.

 

[CNGsaves]

What really does greed mean??? You do realize that if you earn over $35,000 dollars a year that you are in the top 1% in the world? Does that make us all greedy? To 99 % of the people the answer is yes....

OP was talking about PRODUCT failures . . . and how corporations are now PURPOSEFULLY putting out inferior product, only for the purpose of making more money. By definition . . . that's Greed.

Outsourced jobs for more profit, overbuilt housing industry, unchecked mortgage loans, . . . yada, yada, yada.

If I owned company producing a good product and making a decent profit, I'd be satisfied with what I was getting. In fact, generally would try to Improve the product slightly each re-iteration.

However, today's "shareholder expectations" are to continue to ratchet up more and more profit, at all costs. USA is finally feeling effect of all that greed.

 

[General Geoff]

The auto industry is the biggest example of planned obsolescence. Cars by their very nature must be built to be extremely durable and long lasting, given the abuse they withstand. Given a full inventory of spare parts, you could keep any car ever built, running indefinitely. In order for the auto industry to remain solvent, they make newer cars with more and better features. Certain manufacturers also discontinue parts production for older models. I guess the cars aren't necessarily built to become obsolete, but the manufacturer certainly is planning on them becoming obsolete, so they can sell their new model next year.

 

[Monte]

that´s how economy works...

 

[jeremy v]

that´s how economy works...

I agree with that 100%. If things are not designed in that way to some extent you end up with the situation we have all seen with the bench vise industry. The older bench vises were all made so well the market was flooded within a few decades and then the used market became enough to cover much of the need for high quality bench vises for many years afterwards so the foundries almost all went out of business.

That example is a bit simplified, but that very same dynamic is why a lot of my personal hand tools are older used US made tools instead of new US made. Why pay 3 times as much just for it to be shiny and clean if it is going to get used and dirty anyways and the older ones can still be found in excellent condition. The primary driver for me buying tools new is not quality related, because there are a lot of very good quality old tools, but because there is a tool I see a need for that was not made in the past or where the new version is much better designed for the task. That is when I pony up for new over used.

If all the older versions of Ridgid, Proto, SnapOn tools, etc. were lower quality and broke more regularly there would be more people buying their new tools now because there would be no real viable used market. That would be helping to support those companies with a greater and more consistent influx of fresh cash compared to what they are currently getting. The flip side of the coin is that if their tool quality had been too low in the past they wouldn't be able to successfully charge the brand premium they are now for the perceived level of quality the brand is associated with from the collective past experience of the consumer. It is a balancing act for sure.

 

[oldtools]

Apple power cord.

 

[egnorant]

The fun one I found was some expensive part with an unavailable fragile part.
This $2.00 part fails and the only available repair is to buy the whole assembly for $90-$170 or more.
I spotted this in Ford power windows. 3 little plastic plugs disintegrate and the accepted cure is a new motor assembly. $12.00 voltage regulator and brushes equate a new alternator.

Parts made obsolete and unavailable after 5 years, cheaply made nonrebuildable parts that can make a car undrivable legally or practically.

But that is the trend! While I can still find a starter and alternator rebuild shop, I noticed the last TV and appliance repair shop closed up a few years ago. Throw it away and buy a new one.

Bruce

 

[jeremy v]

Apple power cord.

You are amazing, you can say so much with three little words. Sometimes it is all so obvious it would be funny if it didn't feel like they were being blatantly flippant and disrespectful to the consumer.

Designing something for an expected price point and life cycle based on the market is one thing, purposefully designing your products to become a functional hassle when they are otherwise still perfectly useful is another. Apple has done that a few times. They also did it with the iPod batteries that needed to be sent back to them and soldered to be replaced instead of just having a simple replaceable battery like a cell phone. If you weren't willing to go through that hassle your iPod would not be usable any longer than a single rechargeable battery lifetime.

That is why I still have yet to own a single battery powered tool, and if I ever did own one it would only be a 3/8" drill. It is worth it to me to hassle with cords and finding receptacles for everything else.

 

[jim2664258]

that´s how economy works...

That's how greed works. Many people equate the two and I see the argument. The difference is the seeking of maximum profit regardless of anything else. The failure to consider anything else is the separator to me.

Cue the socialism reactions.

 

[jeremy v]

That's how greed works. Many people equate the two and I see the argument. The difference is the seeking of maximum profit regardless of anything else. The failure to consider anything else is the separator to me.

Cue the socialism reactions.

I agree with you totally. It is never going to balance correctly with all factors involved when a corporation by very definition has profits and the wellbeing of the shareholder as its' first and primary priority. Everything else is required (by law and the very definition of a corporation) to come second. I can't pretend that I know a better way that could be easily achieved, as it is all very complicated, but it just seems like that core dynamic will always cause this sort of a problem. It will always make the environment, the quality, the customer, etc. a secondary concern at best. It is also what causes corporations to worry about their image, their brand messaging, etc. They are businesses, they are not your personal friend. They will change their image or brand on a dime if research shows that it will sell more to do so. You end up with something like breast cancer "awareness" becoming a cash cow for a company that makes yogurt etc.

I watched an interview as part of a documentary talking to the heads of Walmart where they openly said that they could care less if the food they sell is organic or not. They have an organic section and sell organic food because there is enough demand for it so that they can make more money using that part of the store for organic food than for something else. That is all there is to it. It had nothing to do with the environment, the health of customers, etc.

 

[SteveCh]

I have friends in Wales who introduced me to Dyson vacuums and the story of the co. back in the 80s. They are still using their original Dyson they have had since 1981.

My wife and I are on our second Dyson in six years. Go figure.

 

[bonneyman]

My problem lately has been telephones. The only ones available - even from the phone outlets - are the cheesey plastic ones who knows where. I've been scouring the thrift stores and estate sales for the 80's slimline phones by Western Electric. Back when we "rented" phones, ATT didn't want the phones to be breaking all the time, because they'd have to replace them. So, they had them made WELL. 30 years later, they still work.
I've only found one locally for $5. You can tell quickly if you find several on a shelf. Pick them up - the good ones have a metal subplate and are HEAVY.

 

[jeremy v]

I have friends in Wales who introduced me to Dyson vacuums and the story of the co. back in the 80s. They are still using their original Dyson they have had since 1981.

My wife and I are on our second Dyson in six years. Go figure.

I have never used a Dyson, but my issue with most of those types of vacuum cleaners is that they are all made with such brittle plastic. Everything breaks so easily. Why don't they make them out of the rubbermaid type of plastic that is all over the interiors of economy cars of the 90s? That stuff is pretty indestructible by comparison. Most used vacuums that I have seen in the trash etc. still work, it is just something plastic that broke that caused the vacuum to be thrown out and replaced.

 

[bonneyman]

I have never used a Dyson, but my issue with most of those types of vacuum cleaners is that they are all made with such brittle plastic. Everything breaks so easily. Why don't they make them out of the rubbermaid type of plastic that is all over the interiors of economy cars of the 90s? That stuff is pretty indestructible by comparison. Most used vacuums that I have seen in the trash etc. still work, it is just something plastic that broke that caused the vacuum to be thrown out and replaced.

I have this older (late 80's) Eureka upright that I have had the motor and chassis rebuilt by the local repair guy. He says the parts are still available, but why not just get a new one? I asked if they were as well built as mine? He said "No, of course not". Then I said "Then fix mine!"

 

[cburnscrx]

Dyson vacuums are another example of this. When they first came out, they were pretty good quality. Now though, they seem to be horrible quality and don't last much at all.

They were always ****...don't kid yourself.

 

[jeremy v]

They were always ****...don't kid yourself.

I tend to agree with you, but when they first started they were the only ones to have the whole "look at us we make dirt go in circles inside a clear container" thing going for them so that has to account for something as a counterpoint to the "always ****" argument.

 

[cburnscrx]

What I am waiting for is the environmental effects of all these CFL's getting thrown in the trash. You know 90% of them are getting thrown in the landfill. Yes, you're supposed to recycle them, but how many people actually do? I know they're very low levels of mercury, but I'll be interested to see the outcome in about 10 years. Hope this isn't one of those..."if we only knew" scenarios.

 

[bcradio]

They were always ****...don't kid yourself.

Actually only a few years ago they were great and lasted a good while. Nice try though

 

[jeremy v]

What I am waiting for is the environmental effects of all these CFL's getting thrown in the trash. You know 90% of them are getting thrown in the landfill. Yes, you're supposed to recycle them, but how many people actually do? I know they're very low levels of mercury, but I'll be interested to see the outcome in about 10 years. Hope this isn't one of those..."if we only knew" scenarios.

My neighbor does hazardous waste recycling and he said that when most municipalities that have the separate pickup days etc. of stuff like CFLs, old spray cans, old keyboards, computer monitors, alkaline batteries, etc. in reality all that happens to dispose of it differently is that it all goes into a separate landfill that is first dug as a large pit and then the ground is covered with the equivalent of thick pond liner. They then pile all that stuff on top of the pond liner and then put another layer of pond liner on the top and they seal it all together like a big potato chip bag and that is it. It is not actually recycled in any real way, but it is disposed of "safely" in comparison to just dumping it directly on the dirt, smashing it by running over it with a dozer, and then covering it with more dirt.

Commercial disposal of things like computers, fluorescent tubes etc. usually do actually get recycled at least to some extent and melted down into new glass etc. but it is also something like 20c a foot cost per fluorescent tube to the business to recycle those tubes, it is not free or economically viable to do so on its' own.

My neighbor said pretty much the same thing about used motor oil and other things as well. Used motor oil usually just gets sold for a low price per gallon to shipping companies to use as cheap fuel for container ships when they are in international waters so there is no EPA or anything else to worry about, and a lot of the used car tires at least in the Seattle area go to cement plants and are burned to power the clinker kilns needed for cement making.

 

[Glacial_Speed]

Not sure I would call most of the crappy consumer goods breaking a planned event....more a result of "low cost at any cost" mentality.

Major appliances, like Fridge, freezers and dishwashers now last about 8 years instead of 20 or more.

The one I can't quite decide on is televisions. ALL the brands regardless of price have a really pathetic failure rate within 5 years. No major brand has a warranty past 1 year that I recall. I'm very hesitant to drop $1000 on a tv and have it **** out 15 months later.
So should I just go low budget and figure it's going to die within 2 years rather than spring for big money on a brand name that has SLIGHTLY fewer problems. And most of the TVs you can't even get parts for.