OT--They Don't Make Toasters Like They Used To.

[Sixgun]

To the old heads here,
Remember when we were kids, it seems like toasters lasted 20 years or more? You know, all nice and shiney, full of chrome.

Your lucky if you get 6 months to a year out of them now.

Well, I tell 'ya, I'm no "Pitchy" when it comes to nice quality craftsmanship. Guns are the only way I know

My yard gun--a 20 ga. bolt gun---its accounted for lots of things---animate and inanimate. I keep a box of 1950's paper WRA's next to the gun. I LOVE the smell of those old shotshells.


Whoops The safety must have been off.

[.45colt]

BOY YOU SURE HIT A SORE SPOT WITH THIS ONE....WHEN I WAS A KID AND STAYING WITH MY GRANDPARENTS, I WOULD MARVEL AT THE TOASTER THAT THEY HAD. DROP THE BREAD IN AND IT DROPPED ALL BY IT'S SELF AND MAGICALLY ROSE BACK UP WHEN IT WAS TOAST.(THINK IT WAS MADE BY SUNBEAM) THAT TOASTER MUST OF WEIGHED 10LB. WE GOT A NEW ONE (DIFFERENT BRAND) A FEW YEARS AGO AT WALLY WORLD AND IT IS AND WAS A PIECE OF JUNK WHEN NEW.
MAYBE I'LL GO OUT AND SHOOT IT ALSO JUST TO FEEL BETTER.
EDIT; HERE IT IS http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ART-DEC ... 3a6abf4d70

[Rusty]

But tell us Sixgun, did it make you feel better?

My electric peculator took a dump this morning. It heats but wouldn't perk so says the wife.

[Sixgun]

But tell us Sixgun, did it make you feel better?

My electric peculator took a dump this morning. It heats but wouldn't perk so says the wife.

Rusty,
Absolutely! I feel brand new again. Shrinks will tell you that the most happy people are the ones who can "dump their aggravations" and move on. Of course, there are limitations as, well, you can't shoot your car if there's any life left in it. (unless your rich) Other things, especially in the animate version. They sometimes just need a whack with a 34" baseball bat. (just a 3/4 swing)

I have shot alarm clocks, TV's, computers, digital cameras, toasters, ovens, dishwashers, old lawn mowers, chain saws, air compressors, washing machines, furniture, even an old gun one time when I wanted to make it look like it was in the war. I screwed up on the last one and could only us it for parts.

The best gun to use would be a Ma Deuce but as thats somewhat illegal (and a little hard to get), I prefer to use a shotgun. The blast and seeing your target fly about 15 yards gives one a great feeling of satisfaction. That toaster must have flown 20 yards. My wife was laughing her butt off. After the shot, the dogs went after it as they thought is was an invader from the other side of the fence.

You can load it with regular birdshot but you should step back at least 10-15 yards to give the pattern a chance to spread out a little. ----------------Sixgun

[olyinaz]

BOY YOU SURE HIT A SORE SPOT WITH THIS ONE....WHEN I WAS A KID AND STAYING WITH MY GRANDPARENTS, I WOULD MARVEL AT THE TOASTER THAT THEY HAD. DROP THE BREAD IN AND IT DROPPED ALL BY IT'S SELF AND MAGICALLY ROSE BACK UP WHEN IT WAS TOAST.(THINK IT WAS MADE BY SUNBEAM) THAT TOASTER MUST OF WEIGHED 10LB. WE GOT A NEW ONE (DIFFERENT BRAND) A FEW YEARS AGO AT WALLY WORLD AND IT IS AND WAS A PIECE OF JUNK WHEN NEW.
MAYBE I'LL GO OUT AND SHOOT IT ALSO JUST TO FEEL BETTER.
EDIT; HERE IT IS http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ART-DEC ... 3a6abf4d70

Well, BUY IT!! Price thus far is reasonable and probably less than it cost new if you factor in inflation. (No idea where it will wind up though...)

Oly

[olyinaz]

This is the one we had as a kid. New/unused!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1953-To ... 500wt_1413

Get yer bid on folks. It's only money.

Oly

[Pitchy]

What do ya mean, how do ya think i drill holes.

Good un bro.

[kimwcook]

Most everything isn't made like they used to. Remember refrigerators lasting 20, 30 or 40+ years. Not anymore. I've bought two new ones in the last five years and they were both over $1, 000 each. Other things too. It just seems that everytime I spend good money on something it just doesn't deliver. I bought a Porter Cable vibrating saw and the dog gone thing worked for about 30 seconds and then took a dump. I've lost confidence in almost everything I buy anymore. It seems like if you don't buy the extended warranty on everything, you'll end up regretting it.

[mack]

Got a toaster that the sides open down on, the toast slides down and turns over when you close it, to toast the other side. Think it's out of the '30s. Still works great, just have to flip at the right time. Coffee percolator is a GE, bought in '69, (avocado green, yuck!), still works great, makes a good cup of coffee. Microwave oven,(Chinese made, doesn't matter what brand), craps out annually, had to buy a new one this morning, again.
Oh, have a Winchester 1892 rifle, .38WCF, works just as sweet as the day my grandfather bought it in 1917.

[Sixgun]

Oh, have a Winchester 1892 rifle, .38WCF, works just as sweet as the day my grandfather bought it in 1917.

Ha! I like that one!

On another note, we all have to figure who is running the corporate world today. The generation x er's. We baby boomers are fadin' out------fast. Thats all they (x ers)are concerned about is how to make a million dollars in 15 minutes with total disregard to the junk they are sellin' or who gets hurt by it.


OLY, thats EXACTLY the toaster we had when I was a kid. Those babies lasted. That sure is somethin' how a toaster (of all things) stayed NIB all these years. A couple of years ago I was estatic when I found a Maytag wringer washer that was still new from the sixties.----I use it weekly.-----------Sixgun

[earlmck]

Now I understand in our disposable society where we gotta' consume consume to keep the economy going 'round and 'round. So we hire bright young engineers to figure out how cheap they can make something so it works just long enough the consumer has probably lost the sales receipt. But what really gripes me is when said engineer doesn't go ahead and try using this thing he down-designed to make sure it even works.

How many times lately have you bought something, tried it out, and said "man, whoever made this thing sure never tried using it!"

[Booger Bill]

As one slice of toast told the other, "I aint been this hot since I was bread"!

[Streetstar]

YES!

I am probably at the tail end of the dreaded Gen X category (just turned 40) --- but i still dont remember my parents having to put up with the B-S i have in the last few years when it comes to appliance and TV repair

HAd a repairman out twice tryying to salvage a 2 year old $1000 dishwasher (at $125 per visit plus parts -- plus waiting weeks for the parts) -- only to finally load it on my trailer where it is destined for a visit to the dump ---- same thing with inexpensive washers and dryers ---- I have replaced 2 name brand top load dryers because it cost less to buy new ones than repair the old ones (these were not that spendy -- maybe 350 bucks --- but if you look at it x2 -- thats adding up to the cost of a new rifle - more or less)

Porter Cable Air compressor --- 3 or 4 months out of warranty -- because i ran a D-A sander with it for 2 days ( yeah - thats an overload, but i didnt do it for 3 weeks straight ) -- once again - price to replace the compressor motor was within a few bucks of a NIB unit at the local authorized repair facility

I am not that handy with repairing things and quickly run out of patience dealing with stuff -- so i have likely sent thousands of dollars to the dump myself
)

[Blaine]

My flat screen 42" Samsung is going tits up after about three years Love my "fancy" Cuisinart toaster, though...I'm about 14 years into it and still is perfect. I agree, tho, most of this new stuff is stuff

[Sixgun]

I have come to the conclusion (after reading the posts) that the best way to buy anything (except guns & cars) is to buy the cheapest no name thing walmart target chinese junk you can find. I figure that even the name brands are not gonna last anyway. It might wake up the corporate world.---------------Me

[2571]

Make toast every day with a toaster my parents got as a wedding gift in 1947. Been repaired a time ot two. Remeber that, repairing simple appliances?

[olyinaz]

Make toast every day with a toaster my parents got as a wedding gift in 1947. Been repaired a time ot two. Remeber that, repairing simple appliances?

Used to be a man could eek out a simple living doing that! No more - THROWAWAY LIVING. Kind of like the new generation's throw away attitude towards life. Don't get me started...

Oly

[piller]

I had a Bunn coffee maker last 10 years. Since then, nothing lasts long enough to be worth buying anything but the cheapest. PillHer bought an LG brand washer about 4 years ago, and she couldn't be happier with it. The last 3 Kenmore brand ones we had didn't last a year each. I remember a Kenmore washer my mother had which lasted 20 years being used daily. Too much junk nowadays.

[KirkD]

Toasters are a sore spot with me. My parents had the same toaster for years. In my teen years, each morning Mom would plop an entire loaf of bread down in front of me for breakfast and I'd toast and eat the whole thing. With seven people in the family, that old toaster just kept on a-going. When I got married, I got a toaster. What a joke! Only two people to toast for and it was kaput in no time flat. Same with the next one .... and the next one .... and the next one. Finding a good toaster became a search for the fountain of youth or the holy grail ..... no success. Sometimes, I get so mad at toasters, I'd like to go into a toaster factory and kick some serious behind. More than once I've told my wife that I'd sure like to find out what kind of engineer designed the piece of junk I'm looking at. I've told her that if I ever got my hands on that fellow, he wouldn't know which way was up by the time I got done with him. Come to think of it, I don't think he knows which way is up anyway. I'm beginning to suspect that the toaster manufacturers are involved in an international conspiracy. Some of the stuff I've bought is a marvel to behold. What I marvel at is how it even made it out the factory door without falling apart. Some factories must have special air cushioned exists so as not to jiggle the finished product lest it fall apart before even leaving the factory. By gum! I'm ready to start swinging right now! Where's that toaster !!!? The toaster we have right now is an outrage to humanity. It is unbelievable how weak those wires are glowing. You would think that here, in the 21st century, people would have figured out how to get some wires hot enough to actually glow and toast some bread. My theory is that they don't want to make those little wires actually get hot in case some intellectual giant sticks their finger in the slot, burns it, and then sues the pants off the toaster company. So to protect their backsides, they either make the wires glow so weakly that it takes 10 minutes to begin to see something brown on your bread, or they make the wires get so hot so quickly that the entire heating element vapourizes like a flashbulb the first time you use it, quick before anyone can stick their finger in the slot.

[.45colt]

Thanks Kirk,You expressed everything I wanted to say in my post but in a much more civil manner.I would have gotten the big boot. .

[Sixgun]

Kirk,
I'm so sorry for infuriating you on the matter of toasters.

Now, let me tell you something young man! ----------YOU TALK--I SHOOT!!

The next time some modern stupid appliance gets your goat, go out and shoot the *** with a nice old Winchester. You have no idea how much better you feel.

Ain't this fun guys? Talking toasters on Leverguns! It don't get much better than this!---------Sixgun

[KirkD]

I got a stump in the back yard with a lot of holes in it and it got some more this week. Saves me picking up bits and pieces of appliances.

[FWiedner]

Rusty,
Absolutely! I feel brand new again. Shrinks will tell you that the most happy people are the ones who can "dump their aggravations" and move on. Of course, there are limitations as, well, you can't shoot your car if there's any life left in it.

Hooey, says I...

I know a couple of guys who decided to shoot their car or truck. One did it just to see if he could hit it from where we were. Of course, I said asolutely nothing to try and discourage him. I was curious whether or not he'd actually do it and was willing to take the chance on having to walk home.

In hindsight, and when I balance that particular fellow's decision making ability, I have to add that he once tried to raise a chicken inside a 5-gallon bottle to "save space".

[Ysabel Kid]

Jack, I envy you! I've wanted to shoot so much junk I've ended up getting over the year that just up and quits on you. Talk about a great stress reliever!!!

[pwl44m]

There once was a Farmer in Texas that fired a Shotgun into the Sky at God for raining on His crops. At least He believed in God fwiww.

[Ysabel Kid]

BTW Kirk, I'm with you. We've been through at least a dozen toasters in the 22 years we've been married. A bunch of vaccum cleaners too. Several weren't cheap either. The Oreck we purchased though is still running strong. I'd expect as much given what we paid for it - more than I paid for my first car!

[claybob86]

Still have and use a Toastmaster from the 80s. Made in USA!

[olyinaz]

Toasters are a sore spot with me. My parents had the same toaster for years. In my teen years, each morning Mom would plop an entire loaf of bread down in front of me for breakfast and I'd toast and eat the whole thing. With seven people in the family, that old toaster just kept on a-going. When I got married, I got a toaster. What a joke! Only two people to toast for and it was kaput in no time flat. Same with the next one .... and the next one .... and the next one. Finding a good toaster became a search for the fountain of youth or the holy grail ..... no success. Sometimes, I get so mad at toasters, I'd like to go into a toaster factory and kick some serious behind. More than once I've told my wife that I'd sure like to find out what kind of engineer designed the piece of junk I'm looking at. I've told her that if I ever got my hands on that fellow, he wouldn't know which way was up by the time I got done with him. Come to think of it, I don't think he knows which way is up anyway. I'm beginning to suspect that the toaster manufacturers are involved in an international conspiracy. Some of the stuff I've bought is a marvel to behold. What I marvel at is how it even made it out the factory door without falling apart. Some factories must have special air cushioned exists so as not to jiggle the finished product lest it fall apart before even leaving the factory. By gum! I'm ready to start swinging right now! Where's that toaster !!!? The toaster we have right now is an outrage to humanity. It is unbelievable how weak those wires are glowing. You would think that here, in the 21st century, people would have figured out how to get some wires hot enough to actually glow and toast some bread. My theory is that they don't want to make those little wires actually get hot in case some intellectual giant sticks their finger in the slot, burns it, and then sues the pants off the toaster company. So to protect their backsides, they either make the wires glow so weakly that it takes 10 minutes to begin to see something brown on your bread, or they make the wires get so hot so quickly that the entire heating element vapourizes like a flashbulb the first time you use it, quick before anyone can stick their finger in the slot.

Kirk, I kid you not - go on eBay and buy one of the old ones in excellent shape. Some of them are still working really well, they even show you a couple pieces of toast just to make sure you know it's working, some have pictures of the wires glowing etc., and the dang things look to be running less than a hundred bucks!

If you're this wound up over, don't let yourself get hot like nichrome wire - get a good old fashioned toaster!

Best,
Oly

[stretch]

Nice rant, Kirk!

I gotta agree on toasters. My grandparents had a great one - it used
to click away to itself as it made toast. Beautiful chrome thing. It was
older than Methusala, and weighed as much as a '53 Mercury.
Now you're lucky if ya get a year out of one. The one we have now is
going on two years (it'll stuff out tomorrow just 'cuz I wrote that!), but
the couple before that didn't last very long. One only made it a few
months.

Appliances are not made to last any more. We bought a dishwasher in
'94, and the timer went on it. Half the price of a new machine JUST FOR
THE PART! 2nd time it went I replaced the machine. We had a glass stove
top go. The part alone was $500! For another $100 we got a brand-new
stove with all of the bells and whistles. The control panel looks (and works!)
like something out of the starship Enterprise. That'll be a bazillion bucks
to replace when it goes bad - so we'll undoubtedly replace the stove at that
point.

Anyway, how is it that 30 years ago in this country we could make great appliances
that lasted, while we enjoyed the highest per capita rate of national prosperity in
the history of mankind, and now we can't even profitably make
a #$%!$&* toaster that works? What in tarnation went so horribly wrong?!

-Stretch

[2ndovc]

Nice shot Jack!

I used to do that alot when I lived out in the sticks. Lots of fun.
I remember we got a big mixer once in a box of stuff from an auction. The first time the Ex tried using it it started to smoke.

I set it up on a saw horse and blasted it w/ my Model 29. I thought that .44 mag would blow it to pieces but just drilled a
nice .44 cal hole through it.

Gotta get out of the city limits again!

jb

[Carlsen Highway]

You can buy a cellphone for $200 that will take your picture, play the radio, go on the internet, shoot motion picture...whatever you want, but its built like a...well, a toaster.
It can do anything, but is made to the same standard as a plastic toy from K mart and will fall apart or fail in three months.

Now, my wife went and got the old rotary phone out because I got tired of the kids losing the walk around phone, and plugged it in and we have been using it for a week now and you know what? I have never has such clear, distinct, wonderful telephone sound and reception for years. ITs like the person is standing irhgt next to you speaking into your ear. Clear as a bell and easily five times the autio quality of any telephone they manufacture right now, I kid you not.
That phone probably had 30 years of use, has been stored for god knows how long and still works like Alexander Bell intended.

(The only trouble is, my impatience....where did my patience go so that I used to be able to wait for the rotary thing to go back round before I could do another number? Since when was I in such a hurry, but I feel like I am....and yet nothing more urgent happening than it used to....another downside is when the lady at the cellphone company says:" Press One to speak to customer serivice, Two to speak to....")

[Pitchy]

Never fails.

[LeverBob]

BOY YOU SURE HIT A SORE SPOT WITH THIS ONE....WHEN I WAS A KID AND STAYING WITH MY GRANDPARENTS, I WOULD MARVEL AT THE TOASTER THAT THEY HAD. DROP THE BREAD IN AND IT DROPPED ALL BY IT'S SELF AND MAGICALLY ROSE BACK UP WHEN IT WAS TOAST.(THINK IT WAS MADE BY SUNBEAM) THAT TOASTER MUST OF WEIGHED 10LB. WE GOT A NEW ONE (DIFFERENT BRAND) A FEW YEARS AGO AT WALLY WORLD AND IT IS AND WAS A PIECE OF JUNK WHEN NEW.
MAYBE I'LL GO OUT AND SHOOT IT ALSO JUST TO FEEL BETTER.
EDIT; HERE IT IS http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ART-DEC ... 3a6abf4d70

Wife & I are still using the same Sunbeam Mdl. T-35 since it was purchased new in 1962. Has more chrome than a 58' Buick Century. Needs some maintenance as it is starting to toast light on one side of the slice. Anyone have any suggestions for a fix? Load the bread in & it does just like you said it does Terry. Will take a pic when I get a new digital camera.

Since it works I don't need another one!

LB

[LeverBob]

Never fails.

Pitchy...I have one of those too. Been using it since the 50's in camp. Will take a pic of it too when I buy a new camera.
Just oiled it up...let it set for a few days.

LB

[GonnePhishin]

Hey SIXGUN,

You by any chance related to ELVIS???? He used to shoot out TV's.

[AJMD429]

Used to be a man could eek out a simple living doing that! No more - THROWAWAY LIVING. Kind of like the new generation's throw away attitude towards life. Don't get me started...

Same with spouses, these days...

[Beaker]

I hope my new Ruger Blackhawk outlasts the new toaster oven my wife bought a while back. I would look real funny trying to toast the Blackhawk if it dies.

[Sixgun]

Hey SIXGUN,

You by any chance related to ELVIS???? He used to shoot out TV's.

Uncle Buck,
No, but I think like him. Elvis was a very cool dude and most of us from that generation thought the same. In other words, if we got ripped off, we usually shot the problem! (or somehow smashed it). Companies did their best to make quality.

Carlsen Highway made an excellent point. Those old phones always worked and if they did not, you took out a couple of screws and saw where a wire came off, etc. The stuff today is JUNK---J-U-N-K!!

For the most part, quality guns are still great but.........scopes! They fall apart.--J.U.N.K. I recently put a (don't want to say yet--as its on it's way to where it was born) $350 scope on my M1-A and that fell apart after 250 rounds.-------------Sixgun

[Pitchy]

My favorite saying for these times were in is, " Pay more get less"