vintagerepairer
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That was the old Skoda, at one time.
Miele canisters assembled in Germany
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twocvbloke
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"getting repairers to repair an old appliance isn't
That's easy to work out, manufacturer sells the POSomatic for £29.99, the motor dies, they want £70 for a new one, so customer buys POSomatic2, same thing, then they try another brand, the CrapFactory 5000, the belt breaks, manufacturer says tough luck it's NLA...
It's not the people that are to blame entirely, but when you see perfectly good appliances with excellent aftermarket parts available being thrown out, all because the manufacturers these day can't be bothered to produce spares and thus makes them impossible to repair, it kind of ruins the image of manufacturing, they're just churning out products that will fail and when they do, they refuse to take responsibility for it and leave you stuck with a heap of plastic and no money... :\
I'd rather buy something that can be repaired easily if it breaks, even if it is 2nd hand, it's cheaper than new and there are nicer designs that come from the more prosperous and imaginative parts of the 20th century...
That's easy to work out, manufacturer sells the POSomatic for £29.99, the motor dies, they want £70 for a new one, so customer buys POSomatic2, same thing, then they try another brand, the CrapFactory 5000, the belt breaks, manufacturer says tough luck it's NLA...
It's not the people that are to blame entirely, but when you see perfectly good appliances with excellent aftermarket parts available being thrown out, all because the manufacturers these day can't be bothered to produce spares and thus makes them impossible to repair, it kind of ruins the image of manufacturing, they're just churning out products that will fail and when they do, they refuse to take responsibility for it and leave you stuck with a heap of plastic and no money... :\
I'd rather buy something that can be repaired easily if it breaks, even if it is 2nd hand, it's cheaper than new and there are nicer designs that come from the more prosperous and imaginative parts of the 20th century...
danemodsandy
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The Awful Thing....
....About today's offshore manufacturing practices is that they remove entire industries - and their jobs - from nations. You can hardly find a piece of electronic equipment of any sort made in America, which invented most of the items other countries now profit from so handsomely. Britain invented stainless steel - and you would be very hard-pressed to find much of it made in the U.K. today.
I am all for trade among nations when one nation makes something that is the best of its kind. The French do fashion, fragrances and wines better than anyone else. British woolens and teas and china are the finest in the world. But why on Earth are we permitting our appliance industries to be shipped offshore? We need jobs here in the Western world, too, and our planet cannot afford to ship huge side-by-side refrigerators from China indefinitely.
....About today's offshore manufacturing practices is that they remove entire industries - and their jobs - from nations. You can hardly find a piece of electronic equipment of any sort made in America, which invented most of the items other countries now profit from so handsomely. Britain invented stainless steel - and you would be very hard-pressed to find much of it made in the U.K. today.
I am all for trade among nations when one nation makes something that is the best of its kind. The French do fashion, fragrances and wines better than anyone else. British woolens and teas and china are the finest in the world. But why on Earth are we permitting our appliance industries to be shipped offshore? We need jobs here in the Western world, too, and our planet cannot afford to ship huge side-by-side refrigerators from China indefinitely.
twocvbloke
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"and you would be very hard-pressed to find much of it m
Unless you go to Sheffield, where they still make Sheffield stainless steel.... :\
But yep, manufacturing of "home brands" is gradually and quickly being outsourced, all in the name of "cost effectiveness", a phrase made up by profiteering accountants who couldn't care less about the products their companies make...
As for jobs, well, the UK is struggling, less work (for many reasons, businesses going under, people laying workers off due to high taxes, and the outsourcing to cheaper countries), more unemployed, and we're asking China for loans to keep us out of debt with ourselves, so, we're well and truly screwed... :\
It's just a case of people wanting everything cheap, and the only way for that is either to reduce international trade prices on raw materials, or, send the manufacturing to another cheaper country, and it's far easier to do the latter, even our recycling gets shipped off to cheap countries... :S
Sad part is, most of the western population of the world doesn't even realise that we're owned by the east...
Unless you go to Sheffield, where they still make Sheffield stainless steel.... :\
But yep, manufacturing of "home brands" is gradually and quickly being outsourced, all in the name of "cost effectiveness", a phrase made up by profiteering accountants who couldn't care less about the products their companies make...
As for jobs, well, the UK is struggling, less work (for many reasons, businesses going under, people laying workers off due to high taxes, and the outsourcing to cheaper countries), more unemployed, and we're asking China for loans to keep us out of debt with ourselves, so, we're well and truly screwed... :\
It's just a case of people wanting everything cheap, and the only way for that is either to reduce international trade prices on raw materials, or, send the manufacturing to another cheaper country, and it's far easier to do the latter, even our recycling gets shipped off to cheap countries... :S
Sad part is, most of the western population of the world doesn't even realise that we're owned by the east...
danemodsandy
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David:
Yes, there's still Sheffield. But Old Hall (who pioneered stainless as "Staybright") is gone, and so is the British factory for Oneida, I believe, and I think Viners as well. The brand names are still around, just not the factories or jobs. Midwinter is gone, an extraordinarily fine pottery making exceptionally durable dinnerware.
It's sad.
Yes, there's still Sheffield. But Old Hall (who pioneered stainless as "Staybright") is gone, and so is the British factory for Oneida, I believe, and I think Viners as well. The brand names are still around, just not the factories or jobs. Midwinter is gone, an extraordinarily fine pottery making exceptionally durable dinnerware.
It's sad.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
But in all of this, the blame cannot be sat at the feet of the end-user. What has happened in this country has happened because it was allowed to happen. The UK governments past and present could have made sure that we in this country did not go down the line that we've gone down, and insisted that goods had to sell for a minimum price, that goods were still to be made here, and so on, but they didn't. I am still quite annoyed that Dyson was allowed to ship its production out to the far east.
People are no longer eductated in the idea that things cost money, and the reasons why it costs. This is one reason why some consumer groups have campaigned for lower prices. Anyone today who didn't get swept up in the so-called throw-away-society and paid good money to get things fixed when it was cheaper to replace, is a fool to themeselves, unless whatever it was they had mended has some sentimental value.
On a similar note, there are alleged concerns that UK high-streets are dissapearing and shops closing all the time. This is always blamed on recession and lack of money people have to spend. What is never said is that the internet and particularly internet trading, has been allowed to take over, with no thought as to how it would impact the high-street and how we could then compensate for that. No. Suddenly we're all standing round at a deserted shopping parade, scratching our heads and saying 'Who'd have thought it?'.
People are no longer eductated in the idea that things cost money, and the reasons why it costs. This is one reason why some consumer groups have campaigned for lower prices. Anyone today who didn't get swept up in the so-called throw-away-society and paid good money to get things fixed when it was cheaper to replace, is a fool to themeselves, unless whatever it was they had mended has some sentimental value.
On a similar note, there are alleged concerns that UK high-streets are dissapearing and shops closing all the time. This is always blamed on recession and lack of money people have to spend. What is never said is that the internet and particularly internet trading, has been allowed to take over, with no thought as to how it would impact the high-street and how we could then compensate for that. No. Suddenly we're all standing round at a deserted shopping parade, scratching our heads and saying 'Who'd have thought it?'.
turbomaster1984
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LOL
You might also notice Mr Murray I have a Bosch Tassimo, that provides the coffee in this household, well worth its price tag.
The Kenco is a jar of decaff, only for when I fancy a coffee before bed or when im detoxing. I dont function without copious amounts of tea or coffee thus require a good detox once a month where I get really moody and at the point of insanity unless I can sup the placebo effect decaff.
Never was fond of Nescafe decaff's much prefer the Kenco one. As far as instants go though Gold Blend is ok but i would rather have one of the fancy Kenco COlumbian/Brazzilian ones or Douwe Egberts gold.
You might also notice Mr Murray I have a Bosch Tassimo, that provides the coffee in this household, well worth its price tag.
The Kenco is a jar of decaff, only for when I fancy a coffee before bed or when im detoxing. I dont function without copious amounts of tea or coffee thus require a good detox once a month where I get really moody and at the point of insanity unless I can sup the placebo effect decaff.
Never was fond of Nescafe decaff's much prefer the Kenco one. As far as instants go though Gold Blend is ok but i would rather have one of the fancy Kenco COlumbian/Brazzilian ones or Douwe Egberts gold.
sebo_fan
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"...because the manufacturers these days can't be bo
Eh no, twocvbloke - I think you've read me wrong here - Unless you've actually worked in the profession, it's easy to speculate what brands are doing - but some brands make it harder to get the spares against others who don't. I know it myself when I worked with a few repairers.
Private repairers find sourcing parts for old machines from popular brands like Hoover Junior, Senior and Senior Ranger models. The Electrolux Z500s can also be hard to find for spares too. Reason being espares.co.uk have got most of the spares on hand and charge astronomical prices. You're left scouring the country for older models on EBAY, Gumtree to source parts from donor machines rather than pay out the higher costs, because buying from a company also means added VAT unless you have a large franchise where VAT charges are excluded. Thus if you are an independent, private retailer who also provides after care, it can be hard to source the parts unless you've spent loads of money getting the parts in first and seeing what kinds of brands need the most repair. Miele parts were also difficult to get until they started to realise the power of the internet.
Ironically though, of the most modern brands out there, it is Dyson where parts are always available. Those who love the brand turn a blind eye when they look on Ebay.co.uk and see the highest proportion of models broken for spares tend to be Dyson models as well as those that are also, additionally refurbished.
danemodsandy - In view of War time though, the UK still owe America money for the loans we borrowed after WW2. What that says for Hoover UK I don't know - other than continually offering free prize vacuums and competitions, sadly going well into the 1980's with Air Miles until Hoover U.S had enough and separated.
Eh no, twocvbloke - I think you've read me wrong here - Unless you've actually worked in the profession, it's easy to speculate what brands are doing - but some brands make it harder to get the spares against others who don't. I know it myself when I worked with a few repairers.
Private repairers find sourcing parts for old machines from popular brands like Hoover Junior, Senior and Senior Ranger models. The Electrolux Z500s can also be hard to find for spares too. Reason being espares.co.uk have got most of the spares on hand and charge astronomical prices. You're left scouring the country for older models on EBAY, Gumtree to source parts from donor machines rather than pay out the higher costs, because buying from a company also means added VAT unless you have a large franchise where VAT charges are excluded. Thus if you are an independent, private retailer who also provides after care, it can be hard to source the parts unless you've spent loads of money getting the parts in first and seeing what kinds of brands need the most repair. Miele parts were also difficult to get until they started to realise the power of the internet.
Ironically though, of the most modern brands out there, it is Dyson where parts are always available. Those who love the brand turn a blind eye when they look on Ebay.co.uk and see the highest proportion of models broken for spares tend to be Dyson models as well as those that are also, additionally refurbished.
danemodsandy - In view of War time though, the UK still owe America money for the loans we borrowed after WW2. What that says for Hoover UK I don't know - other than continually offering free prize vacuums and competitions, sadly going well into the 1980's with Air Miles until Hoover U.S had enough and separated.
danemodsandy
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RS:
The U.K. repays its loans, unlike some other nations, so that's all right.
And you lot worked your way out of the devastation of the war on your own. Britain after V-E Day was a very grim, bombed-out place with very little pleasure available to its citizens. Your country quickly turned to exports as a way of raising money (ask your grandparents about the "Britain Can Make It" exhibition showcasing British export products sometime; they'll probably remember that many people called it "Britain Can't Have It", a reference to rationing that kept many things unavailable in the home market).
By 1951, with rationing still in place, Britain decided to cast off as much austerity as possible with the Festival of Britain, with the main exhibition on London's south bank, and satellite exhibits around the country. British designs (such as those of Ernest Race) were showcased, bringing in a lot of business from both home and export markets.
I think one of the best things that happened to Britain in the early '50s was the ascension of the present Queen to the throne. While George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) were certainly a worthy pair to lead Britain through WWII, having a new, young Queen with the looks and glamour of a film star was exciting. The fact that Her Majesty was highly intelligent, well-educated for her new role and possessed of a great sense of duty was icing on the cake. The Coronation greatly improved the national mood.
America helped rebuild a great many nations after the war. Britain did much more to solve its own problems than most countries. MUCH more.
The U.K. repays its loans, unlike some other nations, so that's all right.
And you lot worked your way out of the devastation of the war on your own. Britain after V-E Day was a very grim, bombed-out place with very little pleasure available to its citizens. Your country quickly turned to exports as a way of raising money (ask your grandparents about the "Britain Can Make It" exhibition showcasing British export products sometime; they'll probably remember that many people called it "Britain Can't Have It", a reference to rationing that kept many things unavailable in the home market).
By 1951, with rationing still in place, Britain decided to cast off as much austerity as possible with the Festival of Britain, with the main exhibition on London's south bank, and satellite exhibits around the country. British designs (such as those of Ernest Race) were showcased, bringing in a lot of business from both home and export markets.
I think one of the best things that happened to Britain in the early '50s was the ascension of the present Queen to the throne. While George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) were certainly a worthy pair to lead Britain through WWII, having a new, young Queen with the looks and glamour of a film star was exciting. The fact that Her Majesty was highly intelligent, well-educated for her new role and possessed of a great sense of duty was icing on the cake. The Coronation greatly improved the national mood.
America helped rebuild a great many nations after the war. Britain did much more to solve its own problems than most countries. MUCH more.
sebo_fan
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VR - your reflections on what the British government did are spot on. Their stoic, conservative approaches restricted buyers to buy the cheaper Japanese car or indeed any European brand (ironic when Nissan and Toyota would eventually build factories here) forcing large import taxes and instead we had ruddy awful Austin Rover products, . My family were sucked in by that brand a couple of times and I don't recall my father ever having a good word about Austin Rover. British Leyland or BLC were subjectively different the period before but then their products were hugely out of date. But then we also had a whole load of British brands that wouldn't move on, stuck in their old ways of manufacturing and ignorant of the changing needs of buyers who still insisted on quality. No wonder we've become a nation of throwaways - the companies haven't made it easy and their strive to produce reliable goods has been taken over by making easy money.
JM - I started drinking Gold Blend at 14 and finished with the brand 20 years later. It's a minimal drinking experience but a good starter compared to many other Nescafe brands. Their decaf is truly horrible though. My mum adores Nespresso, I don't mind Dolce Gusto but the whole process of turning away from instant to powdered capsules takes away the love of a proper espresso machine, grinds and mess and all!
I'm with TUM84 - the Douwe Egberts Gold is lovely, but more so Cafe Noire which I now buy in the soft packs as the jars are just too expensive.
JM - I started drinking Gold Blend at 14 and finished with the brand 20 years later. It's a minimal drinking experience but a good starter compared to many other Nescafe brands. Their decaf is truly horrible though. My mum adores Nespresso, I don't mind Dolce Gusto but the whole process of turning away from instant to powdered capsules takes away the love of a proper espresso machine, grinds and mess and all!
I'm with TUM84 - the Douwe Egberts Gold is lovely, but more so Cafe Noire which I now buy in the soft packs as the jars are just too expensive.
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