3 ms·

Why doesn't everyone have old fridges then? You only buy new when the old one breaks down right? But if the old ones were so sturdy why were they all replaced?

• deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
• CivBase 3y ago
  Because it's more convenient to buy a new fridge than to seek out an old one in good condition on the used market? And because they don't manufacture old fridges so the remaining good ones fetch a much higher price? And because there's no way for a consumer to reasonably determine the longevity of a new product before purchase? I don't necessarily think that's why people aren't buying this fridge but those are reasons why new products can still be successful even when they're worse than the old ones.
  • AlecSchueler 3y ago
    Why do you make your statements into questions?
    • CivBase 3y ago
      To emphasize they are hypotheticals which I am offering with an unsure, questioning tone.
• mholm 3y ago
  > You only buy new when the old one breaks down right? In my experience it's half and half. Sometimes people have a nice old reliable fridge that just looks ugly and dated to their tastes, so they upgrade. Same with older energy inefficient fridges.
  • rascul 3y ago
    I used to deliver and install appliances. My experience is approximately the same as yours. About half the time the old fridge broke, the other half is for upgrades or something when the old fridge still works. Or because the easily replaceable and still working fan makes some noises sometimes. That fridge is now in my kitchen.
    • ryandrake 3y ago
      It's amazing what working stuff people will throw out simply because it's out of fashion, or failed in some easily repairable way. You can outfit an entire house with furniture, appliances, and electronics from the dumpster outside of a vain/impatient person's apartment.
      • adhesive_wombat 3y ago
        A replacement for the dented door for my 9-year-old fridge costs more than I paid for the whole thing originally. Some repairs are not that economical compared to a shiny new model with a fresh warranty. It's not my instinct (and I have the skinned knuckles from a fraught dishwasher heater pump swap to show for it), but I can see that the inflated spares prices, shipping, labour and call out fees if you can't DIY, hassle of locating the parts if second-hand (good luck figuring out the model numbers, there are thousands and thousands of subtle differences), transporting the thing if it can't be fixed in place, etc etc, do add up to Beyond Economical Repair for some people.
• treis 3y ago
  Energy efficiency is a big one. You'll make back the new fridge cost in 5ish years over a 20-30 year old fridge. Depends a lot on local energy prices and if it's a garage fridge.
• BeetleB 3y ago
  > You only buy new when the old one breaks down right? Are you kidding? You must not live in the US. People buy new phones despite the old one working. My phone is almost 6 years old. No one I know keeps phones around that long. Becoming rare to see anyone keep one for even 4 years. I lived on cheap, used furniture. There's a glut of it, because people buy new furniture despite their old ones being just fine.[1] People often change their cars even though they're not even 10 years old. They change their shirts even though the old ones are not worn out. And so on. There are not that many things people keep till they break down. [1] They cost about 10% of a new one. Heck, do this experiment: Buy an expensive table/bed. Don't even assemble it. Immediately put it on the used market. Note how know one will buy it for even half the price. I have one that I can't sell for 20% of the price. Unless it's some fad item or office chair.
  • Broken_Hippo 3y ago
    ... Why do you think this is going to be special to the US? Do you think other cultures don't have consumerism? (they do). Or maybe other countries have old stuff more often? I like cheap, used furniture. But I also understand that furniture wears out. I've had legs break, arms split, cushions lose comfort. Beds get lumpy. Finishes wear off. Drawers come apart and dovetail joints break. Some of it becomes unreliable or unsuited for daily use. Fine, keep your linens in that old dresser, but using it daily will hasten its end - that one drawer is barely together, after all. Not to mention that some of these things are just not usable in modern society. An old desk might be pretty, but it wasn't designed with a computer in mind. Good luck fitting your great-grandmother's dining room table in your small dining room. It was made for 8, and you have a family of three. Beds with a metal boxspring built into the frame aren't as comfortable to sleep on as you might imagine and can be quite squeaky. Some old furniture just won't fit in your abode either - and boy, oh boy is some of it absolutely filthy. Sometimes you can fix this stuff, if you have the time and space and equipment to do so. Many folks don't. And of course lots of folks replace cars. In most places in the US, you can't survive without a vehicle. A vehicle that breaks down is a vehicle that can get you fired. It is much easier to keep up with an older car if you don't have to rely on it. And again, you still have issues with having to be able to have the time, space, and tools to work on it - and you might need to have enough strength. And so on.
• MikusR 3y ago
  Because they leak coolant. And turns out the old coolants destroy the ozone layer.
• Spooky23 3y ago
  Size and the retirement of Freon.