Originally Posted by
skylinejack
I picked up a dryer the other day that was 34 years old. Don't remember the brand right now. I'll get it for you later. The owner, who is 82, bought a new one at Home Depot. They told him he'll be lucky to get 15 years service out of it. Big difference from then and now.
My washer and dryer (both made by Whirlpool, branded as Amana) are right at the 15 year old mark. The washer's timer kept burning contacts which I would then clean up with emery board and get another 5-6 months of service out of it. I finally swapped the timer a year or so ago and it's running fine.
The dryer's motor quit about six months ago. I shopped around town (metro Detroit) and couldn't find one for less than $150, which apparently was a price designed to make a new dryer start looking good. I bought a new replacement motor on
eBay for ~$75. Get this: it was drop-shipped to my house from one of the stores in town that wanted to sell it to me for $150! I put a new belt, rollers, and glide strips into it while I was at it. Here's hoping I get another 15 years out of it with only minor repairs.
Being a scrapper is a lifestyle of recycling and reusing, buying things used, and getting by as cheaply as possible. It just fits who I am I guess (a cheap bastard!) I am still offended when I find perfectly good stuff on the curb; I just can't believe how money has so little value to the average person.
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