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Say hello to my number one fan! I think I bought this back in either 2004 or 2005 (as it was pre-blog I can’t check) but I do know that it was back in 2010 when the band holding the front and back grids together went SPROING one day and I had to resort to tying them together by making clever use of freezer bag twist-ties. And since then that’s what I’ve done. Every spring I cut off the old twist-ties, give the grills and fan blade a wash, and put it all back together again.
These days Old Faithful has yellowed with age, with various bits now different shades of ochre and cream – none of it is the Storm Trooper White it was when I bought it. But danged if it doesn’t work just as well as the first day, and even better than other fans I have bought since then. I use this one in my bedroom during the summer because it’s silent as a whisper and those big blue blades whooosh a lovely soft breeze over me all night long, which is really the only way to get through the hot summer nights here. I think we are sometimes too quick to discard appliances that go sproing rather than look for a solution, which is not made easier by so many devices and appliances that seem to have a built-in self-destruct date. What’s your favourite old appliance?
casa azahar 
We bought a used washer and dryer together for $450 USD when we got our house 5 years ago and they still run fine. A couple of replacement parts and going strong. I don’t care if they’re off-white and mis-matched. They have one job each and they do it.
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We have become such a throw-away society. I still have a 30 year old Singer sewing machine I bought when I first moved to Spain. It’s a bit rackety and now various shades of yellowy-beige, but it still works. Thing is, a new one would probably last not even half that time.
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I just replaced my kindle this month. I’ve had it since January 2012 and although the battery wasn’t as robust as it used to be I was reluctant to replace it as modern ones don’t have the little buttons on either side to turn the page whichever hand you’re holding it in. But now it’s developed a chip on the screen and it got in the way of one word per page which drove me wild. So a new one it is.
I really, really dislike the fact I have to touch the screen with my right hand to turn the page if I’m holding it in my left hand. I mainly read in bed and for some reason I like to hold on to the metal headboard above my head with my free hand, so the constant down and up movement drives me mad. Little things eh? 😀
It just shows that new-fangled isn’t necessarily better.
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Electronics are the worst. It’s like we’re expected to just upgrade every couple of years. Likewise for computers and smart TVs. The sound on my previous TV (only about 4 yrs old) suddenly died and I was told it would be cheaper to get a new one than repair it. I was also told that even though it was only a few years old it could no longer support the new software updates… wtf?
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I bought a sealed-oil radiator when I moved into this house 28 years ago and needed a little extra warmth in my massage room in winter. I sometimes still think of it as the “new” radiator. Still going strong.
I’ve killed five washing machines, though. No one makes them to last any more.
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I have one of those! Going on 20 years old now. But last year it started blowing the fuse box so I stopped using it. Very handy beside my desk in the winter.
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