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Well, one major issue with product quality is that many components that had to be made using metal in the past can now be made using cheaper molded plastics. Metal has its own issues, but thin bits of plastic subject to repeated stress tend to crack over time, leading to product failure or misbehavior. There didn't used to be such things as plastic screws - now there are.
Another issue is that many more products than before are controlled by little electronic brains, in the form of microchips. It is possible for the product's circuit board to get damaged or fried, and halt the device's operation even though its mechanical components are still fine.
The tradeoff, of course, is the tremendous new degree of access to consumer products at historically-low prices.
If we go back to the early 1900's, there really wasn't any such thing as a "disposable wristwatch" that actually worked as a timepiece. Even the crappiest new functional timepieces were rather pricey for someone making an average salary.
Nowadays, you can get them for free inside boxes of cereal.
Well, one major issue with product quality is that many components that had to be made using metal in the past can now be made using cheaper molded plastics. Metal has its own issues, but thin bits of plastic subject to repeated stress tend to crack over time, leading to product failure or misbehavior. There didn't used to be such things as plastic screws - now there are.
Another issue is that many more products than before are controlled by little electronic brains, in the form of microchips. It is possible for the product's circuit board to get damaged or fried, and halt the device's operation even though its mechanical components are still fine.
So the answer then is, Yes they are made with less integrity...because of the quality of many of the components using cheaper parts, i.e. the molded plastic....AND....no, because of the newer microchips used for circuit boards except that they can go bad and we can't repair them anymore ourselves.
I would then have to combine the two and since it renders the product useless since it's lifetime is shortened that products, in general, are NOT made with the same integrity as yesteryear.
IMHO: I also think cars are generally better today. A car from the 60's was a rust bucket after 5-10 yrs unless meticulously maintained and garage kept. The biggest improvements are fuel injection, computer controls and rust inhibition/proofing.
Yup!
I'm not that old but even I can remember when regular car maintenance was a lot more of an issue, hell regular tuneups that'll fix that knock & ping!
Some stuff is made better and some not. The trick is figuring out which is which.
Cars are made better with better corrosion control, electrics and engines. Just compare a 2008 Miata to a 1960 MG-A. Same niche but vastly different quality.
Consumer junk like cheap VCR's are worse then ever.
I agree with GregW. Some things are made better today and some are not. To take that a little more in depth, modern cars are made better for today's normal use and old ones were built better for what was normal back then. I have an 86 year old Dodge sitting in my barn that is still driveable yet no one would be foolish enough to drive it down the local freeway. On the other hand, if I were to park my 1990 Accord in that same barn today, it would barely be recognizable in 66 years yet it has already has 177,000 miles on it, The old Dodge has only 35,000 miles. In summary, comparisons of the same commodity cannot always be made across time and eras.
Things change too much in modern American life to demand too much workmanship and quality in many things. For example, who wants a new $800 VHS recorder/player or a $500 sports shirt when electronic technologies and fashion make such things obsolete before you can get them out of the mall? Why pay $100,000 for a new car or truck when the auto industry and government are actively working to make that vehicle obsolete in just a few years? Even homes in modern America are becoming temporary stop-overs for a transient population. Unlike America of the past where grandpa built a house that his children and grandchildren lived in for a lifetime, poor workmanship in homes becomes less of a concern when consumers only need a tent.
Staying in your family house instead of moving every five years at the whim of your employer. That would be completely Un-American and lead to the destruction of our country. Remember, your loyalty is to your employer not your family or community. You must devote ALL your efforts to the corporate TEAM. They teach you that in business school and enforce it at work.
This is the place where the current system is vastly inferior to the past.
Is there ANYTHING out there made with the same integrity as yesteryear?
It seems only things that are supported by market forces, like specialty and/or luxury items are well made anymore. By "this day and age" I would include just about anything made around or after WWII.
Consumer culture and planned obsolescence are my biggest gripes about this day and age. My stupid walmart floormops are a prime example of what is wrong with today's stuff. They are engineered to fail quickly and I find myself buying a new one every couple of months.
On the other end of the spectrum, my 100 year old house is still heated by the 100 year boiler and radiator system it was built with. It was converted to gas from coal and still works just fine, (although it is more expensive to run than a new high efficiency boiler). It has no moving parts other than the thermostat and gas valve, so there is nothing to go wrong other than the valve (which is easily replaceable) and leaks, which are rare with the huge oversized pipes they put in to feed the 300 +lb radiators. I'd like to see a single heating system built past 1950 that is still going strong in a cold climate.
Of course, now I don't have to worry about dying from Polio or being impaled by my car steering wheel in a crash, so it's not like it's ALL bad. I just wished we could combine the quality, durability and product philosophies (specifically being less profit driven) of yesteryear with the technology of today. We could do great things.
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Is there ANYTHING out there made with the same integrity as yesteryear?
