Your Most Reliable Machines

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Still using quarter-inch B&D drill from '70s. Corded obviously, with heavy steel exoskeleton.

8-gal plastic Craftsman shop-vac from early '80s is still working well. Motor will last longer than the hose, which is heavily taped.

Had a $35 Timex Ironman digital watch last for about 25-30 years. Wore it every day.
 
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Belarus T40 air-cooled soviet diesel tractor. A near-dead battery, screw-driver, and any partially flammable liquid in the tank and it will start, run, and work all day no matter what temp or how long its sat. I wish the John Deeres were built like that.
 
GE forced air furnace,original to house which was built in 1973. We have been here since 1993, and all it has needed is one thermocouple. Old neighbor was HVAC technician. I asked him whether I should upgrade to a high efficiency unit, he said they were good units and keep going until it had a problem. It is running as I type this.
 
Without question my '04 Corolla. Just turned 400K miles last weekend. It uses a bit of oil (a qt every 700-800 miles), but everything on the car still works, and it doesn't leak a drop of fluids....
 
Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by Passport1
I wore a Tissot automatic watch for more than 30 years.Serviced twice, now broken. A Rolex, used ~20 years, serviced once. Still running. Yes mechanical watches are machines, albeit small.

Originally Posted by ecotourist
I have an Orient Kingdiver watch from 1971. It still runs and keeps time but it's been cleaned many times and has a new crystal.
Yeah but how accurate are they? Anymore than +-10 secs a day is annoying.

It's all relative. Some things can be considered reliable simply because they still run, and not necessarily because they run perfectly.
smile.gif
 
We used our kenmore dryer up to two years ago. It was built in 1971 and I inherited it from an elderly lady that passed away in 1995. Kept it till 2018 when the belt broke. I actually replaced the belt, but we were given a newer LG from a friend and we put it out in the alleyway where someone grabbed it. 47 years on a dryer is pretty good.
 
1) 1984 Renault Alliance, which was my first car. Beat the crap out of that car for a couple years and put a lot of miles on it. It had serious abuse and kept on running. Clutch finally died at 180K. I still miss that car and memories.

2) 1980 Ford Courier. It was an ugly shade of gold/yellow and cost me 500 bucks. Ran it for two years and treated it horribly. Always was reliable. Sold it for 750 bucks a few years later. Mileage was over 200K.
 
Originally Posted by grampi
Without question my '04 Corolla. Just turned 400K miles last weekend. It uses a bit of oil (a qt every 700-800 miles), but everything on the car still works, and it doesn't leak a drop of fluids....


I've had an 08 Corolla and an 08 Vibe with the 1.8L and aisin automatic that were absolutely bulletproof. See Corollas from the 2000s on Facebook with 250K or more miles that are still in good running order people are selling.
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
Originally Posted by Donald
My well pump (submersible) has been running for 20 years. Never pulled.

Thats amazing! We arre lucky to get 10 years out of one.


Not to hijack the thread, but do they just suddenly fail or are there warning signs? Spent the first ~25 years of my life on city water, just bought a house with a well a month ago, it's all new to me!

None of my stuff is "old", but I'd give my vote to my 2017 non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro.
 
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by Chris142
Originally Posted by Donald
My well pump (submersible) has been running for 20 years. Never pulled.

Thats amazing! We arre lucky to get 10 years out of one.


Not to hijack the thread, but do they just suddenly fail or are there warning signs? Spent the first ~25 years of my life on city water, just bought a house with a well a month ago, it's all new to me!

None of my stuff is "old", but I'd give my vote to my 2017 non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro.

20 years is getting there in expected lifespan on a sub pump. If your electric bill starts going up, put an amp meter on it and compare readings with nameplate amps. It it's working harder or never stops running better replace ASAP
 
See my Mazda below. It did require assorted repairs, almost all DIY.
I'm still using a Japanese Spartus quartz-analog travel alarm clock my mother bought circa 1984. Very accurate and efficient.
I inherited my parents' long-case "grandfather" clock which, like ecotourist's, keeps excellent time, although only about 19% as old. I also have a 1962 GE synchronous-motor alarm clock that functions perfectly.

I still occasionally ride my 1961 Schwinn Corvette, and frequently ride my 1974 Windsor bicycle, which has over 220k miles. Nearly all my machines are old, except the car.

Almost forgot this: 1973 Craftsman 3/8" variable speed drill, coincidentally made in the same factory in which I worked many years later. Never needed any repair.

I don't own it, but recently saw a demonstration of an 1870s cotton gin actually ginning cotton, driven by an antique engine that must've been nearly as old.
 
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Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by ecotourist
I have an Orient Kingdiver watch from 1971. It still runs and keeps time but it's been cleaned many times and has a new crystal.
Yeah but how accurate are they? Anymore than +-10 secs a day is annoying.

As I recall it was within about 10 seconds a week. I tend to wear my quart watches these days because you don't have to clean them every few years, and they're way more accurate.
 
Low end Casio watches. Time within a second or so a month, reset when standard/daylight time switches and I'm always within a few seconds. Throw 'em away when the batteries or the band (usually) craps out because replacement bands cost as much as the watch. Got a metal band one now, so it might last til I die.
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
Originally Posted by Donald
My well pump (submersible) has been running for 20 years. Never pulled.

Thats amazing! We arre lucky to get 10 years out of one.


Mom and dads house was built in 1986 with the original pump.
 
Samsung 60" F8500 plasma TV. Going on 7 years old and approaching 20,000 hours. On an AV forum most owners have experienced failure and have moved on
to other TVs. But then again, I may have just jinxed myself. Knocking on wood now!
 
Originally Posted by dippschtick
Samsung 60" F8500 plasma TV. Going on 7 years old and approaching 20,000 hours. On an AV forum most owners have experienced failure and have moved on
to other TVs. But then again, I may have just jinxed myself. Knocking on wood now!


We had a 57 (ish) inch Pani Plasma for 6/7 years, still running strong, great TV gave it away to a neighbor, replaced with a Sony X900 65 inch 4K.
One thing about the plasma is it used over 450 watts more electricity than the new larger Sony. SO I guess we can say the new Sony is paying for itself or helping out to pay for itself.
 
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My 45 yr old Stihl Farmboss. Starts reliably on its original points and condenser.. I have a few 50 yr old hammers The 5 used BMW 528e s I bought over a 22 yr stretch were reliable My first one, I added 200K ontop the 150k I bought it with. 12 yrs of daily driving plus several ~2k road trips. not a single tow.I DIYed anything that wore out in my driveway.
 
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