Tools that last longer than expected

[Woodchips2]

My Black & Decker "Dustbuster" cordless handheld vacuum cleaner expired today after 27 years of use. It was permanently on charge and used most days on small cleaning jobs that didn't warrant plugging in the full size cleaner. I expected it to last maybe 2 or 3 years so was very surprised it just kept on going.

Anybody else had exceptionally long use from an electric tool?

Regards Keith

 

[novocaine]

The missus has something from ann summers thats still going after 15 years...........


Guess this isn't what you asked though.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 

[D_W]

All of the craftsman tools that my dad got in the 1980s still work. I have one of his drills (the chuck comes out of it too easily, but I could easily just glue that in as it doesn't have a bright future).

Dad has the tools that were popular at department stores here (like large metal black and decker 2.5 amp drills, extremely loud low power quarter and half sheet sanders and I believe he even has a grossly underpowered craftsman or black and decker belt sander. They all still work. I think their longevity is owed to the fact that except for the VSR drill, all of them are on or off, have not that much power (so they can't tear themselves apart), etc.

the dustbuster was a lot like that - nothing spectacular in it, but it wasn't overtrying.

(underpowering something is a caterpillar theory - caterpillar made underpowered bulldozers vs their drive train, so they lasted forever. Their competitors here in the states tried the opposite, and the outcome was predictable).

 

[D_W]

separately, my boy has gotten a couple of remote controlled toys, which are fantastically cheap vs. what they were when I was a kid (early 80s to mid 80s for that sort of thing). None lasts more than a couple of months.

we went to BIL's last year, and his wife whipped out an old tyco or some such brand RC car, and at 30 years old, it was clearly far better than the stuff we got for my son (the old one was made in japan where shame would be cast upon the maker if they made junk).

I don't have any more fun stories other than hooking my dad's best corded drill when I went off to college because you have to have patience to use his everlasting tools -they run forever, but some are pretty unpleasant to use in a hurry. He's got a 600 watt circular saw with steel blade, too - noisemaker. Still works, also black and decker. Got into this hobby only about 16 years ago, so none of my tools are particularly old.

 

[Rorschach]

RE: Your dust buster, is it definitely dead or does it just need a new battery?

 

[D_W]

RE: Your dust buster, is it definitely dead or does it just need a new battery?

hah...

likely to be made well and plain enough on the internals that anything at suitable voltage could be soldered in. Maybe an upgrade to nimh.

(dad still has the corded version of that vacuum - larger. The black and decker "collector". They must've been cheaper than the dustbuster, or we wouldn't have gotten one. Bet it will last longer than dyson's giant pieces of fragile plastics).

 

[davedevelopment]

My Black & Decker "Dustbuster" cordless handheld vacuum cleaner expired today after 27 years of use. It was permanently on charge and used most days on small cleaning jobs that didn't warrant plugging in the full size cleaner. I expected it to last maybe 2 or 3 years so was very surprised it just kept on going.

Anybody else had exceptionally long use from an electric tool?

Regards Keith

We lost ours a few years, but similar experience, lasted far longer than I ever expected.

 

[Bristol_Rob]

I used to work with Dave the brickie, we partnered up for years. Never understood how that tool lasted as long as he did

 

[Woodchips2]

RE: Your dust buster, is it definitely dead or does it just need a new battery?

I think so because it died with a "death rattle" sounding like something breaking rather than the battery just fading away.

Another thing broke today that was even older, the nylon screw on my Stanley marking gauge snapped off but that is something I should be able to repair.

Regards Keith

 

[expatscot]

My drill's a Black and Decker SR910RT, bought Spring '88 I reckon. It's not exactly been used daily, but has had a fair amount of general DIY use and still performs flawlessly - normal/hammer, gears, torque and variable speed all fine. Mind you I seem to remember it being quite expensive at the time - maybe even something like £80, which was a LOT of money to me back then.

 

[Rorschach]

I think so because it died with a "death rattle" sounding like something breaking rather than the battery just fading away.

Another thing broke today that was even older, the nylon screw on my Stanley marking gauge snapped off but that is something I should be able to repair.

Regards Keith

Ah, could be dead then. Still I would open it up and run a multimeter across the battery, just in case.

 

[Woodchips2]

Shall do. Thanks for your advice Rorschach.

Regards Keith

 

[Ozi]

Not quite on topic but I have a combination set made up of items bought by my grandfather, my father and myself, the oldest parts must be from the 1920s I love the fact that they are still made to the same pattern so compatible.

I still occasionally use a Wolf drill that my father bought second hand in the 1960s but to be honest it has seen little use since I got a Makita

 

[robgul]

B&D drill and jigsaw both c1980 still functioning - limited use the last couple of years but before that they did a lot of work.

 

[Wood&StuffLtd]

The missus has something from ann summers thats still going after 15 years...........


Guess this isn't what you asked though.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

My Black & Decker "Dustbuster" cordless handheld vacuum cleaner expired today after 27 years of use. It was permanently on charge and used most days on small cleaning jobs that didn't warrant plugging in the full size cleaner. I expected it to last maybe 2 or 3 years so was very surprised it just kept on going.

Anybody else had exceptionally long use from an electric tool?

Regards Keith

My wife and I where building an extension in 1980 and a tool rep stopped and sold me a Pernia (Hilti) corded electric hammer drill. I think I paid £70. It has had years of use, still works perfectly, has been PAT tested, but now partial retired when I bought an expensive Makita to bore 25mm holes in concrete recently. I now use Dewalt cordless drill and impact driver for all light work.

 

[furnace]

I've got an Elu shop vac that is 30yrs old. The "auto turn on" feature packed up about 10yrs ago but otherwise its still fine.
I've also got a 25yr old Amana fridge freezer that started playing up a month ago. The original manual was incredibly informative about troubleshooting and the sequence of operations. I tracked the problem down to a defrost thermostat. Ebay supplied a £4.99 replacement compared to the £35 pukka version (with all the wiring and connectors attached). 10 mins with wirecutters and 2 Wago connectors and she's back up and running