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Comment by atrus | Hacker News Reader

Products of the past did not last longer.

Products of the past for the same price point as today (adj for inflation) especially did not last longer, if they even existed at that price point.

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that's strictly not true, at least for many segments. my 1960s Kitchenaid mixer has been used since..the 60s, and if you buy a new Kitchenaid today, don't expect that plastic gear to last very long if you actually take it out and use it.

I had a 60s kitchenaid and it was super loud, possibly over 90 db. Additionally, it had square corners where stuff got stuck, couldn't handle some solids well, and to wash it you often had to remove the blade and gasket.

One interesting thing was a gimmick about heating soup with the blender using solely friction.

I eventually bought a modern plastic refurb which has been a dream. I do think it is a shame that it won't last 50 years.

A Kitchenaid K5-A mixer cost $159 in 1960. That would be $1,700 today. I'll bet you can get someone to make you a replacement metal gear for something less than $1,000.

I found an 1969 ad for a kitchenaid mixer. It's cost $125 in 1969 dollars. That's over $1000 in todays dollars. You're comparing a mixer that costs half as much. And, believe me, fixing the skimp issues that kitchenaid introduced to give the execs a bigger bonus can be fixed for a lot less than $500.

Furthermore, you probably can buy a mixer for $1000 that has a similar chance of surviving 60 years for $1000.

> Furthermore, you probably can buy a mixer for $1000 that has a similar chance of surviving 60 years for $1000.

Why don't you provide an example then? Findig one for $1000+ is the easy part, knowing if it's actually better is not something most people can do.

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