How do they do it ?

[c125bob]

Since I've only been involved with these machines for less than 2 weeks (USS 8-64) I have a General Chit Chat question for some of you experts.

How do these machines run so long and so well ??  They are often exposed to the elements, beat on, kicked and abused yet they continue to run & run good !

I know the old stuff was built better but.........  I've been through no telling how many refriderators, stoves, cars, trucks etc. yet these old machines just keep purring along.  You hear tails about them running for years and years with little or no maintenance.

What's the secret?

Bob

[bubba]

I dunno for sure, but things that are designed to "make money" are usually built better than homeowner type items. Soda machines are commercial duty. There is very little moving parts to wear out as well.

[Kilroy]

It's all in the bam ba lam...    '>

Great question I haven't really thought of before.  If you think about it, the  longest lasting machines are  the simplest  - mechanical cranks to or gravity fed shelves, closed cooling systems, and designed with the fact they will have to withstand the elements, kicking and  abuse, the occasional Canadian nickel...

[globalcompressors]

Commercial grade parts. These machines, before we brought them
into our homes and thought..."oh how cute"...they were commercial
equipment. Believe it or not, most of these machines were taken care of, by the vendors, so they would run trouble free for years, making money.

Honestly, how often have you pulled your refrigerator out from the wall and vacuumed the the dust out as well as cleaned the condenser coil? How about going outside and washing the coils out on your air conditioner? My commercial customers do this very
thing...3-4 times a year.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound....of cure!

Eric...Bam ba Lam!!!  '>

PS...Bam- ba- Blam was too long and wouldn't fit on my license plate.

[c125bob]

Eric I think you are right & it's also the money thing.  People tend to focus more on something that makes money for them.  Especially "things" that don't ask for much in return.  I guess a little basic maintenance goes a long way.

My main hobby is restoring antique tractors.  They are similar in that they get abused, left out in the weather, often times used beyond deisgn capabilties and run for years and years.  they make money for people and are built to require basic and minimum maintenace, unlike the new models !
Bob

[Creighton]

Before bean counters and planned obsolescence true craftsman took pride in building and designing things to be as bullet proof as possible. Thank goodness we have Eric and many others to continue this tradition!!

Along with the frig and AC cleaning. On a clothes dryer if you use fabric sheets residue will clog the lint filter. Easy to check. If water just pools on the filter it's clogged. Hot water with a little bit dishwashing soap and a soft brush will clean. Restricted filter will burn up the heating coil.

Creighton

[c125bob]

Okay Bam a Lam.............. I like that 350, I'm a Ford truck man too.

Bob

[acree42]

Last year I bought a 1938 Westinghouse Standard for $75 which was physically in great shape.  I let it set about six months (never took it off the pallet).  One day I got the idea to try and get it to run.  I plugged it up and bypassed the thermostat.  The coils got ice on them in no time.  I later put in a new thermostat, start cap, and a wiring harness.  It is now running on my front porch 24/7.  Did I mention it was made in 1938.

[loman4ec]

Yep I had an old General Motors monitor top refrigerator that was really old and it fired right up and worked great.