Friday, August 04, 2006

It's your fault, and mine

It's a "throw away" world that we live in. We have helped make it that way. We do not take care of things the way our parents did. Remember your dad washing his shovel and drying it before he put it away. He probably only owned that one shovel his whole life. He didn't even have to replace the handle because he didn't use it for a "prybar" and he wiped it down with the same "oily" rag that he used when he serviced his pickup and then he put it in the shed out of the weather.

"Now wait a minute", you say. How does not taking care of things lead to poorer quality when new. It's very simple. When you shop for something that requires you to take care of it like a lawnmower you say to yourself, "I will not pay that price for something that will not last as long as it should". The manufacturer in turn will have to lessen the quality to meet the price you are willing to pay.


So you buy the new lawnmower and take it home knowing full well it will not last.



It is a "lawnmower" and not a "bushhog" but what the heck you abuse it anyway. It will cut the tall stuff if a run the engine at full throttle.




When you are finished for the day you will leave it just like it was when you climbed off it. Probably even leave it outside. Oh, it will be OK after all it has a hood and who really wants to wash the grass clippings from under the deck on a lawnmower that will only last 2 or 3 years.

See you were right. These things just will not last. You know yours is a lemon because your neighbor's mower looks as new as it did the first time he cleaned and serviced it before putting it away 15 years ago. He has the same brand so that proves they were made better, right.

A refrigerator is a different story. Very little owner maintenance is required (meaning you can't destroy it), so you think they are built as well as ever.

I am not saying you should buy the most expensive product you can find because it should be built better but what I am saying is no matter what you buy, if you do not take care of it then you are not getting your moneys worth out of it.

7 comments:

Mr.Gary Supertron said...

I love lawn tractors.www.supertronrandom.blogspot.com Leave a comment

Annie said...

Oh there is so much wisdom in your post today.

Right now there is a shovel stuck in the ground outside in the back yard, just standing where it was left several days ago. I didn't leave it there. If I'd been the one using it, it would have been cleaned off and put away. Often I do go around and pick things up, clean things off, put things away, but this time I decided just to wait and see how long it would take for the shoveler to "get around to it". And, as you see, I'm still waiting.

Maybe I'd better just go get it, clean it, tuck it away.

Anonymous said...

I don't mind paying whatever it takes to get a quality product that will last if properly maintained. It is annoying to me when I see products that are designed to be replaced, rather than repaired. Even though it might be cheaper to buy a new toaster made in China then it is to repair a broken toaster, it puts an additional burden on our already overtaxed planet to do so. Great post - thanks.

Carole Burant said...

Loved this post because it's so true! I'd rather buy the better quality item and take good care of it than buy a poorer model, take good care of it but it doesn't last because it's made cheaply! I've always taken good care of everything I own and that's why items that are 10 years old still look new...not because I've hardly used it, I've just taken good care of it:-)

Michelle said...

It really is a disposable society. I hate the fact appliances are only made to last a year or two :(

Annie said...

Oh well, Hare today - gone tomorrow. Ha, ha, ha.

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

You just have to take care of your stuff and put it away in a dry place away from the weather. Your post is sooo right!

 

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