[Greatlawn]

What is quality anyway? Is it measurable, engineered, form and fit, cost vs need, durability, appearance, suitability, personal preference, nostalgia, an abstract idea, a number, a feeling, expression of pride, an expectation, a bias, an opinion, cost based, individual, collective, good enough? Imo the quality of things today is better than 20, 50 or 100 years ago. Compare the smart chips and that drive AI to the x386 chips that powered our PCs, compare the drugs used to treat diseases with those of 1970's, compare hybrid and electric vehicles with 1980's autos. In the end quality is determined by the needs of the people who will use and benefit from it.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Latoo

Consumers do not want quality products that last years. They get bored with their furniture and want new current trends, need the latest appliances and TV's with new technology, need a new car with all the latest features and modern styling. About 30 years ago I bought the latest projection TV and surround sound theater system. It cost a few thousand dollars. For the last 15 years I prayed the thing would fail so I could justify buying a new larger flat screen smart TV. I even tried giving it to family and friends. Finally when we moved here from the north I scraped it. I had to take it apart to remove it from our game room and cut it up to trash it. It reminded me of my boat. The two happiest days!

Yes many consumers prefer the "disposable society" model. But there are still some of us who prefer quality over novelty. The bookcase my uncle made in the late 1800s, passed down to me when my grandfather died, is still beautiful even with the scratch-marks and worn edges, and a couple of pegs replaced (it was made with no nails or glue). All the antiques in my house are fully functional except one cane chair with a torn section of cane. Currently it's just decorative.

I buy my vehicles used, and keep them until they start costing more to fix than they cost me to buy them. The longest was 12 years. The shortest was 2 years because the Jaguar's transmission blew AND it was time for new brakes and exhaust, and the total for all that would've been more than what I paid for it.

I have empty new spiral bound notebooks that I paid 5 cents for at Staples 10 years ago. They're not high end, they're not new-fangled. I go through maybe one a year, and sometimes take one to use for specific functions.

I still have the same bank account we opened up 35 years ago after we got married, even though that bank was bought and sold twice. They do what I need them to do, at a price I'm comfortable paying. There's no need or reason for me to replace them.

I kept my desktop computer for 8 years before Windows said it'd stop updating the security patches on it and one of the fans in the case had stopped functioning three years prior.

I keep my cell phones for a few years. I had my tablet for 5 years before the battery started to swell and was already starting to leak under the cover.

There are millions of people who enjoy what they have, and won't replace them for the newest, latest, most updated thing just because they're new, late-model, or updated. If it works for them they simply keep it until it stops working for them.

[Michael G.]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

No one wants to be mechanic. Everyone interested, simply wants to be a "parts replacer".

Do you think it's because each repair has specific time attached to each job.

Say the time allotted is 4 hours,
If you took 8 hours because of unforeseen trouble, you wouldn't get paid for
those extra 4 hours.

I wouldn't want any technician business dictating how I work when problems arise.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

Do you think it's because each repair has specific time attached to each job.

Say the time allotted is 4 hours,
If you took 8 hours because of unforeseen trouble, you wouldn't get paid for
those extra 4 hours.

I wouldn't want any technician business dictating how I work when problems arise.

What about the customer? Do you think the customer should be willing to pay double the promised cost because you took longer than expected?

When doing a brake job, mechanics used to remove the rotors, resurface them, and re-install them. But they never knew how long this would take or if they could be resufaced at all. Now, most repair shops will sell you new rotors because they can give you an exact price.

[merrymini]

Although most people think of autos in this regard, the fact is that people are unwilling to pay for quality, especially in furniture. There used to be wonderful companies that made high quality furniture in North Carolina, all gone or sold off. People pay for junk from ikea and rooms to go so they will throw them out after a few years. When cultures change, along with economic incentives, you cannot turn back the clock. That is why I paid to move my stickley and hendredon down here and regret I could not bring down my century stuff. No one makes furniture like that anymore. I will enjoy it until I croak and my kids will sell it off as firewood.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

Do you think it's because each repair has specific time attached to each job.

Say the time allotted is 4 hours,
If you took 8 hours because of unforeseen trouble, you wouldn't get paid for
those extra 4 hours.

I wouldn't want any technician business dictating how I work when problems arise.

That might be a concern, if it was fact ... but it is not.

Good technicians can beat the Flat Rate time by over 50%. Average technicians run about 40%.

Technicians under 30% are looking for another job.

[Risuli]

The problem is that with many consumer goods, quality doesn't pay. At one time we had products that were "durable goods", like home furnaces, water heaters, refrigerators, etc. When I was growing up these items lasted decades. [I inherited my grandparents 1940 General Motors manufactured refrigerator which I sold about 5 years ago and it was still running like a top!]. But, manufacturers learned that making such quality products did not lead to more sales, but less. Thus engineered obsolescence. Couple that with the cost of any repairs, and difficulty in doing any "self repairs", and we end up with a disposable society. If it breaks, replace it. So, quality in many, many goods isn't economical for the consumer or the manufacturers.

[jimjamuser]

We need national health care like Canada and Europe enjoys.

[snbrafford]

I will pay for quality but quality has to be proven. I fear that America products have such a bad reputation to overcome. They need to start and actually build a quality product and prove it by offering a free warrant to back up the claim. A 36,000 mile car warranty tells me poor quality. Offer a 150,000 mile one and you have my attention.

[jimjamuser]

The problem of lack of reliability in the engines of newer cars - is that the Federal Government keeps mandating increasingly greater gas mileage. The car manufactures comply by making high revving small displacement engines with things like double overhead camshafts and ram-air blowers. These added pieces of equipment are running at very high RPMs and have very small metal to metal clearances. So, very THIN oils are recommended - thicker oil like 40 wt are a thing of the past because they would SLIGHTLY slow down the RPMs of the engine, so very THIN oil are recommended. Thin oils and high RPMs equals engines that break down and need repair more often than in the past. Remember the car manufacturers were forced to do this by the Government, but one result of the engine failures is greater money making work for the dealerships - so they won't complain. The bottom line for people is that they should probably buy cars that are made from 2015 or older and favor the Japanese models. Good luck !!!1

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by merrymini

Although most people think of autos in this regard, the fact is that people are unwilling to pay for quality, especially in furniture. There used to be wonderful companies that made high quality furniture in North Carolina, all gone or sold off. People pay for junk from ikea and rooms to go so they will throw them out after a few years. When cultures change, along with economic incentives, you cannot turn back the clock. That is why I paid to move my stickley and hendredon down here and regret I could not bring down my century stuff. No one makes furniture like that anymore. I will enjoy it until I croak and my kids will sell it off as firewood.

I have always bought cheap furniture, but I don't think I have ever worn it out. I love to assemble Ikea stuff. Everything seems to fit together perfectly. Most of my furniture today is from City Furniture. It is 10 years old and in perfect condition. Nothing is worn out.

[Joe C.]

When you buy a "quality" item, it will last a long time without failing. Problem is though, that many of the things we buy are "technological". One instance is cellphones. The latest, greatest thingamagig is obsolete by the time you've read the operating manual. Technology is moving at such a fast pace, that it isn't worth it to buy the top of the line "quality" thing anymore.
There are some items that you can buy that really are quality. Binoculars, watches and hand tools are a few of the things that readily come to mind. They aren't necessarily burdened with technology, but are made with the latest materials meant to last. We just need to give consideration to how we will be using whatever we buy, and how long it will be effective.

[Normal]

With manufacturing increasing at record levels in the US this past year, we might see a turnaround in buying American goods.

[jimjamuser]

We could simply move away from these unreliable newer GASOLINE cars and trucks and get more people into reliable E-vehicles. E-vehicles SHOULD be encouraged. In a few years smaller, 100 % safe nuclear generators will be available to provide power, unless they are stupidly prohibited. Solar and wind farms should be increased.

[jimjamuser]

New houses with quality materials can be made less expensively on a factory line as is done in other more advanced countries than the US. Zoning laws could also be changed for better outcomes.