Let's hear it for British manufacturing!

Juddy,

A century old Drummond will still produce good work in the right hands. Look at how many ML7s (and their predecessors) are still being used.

I doubt if, in fifty years time, my mini lathe will be functional if anything has gone wrong with the electronics controlling the variable speed.

Unless it undergoes a major upgrade, but then it will not be anything like the original. Back to treadle power, perhaps?

This week, there was a complete power outage in our city. It only lasted for about five minutes, but next day Banks and major retailers were closed while their IT systems were repaired, or reset. If it is complicated it HAS to be reliable and durable. One of the reasons for aircraft having three computers, in case one malfunctions.

Tiger Moths are still flying, long after more sophisticated aircraft have been scrapped.

It should always be possible to come up with a workable substitute for a flat belt!

Am not advocating reverting to ploughing with oxen, but basic machinery can be kept working fairly easily.

The fishing industry in Sri Lanka, when it was called Ceylon, was founded on a basic diesel engines, with no electrics at all. The only complication was the fuel injection equipment, which, as long as you kept water out of the injection pump, would go on for years. Witness the number of fifty plus year old tractors still operative, in this country and elsewhere in the world.

Too much, today, is made so that it has a limited life expectancy, and is not intended to be repaired, just discarded and the latest short life replacement purchased. What USA, many years ago, called the "Kleenex product", use once and throw away. They even applied that description to some quite expensive machinery!

Howard

Wonder how many Drummonds AND Wards have been "Re-imported" By Warco, Chester etc?

Regards Ian.