Why is everything you buy such rubbish!!

" None of the shops today seem to allow you to buy new lenses for your old glasses, you have to buy the whole frame and lens package. "

Need to change your Optician Hopper, SWTSMBO's is only too happy to change lenses in her frames but Styles change. Wonder what Harrison would make of todays throw away accurate timepieces.

Regards Ian.

We have the Tea Room for 'OT' threads!

Posted by Hopper on 26/08/2017 01:17:31:

Posted by Martin W on 12/11/2010 12:45:01:

Hi Terry

 

Only if you are looking at it through rose tinted glasses .

 

Martin

Now that's another thing. Has anyone else noticed that new spectacles these days seem to last one to two years before the "special scratchproof coating" on the lenses starts to bubble and discolour and you have to go and buy new glasses?

Yes!

Remove the coating with armour-etch and get another year out of your specs, or at least keep them for spare

Neil, we did not have the Tea room back in 2010 when the post was made.

Quite so Jason

I thought I was suffering from "deja vue" but it does seem that several old threads have been resurrected - the danger is, of course, that when replying one does no contradict the opinion that one gave previously !

Norman

Edited By NJH on 26/08/2017 14:51:26

Relax, according to Oscar Wilde "Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative".

Brian

I figured that out in 2019!

N.

Purely comments based on experience.

1966 British motor car, by 80K had new wings and cills (fenders) Seemed to have an appetite for water pumps.

1989 French small motor cars, left us at 17 years old, 110K, no replacements to engine /clutch / gearbox.

(Clutch cables failed because of faulty design. Front wheel bearings inherited the quality fault of poor sealing, from their predecessors)

2005 Japanese cars, 79K Have each used one bulb apart from one set of front pads at 64K, and tyres, each, at about 50K.

Current washing Machine is German, not the most expensive. Its predecessor was 17 when the bearing noise finally became intolerable. Did consume one small pump in that time. (The "spurious" replacement outlasted the original)

Prior to that, British machines, needing a new pump every year, and bearings failed after about five years, plus switchgear.

Taiwanese lathe is now 14 years old, and no problems, except those of my own making.

The trouble is that I expect everything to last for ever!

Ironic that Japanese quality is based on the teachings of an American, Deeming. Adopting the same techniques vastly improved my former employer's products. Now world class, whilst competitors have vanished.

Japanese companies tend to take a long term view of business rather than the short term one so favoured in the western world.

Again, generally, "Buy cheap, buy twice" and "The sour taste of poor quality will persist long after the sweet taste of low cost has faded".

Maybe, IF UK manufacturing ever blossoms again, the lessons will have been learned.

Politicians need to learn that "Those who ignore history are fated to repeat it's mistakes".

Howard

Howard you have to compare apples with apples, the UK has a long established world reknowned status for quality stemming back 150 yrs.
Even some stuff produced by hand 130 yrs ago is better than current mass production by cnc, just have to look for it.

Had quite a few dealings with Japanese and Germans trying to help them out, not a cat in hells chance cant see logic and wont listen.

If X costs £100 and X from abroad costs £120, apart from distribution your paying more for extra quality. Not so long ago British and German made Ford were limited on quality though took a 1979 2ltr to 250k petrol, now stepped up the anti but still wouldn't buy.
Its more about the brands in this respect regarding what quality they dish out each supplying major parts ie engines to others inc Subaru, Alfa, Fiat, GM and many more on a global basis.

79 car was when they were good, suspect Vauxhall/Opel now bought out will follow suit and go down the pan with constant electrical problems within a couple of years.

Longetivity on machine tools depends if you use them, again compare apples to apples. Castings, steel used, grinding and fit far superior in another league when Britain was Great, not that far behind there was plenty of European and US machines that served their time day in day out.

Nowadays major has been brand names have had goods made in asia for decades merely living on past reputation than what they were reknown for. Really have to sift through whats tolerable for needs or take a punt by trial and error. Some good and bad stuff does come from asia carrying new sprung up brand names that are the same product supplied by reknowned.

If I had the choice I would support our own economy rather than support foreign lands, since we don't make anything any more think its around 3% from in excess of 50%+ by late 70's, were at beck and call of others who have tried products.

Wonder what Harrison would make of todays throw away accurate timepieces.

Saw an interesting piece on the cost of light when it gets dark (can't remember where)

We started off with piles of firewood which had a high cost of gathering and maintaining through a long winters night

Then the oil lamps and candles of Rome to Medieval times, if you were rich enough

Gas made things cheaper and easier

Electric even cheaper and simpler

Now you can get an LED lamp for 3 quid in Morrisons which goes 24/7 for 6 months on 3xAA batteries

BBC 50 Things that made the modern economy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04knm03

All worth a listen if you have the technology.

Would that be the VW auto adjust clutch cable Howard?

(Clutch cables failed because of faulty design.

Colin