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| Thread ID: 59384 | 2005-06-30 22:38:00 | Is NZ an 'electrical dumping ground'? | Shortcircuit (1666) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 368366 | 2005-06-30 22:38:00 | I've had a lot of problems lately with electrical stuff I've purchased that is faulty/not up to scratch. I never buy 'cheap' gear, but will buy items that are discounted (like most people). It seems to me that a high percentage of electrical/computer goods sold in NZ don't pass 'quality control' and go faulty. My guess is that most of the stuff sold here is made in 'Asian' factories to keep labour costs down and the 'return rate' goes up. My suggestion is that places like Noel leeming and Harveys who want to charge you extra for an 'extended warranty' should actually pay you for the inconvenience of taking the item back repeatedly for repair/replacement under the normal warranty period. Does anyone think that things have changed from maybe 10 years ago when you bought something and it just worked? |
Shortcircuit (1666) | ||
| 368367 | 2005-06-30 23:18:00 | I think consumers are attracted by marketers to more features for their same amount of $$$ or cheaper. Prices haven't changed much, but amount of features you get are. I will use my PDAs as an example. Palm III - 2MB 16Mhz 160x160 screen = $800 in 1997 Palm Tungsten - 16MB 200Mhz 320x320 = $800 in 2002 Windows "Harrier" - 128MB 300Mhz Video, Camera, Phone Internet = $500 w/plan in 2004 As you can see features are added but the price stays reasonable the same. This means someting needs to give, and that is longevity. More sales, more upgrades, more $$$ for marketers. You can do similar comparisons with PC's, Laptops, Digital Camera's and will see the same pattern. I try do buy devices where I will get a long use out of. 1) My VR-4. 2 Years so far, 10-20 years lifetime 2) My Stereo. 7 Years so far, 10-20 years lifetime 3) My PC. 3 years so far, 6-8 years lifetime, with mid life upgrades 4) My PDA. 6 months so far, 3-5 years lifetime I generally research all options before buying the item and focus on features what I really need and will use. |
KiwiTT_NZ (233) | ||
| 368368 | 2005-06-30 23:38:00 | according to manafactures electical goods only have a lifespan of 5 years max. products are being made cheaper, some of its by new technology eg most things don't have power transformers they run switch mode psu's which are lighter, less transport cost. however in an effort to reduce cost most manafactures leave out anything can get away with. i see a lot of electical noise problems due to them leaving out filters and sheilding. however people buy on price not quailty. also there is the "i can buy 5 cheap ones for the price of one good one". have a look at battery drills, you can buy 10 $50 ones for the price of one good one. each one only has to last till its out of warranty so if you use 1 a year you have 10 years worth. you would be pushing it to get 0 years of use out of the good one. the catch however is the cheap ones run like crap and most peole i know that have bought the cheap ones have now gone and got a good one. |
tweak'e (69) | ||
| 368369 | 2005-06-30 23:43:00 | I was given a $20 drill, In real world use its not worth 1/5 of a $100 drill.Its best use is target practice for my hammer. I could burn it out within a few minutes of easy use. Pretty sure my drill that cost a weeks wages will still be going in a decade (not that I haven't burned out a truckload of expensive drills in teh past though, its easy enough to do) |
Metla (12) | ||
| 368370 | 2005-06-30 23:52:00 | A saying I read recently says "If you see 2 similar items, buy the more expensive one, there is probably a good reason why it cost more". I usually follow this, and I find what I buy lasts longer and am less disappointed with my purchases, due to early failure etc. | KiwiTT_NZ (233) | ||
| 368371 | 2005-07-01 00:24:00 | Hmm... Fisher and Paykel products in the shops are still made in New Zealand, but off hand all the other brands that used to be household names like Sunbeam, Goldaire, are all made in China. More and more manufacturers worldwide are moving operations to China. We recently updated our ancient 25+ year old Sunbeam mixer/beater (we bought it at a garage sale, so it could be very much older), and replaced it with a Sunbeam "Retro Classic" version, very similar but electronic speed control and a more powerful motor. Made in China, and it looks well made and finished, and goes well. Apart from the well known brand names, there does seem to be an awful lot of dirt cheap "coolie wage" made items imported that one would be suspicious of. But then I have also bought some el cheapo power tools from Super Cheap Auto for $9, like a 13mm hammer drill, just to do a specific job, and it's still ok. I have a Black and Decker 3/8" drill bought in 1962, it had a heavy duty rewind armature fitted a year later due to being over enthusiastic with the sander attachment, and it is still going well. It is the drill I use most of the time in preference to others accumulated over the years. In the Black and Decker factory in England in the 1960s, they used their own drills as drilling heads on machine tools making drill parts. They used to be good, but I wouldn't give tuppence for B&D these days. Then a while ago Billy T mentioned about electrical goods being imported that did not conform to NZ standards. I think we have to accept that China will increasingly become the manufacturer and supplier to the world, and whether customers are going to be able to have a say or influence in quality and reliability I'm doubtful. |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 368372 | 2005-07-01 02:46:00 | The Chinese make top quality woodworking machinery for the commercial market.They also make parts for the top on the line German woodworking companies. So it seems it is what the market wants that governs there production. |
Cicero (40) | ||
| 368373 | 2005-07-01 02:53:00 | Let a dumb Yank ask a question here: I get a lot longer life outta the stuff I buy here in the US . . . . . . MAYBE, just maybe it's the difference in what we Americans consider just plain nuts . . your 220 volt electricity? We run (depending upon age of the transformers at our individual homes) either 117 VAC/60 HZ, or 120 VAC/60HZ . Now . . . before I start a furor over the voltages, I ask you to consider that a drop from 220 VAC to 5VDC (and a very clean 5 VDC! too!) is a lot harder to keep at the 10% factor that is inherent with most electronics today as far as tolerances go . I see 10% of 220 as about 22 Volts, whereas 10% of 108 or 117 is 10 . 8 VAC or 11 . 7 VAC . . . OK? I feel there's a lot less room for error if you start at a lower voltage and try to control it as opposed to higher and trying to control it . Just a thought . . . . . :cool: |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 368374 | 2005-07-01 03:39:00 | Doesn't work like that Joe if you do the sums. If the percentage regulation of the supplies are the same, then the percentage regulation of the reduced voltage, will be the same, all things being equal. EG. a transformer dropping from 230v AC to 10vAC has a greater turns ratio than a transformer dropping from 110v AC to 10v AC, so even though the actual voltage variation at 230v is bigger than at 110v for the same percentage regulation, when it is reduced down by the bigger turns ratio the output variation will be the same. In actual fact our standard single phase supply voltage is 230v +/- 6%, and frequency is 50HZ +/- 0.75Hz There are the usual pros and cons for 230v versus 110v, such as safety but twice the current flow and heavier cables. That's why I think your cookers are on separate 220v lines. 60Hz supplies in the US and Japan possibly makes design of large steam turbine generators a wee bit harder perhaps in respect of higher speeds and bearing power losses, as compared to 50Hz, but marginal I'd say. |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 368375 | 2005-07-02 00:07:00 | One of the factors with "cheap goods' is that the quality control has been passed on the consumer. It's produced, sold, and the buyer does the testing. No good, take it back get another, test that, on and on....... This cuts costs, makes the product more appealling and gives the customer something to whinge about...........can't go wrong. :D |
mark c (247) | ||
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