Thread: Quality of modern white goods

I've taken apart more than my fair share of white goods as I use the wiring in my electrical/electronic projects and the parts for a wide range of "projects". All of the "goods" I have taken apart so far have been in the 15+year old range and they usually use proper microswitches, solid spade type connectors, and screw type hose clamps etc, that continue to make them useful. The only newish machines I have looked inside recently are our Asko dishwasher and washing machine and they also look reasonable although I the hose clamps are single use only.

A couple of days ago I was given a front loading Whirlpool washing machine with a dead motherboard that was just 6 months outside it's 12 month warranty.
As the cost of repair was around 1/3rd of the cost of a new machine the owner went and purchased a new machine.
This morning I took it apart and although I was expecting it to be poorly made I have to say I was still surprised at just how poor they have become.
Cosmetically the machine looked brand new as the previous owners only used it sparingly, i.e. significantly less than a family would use it.
However, the small amount of metal used inside the machine had already started to rust.
Come to think of it, apart from 3 sides of the cabinet, the inside tub, a few nuts and bolts, the conductors and the motor there was no other metal in it! Just plastic and the concrete damping lumps.
Some of the ( plastic) hose connectors were so brittle they snapped at the slightest tug.
Some of the proprietary electrical connectors/plugs also were also fragile and these (not that I usually use them) also fell apart.
The good thing about all this was that I got the whole electrical harness out in about 3 minutes
The plastic tub dampers came out with a simple wrist twist
The door switch so poorly made it was not worth keeping.
All in all if the motherboard had been replaced the machine was not likely to only have lasted much longer before something else would go wrong

So what did I get out of it
- a plastic pressure switch that could be useful
- A 12A 240V EMI "white plastic sealed" EMI filter that I have some ideas for
- 3 fluid solenoids - at least these have accessible spade connectors
- a 30W plastic water pump (useful as coolant pump) with proprietary connectors embedded inside a plastic block that will be difficult to attach to.
- the motor is a 12,000 rpm 1/3rd HP brushed motor so it has limited application. It has many more wires on it than usual, some of which are related to speed control. It uses the typical 5v-ribbed belt with a 20:1 drive/drive pulley ratio.
- $4.50 in coins inside the tub.
I'm still happy with what I managed to recover as my work rate is usually only about $5/hour anyway so I guess the change in the tub made it worthwhile

I'm not expecting manufacturers to make machines I can scavenge stuff out of but I have never seen a white goods machine clearly designed to last just past it's warranty period.