[pmrid (Peter)]

I have a theory - or to be honest, someone else had it well before me. Planned obsolescence. ANyone else read those Vance Packard book way back when Ralph Nader was the great consumer champion?

Anyway, I digress. I have just had another few example of how a shard of plastic keeps most machines together.

A smoke alarm - getting it off the ceiling for cleaning broke a tiny plastic tab - which turns out to be what holds the thing in its cradle. No tab, no hold. New Smokle alrarm on order.

Second example, an electric chainsaw - oil feed to the cutter bar turned out to be via a bit of plastic tube which, on opening the beast up for inspection, had crumbled into flakes and shards and the oil reservoir was emptying into the electric motor housing.

Third example, a hand drill - good brand - worked well, no mechanical or electrical problems, But the plastic case just split in half at the elbow where handle meets top part. Vendor said "tough". Very impressed. Just plastic. But what rubbish.

If these were isolated examples, I'd probably not be on my high horse. But they aren't. I reckon there are thousands of similar stories out there. A bit of plastic breaks and it's cheaper to buy a new one than go through the rigmarole of returning to manufacturer/vendor who will, most probably either ignore you or fob you off.

DOn't you just love it!!

Peter