Whats your 'can't believe it still works' story?

[Dirk Diggler]

When bitcoin price rocketed, I remembered an old TDK USB device I had stored in 2013 thinking at the time that the alt coin (VTC) would probably never be worth anything, but couldn't bring myself to throw it out. When I eventually tracked it down to find it in the kitchen drawer, my heart sank when I plugged it into the PC and the LED kept going off and the device disappearing from Windows.

Thankfully, after a few unplugs and retries I managed to transfer the DAT file over and eventually ended up in Tenerife with the family courtesy of the few grand I got for the Vertcoin and BTC I think was worth about a fiver when I stored it away!

 

[wedrum]

My pecker

 

[dirtychinchilla]

Probably more current is i still have the soldering iron from the real robots magazine series back in the day. I still use it regularly today. Surprising as it wasnt exactly top notch kit for any era but it gets the job done.

Hah I threw mine away relatively recently! I got all those magazines, but quite early on a screwed something up so could never get to the ultimate stage. I threw it all out, including the magazines, when I moved out of my parents' house about 4 years ago.

The best bit of those magazines were the instructions from the maker of Chaos 2 on how to build your own Robot Wars robot. I always wanted to build that, but didn't have the resources at the time.

 

[Scania]

My parents have an old fridge which was given to my dad second hand before they’d even met, it’s in his garage used for storing drinks, still working fine, I’m 49 next week!

Original PlayStation , still works fine after years in the loft covered in mould.

After two heart attacks a few years back, I’m pleased to find I’m still working too.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

Nice!

Do you remember how much you paid for the handset, even if just a rough answer? My first phone was more basic and a lot bigger - Nokia 5110. That was £60 on PAYG in mid-2000. So not only I was late on the bandwagon being year 2000, but the 5110 was also quite an old handset for that era. Most people got their 5110 in 1997/8. It did the trick though for a few years, then I finally got a contract phone in 2004.

I do indeed it was £79 brand new with 2 facias. I had a Blue and Silver version. And a year later I purchased the 3310 for £99. Both where on One2One operators at the time. Both PAYG 50p a text then it went to 20p a text and then 200 free text messages with 02 network in 2002.

I still have my Nokia 3310 as well.

 

[Rimsy]

A robot minute food processor which was a wedding gift my parents recieved in the mid 70's. Still going strong!

 

[Orionaut]

High and dry clothes dryer.

So old that I cant actually find any images on line.

It is a sort of convector heater with a wooden clothes dryer that slots into it. (Wouldn't be permitted now I guess, If clothes fell off and ended up on the heater they would catch fire)

It was second hand when I was born. It must be over 60 years old, I use it if it is wet outside, and it works just fine and actually does a rather better job than any modern equivalents I have seen.

I am only sorry that I do not still have the 1960's Hoover Keymatic that was also part of the household right up until the mid 90's

(The Keymatic was a programable washing machine that one could actually get upgraded program cards for as new materials and wash cycles became available. It was brilliant. With hot fill it could do a mixed colours wash in 45 minutes or so. It would fit under a modern spec worktop but the slanted front meant it was more top fill than side fill so not only did one not have to get on hands and knees to operate it, if you left an odd sock out you could just open the door and pop it in. Of course compared to modern machines they used loads of water but at least they got the clothes clean. New and modern aint necessarily better! :/ )

 

[SeatIbiza]

The integrated dish washer in my rented accommodation.

It was built/installed in 2008, I moved in in 2013 and it still works fine.

Why is that amazing? It's not as if they're a daily use, on all the time sort of item. I use mine a couple of times a week max...

The heating boiler in my folks house was installed in 1991, still going strong! In fact, the roof on my folks house, they were told needed replacing in 1991 when they bought it, same roof, no leaks. The house is 1901.

 

[chaparral]

My pecker

It impressive that even a tiny thing like that can still work..

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Our Beko dishwasher still going strong 15 years later. Purchased a Beko only because we couldn’t find another black one in stock anywhere when our old London kitchen was renovated.

 

[Orionaut]

Our Beko dishwasher still going strong 15 years later. Purchased a Beko only because we couldn’t find another black one in stock anywhere when our old London kitchen was renovated.

Going strong, only burned down three houses!

 

[b00merang69]

It impressive that even a tiny thing like that can still work..

Lack of use so no wear and tear.

 

[VincentHanna]

Why is that amazing? It's not as if they're a daily use, on all the time sort of item. I use mine a couple of times a week max...

The heating boiler in my folks house was installed in 1991, still going strong! In fact, the roof on my folks house, they were told needed replacing in 1991 when they bought it, same roof, no leaks. The house is 1901.

I didn't say it was "amazing", nor does the OP ask what "amazing" things are still working.

Ours gets used 3-4 times a week, and I've no idea if the previous tenants looked after it. 12 years for a budget dishwasher seems pretty good to me though.

 

[bazzabear]

The heating boiler in my folks house was installed in 1991, still going strong! In fact, the roof on my folks house, they were told needed replacing in 1991 when they bought it, same roof, no leaks. The house is 1901.

My parents are still on their original boiler from when my dad built the house in 1982. They have recently started talking about potentially replacing it though.

 

[b00merang69]

I got a BaByliss hairdryer (smallish red basic one) back when I was say 16 and starting the Disco scene. back then hair styles required gel or moose so had to use a hairdryer to get in shape.

Around say 19 as styles changed and I grew out of flattops and Bros hairstyles I did not need it as my hair was just cut short back and sides a bit of style on top enough that I could just dampen it with wet hands (after it was washed earlier) to style it without gel or hairdryer so gave it to my mum.

She still uses it once per week and that is over 30 years.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Going strong, only burned down three houses!

I thought that was hotpoint/whirlpool.

My Beko is semi-retired now as it only gets run daily unless we have guests. Used to run 2-3 times a day when our kitchen was feeding 4 working different shifts.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

My parents are still on their original boiler from when my dad built the house in 1982. They have recently started talking about potentially replacing it though.

My mum had her oil gas boiler replaced 2-3 years ago as the Corgi engineer who lived next door could no longer scrounge up spare parts for it. It was already installed when my parents purchased the house in 1969.

 

[Orionaut]

I thought that was hotpoint/whirlpool.

My Beko is semi-retired now as it only gets run daily unless we have guests. Used to run 2-3 times a day when our kitchen was feeding 4 working different shifts.

Whirlpool does seem to have taken up the Torch (As it were)

Shame really, Hotpoint used to be pretty damn good 20 years ago. Now they are crap. Even expensive brands like Bosch are of questionable provenance these days.

My next machine is going to be an Ebac!

(Pay particular note to the fact that they not only have hot fill, but will actually take advantage of this and mix with cold water on the cooler washes to reduce wash time. Also, they are user programable!)

 

[Em3bbs]

Our Beko dishwasher still going strong 15 years later. Purchased a Beko only because we couldn’t find another black one in stock anywhere when our old London kitchen was renovated.

I've been pleasantly surprised with Beko - when we moved into this house about 4 years ago we planned to redo the kitchen/build and etension so we got some 'temporary' white goods, a dishwasher, washing machine, dryer and oven and I went for Beko. They haven't skipped a beat (apart from an oven light bulb replacement) and have been amazing. We still haven't got around to redoing the kitchen.

 

[SeatIbiza]

I didn't say it was "amazing", nor does the OP ask what "amazing" things are still working.

Ours gets used 3-4 times a week, and I've no idea if the previous tenants looked after it. 12 years for a budget dishwasher seems pretty good to me though.

No, but he asks what can't you believe is still working, which is tantamount to the same thing. 12 years is hardly "OMG it was built 100 years ago and is still going now" is it...and the budget stuff is often less likely to fail due to being less complex. I mean my rental has an Indesit washer/dryer that is 12 years old, I'm not amazed it is still working...simply because they're use a few times a week.