Might sound like a strange question, but given the relative cheapness of a
midline oven, how often do you replace it?

My own, although perfectly serviceable, is a candidate for replacement. The
top is loose, the burner light doesn't come on, but it heats and bakes just
fine. It's one of those common as coin 1970's models.

My concern is that over time it may become hazardous due to the effects of
heat and high amperage. So I'm thinking, do I replace when it finally burns
down the house, or replace every 15 years, 20 years, when it becomes a major
eyesore??

I'm inclined to go with the last choice, but then again I have better things
to do with 1000 bucks.

i can't really answer your question, but my mother has a MagicChef gas
stove that we bought new in the fall of 1955. She wouldn't take a new
stove if you gave it to her. This one was the top of the line when it
was new-- it is 42 or maybe even 48" wide with the oven on the right
side and a separate broiler with a door that swings out to the side on
the left. It also has a griddle in the center of the top, which she said
she just had to have, and hasn't used n 40 years. The broiler is the
main reason she wouldn't part with it, as I don't think anyone makes a
unit like it anymore. . As to your point about burning the house
down, there are a lot of fires started with stoves, but it is almost
always by careless use of the stove, not the stove itself. Bottom line--
some people replace perfectly good items, whether it is appliances,
furniture, cars etc, just because they want new, while others keep
things forever(nearly), and act like it is oee of their children. No
reason to replace a working stove, but if you want a new one, no reason
not to buy what you want. Just keep in mind that all the higher end
ovens have fancy digital control boards that are real nice until they
fail--right out of warranty-- then you have the choice of spending at
least half the cost of a new unit to repair it, or buying a new stove to
replace your 3 or 4 year old one. Larry

"Eigenvector" wrote in message
My concern is that over time it may become hazardous due to the effects of
heat and high amperage. So I'm thinking, do I replace when it finally
burns down the house, or replace every 15 years, 20 years, when it becomes
a major eyesore??

I'm inclined to go with the last choice, but then again I have better
things to do with 1000 bucks.

I've bought two in 41 years. The first was when we did a major kitchen
remodel of the old house. The other is when I got fed up with an electric
and changed over to a gas range, about 20 years ago. In all that time, I
replaced the oven igniter and the clock (that we never used) no longer
works. It is showing its age, but still works/cooks perfectly. The only
reason to replace it is for looks, not use.

I may replace it next year. It comes down to priorities. My vacation plans
are made for this year and I don't want to spend money on a new range just
for looks. I don't want to trade my plane tickets for a shiny appliance.
Of course, I may wait another year because I'm already thinking of where I
want to be in 2008.

On Mon, 8 Jan 2007 17:40:32 -0800, "Eigenvector"
wrote:

Might sound like a strange question, but given the relative cheapness of a
midline oven, how often do you replace it?


There is no particular reason why it shouldn't continue to work
more or less forever, with minor repairs. YOu replace it when
other considerations than age force you to do so.

Goedjn writes:

YOu replace it when other considerations than age force you to do
so.

"Considerations other than age" is a wonderful euphemism for "the lady
of the house."

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

"Goedjn" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 8 Jan 2007 17:40:32 -0800, "Eigenvector"
wrote:

Might sound like a strange question, but given the relative cheapness of a
midline oven, how often do you replace it?


There is no particular reason why it shouldn't continue to work
more or less forever, with minor repairs. YOu replace it when
other considerations than age force you to do so.

Believe it or not thanks, that's basically what I was wondering but didn't
know for sure. I have problems trusting old high energy appliances from
other experiences but at the same time didn't want to fool myself into
spending a few coin on something I didn't really NEED at this time.

A lot of my experiences come from a friend who redid most of his house. The
oven he pulled out was throwing errors at Thanksgiving (it was one of the
first LCD ovens) so when we pulled it the 10/3 aluminum wiring was blackened
from years of use and bad wiring.

Needless to say he pulled a new strand of oversized romex to his new digital
oven.

"lp13-30" wrote in message
...
i can't really answer your question, but my mother has a MagicChef gas
stove that we bought new in the fall of 1955. She wouldn't take a new
stove if you gave it to her. This one was the top of the line when it
was new-- it is 42 or maybe even 48" wide with the oven on the right
side and a separate broiler with a door that swings out to the side on
the left. It also has a griddle in the center of the top, which she said
she just had to have, and hasn't used n 40 years. The broiler is the
main reason she wouldn't part with it, as I don't think anyone makes a
unit like it anymore. . As to your point about burning the house
down, there are a lot of fires started with stoves, but it is almost
always by careless use of the stove, not the stove itself. Bottom line--
some people replace perfectly good items, whether it is appliances,
furniture, cars etc, just because they want new, while others keep
things forever(nearly), and act like it is oee of their children. No
reason to replace a working stove, but if you want a new one, no reason
not to buy what you want. Just keep in mind that all the higher end
ovens have fancy digital control boards that are real nice until they
fail--right out of warranty-- then you have the choice of spending at
least half the cost of a new unit to repair it, or buying a new stove to
replace your 3 or 4 year old one. Larry


Mentioning the digital ovens. Personally I think that's one of the places
where the older technology is a FAR FAR better solution than cheap circuit
boards make in Asia. A rheostat isn't going to go bad nearly as early or
often as a circuit board - especially in a high heat environment like an
oven.

I replace my oven/range whenever it gets dirty. No sense cleaning it
when I can just replace it. Normally I replace every month. Same for
the refrig. If something gets rotten and the fridge stinks, its time
to replace it. Of course my fridge is usually only full of beer and
that usually dont rot.

On Mon, 8 Jan 2007 17:40:32 -0800, "Eigenvector"
wrote:

Might sound like a strange question, but given the relative cheapness of a
midline oven, how often do you replace it?

My own, although perfectly serviceable, is a candidate for replacement. The
top is loose, the burner light doesn't come on, but it heats and bakes just
fine. It's one of those common as coin 1970's models.

My concern is that over time it may become hazardous due to the effects of
heat and high amperage. So I'm thinking, do I replace when it finally burns
down the house, or replace every 15 years, 20 years, when it becomes a major
eyesore??

I'm inclined to go with the last choice, but then again I have better things
to do with 1000 bucks.

On Mon, 8 Jan 2007 17:40:32 -0800, "Eigenvector"
wrote:

:Might sound like a strange question, but given the relative cheapness of a
:midline oven, how often do you replace it?
:
:My own, although perfectly serviceable, is a candidate for replacement. The
:top is loose, the burner light doesn't come on, but it heats and bakes just
:fine. It's one of those common as coin 1970's models.
:
:My concern is that over time it may become hazardous due to the effects of
:heat and high amperage. So I'm thinking, do I replace when it finally burns
:down the house, or replace every 15 years, 20 years, when it becomes a major
:eyesore??
:
:I'm inclined to go with the last choice, but then again I have better things
:to do with 1000 bucks.
:

I take you you have an electric range. My range is probably from the
1950's and gas. An Okeefe and Merritt, it was bought for $25 used in the
early 1980's. It could use some of that white porcelain paint around
where the door handles attach. It functions fine. Every so often I have
to adjust the thermostat for the oven. It has a griddle in the middle
but I don't use it. I removed the griddle burner. I like the griddle
cover, since I can place things on it while preparing. It's my chief
food preparation surface.

A utility official came by yesterday to check on some things and he
tested the stove for carbon monoxide emissions. The kitchen used to be
vented, but is not presently. He said that the burners and the oven were
emitting zero CO, which is nice. He also said the oven burner looked
rather rusty, but that he could think of no reason that this was a
problem. Unless and until I have an excess of money, I won't be
replacing that stove any time soon.

Eigenvector wrote:
Might sound like a strange question, but given the relative cheapness of a
midline oven, how often do you replace it?
....

Well, in 1941, grandparents had first good wheat crop after the Dust
Bowl years of any size and one of the things Grandma got was a new gas
range. That range is in the basement as the storm backup and second
oven and/or canning stove to this day. Works as well as always.

OTOH, Mom liked electric ranges and the microwave/oven combination --
don't know if anybody even makes one any longer -- but when folks
remodeled the house in the very early 80's, bought a new one then as
had a little more room than before. It still is fully operational as
well except need to replace some of the burner indicator lights.
Overall, see no reason to change either any time soon.

In article .com, dpb says...

Eigenvector wrote:
Might sound like a strange question, but given the relative cheapness of a
midline oven, how often do you replace it?
...

Well, in 1941, grandparents had first good wheat crop after the Dust
Bowl years of any size and one of the things Grandma got was a new gas
range. That range is in the basement as the storm backup and second
oven and/or canning stove to this day. Works as well as always.

OTOH, Mom liked electric ranges and the microwave/oven combination --
don't know if anybody even makes one any longer -- but when folks
remodeled the house in the very early 80's, bought a new one then as
had a little more room than before. It still is fully operational as
well except need to replace some of the burner indicator lights.
Overall, see no reason to change either any time soon.


I only last year replaced my GE electric stovetop and oven, they were original
to the house circa 1959. The electric elements were starting to heat unevenly
and pull power for some years by time I did the kitchen remod. And even then I
got an inquiry from a sub-contractor as to the GE oven to harvest parts on that
vintage!

It mostly depends on how interested one is in new features (wow - I have
self-cleaning now, after how many decades that's been the norm and what
other needs may be.

I know on freecycle older appliances get snatched up for mother in law
apartments and student-shared houses and the like. It's pretty widely
understood that that stuff lasts quite awhile.

Banty