Planned obsolescence
 

We have a couple of 20-year-old recliners, one of which needs new
plastic bushings and drive shaft. But we have been told by the retailer
that no parts are available for anything more than 7 years old. The only
parts I can find on line are a different size. I may be able to ream out
the holes to accept the larger bushings and replace the original square
tube by a round one with flats ground in the appropriate places, but
that is a pain.

Perhaps, when buying anything these days, one needs to ask, "Which parts
of this thing are most likely to wear out?" and buy replacements at the
time.

Perce

Planned obsolescence
 

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
We have a couple of 20-year-old recliners, one of which
needs new
plastic bushings and drive shaft. But we have been told by
the
retailer that no parts are available for anything more
than 7 years
old. The only parts I can find on line are a different
size. I may be
able to ream out the holes to accept the larger bushings
and replace
the original square tube by a round one with flats ground
in the
appropriate places, but that is a pain.

Perhaps, when buying anything these days, one needs to
ask, "Which
parts of this thing are most likely to wear out?" and buy
replacements at the time.

Perce

20 years for a recliner is pretty damn good. You'd be lucky
to get much more than 5-7 yrs out of one now unless you
bought a Hancock and Moore or a Bradington and Young.
Take the mechanism to a welder and see if he can fix any of
it

Planned obsolescence
 

On 2016-07-28, ChairMan wrote:

20 years for a recliner is pretty damn good. You'd be lucky
to get much more than 5-7 yrs out of one now unless you
bought a Hancock and Moore or a Bradington and Young.

Whichever one hadda "drive shaft". I'm stumped. ;)

nb

Planned obsolescence
 

On Thursday, July 28, 2016 at 12:01:01 PM UTC-4, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
We have a couple of 20-year-old recliners, one of which needs new
plastic bushings and drive shaft. But we have been told by the retailer
that no parts are available for anything more than 7 years old. The only
parts I can find on line are a different size. I may be able to ream out
the holes to accept the larger bushings and replace the original square
tube by a round one with flats ground in the appropriate places, but
that is a pain.

Perhaps, when buying anything these days, one needs to ask, "Which parts
of this thing are most likely to wear out?" and buy replacements at the
time.

Perce

I'm hoping that I just foiled some "planned obsolescence".

I just replaced a hose reel that is attached to SWMBO's garden shed with
the same style that was broken & repaired a few years ago. Yes, it's a cheap
plastic hose reel, but we need narrow "sidewinder" in that location and
it's hidden from view anyway.

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pro...c0a56b_400.jpg

Anyway, here's the deal:

The hose reel slips over a plastic "cone" on the mounting bracket. The
weight of the hose eventually cracked the top of the cone so that the
reel sagged. I bridged the crack with some steel strapping inside the
cone to carry the weight, but it was never perfect. It lasted 2 years
but last weekend the crack extended itself and the sagging began again.

When I bought the new one, I added the strapping *before* I even mounted
it, i.e. before any cracking had started. I am hoping that by bridging the
weak area right from the start, it won't ever crack.

If there is no cracking 3 years from now, I will laugh in the face of the
manufacturers.

Planned obsolescence
 

On 07/28/2016 12:01 PM, I wrote:

We have a couple of 20-year-old recliners, one of which needs new
plastic bushings and drive shaft. But we have been told by the retailer
that no parts are available for anything more than 7 years old. The only
parts I can find on line are a different size. I may be able to ream out
the holes to accept the larger bushings and replace the original square
tube by a round one with flats ground in the appropriate places, but
that is a pain.

Perhaps, when buying anything these days, one needs to ask, "Which parts
of this thing are most likely to wear out?" and buy replacements at the
time.

On further thought, I realized that replacing the hollow square tube by
a solid round rod would not work, because it has to go through some
square openings. 1/2" square tube won't work either, because it is a
little too big, so I ended up reversing the worn square tube, drilled
new holes where needed, and reinforced the damaged part (which was no
longer in contact with the frame) with a splint consisting of two 1/2"
pieces of angle stock, secured by hose clamps.

Perce