New vs. Old

lihpster

lihpster

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I see a lot of posts on here lamenting that they "don't make 'em like they used to." Guns, cars, houses, clothes, even toothbrushes. It appears anything made in the last 20-30 years doesn't work as good, breaks in 5 minutes, and costs an exorbitant price. Is there anything that's been improved on in that span? I say yes. Many things. Let's list some and maybe have more hope for the future. I'll start with a small list.
1. The internet. We're having a conversation in real time with the ability to send videos and pics without having to wait 6 hours for them to download. How it is used might be worse but the product is better.
2. Medicine. The diagnostic equipment and treatments have advanced significantly in that time. Several members probably owe their lives to recent medical breakthroughs.
So, is there something to the statement that they "don't make them like they used to"? Yes. And in some cases, thank God.
So, what do you see as betterments in the new stuff?
 
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Well if we're being honest they don't make automobiles like they used to. And that's a good thing. Yeah you can't do much work on them yourself but come on. No oil changes at 3000 mi. No new spark plugs every year. No flushing coolant every fall. They are faster and more powerful. They are more comfortable. They are more fuel efficient. And they last longer. There are half ton trucks today with 4cyl turbos towing 10,000 lbs. That used to be 3/4 and 1 ton truck work. 4 wheel disc brakes on every model and great suspension…….. now would I like to have a late 70s big block F250? HELL YEAH. But not because it can out work my 2022 F250.
 
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People have been saying "They don't make 'em like they used to" for a couple of centuries now, but maybe far back into antiquity. Older people don't like changes to the things they have become comfortable with for a lifetime. Time marches on, and things change whether we like it or not. Some changes are better, and some are worse, depending on one's point of view.
 
About cars, there's a video that's been out for quite some time. It shows a '99, I think, Malibu and an old early 60s all steel heavy Chevy hitting head on, driver's sides. The result shows the Malibu's crush zones saved the driver, with maybe a broken leg, while the older car's driver would have been crushed to death.
 
1. Vehicles. 200k miles is normal anymore. Tires last. Vehicles start in cold weather. Sound systems are much nicer. AC is much nicer than when I was little.

2. Rifles. Out of the box accuracy is much better than when I was young. Even "budget" rifles shoot good. The Seekins PH2 rifle I bought shoots amazing groups with factory Hornady ammo.

3. Scopes. Amazing glass quality and coatings compared to back in the day. The ability to dial for distance shooting. I remember looking thru my uncles old school scopes and it was like looking thru a dirty shot glass.
 
Computers - better, faster, smaller, less expensive.

Phones - Holey moley what a difference 20 years has made.

Vehicles have already been covered. Yes, the older ones were so much easier to work on for the average DIY guy, but they had to be worked on ALL THE TIME.

LED lighting v the older incandescents. Not everyone will agree, but I see it as a huge leap forward. They last a lot longer. I used to have to change a light bulb somewhere in the house almost every week, and I hated it. Now I may change one a year if that. I do believe, though, that the government has no business mandating what light bulbs we can use. We, the consumers, should be free to decide on our own.

Toilets - why did the old 3 gallon plus toilets plug up constantly whereas the new 1.28 gallon ones are basically unpluggable. My home was built with 1.6 gallon toilets, and they were pretty good. A couple years ago I had to replace one when I found a crack in it. The new one is 1.28 gallons. At first I was skeptical, but the thing is almost magical in its unpluggability. I have not had to use a plunger on it yet. The only drawback is that it doesn't clean the bowl as well as older ones did. Leaving more "residue" that has to be brushed away more often, but I guess everything's a tradeoff.
 
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jeffrefrig said:
About cars, there's a video that's been out for quite some time. It shows a '99, I think, Malibu and an old early 60s all steel heavy Chevy hitting head on, driver's sides. The result shows the Malibu's crush zones saved the driver, with maybe a broken leg, while the older car's driver would have been crushed to death.
Click to expand...

Sure, but a good body man could have repaired the '60s Chevy.

As a kid, I could barely wait for the TV repairman to fix the TV in time for Roy Rogers. I don't have to wait for the TV repairman now.
 
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I love movies. I vividly remember when I was kid wishing there was some kind of magical way to just watch whatever movie you wanted whenever you wanted it.

We had 3 channels and VCRs were still off in the future somewhere. One fall I was outside playing and ran in to check the time so I could watch Its The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The clock said 6:40 so I had 20 minutes. After about 15 minutes I ran back in to check. To my absolute horror it still said 6:40! I ran to the TV and it warmed up just in time to see the last of the end credits. Well, I'll catch it next year.

So my votes go to streaming TV and clocks you don't have to wind with a big stupid key.
 
Many advocates here for the new. I agree with many but when it comes to REVOLVERS- give me any model from the late 40's through the 50's over any newer made revolvers....period. I prefer both S&W and Colt revolvers from the 30's but the improvements post war do make for an easier revolver to shoot well. Pure quality in the 30's but functionality and quality in 40's-50s. Just my humble opinion on the subject
 
I have never aspired nor will I ever aspire to be a Luddite. I refuse to go backwards.

This is a wondrous age we live in as technology is advancing at an increasingly accelerated rate. I stand in awe as to what my cellphone can do and marvel at the tiny man-made device implanted in my chest that keeps me alive.

Vive la technologie!
 
I think vehicle tires are a lot better now than when I was young. Longer service life and fewer flats.

Information accessibility. You have to separate the wheat from the chaff, but if your looking for "how to", historical or hobby information, etc. it's all at our fingertips.

I concur with others regarding medicines and vehicles.
 
biku324 said:
My late FIL, a young man during the Depression, said, "Everybody's talking about the good old days. Sure, gas was 12 cents a gallon, but work was $1 a day when you found it. Don't want no more good old days."
Click to expand...

Didn't Billy Joel say " the good old days weren't always good and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems" he was right
 
I remember as a young lad that it would be great if the was some kind of map that put you on it as a moving dot so you could always see where you were-but I thought naw...that would be impossible. Now I have one in my truck and a portable one I can carry around with me. And don't get me started on the wonders of medicine.
And the ladies...oh my the ladies ;)
And then there are constants...like the Saints :rolleyes:
 
I can still remember the cars of the 50's. No seatbelts or airbags and steel dashboards. Gives me the creeps now to think about them.
 
Air travel is a pain in the rear. I do also remember that in 1966, when I was 12, very few people I knew had ever flown. Dad was born in 1920, traveled the South Pacific, thanks to Uncle Sam, and never stepped on a plane until 1978.

Calculators vs pencil and paper or slide rules.

I had two maiden Aunts who taught school. They wrote beautiful calligraphy with pens and inkwells. I remember the BIC pen for $0.19 was a game changer as a disposable, usable tool. It may have began the disposable era but it was cheap and handy.

I lost an Aunt and Uncle to an unmarked RR crossing before I was born.
 
One quick thought!

I started playing with cars in the late 1950s. Also started to build my collection of tools to do the work.

Of my socket sets, ratchets and wrenches I bought all SK Wayne. Course a tool I paid $2.00 for then the newer one is now $14.

I still have them and when you compared them to the SK of today the difference in quality is very apparent. Stevie Wonder could see the difference. You can also tell the difference by just using the tools older Vs newer. Night and day difference!:mad:
 
They installed the "low water" toilets in my apartment complex years ago.
I've lost track of how many plungers I've worn out.
I had a little black flip phone-met 95% of my needs. Had to give it up-"no longer supported. And it fell apart. Had a nice feature, I could delete individual calls. Can't do that on my new one.
I worked at a large limo company when the cars became computerized. There were a lot of problems arising from defective chips. One friend, has to take his SUV to the dealer's 3-4x a year. A defective component, wears out quickly, the dealer told him the defective batch is the only replacement available.
I have a number of appliances-toasters, griddles, etc-from the 50s, all work fine, easy to open up and reassemble, built like tanks. The new ones, stamped, pressed together, felly tinny.
When someone says they acquired a 5 screw, a "Pre-Model" , a "pre '64" we all go "Ooh and Aaah!"
 
https://youtu.be/4h9l2ipiKf4?si=NyFT1ZHVqR_VXEKq

This guy used to be an armorer for S&W and seems to dismiss the good old days as myth. The one big exception would be the internal lock on certain revolvers. I do not believe it would cause problems, I just hate what it stands for. Hence why I bought a 686-3, though I am not under the illusion that a 686-6 would have a trigger snap due to MIM parts or anything silly like that.
 
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