Last week I fixed a 1987 Maytag dryer that outlived two of my own vans

Got a call from a lady in Clovis, she said the dryer was humming but not tumbling. Opened it up, the belt was still original, 37 years old. I mean I've seen old belts but that one had the part number stamped on it like a museum piece. Replaced it in 20 minutes, $18 part. She told me her mom bought it new and it moved with her through 4 houses. Meanwhile I'm on my second work van since I started this trade. Anyone else run into appliances that just refuse to die, or is it always the fancy new ones that crap out first?

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1 Comment

carr.xena19d ago

You're romanticizing a hunk of metal and wire that should have been scrapped decades ago. That old Maytag is a fire hazard waiting to happen, the wiring is probably brittle and the drum seals are shot. I fixed one just like it last year and the thing was caked in lint so bad it could've gone up any day. New machines are built to be efficient and safe, not to be heirlooms passed down like some family bible. Spending $18 on a belt for a machine that uses twice the electricity of a modern one is like patching a tire on a car with 300k miles. Sometimes the smart move is letting the old girl retire and buying something that won't burn your house down.