What is the oldest item you use on a regular basis?

[MeanDean]

I have one like this. Except it's dark green with orange wheels. I'm pretty sure it came from Montgomery Wards in about 1966. It was a father's day gift to my grandfather from my dad. I remember them/us putting it together. It's hanging in the garage right now and I've used it heavily since it came into my possession in the 1990s

 

[Gorm]

That's so great! I've always wanted an old vending machine. My preference would be the one that dispenses glass bottles. It has a very narrow door on the right, you open, and just pull a bottle out. Ah, if I only had space.

This machine was also designed for the older style 12 oz glass bottles via some shims in the slots. That is why there is a bottle opener on the front.

 

[khardbored]

I have a 15 year old calculator that cost a dollar at the dollar store and I use it at work every single day and no way should it have lasted this long. It seriously should have lasted like a month and it just keeps working.

Not sure how old this one is, but the buttons are worn badly enough some can't be identified.

Bottom middle 3 buttons are zero, decimal, and equals. Still works great,tho!

 

[StClone]

I was going to sarcastically say my knees and back.

Our first house was built in 1921, and still used the furnace from the 1950s. Some hulking sea-foam green unit that was manufactured in Des Moines. When we had it serviced, the guy said they were only like 60% efficient but would run for 100 years.

I own a little Peter Wright anvil from the early 1900s, but I don't use it often. The weight is marked in hundredweight notation (0-3-0) for 84lbs.

Sixty percent efficiency, and lasts for 100 years...gotta go with that!

 

[StClone]

I have a set (minus a few pieces) of flatwear that was the attendance prize from REC in Wilton (Wilton Junction it was back then) about 1967. There were two sets of 6 place settings. They were put aside for a while but brought into daily usage in the family in 1972. Use them everyday and they never show any wear or, god-forbid, rust. They had to be very common in this area so I'm always looking for replacement pieces for the ones that escaped ownership somehow over the years.

I know Wilton Junction. I worked for the DNR (1980s) for a little while and worked on some of the wetlands along Mud Creek. Fun to read your story and my little connection with the town!

 

[JP4CY]

The first 2 items that came to mind are my Weber Kettle grill and Craftsman lawmower I bought new in 2004 when I bought my 1st house. Thinking more my alarm clock is still the same one I won at after prom either in 97 or 98 and I have tools in my garage that were once ones my grandfathers used that I have no clue just how old some are. Not much else around the house that I can think of that I would have bought before 2000.

Edit: just thought of another item, I maybe use it 2 times a year though and appears to be from the mid 70's when I searched. A Montgomery Ward rototiller I bought off craigslist for $75 around 2005 or so. Had to put about $125 or so in engine work in it a few years after buying it but for only being in it around $200 this sucker just eats through turf and build way heavier then new ones are today.

My dad bought that same exact one, brand new, with his tax return in the late 70s.
I was using it up until couple years ago and the motor finally gave out.

 

[TitanClone]

At my house in KC that I sold a year ago the water heater was 26 years old. I thought for sure I'd have to replace it within a few months of moving in but it was still working 3 years in. Have 1 small set of nice crystal plates my grandma gave me that she received as a wedding gift in 1962.

 

[HFCS]

I don't use it every day but if I'm out in snow I'll still wear this rugged green jump suit thing my grandpa wore working on the farm in the 70s or maybe 60s. I have no idea how it has lasted so long and it makes me think most of our clothes today must be crap. I only use it 5-10 times a year but I've been using it since the mid 90s.

 

[Tailg8er]

My wife, she’s a year older than me.

Same here, but she is pushing 2 years older.

My favorite part is that she's three months older...but that still makes her OOHHHLLLDERRR...HAHA!!!

My wife is just over 5 years older than me, but still looks younger. Not used on a regular basis, though..

 

[HFCS]

At my house in KC that I sold a year ago the water heater was 26 years old. I thought for sure I'd have to replace it within a few months of moving in but it was still working 3 years in. Have 1 small set of nice crystal plates my grandma gave me that she received as a wedding gift in 1962.

I'm in exact same position 3 years into house on the water heater and it makes me question the "you need to replace it every xxx years" advice. Ditto for my AC actually. We had a home warrantee required by law first year of the house and I extended it each year thinking it'd be for those two things but so far both are fine. I did use it to fix some small ticket items so almost breaking even on it.

 

[Sparkplug]

1995 F-350 flatbed Actual mileage is 28,364 miles but second transmission. It doesn’t get driven enough and mice built a nest in the transmission. Don’t worry don’t plan to drive it to tailgate.

 

[CYdTracked]

My dad bought that same exact one, brand new, with his tax return in the late 70s.
I was using it up until couple years ago and the motor finally gave out.

I was having a problem with mine once where I could get it fired up but it just die after a few seconds. Took it over to Beaver Mower over on Douglas Ave. when they were still in business and they took it apart and replaced some gaskets and gave it a good tune up and it's run great ever since. The guy that helped me load it back up when I picked it up said he bet that thing just chews up everything and wish he could come across one himself as the new ones today just aren't built like that anymore. I have a decent sized garden so I till it in the fall to work in dead stuff to compost down over the winter then again in the spring to make a good bed to plant in.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Does my weener count?

 

[1UNI2ISU]

I'm in exact same position 3 years into house on the water heater and it makes me question the "you need to replace it every xxx years" advice. Ditto for my AC actually. We had a home warrantee required by law first year of the house and I extended it each year thinking it'd be for those two things but so far both are fine. I did use it to fix some small ticket items so almost breaking even on it.

I'm strongly in the 'you don't replace it until it flat stops working' camp on both those things.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

My wife is just over 5 years older than me, but still looks younger. Not used on a regular basis, though..

I see a connection.

 

[Jer]

My wife is just over 5 years older than me, but still looks younger. Not used on a regular basis, though..

Yeah, I'd have to list my wife as "Like New" if I listed her on eBay

We've been together 25 years this November (met/started dating when I was 15) and I wouldn't trade her for the world. But she's basically fresh out of her packaging.

 

[JayV]

Not sure how old this one is, but the buttons are worn badly enough some can't be identified.

Bottom middle 3 buttons are zero, decimal, and equals. Still works great,tho!
View attachment 116774

I stated in another comment that "a good calculator keyboard is amazing".
You want double-shot injection molded keys. The one in the picture has the functions printed on the surface of the keys. If the manufacturer molded the text in one color, then shot another color around the molded text to form the rest of the key, then no matter how much gets worn off the top of the key, the text is always fully visible. Because the depth of the text is the same as the depth of the key.

 

[StClone]

Does my weener count?

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[CyCoug]

We have an desert tortoise that we adopted from the state because it was injured in the wild. Not quite sure how old it is, but they can easily live over 100 years.

Of course we don’t “use” it per say (that’d be weird probably), but it will someday be the oldest thing we have.

When we went to choose one to adopt, they had an 80-year-old one. The granddaughter of the original owner had to return it because she moved and didn’t have a yard for it any more.

 

[ianoconnor]

1995 Mazda Miata