Why do our newfangled domestic appliances bite the dust so quickly?

I HAVE every sympathy for Tina Kane and her failed domestic appliances (Letters). As a life-time repairer of electronic, electrical and electromechanical devices, I understand the science behind this. In the past, electrical items were well made, but could fail due to wear and tear or failures in the design. Manufacturers made changes as these issues were brought to light, so in the Seventies most appliances lasted for around seven years. After that point we had designed-in obsolescence, which means a gadget will break just a few months after the guarantee has run out. Be wary of switch mode power supplies, which only last two years and are found in phone chargers, microwaves, computers, stereo equipment, washing machine programmers, DVDs and TVs.

I Acquired my carmen heated hair rollers second-hand 41 years ago and still use them a couple of times a week.

J. Elliott, Louth, Lincs.

VACUUM cleaners will fail if they are not maintained. The filter on my elderly Dyson is changed regularly. Some parts have failed, but spares are easily sourced and repairs relatively simple. All I have had to replace are the wheels, suction hose, brush drum and sole plate. BRIAN Collins, Mold, Flintshire.

THIS letter was written on a 37-year-old BBC computer and printed on a 36-yearold Epson dot matrix printer. I still use floppy discs and have four non-working BBC computers in the loft to cannibalise for spare parts if needed. My other longterm purchase is my campervan, which I have owned for 47 years. Why replace something that does what you want, works OK and is reliable?

IAN CRAWFORD, Banbury, oxon.

THE part that has failed on my £150 cordless vacuum cleaner costs £208.

BILL Moneypenny, Widnes, Cheshire. I WAS surprised and a little shocked at the reader who had broken so many vacuum cleaners because they get tangled by hair discarded on the carpet. I gave away my 20-year-old Electrolux upright to a relative when I bought a Gtech, which comes to pieces for easy cleaning. Just remove the roller and cut up the grooves to remove hair.

E. WILLIAMS, Shepperton, Surrey.

ON A recent trip to the council tip, my husband was surprised to see eight dumped Dysons. My Singer sewing machine is 60 years old, has been serviced twice and works wonders. JOY WATKINS, London SW11.

PERHAPS Tina Kane is the problem rather than her household appliances! Daft though it sounds, my Dyson cordless vac has replaced the Hetty I use to vacuum my patio. FRANCES PEARCE, Croydon, Surrey.