
If it ain't broke: Share your oldest working gadgets - Kaibeezy
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52965974
======
aasarava
Apple //c from 1984 (with the original receipt!) The composite video output
means I can plug it right into my 50" tv without any special hardware and
everything looks great.

I removed the disk drive cable from the motherboard and plugged a floppy EMU
in, and now my kids play Lemonade Stand, Dig Dug, Oregon Trail, Carmen San
Diego, and dozens of other classic games.
[https://www.bigmessowires.com/floppy-
emu/](https://www.bigmessowires.com/floppy-emu/)

~~~
propter_hoc
This is only a video quality thing, but you might consider getting an upscaler
to get better quality video out of your composite output. I use this one for
composite sources: [https://www.retrotink.com/product-
page/retrotink-2x](https://www.retrotink.com/product-page/retrotink-2x)

~~~
ladberg
The TV by itself might do it just fine! They often have good analog to digital
converters built in as shown by Technology Connections:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC5Zr3NC2PY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC5Zr3NC2PY)

------
joezydeco
My daily news source is an AM station playing on an Admiral 802 radio from
1959.

[http://web.eecs.umich.edu/~srs/Antiques/templ.php?pid=981&co...](http://web.eecs.umich.edu/~srs/Antiques/templ.php?pid=981&collection=Radios)

8 transistors! It's a family heirloom (grandpa built these at the Admiral
factory in Chicago). I wouldn't let it sit silent, ever.

------
z2
A 5-digit Bates Numbering Machine that I use to stamp all my notebook pages
like a mad person! The machine was, from all I could gather, made in the early
20th century, near when plastic was invented and replaced shellac. Each
notebook page now has its own unique serial number that I shall forever be
able to refer back to for posterity, or if I ever need to present evidence in
court from said notebook pages.

~~~
Multicomp
Thank you for introducing me to the concept of a numbering machine, I have now
ordered one so that I can replicate your behavior since I seem to go through a
journal a month or so.

Here I was, manually writing a page number for each and every journal, and
then doing it once again for the table of contents :D no wonder I never wanted
to write a fresh session after doing all that, my hand was ready to fall off.

------
MrFoof
* My HP LaserJet 1200 will turn 21 in a few months. Might have another 30 years in it.

* My NES is 33 years old this month. I've replaced the 72-pin connector, but that's it. Everything on it could be replaced, so it'll last as long as I want.

* I've a Panasonic flip clock from the very early 1980s. Still works great after carefully refurbishing it. Radio quality is still quite good.

* My father's trains I think he bought in West Germany in the late 1960s. The locomotive is still on its original motor, and may still be when I pass in 50 years.

\-----

I'm sure my father's old HP calculators are still working. He bought them in
the 70s, but sold them to collectors in tight times in the mid 2000s.

~~~
mark-r
Those old LaserJets were nearly indestructible. The newer ones, not so much.

I think I might have had that same Panasonic flip clock/radio as a teenager.
Got rid of it long ago after a significant number of digits broke off.

~~~
tonyedgecombe
The peak was the LaserJet III, after that it was all down hill.

~~~
wglb
Even so, my Laserjet 2100, which might be going on 15 years, is still cranking
away.

------
xerox13ster
My trusty Zune HD is still kicking!
[https://imgur.com/gallery/fq7qaHI](https://imgur.com/gallery/fq7qaHI)

~~~
generj
The Zune HD must be the zenith of dedicated music players.

~~~
beerandt
I still haven't found earbuds that I liked as much as the ones that came with
my Zune. I abused those things for almost a decade before they gave out.

~~~
Kaibeezy
[https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Zune-Premium-Original-
Headp...](https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Zune-Premium-Original-Headphones-
Earbuds/153966354212)

------
joefourier
My 1984 IBM Model M is still a joy to type on. Every key still works fine, and
I wouldn't trade it for any keyboard made in the last 20 years even if new
ones come in colours other than beige or weigh less than 10 pounds.

~~~
na85
I bought two Unicomp Model M keyboards and they've been great.

Do you have a USB adaptor for yours?

~~~
joefourier
I have an AT to PS/2 adapter. I don't think motherboards will stop having PS/2
ports in the foreseeable future, and arguments can be made that PS/2 is still
the superior connector for keyboards in terms of latency, simultaneous key
presses, using hardware interrupts instead of software, and general
authenticity of using a connector from the 80s to connect an 80s keyboard.

~~~
na85
My current PC doesn't have a PS/2 port. It's a Ryzen build.

------
idoh
Here's the Twitter thread (that this BBC article basically copy / pastes
from):
[https://twitter.com/zsk/status/1269960000203563009](https://twitter.com/zsk/status/1269960000203563009)

~~~
ciarannolan
The reporter from the BBC who started that Twitter thread is also the one who
published the article.

[https://twitter.com/zsk/status/1269968388497047553](https://twitter.com/zsk/status/1269968388497047553)

~~~
ghostpepper
This is what I've come to expect from modern journalism

------
Kaibeezy
Sansui G-8700DB 160 watt receiver from the late 70s. Not the oldest, but a
major favorite. I got it at a thrift store in the early 00s. Absolute unit,
probably 25 kilos. The connectors are all on the side because the heat sink
takes up the whole rear panel. Every switch, circuit and light bulb works
perfectly.

It's hooked up to my computer via a nothing-fancy DAC and out to a pair of
tidy Linn bookshelf speakers, probably 80s vintage. If this office over the
garage is rockin', don't bother knockin'.

Here's a photo (not my one, but the same) - [https://external-
preview.redd.it/LjSphe7ctrkecpkmC_r97bMzzgg...](https://external-
preview.redd.it/LjSphe7ctrkecpkmC_r97bMzzggg2T8BXQWCze_ok1k.jpg?auto=webp&s=f3ed700d0c41dbac67d36d927d34a54fb12a69a1)

~~~
generatorguy
Gorgeous!! I have a Sansui g-2000 that I love. It takes 30s to power up but I
just keep it on.

~~~
distances
I don't want to be a downer, and that in parent's link sure is a beautiful
unit, but have you checked what the always-on electricity consumption is for
the device?

------
frompdx
I like old gadgets and collect them to have and to use.

\- Nikon LS-IV 35mm film scanner.

\- 2007 MacBook running OSX 10.4 because 10.4 is the last version to support
Classic Environment which I need to use Nikon Scan for mac. Works great but I
can't access the internet securely so I don't connect it to a network.

\- Gameboy Pocket with Pokemon Red along with the Prima strategy guide.

\- Sony Play Station. The first one.

\- Xbox. The first one. No controllers though.

\- A few cameras made between 1950 and 1990 that I use regularly. All work
well. Before smart phones, digital cameras and PCs were the original obsolete
the day you bought it items. I've never cared for the churn and prefer film
for this reason.

\- An adding machine from the 1920s. Probably my oldest gadget at the moment.

~~~
aasarava
Where are you sourcing your film from, and are you developing on your own in a
darkroom or sending it out to a lab?

~~~
tuzakey
I buy film from Film Photography Project, B&H, Adorama, and FreeStyle Photo.
Most of the brick and mortar camera stores that still exist sell some film.
For development I do black and white at home and send color out to
thedarkroom.com because I don't shoot enough color to make the chemistry cost
effective. I print black and white in my bathroom darkroom.

I'm still able to find 35mm, 120 and 4x5 film easily. I have a 127 camera that
is a bit harder to find film for.

~~~
frompdx
Glad to see there are others on HN that are keeping film alive. The great
thing about film cameras is they aren't obsolete until the film is impossible
to find. Even then there are work arounds and modifications that can be made.
A local shop used to sand 120 roles to fit 620 cameras for example. They also
cut film to fit Minox cartridges.

------
LargoLasskhyfv
Exactly this Marquardt Mini Ergo

[1]
[http://xahlee.info/kbd/marquardt_mini_ergo_keyboard.html](http://xahlee.info/kbd/marquardt_mini_ergo_keyboard.html)

meanwhile modded with a ridiculously overpowered microcontroller, different
switches and layout to get rid of the
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIN_connector](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIN_connector)
to PS/2 to USB _Adaptecmessness_

[2] [https://i.postimg.cc/tCCM3L3N/ZOMG-
Adaptecmessness.jpg](https://i.postimg.cc/tCCM3L3N/ZOMG-Adaptecmessness.jpg)

Assorted T6o/61Ps with LED-Backlight mods and no panels under 1600x1200, and
various firmware-mods, used as _terminals_ , mostly :-)

Lamy Unic telescopic tip ballpoint pen from ca. 1990, steel [3]
[https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lamy+unic+ballpoint+pen&t=ffsb&iax...](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lamy+unic+ballpoint+pen&t=ffsb&iax=images&ia=images)

USAF Flight Jacket MA-2/CWU-45 from 1984,
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MA-2_bomber_jacket](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MA-2_bomber_jacket),
has actually been flown by me under an Atlas-16 in 1989 somewhere in Austria,
_and_ later survived me catapulting about a dozen meters over a Citroen 2CV
while entering a roundabout at about 60kph on a bicycle, the lame duck
unexpectedly braking, my frontwheel touching its rubbered rear bumper just so
slightly...

Landing on the asphalt on my back, sliding, without a scratch, _unkaputtbar_.

 _VICTORY!_

------
cstanton
I have a Leica M6 from 1985 and a Hasselblad 500 CM from the 60’s that are
both in incredible condition (after a recent CLA). They are wonderful
machines, especially the Hasselblad (each piece removable, serviceable,
swappable)

~~~
chrissnell
That's awesome. How cool is it that you can take a new Noctilux lens and use
in on your 1985 camera!

I would love an old M film camera but I have no idea which one I'd want to
get. I have a M10 and a M10 Monochrom today and love them!

------
tzs
My oldest working devices are all time keeping devices or calculators (or
both!), for no particular reason that I can discern.

1\. A Westclox Baby Ben luminous dial alarm clock, probably bought in 1980. It
still runs fine.

2\. A Casio CFX-20 scientific calculator watch bought sometime between 1983
and 1986. One of the side buttons is a bit flaky, and the light doesn't work
well, but other than that when I put a battery in it last year it worked.

3\. A BHB chess clock, probably bought in 1982 or 1983. Still works.

BTW, adjusting an old analog clock is a lot easier nowadays than it was back
then. Just record a few seconds of it ticking, import that into your favorite
audio editor, and measure the time between ticks on the wave form to figure
out just how much you need to adjust it.

I did my chess clock once that way, and it was way faster and more precise
than the old way. The old way was to sync it with a quartz watch, wait an
hour, and see how much it disagrees with the quartz watch. Adjust it, and try
again.

You could probably also do this with video if you have a camera with good slow
motion, assuming the clock has something obvious that moves discretely, and
you have video editing software that will show you high precision frame
timing. A lot of common consumer video editing software does not show such
timing.

4\. A Casio FX-702P pocket computer [1]. Bought sometime around 1982.

5\. An HP-15C bought sometime in the early '80s. Also an HP-16C, a couple
years later.

These are all things I bought new, except for the alarm block with I think my
parents bought for me.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_FX-702P](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_FX-702P)

~~~
codezero
sliding this comment in here: I wrote a long comment to something relatively
charged in reply to you: it got deleted before my comment was done. Hope you
weren't downvoted or something, feel free to email me if you care to see my
comment, but also, no hard feelings if not :)

~~~
tzs
I deleted that comment. The thread was about someone killed by police during
service of a no knock warrant, and the reasonableness of people in those
circumstances assuming the intruders suddenly violently entering their home
are there to harm them and so shooting in self defense.

My comment was essentially looking at it from a game theory point of view, and
I was suggesting that the optimum move (shoot or not shoot) probably depends
on the number of intruders.

I think it is an interesting question, but decided it was veering a bit too
far off the topic, and also could easily be misinterpreted as a "blame the
victim" thing aimed at the victims in the particular shooting under
discussion, and so deleted it.

~~~
codezero
Thanks for the comment! Makes sense, this place can be a mine field :)

------
scottlocklin
Armin Trosser coffee grinder my grandfather's brother brought back from the
war. Still makes my coffee every morning. Looks like this:
[https://www.etsy.com/listing/194699008/german-armin-
trosser-...](https://www.etsy.com/listing/194699008/german-armin-trosser-
mokka-coffee)

I wish everything I owned was like this; simple, sturdy, purposeful and around
for 80+ years. There's some german word for it; I think one of their green
party muckey mucks has a chain of stores along these lines (it doesn't really
work, but nice try anyway). I've got a couple of antique radios which are
considerably older (1920s era) and still function also, but firing them up is
a special occasion.

On the semi-modern front; my X220 thinkpad feels like it could last me the
rest of my career, but the new AMD chips finally have me looking sideways at
new hardware.

------
randycupertino
I have one of these "vintage" Snakmaster grilled cheese sandwich makers that
was handed down to me from my sister's time in college in the late 1980s:
[https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Snakmaster-
CN613-Sandwich-G...](https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Snakmaster-
CN613-Sandwich-Grilled-Cheese-Maker-
Snackmaster/372955763920?hash=item56d5e554d0:g:x44AAOSwPMpeSaxv)

It works fantastically and makes awesome sandwiches. It even survived a
kitchen fire where my cabinets burned down but the snakmaster came through
unscathed.

We don't use it often but I'd say every other month or so bust it out for some
tasty grilled cheese sandos with tomato soup.

Here's an infomercial from 1990 featuring how you can bake rolls inside of it-
lol.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5JchC0nQcM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5JchC0nQcM)

------
toomanybeersies
Bit of a different gadget, but until very recently I used to have my great-
grandfather's Lee Enfield Mk III (original model with the magazine cutoff) and
Pattern 1907 bayonet from the Great War. Unfortunately I moved countries and
it wasn't feasible to take the rifle with me, so I ended up handing it to the
police for destruction, still have the bayonet though.

It was decades since it had been shot in anger (at either humans or animals),
but I took it out once or twice for a shoot. I also had my grandfather's
Winchester model 62 pump action .22 from the 30's and a Chinese SKS from the
early 60's. All very robust firearms, although the SKS has a very finicky
firing pin that needs to be kept clean.

My dad still has his first computer, a ZX-81.

~~~
theelous3
> so I ended up handing it to the police for destruction

That's pretty sad. Why not sell it or donate to a museum?

I can't think of a country on earth in which you can't sell a bolt action that
is legally owned. Even just for a token amount if you wanted it gone.

------
Wistar
• A circa 1973 Zenith clock radio with the red LED numeral display. It's in
daily use.

• 1956 Rockwell 9in radial arm saw. Motor has been rewound twice now. I
inherited it from my father who bought it new.

• An Argus C3 35mm film camera. Not used in many years but still appears to
work. I remember it from my very earliest memories.

• A sterling silver Parker pen from about 1974 or so.

• And a really weird one from about 2001: A complete Sony Lissa component
stereo system including the speakers, CD and mini disc recorder/player units
that connect to the main receiver via 1394TA (Firewire) rather than audio
connections. I believe it is the only one in existence that is factory set up
for North America 120V/60hz. I needed it for a special project and Sony was
good enough to make it for me.

~~~
wglb
My dad and my uncle took many many family pictures with the Argus C3. I later
got one for myself.

------
thinnerlizzy
A 1960 Fisher X-1000 stereo amplifier that pumps out about 50 wpc, high for a
tube amplifier. I found it on the street about 10 years ago, restored it, made
a new brass faceplate, and it sounds just amazing.

~~~
dstroot
Fisher from that era is great stuff! That model goes for about $2k today.
[https://picclick.com/Rarest-FISHER-X-1000-TUBE-INTEGRATED-
ST...](https://picclick.com/Rarest-FISHER-X-1000-TUBE-INTEGRATED-STEREO-
AMPLIFIER-323239342540.html)

------
jpitz
Does a Martin guitar from the 1940s count?

~~~
dhosek
I was thinking that the oldest stuff I have that I use (aside from furniture I
inherited from my grandfather which I have no idea how old it is) are musical
instruments. I have a ca 1969 Gibson EB-3 bass which is my oldest instrument.
Of the stuff I've bought new it'd be my first guitar, a cheap classical guitar
I bought for around $100 in 1986. The oldest _electronic_ item is probably the
Roland D-110 module I bought used and likely was made in 1990–91 and the
oldest electronic item I bought new would be my Roland A90EX keyboard which I
bought in 1999. I don't think I have anything musical less than 19 years old.

------
floren
Montgomery Ward shortwave radio from the 30s, a Philco AM radio from the 40s,
and a handful of other tube radios from the 50s and 60s.

I've got a Kenwood TS-520 ham radio from the 70s which I use occasionally.

Also a first-gen IBM Selectric typewriter, which would place it somewhere
between 1961 and 1971.

The AT&T desk phone sitting next to me has a "Warranty expires 12/87" sticker
on the bottom.

All this old stuff is seriously built to last, and most of the radios either
came with schematics or have a schematic glued to the inside of the case.

------
Psychlist
Panasonic 12V battery drill from the days when NiMH batteries were a new
exciting upgrade! Form factor the same and I could use the new batteries in my
old drill. But when that drill started to fail I cut the handle/battery mount
off to use in my bike lights (I still have that part... does that count?)

On that note: remember when rechargeable bike lights took 10-12 hours to
charge? Using drill batteries with a 1 hour charge was revolutionary,
especially for overnight bike races.

------
dade_
My first computer, Commodore VIC-20 still working since 1983. I bought a Mega-
Cart from Denial computing years ago and it makes retro computing extremely
convenient. Only problem is the paddle input is jumpy. Joystick was lost years
ago, but didn't have a problem buying a brand new one as it uses the same
pinout as Atari.

[https://levelskip.com/consoles/VIC-20](https://levelskip.com/consoles/VIC-20)

------
muststopmyths
Casio FX3600P, circa 1986. The best part ? I've never changed the battery. I
also haven't used it in 25 years+, but I just checked and it still works.

Oh, and I also have the manual, because I hoard those for every device I buy.

[http://www.calcuseum.com/SCRAPBOOK/BITMAP/BONUS/12180/_SMD12...](http://www.calcuseum.com/SCRAPBOOK/BITMAP/BONUS/12180/_SMD12180_XL.htm)

------
scorxn
This was fun to read. "Gadget" definitely needs definition. Does it mean: has
moving parts? Requires electricity? Contains "electronics"? If here it means
"surpasses its expected lifetime as an electronic device",
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F-91W](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F-91W)
is a strong contender for me.

~~~
stevekemp
That's a timeless piece, no pun intended.

I have a small collection of watches dating from the 70s onwards, all of them
are mechanical except for the F-91W which I bought during a moment of
nostalgia, and it regularly gets worn.

I admit I feel like a hipster when I've got it on, but I struggle to care.
Such a great design.

------
rasz
Nintendo game and watch Octopus. Almost 20 year old Miele vacuum cleaner,
still feels like brand new. ~1980 Singer sewing machine, build like a tank.

~~~
RaSoJo
Came here to mention Singer sewing machine. But lots of folks have already
added it :)

------
aivisol
Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor 120 film camera, I believe from 1930s, works like a
charm, the only problem is lazy user to use it more frequently

------
wglb
I have two Ashai Pentax Spotmatic SLR cameras with some Takumar lenses. The
light meter used mercury batteries. Replacements are air-zinc so are legal.

I also have a couple of HP 200 LX. Which is the best thing for taking a quick
note. Open the lid hit the power button and the db key macro and you are ready
to enter the notes.

I also have a Drake TR 7 from the 70s. It works but badly need a refresh. The
FT 1000 MP mark V is only 20 years old and is fully functional but not that
old.

Also needing repair is my TEAC reel to reel tape dec but it is functional.

Also Sony disk recorder/player. Oh and a Sony hi-8 video recorder. I am in the
process of transferring many family videos.

My HP 2100 laser jet doesn’t really qualify here.

There is also an old dead iPod which may get repaired.

[Edit] slide rule with mahogany body and Teflon slide. Perfect condition but
does not get much use.

------
dugditches
Interesting that 'modern' gadgets with few moving parts and for the most part
no maintenance. And how long they'll last sitting tucked away in drawers if
nothing fouls. Though maybe one day it'll be hard to actually find AA
batteries.

Just before electricity became 'the norm' how complex and intricate things
were. Especially with how 'rugged' they were in operation and use.
[https://youtu.be/52FK1v6lErQ?t=32](https://youtu.be/52FK1v6lErQ?t=32)

Or how intricate and masterful things needed to be to accomplish 'simple'
things.

>The "storage capacity" of the automaton, needed to store seven images within
the machine, can be calculated as 299040 points (almost 300 kilobits).

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZiH7oF3OMM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZiH7oF3OMM)

~~~
pjscott
If it becomes hard to find AA batteries, you should just be able to hook up an
equivalent voltage supply.

------
jakedata
I have a 1914 Victrola phonograph that I occasionally amuse the kids with.
What amuses me is that the windup clockwork record player is a century older
than my iPhone but arguably a technological ancestor. Also, no DRM, I can play
century old audio tracks from any manufacturer with the turn of a crank.

~~~
_emacsomancer_
> Also, no DRM, I can play century old audio tracks from any manufacturer with
> the turn of a crank.

Not that Edison wouldn't have included DRM if he could have done.

------
cik
As much as I love tech, I love old stuff more. I'm always fascinated by more
tactile items. But everything below still works.

Mac Plus, 1986 - My first computer, I gave it to my parents years ago. It
still boots, and my mother still uses it to play Hoyle's Book of Games.

Der Spieler, 1969 - It's an East German pinball machine, and completely
mechanical. You can still service the light bulbs.

Parker Vacumatic Fountain Pen, 1931 - It's an awful fountain pen compared to
pretty much any modern fountain pen. But it works the same as 90 years ago,
bleeds the same. The nib is in epic condition.

Seeburg M100B, 1950 - My grandfather bought this jukebox to play music in his
shop. I always wanted one, and he gave it to me. It still works, still plays
45s. My kids use it to play Michael Jackson.

------
whoopdedo
My wire tracing kit consists of a tone generator I don't know the brand of
because the lettering is worn off. It's black, the size of two decks of cards
stacked, a slide switch for off/tone (two types of waveform)/continuity, clip
leads or RJ-11, held together with electrical tape, and the battery lasts
forever in it. I've sometimes forgotten to turn it off for days and still get
about 5-7 years between changes.

On the other end, although I also have a newer inductive probe, I keep around
a Radio Shack mini amplifier (#277-1008) with clip leads plugged in for input.
It can be used as a tracer or monitor, has a headphone jack for noisy places,
and packs a lot of gain in a small package.

------
buserror
I have a Zeiss 6x9cm film camera from 1936 that works wonder still. For tech
gizmos, I have a HP 16C (the programmer's one) from 1864 that I still use most
days! (I bought a second one about 15 years ago, as I grew terrified it would
break down)

------
stevekemp
The oldest thing that I have which I think counts as "technology", and hasn't
already been listed is a steam-powered car.

The Mamod S1-roadster, circa 1977:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamod#Roadster_SA1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamod#Roadster_SA1)

Fill the tank with water, light the fire, and eventually you get a car that
will drive round in circles. Complete with working steam-engine. I've had a
few (static) steam-engines over the years, but this was the only want that
survived the move across countries.

One day I'm gonna share it with our child, but for the moment I think it'd be
a little too dangerous.

------
calvinmorrison
Random stuff i have that i use that's old and use

'68 Saab 96. Daily Driver. Runs Great. Classic!

Motorola alpha num pager (FLEX? not sure on the date) for work

A Canon A-1 35mm camera. It even automatic shooting modes! very cool An desk
phone. It's not old, but it's made in the states!

iPod Classic (2005?). so many gigs of storage, it's amazing.

Smith Corona coronet typerwiter. It's electric!

my beloved n64, NES, game boy and other consoles Turns out the ones without
optical disks are the ones still working. Surprise!

can't think of anything else - My purpose build devices have been supplanted
by a laptop for music, video, reading, writing, learning (cooking
especially!), finance tracking, everything.

I like purpose driven devices though, I think I'll find some more

~~~
starbird3000
I'm jealous about the Saab. Worst mistake I did was getting rid of mine (I
loved that car but GM was going bankrupt and wouldn't sell it to me off lease
for a reasonable price).

------
ggambetta
I still have my ZX Spectrum+, released in 1984, making it 36 years old. I
don't use it daily, but last time I checked, it worked fine. There's a simple
mod to get composite video out, so it can be plugged into a modern TV.

------
brightball
This is going to sound strange...but I bought a pen from the company store of
the telecom that I worked for back in 2005 (NuVox). It’s my best pen. It still
works and I’ve never refilled it.

I have no idea how or why it hasn’t run out of ink yet.

~~~
stevekemp
There used to be a comedy-show in the UK named "The Fast Show". Lots of
memorable small sketches.

Here's a topical video:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7iiOF10gz8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7iiOF10gz8)

~~~
brightball
Nice

------
thelazydogsback
\- Pison Organizer II (first PDA!) \- Timex LED clock from 1979 \- 1970's LED
watches and 1960's electo-mechanical watches \- 1947 Philco radio \- TI-59
calculator. Sony Sobax (nixie + delay line) calculator. \- I'm assuming the
Kaypro, Sol-20, & TRS-80 4P all work but haven't tried in a while. \- Sega
Genesis (just play w/it w/my son last weekend) \- My favorite, my Textronix
4051 & flat-bed plotter finally succumbed to entropy, helped along by water
damage in my garage due to the fact that even w/two people the thing was a
PITA to move

------
BasicObject
I have a ice cream scooper from the 1960's that was used in my grandfather's
restaurant. It's built like brick. I also have his hammer that is at least 50
years old. Beautiful wood. His 1970's Robot Coup food processor is still used
to this day by my mother. I also still have his Mac SE complete with it's
M0116 keyboard and mouse. It's a shame I'm too afraid to resolder the CRT back
onto the main board. But that M0116 does still work with an adapter. It's just
incredible to me how all these things have kept working after all this time.

~~~
randycupertino
> I have a ice cream scooper from the 1960's that was used in my grandfather's
> restaurant. It's built like brick.

That is pretty cool! Not only is it a useful tool that won't wear out, but a
family heirloom with an interesting story that can be passed down for
generations.

And, complimentary username to post subject matter to boot!

------
sg_sp
My espresso machine, a Mini Gaggia from 1974 (I was born that year too!)

I make 2-3 espressos everyday since I bought it, 2012

[https://imgur.com/a/e7AbqzR](https://imgur.com/a/e7AbqzR)

~~~
OJFord
Nice! I bought a (new) Rancilio Silvia, precisely because it seemed that it
should last: simple, spare parts availability, community of people modding &
repairing; but I'm still impressed at nearly half a century!

~~~
KiwiJohnno
Excellent choice. After I wore out my first crappy espresso machine I did some
research and brought a Rancilio Silvia. That was about 14 years ago, it still
gets daily use and hasn't missed a beat.

------
WalterBright
My Carver C-1 stereo amplifier has been playing music all day every day since
I bought it in 1981 or so.

I've kept several of my computers from the 80s and 90s and 00s, but they won't
power up any more.

------
nlte
Strangely enough, the two gadgets I can think of are from the same year 1979:

\- A Sharp MZ-80K computer (my first computer). Granted, I don't use it every
day but as long as the original Basic SP-5025 cassette can be read, I know I
can write some funny programs full of INPUT A$ and GOTO and GOSUB.

\- An Olympia Express Maximatic espresso machine (serial no. from 1979) I
bought two years ago and had repaired. The spare parts are easy to find
because the current version of that machine is almost the same as the original
design from the mid-70s. I use it everyday.

Both are very sturdy constructions.

------
abhgh
I have a vintage fx-82 calculator [1] that still works. My father bought it
when he started working after his engineering, which was passed on to me for
my engineering, which was then passed on to my brother for his engineering -
which ended 12 yr ago. Last checked the thing a few months ago, it works
barring a few problematic keypresses. I am nearly convinced it's alien
technology at this point.

[1] not mine, but this model:
[https://www.ebay.com/i/123734880177](https://www.ebay.com/i/123734880177)

------
killjoywashere
Pentel PS513 and PS535 automatic pencils. First manufactured in the 70s,
they're the mechanical pencil equivalent of 13" and 15" macbook pros. By
random fluke, Pentel found a box of 535s in the back of a warehouse and sold
them on Amazon a few years ago. The reviews are unreal

[https://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Sliding-Sleeve-Mechanical-
PS53...](https://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Sliding-Sleeve-Mechanical-
PS535/dp/B00007JQQU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8)

------
jedberg
The oldest thing I have that I still use daily is my bedside clock radio. It's
from 1983, when I got it as a birthday present to help me wake up for 1st
grade. It says on the bottom that it was "proudly made in Malaysia".

It was my primary alarm from 1st grade through high school and college and
much of my adult working life, until about 12 years ago when I switched to
using my cell phone.

But we still use it as our primary clock in our bedroom to this day. It keeps
time better than most modern clocks.

------
userbinator
1938 Frigidaire. Restored with new insulation, wiring, and finish but the
compressor and refrigerant are still original - the sealed system has not been
opened since it was made.

~~~
ja27
We have a Singer sewing machine from I think the 1930s that runs fine.

Also a bakelite radio from I think the 1940s that worked fine about 15 years
ago but hasn't been used since. I haven't reworked any of it but I think
someone else did before we got it in the 1990s.

------
ChuckMcM
I've got a PDP-8/e with a 1978 date code that still runs. Sadly I sold my
Collins S-Line transmitter (Amateur Radio bands). I think it was made in the
late 60's.

------
Paianni
I have an Ericsson MC16 (rebadged HP 360LX) WinCE device from 1998. Was given
it circa. 2003 when I was five/six. Despite abusing it for years, it still
works today.

~~~
camhenlin
I remember admiring these back when they were new in the stores. A tiny
laptop! With a start menu and everything! How cool!

Are you still using it in 2020? If so, what have you found it to be useful
for?

~~~
Paianni
It was never really anything more than a hobby and its now stored away as a
sentimental value piece. When I was younger I regretted losing the serial
cable for it and ruining a Dell tower that would have allowed me to sync it to
a PC, this was back when I couldn't freely just buy stuff off eBay and space
in the house was at a premium. I had a penchant for poking the original box
with the stylus so that got tossed eventually.

A couple years ago I got an HP 2133 netbook and although the chipsets have a
habit of frying themselves every once in a while (forcing the purchase of new
motherboards) the form factor is close enough that it can take over the
functions than the old WinCE handhelds and Psions had.

I like the 'robustness' of a lot of tech product designs from the early 2000s
and prior. Plastic parts in particular seem to have become rather thin in the
years since.

------
voldacar
My IBM Model F keyboard (83 key XT) is probably the oldest gadget I engage
with daily. I've tried every keyswitch under the sun and nothing comes close
to the smoothness and tactility of the capacitive buckling springs. It makes
basically all other keyswitches feel like flimsy chinese garbage. Also, it's
indestructable and quite heavy. As in, you could bludgeon someone to death
with it.

------
awiesenhofer
* Atari Portfolio from 1989, still runs great and has some ok games. Extention cards are flaking out though and i should get myself a serial or parallel adapter. Never any luck with an ATM either ;)

* original Gameboy from around the same time, could use a refurbishment or at least a good scrub. And some more/new games.

* iMac G4, The Lamp, works perfectly but I don't really know what to do with it. Still, even powered off a thing of beauty so thats ok.

~~~
slim
I got that Terminator 2 reference

------
matthewfelgate
[https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/](https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/)

------
FpUser
PC keyboard that I bought in 1992. Still works like a charm.

My friend has milling machine made sometime in 1920-1930 and small lathe from
before 1900. All work just fine.

------
erikstarck
I hooked up a Commodore 64 to an old CRT 21 incher at a party with a few
families. The kids (8-12y) were glued to the screen for hours playing Archon.

------
justinsaccount
I have a Logitech usb optical mouse from 1999 or so..

One of these:

[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c1/c6/d6/c1c6d6c43a9bfd3dd452...](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c1/c6/d6/c1c6d6c43a9bfd3dd452ed0ade809420.jpg)

Works ok. Was still using it a few months ago, but the wheel has started to
stick a little in one direction, so I replaced it and now use it as a floater.

------
forgotmypw17
This is why I go out of my way to make my websites compatible as far back as I
can, including Mosaic, Netscape, and IE.

I myself have several old iOS devices, which I still enjoy using. Two of them
belonged to my grandmother, and I like to leave them just the way they are, no
OS upgrades.

I also used to have an iPhone which was jailbroken, and I didn't want to deal
with the process of upgrading the OS.

------
amiga-workbench
Amazingly, my IBM 5170 still works. I'm shocked the power supply still hasn't
given up yet. The CMOS battery went bad years ago and has been replaced with
some AAA's, luckily no leaks.

[https://files.home.mos6581.com/Pics/5170/2018.jpg](https://files.home.mos6581.com/Pics/5170/2018.jpg)

------
Dalrymple
My HP Scanjet IIcx scanner is about 30 years old and still works fine. SCSI
interface.

I did have to replace the scanner top with a white piece of solid plastic. The
original top was very thin plastic veneer bonded onto a foam rubber base which
of course by now has self-destructed.

How did HPE and HP fall from the top of the industry in respect to the bottom
over those 30 years?

~~~
panpanna
As tech companies get bigger, older and stop innovating, the management team
changes from engineers and entrepreneurs to bean counters.

------
psychomugs
Leica M2, serial 1144389 dates it back to 1966.

~~~
dhosek
Oh man, I used to use my grandfather's Leica M-series camera when I was in
high school. That was some seriously good glass that he had. It was really
great for doing sports shots since looking through the rangefinder, I could
see what was outside the frame of the telephoto lens to catch the full action.

~~~
psychomugs
I'm a photographer for my school's newspaper and I do the same with my Fuji
X-Pro2. The optical finder lets me monitor when the action is coming into the
frame, and there's even a small electronic finder in the corner to show me
exactly what the sensor sees.

------
WalterBright
Mine is my 1972 Dodge. I drive it once a week.

------
dvirsky
The other day I found a guitar digital delay pedal
([https://reverb.com/p/ibanez-soundtank-dl5-digital-
delay](https://reverb.com/p/ibanez-soundtank-dl5-digital-delay)) that I've had
since I bought my first guitar in 1992, and is still working fine.

~~~
satori99
I still have an EPS-16+ Digital Sampler with 4 whole megabytes of RAM, but
unfortunately its floppy drive hasn't survived the decades, so I can't boot
it.

[http://www.vintagesynth.com/ensoniq/ens_eps16.php](http://www.vintagesynth.com/ensoniq/ens_eps16.php)

~~~
dvirsky
That was my first sampler as well! I have no idea how I got rid of it.

------
akeck
Swinger sewing machine from the 60s built into a sewing table, inherited from
my grandmother-in-law. Beautiful machine.

~~~
couchand
I picked up a 60s-era Singer secondhand many years ago and it has served me
very well. It was clearly once built into a table, which is the only awkward
thing about it. I keep meaning to build a box mount for it, but, well,
projects....

~~~
akeck
This one is slanted. It's pretty neat and definitely has a different feel from
the 90s craft sewing machine we also have.

------
jnord
I am listening to an old Philips valve radio from 1952 which has FM and a
wonderful rich sound. I am still using an HP-25 LED calculator I bought back
in 1977. My oldest piece of software is Microsoft Money from 2002 which now
has transaction and investment histories dating back nearly 20 years.

------
cosmodisk
_Thinkpad T40. I bought it used about 9 years ago,I think it 's about at least
15 years old. Still runs as the day it was made.And the keyboard! They don't
make them so comfy anymore. _ Body thermometer with mercury. It's got to be at
least 30 years old.

~~~
Kaibeezy
I daily one ThinkPad X220 (2011), keep another one sterile for travel, and
over time have bought a dozen more for family and friends. Simplifies my tech
support chores. Fast enough, parts available, sturdy, good battery life, great
keyboard, $100.

------
GlenTheMachine
Casio CM-100 computer math calculator, circa 1984. It has sat beside my
keyboard as I learned BASIC on a Commodore 64... and earned a BS in CS on a
NeXT workstation... and as I wrote my doctoral dissertation... and as I wrote
inverse kinematics code for a space robot.

------
bacon_waffle
Masport push reel mower, would guess somewhere between 1930s and 1960s. It's
the most pleasant mower to use, and all it cost was an evening cleaning it up
plus an annual visit to the sharpeners.

If electricity is a prerequisite: 1966 Bulova Accutron 214 that I wear most
days.

------
tmm
I have a desk fan made in 1912 that I use regularly and the telephone in my
kitchen is from 1954.

~~~
frosted-flakes
Do you use the phone? We have a dial phone from the 60s-80s that's still
hooked up in the living room and rings (I don't know how old it is, but it
works perfectly). Very handy when the cordless phone gets left in the
basement. I can't say that it gets used much, except during power outages. My
folks still use the landline phone quite a lot, and so do I sometimes (poor
cell reception in the house).

~~~
tmm
I do, although these days its connection to the outside world is a SIP trunk
via Asterisk. Works just fine as long as I don't need to interact with an IVR
which requires asterisks or pound to do stuff (looking at you, Google Meet).
Audio quality is better than a cell phone, and I can hear it ring from the
back yard.

------
starbird3000
Sony shortwave/FM radio. Purchased in 1988. I think it's jumped continents at
least 5 times. The contacts are a tad corroded, and the antenna is held on
with a safety pin, but it still works fine and I use it every single day.

------
Ftuuky
My SNES (from when it was launched in Europe around 1992 iirc) still works,
controllers and all.

------
csommers
I have an OG iPod that I still use to this day (replaced the battery and
storage).

Still works and looks great!

------
rsync
Sort of off-topic, but I have a New-in-box, sealed from the factory, never
opened Sun Sparc 20 pizzabox.

Someone was selling new-old-stock on ebay about five years ago and I bought
two of them ... one of them I unboxed and have running and one of them remains
NIB.

------
jjav
My daily use phone is a Motorola Razr from 2005. Works great and actually fits
in a pocket.

~~~
swimfar
Mine too! (Updgraded from a monochrome Nokia a couple years ago) Although the
battery isn't so great anymore. And reception is bad in certain places, I'm
assuming due to the limited spectrums it can use. I haven't found any
potential replacements that I'm too excited about.

------
tonyedgecombe
My Bosch hammer drill will be 30 years old in September, still going strong
although there is a slight wobble on the chuck.

Mostly though I don't keep old stuff kicking around, if I get a new computer
for instance then the old one goes on eBay straight away.

------
drdeadringer
A Video Sphere black & white television, black [they came in white and orange
as well].

It's a simple matter of having digitally broadcast TV signals come in via a
digital signal converter instead of the onboard analogue antenna.

------
Zanni
I've got a radiometer which I bought 50 years ago in second grade. It's my
single longest-term possession. The bulb is encased in a cube of clear resin,
which is probably the only reason it's survived this long.

------
Simulacra
A 1958 Hermes Rocket. Are use it all the time to type letters and thank you
notes

------
dhsysusbsjsi
I still have my grandfathers axe. It’s had two new heads and three handles!

------
xtiansimon
Not the _oldest_, but certainly the most _useful_, hands down: Apple TiG4 667
Mhz laptop with Adobe Creative Suite 2.

I'm amazed every time that machine starts up and shows me early OS X or, haha
OS 9 emulation.

------
Svperstar
I recently replaced my 14 year old iPod Nano 2nd gen.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6md9pY-
PLQU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6md9pY-PLQU)

------
tomcam
Violin, 103 years old

Korg MS-20, 32 years old

MXR phaser pedal, 41 years old

Serving spoon, 300 years old

Irish flute, about 200 years old

All in current use

------
pascalxus
I have a digital alarm clock from about 20 years ago. i think it's JVC. it
still works, even though I stepped on it about 5 years ago, once.

Amazingly, it's still on the original battery!!!!

------
zwieback
Selmer Mark VI tenor from the 60s. Needs some playability adjustment, though.

Also ASKO washer from the 90s, still in heavy use. The mechanical computer
driving the programs is a marvel.

------
mellosouls
Casio scientific calculator from the 80s that (the last time I checked, I
stumble on it once a year or so) still turns on and works _with the original
battery_.

------
sitkack
TI calculator from 1991 that I still use weekly and a Makita cordless drill
(NiCDs are tired) from 1995. Before we moved my car was a 1988 Toyota.

~~~
whycome
Yeah, but did you move in 1989?

~~~
sitkack
Heh, 2015.

------
donohoe
Mac Colour Classic made in 1994. Still has HyperCard working last time I
checked.

If anyone can tell me how to get Dark Castle running on it, I'd be grateful

~~~
whoopdedo
Off the top of my head, you may just have to set the screen to B&W. Another
option would be to boot in System 6 which may give it less trouble than System
7. Can you be specific about what happens when you try to run it? Though it
occurs to me I had Beyond Dark Castle on my Macintosh, not the original.

------
Jean-Philipe
My lomo LCA. I played with it when I was a child and found it again later, had
to have it repaired once but it still takes gorgeous pictures.

------
bradd
I have a HP41CV calculator from around 1983. It will not turn on. Any repair
suggestions?

Edit: Oops. Forgot about the "working" constraint.

------
pfarnsworth
My parents had what is now a 50 year old can opener. It looked new because my
mom would always, always always clean it after using it.

~~~
cafard
We have a manual can opener that is at least that old. It is superior to any
such that I can find in stores today.

------
spencewenski
Probably my PlayStation 2 (non-slim version). I’m currently playing ‘Shadow of
the Colossus’ for the first time.

------
missedthecue
Some inherited model trains from the 1930s. Those things are going to last far
longer than I will.

------
nunodonato
Blackberry Playbook from 2009-ish. Yeah not that old, but it's a rare sight :)

------
tibbydudeza
iPhone 7 used by my daughter since she broke her P30.

2014 vintage Latitude E6440 work laptop that simply refuses to die and since I
am a SAP developer on ECC 6 there is no justification for giving me anything
more modern.

------
beckler
I have an super old Toshiba Satellite laptop that runs Windows 95!

------
dzhiurgis
Has anyone found a kettle that lasts more than couple of years?

------
mindracer
I've still got my iRiver H140 which is about 18 years old

------
lmilcin
HP 42s from 1989. Used regularly, couple of times a week.

------
_emacsomancer_
Do straight razors from the 1830s count?

------
mthoms
* 2nd Generation iPod (firewire, 5GB)

* Handspring Treo PDA

* Nintendo NES

* iPod Nano 1st Gen

------
asah
iRiver 20gb mp3 player. Amazing device.

~~~
cstanton
I had one in college. My roommate did too and clipped it to his Grado GR80’s,
which was a bogus sight: All the music on a little piece of tech strapped to
large headphones. Great little MP3 player!

------
thevagrant
A (working afaik) BBC Micro.

------
Anthony_JT
My TRS 80 is rocking.

