How long should things last?

[Corabar Entertainment]

A thread I've been meaning to start for a while now.

I often read things on the forum like 'I've had x for ages now and it's lasted really well'.... and then later on, you read that the said piece of kit is about 6 month old!

To me, if something didn't last that long (and considerably longer!) then it's poor. So, I know we're in a throw away society, but my question is, how long do you expect various types of equipment to hold up to life on the road?

[Mark Wild]

If well maintained and looked after I don't see why any piece of kit shouldn't last indefinitely.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Christ! ... Indefinitely! ...and I thought I expected a lot from kit! :lol:

[DJ James Lake]

Under the Sale of Goods Act, retailers are responsible for faulty goods (that are not 'of satisfactory quality') for up to six years after you bought them. In Scotland the period is five years after something goes wrong. 'Satisfactory quality' covers various aspects that could be wrong with the goods, including whether they've lasted as long as you could reasonably expect. A 'reasonable' lifetime for different products is not defined in law and would ultimately be for a court to decide. But, for example, you might reasonably expect a £600 television to last longer than 18 months, but you wouldn't necessarily expect compensation if a £20 kettle broke down in this period.

[Mark Wild]

Christ! ... Indefinitely! ...and I thought I expected a lot from kit! :lol:

Do you mean the life of the piece of kit with regards to getting rid due to technology advancing or it just breaking down due to old age?

[Vectis]

With modern disco kit I've always worked on the basis of £50 a year.

So something costing £100 has a 2-year life.

Something costing £500 a 10-year life.

It's proven to be reasonably accurate.

[Corabar Entertainment]

I like that little formula! :)

[huma]

Breaking even is a good bench mark. Anything over is a bonus.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Breaking even is a good bench mark. Anything over is a bonus.

Not if you're trying to make a living out of it it isn't! :eek:

[Shaun]

If well maintained and looked after I don't see why any piece of kit shouldn't last indefinitely.

Ok! Who's merged Mark's account with Rob's?

[Penfold42]

If well maintained and looked after I don't see why any piece of kit shouldn't last indefinitely.

:agree:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Ok! Who's merged Mark's account with Rob's?

He's been in Scotland too long. :D

[huma]

Not if you're trying to make a living out of it it isn't! :eek:

When I was djing I considered the price of equipment outside of my profit and thought once the equipment had broken even I hadn't lost anything - I was happy with this.

[Mark Wild]

Ok! Who's merged Mark's account with Rob's?

I don't get it, not sure I want to either ! lol

Ole Tony Tone agrees ! On VV's formula my Shure Radio mic should have cost me £800 16 years ago

[rob1963]

Ok! Who's merged Mark's account with Rob's?

:lol:

The Vectis formula is interesting, but doesn't apply in my case. Also, I think a lot of it depends on the the kit is.

For example, my CD players only ever used to last a year or two (that's £125-£250 a year), my amp has so far lasted for about 10 years (£30 a year), my pinspots are 10 years old & have never even blown a bulb (less than £20 a year) & my microphone has so far lasted 20 years (£6 a year).

[Mark Wild]

:lol:

The Vectis formula is interesting, but doesn't apply in my case. Also, I think a lot of it depends on the the kit is.

For example, my CD players only ever used to last a year or two (that's £125-£250 a year), my amp has so far lasted for about 10 years (£30 a year), my pinspots are 10 years old & have never even blown a bulb (less than £20 a year) & my microphone has so far lasted 20 years (£6 a year).

Ahhhh ! All has become clear.:lol:

[rob1963]

Ahhhh ! All has become clear.:lol:

I thought it already WAS!

:D

[Vectis]

The "Vectis Formula" is a rule-of-thumb applied across the board.

Of course some things last a lot longer than 'average' and others are a disappointment.

But as a measure for financial forecasting I've found the £50 rule to be most accurate over the last 5 or 6 years.

[BeerFunk]

Certain products I would expect to last indefinitely - such as stands and flightcases. Providing of course, that they aren't cheap ones.

PA, playout and lighting equipment I would expect to last a bare minimum of 5 years. Again, the only fails for me have been cheaper models.


:lol:

The Vectis formula is interesting, but doesn't apply in my case. Also, I think a lot of it depends on the the kit is.

For example, my CD players only ever used to last a year or two (that's £125-£250 a year), my amp has so far lasted for about 10 years (£30 a year), my pinspots are 10 years old & have never even blown a bulb (less than £20 a year) & my microphone has so far lasted 20 years (£6 a year).Rob... you've actually proved VV to be pretty accurate, if you take the average of your examples..

[ £187.5 (£125-£250) + £30 + £20 + £6 ] / 4 = £60.87

[Vectis]

Rob... you've actually proved VV to be pretty accurate, if you take the average of your examples..

[ £187.5 (£125-£250) + £30 + £20 + £6 ] / 4 = £60.87


I rest my case, m'Lud :cool:

[rob1963]

Rob...you've actually proved VV to be pretty accurate, if you take the average of your examples..

[ £187.5 (£125-£250) + £30 + £20 + £6 ] / 4 = £60.87

How can you say that when I only mentioned about 4 items which I have used/currently use?

What about the other 20 or more which I didn't mention ?

You can hardly work out the overall average on such a small sample!

:daft:

[BeerFunk]

How can you say that when I only mentioned about 4 items which I have used/currently use?

What about the other 20 or more which I didn't mention ?

You can hardly work out the overall average on such a small sample!

:daft:I didn't say it was the overall average, I said it was the average from your examples.

You should have picked another sample set! :daft:

[rob1963]

I didn't say it was the overall average, I said it was the average from your examples.

Fair enough!

:D

[CRAZY K]

A thread I've been meaning to start for a while now.

I often read things on the forum like 'I've had x for ages now and it's lasted really well'.... and then later on, you read that the said piece of kit is about 6 month old!

To me, if something didn't last that long (and considerably longer!) then it's poor. So, I know we're in a throw away society, but my question is, how long do you expect various types of equipment to hold up to life on the road?

Peavey Amp/ Speakers 10 to 20 years---

Mixers 10 years ( subject to fader replacements)

Mini Disc Player 10 years

JTS Radio Mike 10 years

Cortex 10 years ( excluding play button replacement)

Hard drives 5 to 10 years

Laptops ---3 years( dont use one personally)

I pods 5 to 10 years

LED effects 5 years ?

Lighting using Lamps 10 years

Laser style lights 5 years ?

Par Can Lighting--for ever--(mine still going strong- built in 1980s)

Cables 5 years or less depending on use.

Me--not a lot longer;)

[djdave01]

ive got a pair of AC Euro subs which i bought about 12 years ago, they were about 8 years old when i bought them.

Still working fine, never replaced the drivers. Ive resprayed the front metal grills twice to keep them looking good though.

[jamesh]

I've got a broom that i use to make sure the area i set the disco up is clean and i've had it 20+ years... IN that time i've only had to replace the handle and head a couple of times but it still works as new :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[rob1963]

I've got a broom that i use to make sure the area i set the disco up is clean and i've had it 20+ years... IN that time i've only had to replace the handle and head a couple of times but it still works as new :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

9562

[jamesh]

9562

:ner: :banana: :jumping: :banana: :ner:

:D

[TONYTIGER]

My formula,

Buy a certain piece of equipment 40 years ago and then sell it for for four times
what it cost in 1970.

Any bright spark who can guess what it was ? .

[abracadabradisco]

A monoblock amplifier maybe.
I bought a Leak TL50+ valve amp in the 70's and sold it for 12 times the cost in the 90's. If I still had it now I could sell it for 20 times cost.

[CRAZY K]

My formula,

Buy a certain piece of equipment 40 years ago and then sell it for for four times
what it cost in 1970.

Any bright spark who can guess what it was ? .

No Tony, but allowing for inflation I bet its not that much of a profit.;)

Its not an H and H Mixer Amp is it, I have got one here still working perfectly I bought in the 70s.;)

Doubles up as either mixer or mixer amp.

Built in Cambridge I believe.

Still suitable for very small venues :D :D :D

[sleah]

Gear snobbery tends to play a part, especially I bet with the younger generations.
Personally I believe in "If it ain't broke..."
Computers are probably the most common form of snobbery. I recently commented on a friends FaceBook status about him upgrading his playout, I said I was still on an old laptop with XP, jesting him about being up to date! Another person jested about me being behind the times.
OK, it was only in jest but some people actually believe you will be a worse DJ or put on a sub-standard show if you don't have the latest kit, an arguement that crops up on here once or twice;)
But then there's those computer "experts" who think the sky will fall if you don't run the very latest operating system and applications fully patched on your playout system. Mind you, they probably also use theirs to surf the net:D

[Get Me A DJ]

Gear snobbery tends to play a part, especially I bet with the younger generations.
Personally I believe in "If it ain't broke..."
Computers are probably the most common form of snobbery. I recently commented on a friends FaceBook status about him upgrading his playout, I said I was still on an old laptop with XP, jesting him about being up to date! Another person jested about me being behind the times.
OK, it was only in jest but some people actually believe you will be a worse DJ or put on a sub-standard show if you don't have the latest kit, an arguement that crops up on here once or twice;)
But then there's those computer "experts" who think the sky will fall if you don't run the very latest operating system and applications fully patched on your playout system. Mind you, they probably also use theirs to surf the net:D

Nothing wrong with XP.
I use a laptop with XP and Virtual DJ and it's sold as a rock (touch wood).

As regards Mark's post; I know of a company that refurbishes and services kit.
To be honest, looking at the photo's of an Abstract VR8 they have done, they are spot on.
From all accounts, they strip the units right down to bare, clean them through out and can can even refurbish metal casing's that have loads of rust on them.
They can also rust treat the casings and they can paint the casing in any colour you want :eek:
(I'm not on commission btw :D )

[DAVESOUNDS SERVICES]

My formula,

Buy a certain piece of equipment 40 years ago and then sell it for for four times
what it cost in 1970.

Any bright spark who can guess what it was ? .

Im Guessing here! ..
Maybe an Orange Valve Amplifier???
Or Maybe a Projector? whats those ones that collectors kill for....
OPTIKINETICS??

CHEERS

[spin mobile disco]

Good thread Angela I saw this one today so sorry no reply.
Well speakes if looked after should last well over the 10 year mark. However in my experience even agged ones tend to start showing wear after about 4 years and if looking to keep show looking nice should then pass on or recondition.

Lights are a different matter 100 watt lights tend to last very well. It is normally the lamp holder that goes first.

Stands are a real good laster but tend to look tatty when they start to chip. So either a respray or replacement even though they are still structually sound.

Cables, really depends on how nicely you look after them . I find with heavy use 3 years is about average. Howver key cables I replace every year or relagate them to backup . Mics wired 10 years wireless 5 years.

[TONYTIGER]

Keep guessing guys and there,s a prize for anybody who gets it right ,all will be revealed next week.

Clue 1 you could put it in your pocket.

[Kernow]

Keep guessing guys and there,s a prize for anybody who gets it right ,all will be revealed next week.

Clue 1 you could put it in your pocket.

A Gucci wallet ?:D

[Excalibur]

Well, as a fully accredited Tight Git, I'm still using a roll of Gaffa tape I started ten years ago. ;)

[ppentertainments]

Well, as a fully accredited Tight Git, I'm still using a roll of Gaffa tape I started ten years ago. ;)
Do you lift it carefully at the end of the night so it can be reused :D :D

[Excalibur]

Do you lift it carefully at the end of the night so it can be reused :D :D

Doesn't everyone? :confused: :confused: :confused:

[Tony Scott]

Dennon Mixer to last about 10 years

Budget(behringer/t.amps) Amps to last about 10 years (if treated with care)

scanners/movers/gobo flowers to last about 5-8 years

Precision Devices PD186 & PD1850 sub drivers - will last forever I hope :D
(I've got 4 of each driver. They were £200 & £300 each so were quite an investment at the time... 8 years and still going strong!) :)

[TONYTIGER]

Well not much interest,any way the piece of gear was a Sploadascope

The prize that went begging £200 voucher to spend on any Vestax gear(have donated it to my local youth club)

[Tony Scott]

Well not much interest,any way the piece of gear was a Sploadascope

My guess was going to be a Charlie Watkins 'WEM Copycat' but that wouldn't fit in your pocket... unless you were wearing a US Parker that is! :D