That $300 drafting table I bought in 1995 still holds up better than anything new

I finally broke down and bought a new adjustable drafting table from an office supply catalog last spring for about $250, and the plastic parts started cracking within three months. My old one from 1995 was solid steel and cost me $300 back then, but I got rid of it during a move. Has anyone else noticed the quality drop on newer furniture, or did I just pick a bad model?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrew7781d ago

Did you check if the frame on the new one is actually steel or just painted aluminum? I've seen a bunch of the newer office supply tables use cheap plastic joints that just can't handle the weight of a real drafting machine...

the_olivia1d ago

Hard disagree @andrew778, my cheap one's held up fine for two years now.

morgan_butler1d ago

The one I picked up from a local office store last year had the locking knob strip out after two adjustments. That model claimed it was all steel, but the tension mechanism was clearly molded plastic inside. Your mileage may vary, but I have seen the same thing with a lot of newer drafting tables. The old ones from the 90s were built like tanks, and it is not just you. I would not touch another new one without checking the hardware first, and even then I would be skeptical. It is a bummer, but that is the way things are going now.