I believe a lot of the problem is that all the appliance brands are trying to be Eco-friendly and earn Energy Star ratings. That has forced them to use less steel and more plastics and composites. They tend to weigh a lot less than the appliances of yesteryear. Also, they are now computer controlled so you cannot just replace the relays and timers that used to run the appliances.
The same thing has happened with cars. I rebuilt the engine in my Volkswagen Beetle, but I cannot even figure out how to change spark plugs in my modern vehicles.
