What to batteries have to do with clothes dryers...? You're comparing a consumable good to a household appliance. Household appliances are expected to last 5 years. 7-10 is pretty normal.

If a dryer is not a consumable, shouldn't it last forever?

If a battery is a consumable, shouldn't it last only one charging cycle?

No.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumables

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durable_good

so according to these links, a battery that lasts 2 years is a consumable good but a fridge that last 3 years is a durable good..... I think I get it.

Batteries not lasting long is considered a limitation of our current battery technology. This limitation doesn’t currently exist for typical clothes dryers.

There’s no reason to introduce a new limitation unless the technology makes up for it in other ways. Having to replace a clothes dryer every two years would require the technology to be very good to justify such a burdensome task.

"Having to replace a clothes dryer every two years would require the technology to be very good to justify such a burdensome task."

Or, a cost cutting measure of replacing a long-lasting ball bearing assembly with a shaft rotating in a vinyl cup which wears down to metal-on-metal like mine did after 3 years. Which is the sort of accelerated deprecation the OP was alluding to. Granted, the battery metaphor isn't great as energy storage tech is far from mature.

Because dryers are expensive appliances. If they're going to make one that only lasts one tenth as long, it better cost one tenth of the price too.

Take operating costs into account also.

And time lost waiting for a new one to be delivered, disposal fees...

If you put it by the road someone should pick it up promptly for free (or list it for free on craigslist).

Don't forget delivery and installation fees too. They don't deliver them to your house for free.

Who cares about delivery fees? it's the total cost that matters.

The delivery fee is a significant fraction of the total cost of a modern dryer in the US. Saving a little money by getting crappier dryers will likely have a larger total cost because of the delivery fees, and also the cost of your time in taking time off from work to accept delivery.

that dryer costing $180 at Home Depot has free shipping, by the way... http://www.homedepot.com/p/Magic-Chef-Compact-1-5-cu-ft-Elec... .... and by the way, you are paying for shipping even if you by at the store (it is just included)

WTF? We're talking about real dryers here, not dorm-sized dryers that you can dry maybe 2 shirts in.

However, if you select the Samsung 7.5cf dryer, it also has free delivery. Of course, this is built into the price, and $550 for an appliance isn't pocket change.

here is a pocket change dryer that is slightly larger: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Amana-6-5-cu-ft-Electric-Dryer-in... and of course it also has free shipping.

How much are these new dryers? I didn't see the cost.

also, where did they state the longevity?

This device is supposed to be eco-friendlier than a hot air dryer.

The benefit reduces if you have a consumable component that needs changing, especially with the amount of e-waste that goes to landfill.

eco friendly? right... they are only trying to get the cost down for the consumer.

Arranging large appliance delivery and disposal is a pain in the ass when you've got full time jobs to deal with. Don't want to do that any more than needed.

Batteries are also (relatively) cheap and easy to replace.

If my dryer was $50-$200 and could be carried in one hand, I'd be (grumpily) okay with it only lasting 2 years.

Must every appliance become "disposable"?

No - I'd really love it if they didn't become disposable. Sustainability, however, isn't why people have different expectations of batteries vs dryers. I didn't mean to imply a cheap, portable, but flimsy dryer would be a good thing.

How much does it cost for you to get an iphone battery replaced by Apple ($79)? a basic dryer costs $180 at home depot...

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Magic-Chef-Compact-1-5-cu-ft-Elec...

Do you own a dryer? If so, would you want to go out and replace it every two years?