What answering machines have you bought for less than $100 that
didn't start having problems the first year? Such as missing calls
that you know came in before you could get to the phone? Or buttons
starting not to work some of the time?

I am looking for reliability and length of life more than the
number of features.

20 responses total.

My brother and I are using a Panasonic that we were given by our parents
when they got a new machine last summer.  I don't know exactly how much it
cost, but it doesn't seem like a very expensive sort of answering machine,
and is still working just fine after several years.  I'm not sure exactly
how old it is, but my step mom had it when she moved in with us five years
ago, so it's at least that old.  The only repair it's needed was a new
outgoing message tape (less than $5) late last year.

Panasonic.  I bought one ten years ago and it has never given us problems.

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I've got a Cobra, one of those little singel minicassette models.  Still
good after 3 years, although I had to flip over the cassette about a year
ago.  DON'T buy anything from one of the Baby Bells.

A 1983 Panasonic (KX-T1505) went on the fritz this year - not the tape,
but something in the control circuitry. Anyone want it to try to get it
to work again? That one was at my office, and was replaced by Voice Mail.
Our home one is a KX-T1421 Panasonic, and has been doing fine sin
1991.

At work we went through "Code-a-phone" machines like mad.  The Panasonics
were better - I never knew of one going out.  We now have one at home which
is 3-4 years old.  The prior one at home was other than Panasonic, but I 
can not remember the brand.

I have a Phone Mate that's 8 years old and have never had any problems
with it.  I also bought one for my folks about 11 years ago and they're
still using it.

My AT&T combo phone/answering maching is about two years-old.  I broke 
the antenna and a tape snapped.  Otherwise, it's been great.

Err, machinE.  8*)

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Another version of a "one tape" machine has the outgoing message in
RAM. That has the advantage of not wearing out a tape, but has more
limited outgoing message length. But that's what I'll get, next machine.

My parents' AT&T answering machine stores both the incoming and outgoing
messages in RAM.  It makes it very convenient, since they never have to
wait for tapes to rewind, and can erase individual messages without
erasing everything.  The main downside I can see to that is that it has
something like a 23 minute limit on how much it can store.  That wouldn't
be a problem for me, since I tend not to get that many messages, and don't
tend to keep them around, but it sometimes gets to be a problem for them.

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That's a form of computerphobia, right?

After first-hand experience with AT&T "quality" with their portable phones,
I am not ready to give them another chance to take my money for a phone
answering machine.

        I have an AT&T cordless phone that doesn't work very well, but my
family also has a lot of AT&T corded phones that we've never had a problem
with.  I just bought another one, because I have enough experience with
AT&T corded phones to know they work. 
        I don't think my parents have ever lost a message on their digital
answering machine, but they might have lost something and not known about it.

I've got an old General Electric two-regular-cassete answering machine
that I bought used about 5 years agot for $20.  At that time, it had an
intermittent connection in the power supply (which I didn't know about
when I bought it, since, like the average intermittent, it didn't show
up when I tested it).  It took about an hour with a soldering gun and
some poking around to find the intermittent and fix it.  Since that
time, it's been fine.  I like the two cassette format since it cuts down
on the wait for the caller.
  My sister bought one of those answering machines with automatic
time-stamping (a computer voice says the date and time before the
message is recorded).  She's found it very handy in dealing with
a lying ex-husband (in terms of when he claims to have called regarding
problems with child visitation) ;)

Our Panasonic-Easaphone is giving us heartache, so its time to replace.  It
seems the ditigal answering machines are now being replaced with ones that
have chips.  Of course more money.  Anyone care to share why buying one with
chips would be/might be worthwhile?  

I have a Phillips Deck Player ahich is more than 10 years old. Now it is not
functioning properly . It is 60 W PMPO  Stereo  system which on minor repair
should perform well. Buyers please respond.

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