Is it safe to use a microwave from 1978?!

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Bearing in mind how inexpensive new ones are nowadays, rather than take a chance, I'd bin the old one* and buy a new one.

*Dispose of it environmentally safely (which in most of the UK means chuck it in the nearest pond !)

My dad bought a Amana microwave when i was in the 11 years old in the fifth grade in 1983,i'm 38 years old now and the microwave still works good today! At the same time every time we get a new microwave in the break room at my work place those microwaves don't hardly last a year! I guess the old ones were made with better quality.

You might want to examine the door structure carefully.

It should close tightly with a minimum of 'wobble'. Leaks are a bad thing.

I have a 'back-up' microwave from 1976 that is still humming along just fine, thank you, and it's small size and portability makes it a nice thing to have!

Best wishes!

use it till it dies. the only difference Between old micros. is size.plus the are a lot less expensive now.sometimes you can find perfectly good ones at yard sales .or consignment shops and at good will or salvation army stores.

personal experiance

We bought a used one in 1980 and to this day, it works perfectly. We use it probably three or four times a day, too. Look at it carefully, do the door close properly, are any of the places where they fit together compromised? If not, I'd use it.

Take a sheet of aluminium and turn the microwave on, pass the sheet on all seams. It will tell you if anything is coming out of your microwave. The sheet will move.
Side note = I did not say put the sheet in the oven okay ? Good.

No please don't try it

dump it