Strawberry plants

Just wondering how long other growers use their original plants to propagate runners from ? I bought bare root plants back in 2016 and have been successfully growing and harvesting to present date using a 3 year cycle.
I don't know whether or not to indulge in new plants next year as I can't remember whether the flavour has deteriorated over time. They don't always seem as sweet this year but I know my "taste" has changed over the years too.
Would welcome others views/opinions on this.

 

It's hard for me to say, but I bought some new plants when I moved in here in 2013. I've taken runners regularly, and I know I sent some runners to another poster on the old forum a fair number of years ago, but I've largely given up on them because of the slug problems, and also because I don't like strawbs that much! I mainy used containers, which helped more with the slug prevention, but I'm also trying to cut down on those due to them needing more attention for growing, so I stuck the remainder in the ground. I now just leave them to themselves, mostly in the front garden where the birds and slugs have them. They seem to fruit quite well without any help or attention from me, but I've never managed to find one without damage to try it.
I have one plant near the back door, which I managed to save a couple of fruits from this year, and they tasted ok, but my sense of taste has decreased enormously over the last few years, so it's hard to tell.
Not much help to you @Philippa - sorry!

 

I've got mine in both the ground ( raised beds 1 mt. deep ) and also in troughs. I haven't had too much trouble with slugs this year and they have produced well . It was the lack of sweetness in some of them which made me wonder altho the Blackbird Gang haven't yet moaned about it
Thanks anyway @fairygirl - I think I'll save the money and see what I think next year.

 

i germinated some store strawberries and theyre currantly sitting in a pot 1 inch big. ive heard they can get viruses after a few years, wouldnt this make the runners all infected though? not sure. but then there are plenty of 100, 200+ year old cloned fruits so why not. i have a houseplant cutting taken from 1880