Where to find common items that last "forever"

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Topic Author
McCharley
Posts: 422
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:45 pm

Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by McCharley »

I think perhaps that it is somewhat like retirement planning to only want to buy things once. I particularly want to do this with mundane things like toilet brushes, security lights, dustpans...

I suppose that some things just wear out. Clothing, for example. I once bought -- years ago, accidentally -- 42 pairs of gold toe socks. (When they arrived I wondered why the shipping box was so big!) I am just now on the last of these socks. Turns out it was a great idea. But my question is about things that should not wear out -- but do.

I have found that most mundane-purpose things fall apart after just a few years. (This post was inspired by the handle falling off my (expensive) toilet brush.) Cheap things (toilet brushes are probably a good example) can last forever but are ugly.

Is there a source for high quality household "stuff"?

For me, 40 years is "forever" -- and it's dropping every year! :oops:
greenfire
Posts: 108
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 10:05 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by greenfire »

I like things from Lehman's.

https://www.lehmans.com/
noco123
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:57 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by noco123 »

Try the Buy It For Life forum on reddit.com. Or just type "bifl" into Google.
FRANK2009
Posts: 516
Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2007 5:16 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by FRANK2009 »

All I can think of is: https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife.

Also maybe Consumer Reports.

Maybe companies that make products you've been happy with in the past?

Other than that I don't know...

Frank
DSInvestor
Posts: 11647
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:42 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by DSInvestor »

I like darn tough socks which have a lifetime warranty.
http://darntough.com
Wiki
123
Posts: 10415
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2012 3:55 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by 123 »

How about a rock for a doorstop or paperweight? Cast iron frying pans etc will last "forever" with proper care. Anything electronic, not so much (though I still have my 40 year-old stereo receiver that mostly works).
The closest helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
island
Posts: 1971
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 1:45 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by island »

One toilet brush that lasts forever? That would be gross!
obgraham
Posts: 1618
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:30 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by obgraham »

Wusthof chef's knives. We got one for a wedding gift.

Still in daily use after 48 years.
JoinToday
Posts: 1110
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:59 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by JoinToday »

island wrote:One toilet brush that lasts forever? That would be gross!
They are gross after the first usage. After a couple times, the "gross factor" has plateaued; I doubt if is gets any worse.
I wish I had learned about index funds 25 years ago
toblerone
Posts: 270
Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2013 10:42 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by toblerone »

Interesting topic... very boglehead-ish!
Items off the top of my head...
Weber grills - if you replace the wear items as needed. It might be nasty after 40 years, but it will work.
Honda lawn mowers - if you change the oil once a year and take care of it, they seem to last forever
Good knives
Good shop tools
Good garden tools
Quartz or granite countertops
Hardwood floors
Watches
User avatar
Nestegg_User
Posts: 2112
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2009 1:26 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Nestegg_User »

DSInvestor wrote:I like darn tough socks which have a lifetime warranty.

Or you could just darn your socks...

I admit I did darn socks back years ago, but don't anymore
User avatar
sunny_socal
Posts: 2732
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 4:22 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by sunny_socal »

Quite often you get what you pay for. I've been a cheapskate for much of my life but I've found that spending a little more can ensure decent quality:
- Apple computers (yes, money very well spent)
- ASUS computers, routers
- Stihl yard tools
- Honda & Toyota automobiles
- Snap on tools (very overpriced these days, but top notch)
- Teva sandals
- Quiksilver shirts
- Levi's jeans

I haven't yet found a brand of household appliances that last :?
User avatar
Sheepdog
Posts: 5783
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:05 pm
Location: Indiana, retired 1998 at age 65

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Sheepdog »

I installed a Sears electric garage door opener in 1975. Still works perfectly...just replaced the controllers a couple of times (low priced).
Lots of tools and garden utensils I have are over 50 years old. I even have an ax from my father which is 90 years old.
Quality wood furniture lasts decades and even centuries.
My best household investment, my dear wife, is just fine after 56 years.
Last edited by Sheepdog on Fri Aug 05, 2016 1:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
littlebird
Posts: 1868
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:05 pm
Location: Valley of the Sun, AZ

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by littlebird »

DSInvestor wrote:I like darn tough socks which have a lifetime warranty.
http://darntough.com
You're on to something. If you learn to darn (as people used to do with socks) they can last forever.
HIinvestor
Posts: 1881
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 3:23 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by HIinvestor »

We pay attention to quality and buy things we believe are quality. We still are using our Maytag Washer and dryer that we bought 27 years ago. Sadly, the newer ones are not nearly as reliable, according to all I've read and heard.

I guess I don't feel I need things to last 40+ years, as long as they are good for at least the duration. I expect and perhaps a bit more. Refrigerators don't seem to last. We are on our 3rd, I believe, in the same 27 years we've had the washer and dryer.

Hardwood floors last a very long time if given some care. They've lasted 25 years and still look similar to when they were installed.

Our cars tend to last s decade or two--that's long enough for us. I favor Hondas and Toyotas for reliability and inexpensive servicing.

Farberware and Revereware cookware pots and pans from the 80s are VERY well made and sturdy. Sadly, the newer stuff isn't nearly as good. Gerber and Wulstof knives are very well made and we've happily had them for decades. Get the knife that fits well in the hand of the person who will be using the knife!

Good hardwood wooden furniture can last a very long time, as can good tools that are maintained.
Dimitri
Posts: 427
Joined: Sun May 31, 2015 10:51 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Dimitri »

Duralex glassware - http://www.duralexusa.com/
Pyrex glassware - http://www.pyrex.com/
Let's never come here again because it would never be as much fun.
mouses
Posts: 4217
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 12:24 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by mouses »

A lot of things that used to be well made are now shoddy.

GE appliances, for example, which my family bought for decades, have dropped drastically in quality.

Small electrical gimcracks which used to be well made in the US are now shoddy and made elsewhere - light fixtures, etc.

When it comes to smaller things, I look on ebay for used items made when quality meant something. Tools, etc. Revere Wear.

I like NordicWare for microwave cooking dishes. I have ones several years old and still going strong with no signs of wear. Plus almost all of their products are Made in the U.S.

Etsy has some nice things, but you have to be sure you are dealing with an individual, not some overseas place masquerading as an individual. If they have 500+ products for sale, that's one clue :-) There are good overseas individual sellers, however.

If someone knows of a source for quality fabric, I would appreciate knowing it. The fabric in fabric stores is now as shoddy as that in ready made clothes.
Last edited by mouses on Fri Aug 05, 2016 7:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
rs899
Posts: 99
Joined: Thu May 17, 2012 7:52 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by rs899 »

Found a new in the box Braun juicer made in Germany juicer to back up the one my wife has been using daily for 15 years. $8 at Goodwill. We are set for life on that. Also Cuisinart food processors, one a Robot Coupe made in France. Avoid Chinese junk if you can.
User avatar
nisiprius
Advisory Board
Posts: 52215
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:33 am
Location: The terrestrial, globular, planetary hunk of matter, flattened at the poles, is my abode.--O. Henry

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by nisiprius »

mouses wrote:A lot of things that used to be well made are now shoddy.

GE appliances, for example, which my family bought for decades, have dropped drastically in quality.
Hah! Tell me about it. Our first microwave, bought in the 1970s, was made by GE--600 watts!--and lasted something like twenty-five or thirty years. The next two, also "made by GE," lasted less than two years each and failed with, literally, a bang! and a puff of smoke. Once could be just "stuff happens," but not twice.

And our GE dishwasher--the one we replaced with a Bosch last year. The main motor failed. The front control panel failed (went crazy, push one button and the light for another button lit up). Being diehard "just pay to fix it, $300 to fix it is less than $1,000 to replace it" we had it repaired. About three years later the front panel went crazy again. And... it did such a lousy job of cleaning that my wife routinely set it to "cookware" in order to get the visible dirt off, and every patterned piece we had faded.

It's not just that stuff is shoddy, it's also unpredictable. Seemingly, not only do U.S. companies not make stuff, they don't seem to exercise any control over what they slap their names on. You'll buy something and it will be well made, so you'll buy more from the same company and it will be awful.

In the case of clothing, too, each change of "real" supplier always seems to mean a subtle change in fit. It used to be that if you ordered something from Land's End and it fit, you could just keep ordering the same thing again and again... and other Land's End things with the same sizing... and they would fit, too. Not any more.
Last edited by nisiprius on Fri Aug 05, 2016 12:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
User avatar
nisiprius
Advisory Board
Posts: 52215
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:33 am
Location: The terrestrial, globular, planetary hunk of matter, flattened at the poles, is my abode.--O. Henry

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by nisiprius »

I use the Vermont Country Store from time to time. Their stuff is somewhat overpriced, but they do specialize in "don't-make-'em-anymore" items (which are, usually, "don't-distribute-'em-anymore" items) and they are your typical modern good-internet-service operation.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
PowDay
Posts: 320
Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:43 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by PowDay »

I'm 100% behind "buy once cry once " and investing in quality products, but keep in mind that Survivor ship Bias influences a lot of product recommendations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias
finite_difference
Posts: 3633
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 7:00 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by finite_difference »

For athletic wear, Under Armour is very high quality and lasts a long time.
The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. - Thich Nhat Hanh
User avatar
nisiprius
Advisory Board
Posts: 52215
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:33 am
Location: The terrestrial, globular, planetary hunk of matter, flattened at the poles, is my abode.--O. Henry

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by nisiprius »

Just for the record, though. Cars. They're great now. Way better than they used to be.

It seems as if they last "forever" now. Our last trade-in was eleven years old in good running condition, no problems passing inspection--we traded it in because we just wanted a new one, and because we wanted one with all the spiffy new driver-assist features. (Our old one didn't have VSC, for example, and that was starting to nag at me).

They don't make 'em like they used to, and that's a good thing.

Anyone familiar with what cars were like in the sixties, seventies, and eighties has to be astonished at the quality and durability of modern cars--and their ability to say in tune and start reliably in winter. And their rust-resistance. And their ability to last ten years and still not burn oil (although I've read that's starting to be a problem again).

My beloved 1967 Dodge Dart--and I paid extra for dealer undercoating, I was young and gullible--started to have visible rust on the hood and the bottom edge of the door and the rocker panels in just a few years. At about seven years, the floor rusted through in a spot. About a year later the hole was so big the rubber floor mat no longer seemed like adequate protection and we paid to have a plate welded on. About a year later it started emitting seriously visible and embarrassing clouds of blue smoke.

Oh, tires are much better now, too.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
Rupert
Posts: 4122
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 12:01 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Rupert »

Just as some things should last forever, other things most definitely should not. I would put toilet brushes in the latter category. Yes, they can get more gross after the first use. Bacteria multiply -- a lot. So buy a cheap toilet brush from Dollar Tree and throw it away regularly. Or stop using toilet brushes altogether. Elbow-length, industrial-strength gloves combined with Clorox wipes do a great job cleaning the toilet bowl.
User avatar
black jack
Posts: 806
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:13 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by black jack »

mouses wrote:A lot of things that used to be well made are now shoddy.
nisiprius wrote:I use the Vermont Country Store from time to time. Their stuff is somewhat overpriced..
The reason that it seems that a lot of things are no longer made as well as they used to be made is that, adjusted for inflation, we are paying a fraction of what we used to pay for them. If you are willing to pay, proportionately, what you paid 40 years ago for products, you will often get products that are just as durable, and likely better in performance, than their predecessors.

And many of the new and incredibly cheap products are quite good. I marvel at wrenches when I go to the big box hardware stores: you can buy a set of wrenches for not much more than you'd have paid for a single wrench eons ago, and they are well made.
We cannot absolutely prove [that they are wrong who say] that we have seen our best days. But so said all who came before us, and with just as much apparent reason. | -T. B. Macaulay (1800-1859)
User avatar
coachz
Posts: 1048
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:10 am
Location: Charleston, SC

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by coachz »

Speed Queen washers/dryers
furnace
Posts: 357
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:38 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by furnace »

nisiprius wrote:Just for the record, though. Cars. They're great now. Way better than they used to be.

It seems as if they last "forever" now. Our last trade-in was eleven years old in good running condition, no problems passing inspection--we traded it in because we just wanted a new one, and because we wanted one with all the spiffy new driver-assist features. (Our old one didn't have VSC, for example, and that was starting to nag at me).
People keep cars - on average- longer than they keep their houses :shock:

Items are becoming computerized and electronics-heavy. Once something happens the the circuit board, and it doesn't take much, the item is generally toast. I look for items with as few bells and whistles as possible, in the hope of having things last longer.

There is a case to made for buying "disposable" items, versus "forever" items, however. For items where you use infrequently, and where the importance of the task is low, it may make sense to buy "cheap." For me, a garden hose is one such item. I am okay replacing it after a few years, or not at all, if it leaks at the connection point or it kinks -- all for $20.

The life of an item is also greatly impacted by use and care, in addition to manufacturing quality. What I have noticed is, some people neglect their things and as a result their things neglect to function. One example is a gas powered lawn mower, which sometimes doesn't start after a long winter. If you feed the mower with non-ethanol gas, change the oil, clean, keep it indoors, it can last much longer.
User avatar
BL
Posts: 9874
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 1:28 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by BL »

mouses wrote:
If someone knows of a source for quality fabric, I would appreciate knowing it. The fabric in fabric stores is now as shoddy as that in ready made clothes.
http://www.michaelsfabrics.com/ good but expensive (sometimes have less expensive but quality bulk bundles/grab bags )

https://www.voguefabricsstore.com/ good but not cheap

Find a fabric forum such as PatternReview.com and ask a detailed question.
Mingus
Posts: 696
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2013 2:25 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Mingus »

Rupert wrote: Or stop using toilet brushes altogether. Elbow-length, industrial-strength gloves combined with Clorox wipes do a great job cleaning the toilet bowl.
That is 10,000% unnecessary.

A toilet brush is 100% adequate.
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by stoptothink »

nisiprius wrote:
mouses wrote:A lot of things that used to be well made are now shoddy.

GE appliances, for example, which my family bought for decades, have dropped drastically in quality.
Hah! Tell me about it. Our first microwave, bought in the 1970s, was made by GE--600 watts!--and lasted something like twenty-five or thirty years. The next two, also made by GE, lasted less than two years each and failed with, literally, a bang! and a puff of smoke. And don't get me started on the GE dishwasher--the one we replaced with a Bosch last year. Oops. Too late. The main motor failed. The front control panel failed (went crazy, push one button and the light for another button lit up). Being diehard "just pay to fix it, $300 to fix it is less than $1,000 to replace it" we had it repaired. About three years later the front panel went crazy again. And... it did such a lousy job of cleaning that my wife routinely set it to "cookware" in order to get the visible dirt off, and every patterned piece we had faded.

It's not just that stuff is shoddy, it's also unpredictable. Seemingly, not only do U.S. companies not make stuff, they don't seem to exercise any control over what they slap their names on. You'll buy something and it will be well made, so you'll buy more from the same company and it will be awful.

In the case of clothing, too, each change of "real" supplier always seems to mean a subtle change in fit. It used to be that if you ordered something from Land's End and it fit, you could just keep ordering the same thing again and again... and other Land's End things with the same sizing... and they would fit, too. Not any more.
We bought our home last December. It was built in '13 so the GE appliances are all of 3yrs old. In 9 months we've had to have a repairman come work on the refrigerator and the dishwasher, microwave had to be totally replaced (absolute nightmare dealing with the warranty), and we have our fingers crossed about the oven/stovetop. In the same timespan, we also had two brand-new clothes washers fail (thankfully under warranty), though they were not GE. I honestly can't remember ever having to fix or repair an appliance as an adult and I left home almost 20yrs ago; we've had 5 in 9 months in our new home. New appliances are absolute garbage, and GE in particular.
Random Poster
Posts: 3314
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:17 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Random Poster »

Any toy store sells Lego---and they certainly seem to last forever.

(Being engineered to be backwards compatible, even with new designs and parts, is ingenious. Bricks and plates that are 30 years old fit perfectly with stuff I bought last week. They are simply the best toy ever made, in my view).
Random Poster
Posts: 3314
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:17 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Random Poster »

nisiprius wrote:In the case of clothing, too, each change of "real" supplier always seems to mean a subtle change in fit. It used to be that if you ordered something from Land's End and it fit, you could just keep ordering the same thing again and again... and other Land's End things with the same sizing... and they would fit, too. Not any more.

The other issue with Lands' End is that the material isn't the same as it was, even just a year or so ago.

The cotton in their khakis seems to have gotten thinner, the shirts don't feel the same, and so on. Buying clothes without trying them on is already a bit of a gamble; why does Lands' End want to make it even more of one?
Rupert
Posts: 4122
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 12:01 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Rupert »

Mingus wrote:
Rupert wrote: Or stop using toilet brushes altogether. Elbow-length, industrial-strength gloves combined with Clorox wipes do a great job cleaning the toilet bowl.
That is 10,000% unnecessary.

A toilet brush is 100% adequate.
100% adequate for what, culturing bacteria? To each his own. :beer
jharkin
Posts: 3469
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2016 7:14 am
Location: Boston suburbs

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by jharkin »

furnace wrote: The life of an item is also greatly impacted by use and care, in addition to manufacturing quality. What I have noticed is, some people neglect their things and as a result their things neglect to function. One example is a gas powered lawn mower, which sometimes doesn't start after a long winter. If you feed the mower with non-ethanol gas, change the oil, clean, keep it indoors, it can last much longer.

The ethanol kills small engines myth, is just that - a myth.

Mowers are hard to start when you leave untreated gas in them all winter and the volatiles evaporate off and it goes stale. Best bet is to drain the carb dry before storage, rotate you gas supply in well sealed airtight cans, and treat it with stabilizer if you are going to keep it on hand more than a couple months.
Naismith
Posts: 530
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 2:58 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Naismith »

I buy all my kitchen utensils (peelers, cutting boards, whisks, etc.) at a restaurant supply store. Lower price and higher quality to be sure.

I appreciate the sentiment in the OP. I went through the saga of finding a good manual can opener a while back, and it was indeed frustrating.
SuperGrafx
Posts: 269
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:36 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by SuperGrafx »

You can add Mason Jars (though you do have to replace the metal lids each time you can) and those US-made Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixers to the mix.

These things will last forever and are well made.

My mother has her 1980's era Kitchen-Aid mixer still going strong. Never once had an issue despite years of heavy use.
S&L1940
Posts: 1658
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 11:19 pm
Location: South Florida

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by S&L1940 »

Random Poster wrote:
nisiprius wrote:In the case of clothing, too, each change of "real" supplier always seems to mean a subtle change in fit. It used to be that if you ordered something from Land's End and it fit, you could just keep ordering the same thing again and again... and other Land's End things with the same sizing... and they would fit, too. Not any more.
The other issue with Lands' End is that the material isn't the same as it was, even just a year or so ago.
The cotton in their khakis seems to have gotten thinner, the shirts don't feel the same, and so on. Buying clothes without trying them on is already a bit of a gamble; why does Lands' End want to make it even more of one?
always bought Lands End because of the perfect fit. now, not so much. gotta try things on. same with New Balance; at one time I knew any model of their 4E width was just fine. now, not so much.
this can be a drag on online buying when quality and performance deteriorate. maybe a good selling point for the dwindling bricks and mortar retailers. even the big stuff, appliances, electronics, buy them local and returns and repairs may be easier - I hope...
Don't it always seem to go * That you don't know what you've got * Till it's gone
ddurrett896
Posts: 1712
Joined: Wed Nov 05, 2014 2:23 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by ddurrett896 »

jharkin wrote:
furnace wrote: The life of an item


The ethanol kills small engines myth, is just that - a myth.
You are partially righty, elthanol doesn't kill small engines, it kills everything that holds fuel in a carburetor.

I had a boat that sat for a few months and wouldn't start. Took apart the carb and there was green gunk, almost like algae inside.

Highly recommend buying an elethanol treatment and adding it to all fuel that goes into anything that isn't started weekly.

Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment - Concentrated Gas Formula 8 oz - Treats 128 Gallons https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D3IEIH2/re ... PxbT8E8975
Mingus
Posts: 696
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2013 2:25 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Mingus »

Rupert wrote:
Mingus wrote:
Rupert wrote: Or stop using toilet brushes altogether. Elbow-length, industrial-strength gloves combined with Clorox wipes do a great job cleaning the toilet bowl.
That is 10,000% unnecessary.

A toilet brush is 100% adequate.
100% adequate for what, culturing bacteria? To each his own. :beer
Unless you are brushing your teeth, combing your hair, or making soup stock with your used toilet brush, it doesn't matter.

Besides, ten minutes after sterilizing the inside of the toilet bowel with Clorox wipes the surface is going to be covered with bacteria anyways. There is no way around it, unless you are going to commit to sterilizing the inside of the toilet after every use.
User avatar
SmileyFace
Posts: 9184
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:11 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by SmileyFace »

sunny_socal wrote:Quite often you get what you pay for. I've been a cheapskate for much of my life but I've found that spending a little more can ensure decent quality:
- Apple computers (yes, money very well spent)
- ASUS computers, routers
-
If forever is 40 years as defined by the OP these certainly don't fit into the category. Computers and routers get maybe 5 years of good life. After that time they are too old and slow for the latest applications and standards. Even simple web-browsing becomes a challenge on a computer that is 10 years old - slow CPU, not enough storage for anything, not enough memory, not supported by latest OS, not able to secure, etc.
mcraepat9
Posts: 1827
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2015 11:46 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by mcraepat9 »

obgraham wrote:Wusthof chef's knives. We got one for a wedding gift.

Still in daily use after 48 years.
Yes these are excellent. I hope never to replace them.
Amateur investors are not cool-headed logicians.
jharkin
Posts: 3469
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2016 7:14 am
Location: Boston suburbs

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by jharkin »

ddurrett896 wrote: You are partially righty, elthanol doesn't kill small engines, it kills everything that holds fuel in a carburetor.

I had a boat that sat for a few months and wouldn't start. Took apart the carb and there was green gunk, almost like algae inside.

Highly recommend buying an elethanol treatment and adding it to all fuel that goes into anything that isn't started weekly.

Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment - Concentrated Gas Formula 8 oz - Treats 128 Gallons https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D3IEIH2/re ... PxbT8E8975

Again, its not the ethanol that doing the damage. The seals in all carbs made in the last 20+ years are mostly Viton, which is a synthetic rubber that is impervious to alcohol. Also in that time the industry has eliminated plastics and certain metals that are suceptible to alcohol degradation.

The ethanol itself doesnt create gunk or residue. It actually burns far cleaner than gasoline. If you dont believe that, pour a spoonful of gas on a metal dish, and pour a spoon of rubbing alcohol on another dish, light them both and watch.

The "gunk" reputation that ethanol gets is actually because of the fact that its a very strong solvent that scrubs out gunk left over from years of poor quality gas causing varnish in older vehicles and power equipment. This churned up gunk gets trapped in the small pasages of a carb. A new production engine run on nothing but a quality detergent E10 blend will probably stay cleaner inside than anything we had in the 80s.

Water is mostly a non issue except for boats where you can get so much that it would be a problem even with pure gas. People read that ehtanol is hydroscopic (it attracts water) and assume that means it will cause rust. Actually the opposite is true, water will separate out of pure gas quite easily and sink to the bottom of your tank. Ethanol can hold over 10x as much water in suspension as gas and it will help prevent water settling. Ethanol is actually the active ingredient in DryGas for this very reason!

Most of these myths get started by mechanics in small engine shops because they started seeing problems with old equipment when E10 first came out and of course it was easier to just blame the new factor - ethanol - then to research what was really going on. Then the stories get repeated over and over again in the press and any contradictory explanation is labeled corn industry propaganda.

And I say all this as somebody who is not convinced there is any real end to end environmental benefit to ethanol the way its produced today . I just dont buy the hype that its a disaster.


There is a lot of reading about this online. Some concise explanations:
http://minnesotacornerstone.com/?p=3083
http://www.enginebuildermag.com/2015/04/ethanol/
Last edited by jharkin on Fri Aug 05, 2016 11:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Rupert
Posts: 4122
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 12:01 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Rupert »

Mingus wrote:
Rupert wrote:
Mingus wrote:
Rupert wrote: Or stop using toilet brushes altogether. Elbow-length, industrial-strength gloves combined with Clorox wipes do a great job cleaning the toilet bowl.
That is 10,000% unnecessary.

A toilet brush is 100% adequate.
100% adequate for what, culturing bacteria? To each his own. :beer
Unless you are brushing your teeth, combing your hair, or making soup stock with your used toilet brush, it doesn't matter.

Besides, ten minutes after sterilizing the inside of the toilet bowel with Clorox wipes the surface is going to be covered with bacteria anyways. There is no way around it, unless you are going to commit to sterilizing the inside of the toilet after every use.
I think you may be taking my comment a bit too seriously. Clorox wipes are convenient and are kept in the bathroom for cleaning other things, such as the counter top. Use paper towels if you prefer. But toilet brushes are nasty. Research it if you like; I actually have. There's no getting around the nastiness that lurks on toilet brushes. They should, as I noted, be thrown away and replaced often if you choose to use them. They're definitely not a lifetime investment item.
Mingus
Posts: 696
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2013 2:25 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by Mingus »

Rupert wrote:
Mingus wrote:
Rupert wrote:
Mingus wrote:
Rupert wrote: Or stop using toilet brushes altogether. Elbow-length, industrial-strength gloves combined with Clorox wipes do a great job cleaning the toilet bowl.
That is 10,000% unnecessary.

A toilet brush is 100% adequate.
100% adequate for what, culturing bacteria? To each his own. :beer
Unless you are brushing your teeth, combing your hair, or making soup stock with your used toilet brush, it doesn't matter.

Besides, ten minutes after sterilizing the inside of the toilet bowel with Clorox wipes the surface is going to be covered with bacteria anyways. There is no way around it, unless you are going to commit to sterilizing the inside of the toilet after every use.
I think you may be taking my comment a bit too seriously. Clorox wipes are convenient and are kept in the bathroom for cleaning other things, such as the counter top. Use paper towels if you prefer. But toilet brushes are nasty. Research it if you like; I actually have. There's no getting around the nastiness that lurks on toilet brushes. They should, as I noted, be thrown away and replaced often if you choose to use them. They're definitely not a lifetime investment item.
I don't think anyone ever in the history of the universe has thought or stated that a toilet brush is a lifetime investment item. And they are nasty. My statement is donning elbow length industrial strength rubber gloves and cleaning the toilet with clorox wipes is even nastier than a toilet brush. With little gain for much more effort.
User avatar
sunny_socal
Posts: 2732
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 4:22 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by sunny_socal »

Things like kitchen brushes and toilet brushes may be purchased at Ikea. Indeed they are cheap enough to be "single use" if you don't like keeping the dirty item. They're something like $1 each. And a dollar store would certainly have them for $1. Just don't buy them at your local grocery store, then they are $10! :shock:

More quality items:
- Ecco shoes
- Rolex watch (For watch lovers, the rest of you don't need to get one :wink: )
- Moccamaster coffee makers
- Kershaw and Victorinox knives
- Cutco kitchen knives
- Fiskars scissors (don't settle for knockoffs!)
- Streamlight flashlights
- Milwaukee power tools (saws, drills etc) (Avoid Black & Decker, Ryobi and other low end products)
- Miller/Hobart welders & helmets

You don't always "get what you pay for." For example BMW automobiles are the worst in terms of quality. I believe they are designed to last during the three years most people lease them and then fall apart. Everything is made of plastic. German automobiles in general are wonderful to drive but expect constant problems & expensive maintenance if you go down that road :|
User avatar
nisiprius
Advisory Board
Posts: 52215
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:33 am
Location: The terrestrial, globular, planetary hunk of matter, flattened at the poles, is my abode.--O. Henry

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by nisiprius »

black jack wrote:...
nisiprius wrote:I use the Vermont Country Store from time to time. Their stuff is somewhat overpriced..
The reason that it seems that a lot of things are no longer made as well as they used to be made is that, adjusted for inflation, we are paying a fraction of what we used to pay for them.
Although your point is well-taken, let me clarify. What I am saying is that I often can find the identical item at the Vermont Country Store and elsewhere, and I bother to search--because when I do, the Vermont Country Store's price is usually higher.

By the way, a couple of years ago my wife and I were on an extended road trip, which happened to take us through Vermont, and when I said to her "So what do we want to see in Vermont?" we realized that we both wanted to see the (physical) Vermont Country Store... and we enjoyed it. I wouldn't go out of my way for it. But, for example, we both enjoyed the Vermont Country Store (and bought a couple of things), whereas we were both repelled by Wall Drug.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
SuperGrafx
Posts: 269
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:36 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by SuperGrafx »

Add MAGLITE flashlights to the list (Made to last, affordable and made in the USA)
User avatar
telemark
Posts: 3389
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2012 6:35 am

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by telemark »

I have a canister vacuum cleaner I bought at Sears sometime in the 1980s. A few years ago it sprung a leak in the hose that connects the canister to the floor attachment. This isn't just any hose; it contains some electric wiring to power the beater in the attachment, with connections on each end. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was still possible to order a replacement part, not in the original color, but otherwise perfectly serviceable.

Which brings me to the problem: any company that sells stuff like that is going to have trouble staying in business.
takeshi
Posts: 1175
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 10:02 pm

Re: Where to find common items that last "forever"

Post by takeshi »

McCharley wrote:Is there a source for high quality household "stuff"?
Not a single source for everything. You need to do the research on each type of product you're looking into.
123 wrote:Anything electronic, not so much (though I still have my 40 year-old stereo receiver that mostly works).
They're unlikely to last forever but there are still potentially different lifespans for different product options.
sunny_socal wrote:Quite often you get what you pay for.
Quite often quality comes at a price but price doesn't guarantee quality. Don't assume based solely on price.
Post Reply