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Every? There are are buy-it-for-life producers. Examples, Alden shoes, Snap-on wrenches, Fluke meters. With most Toyotas and Hondas you’ll tire of them before t

Every? There are are buy-it-for-life producers. Examples, Alden shoes, Snap-on wrenches, Fluke meters. With most Toyotas and Hondas you’ll tire of them before they wear out if keep them minimally maintained. Basic kitchen equipment will not fail over several lifetimes. A moderately priced stainless pan will last. Decent knives will eventually wear away from repeated sharpening but I bet if you bought one today it would be in your estate as long as you don't use it for pry bar or a screw driver

dreamcompiler 7y ago
Fair point and good examples. But those are all old companies. How many new companies (companies formed in the last 10 years) make long-lived hardware products?
dsfyu404ed 7y ago
All the brands you just listed are not examples of "buy it for life" engineering. I dunno about the shoes but Snap On isn't really great quality anymore. The Chinese have closed the gap. Fluke, Honda and to a greater extent Toyota are all steadily moving toward more disposable products. The cheap Chinese kitchen stuff you mentioned is actually the most durable item because in order to stand up to occasional abuse without being damaged it needs to be so overbuild that it can last lifetimes. That's simply a function of the design requirements, not any particular manufacturer's attitude though.
- benj111 7y ago
  "Snap On isn't really great quality anymore. The Chinese have closed the gap" That doesn't mean Snap On isn't 'buy it for life' though. That means the Chinese are too. You raise a good point though. Its very hard to evaluate a product that's supposed to last a life time, until you've had it a lifetime. So the benefits to a manufacturer are slow to accrue, but they're also slow to dispel, so there's massive temptation to cut corners and rely on that reputation, while lowering costs. It'll be interesting to see how the EV market works out. You have a product that could last for life (with battery replacements). I suspect they'll be viewed, by the manufacturer at least, as disposable when the battery goes.
  - acct1771 7y ago
    Snap On IS the Chinese.

dreamcompiler 7y ago

Fair point and good examples. But those are all old companies. How many new companies (companies formed in the last 10 years) make long-lived hardware products?

dsfyu404ed 7y ago

All the brands you just listed are not examples of "buy it for life" engineering. I dunno about the shoes but Snap On isn't really great quality anymore. The Chinese have closed the gap. Fluke, Honda and to a greater extent Toyota are all steadily moving toward more disposable products. The cheap Chinese kitchen stuff you mentioned is actually the most durable item because in order to stand up to occasional abuse without being damaged it needs to be so overbuild that it can last lifetimes. That's simply a function of the design requirements, not any particular manufacturer's attitude though.

benj111 7y ago
"Snap On isn't really great quality anymore. The Chinese have closed the gap" That doesn't mean Snap On isn't 'buy it for life' though. That means the Chinese are too. You raise a good point though. Its very hard to evaluate a product that's supposed to last a life time, until you've had it a lifetime. So the benefits to a manufacturer are slow to accrue, but they're also slow to dispel, so there's massive temptation to cut corners and rely on that reputation, while lowering costs. It'll be interesting to see how the EV market works out. You have a product that could last for life (with battery replacements). I suspect they'll be viewed, by the manufacturer at least, as disposable when the battery goes.
- acct1771 7y ago
  Snap On IS the Chinese.