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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

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 8y 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 8y ago
  Snap On IS the Chinese.