What are the "AK-47" of items? (cheap, durable, just works)
What are the "AK-47" of items? (cheap, durable, just works)
This is not a conversation about guns. This is a conversation about items that have withstood abuse that are near unbreakable.
Some items I have heard referenced as AK47 of:
Gerber MP600: It's a multi tool
Old Thinkpad Laptops
Mag lights
Toyota Hilux
panasonic microwave from 1996. I hope i don't jinx it by posting about it here. Gigabyte Ultra Durable mainboards. IBM Model M keyboard PROXXON tools
Those old Panasonic microwaves are so good. My parents just had to replace the one they’ve had since the 80s.
Also, this is an old meme, and a bit outdated for our times, but no one has mentioned it so ill do it. The Nokia 3310. Truly the AK-47 of phones.
My 99 honda civic had nearly 250,000 miles on it the day that it was stolen. When it was found, the thieves had gutted the dashboard of electronics and had removed wheels and other parts. When it was discovered by the police, they towed it to the city in-pound lot and failed to contact me for a couple days because the license plate had been painted over for some reason.
Unfortunately the lot and towing fees ended up being more than what I paid for the car. I wasnt very well off at the time, so I surrendered it to the city. I assumed it would be scrapped for parts.
6 months later it was served to me in ad for Facebook Marketplace. Some guy had fixed it up and had been driving it regularly for months with no issue.
I still wish that I had bought it from him. I fuckin loved that car. I used it to deliver pizzas for 2 years, so i wasnt even that easy on it. I never had a major engine or transmission issue with it and the minor issues that I had were easy for me to fix myself. I bet it's still running out there somewhere.
Should have gone to court over it. It was stolen, not your fault at all.
There's magic in those old 90s Hondas, I've seen it. I had a stripped valve cover bolt and couldn't figure out how I could fix it short of a head replacement. The answer? Plug it with a rubber and metal washer sandwich and a bolt, and tighten the ones next to it a lil more. Never leaked. Thing was a champ
I think every Swedish household i've ever been in has owned the same Moccamaster coffee brewer for over 15 years. My parents have had the same one for over 20 years probably, swear those are indestructible.
The P4$.FL 44 BF.A OBVIOUSLY guys why has no one mentioned it? Jesus Christ it's like you want them to break!
^The comments in this thread
Carolina Outdoor Work Boots.
Like wearing a bulletproof vest on your feet.
Thank you for the recommendation :)
I've been searching for steel toes ever since I was burned by Red Wings.
Sony MDR-V6. I've had them for 15+ years, only had to change ear pads to velour ones after the first 5 years of use, after that 10+ years, no issues.
That metal toaster we got for a wedding present. It was apparently someone's parents wedding present from the 60's. We had it for several years until a friend jammed a bagel in it and melted the cord. I replaced the cord and we used it for another several years before losing it in a move.
I like to believe someone found it and it is still toasting to this day.
Was it one of those automatic toasters? Technology connections made a video on it.
Aeropress coffee maker.
Its like 20$, works really well, very simple design with few things to break.
What's a French press? I've only seen drip pots in my life so I'm completely ignorant to the coffee world.
There is a Sub-Lem for that: https://slrpnk.net/c/buyitforlife
Thank you!
I thought we called them communities, but honestly I like sub-lem better. Let's switch if we haven't already.
Gotta be the KitchenAid mixers no? Especially the older ones. I have a friend that has one from his grandma that's over 50 years old. If anything breaks, it's usually a gear or something simple to fix, and the parts are easy to buy and generally cheap.
The mixers are not exactly cheap though… and their other stuff is now mostly made from plastic (like the food processors for example)
I've managed to get a hold of 3 of the old ones through garage or estate sales, but yeah the ones that are brand new have plastic parts in them which drives me crazy. But you can at least 3d print what you're missing
Shure SM58/57
SM57s still can get roughed up pretty bad with the plastic covering on the front of the mic (especially if miking a snare drum with a less than precise drummer). SM58 will survive a nuclear war.
Bodum French Press
Dynavap DHV
Buffalo Bicycles
Vitamix Blender
I can't find "DHV", I guess that's an old model? What would you recommend for something modern that "just works"?
DHV = dry herb vape.
All the dynavaps share the same rip so pick any one you like. I just use the basic stainless one.
If I were to get a new one today I would likely get the TinyMight v2. However I cannot speak for its reliability as I don't have one.
Cast iron skillets.
If you season and clean them the right way they will outlive you.
I'm using the same one that my parents owned for 30 years and hope I will get another 30 years of usage out of it.
We have one my great-grandma got before WWI that we use several times a week.
Same goes for carbon steel. Unless you’re frying sticks of dynamite they are practically indestructible.
I think there's only 2 ways to actually kill a cast iron pan. Dropping from a height that causes the brittle metal to break, or putting lead in it. Obviously no one puts lead in their cooking vessels, but small pots are/were used to melt lead to pour in bullet molds, so if you find an old used pot, it's good to check for lead.
Also, ceramic linings can get chipped.
You can mistreat bare cast iron horribly, never seasoning it, washing it in the dishwasher, or whatever, and it won't get irredeemably damaged.
Unless you put them in the dishwasher
If someone puts my cast iron in the dishwasher the cast iron will still outlive them
Thats the beauty of cast iron though. Even putting it through the dishwasher doesnt ruin the pan permanently. You just have to re-season it.
As long as you don’t use a heated dry it’s pretty much fine tbh. If any rusts you just wipe it down or sand it and re season
Concept2 rowing machines. Even if they break, you can still buy spare parts at reasonable rates even for the very first model, which is decades old and only sold a few copies. Fantastic engineering.
Hold their value like crazy too even if you don't like them you likely lose nothing if not very very little.
It's a real baader-meinhoff phenomenon: once you notice them, you notice that every gym has them.
I've been interested in this subject for a while and have a few recommendations.
Stanley Thermos. It could get hit by a fucking train and would still outlive you. Don't recommend putting cofee/milk products etc in them though because it will make the gasket smell. Excellent water container though.
Double edged straight razor. The handle piece is virtually indestructible. I bought a package of like 500 blades for like 30 dollars and haven't had to buy new ones for actual years. Fun fact as well, once you learn to use one it's better for sensitive skin because you're only dragging one razor across your skin per stroke instead of 5 or 7 or whatever the fuck the "better" ones have. Can confirm the "more blades = better" shit is just pure predatory marketing.
Buck knife. Multi tools are cool but if you tend to use the knife often, invest in a higher quality knife and stones to sharpen it. Sharpening stones (not the crap ceramic stuff they try to sell) will last a lifetime and will also keep all your kitchen knives beautiful for years. While you're up to it, get a piece of raw leather, like the back of of an old belt, and use it as a strop to polish off the blade when you're done sharpening, it really does make the cut smoother.
People say Mag light, but I'd personally recommend Olight as well for flashlights. The Olight Baton 4 is a ~600 lumen adjustable brightness flashlight with strobe which will blind you if you aren't careful and its smaller than a pill bottle and comes with a reversible clip and inset magnet in case you need to stick it somewhere to keep the light steady.
A graphite metal "magic" pencil. Instead of using normal graphite, these metal bodied pencils have end pieces you screw in as a tip, are erasable, and one nib takes forever to run out, something like 5 pencils. They dont draw as dark as a regular pencil due to the hardness but for general usage they are handy.
Mighty plugs ear plugs. Want to know what it's like to be deaf? Buy these. They aren't too costly, completely seal the ear, and I only have to get a new package once every few years. They're so effective I had to purchase an alarm clock built for deaf people which shakes my mattress instead of making a sound because I couldn't hear any normal alarm clock after I started using these. This combination is unbeatable if you have awful neighbors or live on a busy street with night traffic.
Any self winding watch. Stop fucking around with button cell batteries and evolve. If it's cheap, that's probably better, if it gets scratched you don't have to care. Seiko is a good brand in my experience.
If you're into camping get a decent mid sized carving hatchet. I have a mid sized Hultafors swedish steel one. People like splitting axes because they do what they're advertised to do, but theyre huge, heavy, and you cant carve or skin with them. A lighter smaller carving axe will do the same job splitting a log if you baton it with a medium sized stick. If you need something bigger to cut down a tree, go for a curved folding saw to bring with the hatchet. The Silky Saw Big Boy is great for that. Also buy a wool blanket. That shit will keep you warm in -35 C if you use it correctly. Also tents are neat but cumbersome, instead invest in a tarp and learn to make a lean to/other tarp configurations in combination with a ground sheet. If you expect you'll be facing inclement or extremely wet weather, get an oilskin tarp (or make one yourself its literally just a cotton sheet which you have ran through a few dryer cycles as hot as possible, and then soaked through in a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits and hung outside until completely dry. Don't put an open flame near it at any point in that process).
I probably have a bunch more, but can't think of them off the top of my head.
Just bought some earplugs. They better be legit! I use silicone earplugs right now and they’re okay but on nights when my husband is really stuffy, he’s like a chainsaw.
Wait, you're saying not to use coffee in a Stanley thermos?? Even if I don't have milk in it too? What's it for then, only soup?
Yea or water is what I primarily use it for. You CAN put coffee and such in there however, you will want to take off the gasket and clean the hell out of it. It absorbs smells quite strongly. You could also probably get a different gasket which is not as bad for it. Should the gasket begin to smell, I recommend soaking it over night in vinegar, and then another night in water. This really seems to suck the smell out of it.
I'm totally fed up with the usual 5-bladed razor crap from Gillette and especially Wilkinson. But I've always been to afraid to use an old school double-edged razor because I only, blindly, shave my head with it and maybe my pubes. Seems more risky. Any advice / recommendations?
I've been getting the razors from Aldi's for when I (rarely) clean shave. Can't tell the difference from the "fancy" brands
It's like anything, you get used to it after some practice. Definitely not as daunting as you think.
You can either start with one of the milder razors sold by Edwin Jagger, Muhle or Merkur and pair with a moderate blade such as the Gillette Silver Blue OR get a good adjustable razor such as the Merkur Progress or Merkur Future and again pair with a moderate blade. Do not start with Feather blades.
I've been shaving my head and my balls with safety razors for like 15 years. Get some nice soap like sandalwood, cedar, lavender, frankincense, sasquatch or whatever name they're calling it these days and make a lather on your body in the shower. A lather from actual soap is critical to avoiding nicks, cuts, and especially razor burn. Use a new blade and gently drag the razor across your skin. Use short strokes, not long passes. Clean the razor. Add more lather when needed. Don't press hard or move the razor sideways or diagonally. That's how you cut yourself. Watch out and take care for any bumps and rounded corners, like warts, the back of your jaw, or any sagittal crest you may have. Hold the razor with one hand and use the other to feel for hair and smoothness. Make a pass with the grain and another against the grain. Reapply lather between passes.
Maybe before you begin, shave a little hair off your arm or leg to test the angle you hold the razor. The sensation of individual hairs being cut will be tactile and satisfying. When it's right, it'll feel right.
Get a sharps container for used blades. It'll take a lifetime to fill. Blades only cost like a dime, so just treat yourself and use a new one every time.
It ain't too difficult. Just be gentle, take short and slow strokes, feel your way around, and don't shave dry skin. You may be surprised how easy it is. They're called safety razors for a reason.
Its a matter of practice. Just know that as long as you only move the razor in a straight line and dont wobble it side to side, you cant fuck up too bad. You want to learn to hold the razor such that it is always meeting the surface of your skin at a 45 degree angle, use very short strokes, and use your other hand to pull your skin taught.
You also want to remember that, especially when starting out, you dont have to do a great job on the first or even second pass. Do the best you can, and if there is still hair, just re-apply shaving cream and go over those spots again. Eventually you get good enough you can get everything in a single pass most of the time.
There are some good videos on youtube where people have tutorials on learning to use one. Also because it cuts closer to the skin, you may want to invest in a face moisturizer in addition to an aftershave. Really helps to prevent ingrown hairs and makes your face feel amazing after shaving with one. For pubes/longer hair, I would shave with an electric shaver first to shorten the hairs, and then follow up with the razor.
Instead of a curved folding saw I prefer a rope saw. I've always been able to take down limbs and trees faster.
For those that don't know what that is, imagine a chainsaw chain with handles on either end.
have ran
have run
While this does appear to be a grammatical error, Wiktionary also lists it as a dialectical, nonstandard past participle of run, so it looks like some people use it depending on where they're from, including myself it seems.
I suppose I select ran as the past participle because in other cases where I use it in past tense, run does not sound correct to me.
For example where I am from, I would say someone "ran" from the police, instead of that someone "had run" from the police, so I default to this version of the word in these cases.
right?!?
Pre-2010 Toyota Corolla
Camry too.
Pre GM SAABs. I've personally gotten 2 of my 5 to over 1,000,000 miles on the original engine and transmission. Both manual transmission. A couple hundred of them have made it to 2,000,000 world wide. The lowest milage I killed a SAAB at was 789,000 miles. I hydroplaned into a semi on I-75, and the car still technically ran, but I gave it to my parents as a parts car. Just read the owners manual, and be absolutely religious about basic maintenance.
Oh, and the turbos don't like low octane fuel. It gums them up.
How does a turbo that intakes air get gummed up from low octane fuel? Maybe oil is the issue since turbos have oil seals. Maybe I'm missing some unknown factor on turbos.
Game Boys are usually regarded as durable as hell. There's even one that withstood bombing during the Gulf War (1991)
Me and my cousin went tubing one time and he forgot his gameboy color in his pocket the whole time we were out on the water. There was water behind the screen but it still booted and played with some fresh batteries
The Logitech x3d Xtreme or whatever the hell it's called. it's a $34 flight stick, best one you can get for cheap, and after having and abusing it for years it only had any issues after a rottweiler puppy chewed the cable. Would recommend.
Knipex Tools
Honda Engines.
I love some knipex. I've also had great luck with Icon tools. It's harbor freight's knock off versions of snap on, knipex, etc. They're built good, i abuse them and they keep going. And they have a lifetime warranty. Haven't tried the icon ratchets but I hear good things there too
I don't know if you can really call knipex cheap. Absolutely best value though.
The wrt54g. They don't make wifi routers like they used to.
I bought one specifically for DD-WRT firmware way back when. I now rock a gigabit mesh system but that wrt lasted almost a decade before tech moved on enough for me to switch.
I ran Tomato on mine. Liked it better than DD-WRT.
Can confirm with the old thinkpads. They're not great for gaming, but the keyboard, track pack, and eraser head are solid for writing and other office-like work.
Hmm, yes, "eraser head"... That's what I call it too.
I definitely don't call it the mouse clit. Who would call it that?
Certainly not me.
The old part really does a lot of work here. New ThinkPads are utter trash :-/
I got excited to get one for work (having heard about the old ones) and was sorely disappointed. It thermal throttles if you look at it wrong, it keeps having BIOS issues with Lenovo being no help and the USB-C display connection (To a Lenovo monitor with their inbuilt docking station!) is iffy.
Which series? T/P or one of the economy options? The T, X, W, and later on P series have been the only models people really like.
We have a few T series at work and they’re not bad. My T14 Gen. 1 doesn’t thermal throttle at all as long as its thermal paste isn’t toast. It will run at basically its full all core boost speeds all day long. The newer 12th Gen. machines dial their clocks back a smidge under full load, but that’s because they have 2x the cores of my measly 10th Gen. machine.
Also I have a T14s AMD and that thing is a BEAST for such a small machine. 35 watts out of an AMD 6 core is no slouch for something that small. And I easily get 7+ hours of battery life out of my abusive use.
I was just blaming the usb-c connection to my monitor and throttling on a combo of windows and corporate bloatware, I guess I feel a bit better that I'm not the only one.
The connection to my monitor is the most frustrating, sometimes won't even recognise it, sometimes after blanking the display it'll come back with the wrong resolution but still display like it was the original, it's super bizarre. Literally never had an issue with my personal Asus zenbook in either Debian or w11.
I had one that lasted for 12 years. By the end it was more of a media centre connected to my TV, but still.
How old? I want one, but there are a lot of models
I bought a T14 Gen 2 on eBay for about $250. It can play some older games like Morrowind, but I mostly use it for book writing, D&D games, video downloading/ripping/burning, browsing, and such.
I put Linux Mint on mine and it runs like a dream.
Quartz watches: Casio F-91w
Mechanical watches: Seiko 5+1 for the Seiko 5s. Love me a SNZG07J1
I have an old clock in my cottage. I got it years ago from a previous cottage I renovated. When I found it, the glass had broken so I just treated it as a piece of junk. I renovated that first cottage over a winter and left the clock there to freeze. I put in an AA battery and forgot about it. It kept time great and didn't lose time .... for about two years on the same battery!
The dammed thing outlasted every other wall clock I owned. So I kept it, removed the broken glass and just left it like that.
After about 15 years I still have it in my cottage and it freezes and thaws with the northern Canadian weather. And I've only ever changed the battery with the same basic energizer alkaline battery maybe four times!
I've never found a comparable clock anywhere. Every new clock I've ever bought either fail prematurely or I am constantly changing batteries every two or three months.
So far I've junked about a dozen new clocks because they stopped working while this old cottage clock just keeps ticking reliably.
I'm never getting rid of my cottage clock.
Any seiko really
I've been using the Casio W800 series (W800-H currently) for the past 12+ years. This is my 3rd watch, only because I simply lost the first two. However, it's about the 6th strap, so it's like the AK's strap.
I feel like I'm being baited to mention Nokia
I'm seriously considering buying a Nokia smart phone to use with LineageOS. I'm a big fan of shitty android phones anyway.
if they still ran on the phone network maybe
(Off-Topic) Does anybody have “anti-planned obsolescence” communities?
Maybe where good products are discussed or recommended? Similar to r/buyitforlofe but without the shilling of socks
Edit:
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- (Ger & Eng) [email protected]
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Classic Vitamix blender models. They just work. Long warranty. And even post warranty easily serviceable.
And for a buy-it-for-multiple-lifetimes citrus juicer to get juice for the blender, there’s the Nemco 55850.
Vitamix smell! Dontbreathis!
That's Blend-Tec not Vitamix lol
Funny enough this is the first video I ever watched on YouTube, back in 2007, after switching from Google Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qg1ckCkm8YI
They keep coming out with fancier models, but the 5200 still reigns supreme. Who needs programs on a blender?
Pinecil soldering iron. Cheap (only $26!), open source, portable, usbc powered. Even more powerful than $100 ones. I love that thing
Open source soldering iron? How does that work?
The tip heats up enough to melt solder.
it has software for the temp control and such
specifically: https://github.com/Ralim/IronOS
Thanks for the suggestion, I was looking at buying another soldering iron. I'm using a really obscure brand one that I got from my dad and that I have been using since I was around 8 (30 years ago).
I can only get replacement tips in South Africa so was looking for something with more support.
Salt.
- Nearly every recipe uses it
- infinite shelf life (durable)
- cheap as heck.
It's funny how it used to be expensive. In Danish we have a saying to say someone is poor if "they can't even afford salt for their egg", as if an egg is cheaper than salt. Because it actually used to be that way.
- Keeps demons away
why didn't they fill a Hula hoop with rock salt, so the ghosts and whatever couldn't blow it away
Good take on the question
Akai 4000ds Reel to Reel tape player. So many are still working, built like a tank. They're super cheap on the used market.
My Yamaha f310 guitar. It's supposed to be a beginner model, but I never felt the need for anything else. Took it with me traveling and after some 15000km on the road still sounds as on its first day.
Yes! I bought mine in 2004, it was the only proper steel string guitar that I could afford at the time. And it is a really good guitar. There has been zero need for any adjustments, the only replaced part (excluding strings, of course) is a single tuning peg. I was drunk and slipped while I was playing, the guitar hit the floor first but miraculously there was no other damage.
A friend of mine was a guitar tech/roadie for Dio and Metallica in his youth and when he tried the F310 his opinion was that "This isn't a bad guitar at all, actually it sounds a lot like my own Martin back home. You really might want to hold on to this one."
Yamaha makes the best guitar for the money.
The instrument I probably play the most is a nylon string Yamaha with a great dual pickup/mic that I got for $100 at a pawn shop. It has some cosmetic wear, but that's a bonus in my opinion.
Swiss army knives. You'll find at least one in everyone's bedside drawer or junk drawer.
Ive found them dull all the time, but never broken
The TSA confiscates tens of thousands of these things
Ive found them dull all the time, but never broken
Victorinox uses a steel that favours corrosion resistance over hardness. They're easy to sharpen though, I've even used the underside of a ceramic coffee cup.
The Shure SM52 microphone (it used to be called the 58 but lost 6 due to budget cuts or something I dunno)
You might not have heard of it, but if you've been to a live gig, chances are you've seen one
If youre ever onstage and need a hammer but dont have one, just use an SM58
If you’re a musician or audio tech trying to get started, the Shure SM58 and SM57 are the first two mics you should grab. 58 for vocals, and 57 for anything that doesn’t need a screen (like an instrument or guitar amp.) Both have the exact same mic capsule, but the 58 has a larger filter that will make it a little warmer and less prone to popping on plosives.
Are there fancier mics out there that sound better, or are made for specific purposes? Yeah. But there’s diminishing returns on audio quality, you can’t use them for as many things, and more sensitive mics are also more fragile. For $100 each, you can get some mics that will be passed down to your grandchildren. If you’re trying to cover the widest possible range of uses, the 58 and 57 are your go-to mics.
Whenever you think of a stereotypical 🎤 microphone, you’re 100% thinking of a Shure SM58.
You probably meant the SM58. The 58 is the prototypical singer's mic.
The sm58 is the microphone, if you ask a kid to draw a mic, the kid will draw the sm58.
Aye you're right I do!
And the SM57 for things you don't need a screen on.
KitchenAid mixers before they got cheap
I inherited a 6" Wilton vise from my dad. He's still alive but I convinced him to pass it on to me early because I had a couple projects it would be super helpful on. And maybe a little bit to beat my siblings to the punch.
Zippo lighters.
My dad also has a Lincoln Electric welder that will last to pass onto another generation or two. He still uses it though and again, I probably have a sibling or two who would also appreciate having it.
zippo lighters
I've never had any luck with zippos, whenever I tried to use it it wouldn't work and I had to refill it. I hear you have to use them often but I'm not a smoker or arsonist so will only use a lighter maybe once a month. Any tips or recommendations for lighters that you don't have to use often but will last longer than a cheap disposable one?
Use a butane insert. Still refillable but it's sealed in well enough to last years of infrequent use.
Get a cheap disposable one. If you really don't use it often the cost of an unused reusable thing is greater than buying disposable.
You can get butane and arc lighter inserts for zippo shells. I've had the arc lighter for going on 3 years, I've only had to charge it 5 times, it's gone through the wash twice now and it's still working great.
Bought my best friend the butane one the same time. She's a heavy smoker, not only is it her conversion starter but apparently it's been cheaper than buying bics.
The EV 635A. Built. To. Last.
http://recordinghacks.com/reviews/tapeop/electro-voice-635a/
I swear to god - on a dare I used one as a hammer and it lost 0 range on the SA.
Toughest mic and best DR of it's 1965 class. Still a viable non-phantom , mono drum or ambient mic.
True believer!
A discontinued product from AKG called the K-330. The sound, even though nothing to get excited about, was decent, but the durability of these, in my opinion is legendary. When I was a teenager, I was not careful with them at all, and would often forget them in my sweatpants pockets before throwing them into the washing machine, and that happened hundreds of times and it's not an exaggeration. The cable was mostly tangle free, while everyone else had to untangle their earbuds (something that most modern earbud cables can't seem to do as well). These went through abuse more than any other device I've ever owned, and they kept working no matter what. Audio quality wise, they are overpriced in my opinion (I think the MSRP was $100, but because not many bought them, I got them on sale as a teen), but the durability is Nokia level in my opinion.
AKG Q701 headphones also. I've been using the same pair for well over a decade.
I love my AKG Q702. I think there are almost identical to the Q701 but with a detachable cable so it can be easily replaced.
I've been using them almost everyday since 2020 and barely show any wear.
The only thing that wore out a bit is the elastic on the side but I don't really notice a difference.
My only example are zippos
Honest question, how long is the fluid supposed to last? And I'm not talking about burning time. I have a zippo, I fill it, a few weeks later I go to use it and the flame lasts a few seconds as the fuel finishes.
You need to recharge it like every week, no need to be "zippo fuel" with any crappy benzine its ok. Its hard to get out of fuel by use, use it or not will last allmost the same time.
I would say that most Ryobi One+ tools fall into this category. Cheap and I've never had one fail where I wasn't using it far beyond it's design parameters. Others are more comfortable to use for extended periods, but they are also usually more expensive. That said, there are apparently a few stinkers in their mix, a dust buster style vacuum comes to mind, but I've not run into many.
Yeah, Ryobi had a bad reputation for a long time, because they’re old (dark blue) tools were hot garbage. But when they were bought out by TTI (and they changed the color to the bright green) all the tools started getting made on the same production line as Milwaukee (also owned by TTI). The QA is a little looser on the Ryobi stuff, but it’s all sourced from the same place as the (much more expensive) Milwaukee tools that many people swear by. If I remember correctly, TTI also owns Ridgid.
It’s basically the Lexus/Toyota thing, where they’re both owned and manufactured by the same parent company, but the Lexus brand is much more expensive just because it’s marketed as luxury. You can get a Toyota for half the price of a Lexus, and find the same quality as a Lexus. And for the insanely cheap price and wide range of available tools, it’s hard to go wrong with Ryobi. The Ryobi may not stand up to the same level of abuse as other (more expensive) brands. But the average person isn’t a construction worker using and abusing their tools for 9 hours a day. The average person just needs to occasionally drill a hole in the wall, or cut the occasional piece of lumber. And for that, the Ryobi is the way to go. Hell, even if you’re a hobbyist in the garage, Ryobi will likely be fine for what you need.
Just avoid their larger power tools, like the vacuums and lawn mowers. From what I know, those have a range of issues that haven’t been worked out yet.
For the price point and compatibility, it’s hard to beat them—especially if you’re okay with buying secondhand. I’ve pushed most of my One+ tools to their limits (not to mention a fair share of the even worse built Hart tools) and am always surprised how much they can do.
And before someone comments that they’re not as powerful as other TTI brands or DeWalts—yeah. I know. Most people also aren’t going to need the power that comes with those, either.
That being said, the vacuums are Ryobi’s weak spot. A lot of Ryobi users recommend buying other name-brand cordless vacs, and sticking an adapter on them. Their 40v lawnmowers and snowblowers used to also have a variety of issues, but it seems like the last few models have fixed those.
The tools sure, the batteries, trash.
Definently only old thinkpads. I had two new ones break on me so now I'm not buying them anymore. One had mouse pad just go numb, the other one had the left control key stop working. I don't even travel with the laptops. :)
My stationary keyboard has worked for like ten years, and so has my mouse....
yeh plus old should be specified probably... i got an x230 for this reason, changed 2 screens and both hdmi outs are dead (second one being on the dock)
very sad about that, it even has an easy access hdd drawer :(
Welly tin.
They're those cute tins filled with themed bandaids you can get at Walmart. Normally they're brightly colored and targeted to small kids. Not only are they pretty good fabric bandaids but the tin is really reliable as a homemade med pack for camping. Small, light, brightly colored, and stupidly durable. Had mine in my bag for about 5 years now and it hadn't even dented.
I use an Altoids tin for my first aid kid, for similar reasons. The damned things are basically indestructible as long as you’re not going out of your way to crush them. The one in my pocket right now is probably 5 or 6 years old. I prefer the smaller form factor, because I typically only pack for a few blisters or scrapes; Anything larger would be referred to the full first aid kit in my car.
I did the same for a while before the Stalker nerd in my lizard brain bought an AI-2 aid kit, gutted it, and converted it into a personal aid kit.
Google Pixel phones, with GraphineOS you can keep using it for a decade or more
Or, for longer, LineageOS
I was under the impression that Graphene OS stops support for Pixel models at the same time as Google does.
Is there a reason why nobody has ported postmarketos to any of the pixel devices?
You're correct, GrapheneOS is just for privacy and security, not to keep devices out of the landfill. LineageOS keeps devices up for super long. The first gen Pixel is still officially supported with Android 14, and I've seen an unofficial build for a Nexus 4, a 2012 phone...
Not without cracking it open to swap the battery.
A lot of them have pretty good PostmarketOS support too, so can double down as a Linux server if you ever move on to another devicd
I have a Galaxy S3 somewhere, which is apparently supported by PostmarketOS. Interesting.
Starrett tools. All of them. I've put them through Hell and back.
The original Japanese Boss HM-2 (1983-1988). Nasty, indestructible, cheap (at the time) and still in use today. There are death metal band out there still using a forty year old pedal.
Just about any Boss pedal
True but I've had an HM-2 since '85, so I can attest to the durability of that one.
Knit wool sweaters. You can get them for cheap at thrift stores, they are the brick shithouses of clothing. Warm as hell even when wet, safe around camp fires, and you look fly
If you store them with moth repellent.
MSI motherboards. I've seen one fail out of 1000+.
2 out of 3 I bought failed. One was due to bad power supply ruined the GPU slot but the other mustve been bad from being used on eBay for a reason. My main MSI board b450 gaming pro carbon max WiFi has been a tank.
1990s or 2000s era Volvo station wagon or sedan
I owned a 96 Volvo 960 for about 15 years before engine gave out with fixable problems ... I didn't have the money to get it fixed, sold it and from what I heard, the new owner is still driving the thing. (one potential buyer that wanted it was a young guy that wanted it for a demolition derby as he claimed that Volvos were great for this kind of use because they are indestructible in a crash. He said the engine is so well placed and protected that it would take several hits from other vehicles before being compromised)
Later bought a 2004 station wagon and other than a few minor problems (electrical issues that aren't critical to driving the car) and a bit of rust spots, it's still my daily driver. I met a young guy a few years ago that had a 1992 Volvo Station wagon with a million kms on it (the thing was covered in rust and looked like hell but it was still driveable)
I can confirm the durability! I had a 89 240 wagon, went cross country three times with it. It eventually met its end when I was car number 9 in a 13 car pile up. Total write off. But after all the smashing and spinning around, none of the three of us were injured and I had to turn the car off. I miss that car a lot.
Feel the same here ... I miss my 960 .. it was known as a diplomats car ... the thing was luxurious inside and it looked like a plain vehicle from the outside. And it could turn on a dime! I used to love being able to turn around on two lanes without doing a three point turn! I joked with my friends that it had a turning radius of a bicycle. The main reason I didn't want to sell it to the demolition derby guy was that I didn't want to see the car destroyed!
Yeah those things are built like tanks. I have friends that still drive 240s and they still work just fine even after a million miles
Estwing hammers. Not excessively expensive, but the kind of hammer you buy for life.
Used to be great now their is a lot better options most I've seen lately are no longer solid construction. They really seemed to only be good because their brand had no real competition long ago. Now there are better options.
Are there hammers you don't buy for life?
Plenty
Those cheaply made in china plastic handle one, it will break and fling itself across the room.
Zippo Lighters.
If you use it often, sure. If you don’t smoke and just occasionally need to light fires, get a butane conversion. It’s a replacement for the wick, which pops into the Zippo shell. It doesn’t evaporate over time since it’s sealed.
Electric insert too!
Red Wing Iron Rangers
Red wing Irish setters.
Rice cookers.You can get really simple ones that just work and due to little components they will last a while. IMO they're really worth it if you cook rice often or can't for the love of god not mess it up while cooking. They're really cheap as well.Other people are saying "cast iron" or other broad brands/categories, but this is the only one that doesn't fall under OP's request?? Nonsense.
The AK-47 is a specific product from the class of assault rifles, whereas “rice cooker” product class, not a specific product of a class.
Maybe the Nvidia GeForce 10xx cards? Super cheap compared to the 9xx cards, and still going strong!
Can confirm. I have a 1080ti and a 1070ti on my PCs. They can run just about any game comfortably at 1440p, which is my preferred resolution.
Fruit of the Loom men's briefs.
I buy a six-pack from Walmart every year. I don't think I've ever been so loyal to a brand.
a spoon
I see your spoon and raise to a spork!
The voxelab aquila "knockoff ender 3" 3d printers.
At this point, I'd also just say Ender 3 printers. You can get them for a hundred bucks now. They're not as fancy as the newer 3d printers with auto-leveling, remote printing, dual extruders, etc. But they get the job done just fine.
AR-15
Also, the 1911 class of pistols. Can't go wrong with the OG Colt Government Model. As in, it can't jam, fail to feed, fail to eject, fail to chamber, fail in any way.
Honorable mention goes to Hi-Point. Ugly and heavy fucking guns, but they function flawlessly and last forever.
Damn, seeing you downvoted makes see how sadly opinionated Lemmy is.
Like if you live in a rural area, a firearm is a fantastic and common investment. In rural areas, emergency help is a while away or nonexistent. Animal Control isn't gonna be there when your chickens are getting snatched by a raccoon or your pets are getting hunted by coyotes. Cops aren't gonna show up in time if some methhead is bashing down your door.
Plus, with a firearm, you can hunt! Yay for the most ethically sound way of putting meat on your table!
They're just plain wrong about 1911s though. Those things have been surpassed many times over in every category that you would care about in a hand gun, including reliability. I know a few gunsmiths. They're always fixing 1911 platforms, well beyond what your would expect for their popularity. Everyone always says "two world wars," and they were a great gun for they're era, but there's a reason they got replaced.
Ruger 10/22 for general varmint control and small game. Ruger wrangler .22 revolver for snakes and close up varmint control, works well with ratshot. Browning BPS 12 gauge for pretty much all shotgun needs.
1911 is also a damn fine handgun.
You had me until hi point. Owned one it jammed so bad the first shot I had to pry the casing out the slide with a heavy stick. Sorry hi point ain't it 😂
Viking Fishing Kayaks. Made in New Zealand and absolutely bulletproof.