Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Overkill objects for everyday life

neil.computer

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 732 posts

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#11

Post by Scoundreller »

rsync wrote: post #3

I appreciate the link and summary for McMaster-Carr[1]. It is so pleasing to use this site and it is simultaneously full of utility as they stock a wide array of fixtures and hardware that are difficult to search for elsewhere. If you place an order before noon (typically) the box of goods will be in your hands the next day. The user interface is a wonder. It's too good to be true. In fact, using the UI actually sadd…

Some electronics vendors have figured it out too. A Parametric search first approach means I can find exactly what I need.

Will I ever find the rs-232 transceiver that I need on Amazon? Unlikely.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#12

Post by villasv »

notatoad wrote: post #4

I love to use professional-grade items where i can, but sometimes "overkill" means a worse product. like the professional-grade fan - it's not just designed for a high duty cycle, it's also probably designed to be operated in an environment where people regularly use hearing protection, so quiet operation is not a consideration.

I agree. “Worse” considering the scenarios where your needs are not exactly the ones that guided project development.

A simple example would be gloves. What would be the pro version of a glove? The ones used in steel mills? If you want a glove for riding a bike, you’re better of with regular biker gloves. If it’s a glove for winter, maybe skier gloves and so on.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#13

Post by adrianmonk »

notatoad wrote: post #4

I love to use professional-grade items where i can, but sometimes "overkill" means a worse product. like the professional-grade fan - it's not just designed for a high duty cycle, it's also probably designed to be operated in an environment where people regularly use hearing protection, so quiet operation is not a consideration.

Also, that stand mixer isn't going to fit in my kitchen cabinet. Compare that to my consumer-grade Sunbeam. It's smaller, and the top part (motor, etc.) separates from the stand part via a quick-release button, so it fits on a shelf which isn't very tall at all.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#14

Post by ClumsyPilot »

"I don't think corporations/businesses are to blame... The average consumer is extremely ill-informed."

This is very unfair - the average cobsumer is purposefully mislead on a daily basis, for example applle forbids apps from informing consumer that 30% of their donation to a charity is taken.

With industrial goods, there is a whole department who's job is proqurement and to know what they are buying. And lets not pretent no funny business ever happens there either.

But lastly, some consumer good are better - DSLR's beat any industrial cameras, and commercial dishwashers are a toally different beast, unsuitable and dangerous to a naive user.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#15

Post by hirsin »

tschwimmer wrote: post #8
notatoad wrote: post #4

I love to use professional-grade items where i can, but sometimes "overkill" means a worse product. like the professional-grade fan - it's not just designed for a high duty cycle, it's also probably designed to be operated in an environment where people regularly use hearing protection, so quiet operation is not a consideration.

Agreed 1000x. There is rarely a single best in all categories good for something. Instead, you have to pay attention to what you’re optimizing for. The industrial/commercial cookware he lists is definitely durable but also it’s huge, may consume a ton of energy and will not match the decor of the rest of your kitchen.

Yup. First thought on the shopping bag was "how heavy is that empty?". Designers were not worried about over burdening whatever carried it, necessarily.

That mixer likely won't handle a small load (as in, a single family sized loaf).

Spot on though about some of the stuff. That knife is nice, although being edged on both sides is a liability.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#16

Post by vdnkh »

Using a ka-bar for hiking is a terrible idea. At 0.7lbs it weighs as much as a quality sleeping bag/tent/pack. Also, you likely don’t need a knife. Scissors are much more useful, and micro scissors weigh less than an ounce.

Ultralight hiking adds an interesting forcing function to gear - correctly “built” (as in not overbuilt or under built). Bring the gear which matches the need. In essence, the complete opposite sentiment of this post.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#17

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

Like the Hobart mixer from this article, I always find it interesting that many of the best "overkill" objects are simply ones from the early/mid 20th century before manufacturers figured out it makes more economic sense to pump out low quality shit that will break just after the warranty expires.

I'm into old school espresso machines, and there is a robust market (and some fascinating refurb videos) for older, lever espresso machines - the quality and design is just much better than any consumer-grade equipment that is sold today.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#18

Post by whack »

> The average consumer is an idiot, so the bean counters keep milking them... They want pizzaz over functionality and durability. They want shiny stuff in a bigger box... The industrial, military and commercial market doesn't mess around. They want to purchase equipment that works reliably and performs to a specification. It's professional and their livelihood depends on it. It sort of self filters the entire market. Shitty things drop off the radar due to poor sales.

This sounds like a cool hobby and conversation starter. But it's hard to take the author seriously when he proselytizes on the practical virtues of buying ejector seats over retail chairs. Industrial goods are often built for very specific use-cases. If those use-cases don't align with your own needs, you're just paying a lot of money for something you don't need. And often, something that fails to deliver on your actual needs.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#19

Post by kube-system »

villasv wrote: post #12
notatoad wrote: post #4

I love to use professional-grade items where i can, but sometimes "overkill" means a worse product. like the professional-grade fan - it's not just designed for a high duty cycle, it's also probably designed to be operated in an environment where people regularly use hearing protection, so quiet operation is not a consideration.

I agree. “Worse” considering the scenarios where your needs are not exactly the ones that guided project development. A simple example would be gloves. What would be the pro version of a glove? The ones used in steel mills? If you want a glove for riding a bike, you’re better of with regular biker gloves. If it’s a glove for winter, maybe skier gloves and so on.

Work/utility gloves are a good example where the commercial-grade options are awesome compared to what is at Home Depot.

For example, Ansell HyFlex gloves are standard issue in Amazon warehouses and they’re awesome for chores around the house too. They fit really well (and come in more sizes), they’re durable, and they are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#20

Post by [deleted] »

ClumsyPilot wrote: post #14

"I don't think corporations/businesses are to blame... The average consumer is extremely ill-informed." This is very unfair - the average cobsumer is purposefully mislead on a daily basis, for example applle forbids apps from informing consumer that 30% of their donation to a charity is taken. With industrial goods, there is a whole department who's job is proqurement and to know what they are buying. And lets not pr…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN