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Overkill objects for everyday life

neil.computer

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Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#171

Post by scrooched_moose »

SavantIdiot wrote: post #154

I could get behind some of these. Like that Hobart mixer. Granted, I don't use a mixer 24/7 in a bakery, but my first Kitchen Aid overheated and broke after ~5 years. I'd prefer if commodity things, like computer mice, were made to last, and not $5 pieces of cheap plastic that end up in landfills. But I'm the person who complains about the tons of cheap plastic trash sold in 0.99 stores while able to afford $500 mixe…

At least things things like Kitchenaid mixers are easily fixable if you still have it. Ours recently died after about 8 years, and it was a pretty quick turn around from model number > spec sheet > motor number > $80 replacement. The actual swap took less than 15 minutes with nothing more than a phillips screwdriver.

I did the same with our microwave when the door close sensors failed. The internet has made fixing things infinitely easier, as spec sheets and part suppliers are available to everyone.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#172

Post by kube-system »

gregmac wrote: post #131
kube-system wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Engineered to fail” and “planned obsolescence” are both pejorative rephrasings of “consumers prioritize price” Engineering is an exercise in prioritization. If 90% of consumers buy the cheapest blender on the shelf, the blender made with the cheapest materials wins. Hobart still exists, and still makes good blenders. Consumers just started buying new designs that were more cost efficient. If you look at the prices o…

The ironic part of that is that often people will end up spending more on crappy stuff, as they end up buying several {thing} over the time period one more expensive one would have lasted. This is also an example of why it's expensive to be poor. I did this with office chairs. I was buying a new mediocre chair every few years before finally buying a Herman Miller several years ago. It was expensive compared to anythi…

It depends on duty cycle.

If you’re often using a computer chair (as many of us do use in a commercial setting), you probably legitimately need a chair with a high duty cycle.

Meanwhile, I have a $7 toaster that’s 10 years old. I don’t make toast very often. Even if my toaster fails today, a low-end commercial toaster wouldn’t pay itself off over my lifetime.

Poor people also have alternatives. Much of the world doesn’t worry about the repair bills for their clothes dryer or their dishwasher, because they hang their clothes on a line and wash their dishes in a basin.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#173

Post by ta988 »

MonaroVXR wrote: post #158
dan-robertson wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dishwashers are another example. You could buy a commercial one but it will come with no roll-out trays (you load up different plastic racks for different things and you can load a rack while the dishwasher is running) and it’s designed for an environment with lots of ventilation (you just open it when it is done and let the steam get ventilated away) which people are unlikely to have in their own kitchens. Other ite…

This is the same for laptops, but most of the people (I assume?) buy Macbooks for programming which is... kinda weird, since it's difficult to repair. Than business laptops like the Z-book, ThinkPad or insert Dell business laptop eg; Latitude 7000 series (Dell XPS isn't a business laptop from my perspective.)

I agree, the Z-book are really amazing, but HP still has a bad reputation so it is hard to make people realize how far they went with this serie (from the old modela to the recent ones).

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#174

Post by crooked-v »

To make my own recommendation along these lines, Bluffworks pants: https://shop.bluffworks.com/pages/technical-pants I've found them excellent for travel because they remain wrinkle-resistant and looking like I've just stepped out of an office no matter what conditions I put them through, up to and including a month backpacking with constant wear on hikes and irregular sink-washing.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#175

Post by cosmojg »

cblconfederate wrote: post #129
tracedddd wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree consumers are misled but Apple is a poor example here. I know the App Store fee is a popular topic right now but they are one of the few companies making a consumer product that is bounds ahead of military or industrial versions.

Does the us army or ISS use apple products?

Last I checked, NASA issues Blackberries and iPhones: https://oig.nasa.gov/audits/reports/FY14/IG-14-015.pdf

On the laptop side, they're using ThinkPads.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#176

Post by giantg2 »

vdnkh wrote: post #57
swader999 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah this is true. With a K-bar though you might leave your axe behind depending on your trip.

It’s double edged so maybe not. I think if I needed to split wood I’d want a hatchet. With the hiking I like to do, I hike all day, boil water for food with a canister stove, and pass out. So I optimize for weight - less weight = more miles (and is much more comfortable).

Pretty sure the standard k-bar is only single edge.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#177

Post by [deleted] »

scrooched_moose wrote: post #171
SavantIdiot wrote: post #154

I could get behind some of these. Like that Hobart mixer. Granted, I don't use a mixer 24/7 in a bakery, but my first Kitchen Aid overheated and broke after ~5 years. I'd prefer if commodity things, like computer mice, were made to last, and not $5 pieces of cheap plastic that end up in landfills. But I'm the person who complains about the tons of cheap plastic trash sold in 0.99 stores while able to afford $500 mixe…

At least things things like Kitchenaid mixers are easily fixable if you still have it. Ours recently died after about 8 years, and it was a pretty quick turn around from model number > spec sheet > motor number > $80 replacement. The actual swap took less than 15 minutes with nothing more than a phillips screwdriver. I did the same with our microwave when the door close sensors failed. The internet has made fixing th…

[deleted]

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#178

Post by p_l »

bluedino wrote: post #86

I see this all the time. Friend of mine bought a $200 Milwaukee drill to put up a couple picture frames.

At the same time I accidentally bought Bosch Professional cordless drill long time ago.

It's biggest problem is that sometimes I forget I have it, then fix what I was doing in few minutes. Also I sometimes forget to charge it, as it holds a charge for years in my practice.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#179

Post by tomcam »

Wistar wrote: post #111
notatoad wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yeah, i don't mean to say that no commercial-grade products are suitable for home use, just that you need to be a lot more careful if you're buying products for a use they aren't intended for. if you buy a product designed for home use, you can be reasonably sure that it will work in a home setting if you buy a commercial-grade product, you just need to pay close attention to what trade-offs have been made that might…

I have been, over-time, retro-fitting my home with pro/commercial-grade infrastructure items such as: quarter-turn marine-grade ball valves for the water-main; toilets, clothes washer, fridge and dishwasher; recessed sillcock valves; outdoor hose reels and hoses; sprinklers (this is a biggie as so many sprinklers are one-season junk); heavy-duty light switches; ceiling fans (the wonderful Big-Ass fans stuff); locks a…

I would pay for that site. Please feel free to harvest my email address in my profile.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#180

Post by cosmojg »

dkdbejwi383 wrote: post #38
arpa wrote: post #28

"Military grade" has very different connotations if you have been in the service. So yeah, great conversation starter, interesting worldview; can't say I share it though.

Military grade = the cheapest product that meets the spec.

On the bright side, there's a spec.
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