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Overkill objects for everyday life

neil.computer

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Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#321

Post by systemvoltage »

cf100clunk wrote: post #313
Denvercoder9 wrote: post #268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The irony here is that anyone who has actually served would gladly tell you that half the military grade stuff they had to deal with is utter junk.

Indeed, this concept that "military grade" quality is superior to consumer grade is mythological in many cases. It is all about the relative worthiness of the specification(s) to which the product is built, meaning that crappy specs yield crappy results, whether military or commercial. Also the amount of rework sometimes required on "military grade" gear to make it actually do its job is seldom publicized except in o…

Totally disagree. I’ve bought all kinds of items from surplus stores and Swiss military gear. Usually, better by a large margin. The only thing it suffers is aesthetics if you care about such things.

These are all better in most cases:

Medical grade

Military grade

Industrial grade

Cleanroom grade (for some items)

Marine grade

Try looking into it.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#322

Post by throwawaaarrgh »

germinalphrase wrote: post #73
bitexploder wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve always got by with a simple folding spyderco knife. Small. Lasts forever. Does 90% of jobs when backpacking or around the house, etc. a ka-bar is a fine car camping knife though. Meant to take abuse and be a multi purpose heavy duty tool. We mostly overland and car camp these days. Different tools for different purposes and all that.

Dragonfly and you’re done for 95 percent of tasks.

I use a $4 folding "outdoor" pocket knife from Wal-Mart. I have used it for cooking, digging holes, cutting branches, rope, plastic, fabric, tightening screws, fixing zippers, opening cans of food, hammering random things... I honestly can't remember the last time I sharpened it, it doesn't seem to be dull yet.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#323

Post by seoaeu »

SavantIdiot wrote: post #147
user3939382 wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just to offer a counterexample, I have a Cammenga 3H compass that I use for camping. The thing is a beast, one of the coolest things I own.

Are you teasing us: do you actually use a compass camping? I've never met someone (who wasn't a Boy Scout) that camps so hard they need a compass! (Said in a joking yet genuinely curious voice.)

If you are going into the wilderness, you should really check a map beforehand. At very least, figure out which cardinal direction you can go to get back to civilization. Even just knowing "walk west and eventually you'll hit a highway" greatly improves your odds if you get very lost.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#324

Post by Ekaros »

weasel_words wrote: post #317
Ekaros wrote: post #301

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buy expensive knife? Or I could buy 15 cheap ones and just replace them as I go... And it's not like those cheap ones can be sharpened if needed.

That sounds...really wasteful. Perhaps a happy medium? Maybe not $1500 Damascus knife, but maybe a nice Wüsthof so you're not throwing so much out, and damaging the environment.

I'm talking about proper brand name construction knifes like Mora... Using the wrong tool for wrong job will break them, but used properly they aren't easy to break.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#325

Post by ornornor »

MonaroVXR wrote: post #245
tialaramex wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maintenance is huge. A lot of products even in the supposedly "disposable" everyday category people buy for lower prices have maintenance instructions that would significantly increase their lifespan if actually followed. Misuse resistance means consumer products generally still work if you skip maintenance the manufacturer told you was necessary (which industrial products might not), but it may shorten the product's…

Did you also watch: Detergent packs are kinda wishy-washy (Dishwashers Explained) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rBO8neWw04

That video (and channel) are truly great.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#326

Post by Animats »

I have a ruggedized phone with Caterpillar Tractor branding. There are other waterproof and rugged phones now, but a few years ago, they were the first to have a smartphone with reasonable toughness. (Of course, before smartphones, there was Nokia.) I have it so that if I get dumped off the horse, I can call for help.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#327

Post by snth »

kfajdsl wrote: post #216
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.

My rule of thumb for tools is to always first buy the cheapo Harbor Freight special (I'll get something a little better for precision tools) and if that tool breaks then that means I use the tool enough to justify getting something better. Spoiler alert: most of my tools are the cheapest I could find.

I like the idea of this, and I'm sure you save a lot of money, but the downside is this: I want to do some one-off job I haven't done before. It'll be difficult, because I will be trying it for the first time. Do I really want to make it even _more_ difficult by cheaping out on tools? I've done this several times, and I've ended up doing several jobs over again with better tools after I've screwed up the first time.

Edit: In other words, cheap tools aren't just less durable, they often do a worse job (or at least make it harder to do a good job).

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#328

Post by dredmorbius »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #302
Daishiman wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair... there was _a lot_ of heavy-duty crap back that was badly designed, poisonous/polluting or novely. It's just that you don't see it now because it's all rusted away or lives in junkyards.

At the same time, there is other stuff that is good quality but that could never be produced today because of liability concerns, but if you're in a home without small children running around you're probably good. I'm the proud owner of a La Peppina espresso machine (image: https://www.home-barista.com/levers/my-first-lever-la-peppin... ). It makes great espresso, but it also keeps a kettle of boiling water suspended…

I'm not seeing the image there.

This?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/79/82/72/79827236408416d55d8f...

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#329

Post by ornornor »

drstewart wrote: post #249
MonaroVXR wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.)

> kinda weird, since it's difficult to repair. Why would I care? If it breaks, I tell my company to pay the repair bill or buy me a new one.

Because it’s wasteful and pollutes.

Re: Overkill objects for everyday life

#330

Post by nraynaud »

ansgri wrote: post #288
nraynaud wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

French military takes the second lowest as a rule. So much better.

Very clever, I assume it’s far more difficult to game the system unless you control two bidders.

No, they just talk to each other and take turns being the lowest one.

I mean how many military equipment companies can you sustain with a country the size of California? Whatever your answer, above a certain pay grade, all employees come from a single engineering school anyways.

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