A while ago someone asked about best purchases under $200, and it made me wonder what items people have gotten the most use out of. What are some of your favorite items that are made to last?
Ask HN: What are some of your “buy it for life” purchases?
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Re: Ask HN: What are some of your “buy it for life” purchases?
#2Crypto cold wallet
Re: Ask HN: What are some of your “buy it for life” purchases?
#3A good knife.
Pans which never go in the dishwasher.
A decent glass water jug which fits on the refrigerator door.
A small toolkit of decently made screwdrivers.
A reasonably simple Victorinox Swiss army knife.
At least one raspberry pi.
A strong "U" kryptonite style bicycle lock.
Glasses cleaning cloth. 15 years going strong.
A digital alarm clock you can adjust the brightness on. I went Sony, it uses DVB-T signals to get time.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of your “buy it for life” purchases?
#4RM Williams boots. Look good with jeans or suit. Repairable, and built to very high standards. Only need one pair. Highly recommend.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of your “buy it for life” purchases?
#5Not really "for life" (in that sense anyway), but I missed the first thread so I'll put it here, with apologies.
After a lot of research, for Christmas 2020 I got a few "Airpro" masks[1] ($40-50). In short, it's a wearable HEPA filter that pumps filtered air into any standard N95 or KN95 mask.
In theory this gives better filtration (both from higher efficiency and positive pressure), but mainly I love it because it eliminates hot mask face.
My original unit is still going strong. I'm pretty careful, but it's still had numerous drops.
Tips after >2 years of use:
* I always use it on high, unless the battery is low.
* I bring my own N95 masks that I prefer, the (sadly discontinued) Harbor Freight N95s. Choose one you like. I change it about once a month.
* I (gasp!) convert my head straps to ear loops. Much easier to eat that way: open, shovel, close.
* The design is made to accommodate a carbon pre-filter, so I just cut rectangular prefilters out of standard surgical masks. Changed monthly, I still haven't needed to replace the original HEPA filter.
* Be sure to check out the review from "TX gadget nut" for how to seal the internal leak paths.[2] I potted the entire board with food-grade caulk, since I noted small through-holes in the PCB.
* To protect the silicone hose from strain, I hang the unit sideways using the lanyard.
* If you're really obsessive (guess how I know...), you can use a small file to remove the mold lines inside the outlet port, slightly reducing the pressure drop.
* As with any mask, it's important to perform hand hygiene before and after touching or adjusting it. A dollar store conical spray bottle and rubbing alcohol works fine.
* It's surprisingly nice to completely avoid wood smoke and diesel exhaust. I didn't realize how ubiquitous it was until I had the option to not breathe it in.
Fingers crossed, but so far it's been very effective and comfortable. All told I estimate it's about 15¢/day.
I'm ordering a couple spares, since I never know when a product I like will get discontinued...
(not exactly BIFL given the consumables, but before this I went through an N95 per week so I'm still ahead)
[1] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YWLBVF2/
[2] https://www.amazon.com/portal/customer-reviews/media-gallery...
Re: Ask HN: What are some of your “buy it for life” purchases?
#6Fiskars scissors. Never seen broken ones.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of your “buy it for life” purchases?
#7Not really "for life" (in that sense anyway), but I missed the first thread so I'll put it here, with apologies. After a lot of research, for Christmas 2020 I got a few "Airpro" masks[1] ($40-50). In short, it's a wearable HEPA filter that pumps filtered air into any standard N95 or KN95 mask. In theory this gives better filtration (both from higher efficiency and positive pressure), but mainly I love it because it e…
Wozniak was just on Steve-O’s Wild Ride promoting this (it was one of his show and tell items)
Re: Ask HN: What are some of your “buy it for life” purchases?
#8I am not sure I have much stuff that will last an actual life time. Maybe various optics like binoculars, etc. But that is rather niche.
For stuff that most everyone can use, I would mention cast iron cookware. I have cast iron skillets and pots that I have used for over two decades that I expect to last me many years still. And I use them all the time. The brand name is not very important although you probably want to avoid the very cheapest.
Next, I would say good quality knives. Both for use in the kitchen as well as in the forest, on hikes, etc. For Chef's knives, I think F. Dick makes decent ones that last very long for home use. And for forest use, I would recommend LionSteel.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of your “buy it for life” purchases?
#9Not really "for life" (in that sense anyway), but I missed the first thread so I'll put it here, with apologies. After a lot of research, for Christmas 2020 I got a few "Airpro" masks[1] ($40-50). In short, it's a wearable HEPA filter that pumps filtered air into any standard N95 or KN95 mask. In theory this gives better filtration (both from higher efficiency and positive pressure), but mainly I love it because it e…
when do you wear this?
Re: Ask HN: What are some of your “buy it for life” purchases?
#10I have a Revere Ware 12 qt Stock Pot I bought 35+ years ago. The spot welds on one side of the handle of the lid have come undone. I'm going to ask my buddy with a TIG spot welder to fix it up for me and then will hand it down to my daughter some day.
Has made more pots of chili, chicken soup, bone broth and pasta than I can count.
Other items not nearly as old: Le Creuset 5qt Dutch Oven, Lodge 10", 12" and 6" Cast Iron Skillets, and an old Griswold 8" which I really like because it is half the thickness of the Lodge, so temp changes more rapidly and it is lighter.