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Review broken products instead of new ones

buyforlife.com

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Re: Review broken products instead of new ones

#101

Post by scyzoryk_xyz »

hubraumhugo wrote: post #2

For most people, the majority of positive reviews are noise on any product and they evaluate them by reading negative reviews. For once, let's turn it all upside down: We should build a collection about how things break - review broken and worn-out products to teach how to identify cheap products (where are the stress points, what manufacturing techniques exist to alleviate those). Then compare those with used produc…

This is exactly the kind of initiative I've been looking for and thought about lately! Thanks so much!

I especially like the idea of rating products by their monthly/daily cost.

I imagine this growing in a direction where the manufacturers and producers have added initiative to produce durable products again.

Of course for real change to occur governments, regulation, large scale action would have to happen.

One vector which would be interesting to see this with is bigger and maybe even less consumer centric products. How durable is a delivery van? How durable and cost effective is a factory machine?

Re: Review broken products instead of new ones

#102

Post by dusted »

I think this is an excellent idea. This does need to take amounts owned/used/sold into account, since some products sell in larger amounts and must thus have more reports of being broken.

I often hear mechanics say "car X is terrible! we get those all the time!" and yeah, car X is the most sold car some years ago, duh.

Re: Review broken products instead of new ones

#103

Post by dusted »

IgorPartola wrote: post #15
ktpsns wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it meaningful that all items (currently) displayed at https://www.buyforlife.com/ are typical outdoor use, high-quality, representative for a certain kind of living. This kind of living has pros and cons, but I guess not everybody wants to live like that. For instance, some people would prefer to have some shitty but portable kitchenware instead of expensive, bulky and representative "professional" units. This…

You pinpointed what I’ve been feeling. There are things I want to buy for life. Things like (most) tools, camping equipment, or things I don’t expect to improve over time. But there is a large number of products that I don’t plan to hold onto because they are imperfect either because state of the art hasn’t advanced enough or because I can’t afford the better version yet. For example: Boots. I can afford the boots I…

There's a fair chance my 1999 ford mondeo v6 will still guzzle gas when the 2020 Teslas need their batteries replaced.

I _DO_ want an electric car, but I want it with a built in nuclear energy source that'll last at least 500k km before needing replacement.

Re: Review broken products instead of new ones

#104

Post by galfarragem »

Unfortunately "Buy it for life" is not an achievable slogan.

Buy it for life products are low-tech products that survived, somehow, time. Often, their original producers didn't and we can only buy them in used condition. They are slightly obsolete and not everybody is fullfilled with them. E.g. An old Toyota.

Then there are "Buy it for life" products with a (more or less) guaranteed long lifespan but were not time tested yet. E.g. New gear built using best practices and materials.

Then there are good products. Stuff with a (more or less) guaranteed long lifespan but one day will become obsolete. E.g. Apple product, good shoes, etc.

Re: Review broken products instead of new ones

#105

Post by amelius »

jonah wrote: post #18

Speaking of useful reviews, I'm a fan of AvE's BOLTRs[1]. Takes tools apart and analyses materials, construction, and estimated failure points. (Beware some NSFW language though.) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvgS71fU12Mbx-w18Chu_... [1] - Arduino vs. Evil - Bored of Lame Tool Reviews

You can also rent tools these days.

Most people don't need most hardware tools most of the time.

Re: Review broken products instead of new ones

#106

Post by everdrive »

hubraumhugo wrote: post #2

For most people, the majority of positive reviews are noise on any product and they evaluate them by reading negative reviews. For once, let's turn it all upside down: We should build a collection about how things break - review broken and worn-out products to teach how to identify cheap products (where are the stress points, what manufacturing techniques exist to alleviate those). Then compare those with used produc…

I worry in the long term that this becomes immeasurable for some products. I have a leather belt that's at least 15 years old. I would bet the product, and perhaps the company, does not exist any longer.

Re: Review broken products instead of new ones

#107

Post by contingencies »

I can get another if I break it, so a clay cup trumps a grail. - Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, classical Urdu and Persian poet from the Mughal Empire

.. via https://github.com/globalcitizen/taoup ... point being, sometimes expiring products are superior, it depends upon the use case.

Re: Review broken products instead of new ones

#108

Post by throwaway_6142 »

wruza wrote: post #85

>Let me know what you think Sometimes a thing is not broken, but it makes you uncomfortable and you only notice that later. Like one of my washing machines that beeped a couple of minutes before it unlocked its door. If this will fly, please allow to add such details into reviews, e.g. “not broken, but I hate it” status.

What make and model? I find it genius: "ah, there's the beep, time to finish my coffee before I go put the clothes in the dryer"

Re: Review broken products instead of new ones

#109

Post by [deleted] »

schrijver wrote: post #79
pavel_lishin wrote: post #7

This is a good idea, but a lot of products are only sold for a few years before being discontinued; reading a review for a printer that's no longer sold (except secondhand) is unfortunately not very useful.

You could then buy it second hand no? Buying second hand is the best possible outcome from the environmental perspective. One of the downsides is that there’s often no warranty. This site could help alleviate that because you can pick out the products less likely to need that warranty in the first place.

[deleted]

Re: Review broken products instead of new ones

#110

Post by seanhunter »

hubraumhugo wrote: post #2

For most people, the majority of positive reviews are noise on any product and they evaluate them by reading negative reviews. For once, let's turn it all upside down: We should build a collection about how things break - review broken and worn-out products to teach how to identify cheap products (where are the stress points, what manufacturing techniques exist to alleviate those). Then compare those with used produc…

Excited about this. I love certain things because they simply last forever and do what they are supposed to. For example about 18 years ago I bought 2 HP12c calculators when I started working in finance (One for work, one for home). Not only have they not broken, but I can't tell you the battery life because they are both still on their original batteries. Now old hands tell me the new modern 12cs (like mine) aren't a patch on the original and the old ones from the 80s had even better battery life than that.
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