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Generation Junk

walterkirn.substack.com

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Re: Generation Junk

#211

Post by darth_avocado »

im_down_w_otp wrote: post #68

I’ve had to buy a lot of furniture and other things for my new house this year, and one of the things that really sticks out to me is that practically every category of product seems to be split into a bimodal distribution: cheap crap & luxury boutique. There are practically no entries occupying the middle of the market that are on the basic end regarding features & frills but also high-quality. It’s incredibly annoy…

The luxury boutique ones are also junk. I got a very expensive sofa from a boutique brand and I regret it every bit. In less than a year, the cushions are basically useless. All cheap junk, made in some third world country in Asia.

Re: Generation Junk

#212

Post by djur »

shusaku wrote: post #28
twodave wrote: post #17

At least as far as coffee grinders go, find a reputable company that will repair them. My Baratza Encore stopped working after about a year or two of operation, and I sent it in for repairs. It was probably just a small short somewhere, but I'm not an electrician. They sent it back to me after a week or so, cleaned inside and out and working better than new. I keep saying I'm going to replace it with the one from Fel…

I was also surprised that he brought up Burr grinders, I don’t think I’ve ever had even a cheap one die on me? I doubt they’ll last 80+ years but the quality seems fine. Hand grinders are getting better and better too, so if longevity is a concern you’re in luck.

I bought four seemingly identical, cheap Cuisinart burr grinders over a period of 5 years or so. One of them happily endured heavy daily usage for several years at a workplace until it 'disappeared' during a move; I found out years later that the person who took it still had it (no hard feelings! someone told them it was company-owned and being discarded) and it was still working great. Another (a gift) was still working a decade later, last I checked. The next two I bought failed within months. Apparently they made some minor tweaks to the build that completely ruined the durability. I'm sure they sold thousands of those junk heaps on the reputation they previously built.

Re: Generation Junk

#213

Post by orangepurple »

qup wrote: post #22
neilv wrote: post #9

> For the remains of the Pyrex casserole that shattered when I removed it from the oven, Noteworthy example. Current Pyrex-branded kitchenware is no longer borosilicate glass. I shattered a Pyrex casserole dish with what I guess was probably thermal shock, by moving it out of the oven, into a stainless steel sink.

I somehow ran across this trivia twice today. It stings; Pyrex was a brand I still trusted. The other thread mentioned that they license rights to use "pyrex" (vs "Pyrex") to pretty much anyone, but the capital-P brand should still be the OG company. Maybe that was relevant in your case.

At this point I don't trust it if it doesn't at least explictly claim to be made with borosilicates. There are such suspicious items for sale on Amazon and I trust them more than "pyrex."

Re: Generation Junk

#214

Post by bnecessity »

don_neufeld wrote: post #184

I wonder: is this person incredibly bad at making purchases? I mean… just incredibly bad? Or do they not do maintenance? The LG washer and Dryer I bought 20 yrs ago still works a champ. Come to think of it, the only appliance I’ve had issue with in the last 20 years is my coffee grinder, which after about 10 years of heavy use I sent to Baratazza and paid for it repaired. So I’m just not seeing this, even a little bi…

They mention in the article they bought "the only carrot slicer which was on sale". That's not a great selection strategy.

Re: Generation Junk

#215

Post by xivzgrev »

I like the author’s honesty:

“it’s also important – to me, emotionally -- to bury the reader in details of the unceasing material disappointments I’ve faced”

Re: Generation Junk

#216

Post by __MatrixMan__ »

fritzo wrote: post #29

Author neglects selection bias: antiques that stopped working after 1 or 5 or 10 years have been in landfills for a long time. My grandfather (1922-2006) opined: "Some folks say things aren't made like they used to be. But I remember those junky old cars that would break down every 50 or 100 miles. I remember that unreliable crap. I'd far rather have a modern car, even if I can't fix it." (He was more of a carpenter…

More specifically: survivorship bias.

It's a bit of a meme to now make conversions about bullet holes in airplane wings. Instead, here's Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias

Re: Generation Junk

#217

Post by heads »

GlenTheMachine wrote: post #101

One issue here is that there are well built quality products on the market; the problem is distinguishing them from the crap. Also, they cost more. Total cost of ownership is typically a lot lower, though. Want a mechanical pencil that will last you through grad school and at least a decade of your career? Buy a RotRing. It’ll be $30, and worth every penny. Tools? Snap-On or Wright. Shoes? Goodyear welt top-grain lea…

Alas even Rotring make crap these days, specifically their Rapid Pro lead holder:

https://www.jetpens.com/Rotring-Rapid-Pro-Lead-Holder-2-mm-B...

It cost me $40 and the red ring is part of a larger plastic component that connects the barrel to the front inch that you grip and it flexes and comes loose when I write. Rubbish design.

Re: Generation Junk

#218

Post by djur »

snakeyjake wrote: post #73

> I can’t say the same about my coffee grinders. I use the plural because I’ve owned a lot of them, all bought in their original packaging and dead within a year. They’re good ones, supposedly, with burrs not blades, but they stop performing before long, ending their long journeys from overseas factories in unmarked graves in my local Montana landfill. I purchased a Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder from Amazon.…

The fact that he highlighted multiple products purchased from Target is interesting. Is he unaware that Target is a discount chain? You're accepting a higher risk of a defective product by shopping there. If the product is garbage you return it. If you want a better guarantee than that you shop at a better store and pay for it.

Re: Generation Junk

#219

Post by bnecessity »

chubot wrote: post #129

I need a new washer-dryer, and now I'm scared to buy one. (The one from 2007 seems to eat clothes now... not sure if these things can even be repaired) Many years ago I came across https://old.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/ -- anyone have good stories from recommendations there? --- I generally agree with the premise of this article. Here are my experiences with some things that work and don't fall apart: - Zojirushi ric…

The real quality in the audio market is the professional side - for studio usage.

They do use internally amplified speakers however. Separate amps is an inferior design due to matching and crossover issues.

Re: Generation Junk

#220

Post by YouWhy »

MichaelZuo wrote: post #121
edrxty wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On average they didn't (oh no, that repair costs more than the "car is worth" as if that's a metric that actually means anything) but it was far easier to keep one running indefinitely. You could take an engine to a small machine shop and get the head and block resurfaced, valves reamed and cylinders lapped. Without any electronics to fail it was just a block of metal that was slowly losing material and a quick hit w…

You can have that level of quality and care for the entire car, not just limited to the drivetrain and electronics, and it's probably even in a showroom right now waiting for buyers, just at your nearest Rolls Royce dealership.

I would not expect RR to be particularly high quality, due to:

1. Small production batches,

2. Low typical usage - most RR owners do not use it to commute on a daily basis, hence do not face high reliability requirements,

3. The ability of the typical buyer to overspend on maintenance, whether preemptively or on-demand.

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