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My last set of modern cookware. Spent way too much on a set with good reviews and a claim of a lifetime warranty, but they started getting scratches right out of the box and don't cook any better than their much cheaper counterparts. They still work, but not the life-long investment I had planned. The thing that will last for life is our cast iron skillet. That thing is indestructible and cooks great.

Boots made by Bates and Merrell.

Merrell is junk, unfortunately.

A North Face winter coat. The color started to fade very badly after less than one year. Now it's grotesquely two-tone: navy blue where it doesn't see as much sunlight (armpits, etc), and a nasty purple everywhere else. It's still warm but it looks sooooo shabby after just a few years.

I love the fit and comfort, but you are correct about the durability.

do you have a comment on Keen? just bought revel 4 mid

Not exactly for life, but my nike shoes with nike air cushioning were breaking down wayyy too fast, I wouldve expected they would last at least 2 years with good care, but after a few months the sole was worn down and the sole started loosening at the back of the shoe on another one, I have worn multiple pairs of Adidas Ultraboost out, to the point that the sole was tearing, but it didnt really bother me, since the bounce was still there. now i am going back to Adidas, which is a bit unfortunate since i find the nike shoes often better looking. I am now looking at Moc Toe Red Wings for Boots as i find it appealing to have leather as a shoe material.

I’ve had similar build quality issues with Nike in the past.

Adidas are great, I absolutely abuse my Ultraboosts and will look to buy my third pair in 5 years if I can find a good enough discount somewhere this weekend. Only because the sole has worn completely away, the rest of the shoe is still good as new and looks it when I clean them.

My Solovairs Boots

Yeah, mine have been slaughtered through and through, even in the winter i wear my ultraboosts, but cold rdy ones, i have had 4 pairs over the last 5 years or so, considering i am walking, running, working out, traveling, trekking etc. in them they have hold up very well

Are they truly up to par with Doc Martens of 15+ years ago? I had a pair of Docs from ~15 years ago that lasted me 15 years of total abuse-swimming through quarry’s, working in Michelin rated restaurants, working as a furniture mover- with the original waffle tread still intact (though smooth as butter). I stupidly donated them last year without trying to get a repair or replacement from Doc Martens…

I had a pair maybe 10 years ago. They were SO comfortable right from the start. Unfortunately they didn't last too long before the soles came unglued. I was so frustrated.

Dyson vacuum cleaner. The white one. All the plastic started cracking.

Mine broke down and split after only one year of wearing so I really can't recommend them

A Subaru.

Name and shame please!

Ahh. Forgot this was a thread about things NOT recommended. That’s a shame. I got a pair of Docs last Christmas that I don’t see lasting 1/4 as long as my old pair.

Not life, but I thought my Land’s End flannel sheets would last at a lot longer than they did. After the first season they looked pretty ragged.

A Weber grill. I've got a Napoleon grill now that is years old and still going strong.

Not to say no car is better than another, I’ve read a lot on car reliability and it really is just based on the driver/use and random odds on if a car lasts longer than another brand nowadays. It used to be where parts and labor were vastly different brand to brand but now with everything streamlined and so much policy and law that a lot of what’s put into cars is the same. Obviously some brands may have a better transmission (CVT for subaru in its first few years had issues as it was new) or engine but overall it’s random. I know some people that swear by chevys and have 300k + silverados and some that have a rod blow through the engine 30k in.

i was younger but invested in a few of the nicer quality Levis and they have been garbage, never again

My wife bought me a Carhartt jacket. I build a rockwall. Jacket disintegrated. Meanwhile, my 20 wrangler jacket was used during the process and is still kickin'.

They really are constructed very similarly to the original Docs.

But keep in mind you pay a lot of UK labour and the Docs style. 200€ can get you better boots. Docs were concieved as cheap work boots, not high quality work boots. Something like Redwing moc toe is a lot more "premium" throughout (way better leather quality, leather linings, ridiculously thick leather insole, proper goodyear welt...).

ATM, if you want good boots, definitely check out Jim Green footwear. Proudly made in South Africa, they're representing what Docs did in their good days (cheap work boots) but with even better construction (stitchdown welted design! very water resistant and resoleable), nicer leather, very roomy and comfortably wide sizes and really affordable prices for boots of this quality... On friday they might drop some good deals too!

If you want the more British style, they have even have a stitchdown Chelsea boot.

I have the vellies but will definitely (discount or not) buy some more styles on friday for me and my family.

I also have Solovairs, but I only really wear them to concerts.

Thanks for the insight. The Docs I had were UK made and actually purchased from a Ross discount clothing store in the US for under $50. I fear I’ll never be able to replicate that experience! I’ve since learned of the better boot brands and have a couple pairs of Frye (for dress) and Danner (for kicking shit) that I’ve been very happy with. I’ve been looking at picking up a pair of Red Wing boots as well.

Mine had 395k km before a brake line rusted through and I called the scrap for her. This was a 2003, and had it's head gasket replacement as they all need.

I’ve bought two pairs of nikes in recent memory. Pair 1 had the midsole partially collapsing like 2 month into use. The second pair needed the toe cap glued back on after 3 weeks and didn’t stay waterproof as long as other similar shoes. I think their build quality has just gone to hell.

My adidas have all 3 been going for years, and the oldest pair has only just started to show signs of wearing through the sole (which is very sad because they’re so comfortable)

I’d say all grills will eventually have issues. Nice thing with Weber is you can replace parts without it costing as much as a new grill.

My mum swore by Doc Marten's boots. Bought me a pair to wear for high-school as she didn't want to keep having to buy new shoes to cover the amount of walking I did (were replacing a new pair of shoes every month or two) and within a year the sole had to be replaced for getting a hole through it (not sure how as I hadn't stepped on anything like a screw). The second pair however has lested me for 8 years and only has a small hole near the toe cap where the leather creased.

You can’t expect teflon to last a lifetime. Generally any non-stick out of the box will break down over time, even fancy ceramics. If it was stainless steel, that can basically last a lifetime.

Calphalon - the premier heavy guage non-stick blah blah blah $400 ON SALE set. $400 may not be a huge investment to some, but it's more than I had spent on my last 4 sets of cookware COMBINED and everything I read implied they were built to last... so disappointed.

Yeah, Weber used to be great but it’s clear they’ve been cutting corners in recent years.

Any particular complaints?

I just bought one, and while I like it, I think I wouldn’t do it again. (Though most of that is about buying it new from a dealership)

It wasn't Teflon. It's hard anodized something. I admit I don't know exactly what that means, but the claim was that it's even more durable than stainless steel... it was not.

Hard anodized aluminum. Definitely not stronger than steel. Aluminum is the same thing used in teflon cookware. Never trust manufacturers to tell you the truth.

Thank you for calling them out!

Unfortunately that seems fairly consistent across all coated non-stick cookware. The surface can only be bonded so well and will wear off over time (sometimes a very short time) and get into your food. Anodized aluminum is more durable but the real champions are cast iron, carbon steel, and stainless. There's nothing to wear off though they require seasoning and more care

Canada Goose parka. Only after owning it did I read that they don’t recommend getting it wet!

I have a pair of old redwing moctoes, they're wonderful and the moc toe boot... The new ones are supposedly still made entirely like they were in the past (but some other redwings are not quite the same as they used to be.... like, I heard the iron rangers use some more synthetic linings inside now).

Mine are the classic 875 model. If I was buying them today I'd get the 1907 model which is a bit wider and more comfortable. Well, they're practically moulded to my foot now and are very comfortable, but I'd like a bit of a wider sole regardless, The 875 are very narrow.

For less than the Redwings, you can check out Thorogood, those are really nice too (I think just slightly inferior materials). Also Thursdays are great boots for the money (compared to the redwings they have slightl. inferior materials and made in Mexico...).

Above Redwings, you need to look at pacific northwest boots... Whites, Nicks, JKs, Wesco, Franks...

For 50$, or even 100$ (with inflation...), Solovairs/classic Docs would be awesome. But UK mass production is gone and labour got way more expensive, while the iconic style of the Docs also has a price now... That's why I think Jim Greens are awesome, sure they won't get as classic as Docs but they do offer amazing quality for what they cost.

Yep, I worked in automotive and who buys the car plays an enormous factor in its longevity. Preventative care and maintenance is one thing, but bad driving habits can destroy even the most well made vehicles.

Doc Martian boots. The sole is shyte and wears down to quickly.

Now I know. I do like the case iron a lot. My next investment will be a smaller one so I don't always have to break out the big guy.

Now I know. I really thought I was being smart this time by checking for highly rated items... this is before I learned sometimes companies buy ratings. Thanks for the advice!

I love my cast iron. If you want something a bit lighter, try a carbon steel pan. It requires similar care to cast iron but is significantly lighter. Depending on what your making, it can be a bit more convenient if it requires a lot of motion or you need something with rounded edges

Thanks!!!

My house. Unexpectedly dropping $100K in repairs within 2 years of purchasing a turn key 🤦🏽‍♀️

Levis are great for the price. They have a few lines though, so levis premiums are the ones that last a long time. They also have different denim types. So yeah, skinny jeans will never be bifl. But heavy gauge ones are gonna last a while. Unfortunately its hard to tell from the website.

My dyson pulses.. Everyone says this is fixed by cleaning all vents and filters. Mine are all completely clean.

I learnt my lesson. Bought a highly rated pan with some black coating that was meant to be amazing. It all came off in my food the first time I cooked with it.

Since then I bought an awesome Mauviel Made In France pan of just various types of steel and a cheap lodge. Both will outlast me. No more coatings, basic engineering ftw

I build a lot of grills for my job. I have seen very few factory defects with Charbroil and even less with Webber.

Do you mean “need to be replaced” instead of “need replaced”?

I had problems before 100k miles, including a steering column issue. Both visors lost their snap and just flopped down all the time, so I had to replace those. The automatic lock stopped working in the passenger door. I liked how it looked and it was fun to drive, but I was disappointed. My sister got one around the same time and had to replace the clutch before 100k. I understand that driving technique and maintenance are relevant, but we both kept up on maintenance and didn’t drive too hard. Like someone else said, you can have different experiences with the same manufacturers. I personally wouldn’t buy it again.

A modern tragedy 🤦🤦

Not lands end!

Can’t help you there.

I know the old outbacks were absolute tanks. Buddy in college picked up one, with like 250k, that wouldn't start for dirt cheap. Popped in a new alternator and pushed her to almost 400k before she needed a new engine. Picked up my 2010 in 2016 with 70k miles for a pretty good deal. She's at 130k right now. Hoping for 300k, but with the CVT I'll be happy for 200k

A lot of the products recommended on this subreddit are just brand name recommendations, but brands often make lower quality products over time because theyre cashing in on their reputation for high quality. If you’re going to purchase something from this sub, make sure the item is still good if produced in 2022!

Always a severely under estimated cost center.

The Duluth lifetime belt was a serious letdown for me, 1 year in and the stitching is failing and the plies are coming apart..

Burberry Trenchcoat. Not very waterproof and colors fading fast. Honestly garbage product.

Spent about $1400 on a made in USA dehumidifier (a Santa Fe model). It only lasted a few years, about the same as the cheaper $250 humidifiers I bought before that.

It's supposed to be serviceable, but not sure it will even be worth it as it's way louder as well...

Oh god, same. It’s high-maintenance AF, so much so that we got rid of nearly all the rugs in the house and drag an ancient canister vac around to vacuum the carpeted stairs and sock or t-shirt swiffer the rest.

It can also be a bad trigger, ours was pulsing and I bought a $12 trigger replacement and it fixed it right up.

There are only buttons. Most dysons don't have triggers.

Ya I have the cordless, wasn't sure what you had.

Lazy Boy couch and loveseat. Bought them new. Heard that the brand was good for longevity. Now they are less than 4 years old. The couch sags in the middle. It makes a knocking sound when you sit there. One of the couch arms is crushed in. It's where I usually sit, but a couch should hold up better. A couple buttons on the loveseat are hanging. The arm of the loveseat feel lose. I avoid leaning on it because it feels like the whole thing might fall apart.

I spent a lot on this furniture and I'm not in a position to be able to replace it. I am so disappointed in Lazy Boy.

They are all crap. Cast iron or steel is the way

wow what did you have to repair for it to be that much?

The engine on my 2008 Subaru Impreza just seized and it doesn't even have 105,000 miles on it.

The nonstick loaf pans are awful as well. You'd never know by the price.

Somewhat preventative measures so it won’t be more costly down the road but A lot of things that added up: Repairing outdoor pergolas with wood rotting with fungus -$15K Replacing Backyard fence-$11K Repairing Pavers -$8K? Repairing Outdoor irrigation Replacing plants that irrigation killed Repairing Kitchen hood and vent Adding turf to replace some plants Our add in since we’re already doing above: Extending BBQ station Extending drink station

…. There’s more Im missing and of course labor costs.

Doc Martian 👽

Convinced by posts on this sub I recently bought dualit toaster 4 slots (lite). This thing took over 90 seconds to heat up all toasting racks and produced so much heat that you could not touch the casing outside and the kitchen cabinet above would warm up inside like crazy. The tech support said all this was normal. Returned within 2 weeks.

Unpopular opinion coming.

Cast iron.

And it didn't wear down.

It wore 'me' down.

And I look it as either I failed it. Or it failed me.

I really got tired of dealing with it. Seasoning it. Tossing it in the oven. Or just seasoning in general. Done with it. it's also heavy. And bulky. just find an Allclad is just easier haha. I haven't used my Cast iron pan in 3 years. The Allclad D12 is what I use everyday.

For like 99% of what I used the Cast iron pan, I much prefer the Allclad. Lighter. Easier to clean. Easier. Quicker.

In essence, you can say the Cast iron pan got replaced. I would have no qualms donating it honestly.

So true! The battery went out on me after about 2 years and it made me sad.