LucyStoner Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 junk. It's not even planned obsolescence, it's just garbage as soon as you excise it from the package from the get-go sometimes. I can't be alone in being frustrated with very basic items that aren't that cheap falling apart rather quickly. It could be anything but right now what I am looking for are: -Headphones - last pairs have been shipped back to Amazon with a 1 star rating. These are for the kids, who can be rough so I don't want to get too spendy but I feel like there should be something that's not the cheapest but still affordable that works for more than a day. These ones only had sound in 1 ear less than 24 hours later. -Earbuds - two nights ago a brand new set literally fell apart in my hands before I could use them. -Box and window fans - Both of the fans I bought in August have different issues. So the purpose of this thread is to tell me what brands of the above you recommend AND if so inclined post anything you are looking to buy that is high quality and won't fall apart and we can post with solutions for your disposable junk problem too. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 I don't have suggestions but would love ideas on good headphones. Many things are not made to last like they were years ago. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WendyLady Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 I agree. I hate how everything is disposable! (This is totally not on topic, but is on my mind - not trying to thread-jack!) We recently moved into military housing on base. The neighborhood is fairly new and sort of looks like a tv set from the Truman show. Our house is really cute, but you can just feel how cheap it is. It is poorly built and the flooring is especially cheap (until you move out and have to pay for any fixes). I was told that sitting on a chair at the table could rip the flooring, so "be careful". I said, it sounds like normal wear and tear will hurt the flooring, is that right?" and the girl showing me the house said "yes". and I said, then surely I cannot be held responsible if normal wear and tear hurts the flooring, and she gave me a sheet with the cost for fixing small and large areas. Hmmmm. I was at a dinner last night and the guy sitting next to me is one of the group commanders on base - he was saying that when the homes were built (about 10 years ago) the contract was for homes that would last 20 years - so they are built to last 20 years and no more. That's it. Disposable homes. Hearing that actually makes sense - we are halfway through the 20 years, apparently. He lives alone in his house and has no pets or small children and he mentioned how his flooring is falling apart. Our last home that we purchased was 35 years old and though the carpet was ugly and it didn't have an open floor plan, the house itself was solid! Sorry I don't have any suggestions on non disposable items. My son just mentioned that he needs new earbuds... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 I’m with you on things not lasting. I have a milking machine from 1956. It still works beautifully. I replace the rubber parts yearly but the mechanical parts are original. Why don’t other things last like that? i hate it when items die like 2 month are after their 1 year warranty expires. That’s lame and it happens fairly frequently around here, especially with small appliances. i have an oreck vacuum cleaner from 21 years ago that stil works. Don’t know if they still make them that well, but I’d be willing to give that a try. Carhartt work jackets are tough as nails. Ugly but tough. I also really like my rada knives 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Shoot - having just replaced my refrigerator, I’m thinking the same about big things, things that used to last for several decades! It seems to me that inexpensive headphones that last and last do not exist. I do have for myself a good bluetooth over-ear pair by Cowin that seems to be holding up nicely. I debated about getting Bose, but put my faith in the paoitive reviews and we are in good shape so far. But they were still around $100 and the probability I would buy these for my kids is pretty slim. my youngest does want Beats headphones for a “big”Christmas gift, but that is the only way he might actually get them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 We have a set of headphones from Aldi that are fantastic. However, I haven't seen the exact set we purchased in the store for a couple of years. I think Bauhn is the brand. They came with a case, and the cord has a jack that plugs in to the headphones, so you aren't always folding the wire at that spot. We also had (or maybe have if it turns up!) a bluetooth speaker by Bauhn that is fantastic. They have had some cheaper models that are okay, but this was a sturdy nice one. It seems to have disappeared when we moved. Both the headphones and the speaker were around $40, but I think they were both marked down when we picked them up. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 My complaint is about my fridge. It wasn’t terribly cheap, and thankfully it cools fine, but the shelves are cheaply made and have broken easily. Alas, I don’t really need a solution; I just don’t have the spare cash to replace it right now. Headphones: I liked these that I bought for myself over a year ago so much that I got a second pair for the family. https://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Bluetooth-Headphones-Wireless-Memory-Protein/dp/B01NAJGGA2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) I got these earbuds with my Galaxy s8 and so far, they're the most durable earbuds I've ever owned. And I'm hard on them. I use them daily, accidentally pull on then, wrap them around my phone and shove them in a drawer, etc. and they still work like the day I bought them. Fyi, if you do look into these, only buy from Samsung because the ones on Amazon are apparently fake. Edited November 11, 2018 by Mergath 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 No real suggestions. My Apple earbuds have been fine for almost 2 years, but I know that's not everyone's experience. I would LOVE to find a can opener my kids can't break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Storm doors. We bought two within two years of each other, both from Lowe’s and both hung by separate people. They both hang wrong in the frame and get stuck on the frame as they close. It’s maddening because they were not cheap, but the closing problems make them seem junky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) I have a refrigerator that is from 1999, when my house was built. The repairman that came 3 or so years ago,--he works for an indie appliance place that also sells new--told me to do everything I could to keep it going, as the new fridges are built to last no more than a decade. His biggest beef was the seals. If you get something sticky on the seal, the rubber is so thin it will tear the seal, and then you're looking at big bucks to replace the seal. I have a stand-up freezer that belonged to my FIL that they bought in the late 1960s. It's still serving faithfully. I'll probably cry when it finally wears out. I'll probably try the earbuds recommended above. Mine routinely self-destruct. Edited November 11, 2018 by Halftime Hope 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 When we moved to this state in 1992 we had to buy a gas dryer. Now we’re moving back to the state we came from and of course we don’t have gas service for the dryer. Shopping for a dryer and the sales guy is trying to sell me a pricey one and says it’s going to last me....TEN YEARS. Buddy, my current dryer is 26 years old and has had exactly one service call that was minor. And it’s going strong. Do not brag about your dryer that probably won’t last as long as you are hyping it to last. I am so tired of disposable stuff. But for earbuds- I have some LG Bluetooth ones that retract into the little thing that goes around my neck. I’ve had them for two years and use them daily, sometimes even overnight. I think they have survived because the wires are protected inside the neck piece instead of being wrapped around a phone or shoved in a pocket. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condessa Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Sewing machines! If you get a quality one made before they switched to making all the parts they could plastic, it will go on forever. My mom’s is approaching forty years of super heavy use. My last one survived eight years of moderate/heavy use, which is a pretty good lifespan for one made nowadays. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 My daughter’s Beats headphones lasted a little over a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 4 minutes ago, livetoread said: My daughter’s Beats headphones lasted a little over a year. That would make me cry. That’s a lot to spend for a year of headphones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 3 hours ago, Carrie12345 said: No real suggestions. My Apple earbuds have been fine for almost 2 years, but I know that's not everyone's experience. I would LOVE to find a can opener my kids can't break. I have this one and have been very pleased, but I see from the reviews that others have not been as lucky. Still, 76% with 4 or 5 stars is not bad. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00030J1U2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 I am lucky in that my husband is able to fix most appliances, saving us tons of money. That said, the more modern appliances can be hard to fix because parts can be hard to find due to the disposable nature of the appliance. When looking for appliances, we generally tend to the less fancy, because they often seem to be the easiest to find parts for in order to fix them. My washer is 7 1/2 years old, and my DH has had to do a minor repair once. He thought he was going to have to do a major repair this year, but he took off the front and cleaned the innards, and so far, so good. New, the machine cost little more than $400. Now our previous machine was an old Sears my DH bought long before I knew him. It was about 20 years old when we moved, and like a poster said upthread, I wish we had taken it with us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 11 hours ago, Patty Joanna said: In 1981, I got my grandmother’s 1954 Maytag washer. It broke in 1985. Dh repaired it with a washer (a metal ring...). We left it when we moved in 1988. MAJOR LIFE REGRET. I could go on (and on and on) with a real keyboard but let me just say that I have had 7 washers in the same amount of time as that Maytag lasted, and loved only one of them. What makes me upset is that companies obviously know how to make washers (and other large appliances) that will last but choose not to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 2 hours ago, Annie G said: That would make me cry. That’s a lot to spend for a year of headphones. It was her money, but yes, we were all pretty disgusted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 When we bought our first house in the mid 1980s, it came with a refrigerator from the 1950's or early 60's that still worked fine. I hate that large appliances are so expensive and don't last nearly as long as they should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonflower Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 I like sony headphones, both the earbuds ($10 or so I think? Or maybe $15) and the basic over the ear headphones (used to be $20 at Walmart but I'm sure they're on Amazon too). We've tried many other brands and none of them hold up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonflower Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 12 hours ago, Carrie12345 said: No real suggestions. My Apple earbuds have been fine for almost 2 years, but I know that's not everyone's experience. I would LOVE to find a can opener my kids can't break. We use one of those ones that break the seal instead of cutting open the can. It's bright green; we got it on Amazon. The kids use it as a machine gun most days and it still works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 I also have a washer and dryer that are 18 years old. Whirlpool and my dh has had to fix them maybe 2 times. and my whirlpool fridge is 17 years old and still going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 (edited) Yup. We're on our second dryer since we bought this house 13 years ago, and this one needed a major repair this year. I live in a forest; air-drying is not a thing. We bought a new energy-efficient fridge, and it lasted less than two years before it broke beyond repair. It's not saving energy if you have to manufacture and ship a new one that soon, y'all. My husband's car needs a new battery every year, or it leaves him stranded. Doesn't matter what brand of battery or who installed it. It's a known issue with that model. There is paint peeling off the bottom of this laptop right now. Edited November 12, 2018 by whitehawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.