I like to buy good quality products which are reliable and durable.
I was wondering what are some of the best built quality products/brands you ever bought? Which lasted for years (high life expectancy compare to direct competitors)? which are also good value for money?
Pretty sure my dad still uses my old Marantz CD player which would be over 25 years old.
Original Nintendo entertainment system.
Still works, brought it out of the woodwork because of nostalgia.
Did 300,000k in my Hyundai Santa Fe, only had to change the suspension, motor doesn't skip a beat.
Also was bought a Microsoft trackball for my birthday 14 years ago, still works and is in daily use
Clothing from Kathmandu. Never fades and lasts for years
Miele washing machine- used literally every day for over 7 years.
Dyson barrel vacuum cleaner- now celebrating its 10th year of uninterrupted service
Asus i5 laptop- apart from upgrading RAM to 8Gb and getting an SSD it's still going super strong after 6 years.
and my final one and best one
HP Touchpad- Purchased just under 5 years ago (courtesy of OzBargain, https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/51351). Best tablet ever, has cyanogen mod and plays any media I can throw at it. Sadly the battery is starting to die, so I'll be upgrading soon.
A Full HD X series Sony TV (the one with the glass bezel) when they first came out. It was around the same time when the PS3 was launched. Amazing TV. Still use it every day.
Samsung Galaxy note 4 mobile phone- Dropped it so many times and still looks new. Really want to get a new phone but cant justify when this one still running well.
I've had a 26" Samsung HDTV (non-full HD). It's almost 9 years now and still working great.
We gave it to someone who is just starting her new life in Australia. My son was really upset when we gave it to her, though he quickly turned around when he saw the LG 4k HDTV replacement. Hope it lasts just as long.
I can think of a couple…
Original Nintendo DS - 11 years old
Logitech G25 wheel, shifter and pedals - almost 9 years years old and hasn't skipped a beat
Rolex Submariner (made in Switzerland) excellent quality. I'll pass it to one of my two kids that I like better. Value for money is debatable, but it will seem like a bargain when I gift it to them. I like to think of it as $3 a day over 10 years as I wear it everyday.
Asko dishwasher (made in Sweden), not sure about them today now some are made in Slovenia.
Whirlpool 10kg front loader (made in Germany) great machine, large capacity. Much faster full cycle than other front loaders.
Panasonic Plasma 65inch 6yo (Can't remember if Japan or China). Watching sports on LCD/LED TVs is artificial compared to Plasma's.
Rhodes and Beckett suits, my older ones seems better quality than the newer ones
German power tools (Bosch Blue, AEG, etc) and Panasonic cordless drills.
Australian Hardwoods (Spotted Gum, Ironbark etc), nothing as durable as them in Australian conditions.
How many years you used them?
3, 6, 6, 6, 5, 10+, 10+
10yr old Omega Seamaster here. They use extremely high grade steel and glass. I have worn it on work sites and military bases and its super hard wearing.
I also have a $50 Seiko 5 that looked like it had been bombed by only a years use.
I have a fair bit of high end hifi gear that is bombproof. Parasound Meridian Marantz. Unstoppable engineering.
I also have an ususual love affair with Lenovo Thinkpads of the era from 2006 to about 2012. I dont like the new ones.
Mazda E2000. My parents had one of these that went for years and years despite not getting any TLC. Next to no maintenance costs and it had high kilometres.
How many years they used it?
My parents also had an E2000 in the 90s.
They complained it used fuel like a V8 even when not loaded up.
Casio G-Shock solar atomic watch, still going strong after 8 years …
my 2005 nissan pulsar, barely had any problems over the 4 years i've owned it
Bought a $39 table from ikea i use as a computer desk and its incredibly solid, stable and looks great.
Got a high quality resistance band from rebel sports about 3-4 years ago and is still in great shape after using it 2-3 times a week
Asko Dishwasher Never had to look back.
Hyundai Sonata that I traded in after 14 years just because "upgradeitis" hit me.
Never skipped a beat, and never needed more than routine services.
Traded it in a couple of months ago on a new one.
Lego.
The stuff is incredibly solid. I have 30+ year old Lego that is just fine.
It is something you can pass on between generations.
It's not unthinkable that it will be OK in another 30 years either.
This dishbrush that you can buy from Woolies.
http://geelongbrush.com.au/our-products/little-bulldog-dish-…
Bristles are strong and seem to last forever. Ours is almost three years old and still great.
Highly recommended.
Went looking in Woolies QV in Melbourne, but they only had either the Geelongbrush bbq version or the Woolies imitation version :(
Ford Au fairmont
baught in 2001 had until 2015
300 000klm
only ever changed the shocks,tyres,battery and 1 headlight bulb.
allways serviced myself.
sold because i upgraded to a newer ford
If thats not a good product i dont know what is
Levis leather belt 15+ years
Citizen Eco drive calibre 10 years
Man utd Umbro jersey 18 years
Newcastle adidas jersey 18 years
Aside from the watch they don't make them like they used to.. Trust me I tried.
I am still using my late 2009 Macbook and am planning to continue to use it for another year. That means that I would have gotten almost 8 years out of a little over $1000 laptop, which I think is really good value for money. I have only had to change out the battery once (covered under extended warranty) due to technological limitation of lithium ion batteries.
Camera wise, the original Pentax Q was solid as a brick, lovely finish. Too bad it had a tiny sensor in it.
Nike Runners. I bought them in April 2012 When I started hitting the Gym, Still go to gym 5 Days a Week on Average and still going strong. I Wash them and changed the Insoles when they start moving around.
We still have our first microwave " National brand " it must be 30+ Years old ……..hmm were probably getting microwaved everytime we use it lol.
Nokia 3210, still rocking in 2016.
My HTC One M8. The build quality is superb and survived many many drops without the screen shattering or anything. My phone has served me well over 2 and a half years and is still running very smooth, and most importantly: able to run Pokemon Go. hehe xd
nikon 50mm f/1.4 1986 inherited from my auntie. still works perfectly on my 8 year old nikon d700 dslr.
They knew how to build lenses back in the 80's (and 70's, and 60's) - those things will likely last forever.
A Whirlpool chest freezer which is from the mid 70s, I think. And you can tell, it has that 70s brown style lid.
It has suffered more abuse than any freezer might, at least in a domestic setting and it still goes strong. All it asks for is an occasional defrosting.
Recap on some things, definitely my MacBook from late 2009, my iPod touch is 10 this year.
I have a couple of pioneer amps from I think the 80's that just power on every time all the time.
My i7 computer 6/7 years old now.
My first plasma from 2006, Samsung, still the best tv ever.
Sony big stereo that is probable 13 now.
HP Laserjet 4000 series printers.
Microsoft Intellimouse.
Logitech Squeezebox.
Panasonic Viera Plasma TV.
Yes, those laserjets are tanks…
Though seen some of the NIC cards die, but they are easy to replace.
De Buyer carbon steel frying pan. It will outlast me.
Not as easy to use as all the non-stick stuff, but easy enough and it doesn't need replacing every 12 - 24 months.
Don't think the brand matters. Any cast iron / steel pan will do the job just as well.
For the $70 I spent on it, it's one of the best purchases I've ever made.
Close second is probably a Mio C520 GPS. Stuck to my windscreen since 2007 and still going strong. I've hacked it and have run various flavours of GPS software on it. It is yet to miss a beat.
My MacBook pro from 2012 still going strong. On the other end of price spectrum, Surprisingly cheap mSI windows tab still going strong from 2011.
Icebreaker gear. I wear some form of IB gear all year round except during the hottest days of summer. The tops and bottoms and jackets look great, feel great, don't have to be washed for ages if necessary and have lasted years (5+) and are still going strong. The exceptions are one top has got holes; undies have holes too and one non-sport socks has hole in the heel.
I'm using my Red Nautica back pack I bought when I started uni in 2000. I still use the bag everyday
My 8 year old Oakley Gascan (Polarised) sunnies. Still going great. Never had to buy a new pair since I got that.
Has anyone brought a steam mop and been happy with it years/months down the track??
Lenovo lappies - the oldest in the fleet is >10 years old, still get abused daily by the other half. It literally get flown across the room like a frisbee by the kids. The only thing ever clapped out on it is the battery. Another one survived 4 years being used up to 18 hours a day but the discrete graphics finally cacked it. Another survived 6 years being used up to 12 hours a day but the CPU fan has clapped out, so has the ThinkLight and in-built camera. I wonder if the X1 Carbon will last this long.
a Snooze digital alarm clock
going back when I was a young bloke 16 or so years ago I ended up spending the summer in Port Douglas QLD. I started a job as a dish pig but needed something to get me up for the 6AM start on that first shift and this was the only alarm clock I could find in the town…..think I paid about $15, just remember it been a lot.
Still going strong now.
I was looking after a patient in hospital a year or two back and he had the same alarm clock, mentioned it to him and he was the same 10-15 years and still running.
don't think I have anything else that has been in constant use last so long.
brands I wouldn't hesitate to buy again due to quality build
Doc Martens
GoPro
G-Shock
Carrera (slot car track)
Julbo
Subaru
Fender USA
I think my dyson will outlive me
2009 Cannondale CAAD9… Has gone through difficult life and now become my daily commuter bike… 7 years old and hasn't missed a beat…
Lots of good items in this thread.
Haven't seen a Dyson Vaccum mentioned yet.
Those things are built to last!
Dyson? I got my Dyson motor head cracked few weeks after I bought it brand new.
Hmm. Where do I start with Dyson.
Maybe when it was 1 week old and the drive belt on the motor head broke. I called the call center. The smug guy said they are gear driven, that it cant possibly break. I said well I've taken the motor head apart, and the belt is in my hands. He smirked and said its no longer under warranty. $99 for a new one. So I measured the pitch, width/number of teeth, etc and purchased a new belt from an industrial supplier and 4 years later its still going strong.
The internal hose had a hole. This is a 4 year old DC41. Not happy. Got a new one from the US, fitted it OK.
There is a small wheel on the motor head that is held in place by a metal pin and moulded plastic. The only way to get the part is a new motorhead. The plastic will keep breaking in new motor heads. I'm glad it hasn't gouged my floor as it has other peoples…
Inside the ball, its main plastic sub frame is cracked. Common fault.
The hose is cracked and has holes.
The gaskets have failed and peeled off within a year of having it.
I find it hard to recommend a Dyson. Particularly the newer 54, which is essentially the same as my 41. If anyone ever asks me, I say yeah, but…
I contact the customer service, they said, "its a crack you still can use it?" I didn't expect that from a premium product with premium price tag.
Check out Miele next time…
They really aren't. Dyson's are notoriously on the lower side in terms of quality control.
Mars Opportunity rover.
Landed on Mars in Jan 2004. Planned mission 90 local days (92 earth days).
Still going strong, doing great science 12 years after its planned original life. In an unbelievably harsh environment: radiation, solar winds, dust storms, -40 degrees and lower.
A very definition of quality and superior engineering.
(And no, I did not 'purchase' this item, but I have absolutely 'bought' into its story.)
You will love the Voyager mission then. Do you know of it? 1977 and still going
Has reached the very edge of the suns gravitational pull, its now between solar systems, truly interstellar. They still send it command that take 15 hours to reach it!
Yes, and what about the gold records onboard. They are the ultimate long lasting product.
Because they are gold, in a vacuum and not on Earth, it will likely, and literally, outlast mankind - and the Earth itself!
Case closed OP ☺
@Charity: Epic. Although Voyager not such great value if it does get all badass and come back to destroy the Earth itself.
Seasonic built power supplies. Their 7 year warranty says it all.
Breville for almost any electronic kitchen appliance.
Logitech speakers never fail.
That's all I can think of right now.
I tried a few cheap rice cooker $14 and had to return them. Lucky I got a refund for all of them as they were under the manufacturer warranty. And then got a Breville for only $25 on special. Much better than the cheapest ones and just a little bit more expensive.
Thinking about this - I've got some logitech PC speakers that are about 15 years old.
I had an orange electrolux vacuum from about 1981. I think it was $200 when new so that was a lot of money then. That thing lasted until some time after 2010.
Motor sounded like it was going to blow one day so I bought a Miele. The miele is only ok, build quality is poor, but still way better than a bagless.
I really regret tossing the electrolux and should have got it fixed. They don't make them like that anymore.
Bought a Miele 3 years ago from this deal https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/128334 lasted for only 3 years. I bought a Dyson this year hopefully this one is much better.
I looked at Dyson but all those moving plastic bits put me off. We've also had a couple of different bagless vacs and the dust is too much for the system and eventually jams it all up.
Mate has a Toyota Echo that's still chugging along.
I'm surprised it hasn't carked it yet.
Not even old yet???
I bought a flesh light a few years back. Still going strong after daily use and hasn't lost its shape
probably because you are too small and gentle :)
Bamix stick blender
Samsung SyncMaster 215TW computer monitor. Bought 10 years ago and still used on oldest computer in house. No dead pixels and still looks as good as newer monitors.
Samsung Galaxy S3: It fell from my hand a number of times, my baby tossed it around the house, i got sick of using it and so want it to stop working. Nope. It won't and it won't scratch. Finally i gave it away. Still going strong. Not just the hardware. I tested it to the max with lots of roms. Works like magic. The screen amoled is so beautiful. I then bought a asus zenfone 2. Same amazing stuff.
Creative speakers: I bought a 2.1 speakers from creative 16 years back. They sound as incredible as i bought them. My parents still use them.
Macbook pro: This is a beast. It just keeps working for me.
Mitsubishi Mirage Manual: I used this cute little car a manual one, bought when it was clocking 136K. It drives amazingly. It looks so beautiful. I drove it for 40000 kms to work, weekend drives, beach, shopping, interstate, absolutely everywhere. It never broke down on me. Finally i had to half heartedly sell it as I had to upgrade to a sedan.
Mitsubishi Mirage - It looks so beautiful… mmm okay.
Luxor 37" LCD and 24" acoustic solutions.bought the 37 in 2008 and acoustic in 2009, still going strong after being shipped from the UK!
Logitech speakers, I have had these multi directional speakers since tandy was around
Heres a pic - one doesn't work & the remote is long gone but for just one to be still working in my house is un-heard of
http://mms.businesswire.com/bwapps/mediaserver/ViewMedia?mgi…
I bought a Caterpillar branded belt 15 years ago. Black, leather, not overly branded as CAT etc. I wear it almost daily and have from when I bought it.
I think I paid $60 for it (with staff discount) and it is worn with jeans, work trousers, chinos, canvas shorts, etc.
Has been used as a makeshift sling for a busted arm, a tie down for motorbike bag that snapped it's strap on a 250km ride, for sexy times, etc.
Looked at some of the more recent CAT branded belts, not even close to the thickness of the leather on this and the buckles look weak.
NAD 3020 stereo amplifier. Bought it 20 years ago and still as new. Love it
Strangely, the remote that came with my Tivo. Got it the same day I got my iPhone 3 (so 2008). It still looks and functions perfectly and I'm now onto the 4th foxtel remote (in the same time span) and the TIVO remote is still pristine.
I mean the Tivo still works too, but the build quality of the remote astounds me compared to foxtel remotes. None of the printing on the buttons has faded either.
Yamaha TS-115 5.1 sound system….got it from 2001 or 1999…..unbelievable quality…sound, remote…speakers works as new…i do changed battery for the remote once or twice…
and that's all…
last year bought another Yamaha YAS-105 soundbar to pair up with my 60inch TV…wish this one last another 15 years………
yamaha TS-115 now is paring up with my computer for daily use
Now that you mention it, my Yamaha CTS-20 USB must be at least 15 years old now. Never missed a beat, use it on my pc still, and for prob the last 8 years it's been powered on 24/7 too…
Yamaha is god…….
i have a 2nd generation 20 gig classic ipod that still works just fine, and my ipad 2 purchased in 2011 is still going strong and is a delight for my 3 year old daughter when she has been a good girl… and she beats the crap out of it!
I am surprised, my old iPod Classic (60GB? 80GB? I think it was 60GB but I am not too certain) died several times, so much that I've given up on fixing it after the refurbished unit died (for 2 times with same symptom). I reckon it was the temperature damaging the battery (if you look up a bit, I mentioned before that I go out for a stroll during Winter in Korea) causing the HDD to die (or it may have been the physical damages, which I kinda doubt).
Thought about fixing it by changing the HDD with SD card and such, but thought it was not worth the hassle; DAPs are relatively cheap, reasonably close to the price I would pay for the modification. Not to mention, smartphones are adequate.
wife - still whinging well daily after many years.
Thought that whining noise was a defect turns out it was an inbuilt feature.
wears flame suit
Westinhouse fridge, been in office canteen for 30 years still running well. The only complaint is defreezing is needed.
My dell Latitude E6420 work laptop is super durable. It travels with me everyday and works very well. I hope it's broken soon so that I can buy a new one.
Rossi Boots - Still made in Adelaide, Australia
G shock watch - Their reputation speaks for themselves
Wahl super tapper clippers _ Don't bother with anything else these are the industry standard and can be had for $80
Pelican Case - Lifetime Warranty
My Macbook Unibody 2008 some upgrades but still going very strong
Camelbak drink bottle - Lifetime warranty
Samsonite hardshell suitcase - Has been dragged all around the world and has watched lesser suitcases from my travel companions come and go
While not really a quality brand story, one thing that surprised me for durability was a corded hammer drill I bought years ago.
It cost me $9 from WA Salvage (to give you the timeline) and has had some serious use over the years, especially when I moved into my new house.
Didn't expect it to last the task at hand, but still in good working order today…
Samsonite laptop backpack. 7 years and still going.
Nokia 3310. Threw on walls and dropped on floor and what not. Never broke. Once upon a time, Nokia made the phones for tough men.
I've got a strap-on that's taken and given a pounding over the last 14 years, you get what you pay for.
Also doubles as a defense weapon.
Logitech Z5500. Purchased in 2008 from MSY…still going strong.
Sony 40inch LCD tv 1080i, purchased in 2008 from DSE…still going strong.
Casio Protrek titanium wrist watch. Purchased 2009…gone through drops, scratches, bumps, etc. Still going strong, never needed battery change because of the solar panel.
Razer Copperhead mouse and Logitech g15 keyboard. Purchased 2006. Still going strong…am really surprised with these two…
My Apple Imac 27" . Bought in 2009 and still works faster than most of the brand new PC's. Not to mention the iPhone 3GS Bought when it first came out and still used by a family member .Iphone 4s still works as brand new after so many years of rough use
My Sony VPCCB laptop in bright orange one of the first with a full HD 15 inch screen, has been running continuously since 2011 and despite being retired for a month for a crappy Lenovo (a terrible buy that went back) even with repeated abuse and even a lot of basic gaming it somehow keeps on going.
Another is my Fuji 3D camera, bought as a gimmick but has outlasted every other compact and mirrorless camera after it which either got dust in the lenses or just failed for one reason or another.
And my old Celica I had, 400,000 on the clock, owned and thrashed by a boy racer it never said no and cost me all of $500 during the 5 years I had it.
Macbook Pro - Going 5+ years and still flys and shows no signs of getting sluggish.
It was the first laptop I bought that I kept for more than 3 years. Everything else I had would either breakdown and wasn't worth repairing.
Singer 66K sewing machine which was made in about 1929, still going strong.
Electric motor with foot pedal control, it only stitches straight and forwards, but does it superbly.
I'm about to pass this one to it's next home, as I have upgraded to a 1955 201K.
Both these machines are from a time when products were over-engineered, and will probably outlast me.
Marantz 1050 amplifier I got free from a neighbour. Almost 40 years old and still runs perfectly! Hasn't had any repairs either.