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Boz6 t1_j3qx4un wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in When did this sub go from advice and talks of quality to survivors bias posts? Is there a sub that better matches how this was years ago? by xSympl

> so many people here just use the sub to recommend brands they kinda like rather than limiting the sub to items that are truly designed for a lifetime of ownership.

I may be way off here, but with TODAY'S products, meaning products currently being produced, MOST of them haven't been produced long enough for people to truly KNOW whether or not they're BIFL.

And even for products that have been produced for a long time, and are still being produced, how do we as normal consumers know whether or not the product materials or manufacturing process has been recently changed?

I have a desktop radio that I've had and used daily for a REALLY LONG time. But it's no longer available for new purchase. So, so far, it's BIFL for ME, but nobody else can buy one new, so what good would it be for me to post?

Sorry for the pessimism. I just have a hard time knowing what's REALLY BIFL for products that are currently available for new purchase.

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MalagrugrousPatroon t1_j3rtflx wrote

Same experience I have. I have a Boston Acoustics Recepter clock radio which must be close to 20 years old. It's the best sounding music device of its size I've ever heard, and a remarkably excellent radio, but it can only be bought used. Those 20 years are meaningless if 20 years are already used up the moment you buy it.

The opposite is true of the Aiyima A08 Pro. It has amazingly sound quality, but people might reject it out of hand because it's made in China, even though it uses American chips. Worse for this subreddit is it's only a year or so old. So despite the high quality of the device, there is no telling if it has longevity despite its high apparent quality.

And as for production changes over time, Red Wing has come out with cheaper footwear. There are implicit trade offs for the lower price and more immediate comfort of materials like foam, versus more leather for more longevity at greater cost.

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dizzykitty t1_j3skwbh wrote

This is valid. I think the idea is to recognize what trends make for a lasting product and make your best educated guess. For instance, my Ford ranger has a cast iron block and cast iron head. The valves aren't interfering, so if I break a timing belt my engine won't grenade. It is easily serviceable by myself and of the shelf parts are still available. My truck shares a lot in common with trucks of the 80's meaning there has been over 30 years of continuous support for it.

As far as vehicles go, I'd say it qualifies as bifl for now. I would post my truck, make my case and let y'all decide for yourself if it qualifies to you.

That's sort of my 2cents though.

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Pinkfish_411 t1_j3vg7fp wrote

>MOST of them haven't been produced long enough for people to truly KNOW whether or not they're BIFL

This is often repeated here, but it's actually nonsense that flatly contradicts the sub's obsession with "planned obsolescence." The very concept of planned obsolescence implies that it's possible to know how long an object will last on average given the choice of certain materials and construction techniques.

So which is it? Either we can have reasonable knowledge of how long objects will last without waiting around and watching how long it takes them to fail, or else the whole idea that products are designed to fail, like folks on this sub so often charge, is a spurious complaint.

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Boz6 t1_j3vws9c wrote

"The best laid plans..."

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