The WDT thread has touched on a subject about extended warranties, and I occasionally see a post pop up on Reddit about buying something that's high enough quality that it'll last you your lifetime. What's TiB's take on it? FOCUS: What warranties are worth it. Which ones aren't. Share your experience. ALT-FOCUS: Fuck the warranty, and fuck cheap Chinese plastic shit at Walmart... what items have you bought or do you recommend that will last you a lifetime?
FOCUS: Snap-On or Jet tools. They have an insane "just give it back and we'll replace it" policy, which makes sense because they're so fucking expensive. But I've found that if you want quality, pay for it. Ran into this a few days ago, where I ripped the end off of a Jet breaker bar. Gee... I wonder how I did that? Didn't matter... no questions asked, I walked into Lordco, showed them the busted bar, and they put a new head on it while I waited, no charge, no judgment. Same thing happened with a snap-on ratchet that I had... abused it, broke it, got a new one no questions asked. Sears used to do this, but they don't any more, probably because their quality has gone to shit since their tools have been made in China. And in the fishing front, Orvis. They make a killer fly fishing rod, and one trip my buddy slammed the tailgate of my pickup closed and made my $600 3-piece fly rod a 4-piece. Called up Orvis, who has a lilfetime replacement/repair policy, and they apologized that they didn't make or repair that older version of rod any more, so gave me a choice of 4 better rods. I picked one, and it showed up 5 days later in priority mail. I will be an Orvis customer for life as a result.
LL Bean clothes (And anything else the make). They offer a 100% guarantee. You can return anything, for any reason and they will replace it.
This, for the Alt. Focus. I have their large rolling duffle bag, and it's fucking bomb proof (insert airplane joke here). Who needs a warranty when the damn thing doesn't break? Also, everyone needs a good cast iron skillet. Or several. Learn how to season it. Learn how to properly clean it. And for god's sake don't put it in a dishwasher. It'll be your best friend, and last you for-fucking-ever.
I've had my NorthFace backpack for ten years now. It has survived undergrad and everything since. Really nothing has gone wrong with it and it has survived far longer than it should and looks like it'll survive 10 more years. I know NorthFace gear (in Colorado crunchie/douche think) is for yuppies who don't know any better but their stuff holds up well provided that you buy their mid high end stuff. Their bottom tier in DIcks style stores stuff is truly shit. I've also had great luck with Samsung. My tv went out, they sent someone in, tried to do the minimal repair, he came back a few days later and basically replaced all the internals and gave me a new tv for free because it was under warranty. Super impressed. No questions asked, never accused me of fucking with it, just got it done and working.
Oakley sunglasses, provided you don't damage only the glass will let you mail in a broken pair and they mail you a brand new pair back. If you want a chainsaw that lasts, you go Husqvarna. I've seen models 25 years old that still run like a Swiss watch.
I haven't lived a lifetime to really say what will or won't last, but I have a few things that I suspect are going to last. Good cookware. I have some All Clad, Le Creuset, and Du Buyer, and they're all just solid. It's not like I'm cooking in commercial kitchens with really high BTU gas stoves, but they've lasted me a few years so far and they're not slowing down any. And this stuff didn't even cost that much - usually they're on sale when I buy them (and I think I got the Du Buyer in France where it's a fraction of what Williams Sonoma sells them for). I see my friends with shitty non-stick cookware and, quite simply, they just don't work as well and your food isn't going to taste as good when your frying pan is so thin that you can use it as a cymbal. You're far better off having 2 or 3 good pieces of versatile cookware instead of 5 or 6 shitty ones (also, realistically, you don't need that much cookware). I recommend a dutch oven and a saute pan (basically a high-walled frying pan) if you're only going for 2. I still use an Ikea stock pot for cooking pasta and general boiling water duty, though, because it doesn't really matter all that much when you're just boiling water. In terms of outdoors gear, I can recommend Mystery Ranch backpacks. They cost an arm and a leg, but as the owner says, a lifetime warranty doesn't mean much when you're 20 miles down a trail and the bottom falls out of your bag. I've got one of their smaller bags and it's damned comfortable, and I've seen their bags put through some rough use and they're still going strong.
I know I shouldn't be this excited about nose hair grooming BUT THIS MOTHERFUCKER is a quality made fucking item. Simple hand twist action with no batteries. A solid piece of American craftsmanship. It's got some heft to it being as small as it is. Groom Mate Platinum XL
Snap-On, Matco, Cornwell, in that order. I make my living with them and I need a bulletproof exchange warranty. I just paid $130 for a fine tooth 3/8 ratchet, expensive? Sure is but I can use that ratchet to hammer nails all day if I wanted and Snap On will warranty it no questions asked. Same goes for sockets/wrenches/extensions etc. If you want good electric impacts, go with Snap On. Nothing else compares, same for hand tools to a lesser extent. Air powered tools go with Ingersoll Rand, they have cornered the market when it comes to pneumatics. Go with Stihl chainsaws and trimmers. Trust me. American made and great customer service. Jet makes great woodworking tools along with Festool. Although Festool is the highest end option for some things in my mind.
Focus: The only warranties that are worth it are the ones that come with no charge with the original purchase. They are probably still shit, but at least it is not costing you anything. Alt Focus: If it is going to be for your job, buy the best American or Canadian made item you can afford and it will do you proud. Stihl are wonderful products for yard work, but pretty hard for me to justify when I am just doing the yard work for one small home. For my work however, I paid $200 for a Monroe Calculator 25 years ago that has been beat on without mercy and is still going strong. Ditto with the stapler I overpaid for at the same time. When I am ready to buy a piece of camping gear or electronic, I do a bit of research of what I want then start looking for a used piece for sale. I just do not think the warranties are going to make any difference and I would like to have a nicer piece of equipment.
You'd be surprised about the cost of Stihl "homeowner" tools... I've got a chainsaw, leaf blower, weed eater, and lawn mower, all Stihl, all very, very reasonably priced. All very solid performers. Bought them all from the local, privately owned/operated Stihl shop when they had a "combo package" price thing going on. Had one problem with the leaf blower, and they fixed it free of charge. The chainsaw is just smaller than a pro, not any less quality. Highly recommend them. Same great quality, nowhere near the price (or size) of the pro series.
Leatherman tools. Also, don't ever buy electronics warranties. The failure rate does not justify the extra cost.
I buy everything on my credit card that gives me an automatic 1 year warranty extension. Saved my ass a couple of times.
It's surprising how few people know that their credit cards usually offer this. Out of the 5 cards I use to accumulate points, all of them have a warranty extension. I've always loved the Craftsman hand tool warranty. I had a 1/2" socket wrench that was my dad's before he gave it to me, on occasion being used as a paint stirrer, a hammer, and a pry bar. It finally quit ratcheting and when I brought that abused, 35 year old wrench into Sears, the guy looked at it long enough to see that it said Craftsman on the handle and promptly installed a new ratchet mechanism. They're not the absolute best tools on the block, but for the common items that often get abused, broken or lost, they get the job done. Maui Jim was also great. I was given a pair of expensive sunglasses, and one of the arms broke. Despite having no proof of purchase, Maui Jim offered to send me a new pair of my choice, free of charge. I inquired about 2 different ones I liked, and the rep told me that one was nicer/more expensive, and he'd like me to try those first and exchange them if I wanted the others. They overnighted the replacement with the name and number of a nearby optometrist to get them fitted. I'm not sure I ever want to spend $300+ on sunglasses but at least they clearly come with great service.
Had a pair of $60-70ish Klipsch Ear Buds and after like 6 months, one of the ears stopped playing. Think it also had something to do with the jack. I just emailed them, and without having to send a receipt or the old ones back they sent a new pair. I had no idea of their warranty and they didn't do that annoying thing where they spend 30 minutes pointing out "one time courtesy".
My North Face day pack purchased in 1998 looks like I bought it this year. I've sent that sucker through the washing machine several times as well. Patagonia will replace anything that wears out. Their corporate goal is specifically for you to not repurchase their shit. Seriously, I had an R3 jacket that was getting thin at the seams. Took it in to the store and they told me to pick out any one I liked. And that must have been a bad product run, because everything else I have from them Will Not Die - I still have and wear capilene base layers and synchilla jackets bought in 1996. On the other hand, if your item is fixable they will send it in to repair, you don't get the new hotness. For the upscale shoppers: Nordstrom will take anything back, at any time. I leave it to you as to exactly how roughly you want to abuse this policy but literally, if you take back something you bought years ago they will accept it. Also, free tailoring of anything you buy from them. The single best way to look awesome in your clothes is to get them tailored, and that can add up fast.
Monster cables for guitars. I had one break, got a brand new one, no questions asked. Dyson. Had an issue with the vacuum, sent it in, free of charge, got it back a week later and it was perfect. Apple. I tried to extend the 3 year Apple Care warranty on my computer, but they won't extend. That warranty has been great. Had a hard drive issue that was discovered when I brought it in for its yearly maintenance, which was also free under the warranty.
Allen Edmonds shoes are amazing. They are also insanely expensive and can run anywhere from $300 to $1200 a pair, however each pair comes with a lifetime warranty, and that includes damage that you do to the shoes and normal wear and tear. I bought a pair about 2 years ago and had run the soles down a bit. I sent them back and they "repaired" them, but really they just sent me a brand new pair. Ive heard mixed things about how they handle their warranties, some getting better service than others, but Ive had nothing but good experience with their program. And for a couple hundred a pair, after a few years they pay for themselves. Any kind of tech warranty beyond the standard manufacturer isn't worth it. When I worked at Staples right out of college, they hounded us to push their extended, store-backed warranty programs on any electronic device. This was especially true for phones and laptops because most retailers lose money on each purchase, and the warranty is how they make a profit. We would be incentivized with Dunkin Donuts gift cards and all sorts of crap. I would still tell people the truth that it didnt cover drops or breaks, only glitches and miscellaneous hardware failures. Plus they were mostly selling HPs, which are pieces of shit anyway so I told people to go buy their computers on Newegg. Worst salesman ever.
Focus: For binoculars and rifle scopes, Leupold has a solid lifetime transferable warranty. Doesn't matter if you bought it, they'll honor it. A few years ago I bought a scope made in 1976 and when an internal part failed and they couldn't fix it, they sent me an upgraded new scope worth quite a bit more than the old one. Alt-focus: For high quality, durable woodworking tools like chisels and rasps, it seems you have three options now since the quality of most makers has gone to shit. Haunt Ebay and estate sales for good old tools, forge them yourself, or spend an arm and a leg for the European made stuff. Paying $50 for a Swiss gouge seemed ridiculous at first, but now there is no going back. I totally agree, tailoring cannot be understated if you want to look and feel good in your clothes. I never regret it.
Are you talking about HP laptops? Because if you are my experience has been the exact opposite. Of all the laptop brands I've used HPs have been the best in terms of reliability and useful life hands down. I won't even bother with other laptop brands at this point. The same goes for the HP desktops we had at the clinic; those things would run for forever. Their servers were tanks too.