And I used it again tonight. Good as new. I wish it had a longer cord.

Hi all,

Love the sub, and I notice a lot of items manufactured in Japan are regularly recommended.

I'm in Tokyo for the week, but have been living in East Africa for the past five years. I'm hoping to get some recommendations on items I can buy in Tokyo and bring back to East Africa in checked luggage.

Anything goes!!!

Webber from the 1980's? I dunno exactly how old it is, I inherited it.

I’m a small leather goods maker based in Norfolk, England, and I wanted to find out just how strong traditional English bridle leather really is.

I arranged an independent tensile test at Certex in Great Yarmouth, using 4mm thick Sedgwick English bridle leather with a stitched joint.
The results were pretty remarkable.

The leather withstood a peak load equivalent to approximately 421kg before eventually failing at the joint. What particularly impressed me was that the stitching remained intact.

I use this leather to make belts, dog collars, leads and other leather goods, so understanding its strength and durability is important to me.
It’s given me an even greater appreciation for traditional materials and craftsmanship.

I thought this community might appreciate seeing what properly made English bridle leather can withstand.

Has anyone else tested the strength of traditional leather or other long-lasting materials?

If you used a rule of spending money in places where people used the most of their time and effort, and then applied the second rule of looking for the best quality products in these areas for the lowest possible price (looking for outsized examples of extreme value), what would you spend money on purchasing?

Our heat pump finally gave out after about 10 years, and we had a repair tech come take a look. Now we're trying to decide whether to pay for the repair or put that money toward a new system.

I've been looking into ductless mini splits lately. Brands like Della, Senville, and Costway seem to offer more affordable options, and a 3-zone system could cost about the same as the repair quote we received. The simpler installation and potential energy savings are appealing too, although I know the actual savings depend on the system and installation.

The repair guy thinks we should fix the old heat pump. His argument is that older equipment was built with better materials and was generally more solid, and that a proper repair could give us another 3–5 years out of it. He also thinks newer mini splits aren't necessarily built as well as older systems.

That got me thinking. Is there actually a big difference in build quality between older HVAC equipment and newer mini splits, or is this partly nostalgia for older appliances? If the repair costs almost as much as a new 3-zone system, would you put more money into the old unit or take a chance on a new one?

Curious to hear from people who've dealt with this, especially anyone who's owned a newer mini split for several years.

So after reading this morning's post, it occurs to me that a lot of people probably don't know the simple tricks for figuring out whether something is Buy it for life.

First of all, it's likely to be expensive. This isn't a conspiracy or planned obsolescence nonsense. It just costs more money to make something that is going to last forever, and there will be a correspondingly lower demand because it's pricier. There's nothing wrong with buying it for cheap, but buying cheap and expecting great takes a lot of optimism.

Second - buy the commercial version. If it's set up to take commercial use and abuse, it will last forever at home. Classic example is a coffee shop espresso machine, or mixer from a bakery.

Finally, is there a used market for it. If the thing is known for having a long useful life, people will buy used ones. The fact a lot of people are willing to pay real money for something that someone else has already used means they think it won't wear out.

And finally, is it easy to get repaired? Real buy-it-for-life stuff is repairable. And it's a corollary to the used market. People are willing to spend money on repairing it and stocking parts because they know it's going to be around for 40 years or such.

what's BIFL without the right to repairability?!

look for local events, including things like Fix It Clinics, Repair Cafes and generally join the fight for products that can be fixed and maintained by users!

Any must buys from Taiwan?
Travelling in November

I'm looking for vacuum bags and a preferrably electric pump for traveling. It can also be manual I guess, I just prefer electric, since it takes up less space, which is crucial for traveling. Best would be some USB-C compatible rechargable pump.

I live in Europe, so I looked around German Amazon a bit, I found this, which looks promising but if you guys know any more trustworthy recommendation I would reconsider it.

Which rice cooker would you recommend besides Zojirushi? I’m from Croatia, and while there are a few Zojirushi models available here, they’re just way too expensive. I’d love to be able to make rice like the kind you get at restaurants that serve Gambian rice, but I’m not sure which rice cooker to buy. Everyone seems to recommend Zojirushi, but it’s simply too pricey here. Any recommendations?

Any brands you recommend or recommend avoiding? We need to replace ours and also want to get some kind of linen storage. We want to compare getting custom made vs pre-made. And our main considerations are BIFL, ethical sourcing, and cost. We are in the US. Thanks!

I've never bought snow boots before and I find a lot of them very ugly. Now I will need them to keep my feet warm in minus 30, so I can't judge the model alone, but I like these 3 Sorel boots. Does anyone have these and if so, how are they working out for you? How often do you wear them, in what temperatures and how well do they hold up?

1. Caribou Horizon GTX

2. Snow Angel

3. Ona Ave Alpine Tall Lux

I have yet to find another brand with similar, white snow boots (for ladies) that has good or better reviews (as I read some posts about how Sorel's quality isn't as it used to be and these aren't cheap enought to break down after a few months).

Sometimes paying more does not really mean you’re getting something better. There are probably plenty of everyday things where the cheapest option works just fine especially if you do not use them that often. I am curious what people think is not worth spending extra money on. Are there things where you always go for the basic option instead of the expensive one? What is one product you have bought where you felt the cheaper version was actually just as good?

Hi BIFL, what aspects do you look for when buying something of quality?

Recently I have been going around my house and cataloging items. With the goal of making a master list of "quality" products that I will only have to buy once. This has taken me down a rabbit hole of defining individual items quality and best use.

For instance, I have a handful of coffee mugs but my favorite is a simple white porcelain mug. It is microwaveable, dishwasher safe, and lead free. Its white, so it has no design that anchors it to a certain time of year, nor does it have a design that will fade after years of washing. In all other words its timeless, sturdy, and does exactly what I need it to do.

I am trying to define this type of thoughtful approach to everything else I own. With the intention of eventually replacing things as they wear out. So im coming to you guys to help brainstorm and discuss what characteristics make a product BIFL.

Some context is that I work at a warehouse where I have to stand on my feet for a long period of time. I’m looking for any recommendations of what shoes I should get so they can feel Comfortable on my feet, any recommendations is appreciated. Thanks!

I can’t seem to find a modular sectional that is both comfy and supportive. We first tried the Sydney Sectional from Costco and it was way too squishy. We then retuned it for the Henredon which is super bouncy and not very comfy (plus the seat cushions aren’t removable which makes it hard to clean with two dogs!). I’m now on the hunt again, for something in the sub $4000 range. I’m finding that modular sectionals don’t seem to often have the supportive base + supportive square cushions as other non modular ones, but due to the location of our living room, modular is the only option that will fit. Any advice is appreciated here!

I’ve had this watch for nearly twenty years and have literally done nothing to it. Whoever designed the solar charging capability for this deserves a medal. I’ve even left it in my glove compartment for a week and it still keeps perfect time. I highly recommend.

Trying to appease the bed mate. We are moving to a king. Our current setup has lasted 12 years.

• They do not like wool.
• If it is a down duvet, the next request will be for a linen cover. I’ve learned this from past experience.
• They like oversized because they know they steal covers and legitimately feel guilty.
• They are simple. No paisley or crazy design.

My request:

• It is BIFL and has been established for 20+ years. (None of that new BIFL that may not be around once they are bought out.)
• It is under $800.

TravelPro does a good job promoting their "trusted companion promise," presented as an extension of their one-year warranty. What TravelPro doesn't want you to know is that shipping for ONE replacement wheel is $27. That's 1/5 the cost of a new MaxLite5 suitcase! 3 of 4 wheels were shot after 1.5 years. The kicker for me is that the package states actwgt (actual weight) as 10.58 pounds... for a part weighing 2.4 ounces!

Georgia to South Carolina for a $27. Replace all four wheels and you might as well have bought a new suitcase... from someone else.

These pics are after way less usage than my Samsonite (by like a factor of 10). Like the form factor, but cannot support a company who uses implied warranty as a money grab.

I know that Samsonite probably doesn't count as BIFL anymore, but just wanted to document that for anyone who's considering a purchase.

I bought a 21" spinner that was used for about 5 trips; one of the back wheel "tires" cleanly split apart and partly fell off, clearly due to a manufacturing defect rather than anything close to normal wear & tear. Submitted a warranty claim; received an RMA to either ship (at own expense) or bring the luggage to a repair center.

After bringing this all the way to the repair center, the repair guy didn't even look at my documentation, said that Samsonite doesn't fix wheels because it's part of wear and tear, and charged me $35 + tax to replace the wheel. I reluctantly paid because the luggage was like new and I wanted it to live out its useful life rather than become junk in a landfill.

To add insult to injury, when I emailed Samsonite about this they said that the repair center "carefully inspected the luggage and determined that the damage is not covered under the terms of the warranty" — a canned response because the repair center didn't even look at the RMA and has no idea who I am.

I can't imagine how frustrating this would be if there wasn't a repair center within a short driving distance and I actually shipped the suitcase to them. It would have cost as much as buying a new one.

Don't buy a Samsonite if you're expecting it to actually last.

This chaoren belt I bought at dollar general a few years ago feels to me like it will last the rest of my life but when I went to recommend it to a friend who needed a new belt, I couldn’t find anything but poor quality dress belts from the manufacturer. Anyone know the exact model of this belt or care to share any similar experiences to this?