Buy it for Life

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A place to share practical, durable and quality made products that are made to last, with an emphasis on upcycled and sustainable products!

Guidelines:

Things that are well-made and durable (even if they won't last a lifetime) are A-Okay!

Unlike that other BIFL place, Home-made and DIY items are encouraged here, as long as some form of instruction is included in the body of the post.

Videos links are not allowed as post titles, but you may use them in a text post.

A limited amount of self-promotion is accepted, IF the item you are selling aligns with this criteria:

The item must be made with sustainable or recycled materials.
If electronic in some way, the item must be open-source.
The item must be user-serviceable (if applicable).
You cannot be a large corporation.
The post must be clearly marked with a [Self Promotion] tag in your title.

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What should I know before buying electrical appliances? A vacuum in particular? (slrpnk.net)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Obviously I like buying things once and for all, but I feel it's extra difficult with anything electrical because I just don't know that much about it personally, and I can't exactly check the insides.

So lately I've been wanting to buy an upright vacuum. I don't know if there are more durable brands, what kind of accessories I should consider to make my life easier, what budget I should consider, or what characterics are more likely to make it shorter lived than others.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Dyson gets shit on a lot, but I’ve had a ton of luck with a Dyson V6 cordless stick vacuum. I bought it used about 7 year also and it’s still going strong. The main issue is that eventually the battery wears out and you have to replace it. It’s only 2 screws to remove it though.

Also. if you aren’t willing to service them, they might “die” within a year or two, but with a little bit of elbow grease they can last a long time. The good news is that because they are the name brand, there are a bunch of videos on YouTube with ways to service them, and replacement parts are plentiful.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The casing — made to look like fancy metal — is cheap plastic. One fall on the hard floor (and it will eventually fall and hit the floor) and the casing breaks. Pretty soon your vacuum is covered in duct tape to keep it from leaking air.

These vacuums have some merit, but they are def not designed to last more than a few years.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Well the minimal bars for electronics is:

0 - The repair manual exists and is readily available with full schematics of the item in question.

1 - Replacement parts are available for purchase.

2 - Compatible replacement parts are made by 2 or more 3rd party companies

3 - Designs for replacement parts are available

4 - Local maker space is able to make the needed replacement parts.

If you can't get level 0, you probably shouldn't buy it if you expect to keep it working for life.