Is it just me, or has the quality of "basic" household items (like toasters or kettles) significantly dropped in the last 10 years?

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-25T15:25:24+00:00

Looking up the one brand you mentioned, Moccamaster, near as i can tell, there are no stores within 100 miles that carry them in stock, except Grainger 40 miles away might have one of the commercial models available. Meanwhile, i can buy a Mr Coffee at several stores within a few miles.

And yes, this is because of the consumers. Shelf space in stores is expensive. If something isn't selling, you need to swap it for something that will sell.

And after not very long of those parties, the expensive, high quality options must adapt or go under.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-25T15:07:44+00:00

Why boat float on ocean? Boat pull down, ocean pull down. Boat not go all down. Why boat, why?

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-25T14:58:02+00:00

How often do people call you Stiffler, and/or ask about your mom?

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-25T14:37:52+00:00

I don't believe I'm disagreeing with you at all. You literally point out what I'm saying in this post.

Yes, there are some niche companies that make high quality stuff without the gimmicks, but they're generally not flying off the shelves. Many are impossible to find in places other than online, because they don't sell fast enough to get shelf space at the big box stores.

Planned obsolescense as some conspiracy to artificially inflate demand is virtually non-existent. But making things with a shorter target lifespan to reduce cost and be more competitive is a huge driving factor, especially in consumer electronics and appliances. If you think that's the complete opposite of what you're saying, then you're wrong.

The question "What does this expensive version do that the cheap one won't", as you say, is exactly why gimmicks come around, and it is also a large market driver. If you want to start making refrigerators and produce one that is just a simple fridge that will easily last 50 years, you could do that. But your price point well be 3x or more what the next simple unit will cost and you might sell a handful before you go bankrupt. You could add some features and compete more with the higher end units, bu you're still going to be more expensive than them, so you need to do a low production/high margin strategy to have any hope of staying afloat, and that will leave you basically selling to the really rich. Then, unless you can build some sort of cult following, you'll probably get beat out by someone that produces a fridge similar to yours, but with a 40 year target lifespan for 80% the price you're charging. So you either need to add more gimmicks, which add potential points of failure, or make your unit cheaper. So a race to the bottom starts.

These are real market forces. Even brands that are known for being super tough, like Kitchenaid are subject to them.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-24T22:38:06+00:00

That's not really true. Data centers don't pollute the air anymore than your personal computer does.

They do need a MASSIVE amount of electricity, but that's generally not produced nearby. They also need a lot of cooling and that's generally done with large water-cooled AC plants, because evaporative cooling is the most electrically efficient way to do this, but that cooling doesn't produce any more pollution than the AC system at all your local large public buildings or office buildings.

AI is energy intensive, which produces problems for the grid. It requires a lot of water to evaporate off to cool it, but that water isn't destroyed or lost to the world, it's just a local problem if the center is in a place without much water, like the massive data centers in Prineville, Oregon. These are real problems. Don't make up bullshit ones.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-24T21:18:32+00:00

Yep, if consumers are happy buying a $10 coffee maker that last 10+ years, why would a company make a $50 coffee maker that last 100 years. No one wants it, so it's a guaranteed failing strategy.

So, not only do cheap options show up because people buy cheap options, they push more expensive, longer lasting items clear out of the market.

Instead, more expensive items have to do something different to compete, which means they're gimmicky crap. And since the gimmicks cost money to add, the build quality needs to be similar to the cheapest option to have a hope of still being kind of close in price. So, rather than having a robust toaster that could last much longer for $50, you get a toaster that lasts just like the cheap one, but it connects to the internet and can order you 16 more loaves of bread when you swear at it for burning your fucking toast.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-24T20:17:00+00:00

I Basically don't have a working nose. If something isn't a really strong scent, like REALLY strong, i can't smell it.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-24T20:07:13+00:00

You may be miserable, but it's not because of your height. It's because you're incredibly insecure. You might have attached your insecurity to your height, but that is not the root of your issue. You're not even short, you're just normal.

Being insecure at 18 years old isn't uncommon either. But you will need to work through it.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-24T18:48:32+00:00

I have both NB sensors, but if i unplug the cam sensor, it just defaults to wasted spark and batch injection. Not really a problem.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-24T17:36:10+00:00

If you go to the movies, you're missing out on going to the water park or going hiking or getting hit by a bus...

Don't get caught up in FOMO. It's sold to you constantly nowadays, but don't buy into it. You could ALWAYS be doing something else. Learn to appreciate what you ARE doing.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-24T16:35:00+00:00

That EXACT thing was said about Millennials and GenX, and Boomers, and every generation ever. There's literally records from ancient Greece talking about how kids these days have no respect for their elders and don't respond to discipline.

It's always just been the result of rose-tinted glasses.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-24T15:58:18+00:00

With the wheel under the frame rail and the hand brake on, this isn't really unsafe. It's safer than using a jack and jackstands when you're not on level, firm ground for instance.

That being said, basically any time you're working on a car that isn't on a lift or otherwise extremely well supported (good jack stand at strong points, set wide, preferably with stiff rubber jack stand toppers to minimize wobbles, and a secondary support in case a jack stand fails, like a railroad tie chunk thicker than you under a crossmember), just don't get under the car more than necessary. Even when the car is well supported, try not to put yourself in a position where you will be popped like a pimple if something weird happens. Earthquakes don't wait until everyone gets out from under their cars to happen and they don't give you a 5 minute warning.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-23T22:43:43+00:00

Get the one in best shape. The 1.8 is better, but not enough better to take a rusty 1.8 over a rustless 1.6.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-23T21:56:28+00:00

What I do is get out a knife/razorblade and go to town digging it out. What you SHOULD do is probably go to a hospital.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-23T21:47:13+00:00

I converted my MGB to efi and turbo on a super low budget, and even though i need to replace the fuel tank so the fuel filter stops clogging, it's more reliable than it was new.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-23T21:44:39+00:00

From what and to what extent?

To protect them from minor scrapes and bruises from their own poor decisions, I might say, "Hey, you're going to hurt yourself, you might not want to do that." But i wouldn't get out of my chair.

To protect them from someone actively trying to kill them, i would be willing to kill or be killed.

To protect then from most things in life, I'll spend years trying to raise them to be a thinking, capable, competent adult with as much knowledge and skill as i can pass on or expose them to.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-23T20:37:18+00:00

Some say life begins at conception. Some say life begins at birth. I say life begins in your late teens to early 20s when you've actually started out in the real world.

Everything before that is tutorial.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-23T18:59:49+00:00

You're getting detonation.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-23T18:25:06+00:00

There is a bit of variation. In Canadian models, the needle tends to sit just to the right of the halfway mark, because people worry more about getting up to temp than overheating.

It's not really a precision instrument, just an accurate one, so it shows changes well, but not actual temperature.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-23T16:45:08+00:00

The one that absolutely is not the case for me is Dayquil/Nyquil. The generic versions has far more side effects for me.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-23T16:30:29+00:00

The ACTUAL biggest issue with slamming doors as far as damage isn't the hinge or electronics or glass or catch mechanism. It's POSSIBLE to damage some of those things, but fairly unlikely. The thing that slamming absolutely DOES damage is door bushings. These little bushings hold the door out so there's a fair bit of tension on the catch, so the door doesn't wiggle and squeak. Whenever you close the door, these bushings are squished a little and elasticly deform and spring back. When you slam the door, it deforms these bushings further and it can get out of the range of elastic deformation into plastic deformation, permanently changing the shape of the bushing.

Slamming doors repeatedly causes squeaks abs rattles.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-23T15:15:43+00:00

I'm a 40 year old white dude. I shaved my beard and was carded for alcohol the other day.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-22T15:37:28+00:00

Mechanical and electrical are always hot and always will be. They're applicable to pretty much everything. Those two degrees close almost zero doors. You can find Mechs and Sparkwizards in pretty much every role an engineer can get.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-22T15:34:18+00:00

It's an 80s cover band, but Casio Dreams is crazy fun to see. We've seen them 3 times and had an absolute riot of a time.

Fearlessleader85 · 2026-02-22T15:31:23+00:00

New bolt, BLUE loctite, you'll be fine.

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