Asklemmy

1990s or 2000s era Volvo station wagon or sedan

I owned a 96 Volvo 960 for about 15 years before engine gave out with fixable problems ... I didn't have the money to get it fixed, sold it and from what I heard, the new owner is still driving the thing. (one potential buyer that wanted it was a young guy that wanted it for a demolition derby as he claimed that Volvos were great for this kind of use because they are indestructible in a crash. He said the engine is so well placed and protected that it would take several hits from other vehicles before being compromised)

Later bought a 2004 station wagon and other than a few minor problems (electrical issues that aren't critical to driving the car) and a bit of rust spots, it's still my daily driver. I met a young guy a few years ago that had a 1992 Volvo Station wagon with a million kms on it (the thing was covered in rust and looked like hell but it was still driveable)

Google Pixel phones, with GraphineOS you can keep using it for a decade or more

Shure SM58/57

Estwing hammers. Not excessively expensive, but the kind of hammer you buy for life.

My 99 honda civic had nearly 250,000 miles on it the day that it was stolen. When it was found, the thieves had gutted the dashboard of electronics and had removed wheels and other parts. When it was discovered by the police, they towed it to the city in-pound lot and failed to contact me for a couple days because the license plate had been painted over for some reason.

Unfortunately the lot and towing fees ended up being more than what I paid for the car. I wasnt very well off at the time, so I surrendered it to the city. I assumed it would be scrapped for parts.

6 months later it was served to me in ad for Facebook Marketplace. Some guy had fixed it up and had been driving it regularly for months with no issue.

I still wish that I had bought it from him. I fuckin loved that car. I used it to deliver pizzas for 2 years, so i wasnt even that easy on it. I never had a major engine or transmission issue with it and the minor issues that I had were easy for me to fix myself. I bet it's still running out there somewhere.

~~Rice cookers.~~

~~You can get really simple ones that just work and due to little components they will last a while. IMO they're really worth it if you cook rice often or can't for the love of god not mess it up while cooking. They're really cheap as well.~~

Classic Vitamix blender models. They just work. Long warranty. And even post warranty easily serviceable.

Casio G-Shock GWM-5610 -- the current model number of the original 1981 G-Shock digital watch. Resistant to dust, shock, water, and up to 20 bar pressure. Self-charges via solar power. Self-synchronizes to GMT by passively receiving continent-spanning radio time signals. Little bastards cost less than a hundred dollars and are effectively bombproof.

Starrett tools. All of them. I've put them through Hell and back.

Pre-2010 Toyota Corolla

The P4$.FL 44 BF.A OBVIOUSLY guys why has no one mentioned it? Jesus Christ it's like you want them to break!

^The comments in this thread

Japanese-made sewing machines from the 1950s. Most are all-metal and overbuilt, and will work like new with a few drops of oil, maybe a fresh belt. In the US they were imported and had local brand's names put on them; what you're really looking for is the "Made in Japan" on the back or bottom. Granny sewing machines also qualify, but most of the Japanese ones have zigzag

Stainless steel or cast iron in general. Let go of your nonsticks.

Zippo Lighters.

My last Xiaomi phone cost me 200USD and lasted over five years. Screen started intermittently not working and bought a new one.

Maybe the Nvidia GeForce 10xx cards? Super cheap compared to the 9xx cards, and still going strong!

Red Wing Iron Rangers

Mag lights

You mean a fash light?

My only example are zippos

Baofeng AR-5RM Handheld Radio. Costs under 30$ and is extremely useful and versatile. Can pick up just about any frequency youd need, VHF, UHF, AM, FM, GMRS, etc. and while not waterproof its built very tough. Could probably use it to beat somebody to death then pick it back up and have a conversation on it.

Mag lights

these thingymabobs are cool because they're strong. however, their main drawback comes from the fact that they're usually pretty weak as lightsources because being a flashlight was secondary for them. but, with a little LED chip upgrade they can gain a second wind as lights, nothing as fancy and eye-burning as some of the gizmo gadgets the flashlight guys on reddit have, but overall competent for an aluminum pipe