# Brand name and no-brand name



## sinbad (Oct 27, 2009)

Most people prefer brand names off course ... whether it is a Maxpedition bag, or a Leatherman multitool, or a Fenix light, most people lean towards proven brands they can bet their life on. 

On the other hand, sometimes it seems to me that some people go overboard and turn things into a collector's hobby, not really preparedness. They may buy expensdvie gear and enjoy it for a while , and then buy another, and then another 

On the other hand many others like me have gotten away with cheaper gear that did not break my bank account. And it is working. 

I understand that survival situations require the best there is, but for many folks like me , commuting between home and office, I really don't need some $100 knife or $200 bag. 

Chinese and other cheaper goods are now coming in several degreess of quality. None of them is comparable to the real stuff, but some are OK for getting by. 

Remeber that sometimes you need to leave your pricy stuff behind, like when you air-travel to foreign countries. It is then a good idea to search for some "reasonable" (not super ) tools and gadgets that will get the job done. 

In You Tube I saw a guy assembling a BOB and in it was a no-brand multitool. He was right when he said ( it gets the job done) I have several of these for years now and they are still OK. I broke one of them trying to pry a rusted metal door, but then agin NO multitool is made for this purpose. Funny thing is that even after it broke, I still have one arm as a swiss army knife LOL. Luckily it is the arm that has the big blade, smnll blade and flat screwdriver. That is what I need most of the time.

Again, I am not promoting these for someone who is going to the moon. I am suggesting them for day to day chores. They preserve the pricy ones for real emergencies and tougher jobs. 

It is true that you get what you pay for, but some of these are really not that bad. I have a collegue at work who bought one for ~ $6 and uses it at work for the pliers and screwdriver. If you are careful to choose the "less junky" among them you maybe surprized what it can do for the money you have paid. Mine are generally around $10-20 range and I am so satified I bought 3 extra to store as spares. They are beginning to go higher in price.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

I prefer to use whatever gets the job done in the most economical (read: cheapest  ) fashion... parallel with that, I go for the tool/item with the best *warranty*


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

For everything that I buy, I must be able to justify the cost vs. usefulness. I have no problems paying a huge amount of money for something that is "worth-it" to me, but, I will not pay more than I think its usefullness is.

I have no problems buying a new vehicle, but, I will be careful on how much I am spending on it. I won't buy a Mercedes or BMW when spending half the money gets me an equal vehicle from GMC. Ya, the GM isn't the same kind of status-symbol, but, I am looking at getting from point-A to point-B - where-ever that point-B is.

I won't buy a vehicle that is strictly off-road (dirt-bike) or strictly on-road (car) - I need each vehicle in my collection to be dual-purpose, go anywhere that I point my steering-wheel.


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## thunderdan19 (Oct 12, 2010)

Anybody buying Gucci survival equipment is missing the point I think...

I'm all about GTJD for lowest price possible. Money's just too hard to come by to waste. Doing so is an insult to the less fortunate IMO.


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## sinbad (Oct 27, 2009)

What I have noticed in some boards is lines getting blurred between "useful tools" and " collectible items" . It is OK for someone to have a collection hobby of knives, old cars , or whatever, but newbie preppers should become aware that it is not necessary to spend a fortune to be prepared.

BTW, I have noticed this trend in our local camping clubs too. There seem to be a competition on who gets the flashiest gadgets or "best" camping item. Camping and hunting forums were filled with threads about the best knife, best tent, best stove .. etc. and what happend ?? Distuributors took notice and raised prices up and up.


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## vja4Him (Nov 17, 2010)

Sometimes it just doesn't pay to get the cheaper stuff ... I invested in very high quality panniers for my Surly Long Haul Trucker. I added the extra outside pockets and cables to lock my panniers to the racks.

If I have to hit the road and head for high ground, I want to be able to depend on my panniers lasting for a very long time! I've hauled nearly 100 pounds of stuff in the four panniers, and have no problem. Even in a very heavy downpour, nothing inside gets wet!

I do have lots of other stuff that is cheap, and some of my tools I've had for 20-30 years, and it still works just fine!

Another thing I want to invest in is a very high quality pair of boots that will last many years.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Sometimes the NAME can add a huge cost to an item. 10 years ago I bought a well stocked Craftsman (Sears) tool chest to add to my first basic toolbox purchased in 1976. I was ridiculed by a friend who would only buy Snap-On; at twice the price. Even the 35 year old Craftsman perform just as well as the far more expensive Snap-On. When the name adds to the price and not the function-ability of something, it's not worth it. 

As Naekid said; the GMC will to the same thing or more than that BMW for half the price.


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## mmszbi (Nov 14, 2009)

Yep, less expensive is not alway the worst. Cheap and less expensive are NOT the same thing.
There are a few things I do not scrimp on, like by BOB. I buy the best I can afford because if it fails, everything in it fails.
My carry gun is the best quality I can afford and I scrimped and saved to get it. I have to bet my life on it, so cheap doesn't cut it.
Less important items you can afford to save some bucks on, but for the most important items, price is not a factor, at least to me.


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

Craftsman.... lifetime warranty ... I have rules about buying.. Life is too short to drink cheap beer... and I never buy the cut rate Crackers, peanut butter or Ketchup... 

Bur I prefer a Sirloin to a Ribeye any day of the week.. and it's a lot cheaper.. 

I buy weapons by quality not name, as the two don't always go together.... I've bought my last new vehicle.. never again... 

I had a buddy many years ago who wouldn't keep a horse around all year.. about 2 months before hunting season he would look for and buy a nice older gilding, ride him into shape, feed him very well.. vet check over etc etc... when season was over he usually got more for it then he paid because it was in great shape and looked great, and he usually knew somebody who needed a good gentle kids horse.. 
I asked ..what happens if it drops dead on you way back in the Mountains.. he smiled and said...Bear bait!...I still laugh when I think of that.. of course the point is that keeping a horse around all year to ride for a month during hunting season is a vast waste of money.. his way worked great and saved some good horses from the cannery years before it was time..

Shop smart buy smart.. words to live by...now to just do it... :dunno:


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Some of the important pieces (an that be a strictly personal choice) I buy good quality equipment. On the lesser important items I'll buy used (surplus is good stuff an resonable) or a off brand.

Always try ta make the money go as far as I can.


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## GoldenBoys (Oct 8, 2010)

I always buy the best quality I can afford for the purpose I need it, not for the name. I've been a mechanic for over 35 years and I have every brand of tool from Snap-On to Craftsman. I've had good luck with a lot of the cheaper stuff, but I've also had expensive junk. If there is a certain item I want, that is more expensive than I can afford, I start watching for used. You never know what you will find on Craigslist or Ebay if you do your research first.


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

The_Blob said:


> I prefer to use whatever gets the job done in the most economical (read: cheapest  ) fashion... parallel with that, I go for the tool/item with the best *warranty*


exactly, as many no name brands are made by the name brand companies, the make an extra million and call them seconds, sell them cheaper, write off the loss for taxes and pocket the money.
yrs ago we used to buy tires that were called Blems for about half price, they were just as good as the full price tire except some people didn't want to be embarrased buy using them, you know the old American pride, go broke buying the "best" .who says it was the best?.


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## thunderdan19 (Oct 12, 2010)

HozayBuck said:


> and I never buy the cut rate Crackers, peanut butter or Ketchup...


Not so much the crackers (mainly because they just end up in the soup for me anyway), but yeah Jif and Heinz for me (unless they are to be cooked into something anyway) because they just taste better.  Those are two exceptions to my "It Gets the Job Done Just Fine for Less" rule.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

thunderdan19 said:


> yeah Jif and Heinz .


You mean there are other brands??


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Well, I could care less what brand my crackers or ketchup are, since they all taste good to me! Peanut butter...I'm a little pickier on the brand there! 

I try to buy the best that I can afford on everything else, but..

if the price of what I'd rather buy would keep me from having something I needed, I'd rather buy the cheap one than to do without completely. If it's something I could save money for and buy within a reasonable time, that would be an option.

Since we're a member of the not-so-elite financially challenged, life for us is full of compromises, but I wouldn't sit around wringing my hands and not doing anything at all.


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

As I've said before, "we are too poor to buy cheap" (a quote from my daughter). For most things (food, shampoo, soap) generic is just fine with our family. When the kids were little kmart/walmart clothes and shoes were fine. They outgrew them before they could wear them out. But some things we do spend more money on, NOT for the name of the manufacturer, but for the longevity of the product. 

I bought and broke 3 manual can openers from the dollar store in as many weeks. Finally went and spent $4 on one and have not had a problem. Husbands work boots, we go middle of the road (price wise). He tried the $25 boots from walmart, they fell apart in 2 months, bought a little more expensive pair at tractor supply (I think) and they lasted 8 months.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

mdprepper said:


> I bought and broke 3 manual can openers from the dollar store in as many weeks. Finally went and spent $4 on one and have not had a problem. Husbands work boots, we go middle of the road (price wise). He tried the $25 boots from walmart, they fell apart in 2 months, bought a little more expensive pair at tractor supply (I think) and they lasted 8 months.


I had a pair of Caterpiller-branded steel-toe'd work boots that I wore 6 days a week in a metal shop for 3 years before they needed to be replaced. If I remember right, I paid about $120 for the boots. My next pair of boots that replaced them cost me about $100 and I wore them 5 days a week in the metal shop for 4 years ... now I am front-office staff, but, I have my work boots waiting to be worn at any moments notice .. and they still look / wear like the day I bought them.


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## WEcoyote (Nov 19, 2010)

I'm poor. I find its better to have an inferior something than not have it at all. For now.

Embarrassingly i have had to start convincing my friends and family that i have developed a hobby interest in "Amish" woodworking so i can pump them for quality hand tools as gifts. One more bloody hand made bird house request and i may tell them what im really up too in my basement! 


Wile E Coyote


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> I had a pair of Caterpiller-branded steel-toe'd work boots that I wore 6 days a week in a metal shop for 3 years before they needed to be replaced. If I remember right, I paid about $120 for the boots. My next pair of boots that replaced them cost me about $100 and I wore them 5 days a week in the metal shop for 4 years ... now I am front-office staff, but, I have my work boots waiting to be worn at any moments notice .. and they still look / wear like the day I bought them.


Look after that pair , 'cause the new ones are made in China just like their replacement parts.
I had to quit wearing my first pair of Cats because the center part of the sole didn't wear as fast as the black rubber part, I still use them in winter on snow but no good on hard surfaces.
Dakota build a good boot (Mark's workwarehouse)


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Tired - my new boots are PitBulls with GoodYear rubber soles and they were not made in China. Reading the tag tells me that they were made in Vietnam.


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## GeoMonkey (Aug 19, 2010)

Don't forget there are still "cobblers" or shoe repairmen around (at least around here). I don't buy a new pair of boots if the uppers are still good. I take them to a local cobbler and have him put on a new sole for a lot less than new boots cost.

And the uppers are already broke-in


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

*About boots*

A while back I was in a shoe repair shop and as always there is a shelf or two of shoes and boots that folks didn't return for and they sell them.. I saw a pair of Whites boots new soles and heels and he had a $20.00 price on them, they were in exc cond... size 10's way to small for me, but there was a 200+ $$ pair of boots for 20 bucks.. that's the best boot made today!!.. so what if they are used.. hell some foot powder takes care of any googies..

And ya know..all shoe repair shops have those kind of deals.. just never my size


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

GeoMonkey said:


> Don't forget there are still "cobblers" or shoe repairmen around (at least around here). I don't buy a new pair of boots if the uppers are still good. I take them to a local cobbler and have him put on a new sole for a lot less than new boots cost.
> 
> And the uppers are already broke-in


I had a sweet pair of boots that I just loved. Took them to a cobbler to get worked over and his work didn't last more than 6 months. I guess that they were too far gone after wearing them 7 days a week for 3 years ...


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

As far as clothes go, we buy a lot in thrift shops. I haven't bought a new pair of jeans in I don't know how long. Our son is 2, so he goes through clothes way too fast to buy new. 

Boots-I like Timberland, but my job gives me a boot allowance that helps pay for them.

Multitool-I have 2 Leathermans that were both Christmas presents. Other than at work where they are forbidden, I always have one or the other on me. I have a cheap multitool in the truck all the time in case I ever get caught up without one.

I have 2 Carhartt flannel shirts and one Carhartt button down shirt (non flannel) that are my favorite shirts. They all came from Gabes with not a thing wrong with them. As others have said, ya just gotta look.


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## ajsmith (Feb 1, 2010)

For me I like the name brand when ever possible, but that don't mean I don't try to get it at thrift stores, yard sales and such, some things you can and some things you can't. The last several Carhartt work shirts I got were from the second hand store (brand new condition) for $.50 each. I used to buy my Craftsman hand tools on sale at Sears but the last couple years I've been getting them (as they become available) at the local pawn shop. They have a basket for the hand wrenches and the price is a dollar each, not bad for Craftsman


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## Ponce (May 3, 2009)

Buy cheap stuff and pay with credit cars...... good for two years plus the usual one by the product maker.

Had short wave from Radio Shack that broke after one year and ten days.... credit card company gave me credit for it.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

I got 2 pairs of jeans lat night from the Salvation Army store. One was Levi's and the other was off brand carpenter jeans. $7 for both. Then we went to Gabriels and I got a brand new (WOOHOO!!) pair of Rustlers for $7. We got a bunch of really nice brand name toys for my son for Christmas at the Salvation Army store, too. He's 2; he won't know that they are used.

As for the original thoughts of this thread, I've seen a lot more GMC's pulling trailers nd hauling wood than I have Beemer's.


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## Sonnyjim (Sep 17, 2009)

I will buy brand name when it comes to durable outdoor kit like boots and heavy winter clothing. Everything else doesn't matter if it's brand name if it's durable and looks like it will last.


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## Eli-2 (Aug 17, 2010)

Years ago my wife worked in a sewing factory that made shirts.The shirts were all the same depending of course on obvious details such as long/short sleeve,button down collars or not.But the material and quality of work was the same.But the one difference that was the most important to the consumer was the price,and that was determined by which tag was sewn into the collar,sometimes she sewed Wal-Mart brand tags like Puritan,other times Geoffrey Beane or Landsend tags into the very same shirt.The difference in a Puritan shirt and a Landsend is about 50-60 bucks per shirt.Sometimes it's not the product but the name your buying.


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## Salekdarling (Aug 15, 2010)

Rarely do I buy new clothing. I adore thrift shopping! I have found kitchen utensils and cookware in good condition (hand crank egg beater, seasoned cast iron skillet, etc), brand new clothing, educational and entertaining books and much more!

When it comes to tools I use constantly, I will put down a bit more money for high quality....especially with a multi-tool. I'd rather it not break the same day I use it!

I tend to wear my shoes and boots out. I'm too cheap to buy new ones until you can see my toes.  I'll have to see if there is a cobbler in my area because if that's the case, I'll just get my high quality shoes fixed there.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Jason said:


> I got 2 pairs of jeans lat night from the Salvation Army store. One was Levi's and the other was off brand carpenter jeans. $7 for both. Then we went to Gabriels and I got a brand new (WOOHOO!!) pair of Rustlers for $7. We got a bunch of really nice brand name toys for my son for Christmas at the Salvation Army store, too. He's 2; he won't know that they are used.
> 
> As for the original thoughts of this thread, I've seen a lot more GMC's pulling trailers nd hauling wood than I have Beemer's.


Or 30 yearold GMCs boosting new BMW suvs cause the battery is in the back and they weren't wise enough to wire it accordinly (lets the battery get less than full charge when other accesories pull the load :nuts:


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## piglett (Dec 10, 2010)

UncleJoe said:


> Sometimes the NAME can add a huge cost to an item. 10 years ago I bought a well stocked Craftsman (Sears) tool chest to add to my first basic toolbox purchased in 1976. I was ridiculed by a friend who would only buy Snap-On; at twice the price. Even the 35 year old Craftsman perform just as well as the far more expensive Snap-On. When the name adds to the price and not the function-ability of something, it's not worth it.
> 
> .


 I hate to break it to ya but those snap-on boxes are for the most part made out of good heavy gauge steel.(ever try to lift one?) they are made to last many many years & hold up well for the guy that makes a living out of his toolbox. Me on the other hand only use my tools sometimes so i can get buy with a chraftsman box like you.

piglett


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