What do you refuse to get generic versions of?

  • @Shieldtoad
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    748 months ago

    Tires. Never cheap out on tires.

    • @Bronzie
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      278 months ago

      This I agree with.

      I once heard someone say: «never skimp out on what seperates you from the ground».
      For bed and tires I really agree, but with shoes I’m not as strict.

      • @[email protected]
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        358 months ago

        I had this exact stance until I won a pair of $200 running shoes in a raffle. My occasional backpains and joint problems disappeared almost immediately. I started buying the best footwear I could afford and my quality of life went measurable up after that decision.

        The BIGGEST changes were going to a reputable podiatrist and getting shoe recommendations based off of my arch shape, weight and gait. They put me on a treadmill with highspead cameras at the sides and rear to record how my stride landed both walking and running. That and custom molded insoles.

        Now Shoes are a part of our yearly budget to make sure we have good condition, supportive shoes at all times. Also re-soleing if applicable.

        Side note: Dress shoes can die in a fire.

        • @Bronzie
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          128 months ago

          Ok fine, my running shoes I got the same way you did.

          I still skimp on the everyday shoes though, and like you avoid flat soles like fire.

          Cheers for sharing though. I know what you’re doing would benefit me in the long run.

        • @[email protected]
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          58 months ago

          I agree from the opposite direction:

          20 years ago I switched to zero drop minimalist footwear for running, hiking, and almost all everyday activities (everything except weddings and funerals). I only wear footwear that has no relation at all to my foot’s arch, my weight, or my gait.

          Best decision for my knees, ankles, and hips I think I ever made.

          • @[email protected]
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            68 months ago

            That’s actually pretty interesting. I started with minimalist footwear once I was old enough to start making shoe decisions myself and apparently that was partially causing some of the problems I was experiencing.

            Five Fingers were my go to’s (once they came out) for most days and Vivobarefoot’s / Nike Free’s for when the social side of five fingers was in questionable taste.

            It’s always fascinating to me how wildly different solutions are the exact remedy needed for different individuals. It’s why I always get a little irritated when you read someone saying “Use this thing AND THIS THING ONLY! everything else is junk and dumb and you will be a worse person for using it.” such a close minded approach to the world.

            I’ve been out of the minimal shoe worlds for a bit minute, anything cool to come about recently?

          • @[email protected]
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            18 months ago

            Same same, although VFFs only came out in the 2005, so it hasn’t been quite 20 years. The only shoes I wear that have support are my motorcycle boots and cycling shoes.

            I’d go barefoot everywhere if I could.

    • @[email protected]
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      48 months ago

      Same can be said about the power supply unit of your homemade PC. Cheaping out on that is a good way to fry your PC or burn your house down.

      • @[email protected]
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        18 months ago

        Like Bronzie said, never skimp on what separates you from the ground. Or on this case, what separates your computer from the ground.

    • @[email protected]
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      28 months ago

      Changed my tires for the first time last year. Bought the cheapest tires acailable to me and now my car feel a bit wobbly. I’m definitely buying better tires next time.

      • @EmoDuck
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        88 months ago

        Stop recommending bidets to me, I’m already convinced. It’s just that from the three toilets I’ve owned in my life, all of them were for one reason or another incapable of being retrofitting with one. I envy your guy’s clean assholes

          • @EmoDuck
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            28 months ago

            They do but it’s in such an awkward position that I’d need a custum made connection piece

      • @[email protected]
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        -28 months ago

        I have a vagina and bidets can fuck up your vaginal microflora, so no bidet for me. If I didn’t I’d probably use one, though.

        • @[email protected]
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          128 months ago

          Interesting I just had surgery in my vagina and the doctors recommended using bidet to make sure that area cleaner then just wiping.

          • @[email protected]
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            58 months ago

            Probably a different consideration for a fresh wound vs normal maintenance, I’d definitely follow your doctor’s instructions!

        • @[email protected]
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          8 months ago

          Billions of women in the world east of Europe all the way to Japan would disagree with you. But then again it’s the bidet shower variety.

            • @[email protected]
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              8 months ago

              Your linked study is done with 212 subjects. 212!

              With a population that small, you can have any conclusion you’d like. There are billions of people who use bidet showers daily in the world, your study has 212!

              If you believe in the scientific method, you should know that a study has to be verified by many independent studies with big enough data samples before it is accepted as fact. You must surely know that there are studies that conclude that the climate change is a hoax. But the overwhelmingly majority makes these handful outliers or flawed studies.

              • @[email protected]
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                38 months ago

                Sigh, I was wondering if this particular misunderstanding of statistics had migrated from reddit to here.

                No, you cannot dismiss a study because it “only” has 212 people. 200 people is enough to get an 85% confidence level.

                On top of that, it is hardly the only study showing vaginal microflora alteration in bidet users:

                https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21058441/

                Normal microflora (Lactobacillus species) was not present in 42.86% of bidet toilet users, compared to 8.77% of non-users. Fecal bacteria were detected in 50 of the 268 cases (18.66%), 46 cases in users (92%) and only 4 cases in non-users (8%). Contamination by other pathogens was 4 to 6 times higher in users than in non-users.

                I get there is a cult of bidet users who will hear no slander of them, but it’s not going to make me spray water from my toilet seat and around my vulva and potentially into my vagina. You are not changing my mind on this and I invite you to read more about sample sizes if you want to do something productive: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6970301/

                • @[email protected]
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                  8 months ago

                  Your first study has even used women who had admitted to the hospital and therefore used the shared hospital toilet bidets. I think this fact alone would make it enough to disqualify it.

                  Apart from hospital bidet being a one extra germ filled surface the patient touches, it raises the following questions. Was there a problem with the brand of bidet used in the hospital that might cause more of an uncontrolled spray? Did the particular toilet bowl shape contribute to the result? Non of these stays the same within the general population and any outliers would be cancelled out in a huge dataset.

    • @Willy
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      68 months ago

      Same but cottonelle

      • @[email protected]
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        38 months ago

        I find Charmin tends to shred too easily, even the ‘strong’ kind. Angel Soft is at the right level between firm and soft for me. Might be less of a problem if I had less ass hair.

      • @[email protected]
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        18 months ago

        It’s not, its actually wonderful. It’s one of the few brands that doesn’t shed bits off, and whatever chemicals/softeners they use doesn’t irritate my skin like other big-name brands.

    • Otter
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      208 months ago

      This one is interesting, because I’ve heard certain generic brands are actually just repackaged Duracells

      I’ve also been thinking about getting some rechargeable Ikea ones, heard those are decent

      • ringwraithfish
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        188 months ago

        I wonder if they’re repackaged due to not meeting certain quality control thresholds, but still technically useable

      • @[email protected]
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        8 months ago

        Rechargeables are definitely a good upgrade for most applications where people use alkalines. They have better performance under high load, are much less likely to leak corrosive electrolyte, and you can use them again after you drain them. I’m a little surprised they aren’t more popular.

        The Panasonic Eneloop is the gold standard for rechargeables, particularly the white ones which are more shelf-stable and have a longer service life than the higher-capacity black Eneloop Pro. Made-in-Japan Ikea rechargeables are suspected of being rebranded Eneloop Pros, but I don’t think that’s been conclusively proven.

      • @DaCrazyJamez
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        88 months ago

        A few years back a guy did agood dive into this on (other website name redacted). He said for things like digital camersand other high draw items, Duracell is still the champ - however, $/hour of use, some cgeaper bands came out ahead. I still have half a giant pack of AC Delco AA / AAAs that have been quite solid.

        • @[email protected]
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          58 months ago

          Here’s a comparison site that graphs the voltage during discharge of a bunch of AA and AAA batteries with various loads using a high-end battery tester.

          NiMH rechargeable AAs trounce every alkaline under heavy load. It’s not even close at 0.5A and above. Disposable lithium is better still up to 2A, but extremely expensive. Few devices will draw more than 2A from an AA battery, but I can think of a couple of flashlights that do; disposable lithium is unsuitable for those.

      • RBG
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        48 months ago

        I’ve heard certain generic brands are actually just repackaged Duracells

        Might depend where you live, I live in Nothern Europe and the cheap generic brand batteries from a popular electronics store chain, rechargeable, are quite shit when I compare them to my 5+ year old Eneloops. Haven’t tried IKEA ones though.

        • @[email protected]
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          148 months ago

          The Ikea Lada rechargables are rebranded Eneloops. Panasonic is the only manufacturer making rechargable batteries in Japan.

          • @[email protected]
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            18 months ago

            I’m pretty sure ikea just spent a bunch on R&D and tooling to set up their own battery manufacturing plant in Japan.

        • @[email protected]
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          58 months ago

          I’ve got eneloops that are 10 years old and still kicking. I tried Amazon’s as well and those are shit. 100% are dead and I got them over the years after I got the eneloops as I needed more.

    • @[email protected]
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      78 months ago

      Definitely! For electronics, Eneloop batteries are worth every penny. I think I have ~10 AA and AAA, and I haven’t bought disposable batteries in years. I try to make sure I have 4 of each available at all times so I don’t have to wait for them to recharge. I’ve tried cheaper (Amazon) batteries, and they fail much more quickly, and sometimes swell to the point where I have a hard time removing them.

      Some people say IKEA’s batteries are just rebranded Eneloops, but I haven’t had a chance to try them

  • @[email protected]
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    348 months ago

    Video game controllers.

    I know the divide is not quite what it was with stick drift affecting almost all of the 1st party offerings, but there’s just something that feels so cheap about using any generic controller, even ones that are marketed as higher end.

      • @[email protected]
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        58 months ago

        Have they changed the joystick material yet? The joysticks off my ol’ 8bitdo pro (the original) kept shedding with use, so I stopped using it in lieu of the switch and steamdeck controllers. Gods, the controller was way more comfortable and sized just right than any other 3rd party controller for me. My google fu is weak, so I never found fitting thumbpad covers for it.

        • @[email protected]
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          28 months ago

          Not sure tbh, I have a couple of SF30 Pros for about 3 years and they’ve been solid, never had any shedding.

    • Another Catgirl
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      18 months ago

      which brands do you trust for GPU heatsink+board (not chip) manufacturers? there’s so many to choose from and I don’t know who to trust.

      • @[email protected]
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        8 months ago

        I personally trust Asus, EVGA (Rip), Gigabyte, Palit, PNY, Sapphire and XFX when buying graphics cards.

        My current card is a Geforce GTX 1060 6GB from Asus that I bought in 2017, and it hasn’t skipped a beat.3A

  • kubok
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    238 months ago

    Running shoes. Antipronation shoes are fucking expensive, but having bad support will eventually hurt my feet, ankles or knees. I would get hurt very fast if I started running in cheap sneakers or something.

    • Xariphon
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      138 months ago

      My rule has always been “don’t skimp on the things that separate you from the ground.” Shoes, tires, chairs, beds, etc, get the best you can afford to and don’t pinch pennies.

  • @[email protected]
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    8 months ago

    … Siracha.

    At least before the debacle with Underwood Ranch. I unknowingly bought extra before it happened and am close to running out. I’m not sure what to do afterwards but I’m not inclined to support Huy Fong.

    • @wack
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      138 months ago

      I hear Underwood ranch sells siracha made from the same peppers Huy Fong used to buy from them. Might be worth checking out

      • @[email protected]
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        48 months ago

        I want to support them, but I hear it’s just not the same. Maybe that could be a good thing, though!

    • @[email protected]
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      58 months ago

      Fix Sriracha is pretty damn good, less sweet, more heat, a touch more fermented funkiness. Downside is it is thinner and more expensive.

    • @[email protected]
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      8 months ago

      We ran trials in my middle school home economics class on various popular dish soap brands, and at the time (23 years ago) Palmolive absolutely blasted the shit out of every other brand, Dawn included. So my wife and kid now ride or die with that brand. It’s green, too…

      • @[email protected]
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        48 months ago

        That’s what Consumer Reports concluded as well, when they independently bought and tested all the brands.

      • @insomniac
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        38 months ago

        Dawn doesn’t seem to dry out my hands like Palmolive or every other dish soap. I think they all work good enough but I hate the way they make my hands feel.

      • @[email protected]
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        18 months ago

        Interesting. I have a huge jug of Palmolive at home because it was the cheapest dish soap. Didn’t expect it to also be the best. I’m curious, what did you measure to determine that it was the best one?

        • @[email protected]
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          28 months ago

          I don’t remember precisely what properties we scored it on, but we had cooked a very messy/crusty/greasy meal of some sort, and afterward we washed the pans with two or three leading dish soaps. I think Joy was the third. Anyway, Palmolive seemed to perform the best overall at cutting through grease and grime in fewer passes. I know there were other aspects to it, but it was just too long ago to recall. I never forgot how impressed I was with Palmolive, though. And it’s green!

  • @[email protected]
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    208 months ago

    Liqueurs, because usually generics don’t exist

    And Ziploc bags. The quality is worth the extra dollar over the store brand. I might start doing the same for trash bags as well

        • @[email protected]
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          28 months ago

          They are, and we still have some in circulation, but these ones are designed for it. They have rounded corners that won’t wear or hide dirt, and they’re made out of pretty thick, rubbery plastic sheets.

    • VodkaSolution
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      48 months ago

      There are dozens of vodkas and gins, fake and slightly different whiskeys, rum and so on but I totally agree on buying the brands (not just the top 1 or 2)

      • @[email protected]
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        78 months ago

        Liqueurs, not liquors. I don’t buy big name brand liquor (unless you count Plantation rum, or stuff that happens to be owned by Campari).

  • @[email protected]
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    178 months ago

    Fisherman’s friend cough drops. They’re not the tastiest cough drops out there, but they fucking work.

    • @DaCrazyJamez
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      88 months ago

      These and “Sucrets” - for when you throat hurts and you want novacaine in tablet form.

      Source: professional singer. These two have saved me many times.

    • @[email protected]
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      18 months ago

      “The name Fisherman’s Friend” makes me think the cough drops are going to taste like fish oil or Powerbait.

      • @[email protected]
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        18 months ago

        Nothing quite so disgusting, they’re the usual sorts of flavors you would expect to find in a cough drop. I taste mostly menthol and a bit of licorice, but they are definitely something that was made to be an effective cough drop first and foremost and tasting good was not a major consideration

        They are kind of ugly brown tablets that don’t look too dissimilar from maybe a pellet fish food for a koi pond or something. I have a hunch that I haven’t tested that you could probably get carp to bite on them if you tried to use them as bait, carp will go for some weird stuff

  • @[email protected]
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    178 months ago

    Mooncakes for mid-autumn festival. Như Lan bakery or skip. The other brands (even the ‘fancy’ ones) have too much sugar. In HK there are other good brands too, but in VN Như Lan is the best.

    I guess also expensive tools like oscilloscopes (Siglent, Uni-T). It’s a big enough investment that I need it to work well, but I’m not rich enough for the fancy brands.

    Oh, and motorcycles – Honda please (yes, we have unbranded motorcycles here, we call them ‘ghost bikes’). There’s always a repairshop that can fix a Honda within walking distance, but I’ve never actually needed to go to one. When I had a Yamaha it broke once in a while, and that meant a long walk in tropical heat.

  • @[email protected]
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    168 months ago

    Tires. Every time I’ve tried to save money by purchasing some PrimeWell or Sentury or other no-name tire I’ve worn them out in no time flat or they burst when I hit any bump that stands more than 1cm above the road surface. If they are that weak then they aren’t safe.

    • @[email protected]
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      78 months ago

      I work in the rim and tire industry so I find this really interesting. Haven’t seen either of those two brands before where I am, but most cheaper brands nowadays are all made at the same two or three locations and just get a different name stamped into the sidewall.

      • @[email protected]
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        58 months ago

        It’s been a while but I think primewell is Firestones bargain brand. They’re shit but compared to anything wal-mart was selling they were tolerable. I never saw as many broken belts as when I was working there starting out.

      • @[email protected]
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        48 months ago

        My information may also be out of date, it’s been years since I was so broke that I had to just buy whatever cheap tires I could afford.

        I had a set of “Sentury” tires I put on a Mitsubishi Mirage, and they were worn to the wear bars in 9,000 miles. They were carrying a 1,900 pound/860 kilogram car, and that was heavy enough to wear all four tires down in less than 1/4 the tread warranty period.

        • @[email protected]
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          58 months ago

          That’s really bad, sounds like a winter compound tire was sold as an all-season or something. That sounds like the typical treadwear for a winter tire that gets run in the wrong season.

          Also for anyone reading this, If you ever need cheap tires try your local independent mechanics or to a lesser extent franchise mechanics shop, lots of people swap tires when they have 35%+ tread life left. Lots of shops will let these tires go for cheap if you get them put on at their shop. I would gladly take a good quality tire at 40% tread life vs a cheapo crap set at 100%