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Not your imagination: from backpacks to food, consumer goods are getting worse (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 4 days ago by to c/news@lemmy.world
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When Keyana Sapp, 31, went shopping for a new backpack, the brands he remembered as a kid were just not the same.

He researched the companies, from North Face to JanSport and Eastpak, and soon realized they were all owned by the VF Corporation after a wave of acquisitions in the 2000s. After a Reddit post he made about his discovery picked up traction, he started looking at other types of consumer goods – cookware, shoes, tools, clothing.

“It seems like that was a story that just repeated in every industry,” Sapp told the Guardian.

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[–] 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 child)

My grandpa used to only use Ridgid hand tools for plumbing. That’s about all I know about them lol.

But yeah, Ridgid is great for a homeowner or hobbyist, but doesn’t quite stand up to something like Milwaukee for a pro.

I would not put it in the avoid list. Ridgid is perfectly fine, they have a huge selection, they’re powerful enough, and they warranty is killer. They’re about all I buy for cordless tools, but I’m also just a DIY homeowner and not a contractor. But I’ve also not tried their new Nuke like which is supposed to be “pro grade”.

I just wish they’d put a rack and pinion fence on their table saw before I buy one. When I upgrade from my 15 year old ryobi, it’ll probably be dewalt unless Ridgid upgrades that fence.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 days ago (1 child)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techtronic_Industries

    The reason they're not as good as Milwaukee is because they're made by the same company, and they want the Milwaukee brand to mean "better tool"

    They'll purposely avoid making the Rigid or Ryobi tools too good so people have to buy the Milwaukee stuff.

    I try to buy mostly Makita, cause they're high quality, and not built by a conglomerate.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 days ago

    Oh yeah I'm aware they're owned by the same company, and they use the tiered model where Milwaukee is their top end. I wouldn't say it's done so that people "have" to buy Milwaukee. Just that it gives different options for different customers.

    Ridgid is perfect for me. I don't use them for my day job, just for projects around the house, remodeling, and hobby work. Milwaukee is better, because they're built to last longer and stand up to the abuse of someone using them 12 hours a day every day for work. That would be a waste of money for me because I simply don't use them that much. For someone that makes money with them, or is doing a lot more heavy lifting with them, that's more critical and worth the extra money.

    For my use, I don't need to spend the extra money. Ridgid more than gets the job done, and if it doesn't last as long as Milwaukee it doesn't really matter because they have the lifetime warranty. I can just go to HD and grab a brand new one off the shelf for free if it dies on me. Same with batteries.

    Ryobi are geared toward the homeowner that only needs occasional use. I've got a Ryobi table saw and miter saw from 15 or so years ago, and they're... fine. But they're more of a pain to get set up accurately, and you have to repeatedly make adjustments to keep them accurate. They're good for a project, but are not great for making repeatable consistent cuts. I'm doing more projects since we bought our current house, so those two are starting to become the pain factor for me, and will be upgraded soon.

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