Buy It for Life, Buy It Once Cry Once 2025 Edition

Kiwiboy86 on 10/03/2025 - 14:07
Last edited 10/03/2025 - 14:28 by 1 other user

Hello fellow OzBargainers,

What products do we think are well worth the money and/or fit the 'buy once cry once' category in 2025.

The reason I specify 2025, is some products just aren't made with the quality and care they once had a reputation for. I'm aware there's a prospective guestimate element for products bought today that are still to be battle-tested.

For my buy it once cry once, the list would include:

  • Leatherman multitools
  • Cast iron pan
  • Wusthof knives
  • RM Williams Boots (tbf I bought mine 10 years ago before any of the recent QC failures)
  • Solid hardwood bedframe

For my well-worth-the-money to quality of life/enjoyment improvement ratio, would be:

  • Roborock vacuum with LIDAR
  • DF64 Coffee Grinder
  • ULA Dragonfly Ultra Backpack (I do a lot of backpacking/travel)
  • Universal travel adaptor with USB ports
  • Uniqlo Ultralight Down Jacket

Future purchases I'm considering:

  • Weber Q BBQ
  • Sit/Stand Desk
  • Tools for DIY around the house (need suggestions)

What are your thoughts/suggestions/experiences.

Home & Garden

Comments

    • Hadranius on 14/03/2025 - 19:49

      :chef-kiss:

  • ilubbargains on 10/03/2025 - 17:26
    +1

    Buy once, set for life: Kamado Joe's Big Joe

    • MyOtherOtter on 11/03/2025 - 09:22
      +4

      I've got the Classic 2 rather than the Big Joe - wish I'd gone bigger, but even the standard size is a fantastic investment in your BBQ future.

  • kerfuffle on 10/03/2025 - 18:51
    +3

    Blunt umbrella

  • Tiredman on 10/03/2025 - 19:52
    +8

    My Zojirushi rice cooker.

  • Hugh G Rection on 10/03/2025 - 19:55
    +4

    mine would be:

    All Clad pan - i feel like im a 5 star michelin chef

    Shun knife - these are mini japanese samurai swords

    benchmade pocket knife - this would be like your leatherman, but nothing beats a good edc knife.

    premium king size bed - nothing better then being able to roll over a zillion times, lol.

    RM Williams boots - i pretty much wear this everyday, its an Australian staple.

    Tumi backpack and luggage for work and travel

    La Marzocco commercial Espresso Machine. i got this for cheap, but still expensive in comparison to a store bought one. my mate went out of business during covid and needed cash. wife was pissed when i brought this massive thing home. she is no longer mad because she has a personal barista. lol

    Grinder for the freshly roasted delivered coffee beans

    7 stage water filter, its hard to drink regular water now

    • whyisave on 12/03/2025 - 00:44

      7 stage water filter, its hard to drink regular water now

      What kind of water filter is it ?

      Is this similar to those Brita jugs (with filters) ?

      • peteru on 12/03/2025 - 10:31
        +2

        An undersink 7 stage is nothing like a Britta jug. A 7 stage system - that's some serious shit, usually done by CoffeeSnobs members to protect their investment in an expensive coffee machine. A filtering system like that will remove particulates, organic matter, chlorine, heavy metals, dissolved minerals and pretty much anything else.

        Is it overkill? Maybe, maybe not. A 3 stage with 0.1 micron, activated charcoal, and ion exchange resin stages would get you most of the way there.

        • whyisave on 12/03/2025 - 11:18

          Thanks for replying.

          I don't think it's overkill.
          I was curious as more and more of our water and air, is being filled with pollutants (Chemtrails ?!!?!? ha), and so your comment piqued my interest in this matter.
          I'll look into it further, despite not being a coffee drinker :-)

          • peteru on 12/03/2025 - 19:07
            +2

            @whyisave: If you've got the cash, you can go all out on healthy water.

            • whyisave on 12/03/2025 - 23:53

              @peteru:

              If you've got the cash, you can go all out on healthy water

              The way it's marketing the water, makes me feel like it's something like the Pete Evans' Biocharger device !

              I would have prefered to focus on the mechanism for identifying the 'impurities' of tap water and the mechanism for filtration, as mentioned here.

              At least, I got some pet projects now, in looking into "better" watter and "better tasting" water :-)

              • peteru on 13/03/2025 - 14:01
                +1

                @whyisave: You might want to get in touch with the people at Bombora. They have a whole lot of options and people who can guide you through them and answer questions.

                • whyisave on 13/03/2025 - 18:09

                  @peteru: You've given me some life goals now :-)

                  Once, I get a place set up, I'll remember to do this.

          • Hugh G Rection on 13/03/2025 - 17:34
            +1

            @whyisave: it's not overkill when you only have 1 life to live.

            you can buy cheap under $100 or extremely expensive, and it will still be better than tap water.

            the one i have is a 7 stage filter that does reverse osmosis and alkaline.

        • moar bargains on 14/03/2025 - 12:04

          A filtering system like that will remove particulates, organic matter, …

          Just wait until he finds out what he's made of

    • whyisave on 12/03/2025 - 23:47

      Tumi backpack and luggage for work and travel

      Check this very well-designed Roller Pro carry-on luggage, which is currently on KickStarter.

      • TightAl on 13/03/2025 - 09:42

        Really nice but that price

        • whyisave on 13/03/2025 - 10:59

          Yes, the price … but that qualifies for this criteria of "buy once, buy it for life" :-)

          What disappoints me is the heavy weight of the luggage itself.

          • TightAl on 13/03/2025 - 17:16
            +1

            @whyisave: 3.9kg is a hard ask, I've been using a 72 hour samonsite carry on that comes in somewhere < 1.8kg.

            Apples and oranges but the Peak is very nice

  • Tamtim on 10/03/2025 - 22:29

    Akubra hats

  • CaptainJack on 10/03/2025 - 23:23

    I agree with good boots but I couldn't stand to wear the office dweeb uniform (no offense to those who do) so I got some wolverine 1000 miles instead of rm Williams. Had them for 6 or 7 years and yeah they are lasting very well. And only $300 at the time.

  • hasher22 on 11/03/2025 - 01:57
    +2

    Damn I wish I can think of one but these days products don't last cause….. capitalism

    The only thing I can think of is that my grandmas electric beater lasted 50+ years, been using it until it shat itself last year :(

    Does winrar count?

  • coffeeinmyveins on 11/03/2025 - 07:37

    Blunt umbrella

  • Vavoom on 11/03/2025 - 07:57
    +2

    For me it's a set of good quality DC fans. I've got DC standing fans as well as a couple of DC Vornados. Being able to control the speed in very discrete increments is godly and being able to run it slower and quiet is amazing if you're trying to listen to music, play a game or sleep. Sure people like to hear the white noise but I like silence too.

    • upsidedownlemon on 12/03/2025 - 17:43

      I might give that a go. I generally buy the cheapest and replace it when it dies 2-4 later. But I probably come out ahead buying quality.
      Need to check power usage and power factor

    • fredblogs on 12/03/2025 - 21:55
      +1

      good quality DC fans

      More of a Marvel fan myself

    • quikchip on 13/03/2025 - 20:40

      Which dc pedestal fan do you recommend?

  • Lastchancetosee on 11/03/2025 - 08:57
    +1

    Kenwood stand mixer, either the original or the Chef (non-electronic), moulinex food processor, bamix or Kenwood stick mixer. They're all work horses, last years, and you can get spare parts easily.

    90% down and 10% feather quilt. Can use all year round.

    Pyrolytic oven for ease of cleaning.

    • sam-1966 on 11/03/2025 - 17:56

      I have my grandmother's Kenwood Chef (pale blue). Doesn't miss a beat.

  • pulpfiction on 11/03/2025 - 09:21

    Any suggestions on quality business and casual shirts?

    • termx on 11/03/2025 - 22:21
      +1

      TM Lewin. Not the cheapest shirt you can buy but I've found them to be the most comfortable and long lasting.

      https://tmlewin.co.uk/products/non-iron-plain-white-oxford-s…

      • pulpfiction on 12/03/2025 - 06:22

        Not tried these in years, but I did like them. Thanks for the tip!

    • Seraphin7 on 12/03/2025 - 17:13

      I always enjoyed CT, but haven't bought anywhere near as many as I would normally go through since the whole WFH/further casualisation thing has been here.

      • pulpfiction on 12/03/2025 - 18:11

        I'll check these out. I used to wear a suit and shirt in my early career, then stopped for a long time. WFH I rarely need them, but I do need them when seeing customers in person. Happy to pay the extra for a few good shirts!

  • MyOtherOtter on 11/03/2025 - 09:27
    +1

    Mine are:

    • Quality Japanese chef knives, all bought separately and specifically for my preferences
    • A set of water stones & the cradles for them
    • Cast iron cookware
    • My Londinium R24 lever espresso machine, the self-maintenance aspect is a killer feature and makes it truly 'buy for life'
    • Mazzer Philos grinder indestructible single-dosing.
    • Solid hardwood furniture
    • RØDE NT2 microphone
    • And apparently my 2003 Toyota Kluger
    • NanoDuke on 11/03/2025 - 09:56

      @MyOtherOtter Do you have recommendations for knife sharpening? Specifically for a newb with no experience sharpening.

      • MyOtherOtter on 11/03/2025 - 10:04
        +1

        I'd get a lesson or three from a solid Japanese knife shop, if you've got or are getting Japanese knives.

        In Sydney that would be ProTooling. In Melbourne, probably Kaz's Knife & Kitchenware.

        If you're not using Japanese knives, I'm not sure if the same techniques hold up. Since getting into knives I made the decision to go fully Japanese, or at least Japanese style, mostly because I prefer the thinner blades and carbon steel.

        • jacross on 12/03/2025 - 00:14
          +2

          If you use non-japanese knives they won't understand the techniques. You'll need to translate it into the language of the knife you have.

      • whyisave on 12/03/2025 - 00:46

        Do you have recommendations for knife sharpening? Specifically for a newb with no experience sharpening.

        Shun used to provide a free service, but it seems it's $10 per knife (from 2025 March)

        https://store-mxjtcjhos2.mybigcommerce.com/shun-australia-sh…

  • afah0447 on 11/03/2025 - 10:30
    +1

    Watch.
    Dining table.
    Wife (ha ha ha).

    • freekay on 12/03/2025 - 14:51
      +4

      Wife makes me cry daily

  • EBC on 11/03/2025 - 10:49
    +8

    The problem with solid wood furniture is you also cry every time you need to move it…

    • banana365 on 11/03/2025 - 12:06
      +1

      Just slide a towel (if you have smooth floors) or bits of cardboard (carpeted floor) under the legs and you can slide even heavy furniture on your own. If it's really heavy, sit on your arse and push it with your feet.

      • EBC on 11/03/2025 - 12:09

        It's more the actual moving as in changing residences. No amount of cardboard is going to get it up narrow stairs with 90 degree turns!

        • CodeXD on 11/03/2025 - 12:11
          +1

          pivot!

        • skid on 11/03/2025 - 12:11
          +2

          Pivot!

          edit: beaten by codexd

        • banana365 on 11/03/2025 - 12:38

          Very true! That's when you need a bunch of friends that can be bribed with food and/or beer. I've got mega-heavy antique furniture up and down the narrow stairs of an old Edinburgh flat. It made me wish for the cheap, light Ikea stuff (briefly).

  • lunartemis on 11/03/2025 - 11:35
    +4

    Baccarat saucepan set (currently at 22 years)
    Panasonic microwave (bought in 1998 and still going without any issues)
    Wedgewood cutlery set (bought in 2008 - used daily)
    Cast iron pan - probably be around until the end of human existence

    • montorola on 12/03/2025 - 15:45
      +2

      Baccarat saucepan set (currently at 22 years)

      I take it you bought it at Robin's Kitchen "closing down sale" 22yrs ago?

      • lunartemis on 12/03/2025 - 21:38
        +1

        We got given as our wedding gift

        • Chael Sonnen on 13/03/2025 - 09:20
          +1

          The gifter probably purchased it at Robin's Kitchen during their closing down sale, 22 years ago.

    • perthguy92 on 14/03/2025 - 01:03

      New in Australia.
      Is "Baccarat" a good brand to go for ?

  • bugsbunny on 11/03/2025 - 11:50

    Universal travel adaptor with USB ports

    • whats a good one?
  • liuzhen on 11/03/2025 - 12:02
    +8

    Not quite Buy it for Life but a good quality NAS wis up there on my list of things that have added great benefit.

    Set it up with various plugins/web services and most of my digital needs have improved:

    • Home Assistant
    • Arr's
    • piHole / AdGuard
    • Syncthing (backup photos)
    • Plex
    • etc
    • Blakagant on 11/03/2025 - 17:21
      +1

      Initial time investment, then it’s set and forget. Very much endorse these

      • upsidedownlemon on 12/03/2025 - 17:48

        Updates and stuff are important to do often… otherwise becomes really difficult to do it.

        Also the power draw is a consideration, recently I’ve been shutting my NAS down and just using Popcorn Time

  • vtml on 11/03/2025 - 13:39
    -1
    • Good stainless steel cookware (thestellpanguy from TikTok literally changed my mind)
    • Good knives as everyone has already mentioned
    • Roborock Robotic Vacuum + Mop
    • Raspberry Pi 5 for the tech savvy to run Home Assistant, EVCC.IO, Pi Hole etc all using docker containers
    • Tesla car, and for me Powerwall 2 (unpopular opinion, but the Tesla Fleet API is easily the most comprehensive out of all vehicle manufacturers). I am saving a ridiculous amount of money with electricity even when charging both at home with OVO and Raspberry Pi 5 automations
    • 2 x ladders at home, one folded to go really high, and one with 3 steps to be used inside just high enough to change light bulbs / smoke detector batteries
    • Whatever appliances / plans required to remove gas
    • Good quality mattress
    • Shadowsfury on 11/03/2025 - 14:12

      Got some ladder suggestions? I literally want the same idea - one taller one and one 3 step haha.

      • vtml on 11/03/2025 - 15:58

        I just went to Bunnings and look around basically. I am seeing 3 steps and 4 steps available.

      • Aap Ke Papa on 11/03/2025 - 23:44
        +1

        Can't go wrong with the Costco one for $250 -$300ish

      • JimB on 13/03/2025 - 15:03

        I'm super happy with my Bailey's 4 step with Platform.

  • skidexa on 11/03/2025 - 14:02
    +5

    My osprey farpoint 40 backpack.

    • Bidet Mate on 11/03/2025 - 16:09
      +1

      I'll second opsrey. I got their Atmos AG 65 (several models older than the current one though) and its awesome. Not sure it's quite buy once territory though. I reckon a decade of hard use would probably end it.

    • Bren20 on 11/03/2025 - 18:40
      +1

      I've got a 15 year old osprey exos, the top part got damaged in transport 5 years ago and they sent me a replacement for free (when I was on a different continent as well), which I was very pleased with

      @Kiwiboy86, how do you find the ULA? I bought a similar UL pack years ago but I never use it as it got too hot and uncomfortable on my back even for short walks. I'm assuming if you're using a ULA you've got a fairly low baseweight, I was getting towards 8-10kg weight all included and having a really bad time. The osprey exos cost me about 600grams but made me so much more comfortable!

      I do love my Tarptent Double Rainbow, I bought it back in 2014 when the AUD was near parity, it's still in great condition, I was using it this weekend. As you've said though, it's not necessarily 'buy it for life' as you do trade off longevity for weight.

      • Kiwiboy86 on 11/03/2025 - 19:22
        +3

        Hey thanks for your reply.

        Yup, I had a total weight of 5-6kg for all my gear on a recent backpacking trip with the ULA. I found it great in that weight range, but no more. It isn't comfortable for anything past 6kg (especially in hot humid climates). If you have extra money and want to treat yourself, the Rofmia Large is another well built 30L but still under 1kg option.

        For another three-month backpacking trip, I used my ATD 1, which was absolutely perfect for the 8kg total weight kit I was using. Absolutely an overspend, but I really enjoyed its construction and the flexibility the roll top provided.

        I used to have an Osprey farpoint 40 during my early uni days, but donated that to my parents to get them into one bag travel. Otherwise, it was fantastic especially given it was like $150 when I bought it.

        In terms of getting your 8-10kg total weight down (if this is a goal), I have a few suggestions because I was in a similar boat until I streamlined the kit further. Get rid of the heavy laptop/iPad - I actually used a folding phone during the 3 month trip. Layering is your friend. The uniqlo ultralight down jacket is incredible not only for the price, but I think it's like 295 grams. That combined with a Patagonia 3L torrentshel is all I had and was fine down to 0 degree weather. Oh and instead of the bulky Anker bricks, a 5000mA slim lightweight battery pack is also all you really need. Getting rid of the peak design tech and washpouch and replacing with lighter, less engineered options also helped a lot.

        • Bren20 on 11/03/2025 - 22:23

          Appreciate the advice but my days of ultralight hiking are long behind me! My base weight was probably around 5 at its lowest, and the 10kg was with about 3L of water plus food. I went too far with the ultralight for a while, I found it much better when I sacrificed tiny cups, tuna can stoves and alfoil windshields for more convenient options!

          But all credit to you for getting it to work! I'm guessing at those weights you're not carrying much food and water

    • aong152 on 11/03/2025 - 20:17

      I saw the ULA and Farpoint - i'm using a Caribee Skymaster which is much cheaper and less ergonomic. Time to upgrade :)

    • Hugh G Rection on 12/03/2025 - 07:14

      I was going to get one, but i ended up getting an Amazon Basics Carry-On Travel Backpack. i absolutely love it for traveling light without a check in luggage. i don't do this often enough so that is why i didn't buy the osprey. it was a good thing i didn't because the amazon version is awesome and way cheaper. still looks brand new after 5+ years.

  • whitepuma on 11/03/2025 - 14:13

    Good quality tools

  • perfeksionitst on 11/03/2025 - 14:16
    +4

    Sleeping Duck Indestruct bed frame
    Eneloops/ladda(ikea)
    Anex and vessel tools
    Bosch series 8 dishwasher
    Phillips air fryer
    Toyo tool boxes
    Poang chair (IKEA)
    Stabila spirit level
    Garmin Instinct watch
    Gshock

    • bmxr on 11/03/2025 - 17:48
      +2

      Bosch series 8 dishwasher

      Do it! We got the fully integrated. It's beautiful. It's so quiet, it's a good thing they included the projected light on to the kitchen floor or you couldn't tell it was on. Seemingly indestructible. Even the quickest of quick washes everything comes out clean. Best dishwasher we've ever had, or used, by some margin.

    • Kiwiboy86 on 11/03/2025 - 20:10
      +1

      Thanks for the suggestions. I am considering the Sleeping Duck Indestruct for our main bedroom. Which style did you go with?

    • TightAl on 13/03/2025 - 09:43

      My SD Indestruct bed frame makes alot of noise at night, pretty unhappy with it

  • peteru on 11/03/2025 - 14:45
    +2

    Definitely a good coffee grinder. For me it was a Eureka Mignon Specialita. It certainly feels like it was built to last. The Sunbeam EM0480 and Breville Smart Grinder Pro that came before it were a waste of time and money.

    I hear good things about DF64, but I don't know about the build quality as I haven't used it. At AUD$680 delivered, it seems "inexpensive" for a 64mm flat burr. Mind you, I'd want to spend the extra $90 to add a hopper.

  • peteru on 11/03/2025 - 16:33
    +2

    Noctua fans for the workstations and servers. Be Quiet! high air flow fans were also great for longevity, but not very quiet.

  • OzBrogains on 11/03/2025 - 21:29
    +1

    Top 5 for me are stuff I use daily.

    Filco mechanical keyboard x2
    Made to measure dress shoes x3
    Tempur mattress
    HM Aeron + Steelcase Karman
    Filson backpack

    • Fobsessive on 12/03/2025 - 00:55

      Link to MtM dress shoes?

      • afah0447 on 14/03/2025 - 10:38
        +1

        Get them in Vietnam pretty cheap in Hoi An.

  • Alonzo on 11/03/2025 - 23:35

    Speed Queen washing machine. I wish we had bought one 20 years ago.

    • Sobieski on 13/03/2025 - 07:04
      +1

      What makes them so good and worth the cost? I looked up Speed Queen and was shocked that the models are in the $5000 range.

      I figure they're very reliable but seems you could get a $1000 washing machine and replace it once every decade or so and come out ahead. Seems I'm probably missing something.

  • saltypete on 12/03/2025 - 08:59
    +1

    Tilley hat - but buy the ones with a lifetime warranty. They replaced my frayed, worn hat after 25 years - no questions.

  • imnotgoingtopayrrp on 12/03/2025 - 11:09
    +1

    DeWalt brushless XR impact driver. If it's your first power tool, it will amaze you how easy it is to drive screws through almost anything, with control that a normal drill just can't match.

    Oh, and a "Pac Vac" vacuum cleaner. Simple, powerful, quiet and best of all, each component can be replaced/purchased individually.

  • mitt on 12/03/2025 - 11:32
    +2

    On the other end of the spectrum, buying a few crappy toolkits & spreading them around so you always have one at hand is great.

    A high quality toolkit is useless if its sitting in the shed when you are on the road. Having even a crap tool on hand turns a 30 minute trip to bunnings into a 30 second quick fix.

    I also did this with cordless drills. Two cheap drills has been far more useful to me than one expensive one. Having two separate bits ready to go instead of swapping back & fourth makes most things far less tedious.

    • NanoDuke on 12/03/2025 - 12:58

      I did the same with trapezoidal utility knives and tape measures. I was always leaving these in random spots, so now I have a tape in the house, as well as the garage, and a few knives throughout.

  • kolorijo on 12/03/2025 - 13:28

    ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) surgery

    • spackbace on 12/03/2025 - 13:41

      Wow, first I've heard about it!

      How much was it, if you don't mind?

      • kolorijo on 12/03/2025 - 13:54
        +2

        It was about 7.2k ++ per eye back in 2022. My corneas were too thin and my myopia were too high so I couldn't do LASIK.

  • PurchaseAnxiety on 12/03/2025 - 13:48

    Bambu Lab A1 3D printer. I know they're not the most expensive things in the world, but there are far cheaper 3D printers with similar features (on paper) available. Being able to just set something to print and walk away has made it worth every dollar. I think I had more successful prints in my first week with the A1 than I did for the whole 3+ years with Ender 3.

    (I know there's been some concerns about Bambu Lab as a company, and justifiably so. Something to keep an eye on, but not enough to negate the quality and UX of their products imo).

    • whyisave on 13/03/2025 - 12:23
      +1

      What have you been 3D printing?

  • tomlikesbeetroot on 12/03/2025 - 14:42
    +1

    I own a weber BBQ and its hugely disapointing.
    Even on the lowest temp it is too hot for roasting/slow cooking, so you need to awkwardly prop the lid to allow some ventilation and ultimately struggle to meet the right temperature.
    Its equally terrible for cooking sausages etc as the heat is very poorly distributed so you end up with some sections cooking much faster than others, or need to be constantly rotating locations to get things to cook evenly.

    The plastic shelves that come with it are too weak to hold anything but cooking utensils, don't expect to place any foods on there or it flexes too much and things fall off.

    • Lucky Lady on 13/03/2025 - 07:49
      -1

      I agree with your comments. Our Weber is hopeless. Propping up roasts so they don’t burn and moving food around because so it doesn’t burn.

  • Oipjo on 12/03/2025 - 15:00
    +1

    My two are:

    • LASIK Surgery (best money spent on quality of life)
    • Bissell Wet Vacuum

    Two kids overnight had explosive bodily fluid incidents, and in the past have had the dog either filth up the lounge with dirt, or relieved himself on carpet.

    Bissell = lifesaver. House/carpets/lounges still looks new despite having all seen a lot of (literal) $hips - if this thing hadn't on hand, isn't any way dabbing a paper towel is enough.

  • casho on 12/03/2025 - 16:13
    +1

    Good quality HIFI speakers

    • JimB on 13/03/2025 - 15:21

      I grew up appreciating great HiFi but lifestyle doesn't allow me the time to enjoy it.

      I've love a pair of Dynaudio floor standing speaker run off a Mcintosh amp. Would be overkill for me as all I listen to these days is Spotify.

      House layout isn't conducive to good HiFi either.

      • casho on 13/03/2025 - 18:01

        Keep the dream. Just go small for now and upgrade gradually

  • ripesashimi on 12/03/2025 - 16:35
    +1

    Nick Scali leather couch.

    Back when they were good. Not a single scratch from aggressive keying and pen stabbing from kids.

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