114 replies to this topic

[Duff72]

for me it is
Toyota- 2002 Camry 285,000 miles on the clock
CZ pistols- didnt want to like them until I shot them . then it was undeniable . SP-01 Shadow will change your whole perspective
FN firearms- pricey but fantastic
Spyderco and ZT knives-my favorite carries
Apple- iPads are great - I know
Fenix,Nitecore, & promethius lights- all solid products. Prometius takes quality to another level.
what are your go to brands?

[Stupendous Walrus]

Good job Duff. I was tinking of a thread along these lines. Ethics, towards people and animals are important to me, so when it comes to clothing, Levi's and Columbia. Also:

Duke Cannon-great soap, shaving cream and shampoo. Cruelty free and the donate proceeds to veterans charities.
Martin Guitars-Simply the best acoustic instruments of the planet.
Victorinox-EVERY. THING.
J.R. Watkins-old school apothecary, everything from old timey pain liniment to seasoning and spices. I use their hand cream, lip balm and liniment. The hand cream is the only one I've ever used that helps counteract the damage from using chemicals for job.
AKG-Best headphones I've ever used. Their pro audio stuff is unrivaled.
Dunlop-Picks, pedals etc...you name it, and they do it best.
Giant-Great bikes, and best at their price point in my experience.

[Chris Szaroleta]

I'm going to post here, but I need time to ponder.

[Dom]

I am more brand loyal to people & businesses who provide services rather than to specific products. So, much of my brand loyalty recommendations would be regional/local to me. There are a few brands that I've given my business, and will again in the future:

Cars- Jeep, Subaru, VW/Audi. Chosen for function, form, safety, reliability, serviceability. Since cars are our largest EDC item (for those of us that drive daily), I take care and pride in owning and maintaining my cars; I expect the service providers to do the same.

Motorcycles - Ducati, chosen for style and form as well as function. The company knows how to build brand loyalty. For the same reasons, Harley Davidson (cliche, I know). They make a nice machine and are one of the best brand loyalty manufacturers in the world.

Tech - I'm not a big techie guy, but need and use technology to run my business. Apple has made this easy for me. I've purchased more iproducts than I can count (iPods, iPads, iPhones). The software just works, and when you replace or upgrade a device, all of your apps and settings are there. There's value to that for me.

Stores - REI, im lucky to live close to a brick & mortar store. If you do, you need to go visit and become a member. If you don't, then buy online and become a member. For electronics, I use Crutchfield. As a DIYer, I've replaced some car audio. They make it easier. For all other electronics, the service folks are very knowledgeable and helpful.

EDC Gear - this will be the toughest category. So here it is: Oakley...I'm not a big fan of the style of most of their products. But I've owned many of their sunglasses. They're super durable, have fantastic optics, and they will repair (or at least they used to).

Bicycles and gear - I'm a cyclist, so I could write an entire thread on the topic, but there's plenty of forums for that. I own, and have owned, several Jamis bikes. I was introduced to them years ago from a shop that sponsored me, and I'm friends with a sales rep. So I've come to appreciate their build quality and design. For gear, I've recently purchased several Bontrager branded items (a division of Trek). The products are well designed and made, and are very competitive values.

Tools - For bicycles, Park Tools. For home, DeWalt. Both well made and durable.

Photo - I'm using Canon. When I buy another camera, it will be Canon. There are many photo forums that will elaborate about the manufacturers. For me, as a shutterbug, the cameras are intuitive but not simple. You need to be educated on some photography skills, but if you are, the cameras are great. Canon has an online store that sells refurbished gear...like new, but a fraction of the cost.

[coldwater]

Too many to list for so many different reasons.

 

My 37 year old John Deere tractor that never quits.

 

Leatherman tools

 

My old American made Craftsman mechanics tools

 

Cummins Diesel engines. (I love my truck.)

 

Old Jeep CJ Jeeps.           (I love my old CJ)

 

Powermatic table saws. 

 

Dillon reloading presses. 30 years, and crapping out ammo at 500 rounds an hour as well as ever.

 

John Brownings legendary 1911 pistol. The greatest hand gun ever produced on this planet, in every way.

 

Wilson Combat 1911's

Ruger mini 14's

Ruger Red Hawks

Stag arms components and rifles. 

 

Ariens Blowers. 

 

Rottweiler dogs. A gift from God.

 

Carhart clothes. 

 

Kamik boots.

 

Red Wing boots.

 

DeWalt contractor wood working tools. They bought my truck, my trailer, my living, my recreation, my home, and then rebuilt it, and my loyalty.

 

511 gear.

 

Nikon glass.

 

Trijacon / Aimpoint / Eotech anything.

 

My Fossil wallet.

 

Dead on and Stiletto hammers. (thank you for getting it right!)

[Stupendous Walrus]

I have to agree with Apple. I avoid their products for a long time, but am a convert at this point. The few issues I've had have been totally and utterly painless and quick to deal with. Fantastic customer service.

I should mention, I have a Casio calculator (solar powered) that belong to my mom that is almost 40 years old. Yes, 40. Still works just fine. Same goes for Black and Decker. I've trusted my livelihood to their tools and have never been let down. Same goes to some Mastercraft hand tools.

Traynor Amps as well. A Canadian company, back in the 70s they used to go out to the highway in the middle of the bight and toss the cabinets out of the truck to check the durability. They still make their stuff to the same quality. I have a 1x12 all tube combo from them that has been through hell and back over the last almost 10 years.

[John B.]

Tech:

Apple  

Samsung TVs

Garmin

Sony

Canon 

 

Watches:

Suunto

Fossil

Timex

 

Eyewear:

Oakley

 

Clothing/Footwear:

Lucky Jeans

Columbia

LL Bean

Nike

Under Armour

New Balance

Merrell

Chaco

5.11 

 

Packs:

Kelty (May be switching to Osprey soon!) 

CamelBak

5.11

REI 

 

For the yard and around the house:

Stihl

Husqvarna 

DeWalt tools 

 

Weapons/Knives/Multitools:

Smith & Wesson 

Remington 

Kershaw

Case

Leatherman

 

Beverage of Choice:

DR. PEPPER! 

[Stupendous Walrus]

Nice John! I agree on Under Armour. Great company. Also, Sorel and North Face. (Canadian don't forget). I have never, ever had an Innis & Gunn beer let me down. We also had Four Winns and Hobie Cat boats growing up, and both were flawless for me. I also use Wusthof knives in the kitchen. They are wonderful!

For a bad habit, I always could count on Players Original.

[Dom]

 
Beverage of Choice:
DR. PEPPER!

I don't usually drink soda, but when I do it's Dr Pepper

[Duff72]

I don't usually drink soda, but when I do it's Dr Pepper

Also a DR. Pepper guy.

[Stupendous Walrus]

Same here. The Dr. trumps all.

[Sam Robinson]

i am not a fan of the doc but i love Souix City beverages. They are reasonably hard to come by here in Australia but i love their Sarsaparilla and their root beer. The SC sars is different to australian sars but i love them all the same!!

i am going to need more time to ponder but for the mean time:

 

Apple - I would also say apple (I have had an iphone 3gs, iphone 4s, Iphone 5) in between the 3 and the 4 i had a galaxy s2 and after the 5 i currently have the htc one m8. when my contract ends i will be going back to apple again. yes you pay for the name but you also pay for quality (and tax avoidance)

 

5.11 - i have a couple of their bags. They are quality bags that i cannot fault, i will be buying more from their range including pants and more backpacks.

 

Pelican Cases - i have had a number of their cases over the years and are amazing quality that stand upto the toughest challenges you can throw at them. The one i use the most is one i bought from ebay with custom cut laser foam that suits my gopro and accessories.

[Duff72]

+1 on pelican cases . I have some that are over 20 years old and still in use.

[Adam Tracksler]

Leica.

[T]

For me 

 

Victorinox 

 

Brusletto

 

VW/BMW/audi reliable comfortable cars

 

Carlsberg and frydenlund  best beers

 

Cardhu scotch

 

Coca Cola

 

That's really my preferences, Not really a flashlight guy or anything, and When it comes to tech I pretty much use everything, and my computer is a mishmash of different parts.

Also looking to get a Fallkniven F1, so that probably has to go on the list . 

 

Also want to ask advice for a good shotgun brand, going to take my hunting license and need a shotgun to hunt grouse, any advice ?

[coldwater]

If you want reasonable price and a tough, good shooting scattergun, check out Mossberg. If you want to spend money and be a gentleman hunter, look into the endless supply of side by side and O/U makers. My O/U of choice is the Ruger Red label.

[Mikey Bautista]

I need more time to think about this thread, but the ones that immediately come to mind are:

 

Seiko -- Took my Monster on a weekend's worth of outdoor and underwater adventures and it came through like a champ.

Spyderco -- Especially because they're one of the few knife companies who consistently make ambidextrous knives.

Timberland -- Owned three boots so far and all have lasted serious abuse. Heck, even my Timberland t-shirt is surviving a fair bit.

[Chris Szaroleta]

Are you guys preferring Dr. Pepper over Mr. Pibb strictly based on his degree?  Maybe Pibb also has a doctorate, but isn't snobbish about what he wants to be called. 

[Tim]

I am loyal to a fault when it comes to gear. All my gear has to perform perfectly all the time, so the brands that work for me are the only thins I will buy.

 

Tech:

Apple

Samsung

 

Knives:

Benchmade

Kershaw

 

Multitools:

Leatherman

 

Packs:

Northface

 

Lights:

Fenix

 

Eye wear:

Oakley

 

Other:

Chevy

LL Bean

Seiko

[Glen]

Off the top of my head; here are a few brands that I've owned more than one of their products, and would recommend to others:

• Tombow & Staedtler wooden pencils
• Pentel mechanical pencils
• Bellroy wallets
• Fenix lights
• HTC phones
• Apple computers
• Sennheiser headphones
• Hario coffee equipment
• LeCruset for heavy cookwear
• Google for email, calendar, photo backup, music & apps
• Molton Brown moisturiser
• The Verge for tech culture news
• Scotland for whisky