What do you buy "brand name" and why?

I have a headache and I went to the cabinet and got something for it. Doing so reminded me of the Tylenol ad campaign of a couple of years ago where they were all pissed because people were overdosing on Tylenol, ruining their liver and in some cases dying. The gist of the campaign was "If you are going to OD, we'd rather you just not use our product at all!"

All of that crossed my mind in, like, .12 seconds, including the rejoinder "okay, I won't, you're too damned expensive anyway!" as I reached for the bottle of generic Acetaminophen.

Which brought me to this question:
What do you buy that is brand name, and what do you buy generic? Me, I buy generic just about whenever I can unless I've tried it and the quality is for suck (and yes, some generics are not good).

Generic and store brand are synonymous for this exercise and the list below is specific to things that have become every day but were once "brand name only".

Things I buy generic or store brand (not exhaustive by any stretch of the imagination):
Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Ibuprofen (Motrin)
Naproxen Sodium (Aleve)
Triple Antibiotic
Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
Glass cleaner (Windex) - when I buy it rather than make something
Energy shots (5-hour energy) - $0.69 each at Aldi or $0.71 each at Costco in the 48 pack
Cold medicine (NyQuil/DayQuil)
Bandages (J&J Band-Aids)
Tissues (Kleenex)

So, what do you buy brand name rather than generic, and what are you okay buying generic?

 

Guns, ammo, certain tools if they fail catastrophically cause you to die or loose a limb.

 

Which brands do you prefer then? Curious rather than looking to get into an ammo brand war for example.

 

For electronics stuff for my computers, I will buy brand name. Ibuprofen, we buy the generic/cheapest, same with bandaids. For laundry/dish soap, we only buy Seventh Generation brand. For soap, I only use Dove fragrance free, and mom only uses Dr. Bronner's. We use those because has the best ingredients for us. We have sensitive skin, so when we find something that works, we stick with it. Just like our shampoo, only Earth Science/Pure Essentials fragrance free. So basically, unless it's for our health, we tend to buy generic.

I used to love the brand name Cheezits(Sunshine brand), but then dollar store started having generic ones, so I started eating those, to the point where I couldn't stand the brand name Cheezits anymore. And now the dollar store brand, they messed with it somehow, I don't buy those anymore either, just the dollar store goldfish(they call them 'Whales', but they're goldfish). I like snack foods more than actual meals anyways.

 

Sears Craftsman hand tools and I have been buying them since I return. The Brand was great when I was a kid not so sure about it now. I think their 'hand tools' are still okay but a lot of their other Craftsman stuff aren't so good.

I use to like DeWalt power tools and did purchase a bunch upon my return but I have sort of turned against their variable speed drills as the darn triggers are too touchy for me as hard to get a start at a slow speed and end stripping the head of the screw.

Printers I stick to HP (Hewlett Packard) because they make a quality printer, best in my opinion. For laptops I've been buying Acer but I have no loyalty to them and purchase what works and is priced well. Desktops, I prefer to build my own and just today ordered $$$ worth of stuff to build one as I truly screwed the pooch on Black Friday. I didn't realize how Black Friday worked nor how crazy it was and missed a bunch of good deals. It was my first time...

Televisions I stick to Samsung, again I like the quality of their product. But, I have really grown to respect LG and would purchase just about anything they make. I had air conditioners, refrigerators, lots of things by them overseas. I wish now I would have purchased a LG freezers but I couldn't find any around here and ended up buying Kenmore but they seem to be working okay.

Guns are all well known brands: Glock, Remington, Ruger, Colt

Like you, I normally purchase generic medicines whenever possible like Ranitidine instead of Zantac.

 

@stg58 "Lenovo Caught (3rd time) Pre-Installing Spyware on its laptops" Now, that is interesting and good to know. luckily, I have never purchased a Lenovo. I do know they are a Chinese company and will soon (or already have) open a factory in North Carolina. I hate all the bloat ware on laptops. It takes a lot of time to remove it also...

 

@Motomom34
Consider making this thread topic of the month for Feb plz.
If @DarkLight would be willing - consolidate all good brand into the OP when the thread has run it's course and maybe even make it a resource.

Just my .02 while I consider my list.

 

Just depends on what it is. I was in the bread isle at Walmart one day and saw the Sunbeam man stocking Great Value bread. I ask him why and he said "because we make it". Walmart certainly does not produce 99% of the food items that carry their label. They contract with an existing supplier of a product to make their private label product. Then they negotiate shelf space, shelf location, price and exclusively. So, the Sunbeam bread comes off the same production line as Great Value. I buy a lot of Walmart brand products. I just look for a similar shaped container and compare the nutrition label and ingredients list. However, if I am going to need a tool to last, I buy the best I can afford.

 

In my misspent younger days, I worked in a factory that made shampoo, body wash, mouthwash (no I am not going to tell you it was P&G. Don't bother asking) and every item they made cost five cents. That is label, bottle, cap, contents = a nickle. 95% of the generic or store brand stuff is made on the same line, with the same ingredients, at the same time.

If you like Oil of Olay, or other Procter and Gamble item, just look at store brands and if they list the same ingredients, it is more than likely the exact same thing with a different label/bottle/color whatever.

Same with batteries, there are only five or seven battery companies in the US, can't remember now (and yes, P&G owns/makes one brand of flashlight battery, they own all sorts of companies that you would never think of; food, batteries, electric razors, tooth brushes, the list goes on and on. Some people claim that the moon and star design is satanic, don't know but after working there, well let's say it might be possible), so your store brand car battery might be a Sears Die-Hard with a different label. I like Sears Die Hard batteries.

Most (all?) US made vitamins are made at ONE plant (60 Minutes did a report on this) and when asked the company spokesman said the only difference was the bottle and label. Why do some cost more than others then? Because some are sold as a premium (meaning adverts) item and some as generic labels, but all were made on the same line with the same ingredients.

AVOID China made vitamins or supplements! Half of them (read Consumer Reports) are full of lead, arsenic, and other fun stuff, the other half are not what they claim, usually just sugar pills and fillers.

 

As a teen I worked for a short time for a clothing manufacturer.We received finished underwear and tee shirts from a sister plant, our ladies sewed Nike, JCPenney, Sears, etc. labels in them. Then we boxed them and shipped them out. I learned then that no company sets up to make generic, and that 99% of generic is the same as high end, the exception being cereal where they skimp on ingredients and tools where junk steel is used. So I buy brand name tools to make my living and brand name cereal. Most everything else, price dictates what I buy.

 

I buy brand name doritos! The store brands don't even come close in taste.

 

For us it just depends on what it is, I buy a lot of generic stuff due to the fact at the Dollar store (my closest store) that is all they have most of the time. I try to buy brand names with making a larger purchase.

 

When we do buy snacks, we tend to buy brand name - like chips and cheezy-puffs kinda stuff.

 

Enloop batteries- told they last forever (10+ years) do not skimp on rechargeables.
Footwear- I buy Merrill, Sorell, etc. I do not skimp on footwear.
Patagonia- outdoor clothing of my choice. I have been wearing the same shorts for 15 years. They are a bit frayed but going strong
Mora knife- the blade is taking a beating and still ding free.
Swiss Army Knives- I buy the red ones not the knock offs. IMO they really are good quality
Leatherman- durable, made well worth the extra$$
Lodge Cast Iron- we just had a thread on Walmart dutch ovens. I have a no name dutch oven and I really want to take a sander to it. It is rough and not seasoning well. I will stick with Lodge products from now on.

 

Speaking of brand names, over at facebook, where you know, all the REAL news is, they had this story: News Feed About #BoycottStarbucks | Facebook

All I could think of how awesome the top picture is....can think of so many stories with it, with all the 'activity' and that older blonde gal is making a face towards the other gal who I'm guessing is security?

 

Tropicana Orange Juice because I like the taste, I think that may be the only thing that I specifically look for a name brand in.

 

Scott tissue paper. Only and always Scott because it is easier on septics, breaks down faster so that you do not have to pump your septic so often.

 

I buy Smuckers jams and jellies...not only because Smuckers corporate HQ and some of their manufacturing is local, but also because I have a face that only a muthasmucker could love.

 

Jim Beam
Bush Mills
BD syringes
Tillamook for all things cheddar
Tektronix, Fluke, and a few others for test equipment
Hakko for all things that solder
No "generics" where firearms and ammo are concerned

No brand name Band-Aids ever. They are the worst - the cloth ones don't hold and the plastic ones attack the skin.

Everything else is subject to generic based on cost and quality.