When do you insist on Tier One

[EDELWEISS]

I can drive something besides an Audi A8, even though I want one; but I wont buy a Timex, even though it may keep better time than my Rolex. Ive bought cheap optics and "paid the price"; but I wont hunt 2 or 4 legged animals with junk. I can live in a small house and enjoy camping; but I will spend $$$ on a hunt of a lifetime each year. I wear jeans and Tees when I can; but a suit and Tux needs to be fitted.

When does it just have to be TIER ONE?

[H60DoorGunner]

When it doesn't need to be thrown in the river or dumpster after I use it...

[ChuteTheMall]

Whenever you feel the need to impress someone.

Whenever it's a matter of life and death if you compromise.

Whenever you want to, just because you can, and nobody else needs to know.

[Gabriel Suarez]

Anytime it is available.

[TACC]

Early and Often

[John Chambers]

When I frigging want it and can afford it. :)

[EDELWEISS]

Anytime it is available.


When I frigging want it and can afford it. :)

Its almost always available if you can afford it BUT like the Audi A8, while I may be able to afford it Im happy to soend that $$$ elsewhere like another safari or a honeymoon in Katmandu and drive a jeep instead

[Shooter Ready]

Tier One: when my life depends on it, or when it enables me to enjoy what I'm doing so I can continue to buy Tier One stuff.

[45Smashemflat]

The only thing I would add is, when you use it practically everyday. You will appreciate the quality all the more due to familiarity and constant real use.

[Jon Payne]

Tier 1 when you can only buy once. Very uncommon in today's disposable society.


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[BillyOblivion]

When does it just have to be TIER ONE?

One of the guys I train martial arts with used to be a guide in Alaska and other wilderness areas.

We were talking about gear one day and he was pimping Helly Hansen stuff, and made the comment "Doesn't matter what the warranty is, if you're in the woods and it breaks you're f'ked".

Which is basically about the best way I can describe my approach to tier one stuff. I put a Aimpoint M2 on my AK, because it deserved something as tough as it was, and if I needed that toughness I *needed* it. On my CX4 Storm I put a Burris XTS135 because the use case for it wasn't quite as extreme, and the 135 was good enough.

I have an Aerostitch Jacket and pants for my motorcycle because sliding on your side on the pavement at 70 is a really, really bad time to discover that the "500 codura nylon" jacket that was stitched in China used crap thread on the seams and is now a vest and working it's way into smaller pieces. I'll wear hiking boots or leather shoes for my ride in to work, but if I'm going cross country it's the SIDI waterproof touring boots (maybe not the most expensive boots out there, but I once spent about 20 minutes in water over my ankles maneuvering my motorcycle out of the snow I'd ridden into and my feet were dry, so good enough).

A plinking rifle doesn't have to be "tier one". A fighting rifle has to be the best you can afford (and still afford to train with).

I carry either a Spyderco Delica or an Endura, which are not "tier one" blades, but are tough enough for every day use, if I wind up breaking a blade doing something dumb, I don't care. However in my backpack is a spare delica and a ESEE 3.

Also the "Tier One" has to carry significant value over the "Tier Two". I'll probably never buy a (new) Oxxford Suit because 3 to 5k for a suit is crazy when a Sameulsohn is just as sturdy, and just as attractive at 1/3 or less the price. I would, however, spend 2-3k on a suit from Huntsman or Gieves and Hawkes if I found myself living in or around London (I was >< that close!) for any length of time just because.

So for me the two main considerations are "how badly am I screwed if this doesn't do it's job", and "once the desired level of functionality is reached, does the additional cost really benefit me".

[Zed Stewart]

When your level of training and ability dictate that it is necessary to continue you growth as a person, man, and warrior.

I love my SCAR-L.

[Vigilant]

When I want to! Hamilton watches for everyday wear, Tag and Omega for "going out"! Filet over burger, Red Breast over Jameson, Kuhl or TAD over Levi's or Dockers, Merrill or Keen over bates or Hitec, list goes on! I do drive a Jeep, by choice, and carry many different knives from $50 Spydies to $700 Microtech or Mick Strider Customs. Glocks for pistols, Benelli for shotguns, etc. etc. etc.

[grizzlyblake]

Rarely or not at all for me. I would just about always have two box stock G19s over one custom job, or one solid vehicle with several thousand bucks in cash on hand instead of being the "minimum monthly payment" guy.

I wish it wasn't this way, but to me cash is king and offers the most freedom of anything in this country. Being broke with a Tier 1 AR is fine until you need one of a million other things or need to get out of Dodge fast.

I know it goes against the mantra on this site, but I would rather have liquid cash and solid basic equipment on hand all day long.

[ss58]

I guess the question is WHAT do you buy that ISN't Tier 1??????

[Greg Nichols]

Hookers... It's a sellers market

[grizzlyblake]

I guess the question is WHAT do you buy that ISN't Tier 1??????

What are you calling Tier 1? I don't drive a custom Mercedes 6x6 SUV, my clothes aren't custom made just for me, and I don't have a commercial-quality IMAX theater in my house for watching Netflix.

[plugugly]

I can't remember who said it, but I recall reading a quote that stated that the guy had simple tastes. He was only satisfied with simply the best.

[David Bowman]

"The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory.”

I find that if I save or hustle (or both) enough, I can get things that are Tier 1, that I want, and Tier 1 stuff of any kind is built to last., which means I only have to buy it once.

[grizzlyblake]

So what, outside of custom Glocks, are we calling Tier 1? Automobiles, homes, clothing, etc.?

[JeffC]

There are two kinds of "things". Objects that help me make a living (tools, computers, etc) and objects that may help me save my life (arms, personal gear, etc.) should be of the highest quality required for the job.

Objects that are more for personal satisfaction should be within your means. Period. Want something higher quality? Earn the money and buy it.

OTOH, buying objects because they are "perceived" to be Tier 1, simply by cachet or reputation and not by features or performance is a type of brainless cult following created by very clever marketing and very gullible people. I use, as an example, Iphones or Luis Vuitton handbags. Both are very good products and I am not dismissing their value. They simply do not imbue the owner with any special status simply by owning them.

As I get older, I find myself valuing objects less and less and friendships more and more. That is where a Tier 1 decision really counts.

-jeff

[ss58]

What are you calling Tier 1? I don't drive a custom Mercedes 6x6 SUV, my clothes aren't custom made just for me, and I don't have a commercial-quality IMAX theater in my house for watching Netflix.

Brother, Tier 1 is going to be different for everyone. For me its waiting to get what I want, I don't want junk. If that means I have to wait for a special order or put a tennis court in for the XO (which I will never use) thats it.

I would rather have a Hellcat than a ridiculous 6x6 SUV????? It's not always about the most expensive….it's just not about settling for shit. IMHO

I guess I should be flattered…6 posts in 3yrs and I was one of them

Respectfully,

Sam

[Yooper75]

As often as I'm able to.

I earn a decent living by most standards and I refuse to buy cheap stuff because I will waste more time buying something cheap only to replace it when it fails or when it doesn't work to begin with. My most expensive commodity is time and I can't make any more of it once it's gone but I can make more money so ask your self what your time is worth.

[grizzlyblake]

Brother, Tier 1 is going to be different for everyone. For me its waiting to get what I want, I don't want junk. If that means I have to wait for a special order or put a tennis court in for the XO (which I will never use) thats it.

I would rather have a Hellcat than a ridiculous 6x6 SUV????? It's not always about the most expensive….it's just not about settling for shit. IMHO

I guess I should be flattered…6 posts in 3yrs and I was one of them

Respectfully,

Sam

I've not been an active poster before, just a long time reader.

If Tier 1 just means not settling for shit than everything I have is Tier 1. I prefer to buy quality stuff, but I'm also not one to pay boutique prices just because someone says the item is better. I've always run stock Glocks except for sights, and I consider them not shit when compared to a lot of other handguns on the market. I use quality kydex holsters, $90 gun belts, and run Speer 9mm ammo for practice (Lawman) and carry (GD).

I just wasn't sure what the phrase "Tier 1" really meant, although I've seen it used here for years.

I always kind of assumed "Tier 1" was reserved for the best of the best stuff.

[Ben]

Tier 1 when you can only buy once. Very uncommon in today's disposable society.


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My wife is a Tier One and I am going on 35 years this June.

But I dated a bunch of Tier 2 and yes; even a few Tier 3............while overseas I even looked at a few Tier 4 :)

But I married the Tier One.

[Mike OTDP]

Hmm...

I don't skimp on firearms at all. Especially not anything I intend to use in competition. Prefer not to do so with cars, but my taste runs toward convertibles, not muscle. Most anything else I'll compromise on.

[BillyOblivion]

I guess the question is WHAT do you buy that ISN't Tier 1??????

I don't sweat the paper towels.

The stuff I wear to work? (I was EXPLICITLY ordered by my boss not to dress like an adult at this job) Most LL Bean, Columbia Sportswear, t-shirts and some sort of outer layer--fleece, mock-neck shirt or whatever. Most of them are bought at sporting good stores/rei/bass pro on the basis of "it's earth tone and on the clearance rack". Heck, most of the stuff I wear around town is second tier at least. Assuming 3 tiers. I've had "Tier one" t-shirts, and yeah, they're nice. But an 80 dollar t-shirt is...ouch.

I put regular gas in my motorcycle most of the time--most of it's spent in stop and go traffic, so it's not like performance fuel's going to do me any good.

I buy tier one helmets because nothing else fits my head, but my "rain gloves" cost me a total of 30 bucks at Home Depot--a pair of Mechanics gloves and some bright orange dish washing gloves. Mostly because I've never found anything else that was actually *waterproof*. Well, I did once but they stopped making them. I do have tier one gloves though--Held. Mostly because they will put size 10 fingers on a size 9 palm in some of their styles, and I'm well hung for a lesbian.

Gloves are like shoes. Proper fit is *amazing*.

When it comes to cars and trucks all I ask is that they are reliable. Living in CO I'll only buy AWD/4WD, but I'm *perfectly* happy with Toyota or Subaru. Heck, Kia would be fine. Don't care.

Even some of my guns aren't first tier--they're either experiments or for plinking or just amused me.

But what I learned a *LONG* time ago is that there's usually at least 4 tiers. Let's use bicycles as an example. 4th tier is what you find at Walmart/Kmart/whatever. Crap. Stuff is (literally) designed to go about 2-300 miles TOPS because that's generally more than the people who shop there will ride it. Tier 3 is about 1.5x the cost, and is the cheapest things you'll find in a larger dedicated bicycle store. This stuff is 2-3 times *better* than the crap @Walmart, and with good maintenance and repairs will go quite a while (the frames aren't bad and over time you'll just replace the crappy components).

The second tier stuff--again about 2x 3rd tier--is really great stuff. It's not the lightest, it's not the "best", but it's 600 to 1200 bucks (depending) and will, modulo accidents (or aluminum/crabon fiber frames) it will last your lifetime. Yeah, some components might wear out, but if you do your part the stuff will run forever. Shifts are sure, smooth and dependable, there's not a lot of excessive noise in the drive line etc. You can (and people have) ride these sorts of bikes cross country or around the world with "normal" maintenance.

The "top tier" isn't any more reliable, it's not any sturdier, but it's lighter. The shifting isn't just smooth, it's barely noticeable. Your brain desires a shift and your hand and your bike execute it as a well oiled team. Every joint, every solder on the bike is flawless and perfect. You're faster, you're sexier, things don't "work", they just "are".

I'm not a professional bike racer. I'm not even an amateur bike racer. I've got a Tier One bike (Bianchi Alloro) behind me mounted on a mag trainer, and it's awesome. I'm glad I bought it, but I'll probably never buy another bike in that class again, I simply can't use the extra awesomeness in it.

Same way (for me) with cars. I can't afford an Audi A8, and even if I could, I couldn't *use* the difference between a nice Toyota/Subaru and that A8. The creature comforts are nice, but I'd have to win the lottery to justify it on those grounds. And hell, I'm as happy on the back of a motorcycle when it's 50 and raining as I am in a car when it's nice out so what do I know from creature comfort?

Of course I buy pretty close to tier one riding gear. Mostly because I ride when it's 35 and raining.

[WOLF220]

I think tier one has a lot of variables to it and it can depend on what the situation it is being used and or what the user wants to get out of it. For example, Harley davidson motorcycles are considered to be a tier one product. But I find them to be substandard for what I want to get a bike for, and that's to go fast. So is my 16k Kawasaki ZX-10r not considered tier one because it didn't cost 25k like a Harley? Uhh no, because no Harley will do 0-100 in 5 seconds. Same thing with the jeep and Audi. For woods travel the jeep is the tier one, as cool as an Audi r8 is, it's useless off-road.
Now, of course there is shit products and there are good products. It's the standard at which you're willing to accept and can afford. When it comes to weapons, we all know what the shit products are, WASR's, hi points, etc. sure I can plink with a hi point, would I spend money on that, he'll no as my standards are much higher than a hi point.

[pistolman1974]

Anytime it is available.

I agree

[Sharkbite]

I never skimp on life support equipment.

I Scuba Dive, and you would be amazed by some of the cheap ( and I do mean cheap ) gear selections I've seen. I dive ScubaPro Mark 25/S600 Regs with a 195 Octo, Mares ICON LED wireless computer, Dive Rite Transpac BC, and ScubaPro old school Jet Fins. At 4 atmospheres, you don't want to have to labor to breathe, or have your reg start to free flow. At shallow depths it would be annoying, at 100'+ it can be deadly. Do it right or feed the fish.

With firearms, Bacon saving weapons are top shelf period. I have some tier 2 range toys, but what I consider tier 2 is what others consider tier 1. The bacon savers are tweaked, vetted, and run hard prior to taking up that post. Carry gear doesn't have "Uncle Mikes" written on it anywhere either.

Cheap has a flavor all it's own. I've never acquired the taste :barf: