how about a 94 isuzu trooper my dad t bones someone with hit totaled it and drove it 50 miles home

I've had my father's Mossberg 500AT for 27 years. It was worn some when I got it, and I have no idea when it was made.

I have my Ka-bar knife issued me in 1974.

I have some underwear that... uh... better not metion that here.

Oh! Second on the Ka-bar. Mine is nowhere near 35 years old but it has been through 3 trips to Iraq and then some.

I might consider a 870 if my old Winchester Model 12s ever wear out.

RCBS and MEC reloading presses come to mind. Also, Gransfors Bruks axes and Buck 110 folders. I see a few old Jeep J body pickups still hauling firewood.

I have a 96 isuzu Trooper. Greatest car ever. Had a 1989 Trooper before that. Never had a single mechanical issue with either of them.

We have a EUREKA(canister) vacuum Circa 1984; still going strong..

I read somewhere that the basic patent for the Coleman Lantern is one of the oldest unchanged patented inventions still available in it's original form. I believe it first came out in the mid to late 1800's.

Sorry for the double post. I'm old and have a stutter in my trigger finger.

Leatherman PST and Supertool, I have never had one wear out, the service to get your tool fixed is superb, and they can help with every task. I would also like to add the S&W revolvers, they never seem to go bad.

Good'uns:
Leatherman
Ka-Bar Marine knife
1911
S&W .38
AK of most varieties
Ames Army shovel

Things of mine that shouldn't be but are:
a '96 Ford Explorer with 300k+ miles
my late 60's Massey Ferguson 135 tractor with ????hrs
a Pfleuger electric trolling motor that is ????? yrs old

Mitchell fishing reels! good one! I only have had experience with ones in the 400 series. I believe it was a 440 my grandpa always had me using. Most likely circa '70's

We wouldn't want to forget that Winchester M 94 as a "forever" gun either. I still prefer my Model 12 in the field to the 870, I even like the M-1300 Winchester pump better actually, which puts me in the minority I s'pose but what the hell, good thing we don't all covet the same exact pieces, how boring that'd be for the writers.
Someone mentioned the old Craftsman tools, still use a set my Dad had; just keeps on working hard.
Do NOT miss the old lawn mower engines of the early 60's...remember the ones that had a crank on the top you 'd wind up, then hit the button to spin it over? If the handle on the crank didn't slip back and whack ya, the excitement of all that winding and wind just to get a brief "whire-whire-whire" and no start! Glad that system didn't last!

Frankly, I've never met a tool I couldn't break...

How about the gun produced in the highest number ever, AK-47.

My nominations include the following:
1. Howard Hill Tembo longbow
2. Kelly Perfect double-bit axe
3. Svea or Optimus camp stoves
4. Filson anything
5. 1969 Toyota Landcruiser (mine is not for sale)

my dad gave me his wingmaster, i'll give it to my son/daughter, and so on. i really believe it'll last that long. i just hope they dont change the 12ga ammo anytime in the next 1-200 years...

Ditto on the Buck 110. Still have and use the one I bought to carry when I was a 2LT and in over 30 years of use and abuse it has never failed me.

i have a anvil that is over 100 years old and it still works fine. not a minutes trouble.

Cutco cutlery, which make kitchen cutlery and Hunting knives are the best out there, they also manufacture K-BAR...

My 55 chevy belair with a 327 in it. oops not original eng.
Gruman conoe,

870 20GA..sorry..it turned 58 years old...last month..

Oh yeah, I forgot my Winchester 52

Popular Mechanics has been friendly to weapons esp. firearms as far as I recall. They even featured the 1911, the Glock 17 and Daisy Red Ryder carbine, in different issues, of course. They've featured the weapons of the Special Forces. They especially love warplanes, both new and old, especially the latter, which have a market with very rich civilians.

PM, at least in issues I've read, has no problems featuring weapons systems (warplanes, warships, military vehicles), or even the big-engined trucks, cars and motorcycles that the PC crowd hate. They have Jay Leno as a columnist. Leno is like the anti-Prius.

Speaking of reliable stuff, obviously the hammers and screwdrivers have an advantage because they have no moving parts. Folding knives, pliers, etc. push the envelope a bit. "Machines" with lots of moving/stressed parts are even more remarkable.

-Buck knives
-Leatherman PST II (still my favorite, even without locking blades)
-Coleman lanterns
-Nikon F, F2 and F3 SLR cameras (if you drop it on your bare foot, your foot will need repairs)
-old Singer sewing machines (I've seen a hand-cranked model once that was still in use)
-the Honda "Cub" motorcycle, the original version, not the new "Wave". If anyone still wonders why Honda has such a sterling reputation, just look at the Cub, pound for pound, there is no tougher motorcycle. Actually, there's not even a need to say pound for pound.

Third vote for the Buck 110. Affordable and foolproof. If they just made it in a better steel (which they did for a while, in the "Alaskan guide" series), it would be the only knife I'd ever need.

Ford 8N tractors.

I will add the Remington Model 1100 automatic shotgun. I have one purchased in 1984 that has never, ever jammed and that has always been a pleasure to shoot. It is a Tournament Skeet model, and I upgraded the barrel to one that will accept screw-in chokes. These shotguns retain their good looks, and their honest steel and walnut components don't leave me cold like "plastic" shotguns do!

Lee Enfield rifles.After serving many Allied troops through Europe decades ago, their still thousands of them being used today.

2 stroke lawnboy mowers (if you add oil to the gas)
1940-1980 OMC 2 cylinder outboards
rcbs rockchucker press
wilton vises
lincoln all copper welders
u.s.army compass
eagle oil cans
buck and gerber knifes
swingline wall mount pencil sharpeners
cast iron bullet molds
old craftsman cast iron table saws
bmw boxer twin motorcycles
flatfish (fishing lure)
mitchell 300 reels
maglite flashlights
starrett precision tools
schwinn bicycles

Chevrolet V-8s, S&W revolvers, my USMC K-bar, the Case 470 tractor that I wish I had never sold, my Rem. 870 and 700lh, and my Marlin 336.

I have to vote for my GE Elec-Trak 15hp 36volt DC electric tractor (circa 1971). Out pulls any garden tractor up to 18hp, instant torque, always ready to go and charges off house current for pennies. To this I'd add my Savage24 combo gun, my dear old Jeep Wrangler, The Lehman's 4 ton cast iron framed come-along plus any hammer, axe or knife manufactured by Estwing. (oh and the Leatherman Wave too...).

Toyota Tacomas, they don't break period. It's the truck of choice in upstate SC for getting you to hell and back. Mine's got 155,000 miles and hasn't hicupped yet, i'm trying to put 300,000 on it minimum. Also Coleman lanterns and the Zebco 33 my dad gave me for my first fishing reel. He had it in the 70's and it functions flawlessly to this day. I've had numerous high dollar bait casters cease to work but I plan on giving the Zebco to my kids.

Well, some of those mentioned are hard to beat. 1998 Silverado with 282,000 miles. Original motor, original transmission and gearboxes. 870 with about as many rounds fired as miles on the pickup.

Let me know in about 30 years how those Benelli's worked out for you...

My Savage 99RS in .303 Savage and Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. Both guns are over 40 years old and will give to my grandchildren. My wife is also old and beautiful - still runs like a Rolex. I'm keeping her for myself.

(1) A U.S. made Kabar Marine Corps knife. (some of the new ones today are made in Taiwan!)(2) A Winchester 21 sxs shotgun can be abused, but can never be worn out shooting it.
I used to duck and goose hunt with two fanatical waterfowlers (not gun nuts) who shot Rem. 870 express 12 ga. 3"magnums. I never saw them clean those guns. When they became rusty from rain (leaving them outside of the cabin overnight) the guns were covered with camo duct tape. Not once did I ever witness a failure to fire or eject from those two abused pump guns. After winning a high dollar one of a kind custom pistol at a DU benefit, these two heroes promptly traded the pistol for two new Remington 870 express 12's.

Taking nothing away from the 870, a great gun, but I'll shoot my Winchester Model 12 'til the day I die. 20 gauge, light and dependable, clean it and count on it.
Made in the 1920's, and still works as good as new.
If I miss on the first or second shot, I sometimes send a third shot just as a wave-goodbye.
Have a couple of Model 12 16 gauges as well,(1930's-1950's vintage) love to carry them, 12 gauges are getting a little heavy in my older years.
I can't see far enough anymore to need magnums, so I only shoot the roosters that the 20 or 16 will reach.
"Old Timer" knives have cleaned all my birds, inherited from Dad.
The good old stuff is the best.

I find it interesting when people list American made cars or trucks as being reliable and lasting forever. I surely have not found that to be the case. I don't think any vehicle will last forever, but the Japanese brands will surely outlast and outperform any American brand by a considerable margin. If American vehicles were so good we wouldn't have had 2 out of the 3 major manufacturers on the verge of bankruptcy. A Toyota will beat a Ford, Chevy or Chrysler any day of the week.

I have a 100 year old Winchester model 94 30/30 carbine that I still use to take deer with every fall. It was my Grandfather's 12th birthday present back in 1911. He used it up to the day he past away.

Tom the Troll.

Hey Matt28,
You're absolutly right about the hurricane survival guides. After food & water, an 870 & my Glock are at the top of my list.

My 16Ga 870 Made in 1961
My 1100 Made in 1981
My Stevens 311 Made in 1963
My Walther PP made in 1951
Buck 110 Bought in 1965
Victorinox Champ Knife made in 1969
A 1952 Lincoln Cosmopolitan I bought in 1961, Sold in 1980, Still going strong and the guy won't sell it back to me! :( Much more .

Sorry guys, you're too newfangled for me.
My Model 12 12 gauge is the newest gun I have, made in 1953. (Winchester has a webpage where you can enter the serial number and it will tell you the year).
My 16 gauge is from 1922, and 20 gauge is from 1928. And they work just fine.
Oldest gun I have is from 1870's from Birmingham, England and I believe is a prototype that never caught on, firing pins attached on a swivel to the hammers, and I believe it's an 11 gauge, from all indications. Would still fire a low load 10 gauge shell through it if I wanted. Very nice old gun.

Tom,
I agree with you about the quality of the Browning A-5, and wish you well for your remaining years in the field. I just buried my father-in-law at the age of 93, and he enjoyed his farm land and wildlife until the end.
One of my fondest memories is hunting with a gentleman gunsmith who was then in his 80's, he would use a double barrel black powder 12 gauge, walking through a weed patch with a pipe in his mouth, and when a pheasant got up he had to take two steps to the right to see around the smoke to see if it came down. I still have one gun he fixed for me, and will never part from it.

I agree on the 870. Just bought my 7 year old a youth model and he will enherit my 12 when I die but until then he is not gettig it. Will add craftman tools, remington 700 and Savage 110. The 110 is ugly as crap but it last forever. I have all kinds of guns custom and not and I shoot my 870 and 700 almost exclusivly. Son shoots my 25 year old .243 110. Use to carry a beretta 391 and a 870 for back up in the duck blind. Now I only carry an 870 cause I threw the 391 in a LA marsh and never looked back.

Hey, Ricardo Rodríguez--
I second the Boker knives. Also, the yellow handled Case knives with the castrating blade...like carrying a scalpel around.

As to the age of the guns, since they are now being dated...my Dad's Mauser is 1917, his Dad's Winchester '97 is turn of the twentieth century...my Mannlichers are 1903...Winchester 62 pump .22 is 1941...National Match 1911 is about 1969...our Farmall Tractor is about 1953 vintage.
I was WWII issue.

Blue

Chevy 350 motor as well, had a Chevy Sport Van 20, had at least 800,000 miles on it when the tranny went. Only major work on that engine was a cam and lifters a few years after a 50 mile drive with no oil in it. (long story)

Also nominate the Buck Lite Folder, the perfect hunting knife, bought in 1985 I believe, still tight and able to shave with it.

The 12 gauge and .30/30 and .30-06 cartridges.
Woods three and five star sleeping bags
Coleman lanterns and stoves
Mag lights
Gerber knives
Rapala original floating minnow

jbtool, I agree w/ you on the Ridgid pipe wrenches. Gotta' love the 870, and my wife's Kitchenaid has ground up more deer than I care to tally up. My Leatherman, which I found in a field while deer hunting, has served me well for 15 years.

Woulda loved to have my Grandpa's KBAR, but my deginerate relatives ransacked his house before his corpse was even cool, that's OK, he gave me his pre-64 Model 70 .270 years before he died, and that's one helluva tool in my book.

SL, Toyota recalled more vehicles last year than they sold. All of the Japanese car companies are subsidized by their government, and have been for years. None of thier American plants have been open long enough to even have retirees, so they operate with none of that cost concern. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Isuzu, Hyundai all donated SQUAT to victim's charities after 9/11, Ford, GM, and Chrysler donated over 50 MILLION dollars, and hundreds of emergency vehicles. Do a little research before you spout your ignorance. A wise man once said "It's better to say nothing and have people think you're stupid, than to speak and erase all doubt".

Great thread Phil! I have two 870s. One 35 years old, one 10 years old. Both are flawless. My recommendations: Abu Garcia 5000C, 5600C; my Chevy 1964 C60 grain truck, it's been outside from the moment it was granted life and it's still kickin! One can do almost anything in it including haul all of my worldly possessions plus several ton of rock. A Buck 110 folder, and a 1911A1 in .45 ACP...won't live without any of these.

You boys can try to say anything you want in defense of the American auto industry. Whether they contributed to 9/11 victims or not has NO bearing on the quality of the vehicle. I know plenty of people who own American vehicles and others who own Japanese. By a considerable margin it's the American cars who need to be brought to the shop time and time again for all sorts of problems. The Japanese car owners generally get more miles/years before anything significant needs to be done on them. I will admit that American cars have gotten better, but they are still not at the Japanese level. People in this country have the right to buy whatever they want. Most people, excluding some here, prefer to spend it on something that will give them more for their dollar. That is why the Japanese auto industry has surpassed the American. It's not the fault of the Japanese, but of the Americans for not being able to make an equal or better product for an equal or better cost.

My picks in random order:
my Model 12
Ford 8N tractor
Any ford F150 with the 300 straight six.
Coleman stove and lanterns.

I agree with many of everyone's favorites. Here are my favorites in no specific order. Schrade old timer/uncle henry knives the ones made in the USA, the new one are made in china. H&R topper shotguns just about everyone learn how to use a shotgun with one of them. My dad's (with a rebounding hammer and thumb lever) has had 3 generations learn on it. Marlin model 60 over 40+ years and does not miss a beat (just keep it clean). Marlin model 336, the more you use it the smoother it gets. Ruger blackhawk revolvers (mine have been though hell and back). I have gone through several shotguns over the years. I have sold or traded many of them, but never my winchester 1300. Many birds and rabbits have been taken with it, points like nothing else. Its as smooth as butter and every nic and scratch on it has a story behind it.

A few of my favorites:
Arrow T-50 Staple Gun. I keep one in my range bag and have used it on endless projects for years. It sometimes runs out of staples, that's the only bad thing I can say about it.
Glock Model 21 in 45 ACP, my Glock will still be shooting when that 1911 of yours is a paper weight! Go ahead, write your hate mail. I've shot thousands and thousands of rounds of ammo through it and the only thing that ever made it hiccup was my out-of-spec reloads (sizing die got dirty). It shoots anything, any load, any bullet, try that with your 1911.
Cessna single-engine planes, all of them (except the early 210's with gear problems) take care of it and it will fly. Some training planes have close to 20,000 hours, and still fly every day.
AKX

to be far the tocoma in my opinion beats the s-10 and the ranger by far

my next shotgun will either be an 870 or a savage slug warrior. wonder which one will be more accurate with slugs?

I'm on board with the 870, the Alladin Thermos, the cast iron frypan, the AK-47(hateful things), and the Kitchenaid mixer, but I have had a K-bar bust at the tang (they are not Marine-proof), and Buck 110s eventually get loose and fail to lock, keeping them off a "forever" list, though both are certainly wonderful knives.

The closest thing I've ever seen to a "forever" vehicle was a 1983 Toyota pickup. Back then their little aluminum block didn't have fuel injection, the front wheels had leaf springs, and there was a little $2 peice of plastic in the wheel well they called a fuel filter. I sold a 1968 Ford 3/4 ton to get it (I needed some gas mileage) and then proceeded to try to prove just why I really needed to go back to a "real" truck. I never did.

Anyway, two more for consideration:
1) those red handled claw hammers. I know I find mine in the yard every Spring. Such abuse does not seem to affect performance.
2) The Marlin 39A -- the longest running production rifle, ever.

1911 pistol, best pistol ever made period, m1 garand best rifle ever made and KA BAR knife best knife