I treat my wader purchases more or less the same as I treat my outdoor grill purchases. I don’t buy bargain basement stuff, but I don’t want to spend so much that I feel I attached and obligated to continually make repairs on them (or have to deal with the inconvenience of having them professionally repaired) when they wear out or fail. I deliberately want them to be somewhat disposable in my mind.
I typically buy grilles in the $250-$350 range, usually trying to find a discounted store floor model at the end of the Summer so I can get something nicer for the money than I could otherwise. I don’t cover my grill any more…I subscribe to the cover doing more damage, or at least breaking even, in terms of keeping moisture in as opposed to just letting the air get to it. Over the life cycles of my last two grilles (both lasted 6 years with the grates needing replaced once at 3 years), I’ve seen no difference in terms of longevity in covering them or not covering them. The first one was covered, and the second one wasn’t. So why incur the extra cost for the cover. The third one is on the same path…two years old and generally in good shape. Grates are starting to rust and chip. I’ll probably get another year out of them and then replace them. A set of new cast iron grates is about $50 usually, and with the grilles in generally decent shape otherwise at 3 years, I’ve chosen to replace the grates. By the time the grates go the second time at about 6 years, more of the internals are starting to go and although the burners themselves are usually still ok, their mounts and flare guards are starting to rust out. The auto ignition is usually long gone at this juncture. As opposed to $50 for grates again, along with a bunch of other repairs and replacement parts, I’ve just junked and replaced them. Sure, I could buy a Weber or Broilmaster for 3x the initial cost, but will I get 3x the life out of it before needing these repairs? Maybe I guess. I certainly don’t think I’ll get 3x the performance out of it vs. the mid range stuff I’m buying. And I don’t really want to fork out the $1k at one time needed to try that method. I know some friends and family that have gotten extremely long lives out of Webers and Broilmasters, but they too have had to sink repair money into them over time…There’s some value too IMO in not feeling the need to spend your time and effort repairing and working on them. For reference, I use my grille often (weekly in Winter, and several times/week in better weather) and properly burn it off and clean the grates after each use.
How does this apply to waders you ask…In the same vein, I typically buy mid range waders…$150-$250/pair…sometimes more expensive stuff on discount when a new model comes out in a manufacturer’s lineup. I’ll undertake some minor repairs to acute tears or punctures, but when the seams start to go and the leaks become overwhelming, and/or the wader is just plain losing its ability to keep water out, they go in the trash can. Since my initial investment isn’t too much, I don’t feel the need to spend my time Aquasealing every square inch of the things any more. (Although I’ve done it in the past, only to get a few more outings of them.) A wader’s job is to keep water out, and more or less it’s a linear function in terms of the amount of time of leak free performance vs. cost IMO…generally about $100/year. That being said, Bean Kennebec’s have been my favorite waders and I’m on my second pair. (I purchased both pairs, as I was satisfied with the 3 years or so I got out of the first pair.) They’ve beaten some of the others I’ve had in terms of comfort and features for the price range, and have generally outperformed the $100/year model by a little in terms of leak free lifespan. In the event of a premature failure, Bean’s Satisfaction Guarantee is nice as well…Which I wouldn’t hesitate to use if I was honestly dissatisfied with their performance.
