Brand loyalty, good or bad habit?

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When I start looking for a particular item to fill a niche brand loyalty does play a part but it isn't everything. I am on my 3rd F-150. The first one I had was a '91. I had a transmission issue but other than that it was fine. In 2000 when I needed to get another truck because the '91 had been wrecked I wound up with a 2000. 17 years later when I decided to let it go after 390,000 miles with no major problems I wound up with a 2016 model. I didn't just run out saying I was going to buy anther Ford though. I looked at prices of different manufacturers & read reviews written by professionals as well as searching the internet for reports of problems. I do much the same with guns. I try to dig around & see where the most value for my money is.
I have actually been fortunate with my firearms purchases. I have had one Ruger I had to send back for an issue with the finish. It came back a week later with the issue solved. I currently have a pistol back at S&W. It is a 380 EZ I had got for my wife to use. Occasionally the last round in the magazine feeds straight through the pistol & out the ejection port without chambering. I am giving them the opportunity to make it right. I suspect it is sprung too lightly.
While I have decided to let guns go because I decided there was something about them I don't like everything else has worked out of the box other than the 380 EZ. I am hoping S&W can make it right as it is a nice little package if it will just function properly.
 
Brand loyalty is good because:
1. If it's warranted because it can simplify buying decisions.
2. It can help with the learning curve given that a particular company's products are often generally similar.
3. It can make accessorizing simpler.

Brand loyalty is bad because:
1. If it's not warranted, it is causing a person to make poor buying decisions.
2. Even if it is warranted, it may cause a person to miss out on excellent deals and products that aren't available from the brand in question.
3. It can cause a person to waste resources defending/justifying a brand rather than doing defense/justification based on product features.
4. It can, if the brand changes over time (as most do), cause the person to continue buying a brand that has become inferior or that no longer fits the person as well as it once did.

I have some brands I prefer, and those preferences have definitely changed over time. Some due to changes in me, some due to changes in the brands.

There's nothing wrong with having a favorite brand as long as it was selected for good reasons and as long as one is willing to change that preference if changing circumstances warrant a change.
 
There was a time when I was extremely brand loyal. That changed a few years ago because many of the brands/dealers don't treat or serve me as well as they have in the past. A brand will give me a starting point but I have become more "review loyal" than brand loyal these days.
 
I have brand preferences but not loyalty. I buy items after researching price, features, if available consumer reviews. Not paid for gun rag reviews but actual consumer reviews. I always read the bad reviews first then the good reviews. If it comes down to a choice between 2 brands evenly rated I go with the one I have the best experiences with that brand.
 
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