Mate, it's even worse when you buy electronics. I've always gone by the old saying ...nobody ever regretted buying quality. Always tried to get the best brand I could afford. Don't know that it works these days.
Couple of years ago I was buying some device/appliance (can't remember what) and a friend was in the market for the same thing. His theory was it was pointless buying a 'good' brand just because of a 'trusted' name. He reckoned if you bought something like LG (who make just about nothing themselves) you'd do just as well. Even top of the range gear often doesn't last more than 5 years, or you'll want to replace it in a few years, so why pay the premium for top quality?
Not sure I'm convinced -- good quality still just works better -- but it's a valid argument for a lot of stuff.