If you stick to the boring Thinkpads (T series and P series) they're fairly safe bets. Some of Dell's business grade laptops are also built like tanks. Neither company's consumer grade (read: cheap) I'd touch.

Microsoft makes good hardware, but you'll pay borderline "Apple Prices" for it.

Only big mistake Microsoft has made is trying to ship the Surface Laptop starting at $999 and topping out at $2199, with Windows 10 S, which you'll be able to "upgrade" "free" for a "limited time only." Meaning, when that promo runs out you may need to pay a $50 fee on your $999 Surface Laptop to get a full copy of Windows 10. To say that annoys me would be a huge understatement.