sticks are super personal and the breakage you'll find has a lot to do with things like thickness but also the wood, Vic Firth are hickory sticks which last a lot longer than a maple stick for example. (it also depends on how you are hitting things, what volume level, where you're hitting the stick, etc). but if a stick doesn't feel "right" that's not usually a stick quality issue it's just a weight balance that isn't your fit.
that said I've not seen too many people using zildjian drumsticks, vic firth, pro mark tend to be the two big names.
the cymbal thing is a whole different ballgame. if you're whacking the cymbals really hard and you're looking for a clean sound, you'd want to get thicker cymbals with less hammering that are more oriented towards hard rock playing. because yes if you have a pricey zildjian crash and you're slamming it all the time, it will crack eventually (sooner for a thinner cymbal) and that is not too abnormal of an incident. you might get more bang for your buck with a Paiste Rude cymbal.
that said I've not seen too many people using zildjian drumsticks, vic firth, pro mark tend to be the two big names.
the cymbal thing is a whole different ballgame. if you're whacking the cymbals really hard and you're looking for a clean sound, you'd want to get thicker cymbals with less hammering that are more oriented towards hard rock playing. because yes if you have a pricey zildjian crash and you're slamming it all the time, it will crack eventually (sooner for a thinner cymbal) and that is not too abnormal of an incident. you might get more bang for your buck with a Paiste Rude cymbal.