What you are saying is exactly the kind of info I'm searching for. Do you have any links/reviews for the laptops you are talking about? I'll look into them when I have time.
Most enterprise ThinkPads (X, P, T, W) and their HP counterparts (elite book IIRC) are solidly built and very much user serviceable. Do your research or course but those are solid contenders and easy to find as enterprise customers are leasing new ones.