question about hand tools and power tools

[bdh]

If you buy a screwdriver or a spanner do you buy the cheapo model that wears out after 6 months or do you pay more and get something like stahlwille? I used to buy the cheap stuff but it did not take long to realize hammers made of pewter only work on 3 nails and the heads crack and fall off. Worse still, one can loose an eye (almost happened once).

Just curious.

[teddyv]

Depends what you are doing and how often you are doing it.

I inherited most of my hand tools. They are pretty good quality because my grandfather never bought junk.

That being said, if I were to by hand tools, I'd go to a place here like Sears or Canadian Tire that have lifetime guarantees on hand tools (at least I think they still do) - if you break them, they replace them, no questions asked. Generally hand tools are cheap enough that even a better quality is not significantly higher in the price point than the garbage stuff.

Power tools are another matter as costs start to dictate a bit more. If your only doing the occasional bit of work you can get by with the lower end stuff. If you want to do a lot of cutting (or whatever) or you want high quality work, invest in the better stuff. I don't think I'd use my compound miter saw for crown mouldings because I don't trust the miter/bevel sets to be very accurate.

[Reynolds357]

If you buy a screwdriver or a spanner do you buy the cheapo model that wears out after 6 months or do you pay more and get something like stahlwille? I used to buy the cheap stuff but it did not take long to realize hammers made of pewter only work on 3 nails and the heads crack and fall off. Worse still, one can loose an eye (almost happened once).

Just curious.

I do not recommend Snap On to the person who tightens the belt on his lawn mower once every other year. Do you use it enough to be worth the expense?

[Slug1]

I side with Reynolds357... if the tool is going to be used ALLOT and actually wears out, then it's WORTH the investment to buy quality tools with lifetime warranties. In the longrun, they will be cheaper.

[IMINXTC]

As a contractor, I'll only use top quality tools, and that's even for the casual, home-site tasks.

As bdh noted, it's a safety issue first. I recently replaced a router that was starting to show some wear after years of use. A faulty router is as dangerous as a gun. A faulty spanner can lead to bodily injury, at best.

I'll never cut corners on things like ladders or hoists or nailers etc. Nothing more frustrating than cheap tools.

I'll buy locally manufactured products when I can, but quality comes first, whether for hand tools or power tools. A good framing hammer should, logically, run at least around $50.00 these days, and it's good to use various types of hammers, depending on the job - use the right hammer.

As an aside, Snap On is a very durable tool, but, for the price, they are too slippery and uncomfortable to use, thus, hard on the hands. (Mechanic, 17yrs) Mac Tools are better.

(Although, today I did purchase an Astro Pneumatic AS7SP Spray Gun from Amazon. Saved over $100.00. I bought the sprayer specifically for one job, which will pay for the tool, but will likely use it for years, if the Lord tarries)


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[bdh]

A faulty router is as dangerous as a gun.

Made the mistake once of buying a cheap knock-off angle grinder disk instead of the real deal. Had all the safety stamps etc on the packaging so I thought it was OK. The fact that it was less than 1/3rd the price should have been my cue to put it down ... When the grinder got up to speed, the disk shattered. Fortunately it was the baby grinder and nothing serious happened but on the big grinder it could have been really bad.

[Boo]

I use tools every day, and I have been forced to use the economy junk that "do-it-yourself types" typically buy. When we work with tools as an occupation, time is money, and a warranty on a tool is worthless when the tool is broken. Work stops.

At home, there is a different effect to cheap tools. Work does stop, and my time is very valuable to me at home as well. Also, the wrench that slips, the hammer head that flies off, the grinder that doesn't, the sander that won't = not good.

I am not wealthy enough to buy cheap tools.

[Adstars]

If you buy a screwdriver or a spanner do you buy the cheapo model that wears out after 6 months or do you pay more and get something like stahlwille? I used to buy the cheap stuff but it did not take long to realize hammers made of pewter only work on 3 nails and the heads crack and fall off. Worse still, one can loose an eye (almost happened once).

Just curious.

A lot of people suffer from the buying cheap is better mentality. It is better to pay 100 dollars for a pair of shoes that will last you 5 years then a cheap 20 dollar pair that will last you 6 months. The 100 dollar pair works out to cost you 20 dollars a year while the 20 dollar shoes will cost you 40 dollars a year. Some people find it very had to comprehend this in a lot of items they will buy.

[Slug1]

A lot of people suffer from the buying cheap is better mentality. It is better to pay 100 dollars for a pair of shoes that will last you 5 years then a cheap 20 dollar pair that will last you 6 months. The 100 dollar pair works out to cost you 20 dollars a year while the 20 dollar shoes will cost you 40 dollars a year. Some people find it very had to comprehend this in a lot of items they will buy.

I did this for my daughter concerning a book bag. My wife bought her about 5 a school year at about $20-25 each at Walmart. Within months, the straps would be pulling loose, the stitching would come undone and books would be exposed and she'd buy a new one, only to have that one start tearing up from the weight of the books. The next year I gave her a small sporting backpack for camping... she gave the backpack back to me a few years later when she graduated HS. I spent $75 on that one backpack and still use it today after another 5 years of usage.

[John 8:32]

I am not wealthy enough to buy cheap tools.

Excellent. This is the soundest advice in the thread.

[bdh]

A lot of people suffer from the buying cheap is better mentality. It is better to pay 100 dollars for a pair of shoes that will last you 5 years then a cheap 20 dollar pair that will last you 6 months.

I have a friend who actually calculates things like this and bases his purchase on it pretty much all the time. Once he had carpets fitted to his house. When we went to visit, I noticed they were not top quality stuff like I would expect of his tools so I asked. His reasoning: after 5 years, the carpets are shot and he doesn't like them any more anyway so for him, the cheap carpets are "cheaper" even though they won't last 20 years like the ones double the price.

So there is that.

But for tools, the best one can afford is always a good idea IMO. (Even if it's only for weekend DIY)