When are inexpensive tools "good enough"?

[AEAdam]

So why'd you get the crappy Lisle?

Didn’t you read my post? BECAUSE YOU GUYS GUILTED ME INTO IT!

My knee jerk was the bluepoint or equivalent Taiwan ratcheting gizmo. “How bad could this be?”, I asked myself. And in truth it worked okay. Just cost me 2 sets of HF gloves and 10 minutes of filing. But that’s kinda the point. Low cost sometimes has hidden cost.

 

[KnurledNut]

A quick glimpse at some recently sold ebay listings, selling price vs. current retail:
Snap-on 15/16 angle wrench: 52+9 S&H (83.75)
Snap-on THLX72 locking flex comfort ratchet: 141.99 (172.50)
Snap-on 19mm stubby wrench: 39 (50.75)
Snap-on 14mm 1/4 drive socket: 17 (19.80)
Snap-on red ratcheting screwdriver: 70 (78.95)
Snap-on 5 pc 1/2 extension set: 180+10 S&H (245.50)
Matco 3/8 18" locking flex comfort ratchet: 195+11 S&H (255)

All of the above are still being made.
Get into the rare or discontinued stuff and it often sells for much more than original retail price.
Im not here to convince anyone. The numbers speak for themselves.

 

[Aaron_W]

Inexpensive is a pretty broad category. If inexpensive is anything better than the absolute bottom of the barrel cheapest option and cheaper than the truck brands, then yes, they are usually good enough but there are always exceptions.

I find tools are very use dependent making any blanket statements fairly useless.

I like Ryobi and they have become my default general use cordless brand, because they work good enough for many of my applications. I stick with Makita for cordless drills / drivers because although Ryobi drills and drivers are probably "good enough", I use these tools enough to make paying more for something better worth the cost to me.

I continue to use a lot of corded tools because the cost vs performance tends to be much better, and a cord is just not an issue to me for many handheld power tools.

 

[skeer]

For myself, or being in a trade that requires hand tools.. but with many home/shade tree wrenching hours the only thing worth a bit extra on the initial purchase price is lifetime warranty. Being able to get a replacement 3 weeks or 30 years later without a hassle.

 

[skeer]

A quick glimpse at some recently sold ebay listings, selling price vs. current retail:
Snap-on 15/16 angle wrench: 52+9 S&H (83.75)
Snap-on THLX72 locking flex comfort ratchet: 141.99 (172.50)
Snap-on 19mm stubby wrench: 39 (50.75)
Snap-on 14mm 1/4 drive socket: 17 (19.80)
Snap-on red ratcheting screwdriver: 70 (78.95)
Snap-on 5 pc 1/2 extension set: 180+10 S&H (245.50)
Matco 3/8 18" locking flex comfort ratchet: 195+11 S&H (255)

All of the above are still being made.
Get into the rare or discontinued stuff and it often sells for much more than original retail price.
Im not here to convince anyone. The numbers speak for themselves.

We’re those eBay prices for used or brand new items?

 

[dchawk81]

Didn’t you read my post? BECAUSE YOU GUYS GUILTED ME INTO IT!

My knee jerk was the bluepoint or equivalent Taiwan ratcheting gizmo. “How bad could this be?”, I asked myself. And in truth it worked okay. Just cost me 2 sets of HF gloves and 10 minutes of filing. But that’s kinda the point. Low cost sometimes has hidden cost.

I must have missed that part. I wasn't party to the guilting.

If I knew I was saving that much money in labor I'd have used it as an excuse to get some premium tools.

I have the same cheapo if it's even a Lisle. It's rough to crank on the more resistant calipers. But I haven't gotten an $1800 labor quote yet to justify an upgrade in my head.

 

[DrinkMan]

Its always a bit of a gamble with inexpensive and cheap tools. Some are good enough, some not. A friend of mine uses a Snap-On Timing Light that costed him over $500. Nice. I tried it out. Loved the built in tach, the advance display was nice. I liked it. But I pulled out my $20 Cen-Tech HF special and I was able to set the timing just as well but I admit not having a tach and the knob vs the digital display wasn't optimal. So, I've studied here on GJ and decided to ditch the old Cen-Tech I bought a long time ago and buy a nice Innova. That cost just over $100 and it was great. Got the built in tach, the advance display I liked, and it was so much brighter than the HF special. So, I'd say in this case, the Mid-Range Innova was Good Enough, the HF special wasn't good enough, and the Snap-On was just too much.

 

[AEAdam]

While your statement is technically correct the usually ludicrous original purchase price makes a higher resale value kind of pointless when that resale value is still pennies on the dollar.

If you are going to buy tool truck tools as an “investment” then that “investment” needs to be made on the work accomplished with them side vs the resale value.

I spent 3 years on and off a Snap On truck with pro mechanics. Anecdotal: Unless they were in a bind, they almost never paid retail. Even big industry doesn’t pay retail.

A lot of techs get the SEP 50% discount for most common stuff. They shop the sales thereafter. There are monthly BOGO deals.

So let’s throw some numbers out there. A set of 3/8” drive metric sockets from Icon are $40 minus whatever discount you can get. The price is so low and shopping so convenient, I doubt there will ever be much of a used market for icon sockets* And they are ok, but not great tools.

Williams USA are $60 for the same set.

Snap on are $250.

I paid about $100 for my set a while ago, which was half off then. I’ll bet I could get $100 for my set today.

If you bought a set today at half off ($125) and sold them for $100 shortly thereafter, using the world’s best sockets would have cost you $25. Everybodies’ financial situation is different, but to me that’s nothing, it’s a trip to McDonalds.

My KR 761 toolbox was probably $1200 new 25yrs ago. I paid $800 for it 5 years ago. It could be worth $1500 or more now. Similar boxes retail for nearly $8000.

If you got a great deal for an Icon box and they kept making them and increasing the price with inflation, that could be similar. As they are, I think they are a lot of money for a chest that will in all likelihood lose their value. You can literally buy used Snap On for icon box prices.

 

[AEAdam]

I must have missed that part. I wasn't party to the guilting.

Sorry that was a joke.

If I knew I was saving that much money in labor I'd have used it as an excuse to get some premium tools.

Please think about it. I have a crappy little OBD2 scanner and that thing has saved me a lot of money. Pays for itself with one diagnosis fee.

I have the same cheapo if it's even a Lisle. It's rough to crank on the more resistant calipers. But I haven't gotten an $1800 labor quote yet to justify an upgrade in my head.

This brake job was estimated at an inexpensive and good local shop at $450+ tax. Dealer may have been nearly double. Parts were $250 delivered from Rockauto. I bought the compressor on a whim.

I don’t save much on oil changes or brake jobs, but I have 2 vehicles to do this month, assuming my F150 will have similar labor costs, I’ll save $400 this month alone and it will only cost me a few Saturday mornings.

I don’t work on cars every weekend or every month, tho I used to. I could easily rack up $1000/year per car in cost avoidance. Add to that the low initial purchase price of cars with more miles than normal people would buy, or known unreliable (but high performing cars). Our cars are reliable s as md we have no car payments. What’s that worth?

 

[RoninB4]

-I don't buy anything I intend to use with resale value in mind, I use almost all my hand tools/tooling in a not-so-gentle manner. I buy with performance expectations in mind. Hand tools get bought per the stress I'll put them through and how often I'll use them. I don't look for SO wrenches/screwdrivers but do own a few. A lot of people that insist on SO seem to enjoy owning them more than using them, that's ok too. Imported tools are few because I bought tools decades ago when imported hand tools weren't very well made. For tools/instruments I used to make a living with I bought the best (item specific brands) because Fowler/SPI/General/Peacock/etc. were not well made instruments. Some of the important things I just made because I could and/or had a better design. Everybody has a different expectation and that's ok too. I only buy better quality when I know that a lesser tool will fail my performance expectations. Nothing wrong with a mid-grade tool either, I have a lot of older Craftsman wrenches because they're comfortable to use. I bought a high end wrench while on assignment in Germany, I was not impressed with it compared to the Craftsman. If you're a professional use professional tools. If not, use what works for you. Not that my jaded opinion really matters much.

 

[DAustin]

A quick glimpse at some recently sold ebay listings, selling price vs. current retail:
Snap-on 15/16 angle wrench: 52+9 S&H (83.75)
Snap-on THLX72 locking flex comfort ratchet: 141.99 (172.50)
Snap-on 19mm stubby wrench: 39 (50.75)
Snap-on 14mm 1/4 drive socket: 17 (19.80)
Snap-on red ratcheting screwdriver: 70 (78.95)
Snap-on 5 pc 1/2 extension set: 180+10 S&H (245.50)
Matco 3/8 18" locking flex comfort ratchet: 195+11 S&H (255)

All of the above are still being made.
Get into the rare or discontinued stuff and it often sells for much more than original retail price.
Im not here to convince anyone. The numbers speak for themselves.

Yes, but you don't get a free hat with those.

 

[LOW1]

BTW, said it before, just a reminder. As a product designer, my company designs products around ours and our customers tools. We absolutely have stuff where Snap On is pretty much essential. And we’re not unique.

I am curious. Can you give some examples of tasks in which it is
essential to use Snap On?

 

[dchawk81]

I am curious. Can you give some examples of tasks in which it is
essential to use Snap On?

Line wrenches, IMHO.

 

[Citation]

I would suggest that most of the time a cheap tool is good enough. The catch is knowing when it isn't. During covid I assembled a wood swing set. My cheap Bluehawk ratchet set ($3 clearance from Lowes) had no troubled getting the job done. However, while the sockets are surprisingly nice, the ratchet is large, coarse and has high back drag but otherwise is as good as snapon (well, until you try to see how strong it really is). So, so long as the coarse, low tooth count, larger sized head, high backdrag and weaker peak torque (but still more than I'm going to apply without a cheater bar), isn't an issue then the ratchet completes the job just as a snapon would. It doesn't feel as good while doing it but the very real differences just don't matter in that application.

The same is going to be true in many cases. I don't need high end drill bits to put a couple of holes in a pine 2x4. I Walmart Hart cordless drill will put a quick 3/16" hole in that same 2x4 just as well as an M18 Fuel or DeWalt brushless drill. But, having just picked up a drill + impact driver 20V set for $40 I will say, they are going to do a lot of jobs just fine, they are also clearly not as good as the Ridgid set I have as they are larger and less powerful. But 90% of the time the differences won't matter.

 

[dchawk81]

I would suggest that most of the time a cheap tool is good enough. The catch is knowing when it isn't. During covid I assembled a wood swing set. My cheap Bluehawk ratchet set ($3 clearance from Lowes) had no troubled getting the job done. However, while the sockets are surprisingly nice, the ratchet is large, coarse and has high back drag but otherwise is as good as snapon (well, until you try to see how strong it really is). So, so long as the coarse, low tooth count, larger sized head, high backdrag and weaker peak torque (but still more than I'm going to apply without a cheater bar), isn't an issue then the ratchet completes the job just as a snapon would. It doesn't feel as good while doing it but the very real differences just don't matter in that application.

The same is going to be true in many cases. I don't need high end drill bits to put a couple of holes in a pine 2x4. I Walmart Hart cordless drill will put a quick 3/16" hole in that same 2x4 just as well as an M18 Fuel or DeWalt brushless drill. But, having just picked up a drill + impact driver 20V set for $40 I will say, they are going to do a lot of jobs just fine, they are also clearly not as good as the Ridgid set I have as they are larger and less powerful. But 90% of the time the differences won't matter.

My Hart Impact driver in the drill combo kit died almost exactly one year after purchase. Just up and quit.

It was fine while it lasted. But it was by no means a long term tool, and I really only used it a handful of times.

They want $99 for that kit now and it's not worth anywhere near that. I paid $56 and it came with 2 batteries. It was worth about that. They want $60 for the same kit on sale with only one battery. I'd never pay that.

 

[theoldwizard1]

My caliper compressor is the cheapest one I could find on eBay.

Bus Grease Monkey (YouTube) use almost 100% HF tools except when he needs special ones

 

[AEAdam]

I am curious. Can you give some examples of tasks in which it is
essential to use Snap On?

Military product. As I recall there were certain joints and certain fittings where clearance was tight and we designed around the specific tools in our boxes. Space products same. And by the way, our shop for space wasn't that well equipped in my opinion. That may have been on purpose.

 

[dscheidt]

My caliper compressor is the cheapest one I could find on eBay.

Bus Grease Monkey (YouTube) use almost 100% HF tools except when he needs special ones

I have a strong feeling there's money changing hands for that.

 

[Tallpilot]

We haven't had one of these threads for a few days. Let me summarize if I can. We like expensive tools the best but hate paying extra for them?

 

[WWheeler]

I have a Lang brake caliper press (same rebranded as BluePoint) that really is the bee's **** BUT I rarely need to use it because I always use a large screwdriver or pry bar between the rotor and the pads to depress the calipers before I pull the calipers off in the first place, same as I've been doing for decades before I ever bought a tool.

 

[cgrutt]

Without a doubt I'd prefer Snap on for my entire collection. Past several years hasn't been good to me and have added alot of HF tools to the collection. At first was hit or miss returned many after breaking them but more recently buying Maddox or Icon and they've been pretty good. Even bought a 12 pt Pittsburgh 1/2 socket set which has been pretty good. $30 vs same Snap on set I recently purchased in 6 pt for $400+. Don't get me wrong I'd still prefer Snap on just me, but the HF stuff gets the job done with significantly lower financial outlay. My $0.02.

 

[Firebrick43]

I am curious. Can you give some examples of tasks in which it is
essential to use Snap On?

Torque adapters on aircraft fasteners, aka dogbones. Other brands are thicker and cause clearance issues.

Hydraulic wrenches, the angles on snap on until recently were unique and very helpful in getting at hydraulic fittings in tight areas.

Line wrenches as mentioned above, other brands spread more/at less torque.

I would say dual 80 handle ratchets, especially the long handle ones. I have used a 1/2 24" long dual 80 in industrial maintenance for years daily in place of 3/4 drive ratchet and it has held up without failing. Same goes for an 3/8" 18" ratchet.

In 3/4" drive the 42 inch ratchet on mine has taken a 6' pipe and bounced on by a 250lbs man 100's of times without bending and only one rebuild kit in 25 years.

Ratcheting screwdriver/ratcheting t handle. Much better than anyone else's.

 

[dchawk81]

I have a strong feeling there's money changing hands for that.

Yeah you hand the cashier money and she lets you leave with HF tools.

Apparently there's no such requirement at Home Depot. You simply fill a cart and walk out with it.

 

[milky2k]

Not sure when the first non round or oval handles came from, but Snap on has really revolutionized basic non-round handles. When everyone started copying their square handles, they patented a new tri angular handle (instinct) which is a complex shape and amazing to use.

Easy now, don't drink the Snap On kool aid all at once. The Instinct handles came out around 2008 but the Stanley Workmasters with a tri angular handle have been around since 1969 or so. I have the instincts and a couple of Workmasters and I prefer the Workmasters ( I wish Stanley would bring these back), but that's just my preference.

Years that Snap-on "First Gen 4 Side" Handles were Made?

'Modern' Generations of Snap-on Driver Handles This thread has morphed into an attempt to create a timeline for 'modern' Snap-on handles, so I'm moving this information to the top. Your help is solicited to nail down dates. If you see errors or can add detail please post! Thanks...

www.garagejournal.com

Stanley Workmaster and Professional screwdrivers

Back in 1974 I got a set of Stanley Workmaster screwdrivers for Christmas. I always really liked them, they had a nice triangular handle that fit my hand well and allowed for a lot of torque, and the shanks were high quality steel. Unfortunately, in the mid 1980s some lowlife stole my toolbox...

www.garagejournal.com

Also, to answer your question, "When are inexpensive tools "good enough"?". In my opinion, inexpensive tools are good enough all the time and you don't need expensive tools for everything. I should clarify that to me that inexpensive and cheap are not the same thing. A cheaply made tool at any price is cheap. A tool that does that job for a comparatively low price is inexpensive. I have a brake pad spreader like the one in your post. I don't know what brand it is but I picked it up from Pep Boys or Chief or Trak Auto or some other place that no longer exists years ago. I've used it many many times and to me its an example of an inexpensive tool because it does the job just fine. However, if I was doing brake jobs all day every day I might consider one that does the job faster and easier for me, price may be less of an issue. There are higher priced tools but its up to you to set the criteria for your purchase and we all have different criteria which is one of the reasons for the "lively" discussions here on GJ. Aside from professional mechanics (that's a whole other argument), I don't think anyone "needs" Snap On or expensive tools but its ok if you "want" it anyway just be honest with yourself about why you want it.

Also, here's some advice for those DIY'ers that haven't bought a Snap On ratchet or tools yet. While browsing GJ over the years I kept reading on about how good SO ratchets were and how they are so much better than everything else and I got convinced of it so much so that I finally bought a dual 80 flex ratchet set. I didn't pay full price but it was still pricey to me. I have to say that they seem to turn nuts and bolts just the same as all my non-tool truck ratchets. A bit anti-climactic really. Not really sure what I was expecting but the way some of the guys here go on about SO, I wanted it, whatever it was. Score one for the SO marketing guys I guess.

 

[finn]

Torque adapters on aircraft fasteners, aka dogbones. Other brands are thicker and cause clearance issues.

Hydraulic wrenches, the angles on snap on until recently were unique and very helpful in getting at hydraulic fittings in tight areas.

Line wrenches as mentioned above, other brands spread more/at less torque.

I would say dual 80 handle ratchets, especially the long handle ones. I have used a 1/2 24" long dual 80 in industrial maintenance for years daily in place of 3/4 drive ratchet and it has held up without failing. Same goes for an 3/8" 18" ratchet.

In 3/4" drive the 42 inch ratchet on mine has taken a 6' pipe and bounced on by a 250lbs man 100's of times without bending and only one rebuild kit in 25 years.

Ratcheting screwdriver/ratcheting t handle. Much better than anyone else's.

I haven’t needed one on my personal aircraft carrier for a while.

 

[theoldwizard1]

While building my tool collection (started 55 years ago) I included 1/2" drive sockets and ratchets. That was a waste ! 

All of those 1/2" drive tools are now resting in the bottom drawer of my rollaway !

 

[MovingAlong]

So, where do you draw the line? What details have you experienced that would help GJ members?

"When are inexpensive tools "good enough"?" When they get the job done. Some folks have no appreciation of what "fit for purpose" means and that it might mean something different for me than it does for you...

A cheap tool is not the same as inexpensive though. The true costs come later. Experience will show you the subtle difference over time.

 

[RedneckWelder]

I spent 3 years on and off a Snap On truck with pro mechanics. Anecdotal: Unless they were in a bind, they almost never paid retail. Even big industry doesn’t pay retail.

A lot of techs get the SEP 50% discount for most common stuff. They shop the sales thereafter. There are monthly BOGO deals.

So let’s throw some numbers out there. A set of 3/8” drive metric sockets from Icon are $40 minus whatever discount you can get. The price is so low and shopping so convenient, I doubt there will ever be much of a used market for icon sockets* And they are ok, but not great tools.

Williams USA are $60 for the same set.

Snap on are $250.

I paid about $100 for my set a while ago, which was half off then. I’ll bet I could get $100 for my set today.

If you bought a set today at half off ($125) and sold them for $100 shortly thereafter, using the world’s best sockets would have cost you $25. Everybodies’ financial situation is different, but to me that’s nothing, it’s a trip to McDonalds.

My KR 761 toolbox was probably $1200 new 25yrs ago. I paid $800 for it 5 years ago. It could be worth $1500 or more now. Similar boxes retail for nearly $8000.

If you got a great deal for an Icon box and they kept making them and increasing the price with inflation, that could be similar. As they are, I think they are a lot of money for a chest that will in all likelihood lose their value. You can literally buy used Snap On for icon box prices.

I’ve spent coming up on a decade as a heavy equipment mechanic and what I’ve seen from the three different Snap On, two different Cornwell, the Mac, and the Matco guy are mostly way overpriced. You’ll pay retail minus like five bucks for a single item, maybe a set might get $20 or so knocked off. Toolboxes are pretty close to list, even if buying a full system, even off the RockinRollcab truck.

Snap On’s specials these days **** ***, as does Matco. At least Cornwell and Mac try to have better deals in the flyer and tend to have more BOGOs…when they actually show up. But when you have the knowledge of what their relabeled tools and the industrial brands for SO and Mac sell for off the truck you realize how much you get ripped off for.

Buying the stuff that the truck brands do really well is one thing. Buying basic tools like normal sockets, extensions, and stuff like air and power tools, you’re getting fucked unless you get SEP or good industrial pricing

 

[AEAdam]

While building my tool collection (started 55 years ago) I included 1/2" drive sockets and ratchets. That was a waste ! 

All of those 1/2" drive tools are now resting in the bottom drawer of my rollaway !

Interesting (appreciating all of your thoughtful responses. Thank you guys.)

This post is a different subject that I feel strongly about. Maybe we need a different thread. Something like “what do you really use?” or “What is the minimum toolset?”

I enjoy watching toolbox tours on YouTube. Many show 56” drawers chocked full of 6 and 12pt sockets. I regularly use 2 or 3 sets of chrome sockets. 3/8” shallow and semi deep, and 1/4”. Almost all of my 1/2” are impacts. And I only own a few 1/2“ ratchets (Primarily the extreme lengths).

When folks talk premium tools, they seem to go on about mortgaging their house. We’re only really talking about a couple sets of tools.

In my 56” box, about a third of the drawer are sockets for hex head bolts, a third is bit sockets collected over 30years, and the last third is ratchets and extensions. I have probably 30% of tools I never or rarely use in each category. Can’t tell you the last time I used a 3/8” deep socket.

Wrenches could probably also use a clear out. I’d start by removing all the ratchet wrenches I never use because I don’t trust them.

I’ve tended not to buy tools that I thought I’d someday need. Exception, the expensive snap on low profile socket set. I’ve never used it. Beautiful tool. Never used it. Bought when I was doing some big interior job and thought it would help. The lowest profile socket set is a combination wrench.

 

[cannuck]

For the tools I use the most in my home shop brand name for the first set. Tools that are in my farm box, my travelling box or any other place they may get borrowed or forgotten I will go with a lower buck solution. 3/4 and 1" stuff I buy cheap and have as yet to break any but cutting tools mostly top brand names from machine shop supply sources. I am buying tools for my 12YO grandson now (his pay for working in shop on weekends) and settle for middle of the road (mostly Milwaukee).

 

[bcschief]

In my working career I mainly used Craftsman I occasionally purchased tool truck tools most were specialty tools that Craftsman did not sell, my point being Craftsman made me the same paycheck that SnapOn would have for a fraction of the price.

 

[AEAdam]

In my working career I mainly used Craftsman I occasionally purchased tool truck tools most were specialty tools that Craftsman did not sell, my point being Craftsman made me the same paycheck that SnapOn would have for a fraction of the price.

I upgraded to craftsman after I got more serious about automotive repair. I was just a kid, so factor that in. I broke craftsman sockets, especially their awful bit sockets. The raised panel wrenches had nearly unusable open ends. I didn’t realize how bad they were until I started using pro tools. Then I couldn’t get away from my craftsman stuff fast enough.

Again, factor in my journey as a craftsman. The fact that I haven’t broken tools recently may have no reflection on the tools themselves, which, in my mind, really complicates this thread. I think some of the experienced talented craftsman among us can literally use garbage tools and they’d be good enough.

 

[johninct]

If there was an expensive tool that I am thinking of buying but not sure if I would really like it or use it ( like a round head swivel ratchet) I would first buy a HF one and see if I liked it before replacing with Snap-On. Some tools got upgraded while some tools I am still deciding on but I now find HF tools a little more pricey compared to higher brands for me to take a chance...

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I upgraded to craftsman after I got more serious about automotive repair. I was just a kid, so factor that in. I broke craftsman sockets, especially their awful bit sockets. The raised panel wrenches had nearly unusable open ends. I didn’t realize how bad they were until I started using pro tools. Then I couldn’t get away from my craftsman stuff fast enough.

Again, factor in my journey as a craftsman. The fact that I haven’t broken tools recently may have no reflection on the tools themselves, which, in my mind, really complicates this thread. I think some of the experienced talented craftsman among us can literally use garbage tools and they’d be good enough.

I would totally agree with certain trades and crafts, especially anything mechanic-based because that tool market has been flooded. I have seen small engine guys with nothing but tool truck stuff and auto guys with all HD and HF in their boxes and industrial mechanics with Westward and anything they could get their hands on. That’s kind of the reason these questions become so nuanced because so many on these boards are looking at things through their mechanic eyes. In my trade, inexpensive tools don’t exist. You either go cheap (which you can depending on tolerances) or you’re going quality. Both categories are still expensive. I can see that as I dabble in other fields for a hobby that quality, expensive tools are vastly superior to the cheap inexpensive stuff (I’ve been playing with HAM radios and robots). So I dunno, it’s really hard. As I said earlier in this thread, usually circumstances dictate my expenditures.

 

[dchawk81]

I upgraded to craftsman after I got more serious about automotive repair. I was just a kid, so factor that in. I broke craftsman sockets, especially their awful bit sockets. The raised panel wrenches had nearly unusable open ends. I didn’t realize how bad they were until I started using pro tools. Then I couldn’t get away from my craftsman stuff fast enough.

Again, factor in my journey as a craftsman. The fact that I haven’t broken tools recently may have no reflection on the tools themselves, which, in my mind, really complicates this thread. I think some of the experienced talented craftsman among us can literally use garbage tools and they’d be good enough.

I generally pretend the open end doesn't exist on every single one of my wrenches.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The one set of tools I would kind of like to add is long-pattern double-end box wrenches. Seeing as I am 95% Craftsman, I would like to stay the same. Only eBay sales and they want STUPID money !

 

[speed bump]

Most of the time inexpensive is good enough. In your example twenty seconds and it is good enough. How many times are you going to use that tool anyway? I do about a brake job a year so a $10 tool might be worth it, a $50 tool? Nope. If I was doing 3-5 brake jobs a week then it might be a different story.

 

[speed bump]

The one set of tools I would kind of like to add is long-pattern double-end box wrenches. Seeing as I am 95% Craftsman, I would like to stay the same. Only eBay sales and they want STUPID money !

This has nothing to do with need, just aesthetics. Which is most of what these threads are about.

 

[yellowbox]

That tool works just fine , but in a professional setting with repeated use , you will wear the threads out and have to replace tool again and again

 

[BreeStephany]

There is a difference between inexpensive tools and cheap tools.

As far as resale value is concerned, I'm not one to care. I've never bought a tool so you hat I can sell it later, and have never thought of a tool as an investment.

I can't say I've ever been concerned with the resale value of tools either, but as a person working in the trades that uses tools for my job every day, I do consider my tools an investment, not for their resale value, but rather an investment in myself and my ability to do my job long term without having to constantly buy tools.

Many of the tools I bought 17~20 years ago when I started in the trades I still use today. Some of them I've had to buy rebuild kits or parts for, but they are still going strong!

Interestingly, I do consider many of the Ridgid pipe wrenches and old Skil "blue-label" saws I've restored over the last couple of years an "investment", not for myself or for their resale value, but rather because despite many of them being from the 1940s, they still perform like new 70~80 years after they were manufactured, many of the "consumable parts" can still be found or rebuilt with 'off the shelf' components available today, and for me, are likely an investment for the next generation of users that may hold them after I.

Just my two cents.