All Your Tools are Stolen--Replace with $500 Budget

[aburkhardt]

It's a silly premise, being that no weekend warrior known to man has a tool collection that can be replaced by some tangible dollar amount, let alone $500. It's the result of buying tools, as needed, for the task at hand. Sure, I buy random stuff when I have a gift card or see a good deal, but the easiest justification is to buy what you need, when you need it.

Maybe a new tech, or recent graduate can approximate what their average day will require and can buy accordingly at once, but no weekender would follow that logic, unless you're given a check from an insurance company.

The real question is what do you buy *first*. What would you need to keep doing what you do without skipping a beat ... or complete your next upcoming project, be it an oil change on the family sedan, or replacing the car battery that died during that cold snap a few weeks back ...

If I was handed $500 to get me going again, i'd replace the things i reach for most with the best i could manage to find on sale.

-Whichever set of Wera/Wiha/Felo/Klein screwdrivers was on sale at the time.
-An M12 drill/driver combo.
-Trusty blue-handled Eastwing 16oz'er
-GW 3/8" ratchet and sockets
-GW or maybe Pittsburgh Pro 1/4" ratchet and sockets + a HF torx socket set
-Random extensions, adapters, and a breaker bar
-HF jack w/ coupon

Then build it out <$50 at a time through discrete purchases via Amazon, KC Tool, Harry Epsteins, and the like, and save the big stuff when i can justify it with a specific project in mind.

 

[JVB]

It's a silly premise, being that no weekend warrior known to man has a tool collection that can be replaced by some tangible dollar amount, let alone $500. It's the result of buying tools, as needed, for the task at hand. Sure, I buy random stuff when I have a gift card or see a good deal, but the easiest justification is to buy what you need, when you need it.

Maybe a new tech, or recent graduate can approximate what their average day will require and can buy accordingly at once, but no weekender would follow that logic, unless you're given a check from an insurance company.

The real question is what do you buy *first*. What would you need to keep doing what you do without skipping a beat ... or complete your next upcoming project, be it an oil change on the family sedan, or replacing the car battery that died during that cold snap a few weeks back ...

If I was handed $500 to get me going again, i'd replace the things i reach for most with the best i could manage to find on sale.

-Whichever set of Wera/Wiha/Felo/Klein screwdrivers was on sale at the time.
-An M12 drill/driver combo.
-Trusty blue-handled Eastwing 16oz'er
-GW 3/8" ratchet and sockets
-GW or maybe Pittsburgh Pro 1/4" ratchet and sockets + a HF torx socket set
-Random extensions, adapters, and a breaker bar
-HF jack w/ coupon

Then build it out <$50 at a time through discrete purchases via Amazon, KC Tool, Harry Epsteins, and the like, and save the big stuff when i can justify it with a specific project in mind.

What do you mean discrete purchases?

Spouse does not need to know and it is cheap enough to slide under the radar?

 

[aburkhardt]

What do you mean discrete purchases?

Spouse does not need to know and it is cheap enough to slide under the radar?

I plead the 5th.

I'm just sayin' that turning your $500 budget into $1000 budget is easier to swallow when you allow for one or two good tools each month or so, as sales make themselves known.

 

[JVB]

I plead the 5th.

I'm just sayin' that turning your $500 budget into $1000 budget is easier to swallow when you allow for one or two good tools each month or so, as sales make themselves known.

Very true. It sure does add up quick. When I get home from work I do happen to take my packages right into the garage. Out of sight out of mind.

 

[JulianMorrow]

It's a silly premise, being that no weekend warrior known to man has a tool collection that can be replaced by some tangible dollar amount, let alone $500...but no weekender would follow that logic, unless you're given a check from an insurance company.

I'm not sure what you mean by "a silly premise"? Tools getting stolen happens all-the-time. As stated earlier, this recently happened to my neighbor. A few weeks ago, a guy on this board had a Tekton set stolen out of his car (to Yarpo's credit, he sent the guy a free ratchet).

Or do you think it's a silly premise to budget your money to replace something stolen(?). My home insurance has a fairly high deductible--about 2K. My tools aren't worth that. I have a bunch of old Craftsman & a lot of used stuff I bought on eBay. So if my tools were stolen, I'm not getting jack from my inusrance company. I'd think of a short term budget and replace my tools in a methodical way.

There's a bit of elitism on this board--e.g., "why did you post this thread" or "this is a silly scenario". One wonders in what world you guys actually live in. I also don't hide tool purchases from my wife. Grow-A-Pair, for chrissakes. To the rest of you guys: sorry to vent.

 

[ngk22r]

I'm not sure what you mean by "a silly premise"? Tools getting stolen happens all-the-time. As stated earlier, this recently happened to my neighbor. A few weeks ago, a guy on this board had a Tekton set stolen out of his car (to Yarpo's credit, he sent the guy a free ratchet).

Or do you think it's a silly premise to budget your money to replace something stolen(?). My home insurance has a fairly high deductible--about 2K. My tools aren't worth that. I have a bunch of old Craftsman & a lot of used stuff I bought on eBay. So if my tools were stolen, I'm not getting jack from my inusrance company. I'd think of a short term budget and replace my tools in a methodical way.

There's a bit of elitism on this board--e.g., "why did you post this thread" or "this is a silly scenario". One wonders in what world you guys actually live in. I also don't hide tool purchases from my wife. Grow-A-Pair, for chrissakes. To the rest of you guys: sorry to vent.

I wouldn’t put it under elitism, more or less people being naive about tools being stolen and another persons perspective on it.

A lot of good posts have come out of it. I’m going to put a spin on your scenario bu adding in that lets say you do have $5k worth of tools but you need tools tomorrow and cannot wait on getting the insurance check followed by ordering what you did have. $500 just to get you started up enough to carry you through the time until you are back on your feet is not a bad idea. The tools can be mechanic tools, carpentry, etc. The real question is do you go cheap to get a lot of tools or do you focus on getting mid tier (from your perspective) that you would not mind keeping as a double?

 

[ssdave]

There's a bit of elitism on this board--e.g., "why did you post this thread" or "this is a silly scenario". One wonders in what world you guys actually live in. I also don't hide tool purchases from my wife. Grow-A-Pair, for chrissakes. To the rest of you guys: sorry to vent.

I also see it less as elitism than a difference in perspective. I come here, in part, to see how other people think, and to understand it a bit more.

For me, tools are an essential element. My tools are worth, on average, about $750 a week to me. Without them, I can't do things I want to do, of substantial value. Either to save myself from contracting stuff out to someone else, or to make something of value. If I need a tool, I buy the best tool that I can find/afford to do the task I need done. If I need it, the cost part takes care of itself, as I will recover that cost at the rate of at least $35 per hour of using that tool. If the tool sees more than a few hours of use, it is always paid for. I've spent a lifetime doing that, it's what I like to do. I don't lift weights, I don't play sports, I don't watch TV. I work. I like to do that, and I make sure what I do is meaningful, i.e. makes money or saves me money over paying for something that needs done.

I have a hard time understanding two perspectives, but I see them a lot here and it helps give me a glimpse of how people think.

One is that people buy tools with little use to them, so they don't make money off them. An example is shiny box full of high end tools, that obviously see so little use that the payback would be years. Or the fancy jig or gimmick that is neat, but doesn't do anything too special that can't be done with simple tools.

Another perspective is the poverty mentality that you have to buy the cheapest thing as any money saved is essential, no matter how much you will use the item or how much it will make you (or save you).

The only understanding of those two perspectives that I have been able to come to is that people don't use their tools effectively. In other words, they use them less than the amount it takes to pay them off and then make money on them. In other words, it's a hobby, pure and simple, not an economic decision. An example is the OP's need to have an impact gun and impact sockets. That's a great way to speed up things, and up production rate of repetitive tasks. But, would you spend 1/3 of your $500 budget on that if you had to have a variety of tools to get work done? No, you would spend the money on a variety of things that allow you to effectively do a range of work, and then invest in the impact tool when it would pay for itself in increased production. But, as a hobby, making money off of what you do isn't an object. The tool for and of itself, is part of the hobby.

My wife (of 30 years) once said to friends that were remarking about how much I had of tools: "Yes, but the thing that I've come to realize is that he uses them many times as much as anybody else I know. Every one of those things is used, and used repeatedly, all the time. I didn't understand that when we first got married, but I get it now." There are very few things I own that didn't pay for themselves years ago, and that haven't made or saved me continuous money since.

At the same time, I've felt free to re-invest some of the money that tools have made for me back into nice tools that I like. So, a fair amount of my tools are better than the utilitarian basics. I can afford to, because of the amount I use them, and owning nice stuff makes it a lot more pleasant to use the tools a lot and make money off them. So, it's self-reinforcing.

So, if some disaster happened to me and I was down to $500 to buy tools, I'd buy the most basic tools that would do the things I had to do that were most valuable to me. As those tools made money, I'd reinvest that into more tools that enhance the money making ability. At some point, I'd be back close to where I am now in tool ownership.

 

[JulianMorrow]

A lot of good posts have come out of it. I’m going to put a spin on your scenario bu adding in that lets say you do have $5k worth of tools but you need tools tomorrow and cannot wait on getting the insurance check followed by ordering what you did have. $500 just to get you started up enough to carry you through the time until you are back on your feet is not a bad idea. The tools can be mechanic tools, carpentry, etc. The real question is do you go cheap to get a lot of tools or do you focus on getting mid tier (from your perspective) that you would not mind keeping as a double?

There's nothing wrong with your scenario--it would make an interesting thread. When I think of someone with $5K worth of tools, he isn't your normal DIY weekender. He's either (1) a mechanic or (2) a serious hobbyist who's way more advanced than someone like me. Either way, that guy will have his tools insured, as you stated.

Given your scenario, there are a surprising number of guys here who seem pretty advanced who would go to Harbor Freight & buy a bunch of budget tools. I wouldn't do that. I'd go for your second option, buying "mid-tier tools", using the "Truck Tool Equivalents" thread as a guideline. I must admit, I like nice tools--and get enjoyment out of using a well-made tool, particularly one made in the U.S.A. I think there's something else there--our tool collections are often a direct link to our fathers, grandfathers, etc.

One guy posted here that sometimes he'd have an old tool in his hand and would think about a job that he & his dad worked on back-in-the-day. The guy's girlfriend, puzzled by that distant look, asked him "where did you just go??". That was a terrific post--probably every guy here has had that moment. When I buy a tool, I usually try to find something of value that may last long enough to hand down to my son or grandson.

 

[aburkhardt]

I'm not sure what you mean by "a silly premise"? Tools getting stolen happens all-the-time. As stated earlier, this recently happened to my neighbor. A few weeks ago, a guy on this board had a Tekton set stolen out of his car (to Yarpo's credit, he sent the guy a free ratchet).

Or do you think it's a silly premise to budget your money to replace something stolen(?). My home insurance has a fairly high deductible--about 2K. My tools aren't worth that. I have a bunch of old Craftsman & a lot of used stuff I bought on eBay. So if my tools were stolen, I'm not getting jack from my inusrance company. I'd think of a short term budget and replace my tools in a methodical way.

There's a bit of elitism on this board--e.g., "why did you post this thread" or "this is a silly scenario". One wonders in what world you guys actually live in. I also don't hide tool purchases from my wife. Grow-A-Pair, for chrissakes. To the rest of you guys: sorry to vent.

Yikes. That's an aggressive response, man. It prompted me to re-read the thread in its entirety, and i can now see that you've been pretty defensive on the whole topic. Not my intent. Just maybe you were thinking of a more specific purpose, or set of things you need to get done in your garage. It came across to me as perhaps needing soup-to-nuts, e.g. screwdrivers, tape measures, oil filter wrench, spark plug socket, scan tools ... EVERYTHING.

The "silly" part is by no means the scenario of stolen tools, or replacing them, but the thought that I could replace the tools in my garage for $500. If you put a specific constraint on it, then sure -- maintaining the family station wagon, for example ... what do you replace first to get you through the winter, etc. ... i get it.

You're restarting the journey, and that, my friend, means you're likely going to be in for much, much more than $500 over the long haul. So what's the rush to spend $500 in one shot? Does that have to be all inclusive? I'm 100% positive i can stretch it farther if i take my time.

My point is ... if you didn't initially buy everything in one shot with a lump sum budget, then why try to replace them with a lump sum budget?

And to that end, financially, for me at least it's a lot easier to show my wife an ebay find, or tell her i'm meeting someone from craigslist for an old handplane some Saturday afternoon, then it is to say that i need 1k, now, to buy all my tools again.

and to my point .. above you're now talking about buying USA and to pass things down to future generations ... that's a long-haul rebuilding of a tool collection that's going to extend well beyond the initial scenario. THAT's a great topic. it's also nudging you closer to the "elitist" category yourself

 

[ngk22r]

There's nothing wrong with your scenario--it would make an interesting thread. When I think of someone with $5K worth of tools, he isn't your normal DIY weekender. He's either (1) a mechanic or (2) a serious hobbyist who's way more advanced than someone like me. Either way, that guy will have his tools insured, as you stated.

Given your scenario, there are a surprising number of guys here who seem pretty advanced who would go to Harbor Freight & buy a bunch of budget tools. I wouldn't do that. I'd go for your second option, buying "mid-tier tools", using the "Truck Tool Equivalents" thread as a guideline. I must admit, I like nice tools--and get enjoyment out of using a well-made tool, particularly one made in the U.S.A. I think there's something else there--our tool collections are often a direct link to our fathers, grandfathers, etc.

One guy posted here that sometimes he'd have an old tool in his hand and would think about a job that he & his dad worked on back-in-the-day. The guy's girlfriend, puzzled by that distant look, asked him "where did you just go??". That was a terrific post--probably every guy here has had that moment. When I buy a tool, I usually try to find something of value that may last long enough to hand down to my son or grandson.

Well I guess you took the words out of my mouth on that, thanks for saving me the trouble of typing that out.

I agree I would be looking at the equivalent route, for me I would pick up as much Williams tools I could squeeze out of the $500. Sure power tools are nice but I have had to work without them and would use every dollar for hand tools that can do more tasks for my money. The last thing I would want to buy is throw away tools.

 

[ngk22r]

Williams 3/8 set (USA made) $220
https://www.protorquetools.com/8-19...wqUU7dthgXS4UJI38uIQCUfypAvL9VgsaAovMEALw_wcB

Williams Super Combo metric wrench set (USA) $113
https://www.ebay.com/p/Williams-Mws...7%26rvr_ts%3D13e9633f1690ab446b62f1e0ffe68864

Williams Screwdriver set $40
Williams 100P-5MD 5-Piece Premium Mixed Screwdriver Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002NH5X2I/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Williams Pliers $40
https://aboloxtools.com/williams-23...qqLH-ZzuAmURhhKbuwWyz_PU5JaluAEEaAuveEALw_wcB

And you still have $80 to spend where ever else you need to buy here and there.

 

[Citation]

OK, this Craftsman set for $500
https://www.sears.com/craftsman-302-piece-mechanics-service-set/p-A028766676

 

[JulianMorrow]

OK, this Craftsman set for $500
https://www.sears.com/craftsman-302-piece-mechanics-service-set/p-A028766676

I have the Craftsman 58 pc Mechanic's Set that I keep in my truck for emergencies. It comes with a 3/8" ratchet and nice collection of chrome sockets. I picked it up at my local Sears late last year right before they shut down. That was a totally impulse buy, but at $25 for the set, I thought oh-why-not. You see that open slot for the Allen wrenches (hex keys)--I added 17mm, 19mm, & 21mm 3/8" chrome sockets there that I already owned.

https://www.sears.com/craftsman-58-...ellerId=Sears&prdNo=4&blockNo=4&blockType=G4#

 

[JulianMorrow]

I also see it less as elitism than a difference in perspective…The only understanding of those two perspectives that I have been able to come to is that people don't use their tools effectively. In other words, they use them less than the amount it takes to pay them off and then make money on them. In other words, it's a hobby, pure and simple, not an economic decision. An example is the OP's need to have an impact gun and impact sockets. That's a great way to speed up things, and up production rate of repetitive tasks. But, would you spend 1/3 of your $500 budget on that if you had to have a variety of tools to get work done? No.

Dave, sorry for this late reply. You questioned my need for an impact wrench + impact sockets. I use my 1/2” impact sockets primarily with my 1/2” hand ratchet. I don’t own a set of 1/2” chrome sockets. And my 1/2” ratchet is my go-to tool for working on vehicles. If you randomly walked in on me working in my garage, I’d probably have a 1/2” impact socket on my 1/2” hand ratchet. But it’s nice to have a complete impact socket set when I need the impact wrench.

Now, do I need an impact wrench? You’re probably right on this—I could use a $25 breaker bar instead for my lug nuts and mower blades. And this goes to your point about my tools being a hobby, that’s partially true. But it’s also a hobby that’s saved my family a lot of money. My wife took her Corolla to the dealership for an airbag recall. The dealership tried to upsell her a front brake job for $500. I warned her ahead of time about this type of con. I replaced her brake pads for $50 bucks with OEM pads. This one brake job pays for 90% of the $500 we're discussing here.

 

[theoldwizard1]

It's fine if you prefer HF over CMan. But those screwdrivers in your pic--they look like CMan to me.

Total price was probably closer to $200. Almost everything in that picture is Craftsman. I put that together over 10 years ago and much of that was purchased on eBay so even less expensive than most sale prices. Some of it is old enough to be Made in the USA !

 

[theoldwizard1]

There's differences in quality, even within a brand. The cheap plastic-handled Craftsman screwdrivers (that were in the picture) isn't something I'd ever buy.

I have been using that style Craftsman screwdriver for over 50 years. You can get a nice set on sale (around Christmas) for under $20. I even bought a special "cabinet" style Craftsman screwdriver last year.

 

[JulianMorrow]

I have been using that style Craftsman screwdriver for over 50 years. You can get a nice set on sale (around Christmas) for under $20. I even bought a special "cabinet" style Craftsman screwdriver last year.

Regarding your pic: I was willing to look past the Craftsman toolbox--you could've filled that box with 100% Harbor Freight tools. But when I saw those screwdrivers, I thought--he's pitching HF while showing CMan! lol.

I don't like that Craftsman screwdriver's plastic handle, just ergonomically I hate it. I much prefer the Craftsman "comfort grip" screwdrivers--they just seem overall higher quality to me. OTOH, when we're talking ratchets, I prefer a chrome handled ratchet to a soft-handle. That doesn't make sense, I know, but there you go. Just weird personal preferences here.

 

[DFB]

The tips on Craftsman scewdrivers are generally worse that the handles in my experience I've had several long shaft #2 Philips tips wrecked and twisted the blade of the very small flat.

They had some orange hi viz handles once that were similar styling were even worse and wouldn't warranty them either

 

[JulianMorrow]

The tips on Craftsman scewdrivers are generally worse that the handles in my experience I've had several long shaft #2 Philips tips wrecked and twisted the blade of the very small flat.

The Craftsman "comfort grip" screwdrivers are made out of stainless steel, which differs from the Craftsman plastic grips. But it sounds like you're putting your screwdrivers through hell.

 

[Roundhouse]

Insurance would solve the $500 limit

Not worth making a claim for

Two claims in five years and you are dropped and blacklisted on the CLUE report

It doesn’t matter the value of the claims and in fact simply calling your Ins co and asking about making a claim is considered making a claim

I would highly recommend some cameras though so you can identify which neighbor stole your tools

 

[DFB]

Julian Morrow now if you were closer I'd offer get you all set up for that $500 under my Flea Mkt Tool tent in your demise

Locking jaw pliers/ slip joint/groove joint/needle nose/ adjustable wrench/screwdriver set/socket and ratchet set/combo wrenches/ claw hammer/deadblow/drilling hammer/speed square/ carpenter pouch/level/ drill bits/ saw blades/work gloves/safety glasses/led lights/battery charger/ jumper cables and more...why I'll even toss in a free multimeter like HF does

 

[JulianMorrow]

Julian Morrow now if you were closer I'd offer get you all set up for that $500 under my Flea Mkt Tool tent in your demise

We'll just assume you meant "distress" and not "demise". Otherwise I'd have no need for tools after visiting your Flea Mkt Tool Tent. It sounds a bit like Hotel California, "you can check out anytime, but you can never leave".

 

[DFB]

We'll just assume you meant "distress" and not "demise". Otherwise I'd have no need for tools after visiting your Flea Mkt Tool Tent. It sounds a bit like Hotel California, "you can check out anytime, but you can never leave".

My apologies

And if that was the case those tools would probably end up right back at the flea mkt again on someone else table

 

[Lassen Forge]

They usually do... scumbags don't steal tools to USE them, they steal them to sell them to buy a rock or bling or new kicks, or turn the money over to their gang boss as "tribute"... Just like the guys who boost radios out of cars - you think they're stealing that deck out of a car to put in their car? They won't have it more than 24 hours before they fence it off for a Jackson to build their bank to buy a stolen gun... so they can do drive by's...

That Azzole who has your tools on his flea market table is probably 3 removed from the SOB that stole them. It's all a business to them... One to steal, one to fence, one to wholesale out to the one to sell the hot goods. And don't forget the "retribution squad" to shoot out the windows of your car if you turn in the guy boosting stuff.

Insurance on your tools isn't just for the "Professional Wrenches"... if you got money invested in tools, then you're protecting what you got. Because if you're like me, $500 will barely scratch the surface of what you need to replace.

 

[txvwnut]

If the worst happens I’d start the replacement with this set, then add to it with the what it doesn’t have in singles.