the utter savagery of using crappy tools

[jd_1138]

Stepson needed blinds installed, so I took over my bag of power tools. I had forgotten that my small Dewalt bit case was in another bag.

So he and I went to HF and I bought a Warrior branded drilling and driving bit set for $15. I looked for Bauer or Hercules sets but there were none. I should've asked where they were or better yet drove 1/4 mile down the road to HD and get a Ryobi, DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee set.

The bits were like 25% out of true, so they wobbled badly in my drill and one snapped after drilling a single hole. I used next size up and started the rest of the pilot holes with it not going too deep lest it snap. I had to use a manual screwdriver to drive in the screws.

As soon as I got home I put my Dewalt set in my power tool bag. This set has been awesome for like 12-15 small jobs over the last 5 years I've had it.

Ever been in a similar situation? Makes us feel better about spending more on better stuff.

 

[Dave455]

I feel your pain!

I’ve never been one for saving on things like bits. In fact, I’ve long reached the conclusion that the quality of the bit is more important than the quality of the tool.

But like yourself, having got used to a certain basic level of quality, it’s a horrific experience if you encounter something really crappy, usually under similar circumstances - “…no need to bring tools, I’ve got everything…”

Sad thing is, a lot of inexperienced folks don’t know where the problem is, and just assume that they are the problem.

A little knowledge is worth a lot here.

 

[Zewnten]

Yep. Too often cheap, as in bargain bin cheap, tools either damage made a simple job into a mess. I don't think the price is worth it.

But honestly now, you have to almost search out that low quality of tools.

 

[4xdog]

My dad used to say, “We’re not rich enough to afford cheap tools.”

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Stepson needed blinds installed, so I took over my bag of power tools. I had forgotten that my small Dewalt bit case was in another bag.

So he and I went to HF and I bought a Warrior branded drilling and driving bit set for $15. I looked for Bauer or Hercules sets but there were none. I should've asked where they were or better yet drove 1/4 mile down the road to HD and get a Ryobi, DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee set.

The bits were like 25% out of true, so they wobbled badly in my drill and one snapped after drilling a single hole. I used next size up and started the rest of the pilot holes with it not going too deep lest it snap. I had to use a manual screwdriver to drive in the screws.

As soon as I got home I put my Dewalt set in my power tool bag. This set has been awesome for like 12-15 small jobs over the last 5 years I've had it.

Ever been in a similar situation? Makes us feel better about spending more on better stuff.

Wonderful title on the OP. Sounds like a Jack London short story.
And I feel your resentment/grief/sorrow.

 

[LWB]

I bought some 3/8" extension off of Amazon. It was a brand name. I'm guessing they were counterfeit. I rolled them across a table and they had such a wobble in them it was almost funny. Back they went. I've used a LOT of junk to get by. You know, cinder blocks in the driveway, -20C and a crappy socket set and a hammer lol Probably why I have such an appreciation for high quality tools now. I quality tools.

 

[zendriver]

I’m an HF fanboy but the drill bits stink I would’ve driven the extra 440 yards to get something Better.

You might have been able to just buy the bits you need individually

 

[Notgrownup]

I’m an HF fanboy but the drill bits stink I would’ve driven the extra 440 yards to get something Bette

You might have been able to just buy the bits you need individually

Me as well. The hercules are pretty good but i prefer Dewalt bit sets.

 

[Hohn]

*raises pinky while sipping tea*

"We use Wiha when the preferred PB Swiss isn't available."

 

[Steel_Rain]

My dad used to say, “We’re not rich enough to afford cheap tools.”

Your Dad was damn right.

“There is nothing more expensive…than cheap”.

 

[mreisner]

Whenever a friend needs me to give them a hand working on something and they tell me they have the tools I still bring my own tools. Bad enough not working in my own shop, but I don't want to round something off or bust my knuckles in somebody else's garage and inventing some new dirty words that a kid three houses down is going to hear it when it happens.

 

[rust in the eye]

Stepson needed blinds installed, s

The trash hardware that typically comes with these is worse than the shi tiest tools I've ever put hands on.

 

[BombShelter]

Use an impact driver, all of the drills that came with the 2 for 1 sets I've bought in the last 10 years still look brand new, plus they accept the bits pretty easily, Jacob's Chucks can be frustrating with bits.

 

[AEAdam]

My wife was helping her sister at her new apartment and needed to disassemble the digital door lock. We have a snap on ratcheting screwdriver in our kitchen junk drawer, so she was deeply suspicious of her sisters screwdriver.



Imagine what the people say in the factory that makes these “tools”.

 

[M635_Guy]

I have enough problems without using **** tools. I can't think of a tool I have right now I'm not happy with, which includes a lot of HF stuff (mainly Icon).

That said, for consumables I look for the best stuff I can find, which rarely includes HF, though some of the Hercules stuff seems to be getting decent reviews. I'm not there yet with them. For drill bits that's currently the Bosch Cobalt M42 bits for metal and Milwaukee Shockwave Titanium for most regular stuff. (I have good concrete and tile/ceramic bits, but can't recall the brands)

 

[zimman]

I think the HF drill bits are great. I drilled 78,956 3/16" holes on this camper and never broke a bit. Threw a few away but those 3 packs rock. I'm not building the space X **** over here. Just a camper. LOL
Zim

 

[Ultradog MN]

I don't know about the tools.
What I wonder about is a step son who can't install some blinds.
Step daughter maybe but step son?

 

[zendriver]

My wife was helping her sister at her new apartment and needed to disassemble the digital door lock. We have a snap on ratcheting screwdriver in our kitchen junk drawer, so she was deeply suspicious of her sisters screwdriver.



Imagine what the people say in the factory that makes these “tools”.

To be fair, that look like something included with a "some assembly required" furniture product. I toss them in the scrap pile.

How high quality should it be made for a one time use? How often does here sister even use a screwdriver?

 

[dante2]

I have a single Phillips bit that's my go to for at least 12 years. Gets used at least several times a week sometimes daily. It's either a DeWalt or Craftsman still in great shape. Cheap tools are usually good for a one time use and if you get a second use out of them it's your lucky day.

 

[LOW1]

We are fortunate to have an abundance of decent/adequate/good enough tools that do not cost much more than bottom end/ bad tools but far less than premium brand tools.

When our kids finish College and go off our payroll I send them off with a decent quality tool set. Klein/Channelock/Dewalt level stuff. If you watch the sales $250 will get you a real nice basic homeowners set

 

[niget2002]

I learned really fast to take my own tools when working at the MIL's house. All her tools are ****.

 

[mreisner]

We are fortunate to have an abundance of decent/adequate/good enough tools that do not cost much more than bottom end/ bad tools but far less than premium brand tools.

When our kids finish College and go off our payroll I send them off with a decent quality tool set. Klein/Channelock/Dewalt level stuff. If you watch the sales $250 will get you a real nice basic homeowners set

Throw in a little garage sale / estate sale shopping put together a fantastic tool kit for that amount.

 

[zendriver]

My Dad, who ran a service station and farmed, could have won the award for the "crappiest tool collection known to man". (even though my brother was a slave to them) He wouldn't give the Snap On tool man, the time of day. His stuff was from napa, half missing, rusty screwdrivers with taped wood handles.

He got through life just fine, setting my Mom up to live very comfortable, for the rest her life and gave a kids a nice inheritance pay-day.

Throughout the ages, people did great things with tools, that were not necessarily "all that"

 

[neophyte]

My wife was helping her sister at her new apartment and needed to disassemble the digital door lock. We have a snap on ratcheting screwdriver in our kitchen junk drawer, so she was deeply suspicious of her sisters screwdriver.



Imagine what the people say in the factory that makes these “tools”.

Fein included a wrench like this with one version of the Multimaster, or maybe with one of the Multimaster accessories.
The hex fitted the older screw blade mount for the Multimaster blades and accessories.
The cross drive screwdriver fitted some screws for interchanging small narrow blades.
The quality was good, but Fein likely had the tool made by a decent German manufacturer.

 

[neophyte]

I don't know about the tools.
What I wonder about is a step son who can't install some blinds.
Step daughter maybe but step son?

A quick google search seems to show maybe 5 high schools in Philadelphia with shop classes as an option, out of 47 high schools.
I suspect the numbers are off, but most high schools with shops or shop classes nowadays in major cities may be specialty technical high schools, or a small number of high schools with specialty programs, rather than most high schools having “shop class”.
Growing up, various parents had “tools”, but few actually had home “shops” with one exception being a kid whose father was from Sweden.

 

[zendriver]

A quick google search seems to show maybe 5 high schools in Philadelphia with shop classes as an option, out of 47 high schools.
I suspect the numbers are off, but most high schools with shops or shop classes nowadays in major cities may be specialty technical high schools, or a small number of high schools with specialty programs, rather than most high schools having “shop class”.
Growing up, various parents had “tools”, but few actually had home “shops” with one exception being a kid whose father was from Sweden.

If the blinds are new, they come with instructions for installation. One just needs the ability to read.

If we need "shop class" to figure out how to drill small holes and drive in screws, we're in a world of hurt. More likely the son in law is lazy, a more common issue.

 

[L.Cheapo]

Nope, won't buy cheap tools. If I'm doing something myself I'm saving enough over the cost of paying someone to do it to buy top quality tools to make the job easier, more enjoyable, or at the very least, less frustrating.

Particularly when it comes to rusty hardware, or when some clown previously used an improper, worn out, or poorly made tool on it and damaged it...or there's a possibility of injury or damage...I want the best chance I can get at avoiding drama.

 

[AEAdam]

To be fair, that look like something included with a "some assembly required" furniture product. I toss them in the scrap pile.

How high quality should it be made for a one time use? How often does here sister even use a screwdriver?

Don’t care why it was made, for what purpose, or by whom, it’s a dreadfully crappy tool. Notice the one time it was probably used, undoubtedly for some flat packed entertainment center, the Philips appears shot.

Thrilled my wife recognized this as a non-tool that needs to go in recycling with baked beans cans.

 

[AEAdam]

If we need "shop class" to figure out how to drill small holes and drive in screws, we're in a world of hurt.

News flash: This just in, we ARE in a world of hurt.

Just a reminder, we often excoriate each other yet we share more in common with each other than likely neighbors, friends, co-workers, etc many of whom would struggle to operate a screwdriver correctly, let alone drill holes and drive screws.

 

[zendriver]

News flash: This just in, we ARE in a world of hurt.

Just a reminder, we often excoriate each other yet we share more in common with each other than likely neighbors, friends, co-workers, etc many of whom would struggle to operate a screwdriver correctly, let alone drill holes and drive screws.

Sure, but it's not because people don't know how to do things.

It's because they don't want to (or can't) learn. A lot of people can put up blinds, who never attended shop class.

 

[i84x]

I tried buying cheap drill bits, hole saws and impact bits and have reached the same conclusion as most others; don't bother. It just causes more work and frustration over the job.

I'll never buy ridiculously expensive sets but i try to at least get a recognised brand name or ones I've had positive experiences with. Bosch, Dewalt, Sabrecut and Ezarc have good priced stuff in my experience.

 

[Mb4]

**** tools are the worst. I don't criticize other people for spending their money how they see fit, or on what they can afford, but if I can afford a decent tool to get a job done, I buy it. While we're on this topic, the quality of top end model power tools has noticeably declined over the past year.

 

[neophyte]

If the blinds are new, they come with instructions for installation. One just needs the ability to read.

If we need "shop class" to figure out how to drill small holes and drive in screws, we're in a world of hurt. More likely the son in law is lazy, a more common issue.

The average person doesn’t even try in many cases to use the “correct” thread size when trying to replace a Screw, or even the correct type of screw.
They’ll usually just look for the closest screw size in a bin of miscellaneous screws they may have.
Even “professionals” routinely do **** like this.
Using toothpicks or paper to shim a wallered out hole is also common.
Aa far as installing, you also need to know the proper drill size to use, and depth, and variations based on what material the blinds are being installed in.

 

[jd_1138]

**** tools are the worst. I don't criticize other people for spending their money how they see fit, or on what they can afford, but if I can afford a decent tool to get a job done, I buy it. While we're on this topic, the quality of top end model power tools has noticeably declined over the past year.

Yep the co's have spreadsheeted a lot of quality out of them for a little more profit and for planned obsolescence. Brand loyalty is kinda fragile. Screw with quality, and people will dislocate their joints running to another brand.

I guess we only have the really pricey brands like Hilti, Fein, Festool, etc. left for true quality.

 

[NUTTSGT]

If the blinds are new, they come with instructions for installation. One just needs the ability to read.

If we need "shop class" to figure out how to drill small holes and drive in screws, we're in a world of hurt. More likely the son in law is lazy, a more common issue.

As bad as it sounds, we have to start somewhere. Some of us learned early, while others never had the opportunity to learn when young. Yet as they get older, they can pick up on how things work and the learning curve is easier.


Sometimes, it's laziness and other times, it's just lending a helping hand with some "fatherly" advice.

 

[jd_1138]

That crappy HF Warrior set gets great reviews, but if you notice the positive reviews it seems the people never even used them and still left a positive review. Nuts.

"My husband bought me a drill so I'd have my own, instead of using his (lol), but I figured I'd need bits and found this set for an awesome price!"

"For the price, this is a pretty complete set"

"Got this as a stocking stuffer!"

If you look at the 1 star reviews, it's from people who actually used them and found them to be poop. You can't really trust reviews unless they're from a trusted person.

 

[ecotec]

My wife was helping her sister at her new apartment and needed to disassemble the digital door lock. We have a snap on ratcheting screwdriver in our kitchen junk drawer, so she was deeply suspicious of her sisters screwdriver.



Imagine what the people say in the factory that makes these “tools”.

I would, probably, not understand what they say.

 

[whateg01]

I bought a workpro 3/8 drive 18" long flex head ratchet this past week. It feels nice. It'll live at the mill with a 3/4" socket just for the drawbar, so it'll likely never see real work. It's worked very well so far though. The only thing I dislike is the direction lever is backwards. It might also be plastic but I didn't do much to verify that. There was work to be done.

Oops, that isn't the theme of this thread, is it?

 

[M635_Guy]

As bad as it sounds, we have to start somewhere. Some of us learned early, while others never had the opportunity to learn when young. Yet as they get older, they can pick up on how things work and the learning curve is easier.


Sometimes, it's laziness and other times, it's just lending a helping hand with some "fatherly" advice.

None of my spawn have been interested in tools/DIY, but my youngest occasionally hands out to hand me tools, etc.

I just had surgery, and on my first day home from the hospital the knob came off one of the folding doors for our hallway closet. My wife directed my youngest to fix it and told me not to help. Well, my youngest is really smart, but is hesitant when it comes to the physical world. He commented that the screw wouldn't hold - the hole was stripped. I told him to get some toothpicks, put them in the hole, break them to length and then screw the knob in. But he pushed the toothpicks into the core of the door.

Despite my wife's grumping to let him figure it out, I got up to have a look. I wasn't going to do any of it, but needed to eyeball the situation. It was, predictably for this house, stupid. You could see the knob had been moved 90° to new holes by previous owners, stripped them and then they'd moved back to the original with a slightly larger screw. I told him to find the wood glue and get more toothpicks. We dry-fit the hole so it was full (I'm guessing he used too few the first time) and applied some glue to make them stick together and not fall it. I told him to let the glue dry.

A couple hours later he asked if we had something to saw off the toothpicks instead of breaking them. I handed him my multitool and told him there was a saw in that. He found it and used it. Then he screwed the knob back on and it's working well.

It's the first time he's done everything on anything like that. When I'm healed up I have a bunch of stuff to do on several of the family cars, so I'm going to see if I can build on that. All of my spawn hate to be ordered and aren't fans of being guided, so it's fun to think at least one of them might spark to DIY with me. (both of the others have done some stuff on their own - middle spawn has replaced the screen on a couple of his phones, oldest repaired and refurbished an expensive espresso maker they bought on marketplace for cheap. I left that one a credible tool kit as a 'first apartment' gift when they moved across the country, so at least the tools are getting used).

 

[zendriver]

The average person doesn’t even try in many cases to use the “correct” thread size when trying to replace a Screw, or even the correct type of screw.
They’ll usually just look for the closest screw size in a bin of miscellaneous screws they may have.
Even “professionals” routinely do **** like this.

Ok, so what? Not everybody is as smart as we are. I get it.

My county has not has industrial art classes in over three decades, yet life seems to be functioning, to some extent. They never taught me screw size when I attended anyway. I figured it out somewhere along the line. I suspect others do as well, if they want or need to.

Using toothpicks or paper to shim a wallered out hole is also common.
Aa far as installing, you also need to know the proper drill size to use, and depth, and variations based on what material the blinds are being installed in.

If wall mounted, Instructions from the Chinese now days, generally have instructions on drill bit size (sometime including a cheap bit) and drilling depth, as well as other safety concerns.

Or, we'll just pretend the world is helpless (except for us). For lack of information on how to properly do nearly anything is not an issue at all any more, thanks to the Internet.