How much is cost a factor in your hand tool purchasing decision?

[CoThG]

How much of a priority do you put on cost when making a hand tool purchasing decision?
If you have multiple tools that are capable of doing the job, would you purchase a more expensive model based on certain intangibles such as country of origin, brand loyalty, perceived quality, peer pressure or reputation?

 

[Pinne]

I'll spend more for Made in USA products in general.
I'll also generally choose to buy originator/innovator products rather than knockoffs or clones.
Lastly, I try to buy things I won't need to replace due to quality issues if I am going to use them repeatedly.

All being equal, I'll generally buy the more affordable tool. I don't worry too much about it because I feel that I get good utility and value out of buying quality tools.

 

[908Jim]

Basically none. If the tool pays for itself in one or two uses, I don't really give it much thought.

Most of my tools have paid for themselves countless times over. If the nicer version of said tool pays for itself the first or second time, I don't feel guilty about spending a little extra to get what I really want.

 

[knucklehead 61]

i only buy high quality tools. almost everything is Snap-On in my main S-O boxes, like 95%.
the only harbor freight **** i have is a tool box to hold machine tools, end mills, & drill bits. it's actually a decent box for the cost, but i'll probably replace it eventually with another Snap-On box.

 

[zendriver]

I buy the top end Harbor Freight brands usually.

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

I don't turn wrenches for a living anymore but the majority of my tools date back to the 1980s. A mix of Hazet, Stahwille, Snap-On, Mac. Matco, and others. Not made in China.

I remember in 1980 a set of snap-on metric combination wrenches was $110. as a kid I was in shock at $11 for a single wrench.

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

I don't turn wrenches for a living anymore but the majority of my tools date back to the 1980s. A mix of Hazet, Stahwille, Snap-On, Mac. Matco, and others. Not made in China.

I remember in 1980 a set of snap-on metric combination wrenches was $110. as a kid I was in shock at $11 for a single wrench.

I'd take pre-owned (used) European made or USA Made tools from an estate sale or similar over most of the new **** from the giant land of the stick figure language. That is how I found my set of Snap-on metric 1/2" drive impact sockets from 10mm - 46mm. They were new on two rails and clips in the plastic for $95 not long after I moved to Texas.

 

[bugzilla46310]

Your age plays a factor also. My view on the longevity aka quality, of a tool is a lot different now being 65 than it was at say 25. But I tend to agree with Pinne’s comments.

 

[Steel_Rain]

I’ve found there are many, many cheap sons of *****, on GJ.

 

[micromind]

Cost matters very little to me anymore. I want a tool that does what it's supposed to do even if I abuse it.

I'll pay more for a tool that's made in USA but from what I've seen Taiwan makes some pretty good stuff too.

 

[Steve_P]

Price matters, but it's tough to define where to draw the line as it varies. I can afford Snap On, but I'm not going to pay a 3X premium if Wiha, Knipex.... also makes it. The reality is that today there are so many excellent tools from China and Taiwan that there is a drastic curve of diminishing returns in quality vs price. If a single Snap On socket is $30, is it worth 6X as much as a Tekton that's, making up numbers, 97% as strong? Is a set of PB Swiss hex keys worth $75? For some people here, yes, for me it's not. I used to be very willing to pay a large premium for USA made tools, I have a lot of SK and Williams from ~15 years ago, but if I was starting today, most of it would now be Taiwan made tools. Because the Taiwan made stuff is just such high quality now, with so many brands and a massive selection. The reality is that there are no metallurgy or manufacturing secrets- these are century old products and Snap On could set up a factory in India tomorrow and make the same socket there that they do in the US. Just like how Milwaukee manufactures cordless tools in Vietnam, and Wiha manufactures bits in Vietnam.

The Snap On and Matco stuff that I have is typically because there was no lower priced equivalent copy at the time. I have some USA Dynabrade air tools that I bought because I wanted the best and didn't really care that much about the price at that time. But today there are so many imported copies that I'd probably not do the same with air tools either.

The stuff that I would do the same today are Wiha screwdrivers, Knipex and NWS pliers.....

 

[shoggoth80]

Brand loyalty? Not much. I own truck brands, I own Harbor Freight, I have kit from parts stores, department stores, hardware stores, and some Amazon roulette stuff too. With that, I kinda float on the extremes... Plenty of it is Truck stuff and Harbor Freight.

Cost is absolutely a factor. Cheap tools still stack up in cost when you need enough variety to get stuff done. That said some specialized stuff you gotta pony up for. So it's kind of a wash. I look at what I needed to do the job, and how often I expect to do that kind of job.

In the past I've opted for whatever I could get to just get the job done. Having something was better than nothing (or daydreaming). Of course, I've also gotten some amazing deals on used stuff through knowing folks, thrift hunting, and sheer luck too.

Cost is a factor, just not the only one. There's not much sense in saving money doing jobs yourself if you're spending the price differential.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Cost is always a factor, unless your name is Rockefeller or Buffett. I buy the most reasonably priced tool that satisfies my use case.

 

[mngundog]

Cost is always a factor, unless your name is Rockefeller or Buffett. I buy the most reasonably priced tool that satisfies my use case.

Buffett would buy the Pittsburgh's with a coupon no doubt

 

[Fedwrench]

No real brand loyalty for me. I feel no one brand makes the best of everything so, I have a wide variety of brands in my boxes. Cost is balanced by my return on investment. Sometimes you need to spend a little more to get more out of a tool. I think feel and performance are the two most important things in selecting a tool for me. It could be a wonderful tool but, if I don't like the way it feels in my hand, it will gather dust and get rotated out for something else.
Country of Origin has evolved for me over the years. In my youth there was a wide variety of made in the USA quality tools and that was all I bought mostly from tool trucks or used in the secondary market. Recently however, that's not the case. I think things went astray when the Armstrong Plant shuttered. That plant made tools for so many different brands, I think it was a huge hit to US tool production that we still haven't recovered from. Additionally, tools today are just so much better than they used to be. The quality gap to me at least, between truck brand tools and others, has narrowed to the point that it's not worth it to me to choose a truck brand tool over something else unless the tool isn't offered somewhere else. An example of this would be the short version of the Snap on long nose slip joint pliers. I have those since no one else offers them yet. I tend to stay away from PRC made tools due to their lack of quality consistency I've seen in some items. However, I was very surprised at the quality of two recent Toolant purchases. The long pattern ratcheting flex head/fixed boxed end wrench set and more impressed with their standard length version which offers a reversible ratcheting boxed end. I've wanted a standard length version of this wrench style for years and was truly amazed/surprised that Toolant of all the brands out there would be the one to release them.

 

[finn]

How much of a priority do you put on cost when making a hand tool purchasing decision?
If you have multiple tools that are capable of doing the job, would you purchase a more expensive model based on certain intangibles such as country of origin, brand loyalty, perceived quality, peer pressure or reputation?

None of the items you listed have anything to do with how useful or productive a tool will be.

They’re all emotional descriptors that shouldn’t be in the equation if you’re looking for a tool to complete a task. Last I checked, that’s what tools are for: completing tasks. They’re not ego boosters.

 

[MovingAlong]

How much of a priority do you put on cost when making a hand tool purchasing decision?
If you have multiple tools that are capable of doing the job, would you purchase a more expensive model based on certain intangibles such as country of origin, brand loyalty, perceived quality, peer pressure or reputation?

1) Some, but "fit for purpose" is the driving requirement.
2) If I already have multiple tools that are "fit for purpose", I'm not buying another one.

Bullying, marketing, fear - these are synonyms (to me) for your words. They would not be well received in my shop/garage...

 

[BroncoAZ]

Cost always matters. I’m not a professional mechanic and my interests are all over the place. I generally shoot for an upper middle of the range but nothing tool truck level. USA/Japan/Germany/Taiwan in that order where possible depending on price. China is not my favorite, but I will buy when necessary and of course all my Milwaukee stuff is from China anyway. I refuse to buy any tools from India as the quality is ****. I generally settle on Taiwan for impact sockets and combination wrenches. I have a bunch of Wiha, GearWrench, and some old USA Craftsman stuff I bought 30 years ago. The Icon stuff at HF is becoming a go to at this point due to quality and cost/coupons, I bought a couple sets of Icon allen keys yesterday. For some tools I’ll splurge, I have some Koken ratchets and Knipex items that I enjoy using.

 

[larry_g]

It depends on why I need the tool. If I have a machine down that is costing money then the price of a tool is inconsequential compared to what downtime is costing. If I'm just adding to my collection and have time to shop around then cost can be a factor. I lean towards used good brand tools at a discount over new. I don't shop for perfect tools, bruises and owner marks are OK. I've never had a fastener complain about how a tool looks.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Over the last seven decades, I bought tools to fit job demands, with considerations regarding lower prices, good quality at a reasonable cost, or the best quality I could buy. Add that I have My like and dis-like lists of individual tools from practically all brands, and have absolutely no brand loyalty for any complete brand of tools, including Icon, Snap-on, Proto, Williams, Wright, ChiTaIwandia branded stuff, and a host of former USA brands. I would likely have far fewer bundles of Snap-on receipts if starting over. The internet is a good tool in itself; as it offers web shopping, price comparisons, and doorstep delivery service. Only bad thing is, the internet is the only dang tool I still make a monthly payment on

 

[Etchase]

Like every purchase, price, quality and delivery are the factors I consider. Traditional I know.

 

[dchawk81]

Definitely needed another one of these threads.

 

[MushCreek]

For my job (before I retired) I bought top-end stuff. It's interesting, though, I bought a cheap $10 General micrometer when I started in the trade 50 years ago. I eventually bought better and better mikes, and now have an Etalon ($$$) micrometer. You know what? The cheapie is just as accurate, even after 50 years of usage. I have a beautiful Gerstner tool chest, now $2000+. It's beautiful, but it does the same thing as a Harbor Freight box, only the HF is more practical. Yeah, I like nice stuff, but depending on the need, the cheap stuff often works just as well.

 

[richfinn]

Multimeters $$$$$$

Sockets/Ratchets/Extensions $$$$$

Pliers $$$$

Spanners $$$

Hammers $$

Toolboxes $

The only peer pressure I face is here on GJ, I hope that helps

 

[zendriver]

I’ve found there are many, many cheap sons of *****, on GJ.

They told some of us, when we were kids...

"money doesn't grow on trees!"

For many of us, that turned out to be an absolute fact.

 

[rust in the eye]

I’ve found there are many, many cheap sons of *****, on GJ.

Guilty
BUT I've been able to up my game considerably thanks to some of the members here that have shared the wealth so to speak by offering good prices for their own cast offs which has enabled me to have some nice things I wouldn't normally afford.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

If you have multiple tools that are capable of doing the job, would you purchase a more expensive model based on certain intangibles such as country of origin, brand loyalty, perceived quality, peer pressure or reputation?

By "have", do you mean having an adequate tool already, or having a choice of purchasing options?

If I found something owned was produced by forced labour under crimes against humanity, then yes I'd probably want to replace it for the above reasons alone.

perceived quality

Quality is mostly tangible.

 

[jives]

Depends on the intended usage. One-offs for a specific job, go cheap. Needed tool for the long haul and quality needed to get the job done right, price is less a factor.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Not very high, as long as I see the value in it - in terms of the tool alone, and what I'll do with it.

This is a luxury choice I'm fortunate to be able to make, and no shade to anyone who can't. I grew up with cheap *** tools, equipment, materials, vehicles etc. and while I learnt a lot it was pretty frustrating for everyone. I'm still young enough to get a long period of use from tools I buy.

It isn't the top reason, but I'll generally pay more for companies that support my view of how things should be in the industry and the world in general. Innovating, not taking advantage of people or ripping them/rivals off, being there for the long run, supporting countries and cultures that are aligned with my own, etc

I'm from country that's taken a huge downfall from when it led the world in making and innovating in so many fields, so this partially informs my views. Think, if everyone made their tool buying choices like you do, where are we going to end up in 50 years?

From the OP's list, COO yes, brand loyalty no, perceived quality yes, peer pressure no, reputation yes. Regarding peer pressure I'd actually be more likely to hear comments from less informed people for wasting money on "fancy tools that just come out of the same factory", and advice like "you could get a whole set of pliers from Amazon for the price of one of those Knipex".

 

[E46 Tony]

Cost always matters, I'm not made of money. That being said I'll splurge when it's justified or I can catch a bargain and I never buy bottom of the barrel cheap trash. When I started redoing my tool collection a few years ago phasing out mismatched and incomplete 90s/00s Craftsman I bought a lot of Icon because most of it hits the performance to cost sweet spot but I also bought higher end stuff like Vessel and PB Swiss screwdrivers, Snap-On flare nut wrenches and Knipex pliers because they simply outclass other offerings. Now that I have a solid set of tools that does everything I need I've been upgrading here and there, most recently adding a couple of Snap-On ratchets and 1/4 drive sockets.

 

[L.Cheapo]

How much of a priority do you put on cost when making a hand tool purchasing decision?

None. I work on things because I want to and I generally enjoy doing it. The way I see it I'm saving $215/hr vs. the dealership plus all the hassles of going there, so if I can reduce effort/frustration by spending more, so be it.

If you have multiple tools that are capable of doing the job, would you purchase a more expensive model based on certain intangibles such as country of origin, brand loyalty, perceived quality, peer pressure or reputation?

Ergonomics, quality, and to an extent, CoO do play a role in the decision.

I have a solid front axle Ram truck in the rust belt. These are notoriously difficult to get the ball joints out of. When I had to do mine, I bought the Snap On. I don't have the time or desire to mess around with something that might work. Again, considering the dealer's hourly labor rate, the tool nearly paid for itself the first time I used it, and now, used on the 'Bay, it currently sells for what I paid for it new back then.

I don't have brand loyalty. You'll find tools from most manufacturers in my boxes if they make a decent tool. I also think its fun to buy tools made locally--C.S. Osborne and Excel Blades come to mind where I live.

 

[Steve_P]

Buffett would buy the Pittsburgh's with a coupon no doubt

True. Unless something has recently changed, dude has lived in the same very modest small house for like 70 years; it looks like the rental house I had during college. He'd buy the Pittsburg and invest the $ saved.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

If I have a tool that will do the job I probably won't buy another.
If I am buying a tool that I will use many times in the future I will pay more for better quality or a tool that will do teh job better/easier.
I'm always ready to buy if I happen on a good deal for a high quality tool (new or used).

 

[paulsomlo]

I don't buy junk - I want tools that work well, because fixing stuff is frustrating enough. I certainly don't need Snap On or Nepros, etc., but I do try to buy USA, Japan, or Europe. I'll buy Taiwan, because I think there's a lot of bang for the buck there, but that's as low as I'll go.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I don't buy junk - I want tools that work well, because fixing stuff is frustrating enough. I certainly don't need Snap On or Nepros, etc., but I do try to buy USA, Japan, or Europe. I'll buy Taiwan, because I think there's a lot of bang for the buck there, but that's as low as I'll go.

To be fair, VERY hard to buy an actually ****** tool these days. You have to intentionally seek them out.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

If it's a tool I will use every single day and it will make my work better or more convenient, then cost is no factor. Not partial to country of origin, although I'll always see out German-made tools over anything else.

 

[pbon]

I would call myself an advanced DIYer. Have no snap on or Matco and don’t really care. If I used the tools to make my living, my opinion would likely be different. I have all sorts of brands and am not loyal to any one or two. I have bought more midrange and upper midrange tools in recent years since I am older and have more money now.

What is most important to me is getting the job done. It has been really rare that a tool has let me down or broken. What is more common is that a new tool would make the job easier. So I buy it. Does not have to be a big name or a high end name.

All my tools don’t match, either. That is not really important to me. I have splurged a little in the last few years to buy nicer matching flex head ratchets (icon), screwdrivers (Milwaukee), wrenches (geodore), and a vise (Wilton).

 

[Steve_P]

I don't buy junk - I want tools that work well, because fixing stuff is frustrating enough. I certainly don't need Snap On or Nepros, etc., but I do try to buy USA, Japan, or Europe. I'll buy Taiwan, because I think there's a lot of bang for the buck there, but that's as low as I'll go.

I get it, I'd rather buy Taiwan made than China, but China is 110% capable of making as good of almost any product as anyone, especially something stupid easy like hand tools. If you can make a cordless tool, and they make millions a year, you can make a high-quality 20th century product like a vise, wrench, socket.... if the purchaser will pay for it. I understand not wanting to support China for political reasons, but they can make quality. Their automotive factories are the most automated in the world; yes, more advanced than Japan, Germany, the US.

As said above, the Toolant ratcheting wrenches are fantastic. The Yost ADI vises are fantastic. I have some Strong Hand F-clamps and you could stamp germany/japan/swiss... on them and people here would pay 5X as much for them and never STFU about how fantastic they are. But since they're made in China, they're somehow junk.

 

[Bert_]

I want VALUE. I'm fine with paying a high price if that's what it takes to get something decent. But I'm totally fine with harbor freight or similar if it works just as good.

 

[blown94conv]

I’m going to buy the best tool I can, and keep it until I die. I’m not going into the twilight of my life with a garage of cheap tools, I‘ll get them now and enjoy them.

Seems superficial when I type it, but I’m happy, bills are all paid, wife doesn’t complain.