Justifying your tool purchases

[BFBOB]

Not exactly tools, but once at an auction I bought a pallet of miscellaneous used electrical stuff for $12. My highly tolerant wife did just a bit of an eyeroll, but no real complaint - though Ill have to admit at a glance the stuff looked pretty much like scrap iron. I'll bet it was only a week later that she wished aloud that there was an outlet right there. I sauntered out to the garage to my heap of stuff, and within an hour she had her outlet. He shoots! He scooooooorrrrrssss!
In that batch there were close to three dozen ho$pital grade duplex outlet$.

 

[larry_g]

OOOH Shiny, is justification for me.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Bobcat753]

There is no justification needed. If you want it or need it then you buy it. I can't wait to buy my next tool which is completely impractical, a Fluke Scopemeter. I will have very little use for it but hey I want it!

 

[NUTTSGT]

The money I save by doing the job myself, pays for the tools that I buy.

If I borrow a tool and break it, then I have to buy the lender a new tool. That's a tool I could have bought for myself.

If I want it, I buy it.

If somebody else on GJ has it, shows it off, it's required that I buy it.

 

[johndeereman]

I'm with nuttsgt on this one.

 

[Regal2800]

if you want it and you can afford it, you should get it. As others have mentioned, life is short.

 

[strength_and_power]

It isn't what the tool costs, it is what it costs you if you don't have it. It is hard to put a value on doing something you enjoy and life is short.

 

[Raven GT]

It's justified if it ticks the following boxes :

* Will it save me time, effort or money ?

Contractors, Mechanics, etc. All cost a lot of money with no guarantee it will
be done right, or that they won't try to scew me over.... again.
Why pay someone X amount when i can do it the right way myself for less,
including the price of needed tools.

Also, sometimes its actually cheaper to buy something than rent it ,
specially if you are going to need it more then once.


* Is the price / quality right ?

I buy most of my tools cheap.
High quality tools, but i like to get stuff for the best possible price.
Sometimes its new on sale, or in a blow out sale.
Bigger stuff , i usually wait till i find what i want, for a reasonable price.
Usually this means buying stuff that needs some TLC because of lack of
Maintenance, operator error, or sheer stupidity at near scrap prices, and
fixing it up.

Im not rich and i love fixing stuff, so to me its a win - win

 

[Handyfarmer]

if I need it and it helps and saves the part and is the correct way to do the project,
Yes there are many times work abounds, but usually they are not the best way to do it, and many times nearly destroying the parts or parts that could have been salvaged,

and it seems like so much takes "special tools", most of my stuff is old and used, my last car I bought for $125, from a junk yard, we have had it now for 10 or so years and about 100,000 miles later still going strong, but the most problem has been the crank shaft pick up coil, it has gone out a couple of times, (it takes special puller bolts, a special tool to align the pick up coil, and in general a pain to get to, (through the wheel well), the tools are nearly 100% needed, tried with out them and had to replace the coil in a few months, do to miss alignment, but when I run into a problem, I usually try to get the correct tool to repair correctly,

I would say need is my biggest reason, (and from the looks of my shop I must have a lot of needs).

 

[toolaholic]

Wifey mad that I got it. Because I was honest and said it was a want and not a need. When I use it I will show her the job. I need and want the cut back but that wright was cheap and beautiful.

 

[toolaholic]

I'm a gadget person. That being said I have really stepped up in the last couple of years and do a lot of what to on the vehicles. At first I bought tools to feel good about myself. My step dad never showed me how to do anything and made fun of me. But my best friend who is s mechanic taught me a lot.

 

[94_C/1500]

When it comes to buy tools, I buy only if I need it or have needed it. I don't have piles of money so I buy what I need. Almost bought a 1 inch drive breaker bar but I have no use really. I won't even get a bigger air compressor because I don't have to have my air tools. Can't afford it, so I don't buy it.