kctyphoon
Banned
Stop kidding yourself
making a living with value tools
- Thread starter jd_1138
- Start date
WittHay
Well-known member
I dont think mechanics tools were ever expensive for the individual or small business in the building trades.
furnaces, water heaters, automatic security gates, swimming pools are some examples of things that have been installed and repaired for decades.
I dont think tool trucks were tracked down or Proto special ordered. Sears, hardware stores, later on big box stores and HF, now online were or are the main source of tools for theses jobs
furnaces, water heaters, automatic security gates, swimming pools are some examples of things that have been installed and repaired for decades.
I dont think tool trucks were tracked down or Proto special ordered. Sears, hardware stores, later on big box stores and HF, now online were or are the main source of tools for theses jobs
Downwindtracker 2
Well-known member
By that I don't mean they were well made, rather to the tradesman buying them they were a frequently heavily considered purchase. I remember buying a Disston D-9 handsaw, one of the best new saws available in the early '70s, it was $46 . That was all my spending money for two weeks. No dating or no drinking. That is expensive.
dutchgray
Well-known member
In the UK they used to pay carpenters "tool money" every week, was just about enough to buy new saw files with to keep the saws sharp, the disposable hard point carpenters saw was one of the best things ever for site carpenters, saved so much time, until power saws took over.
I remember my uncle telling me his first Estwing hammer was a weeks wages back in about 1970, now they are about an hour's worth. He left that one hung on a rafter when he got called down one day and it walked.
Good tools can be had do cheaply now there is no reason to be using anything that isn't good. Really excellent tools are mostly still expensive.
RedneckWelder
Well-known member
Your $46 handsaw is $284 in 2020.
We are unbelievably blessed with a range of tool choices to suit budgets from small to large
I stay clear of cheap unbranded tools, and instead shell out on quality gear I use for work or in my little workshop. Quality Tools don't correlate with breaking the bank as such, usually Draper stuff is considerably well priced and lasts forever, is overall high quality and does not break the bank. I urge people, even for occasional DIY use to stick to Draper or clearance stock from brands like C.K, Wiha etc if they are on a budget. Cheap tools are a false economy.
BiggityBen
Well-known member
i deal with emergency calls in my line of work at all times of the night, weekends, holidays, you name it. they're luckily not very common though, once they hear our after-hours rates many issues can wait until normal business hours the next day if life support or millions of dollars of product is not on the line.
that said, clearly i work out in the field. there is always the issues of tools walking or being left on job sites you may never even go back to. but the other big issue is the worry of a tool breaking or otherwise failing. if you're working on something at 1 am and your craftsman breaks, there's no lowes you can go to for warranty or to buy a replacement. quality tools is still in your best interest, and not just for ease and avoidance of rounding fasteners. my service truck is mostly SK, Mac, SO, OTC & Lisle, for almost everything. things i'll definitely lose like most screwdrivers are all HF, and in duplicates in case of failures/losses.
that said, clearly i work out in the field. there is always the issues of tools walking or being left on job sites you may never even go back to. but the other big issue is the worry of a tool breaking or otherwise failing. if you're working on something at 1 am and your craftsman breaks, there's no lowes you can go to for warranty or to buy a replacement. quality tools is still in your best interest, and not just for ease and avoidance of rounding fasteners. my service truck is mostly SK, Mac, SO, OTC & Lisle, for almost everything. things i'll definitely lose like most screwdrivers are all HF, and in duplicates in case of failures/losses.
goforbroke
Well-known member
Buy what you can afford and upgrade on a needed basis.
Snapped-off
Well-known member
Some road guys I know buy cheap stuff to travel with. A whole lot easier if something gets lost or stolen at the airport or you leave something behind on the other side of the country.
Downwindtracker 2
Well-known member
Good idea, except what happens if none of those things happens. I now have a Mastercraft set from my last job before retirement. They are pretty good, chuckle.
My employer provides our tools. When we specify what we need we get good tools but when we make the mistake of not being specific our manager just orders the cheapest available from our supplier. I have been using the same Chinese Draper ratchet for over 12 years and a pair of the suppliers own brand Chinese pliers for the same amount of time. We have one pair of Neilsen Cat5 crimpers between us and they have also lasted for years. They are horrible, loose and rattly things though.
Cheap screwdrivers however are a waste of money.
Cheap screwdrivers however are a waste of money.
jgromada
Well-known member
my local thrift store had a Disston saw that looked pretty decent for only $2 last week. So ya gotta look around. I passed on the saw but they had a great Porter Cable router for only $10. I honestly think the people who price them have no clue what they are.
Downwindtracker 2
Well-known member
At the time the D-9 was $46, the Sandvik #280 was about the same price. This was almost half a century ago. At the fleamarket I've picked up Sandviks for maybe $5. They see the plastic handle and think cheap saw. The #280 might be one of the best made saws ever. I just happen to like the balance of skew backs better.
Ohmthis
Well-known member
“Value” is in the eye of the beholder. Everything has a “value” whether high or low. I can buy a $100 dollar ratchet that lasts 50 years of use. I can also buy a $25 ratchet that will last 15 years of use. Some will say my ratchet will outlast me. And some will say I can buy three and still have $25 in my pocket. In my career I spend money that are high wear tools. Screwdrivers, 9” linesman pliers, diagonal cutters, knock outs, etc. Wrenches, sockets and the like can be less spendy. A diagnostic tool like a meter or amp probe, I’ll buy much higher quality. I’m still using a lot of my craftsman tools that I bought 22-25 years ago. If one breaks now though, I replace them with Proto
MushCreek
Well-known member
I always had Craftsman ratchets, and they're pretty rough. I also have an SK that's not very good. A couple years ago, I bought a couple GearWrench ratchets, and they're so smooth!
I've been using the same set of SK combination wrenches for 45 years. I also have two big Snap-On wrenches- 1-1/8, and 1-1/4. They gave them to us at work. They're they ONLY wrenches I have with failed plating. They flaked and rusted in several places, despite the fact that I've only used them a few times.
I think the point is that many $25 ratchets will now last 50 years just like the $100 ones. Many inexpensive tools are high quality these days. The perception that you get what you pay for isn't necessarily as true as it once was.
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sberry
Banned
sberry
Banned
Statistically speaking the Cman ratchet has to be one of the worSt tool ever made considering on how many were replaced and they made that lame suckered for so long.
Ohmthis
Well-known member
Absolutely! That’s the point I was trying to make if it didn’t come across that way.
sberry
Banned
One of my best was a thing I bought on the counter at the parts store decades ago, a teckton type thing. It was used like an army base ho,,, in the pool way more than a single user would give it. Still works with only slightly more wear than it started with. I over paid then, about 20$ but way better than the Napa it replaced that never worked from day one, neither did it's replacement which I swear were Sears returns.
I was at a store in a small strip mall yesterday. The end shop had an overhead door and the sign said it was some sort of equipment company. There was a bobcat and a track hoe parked on the side. I noticed one of their guys welding on a trailer in the parking lot with a 120 V Harbor Freight MIG. Whatever gets the job done I guess.
I think the c-man raised panel ratchets got a bad wrap because people didn't know how to take care of them. Don't get me wrong... there were some duds over the years but some were pretty good.
I got a couple of c-man ratchets that were locked up tight a couple weeks ago. A =V= series 1/2" from the 50's and a -V- series 3/8" from the 80's. Cleaned and lubed them and gave them back to their owners. Both worked great when I was done with them. Lube then every 3-5 years and they will last forever.
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Those **** (low tooth count, so it's harder to use in tight spots), but probably a lot were replaced due to misuse. Everyday idiots using them to break fasteners lose. Sure put that 6 foot jack handle on it! Let's see if this thing has balls!
Plus the sheer number of them sold. They are probably the most common ratchet of all time.
RPH
Well-known member
Worked my whole career in the field, from Hobart commercial / industrial food machines to multi-million dollar induction heat treat machines. Global service, it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere The only area I worry about is my instruments, high quality fluke meters, Tektronix scopes, power supplies. Hand tools I prefer SK, but when tsa mandated no locking the tool box the good tools came out. In went USA made kobalt. I still use high quality screw drivers (Wera) ,insulated torque drivers. We have been mandated to check torque on all wire connections. Hand tools are just that. A tool to get the job done, instruments can be my life!
SilverBulletZ06
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2017
- Messages
- 165
Time vs money.
If it is going to cost me 1 hour of time to file or sharpen or I can spend $10-20 for a new replacement tool.. well my time is worth more then 10-20/hr.
I can sharpen a hand saw with a file in less time than it takes to drive to the store and get a new one... and it sure doesn't take me an hour. I don't think most people know how to sharpen a saw (or do any tool upkeep or maintenance) these days.
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dutchgray
Well-known member
I buy disposable hard point handsaws by boxes of 10, they work out about £7 each (about $10) you just get a new one out when you need one, the older ones are great for cutting drywall and I even use them to cut the light weight masonry blocks we use building internal skins of houses.
Mechanical Noise
Well-known member
Yup. I got some of those ratchet and socket kits back when Sears was selling them cheap, say, $9.99. I had 4 brand new Craftsman pear head ratchets from the kits plus about 5 old pear heads.
So, I decide to clean up the old ones and lube 'em all up. I was surprised to see how poorly machined some of those ratchets were. Deep grooves and a couple of the spring holes were drilled visibly off center. Stuff like that and I'd think they'd stop and get their tooling dialed in. Maybe not.
The ratchets had their own idiosyncrasies. Different backdrags, different noises, etc. They all worked, but they should have seemed pretty much identical.
So, I'm not surprised that some people find the Craftsman pear heads fine and others say they're junk. Because some of the ratchets really are fine and alot of them are junk right from the get go.
Downwindtracker 2
Well-known member
Once apon a time when I was skinny and had lots of dark hair, Craftsman mechanics' tools were considered quality.
sberry
Banned
I made a mistake of trading a couple wonky old round heads for pears, they aint been right since. Some Sears tools were good, some ok, I bought a bunch in 80 and they had changed to junk then. I was kind of disappointed when they came. The sockets were a problem. Wrenches clumsy but strong.
I see sets are smaller today than the super master set I bought. The tools are about the same but cost a lot less.
I see sets are smaller today than the super master set I bought. The tools are about the same but cost a lot less.
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joel63
Well-known member
American Locomotive
Well-known member
From what I've seen: Industrial mechanics and traveling service/repair people really do not care about any particular brand. I worked on multi-million dollar CNC machines with harbor-freight quality tools before. Many of the service techs that would come to our shop had low-rent tools as well.
If a tool broke frequently, or a brand-name version was significantly better ergonomically or functionally - then yeah we'd go and buy the good stuff. But otherwise, we'd just buy whatever worked. It's not like we were trying to pinch pennies either - the company told us point blank we could buy whatever we wanted and needed.
I think ultimately what it comes down to though, is that at the end of the day those tools and the tool box they were in were not mine. So I didn't care about what anyone else thought about my tools, and the same goes for everyone else. There was no "pride" over who had the biggest shiniest toolbox filled with the most expensive tools. The opposite seems to be true for people in the automotive industry. They seem to almost worship their tools and take immense pride in them.
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measuredtwice
Well-known member
I never said life used to be easier back then. Just that said today people view everything as disposable.
There was no internet back then. Back then there was no place to spend time posting about how much time we save by not sharpening--haha.
At the age of 5, my grandfather taught me how to sharpen. Now we pay $99 for an Alexa and $119 for Amazon Prime so that we don't have to go to the store or sharpen our tools.
I agree.