Sensible guidelines for toolbuying?

[mtkst19]

I'm an auto tech so it depends. Things like triple square sockets,... there's no sense in buying the best.

i assume you dont work on european stuff then?


when i buy tools for work, i base it on the following-- do i need it, will it make my job easier? will it make my job faster. if it dos not pass one of those 3 i dont buy it.

price im not as concerned with for my work tools as it gets wrote off on taxes at the end of the year. way i see it, if i spend 100 on say a snap on tool, and could buy a cheap one for 10 bucks-- why buy the snap on. Well, if the cheap one works but then starts rounding fasteners-- wasting an hour of labor or two hours to remove a broken/rounded bolt costs me more money than just dropping the 100 on the snappy tool to begin with. paying more now actually saves me over the life of my career. i still have another 30+ years before i can retire and truth be told i like my profession i dont want to retire.

as for my home garage. i buy hand tools based on bang for the buck. everything is used name brand usa stuff. it is a mix and match but all nice stuff. the smorgasboard of wrecnhes and sockets actually lets me try other brands that i dont normally have in my work box

shop equipment wise for my home garage-- i buy the best i can for cheap. this is done by combing auctions and craigslist. having a fist of cash does wonders when a garage is closing up shop and needs to have the place empty in less than a week. ill buy and slowly upgrade and sell off the old version to recoup money.

dont get me wrong, i own some hf stuff in both my home and work box. they have some good products for the price too. if it fits your needs by all means go for it. yet truth be told, i outfitted my home box w/ used name brand stuff on par to what hf costs. its all a matter of wheeling and dealing.

 

[shampoop]

i assume you dont work on european stuff then?

I do, but not enough to justify buying a snapon set over a different brand like sunex. Whereas for my hex and torx bits I bought all Snapon. For the triple squares I don't care as much about the chrome finish, and I don't use them often enough to worry about a warranty if i break one. Plus I don't think stripping will be as much of an issue, they're only used on german cars that use good quality fasteners, whereas hex and torx is used by companies who put ************* fasteners that will strip if you look at them wrong on their vehicles.

$26
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YKH8ZY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

vs.

$187
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...8&group_ID=282&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

[ovilla]

I make sure I have (or buy) everything I think I will need for a specific job. If I end up not having to use a certain tool, then I at least know that it will be there for the next job (which removes the guilt of having spent good money on something that wasn't needed).

I don't really care too much about who makes a tool as long as it's from a good name brand and comes with a good warranty and has a great fit (think ergonomic). I know this is weird but with all of the outsourcing and COO debates going on, I'm not sure I trust anyone anymore. Just when you think something is exclusively USA made, you later find out that it's only maybe partially assembled here.

Sockets - I'll sometimes buy a complete set, but if I know that I only need one item from the set, and can't picture ever needing any of the other pieces, then I'll just buy the one item. This is very rare though as my OCD will kick in and I'll be thinking that the one socket will be lonely without the rest of the set (anybody else ever feel this?). Plus, having gaps on a Hansen tray really irks me.

Ratchets - These are used a LOT so they have got to be comfortable. I use to have a simple 3 piece set to cover all the sizes. After being on this site for a few years, I now have a full drawer full of them, but all in different lengths and sizes. Any duplicates get sent to the the portable toolbox.

Screwdrivers - I seriously don't understand how folks can get by with anything less than 40-50 screwdrivers (to cover every size/length and even torx that may be needed). Screwdrivers are like nails or screws - one size doesn't fit all. Hence, you simply have to be prepared so just get a decent set from the get-go.

Finally, start small and just keep adding to the collection one tool at a time. If you find that you use a tool a lot, and you keep wearing it out or breaking it, then definitely move up to the better brand as soon as you can.