Sensible guidelines for toolbuying?

[PepperCrab]

What are some of yours? When do you spend for the best, when do you settle for something less? Pls share.

 

[mrholeshot]

Buy the best you can afford. Don't look at just a brand name.

 

[illmatyk]

Buy the best you can afford. Don't look at just a brand name.

Thats great advice right there!

As for me, If i need a tool right away it'll either be Napa or Cman as there is no SO etc etc here. I do have some SO wobble extensions, 3/8 impact and some screwdrivers. Some stuff I get from on here too if the seller is willing to ship to me.

 

[expatriated]

My evolution was this:

1. I just need a couple of things for around the house.
2. Why on earth would a guy need more than 1 ratchet???
3. I don't want to pay too much. They're just tools.
4. Wow, some of the tools on GJ are really pretty nice.
5. Maybe I'll pay a little more for quality.
6. This new Craftsman stuff kinda *****
7. Snap-on really isn't THAT expensive if it lasts.
8. $50 shipping with a 6 week wait time for one German wrench--no problem! It's only money.
9. Life isn't worth living if I can't get a fully stocked Hazet Assistent
10. I need to paint my garage to match my tool box


My point being, you can try to be sensible with tool buying but it's a losing battle. My experience at least.

 

[PepperCrab]

I'm getting such that I'm trying to buy the best even for a socket I'd probably only use once or twice at most...that can't be good.

 

[expatriated]

I'm getting such that I'm trying to buy the best even for a socket I'd probably only use once or twice at most...that can't be good.

My guess is that you'd test positive for the disease

Seriously, all joking aside, personally I've found that if I didn't buy what I really wanted to start with, I ended up buying something less and then later buying what I wanted to start with anyway. So, I spent more money trying to get Craftsman to satisfy my Snap-on desire, as an example. If I had it to do over again, I'd just buy what I really wanted at the outset and saved time, money and hassle.

If you can do it, of course. I'm not a pro so it wasn't like I needed to buy a huge set for work. If I had to do that and didn't have the money, then I probably would have just bought a big Craftsman set until I could afford something else.

By the best you can afford is always the best advice. Determing what you can afford is sometimes the tricky part I'm not sure I've ever heard someone say, "Man, I wish I hadn't bought such high-quality stuff." But, the reverse is often true.

 

[Rickster]

I'm not a pro mechanic, I wrench on my old Mustang. I have a lot of the OLD Craftsman sockets and Cornwell sockets because they are a good value. I use my ratchets a lot and I have spent extra dollars there with Snap-on, Matco, Cornwell, SK and Proto. I have a fair share of ratchets because different styles help to get the job done. My wrenches are mix of wide beam styles because that's what feels good in my hands; Armstrong, Matco, Bonney, some older round beam BluePoint's, raised panel Craftsman and some Craftsman Pros even though they are a bit thinner. All my toolboxes and 80% of my tools were purchased "used", again to maximize dollar value. Screwdrivers are a mixture of manufacturers but I like the Snap-on's and the old soft black handle Craftsmans best.

 

[jeffk14]

It depends on you. If you want to "collect" tools and be proud to show them off, then maybe you need to spend the money on premium truck brands. I'm not saying that that's all they're good for. Far from it. Snap On, Hazet, etc are fine tools. They just command a very, very high premium.

I like mrholeshot's advice. Get the best that you can afford. And to add to that, get at least what you'll be happy with long-term. No sense buying twice.

As for me, I have a mix of Snap On, Mac, Matco, Cman, HF and countless other miscellaneous brands, not necessarily in any order.

My "point of pride" comes in having a very high degree of versatility and capability in my collection at a low price that demonstrates a long journey of smart buying decisions, bargain hunting and careful shopping.

One analogy I like to use is to compare tools to rifle scopes. Not all that many years ago, to get a really good rifle scope, you had to pay the money. In recent years, reasonably priced scopes have come along that rival the premium models of yesteryear. To a degree, the same is true with tools.

Keep in mind that with the flood of (mostly imported) tool choices that we have today, some completely serviceable, reasonably attractive tools/sets can be had for around ten cents on the dollar compared to Snap On and other premium brands. Most of my recent purchases have been to take advantage of this trend.

 

[W650Mike]

MrHoleshot's advice is sound.

Value is more important to me than brand - that's why I have a variety of brands. The classifieds here can help with truck brands at value pricing. I try for USA made whenever possible.

 

[49tandc]

If it is a tool you use frequently - buy the best you can afford. Don't rule out used tools(swap meet, pawn shops, garage sales).

If it is something I use infrequently - I will look to pawn shop first!

As I find better quality replacements, the cheaper ones go into the truck-toolbox left or the carry-one for the salvage yard trips.

49T&C

 

[HandyManny]

I look for good quality above anything else. Doesn't have to be over-priced or a big name brand either. Though there are still a few brands out there I've stuck with over the years that never seem to disappoint me. To start with I'll still look first for USA made tools, but they have to be up to quality standards. I'm no longer above buying Taiwan made tools if the quality is equal or better for equal or less money than a domestic. In a few cases lately I've paid a little bit more for a Taiwan made tool over a USA made one on grounds of superior quality. These days COO just isn't a good indication of quality levels anyway, not sure that it ever was. Anymore if I need something either specialized or in a real hurry I'll go to NAPA, Carquest, Autozone, Advance Auto Parts, or check my local Ace, Lowes, or Home Depot too. We even have a tool store called Tool Zone where I live. MSC Industrial has rarely let me down also. I have made a concseaous decision to avoid most new Craftsman stuff if I can help it. Although I will admit that there are still a few certain good handtools offered by Craftsman, but that number is shrinking day by day.

I have pretty much everything I need for mechanics tools and for general around the house type tools. Acquired most of those tools years ago. I'd say about 98% of what I have is all older high quality USA made hand tools with most spanning from the late 1950's through the late 1980's. I do have a few German made tools and few Taiwan made tools too, and have been very pleased with them. I'm more interested in what the tool can do for me or how well it does at assisting me in upkeep and repair of my vehicles and home, rather than in how prestigous or fancy the tools brand name is.

 

[PepperCrab]

Ok, I think it'll be useful to ask, what constitutes an acceptable brand today? I'd like to hear your views of the most marginal brands that you'll accept, because everyone already knows the good (and expensive) ones.

Is Stanley considered an acceptable brand? I think most of its stuff is made in Taiwan, although Taiwanese tools also run the gamut from very good quality to junk (although I haven't been seeing much junk nowadays, they're becoming quite good).

 

[HandyManny]

Ok, I think it'll be useful to ask, what constitutes an acceptable brand today? I'd like to hear your views of the most marginal brands that you'll accept, because everyone already knows the good (and expensive) ones.

Is Stanley considered an acceptable brand? I think most of its stuff is made in Taiwan, although Taiwanese tools also run the gamut from very good quality to junk (although I haven't been seeing much junk nowadays, they're becoming quite good).

Stanley quality is often hit and miss. They still make some good quality tools, but they also offer some junk too. It's just a matter of avoiding what's let you down before. People can say what they want about Stanely, but the fact is that everybody uses Stanley tools to some extent, everybody, pro and DIYer alike.

 

[BQuicksilver]

1) Give HF a try, their quality has been improving at a rapid pace.
2) In the event #1 fails, or is a tool where I can't afford failure (it does sometimes does) I'm now justified to spend $$ on a top-tier tool
3) If it's a go-to tool like #2 phillips or 3/8 ratchet why not get the best out there? You'll be using it all the time, so have SO stuff there...your friends will be impressed when they see your ratchet. They won't notice your SO extensions. BTW Wera screwdrivers ended up being better.
4) Every time i buy a German tool, I end up being pretty impressed.

 

[HandyManny]

3) If it's a go-to tool like #2 phillips or 3/8 ratchet why not get the best out there? You'll be using it all the time, so have SO stuff there...your friends will be impressed when they see your ratchet. They won't notice your SO extensions. .

Could just be me, but I've never been too concerned with my friends being impressed with my choice of tools or tool brands. I'm more concerned with my own reputation and that reputation comes from my work be done right. Someone who knows what they're doing and who does it right can do it with just about any good tool brand. But that's just been my experience in life.

 

[YellowLakeWelding]

I found as my career progressed so did my tools, started with craftsman and moved onto buying from the tool truck. At first it made more sense to buy craftsman because of the price and there "was" some qaulity there but after certain tools would break then having to drive hours to get them replaced when I needed them right away wasn't practical any longer so the next logical thing was the tool truck. Every week it stops at my garage so I never have to close down and chance missing a customer because I needed to have a tool replaced. But it all depends on your situation, how much you use the tools, your budget, inteded use and esentially what your wife/girlfriend will let you get away with. I'm fortunate enough to not be attached to anything but my toolchest at the moment so it's all out, spend all my money now on tools and beer before I settle down and find myself being not allowed to do that. As for brands...the sky is the limit, these days so many manufactures produce qaulity tools and have reasonable warranties so again it's whatever is within one's means.

What are some of yours? Well it's really a **** shoot in my tool chest, there's Snap-On, Mac, Matco, Craftsman, Proto, Chicago Pnuematic, etc... there's just about a little bit of everything in there.


Settling for less? Not at all, I have all the basics more than covered with high qaulity and most of the diagnostics also for my line of work are high qaulity. But for some instances they have made available cheaper specialty tools that may only see the light of day once a year then I'm more willing to opt for that than spend four times the amount just to have that brand name but if it's a specialty use tool that gets used frequently I'll spend the money to get the qaulity.

 

[nikonica]

Nowadays, I buy the best for the stuff I keep in the garage, and the mid-grade tools end up in the portable tool box where they continue to serve me well. But I only buy tools when I'm getting a good deal - used tools, closeouts at Harry Epstein, Proto tools with a 30% discount coupon code at MSC, super-cheap KD and Allen closeouts at www.cripedistributing.com, etc. For me, this strategy rules out buying new Snap-On tools, because the list prices are just too high for me, even though the tools are excellent.

I plan on using my tools for decades, and so I choose the stuff that I like the most. My decisions, however, are guided by the fact that I like tools almost as much if not more than I like the cars and motorcycles that I use them to work on; I just enjoy using tools whenever I can. If I didn't care about the tools and just wanted to get the job done, then I think modern Taiwanese tools and other inexpensive options are fully capable of getting the job done and lasting for many years.

Of course, I also am guided by my own personal decision to purchase made-in-USA items (not just tools) whenever I can. We still have some great made-in-USA tools available at reasonable prices, so that is what I choose.

 

[american lockpicker]

I try to buy the absolute best but its not always possible(too expensive at the moment, not available here, outsourced, no longer made, etc.)

One of the most important things to me is where is it made. I won't buy it unless its made in US, Europe, Japan, Israel, or a commonwealth country. Also I like tools to be rust resistant(stainless or chrome plated) as I live in a place thats very humid half the year and tools rust like crazy.

When buying I always shop around and use coupons or price match when ever possible. My tools don't make me money so I can rarely justify paying full price unless its something rare I need to import or its no longer made.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I try to buy the best quality tools I can, but I also don't buy what I don't need.

 

[Tdbo]

1.Determine the usage of the tool in question. If it is something you use all the time, utilize the good advise that has been offered here and buy the best you can afford. In the long run, it is cheaper to do so and you will have no regrets.

2. If it is something you will use infrequently or rarely, look at cheaper options. For instance, ten years ago, I needed a carpet kicker. Bought the $9.99 special at HF. It did the job and now sits in my tool chest because I have never had use for it again. I put the money I saved on that purchase toward better tools that I use several times a week, if not daily.

 

[HandyManny]

I try to buy the best quality tools I can, but I also don't buy what I don't need.

I must admit that I've always been guilty of buying tools that I didn't need at the moment. If I saw a tool I thought I'd need down the road or something that looked like it would come in handy I'd just buy it right there. That was especially true of some tools that were becoming rare or starting to get outsoruces I'd get it while it was still a good tool. I wouldn't say I bought tools I didn't need. I bought tools I knew I'd need eventually

 

[jam0o0]

i go about this in the complete opposite way from most of yall. i got started with USA made craftsman. and i like my tools to match. i can't find the tool i need if the sets are all mixed up. so i keep buying craftsman for hand tools. but that's about all i get from them. i've found that harbor freight air tools are just as crappy as lowes and Home depot versions. so i get HF cause they are less. and i just can't see how a SO die grinder is 10X better than my cheapy import.

all my simple heavy garage items, jack stands, press, creeper, etc are HF too. cause they will get the job done and cost less than everyone else. all my grinders are HF too. they last just as long as the 10X the cost lowes brands.

my trail tool box is full of random brands cause i don't care what's in it. nothing i fix on the trail is permanent and i lend and lose so many tools out of that set that it is full of whatever random things i can find.

 

[oldwino]

A majority of my hand tools are 60-70 vintage craftsman, snappies, klein, williams, and/or equal. It's very rare when I need to purchase additional hand tools, but when I do I look at the ouch factor. If I'm really reefin' on a tool and it breaks, stretches or whatever, how big is the ouch? Bigger the hurt, better the tool.

Power tools are pretty much all professional grade...Milwaukee, Bosch, Dewalt, etc.

The only benefit of getting old after working in the trades for 40+ is that you have some pretty good tools to get you through your days

 

[canuckian]

I always buy the best quality tool that I can afford. I used to buy whatever was on sale in big box stores. Those tools got the job done (used mostly to keep whatever piece of **** car I had on the road) but caused much frustration. But, they were the best I could afford at the time. Now that I'm at a stage in my life where I don't have to worry as much about money and where my financial "needs" are under control, I can afford to buy a little higher quality tools.

so, in short, my approach is to buy within your means.

 

[scott37300]

One thing I try to do is plan ahead and buy quality used tools at decent prices. I try to never "need" a tool right away. If I have to have a tool that day I usually have to settle for a low to mid grade quality tool for full price. If I have some time to shop around and do some homework I can buy used or find sales in order to get the best quality tool at a decent price. I can't stand being forced to buy a low quality tool in order to finish a job when I could have bought used or found a sale and got quality for the same price.

So I am always on the lookout for deals on tools, even if I don't need them right away but think I will use them down the road I will buy them if the deal is right. One example is I bought a snap on bubble flare kit off ebay for about 40 bucks shipped, they are 130 new. I have never needed to make a bubble flare but if/when I do I have a nice kit for dirt cheap price. Another example is I bought a set of mastercool A/C guages for around 40 bucks shipped that were pretty much brand new. Never used A/C guages before but if/when I do I have a really nice set for the price of HF. I know this doesn't make sense to have a ton of money invested in tools that I don't use but in my opinion it's worth it if I use most of the tools even a couple times.

 

[american lockpicker]

Don't go into debt buying tools. Save up and get something you want/need or buy used or a less expensive brand.

 

[REAL HOT SCHITT]

yeah im a scroooge, i buy from industrial auctions, workshop closedowns, ebay, garage sales and on the spot at the rite time type of thing.
also when people go bust.

a year ago or so i went to my ex place of employment which was a big foundery / engineering shop....for 70 odd years the place as towns biggest employers "gillies manufacturing and foundery".....some1 in the family (will not name) ran the place with a hard head and the siblings from various family members of same name wanted out as the reigns were so tite that no one wanted to take it over.

hence the plant was sold and a auction for small plant was held.
it was advertised and held on a grey, muggy, foggy winters day.....instead of having 200plus bidders there, there was me and 20 others...out of that 10 including me got stuff cheap as.

 

[Shipfittin]

As the other fellas have said, I try to buy what I need or am going to need down the road. If it's something that I'll never need then I don't go out of my way to buy it just to have another tool in the box.

I try not to buy tools based on what brand they are or are not. I like to get a good look and feel of a tool before I buy it. I'd hate to get home and find out I just bought a set of sockets that have sharp edges on them.

I also think that the most important thing you can do is get the right tool for the right job. If you know you have to remove a bolt that is torqued down, get a breaker bar. Or if you need a chisel, don't grab a flat head.

And if you can, test a tool out before you buy it. I always see people buying levels and have no idea if they are reading right or not. I've been to a big box store and gone through almost an entire box of levels before I found one that was reading right.

 

[t100]

lots of good pointers already. I would say weight in the consequences. here is an example. a $10 torque wrench can cause a simple $100 valve cover job becomes a $1500 head+timing job, and that $1500 is out of your pocket. now that $300 torque wrench seems awfully cheap.

if you are home owner just to change your door handle, don't buy a $20 screwdriver, use that money buy a better handle.

 

[wave180]

I'm not a pro and my wallet tells me that the best quality tools that I can afford are Craftsman, GearWrench, Husky, (mostly) HF and sometimes from swap meets and garage sales .

 

[tkcaudill]

I buy the best there is Snapon , Matco , Cornwell but I only buy when they have the tool sales going on , my biggest weakness is they take weekly payments which my bills add up quick on the 3 trucks .

 

[treasureseeker]

Based on past need and future interest I have a tool set I would like to own and buy the deals that fit my list. When I worked for Roush they had a tool set to start with as a prototype mechanic and what they expected you to have in a year, which I use for reference. No one I worked with had all the items and most people shared. If I could figure out how to post an Excel page I would post the list.

 

[Ritter4.0]

Air tools, cordless tools, and other power tools I always try to buy new. I do look at cheaper ones first because I am willing to modify them in the down time at work, my $50 Kobalt air drill now performs just as well as a $200 drill.

As far as hand tools, if I reeaaalllyyy want it, I will buy it new. I usually check the pawn shop for a used one first though, and wind up with a few handfuls of name brand stuff for $20-$25.

 

[leod]

just buy what you want/like and always pay in cash.

 

[BQuicksilver]

Could just be me, but I've never been too concerned with my friends being impressed with my choice of tools or tool brands. I'm more concerned with my own reputation and that reputation comes from my work be done right. Someone who knows what they're doing and who does it right can do it with just about any good tool brand. But that's just been my experience in life.

I'm just saying the guys are a tad more likely to come help wrench if you're using good tools. If handling a nice tool makes them happy I'm in. That HF ratchet will do the same job the SO one will, so it really has zero impact on the quality of work you do. I'm not a pro wrench, so most of my work is on my own toys. Of course I'll do top notch work there.

 

[crewchief888]

for the most part if it's soemthing i use every day, i buy a truck brand, home tools are a mixed bag of CM, truck brands, sk, stanley, and HF.

i dont have to depend on home tools, if i break something, my service truck is 40 ft away.
anymore my tool buying is done at flea mkts, swap meets,a local used tool store, and the occasional garage or estate sale.

if i have an absolute need for a particular tool, i base the purchase on 1) will i use it again? 2) price 3) availability. having multiple big box stores, sears, hf, a used tool store, and multipleauto parts chains within 15 minutes, i have a choice of what to buy, and when to buy it.

 

[justanengineer]

My guidelines are a bit different than most on here. I hit at least one auction every weekend - farm sales, auto shops, industrial etc, and occasionally an estate sale. I have more than enough tools collected that I rarely ever NEED to buy something new, and between the mill, lathe, and shaper, I can make most of the occasionally NEEDed items. I enjoy auctions because I revel in the thrill of getting a deal on tools, but wont hesitate to go home empty handed. I set what most would find a pretty ridiculously low limit (to me its called being realistic) on items I want, and most of the time I get things for below that limit. I could pretty easily get $25k (though many on this site would think $35k) for the tools I currently own, having downsized for my recent move to the midwest, but likely dont have $5k in them. That being said, I only buy top quality, which is simple in this economy at shop closure auctions.

 

[greasemonkey44]

just buy what you want/like and always pay in cash.

its the only way to go.
if youre in hock for your tools that 100 dollar ratchet becomes a 120 dollar ratchet
i started with a 10mm wrench and a flat head screw driver. you can do almost any thing with the simplest of hand tools, they arent the best or most expensive but they will get it done.
i buy cheap, HF or northern first then replace whatever i use most or if i see a better item ill craftsman it. as you use your tools theyll tell you what you need next. i rebuilt a whole truck with pittsburg wrenchs and the socket set. they paid for themselves and much more, i still use them in the junk yard.
basically buy what you can afford and you might realize that you dont need a 210 $ wrench set, i sure as hell dont at work.
now its all craftsman, northern, gearwrench and handmedown snap on but ive got a cart and a box and i owe no one any money everyweek good luck to you and i hope you make the right decision that brings you joy

 

[greasemonkey44]

I'm just saying the guys are a tad more likely to come help wrench if you're using good tools. If handling a nice tool makes them happy I'm in. That HF ratchet will do the same job the SO one will, so it really has zero impact on the quality of work you do. I'm not a pro wrench, so most of my work is on my own toys. Of course I'll do top notch work there.

i know exactly what you mean, i used to love going over to my friends house and work on his asinine projects(putting a manual in an auto being one). He has a nice air compressor and good craftsman tools with low mileage. If he tried to get me over there to do the same thing with HF or task force or w/e i wouldnt enjoy it as much. No idea how he survived rebuilding that truck with me without a garage and almost no air tools, and only HF tools(was a broke *** ******* then)

 

[shampoop]

What are some of yours? When do you spend for the best, when do you settle for something less? Pls share.

I'm an auto tech so it depends. Things I know I'm going to use all the time for the rest of my life I try to get the best, or close to it. But for things I don't use that often, or where quality doesn't increase usefulness I usually don't. Things like triple square sockets, an air cutoff tool, there's no sense in buying the best.