I would do most of this different today if I had to do it again. I would be poised to strike with the credit card at HF and Menards, let them keep most stuff till I needed it, would be prepared a little ahead to shop and use more from the generic from the parts stores when needed which I have done especially ahead of newer markets.
I never got anything ATD or NAPA that didnt work and work wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy better than we expected at the time. Used to have to spend 4 to 8$ to get as good a screwdriver HF now has for 1.50. I wouldnt buy a Hilti today, would probably start HF and work my way up in the event I needed it regular but that **** wasnt everywhere in the day and we had used it at work so its what we knew.
I would buy expensive chrome hand tools either,,,, to much for 10% the price and makes it so much easier to afford, to get in hand when needed, so cheap the price is nearly disposable and with a bit of looking, really minor can get so good and so cheap its not worth the worry,,,, the care,,, the insurance, the exposure tpo loss,,,,, all or most of that can go away, no one breaks in to steal HF, no lawyer wants it, no finance, not much loss in the event of loss, those 11mm sockets in every set dont eat much, the pieces you never use become irrelevant vs 20$ you spent 40 yrs ago sitting on a peg in the box.
I spend 13$ at Walmart for metric bits 20 yrs ago for a job and still use them regular, probably buy them for less and better today.
We get a lot opinions here from guys retired and still buying new ****. A lot of the stuff we bought as stop gap or alternative or viewed as disposable has blended its way in and we dont even think of where its made or the cost till we get here.
Today would be looking as so much rather generic just before they hit it with that semi brand stamp and look whjer the 2$ can opener at Walmarts is the same as the 7$ one they change the grip on and wrap it in a package, can see it went thru the same machine. They got 89 cents for the cheapest, that is the true used once and the 3, 4 $ ones aint the same but the generic 2 and the brand 7 are the same.
Personally if I was Joe Job, Joe Homeowner, Joe Burb would be looking to take care of my big ticket items to save a lot. The price of so much has gone so down and even injthe used market that it doesnt take much repair to be on the up side if a guy doesnt have to invest a lifetime of tools. Modern wrench set now can pay in a single event. No reason to do without, scrimp and save for some prize possession or make payments on it.
Be different if someone was giving it to me. He wants to back the truck to the door and toss it all off and say see ya ok but I aint chasing it down with 100$ bills taped to my forehead so I can grab with both hands. I went thru this when I was 20 and wanted beer and broad money, said I could do that part with Sears at the time and its sooooo much better today. Walmart has brought the whole world to our neighborhood, can buy a Channelock for 14$, can toss coffee in the same cart. For more custom taste the net is the place to shop and Joe local has the Channelock on the shelf for 28 has to find something else to sell.
I do a lot of local and try to but some of it is so difficult its hard to. We had some local hardware types were nice enough but looking back were rather heartless and not all that helpful.
