Tool budgeting or buy whatever/whenever?

[Roots]

the budget used to be 300 a week

For what purpose though, facility or industrial maintenance department? Or back when you were first starting out?

 

[jkeyser14]

I don't "budget". If I have an immediate legitimate need for the tool I buy it. I think I spent about $5k two years after buying my house getting a lot of the neccessities. This past year I probably spent about $1k as I ran out of things that I really need.

 

[Two dollar steak]

I work for a dealership so most of the "specialty tools" are provided but when I run across something I need and dont have/can't borrow I just order one from the parts house down the street. The tool trucks only come once a week and only the Matco guy is worth dealing with. The parts house can have it to me in 10 minutes, my company and all employees get cost plus 5%. If I use it more than a few times or it is really usefull I get it from the truck, and then the parts house tool is a spare to keep in my junk drawer in case theres an issue with my good one. If someone needs to borrow something they usually recieve the parts house version of the tools.

 

[csargents1546]

An old tech told me once, he has carried a tool balance for over 35 years. I just keep my balances within reason and bargin hunt whenever possible, CL and ebay are great sources of tools.

 

[Busted Bolts]

I make my living turning wrenches and spinning ratchets. I maintain 60 bucks a week for SO. That is for my personal tools. I also have accounts with various vendors including SO for tools for the shop. Special tools that I normaly wouldn't maintain for myself. Things like special sockets, OEM service tools (john deere, case, kubota), and capital garage equipment like tire machines, lg jacks, scanners and alike. I'm a one man show. If I don't have the tools, it won't get done. I have no one to borrow from, so I have a lot over 25yrs and still aquiring stuff monthly. It all gets written off at the end of the year, I try to spend with in reason, but when you need it and the job completion depends on it, you have to plunge. I also purchase tools to expand my services to minimize sending stuff to dealers because they have the tools to do the job. It can get crazy, but it pays for its self over time.

 

[dirtrider]

I try to buy the best tools I can afford always, right now I have a lot of Craftsman but I'm trying to buy a lot of Snapon and some Proto. Except in instances where I need it NOW or can't afford top quality then I will buy whatever is the easiest and fastest to get a hold of and that is never a tool truck or online purchase its usually me running down to the nearest Sears or Hardware store. I am not married so I don't worry about someone else telling me what I can and cannot buy, not that I would anyway. Although my long time girlfriend and my sons mom seems to like my tools and sometimes she will even come down and check them out or help me when working on stuff.