As the OP edited Stuey is still here. Some years ago he was pushing it A LOT more here until he was asked to stop linking to Toolguyd.
As the OP edited Stuey is still here. Some years ago he was pushing it A LOT more here until he was asked to stop linking to Toolguyd.
I was never asked to stop posting links, at least I don't remember that happening, although one product I was very enthusiastic about caused some trouble.
My days are just busier and I can't share/post here as much as I used to. I still try to check new posts and to jump into a thread or two every day if I can.
Just an observation as I don't think this blog would be considered a "rival forum" so to speak. But I remember when the GJ user named (I think) Stuey was trying to get this off the ground.
I just looked it for the first time since about when he started it. Boy has it changed!
http://toolguyd.com
Thanks for coming back!
I'll take your surprise as a good thing, thanks! It has changed a lot, but so have I. It's going to be 7 years pretty soon, yikes!
I still haven't reached my goal of making ToolGuyd a Tool Guide, but I hope to get there eventually.
I guess it would be unfair to say it's merely a compendium of "tool deals" as there appears to be some editorial content and actual testing or using of tools.
Some editorial content? C'mon, really?
I try to be lighter on the tool deals during the rest of the year. I also usually spend more time on testing tools, bugging product managers for insights you'll never find anywhere else, working on projects whenever I can, and things like that, which means less time for deal scouring.
Previous holiday seasons have shown me that everyone wants more and more deals in November and December. Plus, this time of year, deals and bargains are everywhere. I've started saving up for end-of-year purchases, and know I'm not the only one.
I'm still working on a ton of new tool reviews and editorial coverage, but there are just more deals mixed in.
I've got 4 posts up for today, 1 preview post, 1 discussion post, and 2 deals. Normally, outside of the fourth quarter, I post about 2 or 3 times a day. So there's not less editorial content, just more deals.
Some of the "best of" seem to be slanted toward what's available in the big box stores. Like what's the "best drill" -- as the question is always best for what or for whom? But still I guess we tool geeks like to count the angels on the head of a pin and will always find these sorts of discussions interesting
I call it as I see it. Unfortunately I can't test everything, but I've been getting my hands on additional models every year. This year I'm able to test and use a couple of Metabo tools, and they've exceeded my expectations by a lot.
In general, I only test and review tools that are available to me. With power tools, there's little I can do with my own budget before money quickly runs out. I don't like getting into bed with retailers, who are all very happy to send tools over, because there are often too many strings attached. Some retailers will send over a tool and expect a shrine built in their name with flashing lights, figuratively of course, but you get the idea.
I try to be open-minded and objective, and have never felt pressure to bow down to tool brands, potential advertisers, or any other 3rd party, although some have tried to influence me.
So although some stuff might look big-box-centric, that's not something I can avoid since it reflects my genuine opinions. Let's say I feel a certain Bosch tool is the best one out there. Just like I won't be unfairly biased in favor of the brand, I won't be biased against it just because to be different.
Part of what I love about how ToolGuyd has grown is how the readers, commenters, and community are just awesome. If I miss a brand or model in a "best of" post or other review, comparison, or what-not, someone will usually chime in with an insightful comment or their own experience. In posts like that, I figure readers and visitors come for the topic and stay for the discussion, kind of how GJ works.
That said, I still think that this place, collectively, continues to be an excellent resource (perhaps among the best) for all sorts of discussions (useful, arcane, or both). I'm usually only buying tools for very specific jobs these days but I still like, the discussions on GJ, on, for instance, all the minutia compared on combo wrenches from Proto, Wright, Snappy, Stahlwille, Hazet, etc.
EDIT: a quick search reveals that Stuey is still with us on GJ
Agreed. I don't have the time to check many forums anymore, but try to visit GJ whenever I can. I love this place.
Exactly. (Someone read all the way to the end of the message
) I only in the last a few months started visiting here again. And didn't see any threads by Stuey but then a search revealed he was still active.
Sometimes I start threads summarizing something cool on ToolGuyd, not so much for self-promotion, but to share. There hasn't been anything OMG you GJers MUST know this lately, and coupled with my lack of time, that's why I don't start too many threads these days.
Sorry that you missed me here, I'll try to be more visible.
