This is tangentially related to the current bruhaha over AvE's air impact 'showdown.' I made some comments several months ago about Real Tool Reviews which were not particularly kind. Upon further reflection, I wanted to add some nuance to the discussion.
Teardown videos are interesting and can give some indication if a power tool is made with quality components or whatever was supplied by the lowest bidder. 'Lab test' type videos can also be interesting (when will this breaker bar break; how accurate is this torque wrench; how much force does this impact produce, etc). If one simply removes a brand new tool from a package then uses it for one task a few things can be learned (fit and finish, is it so bad as to be DOA) but aside from complete failure or obvious poor manufacturing, it doesn't reveal much about real world use.
Eric O is correct in his assessment of tool review videos. The only way to truly evaluate a tool is to put it to production use in a shop environment for at least a few weeks and preferably a few months. Then the real value questions can be answered: Does it make a repetitive task easier/faster and enough so that it makes sense to put the tool that is already in your hand down to pick up the one in question? How are the ergonomics and durability? Until we've used the tool for quite a while it is impossible to judge any of these things.
So I have respect for all of the people taking the time to make tool review videos and I don't think any of them are shills per se. Of course, they are influenced by the manufacturers that send them stuff even if they try to be impartial simply due to the fact that those are the tools they are exposed to. For example, does Homak really make the best value tool cabinet or are they simply the company that sent Do It Yourself Bri a free or reduced cost sample?
Bruce Allen and Nestor Mendoza also give honest reviews about tools they use every day. They don't shill and they are not fanboys of any brand or COO snobs. One of the big problems we have here if you will indulge me in a little group introspection is confirmation bias. We spent a lot of money on our Brand X do-dad and we want to hear from others that it was worth it, absolutely the best money can buy and everything else is complete junk. Objectively that cannot be true but we want to hear it anyway.
TLDR: I don't care about snobbery, confirmation bias or impressing others with my collection. I want to know what tools will do the jobs I need to do for a reasonable cost. My primary concern is utility value. I don't want the cheapest or the most expensive; I want the sweet spot where quality is high but the diminishing cost of returns has not reached the point where I am paying 50% more for a 10% increase in quality.
Teardown videos are interesting and can give some indication if a power tool is made with quality components or whatever was supplied by the lowest bidder. 'Lab test' type videos can also be interesting (when will this breaker bar break; how accurate is this torque wrench; how much force does this impact produce, etc). If one simply removes a brand new tool from a package then uses it for one task a few things can be learned (fit and finish, is it so bad as to be DOA) but aside from complete failure or obvious poor manufacturing, it doesn't reveal much about real world use.
Eric O is correct in his assessment of tool review videos. The only way to truly evaluate a tool is to put it to production use in a shop environment for at least a few weeks and preferably a few months. Then the real value questions can be answered: Does it make a repetitive task easier/faster and enough so that it makes sense to put the tool that is already in your hand down to pick up the one in question? How are the ergonomics and durability? Until we've used the tool for quite a while it is impossible to judge any of these things.
So I have respect for all of the people taking the time to make tool review videos and I don't think any of them are shills per se. Of course, they are influenced by the manufacturers that send them stuff even if they try to be impartial simply due to the fact that those are the tools they are exposed to. For example, does Homak really make the best value tool cabinet or are they simply the company that sent Do It Yourself Bri a free or reduced cost sample?
Bruce Allen and Nestor Mendoza also give honest reviews about tools they use every day. They don't shill and they are not fanboys of any brand or COO snobs. One of the big problems we have here if you will indulge me in a little group introspection is confirmation bias. We spent a lot of money on our Brand X do-dad and we want to hear from others that it was worth it, absolutely the best money can buy and everything else is complete junk. Objectively that cannot be true but we want to hear it anyway.
TLDR: I don't care about snobbery, confirmation bias or impressing others with my collection. I want to know what tools will do the jobs I need to do for a reasonable cost. My primary concern is utility value. I don't want the cheapest or the most expensive; I want the sweet spot where quality is high but the diminishing cost of returns has not reached the point where I am paying 50% more for a 10% increase in quality.
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