oldschoolcraft
Well-known member
Which tool types (not brands) are getting better and worse over time? Please let's stick to tool types (such as wrenches, ratchets, pliers, screwdrivers, etc) rather than any individual tool brands since that's another topic entirely.
Metallurgy gets better over time, but it doesn't necessarily translate into us getting better tools on the market. Sometimes, we get worse tools since manufacturing costs have gone up and tool companies degrade quality to maintain competitive pricing.
From what I've seen, ratchets have gotten better over time, with higher tooth gears, probably only allowable with modern manufacturing methods to get the tooth count so high.
Pliers seem to be better on a design standpoint, such as Knipex Cobra, and although I can't speak to the steel metallurgy, I imagine the newer enhanced design shapes make the tools overall better, even if steel quality might have dropped.
Screwdrivers I'm not sure of but I'm in the market for a high quality precision set and it seems like people have reported an overall drop in quality in even the high end brands. Possibly due to cheaper metallurgy.
Overall, my purpose of this thread is to figure out:
1- What tools should we buy used, not necessarily for cheaper price, but because older is actually better, and even if older was sold more expensive than new, you're better off with the older version?
2- What tools that are on our wishlist, but we don't immediately need, should we consider buying sooner rather than later, because the quality keeps dropping over time and buying now will result in a higher quality tool than 5 years from now.
Metallurgy gets better over time, but it doesn't necessarily translate into us getting better tools on the market. Sometimes, we get worse tools since manufacturing costs have gone up and tool companies degrade quality to maintain competitive pricing.
From what I've seen, ratchets have gotten better over time, with higher tooth gears, probably only allowable with modern manufacturing methods to get the tooth count so high.
Pliers seem to be better on a design standpoint, such as Knipex Cobra, and although I can't speak to the steel metallurgy, I imagine the newer enhanced design shapes make the tools overall better, even if steel quality might have dropped.
Screwdrivers I'm not sure of but I'm in the market for a high quality precision set and it seems like people have reported an overall drop in quality in even the high end brands. Possibly due to cheaper metallurgy.
Overall, my purpose of this thread is to figure out:
1- What tools should we buy used, not necessarily for cheaper price, but because older is actually better, and even if older was sold more expensive than new, you're better off with the older version?
2- What tools that are on our wishlist, but we don't immediately need, should we consider buying sooner rather than later, because the quality keeps dropping over time and buying now will result in a higher quality tool than 5 years from now.
