I probably will catch some grief for saying this, but
if you need a tool, why not buy a good one? In the US
we seem to have this mentality that cost is king, and
if something is $5.00 cheaper, we are foolish not to
buy it instead.
I just try to find manufacturers that I trust, and I
stick with them. The only regrets I have had buying
tools is when I, for whatever reason, but something
based on price, and them hated using it because it is
low quality, low power, poor ergonomics, unreliable,
etc. The worst scenario is to buy some piece of junk,
hoping it will die so you can replace it with what you
should have bought in the first place.
The concept of disposable tools bothers me from an
environmental impact perspective as well.
I try to buy good tools, take care of them, and
hopefully they will last me the rest of my life. If
not, I can repair them because the brushes are
accessible with a screw driver and readily available
from the manufacturer.
I guess there is a little "Tool Time Tim Taylor" in me,
too, but I do enjoy using a high quality tool, even if
I could have got the job done with a vastly inferior
tool. I'll buy my wife Miki Moto pearls only because
she feels better know they are top quality. I'll buy
myself fine tools because I just enjoy using fine
tools. I enjoy seeing them hanging off the tool racks.
I look forward to a "tool opportunity."
I'll get off the soapbox, but if manufacturers of high
quality tools cannot make a go of it selling quality,
then all we will have left is the low-end junk from
which to choose, and that will be a sad day indeed.
I can guarantee that you will not be unhappy buying the
following:
hand tools: SK or Proto
power tools: Milwaukee or Porter Cable
measurement: Starrett
They are not the cheapest, but if you consider that
they should be a once in a lifetime purchase, you might
break even, and instead of using junk tools all your
life, you can use tools that put a smile on your face
every time they are in your hands.
Life simply is too short to use cheap tools. There are
way too many other frustrations that are not so simple
to solve.
Buy quality. Buy it once. Enjoy it for life. You owe
it to yourself not to own shit tools.
doug shook
los angeles
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'72 BSA B50SS
'74 Triumph TR6
'01 HD XL883
'03 GMC Cargo Van
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