Why We Still Buy Cheap Tools

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Robert LaLonde

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I suspect if a cheap tool was $5, a decent tool was $8, and top of the line tool was $10 most of use would buy the decent tool or the top of the line tool.

However when you add a couple dollars it starts to change things. 500/800/1000. That's moola for most folks. Now if it was 500/503/505.... LOL

I suspect if a cheap tool was $5, a decent tool was $8, and top of the line tool was $10 most of use would buy the decent tool or the top of the line tool. Well if we needed just one anyway. How about if you need a set of 25. 125 vs 250 starts to look like the middle example.

You can argue about how much is a lot of money, but the fact is its different from one person to the next based on a variety of concerns.

The other side of it is does a Snap-On tool really justify its price? Sure its got a great warranty if you can catch the truck, but they still break.
 
I can patiently wait my turn when at the flea market or similar and get the top of the line stuff at next to nothing prices:grin:. And I tried once to replace a broken Snap On ratchet. Found the truck, the guy said I was not on his route/a client so no deal. Never tried again with any Snap On stuff, left a bad taste in my mouth:mad:. I like their stock(SNA) though:)!
 
I can patiently wait my turn when at the flea market or similar and get the top of the line stuff at next to nothing prices:grin:. And I tried once to replace a broken Snap On ratchet. Found the truck, the guy said I was not on his route/a client so no deal. Never tried again with any Snap On stuff, left a bad taste in my mouth:mad:. I like their stock(SNA) though:)!

That may have been that dealers choice. The company policy may be different. I believe those guys own their truck and the tools on it.
 
I buy cheap tools - small tools at least - because anymore that is all that is available locally. Even big items - lathes, mills, etc. seem to only be available in cheap (overseas) versions and very high priced models meant for large scale production. I understand why that is, but it still doesn't leave a lot of options sometimes. You can't always find good used either.
 
Hand tools- I buy good used American or German. I buy new American IF AVAILABLE (which is not often).
I do a lot of wiring. There is a certain pleasure holding and using a tool that works nicely, like Knipex or Klein.
I am not impressed with current Snap On. I bought a pliers, and it lacks the heft that is needed to persuade stuff to come off.
Channel Locks often work better.

Power tools, for the most part, only Chinese is sold anymore. I buy DeWalt or Bosch for miter saws or power drills.
The quality of those brands is pretty good.
I bought a Bostitch pancake compressor to use a nail gun. You have to be discriminating.

Large machine tools, like lathes, I buy used American, BUT they often need a lot of work, and the issue is, do I want to work to restore them or use them to make stuff. Chinese is getting better, and it's often almost ready to use, so I'm starting to think it's the way to go. There is good Chinese and not so good. If you get good Chinese, you have a decent experience.
 
I can patiently wait my turn when at the flea market or similar and get the top of the line stuff at next to nothing prices:grin:. And I tried once to replace a broken Snap On ratchet. Found the truck, the guy said I was not on his route/a client so no deal. Never tried again with any Snap On stuff, left a bad taste in my mouth:mad:. I like their stock(SNA) though:)!


If that's what Snap-On has become, then they aren't worth it. They didn't used to be like that. I worked on cars in a small shop in the
1970's and bought some Snap-on stuff including three 3/8" ratchets. About fifteen years ago I started to have a problem with the
pawl inside one of them so I hauled them over to a Snap-on truck to buy some rebuild kits. The dealer looked them over, threw all
three in a barrel and handed me three new ratchets. It was that level of customer service that make Snap-on such a good company.
And, at least in those days, the tools really were great quality. Would I buy them now? No, because I don't use them for a living, but
I won't buy the garbage Chinese stuff either.
 
What I find nowadays is a lack of 'mid line' quality sort of tools.
When I got about 14 years old, on my birthday my dad bought a small steel tool chest and stuffed it with 'mid-Quality' basic tools. Screwdrivers set, pliers set, a ball peen and a carpenter's hammer, a square, a small level, some files etc...
This was the greatest gift my dad ever gave me. Now 50 years later, I still have the toolbox, with the original tools, in still a very usable state, and full of crap ****ty cheap tools that you get nowadays!
I find that these days, you can find only the best or the ugliest. I whish the mentality of providing good service and good tools at a price that make sense to a sunday mechanics or cabinet maker came back.
If I am a pro, earning my living from my tools, I will not llok at the cost.
As a week end warrior, I want something that will works when I need it and perform.
I think there should be a law as to how cheap (bad) you can make a screw driver or a pair of pliers!

Luc
 
The "Big Box" brands like Husky and Kolbalt have lifetime warrantees. I did return a couple of screwdrivers that striped out and they did indeed replace them.
 
When faced with this myself 6-odd months ago, I was faced with a set (5) indexable 16mm lathe tool holders with 30 inserts for a total of $55 versus a single Kennametal tool at $65 and inserts at $8-$10 each. So, I bought the cheapo set, so far they have performed well, although I have not put large stresses on any of them. I got 3 sets of inserts with different nose radii almost as an experiment to see how the different radii would hold up and which ones produce good finishes on my equipment.

This indexable set completely replaced the 40 carbide tipped (C2 C6) chinese set that cost all of $30. None of which had done anything wrong, got worn out, or chipped.

If I was using the lathe 5 days a week for 4 hours a day, I might have a different opinion, but as it is, every couple of days I spin off 1 or 2 parts and go back to milling parts for my telescope.

As to tool quality itself, I am not in a position to say. I have several 3/8ths chinese end mills, a couple Taiwanese 3/8ths end mills, and a dozen <reground> made in America 3/8ths end mills. In the uses I have put these, they all seem to chip the leading edge at about the same rate: which is never when milling 6061T6 and anytime they want when milling mild steel. So, from my point of view, I can't tell, at least not yet.
 
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