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Post by greybeard on Jul 9, 2019 22:42:14 GMT -6
Been probably 10-11 years ago I bought a HF compound mitre saw and a HF 16" metal cutting chop saw. They were both so sorry I gave them away within 3 months and bought used tools to replace them with. The mitre saw wouldn't even cut 1" X 4" yellow pine without bogging down. I have not darkened their door since. You gotta be poor and not be able to afford very much. They sell a lot of gimmick and useless crap but they have some really good Bargains to . When I need a new tool for a project. I weigh my options and price everything out buying the tools to do the job if it's cheaper do the work myself then I get basically a free tool to use until it quits. A few years ago I needed to put a bearing in a water pump cost of the bearing was 15 bucks shop press was 150 if I recall correctly. A rebuilt water pump was roughly two hundred bucks I've used that press hundreds of times since then. I also have a miter saw I've been sitting in the rain since October when the barn blue down because it had a broken handle got it out the other day and to my surprise it still worked Compared to some here, I probably would be considered poor. The old PorterCable chop saw and used Craftsman mitre saw I bought to replace the HF stuff have worked well for me I agree with you calculating the VALUE of a tool instead just the cost. Use something once, and it's value is whatever you paid for it or otherwise have in it. Use it 100 times and it's value to you is X100 what you have in it. |
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Post by M-5 on Jul 10, 2019 5:52:11 GMT -6
I scour the classified trying to find some old craftman stuff that is cheap. Most want new money for them.
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Post by ebenezer on Jul 10, 2019 7:01:28 GMT -6
Grinder wheels, cut off discs and saw blades are fine. Drill bits I bought were dull from the start. I use reviews and other's comments to avoid some of the stuff.
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Post by cottagefarm on Jul 10, 2019 7:49:54 GMT -6
You gotta be poor and not be able to afford very much. They sell a lot of gimmick and useless crap but they have some really good Bargains to . When I need a new tool for a project. I weigh my options and price everything out buying the tools to do the job if it's cheaper do the work myself then I get basically a free tool to use until it quits. A few years ago I needed to put a bearing in a water pump cost of the bearing was 15 bucks shop press was 150 if I recall correctly. A rebuilt water pump was roughly two hundred bucks I've used that press hundreds of times since then. I also have a miter saw I've been sitting in the rain since October when the barn blue down because it had a broken handle got it out the other day and to my surprise it still worked Compared to some here, I probably would be considered poor. The old PorterCable chop saw and used Craftsman mitre saw I bought to replace the HF stuff have worked well for me I agree with you calculating the VALUE of a tool instead just the cost. Use something once, and it's value is whatever you paid for it or otherwise have in it. Use it 100 times and it's value to you is X100 what you have in it. And sometimes you just need something temporary til a good used one comes along at the right price.
A year ago we NEEDED to get a scroll saw. We were starting a new business with little capital to purchase tools. No good quality used ones to be found in our price range. (read really cheap  Bought the HF for $80 with coupon. It drove me insane trying to use pinless blades on it, but made do with it. In March, just about the time the set screws for the blades finally wore out, I found a very good price for a basically new Excaliber 21. Business was going really well by then and we were able to afford the vastly superior saw. But that $80 cheapo saw played a large role in establishing our business and customer base.
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Post by M-5 on Jul 10, 2019 7:55:58 GMT -6
They have improved dramatically over the last few years and 1000 fold over the old traveling tool shows I used to go to to get cheap tools.
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Post by greybeard on Jul 10, 2019 10:47:49 GMT -6
Oh I remember those traveling "tool shows". Regular pliers where the handles would bend or break with any pressure at all and screwdrivers with plastic handles that would crumble in your hand if you twisted them very hard. It was like buying tools from the dollar store.
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Post by M-5 on Jul 10, 2019 10:55:38 GMT -6
Oh I remember those traveling "tool shows". Regular pliers where the handles would bend or break with any pressure at all and screwdrivers with plastic handles that would crumble in your hand if you twisted them very hard. It was like buying tools from the dollar store. It was but they damn sure drew a crowd. I had a set of wood clamps from one that actually lasted a long time . They got wet in Hurricane and split last year. |
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