"Stephen Kurzban" wrote in message
...

GG,

You got lots of advice to spend as much as you could spare
for the best tools you could afford. I have to disagree!
Until you are sure the work you will be trying to tackle is
worth doing for you, and not either too hard to learn, too
expensive when you make "little" mistakes (EVERYONE does!),
or just plain something you don't feel suited for, cheaper
tools will be ... uh, well ... cheaper.

I agree generally. One exception I would make is for screwdrivers. You need
metal that will hold up when you bear down, and the 10 fo $1. ones just fall
apart with ordinary use. But most other tools don't usually give up much
quality for price. It is nice to have things like a large, heavy pipe
wrench. But they can be picked up at auctions or garage sales. Many items,
like a torque wrench, can cost $4. or $40. Buy the $4. one if, like me, you
need it maybe once every 5 years. But if you use it alot or the exact
pressure is critical, buy the good one.

It's all about trade-offs. But most cheap tools today get the job done.
Where they tend to fail is in heavy use and precision.