I think I often tend to overbuy when buying tools. How do you folks
decide on the quality of tools to buy? When do you spend the extra $
for pro quality as opposed to consumer or Harbor Freight quality?

I know this is a pretty wide question, but feel free to ignore me. A
lot of folks do

wrote in message
oups.com...
I think I often tend to overbuy when buying tools. How do you folks
decide on the quality of tools to buy? When do you spend the extra $
for pro quality as opposed to consumer or Harbor Freight quality?

I know this is a pretty wide question, but feel free to ignore me. A
lot of folks do


I've never bought anything from Harbor Freight and probably never will.
With some possible exceptions, (brad nailers, clamps) I've heard too many
bad things about them.

Some consumer tools are OK for limited use. When I needed a miter saw, I b
ought a Delta 12" for $300 and I've been using it on a regular basis for
almost two years. For the guy that is going to put up some molding in two
rooms and never use it again, I'd say get a $99 special

Cheap had tools are more expensive than good ones. Strip a screw head with
a 99¢ screwdriver and you may have far more problems than the cost of a good
screwdriver.

I've never wished I had a cheaper tool.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

wrote in message
oups.com...
I think I often tend to overbuy when buying tools. How do you folks
decide on the quality of tools to buy? When do you spend the extra $
for pro quality as opposed to consumer or Harbor Freight quality?

I know this is a pretty wide question, but feel free to ignore me. A
lot of folks do


This is Turtle.

Any Tool I'm going to use for life / long time / good while, Will be a Good Tool
..

Any Tool I'm Going to use for one time and never use it again. It will be a
Harbor Frieght Special tool on sale. They are made just for this one time job
and forget about it.

TURTLE

TURTLE wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
I think I often tend to overbuy when buying tools. How do you folks
decide on the quality of tools to buy? When do you spend the extra $
for pro quality as opposed to consumer or Harbor Freight quality?

I know this is a pretty wide question, but feel free to ignore me. A
lot of folks do


This is Turtle.

Any Tool I'm going to use for life / long time / good while, Will be
a Good Tool .

Any Tool I'm Going to use for one time and never use it again. It
will be a Harbor Frieght Special tool on sale. They are made just for
this one time job and forget about it.

TURTLE

To some extent I agree, but there are some tools so cheaply made that
they will not work properly for even one use. They can do a lot more damage
than they cost.

If I figure I will be putting the tool in my tool box and not dumping it
when I am done, I buy nothing be top quality. It is cheaper in the long
run.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

If you want a hand tool that will last forever and is guarnteed
forever, even tape measures no questions asked you go to Sears. But not
for Sears power tools. There price is a good determiner of inexpensive
cheap crap and quality, to a great extent. And name brands to follow.

I would not waste my time with Harbor Crap , When I need a tool I need
it working the whole job. Who wants to deal mail order on repairs, and
junk Local is better by far, at least you have a chance of a
return-exchange dealing with a reputable local.

I have a brad nailer I purchased from HF, however my other nailers are
Senco. I've used it quite often and am pleased with it. I also
purchased an oil type air compressor w/ 25 gallon tank from HF a year ro
so ago. No longer needing a commercial grade compressor for production
finish work, I sold my double tanked Emglo a few years back. But, I
found myself needing one again for garage and shop so the HF one works
fine for that.

Most of my power and even my hand tools were purchased over the years
and prior to the cheapie stuff coming along but I've bought a few items
recently. Biscuit joiner for one. I bought the DeWalt so I could get
the FF capability.

Other power tools I own include incl. Skil, Porter Cable, Ramset, Hilti
and Makita, and as i said mostly the older well built stuff so I really
have no need for HF's. I do purchase tarps, bungees and the like from
them.

wrote:
I think I often tend to overbuy when buying tools. How do you folks
decide on the quality of tools to buy? When do you spend the extra $
for pro quality as opposed to consumer or Harbor Freight quality?

I know this is a pretty wide question, but feel free to ignore me. A
lot of folks do

m Ransley wrote:

If you want a hand tool that will last forever and is guarnteed
forever, even tape measures no questions asked you go to Sears. snip


No you don't. Sears handtools are mediocre at best.

Mark and Kim Smith wrote:


Sears handtools are mediocre at best.

That's been mmy experience with Sears tools period.

On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 09:42:42 -0800, G Henslee
wrote:

Mark and Kim Smith wrote:


Sears handtools are mediocre at best.

That's been my experience with Sears tools period.

More years ago than I care to think about, I bought a Sears tool set.
I never had a problem with it and really liked the quick release
ratchets. Over the years a lot of sockets got lost, and it was
cheaper to buy another set rather than replace individual sockets.
The new set has exactly the same style sockets and ratchets as the old
one, BUT....... All the sockets are just enough larger than marked to
make them a bit sloppy on a bolt head or nut. The 1/4" sockets will
all drop off the ratchet by themselves (must be auto-cuick release),
and the guts of the 3/8 ratchet fell out on the ground the first time
I used it. Sure, you can take them back, but it's hard to when the
car's on jackstands being repaired. I'm using SK now and have no
problems.




- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dave Starr, Senior Shop Rat Emeritus: 14,647 days in a GM plant.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
If you want a hand tool that will last forever and is guarnteed
forever, even tape measures no questions asked you go to Sears. But not
for Sears power tools. There price is a good determiner of inexpensive
cheap crap and quality, to a great extent. And name brands to follow.

I would not waste my time with Harbor Crap , When I need a tool I need
it working the whole job. Who wants to deal mail order on repairs, and
junk Local is better by far, at least you have a chance of a
return-exchange dealing with a reputable local.


Man I hate those sears tape measures.

I got a RATION taking a Phillips screwdriver back to Sears. DON'T
need that any longer!

On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 05:49:25 -0600, (m Ransley)
wrote:

If you want a hand tool that will last forever and is guarnteed
forever, even tape measures no questions asked you go to Sears. But not
for Sears power tools. There price is a good determiner of inexpensive
cheap crap and quality, to a great extent. And name brands to follow.

I would not waste my time with Harbor Crap , When I need a tool I need
it working the whole job. Who wants to deal mail order on repairs, and
junk Local is better by far, at least you have a chance of a
return-exchange dealing with a reputable local.

Depends upon how much you will use the tool. If your not going to use
it much, then Harbor Freight is fine, and possibly cheaper then renting
(and you can take your time). If you plan on usng it a lot then get a
good one. Problem is that I have ended up using certain tools way more
than I initially planned, espically my angle grinder, heat gun, and air
compressor.

wrote:

I think I often tend to overbuy when buying tools. How do you folks
decide on the quality of tools to buy? When do you spend the extra $
for pro quality as opposed to consumer or Harbor Freight quality?

I'll add in, available accessories. I bought a Porter Cable 690
router, mostly because everything is available to fit it. And also
service, I'm partial to Milwaukee, since the local store is a service
center for them.

I've had some good and some bad with Harbor Fright. I like their pipe
wrenches, and don't like their flare wrenches.

I try their stuff, and use it for awhile. If I make enough money from the
junk, I use the money to buy better stuff. Thier $3 volt ohm meters are
accurate enough for most things. I used one last week on a repair call.
Thier aluminum pipe wrenches have worked nicely for me, for years. I've got
two drill master 12 volt drills in my van for locksmith calls,a nd they have
paid for themselves over again.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


wrote in message
oups.com...
I think I often tend to overbuy when buying tools. How do you folks
decide on the quality of tools to buy? When do you spend the extra $
for pro quality as opposed to consumer or Harbor Freight quality?

I know this is a pretty wide question, but feel free to ignore me. A
lot of folks do