I was just on my way down to Horror Freight to pick up a cheapie Weed Eater when I saw this.
My mea culpa, I turned wrenches professionally for many years and have spent thousands of dollars on tools. Snap On is my favorite but $25 for a Phillips screwdriver is hard to justify now that I am not wrenching on cars or equipment for a living anymore. I have been buying Horror Freight crap for a while now,mainly their power tools, knowing full well that it is disposable from the get go.I don't really do anything requiring a lot of precision, thank goodness.
I kid you not, back in about 93, I was paying the Snap On dealer more per month than my house payment was.
99% of my tools are Craftsman. I have a few Snap-On tools, a few MAC tools, and even a few S-K Wayne tools.
I buy Harbor Freight once in a while, but I also consider their tools to be one-time use tools. If it works more than once, that's cool, and if it doesn't, well....it's Harbor Freight!
I remember when they first opened up. The stuff was garbage. Then it got pretty good for a while, and now seems to be sliding down the other side of the curve, back towards being garbage again.
And you get a free flashlight or tape measure or plastic screwdrivers set or a multi-meter with every purchase and unless you are lazy, 20% off the most expensive, mostly useful POS you walk out with.
HFT hand tools, end wrenches, screwdrivers etc are good enough, especially at the price. These I keep in the vehicle toolbox for on the road repairs. Quality tools handed down from my Dad are stowed in the rollaway at home. Power tools won't compare to DeWalt or Makita in performance. Or price. Files? Do yourself a favor and buy Nicholson. Consumable abrasives, drill bits etc- you get what you pay for. Electrics the same. Their hydraulic engine hoist is actually pretty decent, though somewhat of a PITA to assemble. Good hand truck for $40.00.
Way back when, I used to buy H.F. tools when work would replace broken tools .... with good ones. Since I retired, I hit the estate and garage sales. One can pick up some really good tools, if you know what you are looking at. I pass on the vast majority of tools that I see in the sales. But it is fun to look.
Beat me to it by no more than 30 minutes.
ReplyDeleteHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI was just on my way down to Horror Freight to pick up a cheapie Weed Eater when I saw this.
My mea culpa, I turned wrenches professionally for many years and have spent thousands of dollars on tools. Snap On is my favorite but $25 for a Phillips screwdriver is hard to justify now that I am not wrenching on cars or equipment for a living anymore. I have been buying Horror Freight crap for a while now,mainly their power tools, knowing full well that it is disposable from the get go.I don't really do anything requiring a lot of precision, thank goodness.
I kid you not, back in about 93, I was paying the Snap On dealer more per month than my house payment was.
99% of my tools are Craftsman. I have a few Snap-On tools, a few MAC tools, and even a few S-K Wayne tools.
ReplyDeleteI buy Harbor Freight once in a while, but I also consider their tools to be one-time use tools. If it works more than once, that's cool, and if it doesn't, well....it's Harbor Freight!
I remember when they first opened up. The stuff was garbage. Then it got pretty good for a while, and now seems to be sliding down the other side of the curve, back towards being garbage again.
Jackstands are under $20 and if they fail, you die.
ReplyDeleteLoophole for the win!
Used to buy Milwaukee, Porter Cable, etc when I had my remodeling business. Some of their stuff didn't last that long either.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnd you get a free flashlight or tape measure or plastic screwdrivers set or a multi-meter with every purchase and unless you are lazy, 20% off the most expensive, mostly useful POS you walk out with.
ReplyDeleteHeh. My free multimeter works like a champ- going on 10 years now!
Delete=T.W.=
Flow chart seems legit.
ReplyDeleteHFT hand tools, end wrenches, screwdrivers etc are good enough, especially at the price. These I keep in the vehicle toolbox for on the road repairs. Quality tools handed down from my Dad are stowed in the rollaway at home.
Power tools won't compare to DeWalt or Makita in performance. Or price.
Files? Do yourself a favor and buy Nicholson.
Consumable abrasives, drill bits etc- you get what you pay for.
Electrics the same.
Their hydraulic engine hoist is actually pretty decent, though somewhat of a PITA to assemble.
Good hand truck for $40.00.
=T.W.=
Way back when, I used to buy H.F. tools when work would replace broken tools .... with good ones.
ReplyDeleteSince I retired, I hit the estate and garage sales.
One can pick up some really good tools, if you know what you are looking at.
I pass on the vast majority of tools that I see in the sales.
But it is fun to look.