Knowingly Buying Cheap Tools

[Brian Holcombe]

Not at all, I’d rather buy good used if my budget won’t accommodate good new. I admire thriftiness but I think buying single use tools ends up being the opposite of that.

[Andrew Seemann]

Back to the original question.

Yes, I have bought something cheap enough to get the job done knowing it is cheap and because I wouldn't use it much. And sometimes I have replaced it with a better item. I think people sometimes get too hung up on the "buy the best once, pay once" thing. Not everything you own needs to be the best, and not many people have the resources to always buy the best. Not to mention you don't always know what you will end up up liking and needing better, or only using once.

I bought one of those cheap short radius tubing cutters for a specific project. I ended up liking it and using it far more often than I thought I would have, to the point of starting to wear it out, so I bought the better Ridgid version. Would it have been cheaper to have bought the Ridgid one first, well yes, but I had know way of knowing that at the time. Yet I bought the cheap HD version of the good Ridgid flare tool rather than the good Ridgid one, because I am quite certain I will probably only do a few dozen more flares in my life, and it would have been a total waste of money to spend the extra $100 on the top quality Ridgid one.

[Jacob Mac]

I have a lot of nice tools accumulated over the years on deals, discounts, used etc. Even new when nothing panned out for getting things cheap.

But I also have a lot of HF tools. Some are exceptional, some are really solid, some break quickly. It has served me well, especially when I was in my 20s and was poor

[Jim Dwight]

I bought a HF angle grinder to cut some ceramic tile thinking it should last through that project. I still have it and it works fine. I also have HF pneumatic nailers including flooring, framing, 15 gauge finish, three other staplers, etc.. The flooring stapler/nailer leaks air but works. It has done 1000 ft2 or more at this point. I am pretty sure I can fix the leak.

I also have a HF floor jack. It does not lower cars gracefully. Unless I want to spend >$300 on a floor jack, I don't think I can get one that works better. It used to work better than it does now but works OK. I jack cars up with it but I put a stand under the car before I go under it. If I had a $500 floor jack I still wouldn't work under it without a stand. My jack raises the car just fine. That is it's job. It is sturdily made with good sized castings and flat stock. If the hydraulics ever start leaking where it won't raise a car and hold it while a stand is inserted, I will rebuild or replace it. My stands are also HF and I do work under the car with them supporting it and I don't worry even a little bit about it.

I've also wasted money on junk at HF before. Things that did not work. But their tools seem to be getting better. I still do not want a CMS from them, or a bandsaw, or other important tool. But for many things, they are just fine. It's OK to be a HF hater, but it means you will waste some money.

[Tom M King]

The 1/2" breaker bar, currently on sale at HF for $14.95, is actually a decent one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmvK7h7ZL2A

Recently, I needed a second floor jack, so we could jack up one end, or side of a 40' shipping container without getting in harm's way with a bottle jack. First I checked CL. There was a SnapOn for $400. Then I checked HF. They had the Daytona jack for $99. It looked identical to the SnapOn. It did the job just fine, and even lowered nicer than my old reliable. My favorite tire dealer uses four of them in each bay, and cars, and trucks are lifted quicker than if they used lifts. So far, I'm pretty impressed with the Daytona jacks, but am still leary of the Pittsburgh anything, except for that breaker bar.

I recently had to cut some !"-8 threads in cast iron. The regular breaker bar was too uncomfortable with the small, all metal handle. The comfortable handle worked good.

Before there were HF stores around here, I have used the 24.95 4-1/2" grinders, sold in Walmart, for cutting flashing slots in old chimneys, and stone foundations, using a water hose. I didn't want to use a good grinder in that environment. Even those grinders, used half under water, last Way longer than I ever expected them to.

I don't mind spending money on tools, but I try to make it go farther.

[Myles Moran]

Most of my sockets and wrenches are from harbor freight. I've had very good luck with them and the lifetime warranty is great. They are really taking over that market segment craftsman used to dominate in. I've also got a fair number of clamps from them. They're not k-bodies, but they do a very nice job for the bar clamp that they are.

[Darcy Warner]

I can't afford to buy cheap tools.

[Carl Crout]

I have a 20 ton pneumatic over hydraulic HF Jack. I have used it to lift numerous farm equipment over the past 8 years and it still doesn't leak. They also included a replacement seat of o rings if needed.
Last year I bought a HF Daytona floor jack. So far so good!

I will not buy their power tools or welders. I did just buy their drill press and it looks nearly like my 30 year old Craftsman