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Thread: Price of new tools.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
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    Price of new tools.

    For all us old time woodworkers,
    Am I the only one having a hard time buying a new tool knowing what they use to cost just a couple years ago?
    Sad part is, Don't think it will ever come back down but maybe a little.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  2. #2
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    Feb 2014
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    I bought a new lawnmower last year. I mowed a neighbors yard with it a couple of weeks ago because it was too steep for his riding mower over a big part of his yard. He wanted to know where to get one. I told him I had paid 13 for it with the April 15% discount last year. He stopped by my house with big eyes and said that same mower is 18 now almost exactly a year later. They hadn't changed the mower one bit. I'm glad I don't need to look at woodworking tools.

  3. #3
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    Sep 2010
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    New England
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    Thousand?!

  4. #4
    Tool not so much. Fasteners, plywood and restaurant food, YES!

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Zellers View Post
    Thousand?!
    https://www.cubcadet.com/en_US/comme...false#start=12

    13,100 April of last year.

  6. #6
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    Back in the day, if I needed a tool to do a job, I bought it. Quality tools like Rockwell, Porter Cable (back in the 70's), Milwaukee and Makita. I wondered if I was being too casual with my money but now I am retired and have many tools and use all of them in tasks around the house. I could never afford to buy comparable tools today. I'm so glad to have them. Especially things like Makita batteries which have gone through the roof.

    I too look at prices today and both cringe and smile. Some things like my Incra sleds are worth more today than my cost. I'm sure many on this board are in the same position.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom M King View Post
    Wow. That's a nice lawnmower. Never would have imagined they cost that much.

  8. #8
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    Sep 2016
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    Modesto, CA, USA
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    The ryobi ride on ztm sold at hoe despot takes like 6 or more 40 volt batteries at $200 each.
    Bill D

  9. #9
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    Nov 2009
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    Peoria, IL
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    Be sure to thank those corporations that took all the factories overseas to sell us all those cheap tools for so many years.

  10. #10
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    I have a JET cabinet saw I purchased around the year 2000 Paid $1,299.00 Bet I could sell it now for what I paid or more.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom M King View Post
    I bought a new lawnmower last year. I mowed a neighbors yard with it a couple of weeks ago because it was too steep for his riding mower over a big part of his yard. He wanted to know where to get one. I told him I had paid 13 for it with the April 15% discount last year. He stopped by my house with big eyes and said that same mower is 18 now almost exactly a year later. They hadn't changed the mower one bit. I'm glad I don't need to look at woodworking tools.
    I was all set to buy a new ZTR right before COVID. Prices has just gone crazy. Not sure how lawn guys can make money now.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  12. #12
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    Mar 2016
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    Millstone, NJ
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom M King View Post
    When I bought my place 3+ acres, in 2015 I figured on buying a commercial ride on. I figured on paying 15,000. After meeting the neighbor he mentioned a lawn service he uses So I called for a quote he was 75 for the whole property 55 if he skips the back half which is behind a treeline.

    I did the math the machine would never pay itself off having me do it. Especially when you include the rest of the lawn equipment, fuel, and maintenance. Then on top of that I would have to store and winterize everything. Now I have Milwaukee blower/ trimmer/hedge trimmer/chainsaw. Almost no maintenance. and more room for tools.

    To OP point i feel like a lot of the tools I own I slipped into just before Price jump.

  13. #13
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    Nov 2022
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    Northern Colorado
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    13k? 15k? What kind of mowers are you guys looking at? These sound like Ferraris not mowers I have 2 acres and my Hustler XD which was 5k (yes still stupid expensive) does awesome and that Kawi engine is superb.

    OP, as far as tool prices go, it hasn't really changed whether or not I buy a tool I want/need. Its my one passion and if I can afford it, I will. I don't own a boat, camper, RV or anything like that, so I figure "ya only live once". I'm not happy about it, but I'm not retired and so money coming in compensates accordingly. Having said that, I'm certainly sensitive to the cost of living/things. My in-laws live with us because affording something themselves close by where we can help out that isn't an apartment or duplex is prohibitively expensive on their income.

  14. #14
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    We have over ten acres of grass that’s kept short, and about a quarter mile of shoreline that is not safe to cut with a regular mower. That shoreline had always been cut with a string trimmer before.

    I think I have a picture here of part of the shoreline cut the first day I used this mower. I can now cut all the short grass we have in less than two hours.

    The ten acres includes a couple of rental houses that we used to pay $75 each every week or two. Takes me ten minutes each to do myself now, and I can catch them between rentals while the houses are being cleaned.

    Will post the picture later. Don’t know how to access gallery from phone.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Tom M King; 05-02-2023 at 11:59 AM.

  15. #15
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    Dec 2010
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    WNY
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    Not sure about tools, but woodworking machines are cheaper this year than the past couple. I bought Grizzly bandsaw about 5 years ago for around $2700. Last year it was over $4K just for the machine. This year it's down to about $3200. Grizzly, HF, and many others are advertising again, and offering some sort of discount. I agree, I don't think prices will ever go back to where they were. There are too many added costs now, wages, fuel, etc for that to happen.

    As for mowers, I just bought a used Scag 36" walk behind for $1000. I could pay that much for a new Honda to replace my current residential mower, which leaves ruts with its narrow wheels when the ground is soft, and they remain there until the next year. The Scag is over 20 years old but likely doesn't have 1000 hours on the commercial Vanguard engine. It looks well maintained and runs great, and solves the rut problem. I'll never need another mower, and it will cut my time to mow the 1-1/4 acres I have by around 40%, more if I hook up the sulky when I'm doing the 1/2 acre field. At some point, hopefully, I'll start writing checks to have it done. The point? Used equipment often is an acceptable alternative to new and may offer better performance than anything new at that price point.

    John

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