I think an analogy is for buying any tool T, buy your first T at Harbor Freight, then for your replacement T maybe look for a Makita/Milwaukee/&c or even Snap-O

I think an analogy is for buying any tool T, buy your first T at Harbor Freight, then for your replacement T maybe look for a Makita/Milwaukee/&c or even Snap-On/MAC. For many kinds of tools, this seems sensible to me. Exception to the rule being safety equipment.