4 ms·

That's interesting, I've been renovating my home for the past two years and have had the exact opposite experience: I've been quite happy with my cheap pipe ben

That's interesting, I've been renovating my home for the past two years and have had the exact opposite experience: I've been quite happy with my cheap pipe bender, cheap angle grinder, cheap hex crimper, cheap multipipe pliers as well as store brand consumables like hybrid glue, tape, drill bits and whatnot. For electrical work I do buy Knipex most of the time and for tools that get used heavily it's usually Bosch, plus I'm never going near cheap paint again, so I do see the advantage of trustworthy brands, but it's nice to know that for things that'll only see occasional use, you can get something okay-ish for a great price. Or for something completely different, I used to dabble in brewing, and all of the small commercial brewers I know are really happy with their bottom price Chinese fermentation tanks.

JKCalhoun 5y ago
There is likely a difference depending on the tool. My track saw is going to be Makita or similar, but my abrasive cutoff saw can be a Harbor Freight special.
jamesmaniscalco 5y ago
For some time now, for buying home improvement tools, I have followed the heuristic “buy the cheap one, then once it breaks, buy the expensive high-quality one.” I find that this helps make sure I don’t waste money on something I will only use once or twice.
kenned3 5y ago
I do the exact same thing (buy the cheaper versions most of the time). My dad was in the trades and he bought "good stuff" for his actual trade, but also bought 'affordable' stuff he needed around the house. The idea is that if you are using a tool every day, and they break on the job it is time, money, embarrassment. How do you tell a customer the cheap saw just broke and you need to get a new one? The "pro" stuff costs a LOT more, it will outlast if used on a regular basis, but most home owners will not reach those limits.

JKCalhoun 5y ago

There is likely a difference depending on the tool. My track saw is going to be Makita or similar, but my abrasive cutoff saw can be a Harbor Freight special.

jamesmaniscalco 5y ago

For some time now, for buying home improvement tools, I have followed the heuristic “buy the cheap one, then once it breaks, buy the expensive high-quality one.” I find that this helps make sure I don’t waste money on something I will only use once or twice.

kenned3 5y ago

I do the exact same thing (buy the cheaper versions most of the time). My dad was in the trades and he bought "good stuff" for his actual trade, but also bought 'affordable' stuff he needed around the house. The idea is that if you are using a tool every day, and they break on the job it is time, money, embarrassment. How do you tell a customer the cheap saw just broke and you need to get a new one? The "pro" stuff costs a LOT more, it will outlast if used on a regular basis, but most home owners will not reach those limits.