Mustang #315

OK, so we all know about -insert your cheap tool store here-  and how incredibly cheap the stuff is. I’d love to be able to say “stay away from there and only buy the best high-quality tools”. But, I’m not made of cash, and as much as I love and  respect good tools and have some of them, sometimes it’s not practical to spend top dollar on something. You have to judge how much you’ll use the tools and how many “cycles” you’ll put them through. With some tools, you have a high tolerance for inaccuracy and some you don’t. With some tools, you’re going to use them 10 times and be done, so you don’t care if they last any longer. For instance, I went to Harbor Freight to buy my sheet metal nibbler. I knew that I would use it probably just for this one project and you know, it was great! I got a great hammer and dolly set there too, for very little money.

Here’s what I would not buy at *cheap tool store*: sockets, wrenches, micrometers, tools that you will use a long time or for close-tolerance stuff.  I think your basic trade-offs will be in the areas of accuracy and duty cycles. Cheap tools will often be inaccurate from one to the next, so I wouldn’t get measurement tools that have to be very accurate. That includes sockets. You use sockets all the time and for years, and you can ruin fasteners with ill-fitting ones.

Here’s what I would buy: anything you won’t use a ton that can handle a degree of imprecision. Or – if you will use it a lot, but it’s so cheap you can afford to just buy another one!

Basically, don’t waste your money on stuff you don’t need! You have more than enough stuff to spend money on if spending is your aim

McMaster-Carr has good quality cheaper stuff in their economy lines, along with the super-high quality expensive stuff.