Tools: High Quality or Cheap and Replaceable

[MicHughV]

I'm a tool junky....a certified tool addict....it took a lot of will power to whittle my boat tools down to that which I thought was necessary......every xmas I get a random selection of swiss army knives, etc....my screw driver collection is big enuff to have my own store...

just like my fishing collection....it is impossible for me to go into a sports store and not come out without some or other fishing gear, gadget, etc....

[Rotten Ricky]

There is no simple answer to the question of cheap verses expensive tools on a boat because there are many factors involved. Among many:

What do you want to use them for?
How often do you use them?
How big/serious is the job in mind?
Do you really know how to use them?
How reliable do they have to be?
Can they be easily replaced or are you mid-ocean?
Will lives be at stake?
What is the likelihood of them even being required?
Are there alternative sources of tools nearby, like from other boaters?
How much money do you have to spend?
Are you in an area of high salinity where they will more likely rust?
Do you believe that you will do a better job with a more expensive tool?
Are you hoping a more expensive tool will improve your image to others?
Are you likely to lose it overboard?
Are they easily/not-easily/not-at-all repairable?
What has this brand shown you in the past?
And many other questions...

Through sheer excessive use, and in dirty, fibre-glass conditions of boat building and repair, house construction and automotive work, I am amazed at how well some of my cheap tools have lasted. Far longer, sometimes, than expensive ones. This should not be the case. Some recently-imported, Asian, inexpensive hand tools work better than older, seldom-used, but expensive North America and European brands. Same for power tools.

Admittedly, as a former tradesman myself, I would on average love to have all top of the line tools, but sometimes it is just not worth it. When one Snap-On wrench costs as much as a whole, medium-priced set, I prefer the set, and am seldom disappointed. I leave the most expensive and fancy tools for the pros who need and use them daily, or the suckers who fall for the advertising and image-building propensity ...

Priorities....!
Cheers, RR.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Rotten Ricky

Admittedly, as a former tradesman myself, I would on average love to have all top of the line tools, but sometimes it is just not worth it. When one Snap-On wrench costs as much as a whole, medium-priced set, I prefer the set, and am seldom disappointed. I leave the most expensive and fancy tools for the pros who need and use them daily, or the suckers who fall for the advertising and image-building propensity ...

In our part of town, there's a little no-name tool store that imports mainly from Taiwan. I knew a boat mechanic and an auto mechanic who both went there for their socket sets. They're nicely made sockets, properly hardened, and there's 2/3 less crying when you lose one in a deep bilge.


They also sell these rugged, slightly crude screwdrivers for under $2. I buy handfuls as loaners, chisels, opening paint cans. They're actually pretty nicely machined, yet durable.

[MicHughV]

I miss the old time hardware stores....you could still buy a single screw if you wanted...now it's all packaged in oddball quantities so now you have to buy two packets of 3 screws to do a 4 screw job...Walmart just plain killed the small hardware store with Chinese junk and mass packaging...sad.....

but, there are several marine salvage stores around, where you can still weed thru' a 44 gallon drum to find that one oddjob screw, nut or bolt...

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

I miss the old time hardware stores....you could still buy a single screw if you wanted...now it's all packaged in oddball quantities so now you have to buy two packets of 3 screws to do a 4 screw job...Walmart just plain killed the small hardware store with Chinese junk and mass packaging...sad.....

but, there are several marine salvage stores around, where you can still weed thru' a 44 gallon drum to find that one oddjob screw, nut or bolt...

Don't get me started.

You can't even buy lengths of tubing at box stores anymore. Say you need 50' for your boat. Nope,. You have to buy a 200' roll online or little 12' long pieces pre packaged at home Depot. Completely BS.

I still go to the old time hardware stores.

Ace, Tru-value. Locally owned, they can source anything you need and they are more helpful.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Don't get me started.

You can't even buy lengths of tubing at box stores anymore. Say you need 50' for your boat. Nope,. You have to buy a 200' roll online or little 12' long pieces pre packaged at home Depot. Completely BS.

I still go to the old time hardware stores.

Ace, Tru-value. Locally owned, they can source anything you need and they are more helpful.

Amen!

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Rotten Ricky

.

Admittedly, as a former tradesman myself, I would on average love to have all top of the line tools, but sometimes it is just not worth it. When one Snap-On wrench costs as much as a whole, medium-priced set, I prefer the set, and am seldom disappointed. I leave the most expensive and fancy tools for the pros who need and use them daily, or the suckers who fall for the advertising and image-building propensity ...

Priorities....!
Cheers, RR.

Same here
And I remember the saying "a good tradesman never blames his tools"
Never had a problem with any of my medium priced tools and I get to have multiple sets strategically placed - none of this "now where did I leave that_____"

[GypsyOwner]

I spray my tools in cheap waxy furniture polish. It stops them rusting, doesn’t get your hands dirty, and smells great

[MicHughV]

have you been inside a fishing store lately... ???

ha, you will find 235,567,567,000 reels on display under the main counter...the " eye candy".....I have seen two reels identical in every way....except for the label....but different price...

I've asked the counter salesman what makes one reel better than another...but he couldn't or wouldn't answer me.....why is a $500 reel better than a $50 reel ??
There are now reels that are $1,200 in price...I'm talking a spinning reel, who in their right mind springs $1,200 for a spinning reel ??

interestingly, there are several youtube video's of guys dissecting a variety of "name" reels...with surgeon precision, every aspect of a reel is addressed....even to the number of times a reel will turn with one crank of the handle...makes my head spin....

the latest fad...." bearing count".....a prominent advertising gimmick to sell a reel is to announce in big bold letters.....the bearing count of a particular reel...

I view tools in the same manner...especially so the packaged xmas " specials" that Home Depot hawks around xmas time...they will add a flashlight or some other gimmicky thing to a packaged tool set conveniently set at the check out counter...I get these at xmas......the tools last about 1 week.....they are setup so the wimmenfolk of the word can buy their husband/boyfriend something for xmas, besides a tie..

I think the planet has lost something along the way...the personal touch.....the hardware store guy that knew everything about every thing in his store...

maybe it's me.....I've become old and jaded...

[Craig_B]

A high quality tool is worth its weight in gold. Cheap tools tend to make the job harder and more expensive.


That being said.


I used to sell tools similar to snap on and all the marine mechanics I serviced preferred the cheap brands as they would lose them too often.
Automotive and the heavy truck guys usually bought the quality ones.

[Simi 60]

A skilled worker can do fine work with cheap tools.

A butcherous wannabe will still butcher a job no matter how much money the tools cost.

[sailorboy1]

I would paid extra $$$$$$ for tools that always stayed by my hand when needed no matter where I set them down at, and which would put themselves away after the job was done.

If not they are just average tools and I would pay average $$ for them.

[Muaddib1116]

Thanks for all the advice guys. It's pretty clear that there are a variety of opinions on how to approach this. There's probably also a variety of opinions of what constitutes cheap or high end tools. For the past 5 years or so, I've been trying to be more aware of where the stuff I buy is made. For a number of reasons, I do what I can to limit the purchase of stuff made in China, if there is an alternative that I can afford. At the same time, I'll try to source US made stuff, or US owned and made overseas somewhere like Taiwan.

With that in mind, I bought a pretty comprehensive socket set and ratcheting flex wrench set from Williams, which I think is owned by Snap-on and built in Taiwan. This is, to me, a high-end set of hand tools. Obviously for some people it would not be. I looked at SK and Wright, but couldn't justify that type of cost jump, although I did pick up a set of SK screwdrivers on Amazon Warehouse. For power tools, I already have a decent selection of Dewalt 20v. Again, high end to me, but not high end to some people.

My alternative was buying a set of chinese made craftsman or husky sockets/ratchet wrenches, so I think I'm ok with my decision for now. We'll see how I feel when I start dropping stuff overboard.

[Rotten Ricky]

Just a few suggestions for those who are new to hand tools:

Do not be tempted to buy the cheaper "black chrome" tools, or you will have trouble locating them in darker conditions - even with a flash-light/torch. That is a real pain in the derrier, in a boat or under a vehicle! I suggest tools that function over tools that are costly and look pretty.

Try to get a set in the smallest case possible - two smaller cases are easier to store in the confined spaces in a boat than one big one. And then you will likely be working in a confined space and you cannot open up the big case conveniently. Note that sets of tools are often housed in a large case - to make you think you are getting a "large" deal - the extra space being filled up with a few trivial bits of stuff you already have, and seldom as a complete set. Such a nuisance.

Although everyone's needs are different, try not to get a set that has only a few in the middle range of sizes. There is an unwritten and international rule that guarantees that soon after you buy your set, you will need the smaller and larger sizes not present in your set! It never fails! Then you have the inconvenience of having to go buy and then store them - where, and without losing them? This is a pain. But each situation and your wallet dictates just how large the range should be.

It is nice to have both, of course, but try to get deep sockets - as some nuts are so far down a bolt that a shallow socket cannot reach them, but a deep socket will always - surrounding space allowing - reach a nut on a short bolt. Make sure you have universal-joint adapters for each socket drive size and adapters between the sizes.

Also, I spray paint my bright-chromed sockets different colours (at least parts of them) that helps indicate SAE from Metric, or one set in a case from another set in another case. The paint on the textured chrome of a wrench/spanner will obviously last much longer. Or I wrap a band of different coloured electrical tape, often white or yellow, or apply shrink insulation, around the sockets, and write in big black marker pen what they are.

Yes, the paint and tape eventually gets damaged or worn off, but that may be years away, and it did its job and makes the numbers easier to read and an easier job done. No blue words in the air! And it helps prevent having part of one set in one place and part in another - so tool sets tend to be complete. I have tools in four different locations.

Again this will not last long if under daily use and a pro may not bother, but for for the rest of us mere mortals, it works well, it is quick and easy to do and is very worthwhile.

Cheers, RR.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Rotten Ricky

...I spray paint my bright-chromed sockets different colours (at least parts of them) that helps indicate SAE from Metric, or one set in a case from another set in another case.

Another bunch of good tips. My main socket set is Husky, nice fitted case with durable hinges, well-labelled. I have one toolbag for extra sockets, extensions, spinners etc. I have two rolls for my wrenches - one metric, one SAE. It's rare that you need both metric and SAE wrenches out for the same task.