There are 3 types of cheap hand tools.
First, you have dirt-cheap hand tools that are built to be as cheap as possible. Sure, they work, but they don’t work well.
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I try to stay away from dirt-cheap hand tools, not even considering them entry-level. You know the kind – stores like Harbor Freight and Home Depot have these tools in a tub on the bottom shelf, as they’re so cheap they don’t even get their own packaging outside a UPC sticker.
With cheap hand tools, the handles are basic, the jaws soft, the cutters misaligned, and the pivots rough and clunky. They’ll do the job once, twice, three times, and then you either never need them again or throw them in the garbage in disgust.
Second, you have gimmicky garbage – tools that are low priced and with fancy “innovations,” often several of them.
Gimmicky garbage are often sold around the winter holidays or Father’s Day. They’re designed to be appealing and sell to impulse-buyers and gift-givers, and might be used a couple of times before collecting dust.
While gimmicky garbage sounds a bit rough and impolite, I struggle to find softer language that doesn’t sacrifice accuracy.
Lastly, you have entry-level hand tools that are functional, but with some compromises to allow for lower price points. The Husky adjustable pliers, shown above and reviewed here in 2012, are a good example of this. These pliers were priced at just $11 and worked pretty well.
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The entry-priced category includes quite a few brands. There’s no hard number as to pricing, as costs can vary widely depending on the type of tool. When talking about pliers, for instance, I’d consider entry-pricing to be maybe $5 per tool. Once you get above $10, that’s Channellock USA-made pliers territory.
In my long nose pliers post from a few years ago, I pulled together different styles from a range or brands – Knipex, Craftsman Pro, Craftsman, Channellock, Stanley, Gearwrench, Crescent, Vise-Grip, and NWS .
How many Stanley or Crescent pliers could you buy for the price of just one Knipex or NWS? If I recall correctly, that Stanley long nose plier (black handle with yellow accents) was from ~2003-2004.
I wouldn’t consider my Stanley pliers to be cheap, although they were inexpensive – I believe I spent $10 for a 3-piece set, but it could have been more – maybe up to $15. These days, you can get a similar Stanley set for $13 at Home Depot.
Here are some of my slip-joint pliers from a while back, with Craftsman Pro, Wilde, and Stanley offerings.
See Also: Slip Joint Pliers – Obsolete Relic, or Still Practical?
Cheap doesn’t necessarily mean bad. My Stanley pliers were simple, but they worked. I should mention that even Stanley entry-level pliers are leaps better than the dirt-cheap tools I bought for testing a couple of months ago. They’re basic, but far more functional than those dirt-cheap tool-shaped chunks of metal.
Cheap wire cutters don’t produce the same results as higher-priced cutters with sharper or offset jaws, but they get the same job done. Or, cheap pliers might not be as smooth, strong, or comfortable as higher-end models.
Consider a meal prepared with a $10 budget and 20 minutes of prep and cooking time. What happens when you have a $20 budget and 40 minutes of prep and cooking time? $50 and 90 minutes?
What’s expected, of course, is that benefits diminish after a point.
Is a $20 hammer batter than a $10 hammer? Certainly, but that $10 hammer will usually still be capable of driving in nails. Spending more will get you things like better vibration damping and a magnetic nail-starting feature. What about when you get to $40? At that point, you might see lighter harder-hitting designs and with more features, driving up the production costs.
You’ll also have titanium hammers, but those aren’t direct upgrades from lower-shelf barebones hammers.
I tend to focus more on mid-priced tools here because that’s where differentiation become more interesting and research more necessary. Does anyone spend time researching $2 pliers and $5 hammers? I didn’t – I just bought them and later upgraded once my needs and wants outgrew their capabilities.
I went through a box of older belongings recently, and found an incomplete set of jeweler-style screwdrivers I “borrowed” from my father. Two of the drivers are missing because their shafts separated from their handles and I discarded them. I eventually upgraded to Kronus precision screwdriver set from Radio Shack for $10. After that, I upgraded to better precision screwdrivers.
Cheaper tools are okay to start out with if you’re on a tight budget. I upgraded tools as my needs and wants increased, and other times because the opportunities allowed for it. I can’t tell you how many tools I purchased from Sears using credit card points and gift cards.
But here’s the thing – where’s the line between dirt-cheap and entry-level? Where’s the point below which you get tool-shaped chunks of metal and plastic for your money, rather than tools that’ll last beyond a single application?
I still remember some of the purchasing decisions I had to make. Do I buy Home Depot’s Workforce-branded bolt cutters, for cutting wire shelving to size, or HK Porter? I wanted the HK Porter, which I believe were made in the USA at the time, and their lighter-feeling I-beam-style handles, but they were priced maybe 4X higher than the Workforce. Since I had very specific tasks in mind and only short-term needs, I went with the Workforce.
A lot of my other entry-priced tool purchases went the same way. Short-term needs or undetermined needs led me to start off with cheaper offerings. What do you get when you spend $25 on pliers vs. $7? I didn’t know, and I also had a lower budget. $25 can get a whole lot of entry-level tools, compared to just a single premium pliers.
In coming weeks (or most likely months), I’ll be looking at more entry-priced offerings, in an attempt to find a solid series of starter recommendations, at least as far as hand tools are concerned. A lot of my previous recommendations are still valid, such as Bondhus for ball hex drivers, but there have been a lot of brand change-ups in the industry, and design trends have also evolved.
Do you still use entry-level tools? For your higher-priced tools, did you upgrade from entry-priced tools in time, or did you start off spending more for higher quality?
fred
This is an interesting topic – thanks for getting it started with this post.
Some questions to be asked when we buy many things (including ones you have already contemplated) like:
Do I have the knowledge and training needed to properly use the tool I’m contemplating purchasing? This is probably more significant for power tools and PATs than it might be for a pair of pliers.
How long do you need the tool to perform its function?
How often am I likely to call on it to be used?
What if it fails during its use – will it put me/others or what I’m working on in danger? How serious might that danger be?
What’s the likelihood that poor manufacturing, fit or finish of the tool damage (possibly irreparably) what I’m working on – and how big an issue would it be if it did?
How serious or consequential is that risk – and what is my appetite for risk?
Will risk of failure be mitigated by wearing proper PPE?
If I decide to buy an essentially disposable (one and done) tool can I calculate the present worth of repeated purchases versus the cost of a better tool? The reverse is also true.
How much is my time worth to procure replacements – should a tool fail or damage what I’m working on?
When buying for a business – we might add considerations about things like OSHA and FM certifications.
Dave
I’ve been using a Chicago electric double compound sliding miter saw from harbor freight for 8 years now. I think I paid 120 dollars for it. It was like 1/5th the cost of the DeWalt variant. Sometimes even cheap is worth it.
Charles F
with respect, it depends. As a professional carpenter, who has bought a lot of things at Harbor Freight, I wouldn’t use that once. It takes all my skill to make a professional cut with it, and takes much more time. In a cheap saw I’ll take a non slider any time.
For me, the wobble in a Bosch articulating saw is unacceptable though. And so I have Festool. No need to go all the way to my end, but it depends on the level of quality you expect from your cuts. My Bosch, no matter how hard I tuned it, was out 3/1000 of an inch at the center of the cut. That’s not acceptable at my level. The harbor Freight when I tried it was literally 100 times worse….
I like HF wrenches a lot, and some other hand tools. But if precision is required, they tend not to be the best. Sledgehammer that lives on the backhoe? HF all the way!
Coach James
I do still use some entry level tools as they keep working at a level that is plenty good enough for what I am doing.
One example is a pair of Task Force, Lowes low level brand, linesman pliers. I bought a pair years ago when I had little money. I was surprised how good they were and I still use them.
Another example is the Great Neck 13/16 spark plug socket I bought in in 1991 to change plugs on my 1990 Dakota. I got it at Autozone for next to nothing, but I still use it today.
Third, a pair of Great Neck tongue and Groove pliers I also got ~30 years ago at Autozone. They are far from the best I have, but they are still passable, they were what I could afford as a newlywed, and I was excited to finally have a pair of T&G pliers.
Fourth example is a Bluehawk 1/2″ ratchet my wife got me from Lowes. It is my go to ratchet for anywhere space is limited. It has the smallest head of any of my 1/2 ratchets, and I have units from HF, Proto, SK, Blackhawk, Stanley, C-man, carlyle and a few others.
Last one is a set of Companion pliers. Companion was a line of tools sold at Sears. They were below C-man, but above the tools just marked “Sears”. Those are over well over 20 years old and the finish is still great, jaws are tight, teeth are good. The needle nose are my go to set for many things. I think it was a 6? piece set that I got for $10 during C-man club weekend. regular price was $20.
All entry level, and all still being used.
Charles F
the Home depot husky linesmans pliers are good enough that I reach for them over my wiha. To work hot…
Wayne R.
Early in my career I turned a nice pair of Klein 9’s into 10g wire strippers. Hard lesson there. (It was 24VDC, btw.)
Hang Fire
Cutters with a melt divot in them to strip wire? That’s just another toolbox essential.
Charles F
24v and a lot of amps! But yeah, we call that approach the redneck circuit checker here. Always a bit exciting if it happens by accident though, and a good reminder never to choke up on linesmans pliers
Andy
Back in the day, I was changing spark plugs on my 68 mustang. I was using a cheap ratchet that I picked up from who knows where. Long story short, a plug was over tightened, I put some muscle into it, and broke the cheap ratchet. After essentially punching a valve cover as hard as I could, I vowed to never cheap out on tools again. Unrefined is fine. Cheap is never a good option.
Joe
That’s exactly why I only buy or use Ridgid pipe wrenches. If a pipe wrench breaks or slips when working on old steam pipes, you will get hurt.
blocky
Even in my younger thrift, inherited from parents who lived in poverty but were too proud to ever accept assistance, I quickly learned not to buy the bottom tier. You don’t want something that snaps in your hands or mangles after the first use. What’s one step up?
Gradually, I learned there are some tools that are just the *right* tool, with few alternatives. These tools pay for themselves quickly in quality and efficiency if you use them for work. I committed to never flinch when buying the right tool for the job, at least when I needed it, but not before.
Over the last decade, I’ve acquired just about everything I need. I’m still keen on innovation, but I’m less inclined to buy the latest if I already have a solid option. Every now and then a use case comes up, and I’ll buy something unexpected like a battery powered caulk gun, because pen to paper, it’s gonna save me a full day on production.
Chris
I hate to sound like the tool snob aficionado I actually am, but I love tools. I don’t mind paying extra for great tools. Snap on for example are great tools.
SK seems….ok…. the chrome finishing leaves a lot to be desired. But they seem strong so far.
Harbor freight tools have their place as well though. Just pick and choose wisely and you can find some good stuff there
Nate
Everyone seems to stop short on exactly what makes one tool better than the other. We can all spot the dirt-cheap tool, but what about a Kobalt vs Snap-On? Husky vs Knipex? Bondhus vs Wiha?
I get tired of reading about how one tool may outlast another. We all know that isn’t a function of price. But what is? What are the truly good deals? If I had to write an article comparing several brands of pliers, I’d at least compare them on something other than price and “feel”.
Stuart
Maybe 90% of the difference is feel or other subjective or scenario-dependent measure. The extra 10% would be reliability or durability.
If one person is given cheap and junky pliers and another more premium pliers, they’ll both be able to complete the same list of tasks much of the time. The cheap pliers might have softer metal, cheaper-to-produce jaws, it could be brittle, or it could last just as long as the better pliers.
Good tools often do last longer than cheaply made ones.
But let’s say the tools last just as long – what’s the difference then? The user experience.
What are the truly good deals? Vaughan wood-handled hammers, Bondhus ball end hex keys, Channellock adjustable wrenches, and I’m undecided on screwdrivers.
Why spend more on Knipex than Klein? That’s the type of question where you really have to hold both tools in your hand to determine. The Knipex offers a smoother experience, in my opinion, but I own Klein for the lower price point. Compared to cheap linesman pliers, both Klein and Knipex will offer better grip, and usually greater strength and durability. With things like cutter blades, spending more usually results in stronger and better cutting edges, and presumably more careful heat treatment.
I don’t buy tools based on longevity, at least not as a primary consideration, I buy them based on the immediate benefits they provide. If there aren’t any, I am able to lower my budget. Mechanics or other such users might place higher value on warranty replacements, which is why Snap-on and other truck brands are popular despite carrying a steep premium.
Consider flashlights. A cheap model might work alright, but a better brand will provide day in and day out performance, and should there ever be a problem, the brand will back up the product with great customer service and warranty or repair policies. At a certain point, you pay for greater reliability, so that the tool works when you need it to.
fred
We had Channellock tongue and groove pliers in every service truck in our plumbing business. Then almost 20 years ago we discovered the Knipex plier-wrench and bought a few to pass around and try. Soon almost everyone wanted the Knipex. There was nothing wrong with the Channellocks – and I recall that they were a lot better than the pump pliers I grew up with from Crescent and Diamond Horseshoe. But the Knipex pliers were better performers on chrome and brass fittings.
TheTool
You realize Fred that you’re comparing tongue and groove pliers to something like the pliers wrench or the Cobras? If you want to actually do a proper comparison take the Griplock from Channellock and compare it to the Alligators. Otherwise you can’t compare them.
Charles F
That’s a good question. I’ll tell you I’ve moved to mostly knipex v. Husky for a reason. And I think Husky tools are generally acceptable, with their linesmans pliers being pretty good.
But the Knipex just works better. I can spend more of my effort working on what I’m working on, and less getting the tool to work properly. Knipex needle nose will twist and keep the jaws aligned for example. This saves a bunch of re-alignment in by definition a tight space (why else use a needle nose).
There’s a level of unacceptable slop, acceptable slop, and no slop. No slop matters
TheTool
Charles you’re comparing Knipex to Husky? That’s a poor comparison. As for Knipex only some of their products are better than Channellock or Klein and that’s mostly when you get to the Cobras and Pliers wrenches. Their linesman are no better, neither are their needle nose etc
“There’s a level of unacceptable slop, acceptable slop, and no slop. No slop matters”
Comparing it to Husky just makes it seem like you made no effort to look at where each brand is positioned.
Kizzle
Don’t underestimate the feel of a tool. It can often make mundane chores much more pleasant. I find it much easier to start a project knowing I’ll be using nice tools I invested in. Grabbing a nut or bolt with some Harbor Freight junk pliers may feel uncertain or wobbly, while a Knipex has solid engagement and feels confident. I’ve found a great decrease in frustration after buying nicer tools because I’m not slipping off bolts or breaking tools as much. Is it necessary to buy more expensive tools most of the time? No. Not for me at least, but I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into them and it’s almost a hobby to buy and use nice tools. Why buy a luxury car when a Camry will do? This is a tool blog, after all. Most of us here probably buy tools we don’t even need, but enjoy them anyway.
TheTool
Again comparing Harbor Freight to Knipex? You’re just as bad as the other posters who compare it to Husky. Why don’t you actually compare it to made in USA brands or how about this (and it might shock you) NWS or Irwin NWS rebrands.
ktash
Feel may translate to something else. For a while I had hand and wrist problems. Some of the ones that had a better feel also seemed to get the job done without undue strain.
Charles F
that makes perfect sense to me. You can use less energy if it’s all going into the work
Toolfreak
I’d say there’s also cheap junk tools that don’t even do the job the first time, and there’s also cheap tools that last a lifetime and are even better than the expensive version of the tool.
I’ve seen more than a few junk tools of such laughably low quality I didn’t buy them, but I also have plenty of very, very cheap tools, bought brand new, that have taken years of use and abuse and that I reach for every time over the expensive one, which gets used, but less frequently.
Those cheap shorty combo wrenches are a great example. They come in limited sizes sometimes, but often are the right size set for certain automotive brands, and the compact size makes them perfect for cramped quarters where a regular length or long pattern wrench won’t go. Do you sometimes still want regular or long pattern length wrenches for more leverage? Sure. But sometimes you need a shorter wrench that’s not a stubby but not a regular length either. I haven’t had any issues with the quality, from either China or India made cheap wrenches.
Also, cheapo tools are great for when you want to modify it to make a special version to do a particular job.
Wayne R.
Your comment brings to mind another point: We can be sure that, whatever Knipex we pick up will be exactly what we expect it to be, and with the other end of the spectrum, those cheapie wrenches might have a few that are flawless, a few that are adequate and one or two that kinda suck.
To me, it’s that variability that is one of the things I want to avoid at the cheaper end of the spectrum.
A good tool (no matter its cost) lets you do what you need to do with a minimum of it introducing its own issues. It’s predictable. I find that tools like that are really satisfying to use, too.
Travis S.
I had an interesting “inexpensive” vs top-line tool experience recently. I have a small knee mill and lathe in my garage, and seem to find lots of uses for rubber coated dead blow style hammers. othing seems to work quite as well as a precision adjustment tool as a dead blow hammer. You can lightly tap the edge of a part to bring it in line, without marring the part.
I have been happily using a few Stanley and Nupla hammers for the last several years.
Recently though, I received a PB Swiss dead blow hammer as a birthday gift. Tje feel difference is amazing. The old hammers feel like holding a rubber chicken, and don’t offer alot of tactile feedback when tapping ( rarely do you hit hard with a dead blow hammer). Holding the PB Swiss hammer feels like Thor loaned you his hammer for the day- and the feedback of the steel disk pack inside the hammer is fantastic.
I own many “Premium” brand tools- Proto, Armstrong, Felo, Wiha, Wera etc. and I appreciate most of them for their quality and ease-of-use. Never before though have I had such a “clouds part and angels sing” moment with a hand tool like I do when I use that PB Swiss hammer. This is my first PB Swiss tool, but it definitely wont be my last.
Stuart
I love my PB Swiss dead blow!! It fits in between a traditional rubber mallet-shaped dead blow hammer, and dead blow ball pein hammers, but with a non-marring face.
Now that you said it, and how you described it, I think there definitely is an improvement in the tactile feedback. I guess this is due to the disc-shaped weights being constrained to move largely in one dimension, while the shot in other dead blow mallets can lose energy if you’re trying to be gentle. I never thought to use my dead blow in place of other hammers for more controlled tasks. Tapping with a dead blow seems unnatural, but I’ll give it a try – thank you!
JML
Are these the hammers with the wood handle? The handle on most other dead-blow hammers usually has some elastomer coating over something harder.
TheTool
Comparing Stanley or NAPA to PB Swiss? That’s as bad as other comparisons.
“Never before though have I had such a “clouds part and angels sing” moment with a hand tool like I do when I use that PB Swiss hammer.”
No it’s more like a placebo effect because you think you’re getting a superior product but you’re really a sucker.
William
I don’t have many cheap tools anymore. I’ve pretty much upgraded everything I have over the years. Too many bad experiences with cheap tools, not worth my time and effort to work with them.
I’ve purchased some super cheap essentially single use tools if I had a one off project to take care of with mixed results.
Hon Cho
“The tool you have is better than any tool you don’t have” Broken vehicle, need tool, only available option is cheap, unrefined (insert tool type here) at auto parts store on Sunday morning. You buy, you use and most times you succeed at your task. Perhaps with some choice words and with a bit of luck you suffer no more than skinned knuckles. If you’re like most of us, the cheap unrefined tool goes into the tool collection. It may even become the catalyst for buying a better version of the tool or it may just collect dust, never to be used again. The important thing is that it was available when you needed it and helped you get something done. That’s the definition of a tool.
Jesse
The stories remind me of a dirty day I had in industrial maintenance: I was the only guy thin enough to wiggle under a rubber extruder in the oil and carbon black. Task: wail on a something with a hammer to get it free. It took some time to get in there and after three of four strikes my cheap hammer snapped in half! I went out that night and replaced every hammer in my box with an Estwing and have never regretted it.
Quality needed depends on what your doing to do with it. Home use just doesn’t hold up for industrial work.
Sean
I like the middle road option for anything that use regularly.
Brands that are great value for money include: SK, Wright, Williams USA, and Proto.
Things I use with less frequency might include entry level offers.
For the non professional, I would buy based on frequency of use.
Cr8on
Back around 2000 or so I used a Snap-on ratcheting screwdriver and spent a decade looking for a cheap alternative that I never found, one day I saw the tool truck and paid a pound of flesh for my own.
That lesson and toolguyd has steered me towards higher end hand tools. I now own several German made pliers and US made snips. My “cheap” hand tools are new/old Craftsman, Milwaukee, Stanley, and DeWalt.
By nature I’m a cheapo and hate spending money but wasting money drives me nuts.
Caleb Allen
I think it honestly depends on what you are using it for. I need a pair of channel lock pliers to grab hot metal railroad spikes and dunk them in water. I am NOT going to spend $80 on a pair of Knipex for this when a $10 pair from Harbor Freight will do the trick. On the other hand I have wasted so much time and money on cheap dollar bin screwdrivers where the tip rounds off and breaks off, its not worth it.
I think too it depends on the level of use. Like Jesse said above, most hand tools sold at home stores are targeted towards home owners. They will not survive in an industrial setting.
TheTool
China makes good screwdrivers you just have to make sure you get a good branded one such as Workpro.
Andy Ringsmuth
I’ve had a handful of cheap tools over the years. I won’t touch them any more. When I need to do something, I need to do it right and do it well, and a crappy tool is only going to frustrate me.
I would MUCH rather pay a little more and have a good tool that will last years than save a few bucks and end up pissed off.
EXCEPT for small needle-nose pliers for my tackle box. Those I buy at Harbor Freight for myself and my sons. You don’t really need much to remove a hook that the fish swallowed. And, when I drop it off the side of the boat or the dock, I’m only out a couple dollars.
Bob
I started out buying the best quality tools I could afford and never looked back. If I couldn’t afford it I made do. Or realized it was a legitimate need not want and found a way to buy the tool.
Perhaps this stems from using hand me down cheap junk tools from my Dad. He had excellent tools. But gave the very young irresponsible me the junk stuff he was gifted or had acquired from yard sales or where ever. If I was going to break, loose or dammage it makes sense to give me the junk.
When I was allowed to use his tools when we worked on stuff together I immediately noticed the difference.
Fast forward to when I first started out on my own. I still had the collection of junk tools that could mostly get the job done. But when a project would start that I thought I might need a new or better tool I started this evaluation process:
Find the best quality tool out there, within reason. Determine if I could afford it. Determine if I could get the project done with my existing tools. I would hold off on buying if I couldn’t afford the best or second best tool if I thought I could get it done with the junk stuff. Thought process was to buy once cry once.
It has mostly served me well. They were a couple times I soon found out I could not get the project done with the junk tools and ended up buying the quality tool.
Fast forward to present day. I still don’t have every tool I want (does any man?). But I have pretty much everything I need. And it’s all good stuff.
I did keep some of the junk stuff. There might be some five-year-old that needs a pair of needle nose pliers to dig holes for worms. Definitely understand why my dad gave me the junk tools when I was little lol
Wayne R.
Part of the decision of choosing is the likelihood of knowing you’re going to have/want to upgrade later – and being mad at yourself for the initial now-wasteful purchase.
Then the decision becomes how high up the quality chain you want to go…
John
I don’t earn a living with tools, with but have learned through years of trial and error to never skimp on ratchets, screw drivers, adjustable wrenches or long-handle garden tools. Hand tools for obvious reason, but I almost impaled myself on a wooden shovel handle that decided to give way under extreme duress. Steel or fiberglass handles for me ever since.
aerodawg
I’m at a point in my life where I have more $ than time or patience to deal with stuff that doesn’t work. Buy once, cry once, and go get the job done ASAP.
Mike (the other one)
My rule of thumb:
If it’s a tool you use every day, get the the best you can afford. Occasional use tools can be cheaper, and once in a blue moon tools can be dirt cheap, so long as they do their job they are intended to do.
I also have a set up dirt cheap tools for backup/loaner/sacrificial work.
hangovna
Another perspective to think about is… since you’re doing the work yourself and not paying someone labor, buy better quality tools that will last you a lifetime and make life easier every time you pick it up. You’re still saving money from having to pay someone to do it. Sure you can accumulate a lot of clutter, but your dollar still stretches further than someone who can’t do anything for themselves.
Nathan
Something like slip joint pliers I would expect to be cheapo depo end and I would buy that for the occasional use. I think the slip joints I have in the house part drawer in the kitchen came form HF or something some years ago. I do not expect to put a water line on with it – but I might retighten the bolt on one of the kitchen chairs with it. the 4 in 1 screwdriver in that drawer probably also came from HF. It’s not going to be used on the car but it is used to take the battery doors off of kid toys.
so fair. I always say I refuse to buy a tool or device where the measurment of the device is necessary from HF. IE no drill bits or wrenches, sockets etc. I did it 3 different times and all 3 times I had something that wasn’t the right fit. HF is open on sunday – so is autozone and Advance auto. If you need a 27mm socket or a O2 sensor wrench – get one from autozone or advance.
Fm2176
I have a hodge podge of tools collected over the past twenty-five years. From Snap-On and other truck brands I purchased during my days as a mechanic, to dozens of various Channellocks from my splurge six years ago, to Petersen Vise-Grips and a few Chinese made versions to beat up, Harbor Freight, and, well, too many to list.
I think that cheap tools have their place, but I try to draw the line at Husky/Kobalt and similar brands (even then, usually only if I find them at a really good price). That said, I have a pair of beyond cheap Harbor Freight locking pliers I found in a hotel parking lot in Savannah. I hate to admit it, but those and my decade-old Kobalt versions get more use than all of my US made Vise-Grips combined.
Dave
I use my tools to help make a living. No hobbyist here. No junk tools. None. NEVER. I’m not pulling as hard as I can on a Chinese 1-1/4 end wrench. I value my teeth.
VERY few high-end tools. I’m not paying $300 for a set of end wrenches.
And I know better than to think a $40 set is worth having.
There are A LOT of things cheap junk can’t accomplish, and very, very few things that high end tools will do any better than mid-range stuff.
Value- that combination of price and quality that maximizes my productivity. I accomplish that with old Made in USA craftsman, SK, Proto, Wright, and pretty much anything that’s 30-40 years old and USA-made.
No Snap-On for me! No Value to me. The price vs (any gain in )productivity ratio is way out of whack as far as I’m concerned.
Charles A Andrews
I think every man that does anything mechanical should have a three eighth snapon ratchet and 6 point shallow socket set 8 to 19 mm. A snapon ratcheting screwdriver and a #2 jis bit at the minimum . I bought mine at 18 and could not afford them, looking back I could not afford not to have bought them. I would not carry them and smashed my hand using my craftsman sockets. I could not get the bolt loose (striped) so I walked back to the shop got snapon socket to remove the bolt without effort. If the sockets dont have flank drive they are not worth having! I have many sets of sockets now but that 32 year old set is in my truck everyday and I have never lost or broken a single one. Somethings you cannot go cheap on.
Maintenance Essentials
I am an Operations Supervisor/Maintenance Manager at a HUD housing complex in Upstate NY. I began a YouTube channel and also post on Instagram about this topic frequently.
1.) People cant always afford the top tier tools. I know this is coming from an apartment maintenance point of view and we are very low on the trades totem pole when it comes to the validity of opinions BUT brands like Wiha, Gedore, Wera, Williams, Stahlwille, Knipex, and even Klein or Ideal, all demand a serious investment that, although the end product may last longer or have a higher quality make or provide for a smoother user experience, may not always be option for those just starting out or seasoned vets.
2.) Prices aside, I feel there is a discrimination at play. To BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY in the tool community, your bag should be full of THESE tools. Knipex, Wera etc. I’ve found that your skill level, your knowledge, your reputation, your job site prowess is, to many in the community, directly related to the color of your tools’ handle. You are judged by what’s in your bag…. unfortunately. It’s seemingly a trade-culture phenomenon. Not only this, but a lot of Tradesman seek that camaraderie that comes with using tools on a daily basis, that comes with the dust and blood and sweat of daily job site work and in order to fit in, we have have to choose a respected brand tools. To escape the peer ridicule of using the “wrong brand” some are forced into these purchases. It’s a rite of passage for many. An acceptance into the club. You won’t believe how many times people have commented on my videos that my tools are garbage. That I’m not a professional unless I use this brand or that brand. Or how do i expect to ever be taken seriously if I don’t buy respectable tools.
3.) Cheap tools are one thing. The type that you mention that sit dust covered at the shelf’s bottom. But tools that fall below these higher priced brands, brands like Southwire, Crescent, Irwin, Workpro, Sata, Channelock, Tekton, Craftsman, Husky, Kobalt, Lennox, Commercial Electric, DeWalt and Milwaukee hand tools, some tools by Capri, Teng and Wilde…. These all get the job DONE wonderfully. They work both professionally and eloquently and fail to hurt your pockets as much as these other brands. These tools are not cheap by any means and provide a solid user experience. It’s been compared a million ways and I prefer to liken it to the Porsche vs Chevy discussion where sure, we all would love a Porsche. They’re beautiful. Stunning. Fast. With top of the line parts, tech and build quality. But how many of them do you see on your way to work in the morning? Yet, everybody is still getting to work…driving their Chevy. Their Ford. Their KIA. Why? Well because they do the exact same thing as a Porsche. They drive…..
4.) I still have Kobalt tools from 10yrs ago that work. I still have 20yr old Craftsman. Ive broken the tip off of a Wiha Flat blade screwdriver after a year….
My point is that there will always be good, better, best and so on. That’s just how the world is set up. The best tool should always be that gets the job done. Not the one that is most expensive or has the best reviews on Amazon. What’s works the best for me may not always work best for you BUT(and here is the best part). We are blessed to have so many options. To have our tool aisles lined in a kaleidescope of colored over molds and finishes. Let’s not forget that. The best tool is subjective. The quality of a tool will also rely on the spirit of it’s user.
Stuart
With your second point, the same is true in a lot of industries. How does it look if a wedding photographer charges thousands of dollars for shoot, but does it all with a $500 entry level camera and kit lens? I have seen that camera appearances is also very important in commercial videography, with more professional-looking built-up rigs being taken more seriously than smaller consumer models.
Paul
As a service contractor quite often I get ONE shot to make a good first impression. And actually you’d be amazed what has happened to me multiple times on the job. It’s not just “tool envy”. It has been ingrained in most electricians that all meters MUST be Fluke, period. Most would never even be open to anything else. And yet time and again I run into for instance electricians working on motors that don’t have an insulation resistance meter simply because the Fluke one is so outrageously priced that they can’t afford it. I like my tools but I USE my tools. Most of my tools are “mid range” because I get the best tools for the money. For instance my “Megger” is not Biddle Megger brand. And it’s not Fluke. It’s Extech. I would agree too that Extech makes some really cheap garbage. But they have a good insulation resistance meter that has served me well. Similarly Amprobe makes multimeters that best Fluke in every way but are midrange priced. My company should be in the meter business because I’ve probably sold a lot.
But nowhere else have I seen such a difference as when it comes to lights. I have very poor vision in low light conditions. So I have to compensate by carrying several different work lights. I’ve owned almost one of everything out there but right now my favorite work lights are Milwaukee branded. Frankly I consider many of them to be “mid range” priced. They’re bright, the battery life is excellent, and they stand up to work site beating. Many of my customers have taken pictures and model numbers of my lights and went and bought their own. This is one place where the high end name is worth the money.
So I buy QUALITY, not just price, within reason. And don’t know Harbor Freight. A lot of their stuff is cheap imported junk agreed. You just can’t get past it, even with free returns. But they have quite a few outstanding items if you look between the rows of outright junk. I guess it helps to “shop around” on the job site first before buying though.
Probably my biggest disappointment is Nebo. I really, really, really want to love the Slyde. It just doesn’t hold up.
TheTool
1. You don’t need a serious investment when there are brands that will get the job done for less than what any of those brands cost. Tekton is one example and they have US made tools. Guess what they’re American made and cost way less than a Williams/Snap-On or those other European brands and they’re way more affordable.
2. I’ve got the brands in your point #1 but in real-world use I don’t use them because I don’t care about ridicule or what brand someone cares about. For pliers it’s Channellock or Kleins, screwdrivers it’s Tekton (nylon and hard handle), etc
3. Well I agree with this but the main point is that some of those brands are “cheap” in price but can get the same job done just as well as the higher priced brands. The more money you spend the less you get in return and that applies to tools (whether it be hand or power tools).
4. Warranty is a big point, you can warranty a Husky or Kobalt easily and they’re lifetime warranty. Wiha you have to email them or call them and probably send in the tool (along with whatever else they ask you to do).
Flotsam
There are always reasons to buy cheap tools. Sometimes you don’t want to put so much wear and damage to your “good” tools.
Case in point I was taking down a plaster wall in a bathroom as it was being renovated to run new power and plumbing lines. There was a lot of wire & lath to take out and i ended up buying some long reach cutting pliers from Harbor Freight because i didn’t want to tear up my very similar Knipex pliers. Yes the HF pliers did take a beating and look now like they were well used, but they still work and the cutting edge on the jaws are still plenty sharp.
I guess i could have used the Knipex for the same task but i wanted my “good” tools to stay nice. Silly isn’t it?
ben
I am not a homeowner and all I need tools for are simple projects like assembling furniture or tightening loose screws. For my needs, cheap Harbor Freight tools are fine. However, I like to keep good quality stuff in my car in case I need them in an emergency. I carry a small Bacho socket set, Noco jump starter and Channellock pliers just in case I need them.