Tools

[Mark Woodmark]

When you purchase either stationary or hand tools, are you loyal to one brand or do you buy different brands and why?

[Cary Falk]

I am not loyal to any one brand. I don't think any one brand has the best offering in every category. My shop consists of Shop Fox, Grizzly, Jet, Delta, Steel City, Harbor Freight, Ridgid, Makita, DeWalt, etc. Sometimes I shop sales. Other times I pay a little extra for features I want.

[Scot Ferraro]

I have a melting pot of tools from most major manufacturers. I think that no one tool company has everything and since so many are similar and just a different color, it often comes down to price.

Scot

[Darnell Hagen]

Stationary- I buy old used, so what ever I find that I like and can afford.

Power- I'm a Bosch man

Hand- Veritas specialty planes, because they innovate, Lie Nielsen saws, because they fit me nicely, old Stanley bench planes, because I can afford them, Berg chisels, because they are abundant here and I like Swedish steel.

[glenn bradley]

I buy the tool, not the brand. Some of my favorite tools are made by folks who make other tools 'not-so-well'. There are folks who are brand loyal or want their shop all one color and that's fine. I just try to get the best bang for the buck or best of breed as opposed to buying a certain color just because they make a good <insert tool type here>.

[Will Overton]

So far in my shop I'm loyal to Craftsman, Grizzly, Delta, Steel City, Ryobi, Jet, Bosch, Powermatic, Festool, Porter Cable and Milwaukee, with SawStop and DeWalt on order. I'm very loyal!

[Chris Kennedy]

I have brands that I favor, though I wouldn't call myself loyal.

For hand tools, I favor Veritas. For power tools, I have a fair number of older Porter-Cable, but I view their more recent offerings with some dismay. I tend to like Bosch as well, but I have a smattering of other brands as well.

I try to find brands that reliably put out good tools, and favor those accordingly.

Cheers,

Chris

[Tony Bilello]

When I buy new portable electric tools I only buy Porter Cable
When I buy new stationary tools, I buy delta.
As for used tools, I buy what I consider a reasonable deal. Usually that comes in the form of Grizzly.

[Tom Rick]

I end up with a bunch of different brands. I use the tools professionally so just buy the brand that has the best tool of any given type. I will happily pay double for a quality tool when buying portable power. (or more... my Fein vac cost ~300 bucks.. yikes!) For stationary I try to buy used and again pick the brand that has a decent machine of a given type and end up paying around the price of the new cheaper tool for a decent used machine.

[Gene Howe]

I like Porter Cable routers and corded drills. Old Stanley planes and try squares. Skil is my brand for worm drives and Makita for cordless drivers. I have a gussied up ShopSmith for a table saw/router table and band saw. My 30 Y.O 6" planer is a Craftsman. And the miter saw is a Craftsman (I lust for a Makita SCMS, though).

[Larry Norton]

I'm partial to Delta because they gave me a DJ20 8in. jointer after a tornado destroyed our house and most of my tools. But I do buy other brands, depending on features and options.

[Bill Huber]

I buy what ever I feel is the best for what I can spend.

I don't like cheap tools, hand or stationary but I can not afford the top of the line for everything.

[Troy Turner]

Mostly everything in the shop though is Craftsman. I did buy a Steel City mortiser 'cause is was very much on sale and free shipping...When I first started, I didn't know much about DeWalts, Milwalkees, etc., other than they were out of my price range. I had always bought my mech tools from Sears and figured the power tools were about the same. Bandsaw and tablesaw are OLD craftsman, Made in the U.S.A, and still kickin. The others are newer, but still craftsman and no problems with them yet.

[Jim O'Dell]

I'm with Bill. I buy the best I can afford, and look long and hard for sales on an item of interest. I'll often buy a tool that is in my price range when I see it on a great sale, if I have the funds available, whether I'm ready for it or not. Case in point: my Delta 52-580 lunch box planer. purchased almost 6 years ago...haven't even fired it up yet, but got it for under $210.00. If it doesn't work, and I now finally have wood and a project to use it on, it will not have been money well spent. But it was a great buy. Jim.

[Gary Herrmann]

I'd only buy Northfield if I could afford it.

I have 4 Canadian General tools and keep my eyes open for others for cheap, so I guess that is a form of loyalty.