Bad tool buying decisions

[Mitchell Andrus]

We about to turn the page on the calendar again, and some of us have a little Christmas money to spend. Without giving product brand names (to keep the conversation polite), what have your WORST tool buying decisions been?

I wish I had all of the money spent on tools that were bought "for now".

My list of tools that were too: small, underpowered, cheap, wrong for the job, impulse buys, etc.:

Bench-top mortiser - replaced it with closed base, floor model.
Radial Arm Saw - replaced it with 5hp cab saw and 12" miter saw.
1.5 hp DC - replaced it with 3 hp dual canister.
3 hp canister DC - soon to be replaced by a 5hp cyclone. (see above)
16 x 32 single drum sander - replaced with 2 x 25" 5hp drum sander.
Hobby budget pocket hole - replaced with semi auto benchtop unit.
Benchtop planer - replaced with 15" 502 pound behemoth.
Scroll saw - gathering dust.
Two biscuit cutters - gathering dust.
3 axis router machine clone, green in color - gathering dust.
2 photo flood lights - replaced with 2 strobe units.

I guess I've learned that buying on the cheap gets me tools I'm likely to grow out of.

[Jim Becker]

Like many folks...the initial purchases of "retail name brand" bench top type tools, particularly a table saw, was the start of my often using the phrase, "The most expensive tools are the ones you have to replace early and often."

There are also a few times that I should have thought about things a little longer. I still got a good tool, but might have been happier with a different format. The combo sander in my shop is an example of that. I like it and use it, but in retrospect, it should have been an edge sander...I've only used the disk once and that was merely to avoid moving the machine to get to the belt. My second lathe is another example. A fine machine. (OneWay 1018) But I quickly outgrew it's capacities. I should have gone right to the "big" machine like I now own that can do the type of work I enjoy. I don't regret those purchased like the first catagory mentioned above, but in retrospect, could have made better decisions.

Tool buying for me at this point is a "buy the best I can afford, even if it requires saving for awhile to accomplish it". In that way, if it turns out to be something I find myself not using, I can get a lot more value out of it during the transfer to someone else who has a need for it.

[glenn bradley]

I use my biscuit joiner far less than expected although it is top of the line so, when I do use it, it works perfectly. I cannot say these are regrets as these tools were bought 'just to see' if I would like this WWing thing or not. Had I known, I would have bought:

- SCMS instead of CMS
- 8" jounter instead of 6"
- Floor standing DP instead of bench model
- Full shop DC istead of single machine unit
- T-8 lighting fixtures instead of T-12
- Good ROS instead of a $30 one that is just OK

Thanks mostly to the folks here at SMC I have not really bought anything of substantial cost that I would steer folks away from . . . ah small favors ;-)

Things I did right thanks to all you folks:

- a real jigsaw
- a real router for the RT
- Good sharpening equipment
- Good cutters in general
- quality finishes
- other misc. quality tools as opposed to those bought early on as mentioned above

Thanks to all.

[Bob Childress]

Ah . . . we all have our tales of woe no doubt.


Mine include:

Cheap single-axis laser level - gathering dust
Finish sander with poor DC - gathering dust (is that a pun?)
Name brand cheap CS - burned out and canned
Name brand cheap jigsaw - gave it away
Cheap band clamp - canned
Cheap bar clamps - gathering dust
Bench top DP instead of floor-standing


Not so many lately, however, thanks to this forum.

[Hans Braul]

Mitchell,

Interesting list. No doubt you are much happier with the new stuff than you were with the old. You are lucky enough to be able to afford the new stuff. Brings to mind a humbling story from my distant past though...

As a young keener, I knew there was no sense in messing around - just bit the bullet and buy the best. Hence my purchase of a General 350 tablesaw, and a few other high-end tools without ever really having built anything. In short, I talked a good game, but had yet to produce a whole lot. Based on a log of reading and thinking, was feeling pretty good about my knowledge of woodworking.

Then I went to visit my great-uncle. He was a cabinet maker by trade, trained in Germany. He had one leg (lost one in the war, fighting for the bad guys), and was frugal beyond what any of us can even imagine. He was convinced the next great depression was around the corner. Every tool in his shop was the crappiest, cheapest thing you could buy. I mean, cheap, cheap, cheap. I'm sure I spent twice as much on my tablesaw as he spent on his entire shop.

Now the humbling part... He produced the most exquisite furniture, worthy of posting in FWW or any other woodworking mag. His specialty was grandfather clocks, one of which sits at my parents' house today. Every detail was perfect. Nothing left to chance. The way he did this was he really THOUGHT about what he was doing. When a machine had limitations he built a jig to compensate. Keep in mind he only had one leg, so all these things had to accommodate those limitations as well. He was truly inspirational.

I don't begrudge anybody nice tools, and I am certainly eying lots of nice upgrades, but every time I buy something I ask myself if it will really make better stuff, or is it just another gadget?

Thanks for the post.

Hans

[Al Willits]

Too new to woodworking to have much of a list there, I'm sure almost anything I've bought there was a better model, but this is a hobby for me, not my living, so some concessions needed to be made.

Not a bad thing, but my 14" Delta BS could use a bit more power if I had to list something.

Other tools would be,
110 volt wire feed
Air powered DA that listed for $49 on sale for $19....shoulda know...
30 pounds of surplus welding rod that "should" work
cheap drill sharpening elect tool
non Craftsman socket set for air tools
Garage sale automotive paint

Probably a ton more, but that's a start.

Al

[Mitchell Andrus]

Hans, my grandmother, 93, is also from the 'old country'. Yep, frugal.

I consider safety, productivity and long term value now that I'm older and wiser. I cringe when I think of the stuff I did with the radial arm saw. I run a production shop and if your great uncle did, he'd see the value of having production tools in a modern shop. In my opinion, expensive tools put to good use are cheaper to own in the long run.

A man with a good sharp pocket knife can do things another with a room full of power tools can't.

[Mike Seals]

I have but one tool that I regret buying, an airsaw, el cheapo. I don't regret buying it so much as it not working. The money spent was less than a 12 pack of my favorite beer. But I wished it worked better.

I'm with Hans on this. I think some tools will do a better job than others, but I think knowing what how well your tool works is the key. I used to build street rods, most of the tools needed to work these cars are rather expensive. I learned to make do with what I have.

It's the same with the wood tools, understanding their limitations and working from there.

[JayStPeter]

I think most of my decisions were reasonable "at the time". When I started I never pictured myself owning the shop I have now. Even though I have upgraded pretty much everything, each got me further along and taught me what I wanted in a replacement.

However, there are some decisions that in retrospect were terrible.

First, my drillpress. I was convinced by online and locals that a used old Delta would be much better than any new imported junk. Wrong. Lesson learned: brand names don't make a tool good.

Most of the other regrets are buying cheap bits/blades so that I would have profiles and capabilities. I had some cheap router bits ruin some parts and cheap blades produce so much ply tearout that a cabinet I was making for the bathroom became a shop cabinet.
I just repeated this lesson with some hollow chisel mortiser chisels. I bought some on closeout from Highland at $19 for a 4 piece set. I set about sharpening them according to the instructions in PWW. It took me 6 sheets of 320 grit and nearly 2 hours to get the sides of the chisels reasonable. Then I inserted them into my mortiser to find that the bits were too short to reach the chuck. Arrrghhh, the next set will be significantly more expensive from LV.

[lou sansone]

anything with the name ROYBI on it.
lou

[Lee DeRaud]

I wish I had all of the money spent on tools that were bought "for now".

OTOH, a lot of stuff got built with "for now" tools that never would have seen the light of day if I'd waited until I could afford the "good stuff".

[Mitchell Andrus]

Jay,

Fishe, or Fisch(?) brand is the only one that I'll put in my mortiser, a Powermatic floor model. The bits may not last a whole lot longer than the cheap ones (white oak), but they cut better, take a better edge, and the hollow part is well tuned up right from the box. Wood workers Supply sells them and replacement bits too, saving the cost of buying a set because of a broken bit. You get what you pay for, I've got a bunch of cheapies in the cabinet just as spares.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Yea, been there, but that's why it took five years to buy my $25,000.00 laser. I knew a smaller model would, like so many other tools, be a way too exspensive 'for now' tool.

Don't get me started on cheap wrenches!!!

[Scott Vigder]

WORST tool buying decisions been?


My list of tools that were too: small, underpowered, cheap, wrong for the job, impulse buys, etc.:


Radial Arm Saw - replaced it with 5hp cab saw and 12" miter saw.
1.5 hp DC - replaced it with 3 hp dual canister.
3 hp canister DC - soon to be replaced by a 5hp cyclone. (see above)
16 x 32 single drum sander - replaced with 2 x 25" 5hp drum sander.
Benchtop planer - replaced with 15" 502 pound behemoth.

Wow, you must have gone from making hanging folder holders (boxes) to victorian chairs and mission style sofas!

[Mitchell Andrus]

Dig around here, you'll find my website.