Here at ToolGuyd, we often focus on the latest and greatest tools, because most new tools are pro-grade or higher-end enthusiast tools. Even for reviews or my own personal exposure, I tend to keep the scope focused on mid-range tools, and sometimes even higher-end brands.
There are lots of reasons for buying the best tools you can justify. There are also lots of reasons you might want or need to adhere to a slim budget.
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I have purchased cheap (aka entry price point) tools before, and deeply regretted it, but I have also had some very good experiences with inexpensive tools or brands. So, here’s a quick discussion of 3 types of tools where I bought an inexpensive tool and had zero regrets.
Rubber Mallet
Rubber mallets are pretty basic tools. You have a shaped rubber head, and a wooden handle. You use it to persuade things to move.
My rubber mallet is Craftsman-branded, likely a rebranded Vaughan. I bought it at Sears, and because there was a price mistake, they took an extra $5 off the price.
I had wished I could buy an Estwing white rummer mallet, but there was a big price difference. Even now, there’s a Stanley black rubber mallet for $4 and change on Amazon, and the Estwing is currently ~$18 with Prime shipping. The astute observer might point out that I linked to a 16oz Stanley and 18oz Estwing, and that the 18oz Stanley is $7 and change.
If you don’t have a rubber mallet, an inexpensive one will handle your malletting needs just fine, at least most of the time.
Now, I have a couple of different types of rubber mallets and dead blow hammers, but my Craftsman is still frequently called upon.
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Pliers
It took me the longest time to part with my Stanley pliers. I bought a 3pc set around 2003 or 2004. I don’t remember what I needed them for, but I remember driving around and buying the set at a Sears Hardware store. It wasn’t the set shown above, but one really similar.
You can see it in the middle of this photo of long nose pliers.
Read Also: Let’s Talk About Long Nose Pliers
There’s a different Stanley slip-joint plier, but it didn’t see as much use.
Read Also: Slip Joint Pliers – Obsolete Relic, or Still Practical?
I got away with using entry-level pliers for quite some time. After that, I bought Craftsman pliers on sale. Then Craftsman Professional pliers. Then Channellock. Knipex followed, when on sale at Amazon, and then NWS.
Would you rather have 3 different kinds of pliers for $10-15, or just 1 style of pliers but built to higher quality? You can have a very good selection of pliers and cutters for the price of a single Knipex or NWS tool.
I don’t regret most the pliers I upgraded to. But I also don’t ever regret buying my beginner’s set of Stanley pliers.
I gave one away a few years ago, as part of a housewarming gift to someone. The others? I don’t know, but I can tell you that I gave the last one away recently, donating it to the local high school as part of a larger tool donation drop-off.
There are reasons for spending more on better pliers, but I never once regretted buying my Stanleys.
That purchase was also my first exposure to tool set pricing. Buy 1 tool for $7, or 3 for $15? Maybe it was 1 for $6 and 3 for $10? It was something like that. I remember walking the aisle trying to make the decision. Buy the set, or just the 1 tool I had really went to the store to buy. I had done the same mental (and sometimes literal) pacing at Sears, Home Depot, and Lowes stores for the next few years.
I bought a couple of inexpensive pliers and tools after that. Bolt cutters, for instance. I needed to cut wire shelving, and couldn’t justify the $60 needed for HK Porter. The Home Depot Workforce bolt cutters worked quite well, and I didn’t regret having $45 extra in my wallet.
3M Safety Gear
I didn’t always use reusable face masks, and I still don’t always use them. When it comes to disposable respirators, I really like the ones with exhaust vents, because they slow down how foggy my safety goggles can get. I also like flat-folded disposable respirators that are easier to store or pack.
But when I had a slimmer budget, I needed respirators, and went with 3M’s most basic design (8200). You can save quite a bit of money that way, while still being protected.
You can buy a 20-pack of 3M N95-rated disposable respirators for just under $10 at Zoro. Amazon’s price is $14.55 for 20. The ones I like (9211+) are 10 for $18 and change at Amazon, or close to $20 at Zoro. Zoro often has coupons, such as a 20% off healthcare code they’re running right now.
So, 20 for $10, or 10 for $20? The basic design disposable respirators come down to 50 cents each. The ones I like are ~$1.60 to $1.83 each, depending on where you’d order from. (Wow, that’s a big difference!)
If you’re willing to forego the Cool Flow valve and better comfort, you can save quite a bit for basic respirators that carry the same N95 filtration rating.
There are basic safety glasses and safety googles, too.
With safety gear, one is more likely to wear something if it’s comfortable and unobtrusive. When going with a brand like 3M, I trust their safety ratings and quality. So even if I go with their cheaper gear, I know I might be sacrificing on features, but not on quality or protection.
Hilton
I recently bought a dead blow mallet and used it to install laminate flooring and to be honest it’s miles different to the rubber mallets I have. I paid the equivalent of about $12 so not that much more than the 18oz Stanley. Mine is 3lbs though.
fred
Deadblow mallets come in sizes from about 8 ounces up to about 12 pound long-handled sledge hammer styles.
Addison Pettis
I agree with the first 2, for dust masks, I find it more valuable to have an exhaust valve. The fog bugs me. I would add Magnetic dishes for parts, no regrets, I keep quite a few on the side of a cabinet, and use them for repair projects, and part storage while parts are ordered.
Koko The Talking Ape
I agree on the exhaust valves. Masks can feel fine at first, but after a while they get hot and confining.
Also, if they don’t seal well, they don’t work well. I am shopping for a better fitting, freer flowing mask right now.
Noah
I’ve got a 3/4” Tekton wood chisel I bought somewhere over a decade ago to be my beater chisel and it’s still going strong.
fred
Really long ago I learned that white rubber or grey rubber mallets had the advantage of not leaving black marks on your work. Later on, with advent of polyurethane covered deadblow mallets – I used regular rubber mallets less and less (still OK for hubcaps). More recently, I tried mallets made from sorbothane that I really like (no marking, no denting) – although a bit expensive:
https://www.amazon.com/Isolate-Sorbothane-Soft-blow-Automotive-Cabinetry/dp/B002SRS86Q/
Bill
Hubcap! What’s a hubcap? 🙂
JAYoung
Having the right tool for the right job is satisfying, and for any given amount of money you can have more tool options if you buy cheap, but serviceable, tools. Spending more for top quality is overkill for most home tasks, justified only if the tool helps earn your paycheck.
If you can avoid absolute crap that breaks on the first use, there’s plenty of low-cost options that get the job done.
Even better is to stock up on old, top quality tools from yard sales that are easily refurbished and are better made than all but the best stuff available today..
Tim
I have never been sold on the fancy Knipex/NWS pliers.
I will take a pair of regular channellock brand pliers or actual channel locks any day.
The same goes for vice grips. Old style non quick release Irwins or go home.
fred
Pliers are the sort of tool that can be designed/used for al sorts of work – from precision watch making to utility tasks around the house or car. A master jeweler would no more use a Channellock pliers on a watch as any of us would use a highly polished jewelers pliers to try to turn a gas fitting.
I was initially skeptical about the cost-benefit of the first few Knipex plier wrenches I bought for the plumbing business back in Y2k. My crews convinced me that they were worth the premium over Channellocks – especially for chrome and polished brass fittings. We outfitted each truck with several sizes – but I still kept buying Channellocks as needed too for both the plumbing and remodeling businesses.
Tom
If you’re not sold on Knipex/NWS/VBW pliers and referring to them as “fancy” rather than “indispensable” then you really ought to try them, it’ll change your mind.
Michael
I have a few Knipex pliers that I absolutely don’t regret buying. I also have a number of Irwin that I don’t regret buying.
Eric
Once I got the 1st set of Knipex pliers, all of my tongue-and-groove pliers went in the trash. All of them are gone and have been replaced with Knipex. It is so nice to put the Knipex pliers at a certain opening width and knowing that they won’t slip out of that width.
John
I live in Canada and buy Mastercraft hand tools from Canadian Tire frequently. They come with a life time warranty and haven’t let me down once over the last 15 years. They also go on sale frequently, for up to 80% off.
KENT hanson
Ive used many of their tools but would never out one in my work truck. not bad for bombing around the house but that’s about it and yes they will go on sale for 80% off but everything at ct will.
Jared
I’ve got quite a few Mastercraft-branded tools too. I bought lots when I was younger. Having an extensive set of tools has been invaluable over the years. I usually now spring for higher quality gear, but having the cheap stuff helped me figure out which items were worth paying a premium for (without having to make do without because I blew the whole wad on something fancy).
Most of my sockets are Mastercraft – there just doesn’t seem to be a reason to upgrade. Screwdrivers and pliers though… I REALLY notice the difference. I’ve almost completely converted to Channellock and Knipex pliers.
KenM
I watch out for pliers and wrenches in garage sales and pawn shops. In amongst the rusty junk, I can usually find quality tools in nice condition for a dollar or two. Over the years, I have scored a few Mastercraft Pro pliers, but my last two finds were tiny needle nose by Lindstrom (very light surface rust) and massive Utica lineman’s pliers (Like new).
Jkr
I agree with most of what you said, except for one item, which cutting pliers.
When cutting, you can feel the difference from the first cut. When I need to hold something tight, my cheap combi pliers will do the job. But when I need to cut a (soft) steel wire, I need to use more force with 8″ cheap pliers then with 5″ Bahco cutter.
Ryan
I’d be more interested to hear about tools that you DID regret cheaping out on.
Stuart
That’s a post for another time, but here are some of the shortlisted items: Cheap batteries, “holiday special” drill bits, cheap vises, cheap hand planes, cheap clamps.
MT_Noob
What about cheap consumables? I regret when I buy cheap tape or cheap sandpaper.
JoeM
Define “Consumables” in the right way, and I have only a couple regrets. I bought Canadian Tire Mastercraft Brand Rotary Tool bits, with consumables, and they’ve been in extremely wide assortment arrays, letting me try what bits I use regularly, and what ones get absolutely no use at all. When I go to replace them, I go with a Dremel if they make that particular bit, or a higher end specialty brand if they make something better.
I have regretted every single dollar store tape purchase I have ever made, at every level. What I have NOT regretted, is buying Duct Tape from Lee Valley. THAT stuff is so strong it brings tears to my eyes.
Some of my consumables come from various places, just for the sake of having the right size to work with, or as backup if I eat through my preferred brand too quickly.
MT_Noob
I think you nailed it on the head regarding dollar store tape. I have the exact same experience there. On the other hand, I have had much better luck using dollar store or HF super/CA glue. For me it is a decent value to get a few of the mini bottles to keep around (one for the shop, one for the car, one in the fishing tackle box etc). I know you can get a larger bottle on line or in hobby shops that is a better value for CA glue, but I don’t use enough of it quickly enough and I fear it might go past it’s shel life. So getting a bottle or two at the dollar store makes sense for me. But I have to remind myself not to even look at the tape they have on hand.
Andy Ringsmuth
I go through a decent number of Harbor Freight needle nose pliers. I buy them deliberately because they are dirt cheap.
Why?
Because I keep them in my tackle box, and the tackle boxes of my two boys for removing fish hooks when the fish swallows them. Yeah yeah yeah I know people say cut it off, but whatever. Anyway, after dropping a nicer Craftsman off the side of the boat, I quickly realized that for this use, cheaper is better. When my 4-year-old drops a $2 pliers off the dock, who cares.
Hilton
Or just buy one of those tethered pliers.
charles
on respirators, I have serious doubts about any of the cheap paper fiber ones. as I move around and do the work, I found that most of the time I could feel air leaking by them around my cheeks and nose. it feels like a cool breeze as it evaporates the sweat. I assume that means no filtration.
So my standard has been the 3m half face respirator with replaceable cartridges. most of my use is when mowing. when I don’t wear a respirator the dust in our lawn makes me feel like I have the flu for a couple of days. now I feel it in my eyes. next up is a forced air full face respirator. that will also handle my needs when building my Coxy MKIV, which is like 1500 hours of composites fabrication.
Evadman
I got a set of white rubber mallets from harbor freight going on 10 years ago. I just checked their web page, and was unable to find the set though. I beat the crud out of them, and they have never left a mark on anything. I’m honestly suprised that they have lasted this long.
While looking at their site, I do see that they now have 4lb deadblow hammers. I really need a heaver hammer than the 16oz harbor freight rubber mallet for taking off the aluminum wheels on my truck. They freeze on and are a pain to remove, even with anti-seize.
Scott K
I think my mallet is from Ikea I have that same Stanley plier set. The mallet works exactly as expected and I think I tend to use it on things I probably wouldn’t had I spent more. I also have no regrets about my plier set- with that said, I’m disappointed that the grips have loosened and so I can’t use them when much force is needed.
Ken
Cheaper is never better. Except on my boat. Can’t tether the whole toolbox. So cheap tools on my boat all day!
Andy
My boat tools are locked in my cabin in Dewalt tough system boxes, and they still rust almost overnight. I get the best quality my flea market has to offer.
Coach James
I wouldn’t consider buying a rebranded Vaughn cheaping out.
15 + years ago, I bought a set of Sears Companion pliers. Thy were this set, but with red handles:
http://www.sears.com/companion-5-pc-pliers-set/p-00930075000P
Cost me $10. I still have all of them. The handles are grimy, but the finish is still excellent and they work great. The needle nose are usually the first pair I reach for over all the other brands I have.
My first rubber mallet was $3 at Harbor Freight. It’s also grimy and paint spotted, but still is holding up.
KeithInKC
Good point about the safety gear and only using it if it’s comfortable. I used to use the cheap masks, then the masks with the vent, then the half face mask with filters. Now I’ve purchased the full face shield with filters and I pretty much use it for everything because it doesn’t fog at all. Prior to the full face shield, I would skip the masks a lot of times just because the fogging was such a pain.
I also use some of the cheaper tools for mallets, pliers, some screwdrivers, and other very basic hand tools, but for anything specialty or that I’m going to repeatedly use, I prefer to get a much better quality tool.
The pain of a pricier option only stings once, but the pain of that cheap tool stings every time I use it.
kent
I bought tools I could afford as I needed them. However, I;ve also upgraded those tools as I was able.
A few years ago, I bought a set of Wiha screwdrivers and am constantly amazed at how good they are. They grip better, fit better, have a hex near the handle so I can put a wrench on them and have a through bolster, so I can hit them with a hammer.
They were more than Craftsman, but less than Snap-On (much less, actually) and have performed beautify.
I used to have a Craftsman pliers set. Then I need some specialty pliers, and bought one from Snap-On, then SK, then Klien, and so forth. Again, the quality is just so much better.
Cheap tools have their place, and I own some. But I also think it’s worth upgrading some items if it’s in your budget and you’ll use them.
Tool Of The Trade
I prefer a deadblow hammer to a rubber mallet also. Pliers is more of a personal preference purchase. I’ve been using channellock, vintage crescent and Stanley pliers for electrical for years. I just recently bought a pair of Milwaukee wire strippers and they replaced my old sears craftsman crimpers/strippers. I’ve used knipex & Klein as well, but never was impressed enough to pay what they ask. Although I have wanted to get my hands on the knipex slip joint wrench pliers, but my channellocks have always been sufficient,so there’s no rush to spend the money on them. As for locking pliers, Irwin made in DeWitt, Nebraska are all I have. My dad bought more than enough when he was here. I haven’t bought a pair of vice grips since I was born. No need to. I can’t stand the ones with the plastic rubber overmold grip crap. I don’t like the ones that are painted either. As for safety equipment, I prefer the 3m goggles that protect your eyes and the upper portion of your face or a full face shield. I’ll never use safety glasses. They’re a waste of time and money. They don’t protect shit. I’ve seen first hand a pair of $40 safety glasses fail and a guy got 2 sparks directly in the left eyeball because they didn’t protect completely around his eyes. It was a bad scene. Hospital trip. Said they had to use a dremel to remove it from his eye. He had his high end Holmes safety glasses on. Don’t use safety glasses. Use safety goggles. In fact the goggles are the cheapest and yet they protect the best. For a mask I use the high end 3m respirator masks with the replaceable filters. They last forever and you can tell the difference between the paper masks and the respirators when you use them. They actually feel secure on your face. You shouldn’t cheap out on your lungs and respiratory system even if it’s not so comfortable. I’d rather have uncomfortable full respiratory protection to deal with than silicosis or metal or wood particulates stuck to my lungs because of a paper mask that couldn’t filter the particulates in the air I’m breathing.
Toolfreak
My go-to 4 pound BFH is a cheapo no-name wood handled one I bought at ACE for $5 and change from that bulk display of cheap tools most hardware stores have. Never saw a cheap 4lb hammer in them before or since but compared it to the ones on th shelf and it was about the same for the $20+ price difference.
It’s been a few decades and it’s still my go-to, even with lots of USA-made hammers I’ve since bought. It’s pounded the snot out of everything from ball joints to stuck bolts and has no signs of giving up any time soon.
Sometimes, cheap tools can be decent quality and a great investment.
MT_Noob
I also went the cheap route on mallets and got some no name three pack for ten or 15 bucks. I’ve had no issue with them even after a couple years. One of them has a poorly finished handle that slightly annoys me, and I keep saying to myself that I need to sand or refinish the handle, and then I eventually say to myself “why bother” since it was so cheap.
MikeIt
I buy the cheapest handtools that have a lifetime warranty where I can walk in and get a replacement. Years ago when I was just starting to buy my own tools, I needed to get a warranty replacement on some Stanley pliers. I knew that with Craftsman tools you could walk in to Sears and get a replacement and I thought I could do the same with Stanley, just go back to the store where I bought it. When I found out I had to send it in, wait for an approval and then wait for the replacement to be sent by mail, well it seemed like a lot of hassle and waiting and I didn’t like that. I immediately started buying Craftsman and then other brands where I could get a same day replacement, Husky, Kobalt, Duralast etc. and have not looked back. I know other brands might make “better” or “nicer” tools but unless I can walk in and get a replacement from the place I bought it from, I will pass on that tool.
JoeM
Canadian Tire house branded Mastercraft… I wanna say 7?… piece crow bar/demo bar set, on sale for $11, normally $49.99… And also a CT House Brand, Jobmate, 25 piece rasp and file set for $5. Close to these is a 5 piece adjustable wrench set from Mastercraft as well.
In the first two cases, I didn’t want to buy them at all. But, my late Father saw them in the flyer on sale, and we had an argument over them on the phone. I said I couldn’t fathom a way to use them for anything I did. For convenience, he and I had a shared bank account, so he could help buy things my Mother needed to get by, clothes and such. So, the argument came down to just one factor. Dad’s Money, Dad’s Choice. So I bought them. And when I got them home, I still had some buyer’s remorse. Months later, some stuff got bent out of place, and some other stuff needed a pry bar. Suddenly, that stupid crowbar set had a use, and the regret went away. Soon after, I tried to use a cleaver to cut a Turnip. It only went in about 2 inches, and it was a 10 inch turnip. So I grabbed my hammer, got angry, and slammed the cleaver the rest of the way through. Wouldn’t you know it, there were burrs sticking out of the cleaver now, and I had use of the Rasps to fix my knife. Regret evaporated.
I then learned my lesson, or at least what my Father couldn’t articulate to me. It doesn’t matter if you KNOW you need it. Sometimes, it’s best to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. So, cheap tools make up a chunk of my inventory now. Not because I need them, but because they’re placeholders that I don’t care about. When the day comes that I need them, they’ll be there. When the day comes, I move them, and their lack of use has resulted in them being garbage, then I know I never need to replace them.
So, I often buy cheap, and REPLACE what I need most with an INVESTMENT level item. Dad barely knew which end of a Screwdriver to hold, but he knew his way around smart asset investment.
Joe
I don’t see the point in driving to the store to replace any tool. I read guys saying that all the time. “ if it breaks ,I’ll just go replace it” ….they must be making chump change for a living …That is an enormous waste of time and money. My time is far to valuable to waste on cheap tools breaking. I buy the best , I never regret it. Obviously some guys have to buy what they can afford.
Shop tools,mechanics tools,construction tools, shingles,siding,windows,furnace, cooling and heating systems cars,trucks,…why would you waste money on cheap anything ? If you can’t afford it,work harder and save money to get it.
You will never regret having the best tools and your kids will thank you also. ?
JoeM
It’s often a kind of commercial carpet bomb. Refill the coffers of tools for now, make the money, replace the junk, make more money. Repeat.
When I was teaching myself how to use certain consumable items, like flapwheels, for sanding on wood or metal using my Dremel Rotary tools, I was thankful I had cheap Mastercraft flapwheels to start with. I got all my mistakes out of the way with cheap flap wheels, and the next time I want to replace them, I’ll buy the Dremel branded ones, and they’ll last longer that way.
Sometimes buying cheap is a luxury taken by those who are learning for themselves with a limited budget. Not everyone has a Blog where companies are dying to send you samples to try out what one you like best. There are those of us for whom the financial burden isn’t a matter of “Just get a Job, that’ll fix it.” PTSD, like I have, for example, makes that “Just get a Job” thing very difficult as a whole, but I still find doing projects to help me with my condition.
Should I, under your recommendation, not take advantage of the cheaper tools to make mistakes on? I’m a better tool user now because I accounted for my failures in the learning process with cheap tools. Stepping up to the tools I ended up with didn’t change my ability to use them better in the slightest.
ktash
I’ve never regretted getting several different weight Harbor Freight orange deadblow hammers and use them all the time for some years. Also, free round magnetic trays from HF. I have lots of them and they’re great. As well, the magnetic tool bars from HF, also free. A long no-name leather awl very cheap. But I can use it to pry, poke, scratch, and abuse it all I want, if the tip gets bent, I just bend it back. If it was expensive I’d take more care, but it wouldn’t be as useful Sometimes I use a free metal paint can opener in the same way, cant beat them for prying things loose. I used to buy my casters from HF (and got free stuff with each purchase), but found the Rockler or Woodcraft ones to be far better and about the same price on sale. Now I’m dissatisfied with the HF casters.
Often, I’ve bought good tools on closeouts, like a bunch of German Irwin-branded NWS design pliers when Lowe’s closed them out, for about $10 each. Man, I love using them. Knipex on great sales, too, from Menards, though I prefer the NWS. When Lowe’s closed out their Bessey clamps, they were very cheap and I swallowed hard and bought up many more than I felt I could afford. But I’ve never regretted that.
William
One set of pliers that I do regret buying is an assorted kobalt set. They are too small and the cutting anvil is out of alignment so they “bend” the wire instead of cutting it.
I think hand tools are a lot easier to get away with buying cheaper. Power tools are harder to justify in my opinion. I’ll buy some power tools and specialty tools cheap if I only have one job for them and I know I will hardly use them. I bought a HF air riveter for about 1/10th the “good tool” price. I also got a Freeman flooring nailer because I only had one floor to do.
Chad Brink
after 3 decades of woodworking I’ve found I prefer a leather head mallet for most wood smacking. It just has the right impact… not as much bounce as rubber and no mar like a wooden mallet.
Wayne R.
Cheap pliers are something I avoid at all costs. And I also know that good tools hold their capabilities better than their values, so I don’t mind getting used good tools. If I plan my expectations at all well, I can get good used tools at a new crappy tool cost. So I can load up on used pliers of all types via careful eBay purchases. Etc., etc.
And the recent post about Olfa knives: I have several Olfa’s in tool kits with other good tools. And I have a few HF cheapies for box opening/breakdowns. If one of those disappears into the recycle truck, it’s lived up to expectations.
I much rather have long-term reliability than a few extra dollars left in my pocket now & then.
Dale Carter
I just found your site and really like it a lot. It received one of my coveted “bookmark bar” spaces 🙂
For the pliers in the “tabletop pic” (long nose, needle nose, etc) I agree completely. These type pliers don’t really need to be very strong or have a very strong surface grip on the work. The value of expensive tools is even less if you use them rarely.
I changed my view on larger pliers last week. For the last 30 years, I have used “el cheapo” slip-joint and channel-lock pliers and didn’t think the more expensive ones were worth the cost. I was removing a wheel stud and found that a previous “mechanic” had stripped the Allen key socket in the stud. Since I didn’t need to preserve the thread, I grabbed a trusty pair of Channel locks, but they just slipped on the stud. I figured the stud was over-torqued when installed (very common) or the Loctite was working really well until a friend retrieved his Knipex Cobra pliers from his truck.
The Knipex gripped the stud and turned them so easily that, after about a 1/2 – 3/4 turn, I put the cheap pliers back on the job and they STILL wouldn’t turn the stud. I couldn’t turn it with a pair of Craftsman RoboGrip pliers, either.
Guess who logged onto Amazon and ordered a 3-pice set of Knipex Cobras? Yes, they are expensive. The 7/10/12″ set was $ 93 at my local Lowes, about 5x the price of Irwin, Channel-Lock or Kobalt, but what is the price of not being able to finish? My job requires a LOT of my time (weekends, a lot of evenings, about 60 hours/week) and my time in the shop is scarce, so not finishing the job that day may have meant that my buddy and I couldn’t race that car the next weekend. Since we only get to race together five or six times a year, the importance is pretty clear. The best case scenario is that I would have had to buy a specialty tool locally, or on Amazon, for a ONE TIME use, then spend a late night at the shop after work. If I buy locally, I have to make phone calls, a trip to a tool store, more than one if their inventory system says they have something they don’t have (that never happens, right?), during non-working hours or order from Amazon and hope it arrives in time.
I am a big fan of Kobalt tools, so I checked out their Compound pliers, as well as the Irwins. They are nice, but the jaws are much larger and wider, so they aren’t as good in tight spaces and it always seems like working room is at a premium, right? Also, the Knipex locking feature is worth more than you think it would be.
The Knipex set was a bit of a splurge, but it reminded me of something I have said about guitars, tools and shoes for a long time. “I have never regretted buying the good one”. These tools are, clearly, “the good ones”.
Another Knipex pliers worth looking at are the parallel pliers with smooth jaws. The grip is amazing and they don’t mark and chew up the items you are using them on. You won’t believe a smooth jaw can have so much grip. They are about $50 and really shine when you can use them on nuts/bolts instead of multiple box or combo wrenches.
Nathan
for the most part I agree also.
Rubber mallets – I got mine from HF with a coupon I think I might have paid 2 dollars for it. for taking off brake rotors that I’m going to toss anyway – black rubber 2lb mallet works well without mucking up the works. I will probably invest in a proper dead blow one day. maybe.
The other thing it’s used for is beating on a breaker bar when I need to knock something loose that won’t give easy – and I can’t put my impact wrench on it.
the masks I look for various ones but I do keep a set of cheap ones in my car bag – never know what you might need.
Pliers – I keep a cheap set in the car – but in my box in the garage is a set of various items – most seem to be Klein or Knipex.