ToolGuyd has opened my eyes to many things over the years, although I don’t discuss such things often. I must admit, at heart I am somewhat of a tool snob. Luckily, writing and reviewing for ToolGuyd often forces me to open my mind and break free of personal biases.
1. DIY tools can be suitable for heavier needs
While I still consider some DIYer tools to be way below my minimum level of quality, there are quite a few non-pro tools hat can handle even the most demanding tasks. Things like price, brand, and target audience should not matter as much as we sometimes think they do.
That said, certain tools, especially many lower-end DIY and homeowner tools that are advertised as pro-grade, aren’t worth their weight in scrap metal.
Advertisement
2. Expensive tools are not always better than cheaper tools
People like to justify their purchases and this affects how they see their tools. That and the desire to brag often fuels many forum posts and online discussions. But you know what, cost doesn’t really mean squat in the long run. Pricier tools are sometimes praised unnecessarily to make their users feel better around their purchases. This is not bad or wrong for anyone to do, but it can lead to undeserved hype about a brand or product line.
What does make a difference between like-style tools are their designs, build quality, and manufacturer know-how. Better products do often cost more, but not always.
3. Premium brands can do wrong
I’ve been blinded by brand names before, and not just in regard to tools. But at this point I’ve seen enough to be convinced that premium bands sometimes produce junky products as often as lower-end brands produce gems.
4. Some tools serve absolutely no practical purpose
Every year new tools come out and I struggle to find a real need for their existence. Every so often I do buy whatever new gimmicky tool marketers say will save me time, effort, or money, and I naturally try to find reasons to use them. Some get used often, others sit in a drawer or shelf and collect dust.
There is a very fine line between innovation and useless gimmick.
5. Marketing claims should be taken with a pound of salt
I have found that most tool brands accurately describe their products, but there are times when technicals specs and feature claims seem to be utter BS. This is more of a ToolGuyd realization than a personal one, but it has affected my personal purchase decisions and opinions.
Advertisement
When I challenged a flashlight maker to explain their waterproof claims, their sales page was coincidentally changed to say weather resistant. When I asked a hammer manufacturer to explain how one of their designs feels like titanium they circled back to it just does.
Tech specs are often spun to sound impressive as well. NEVER buy a new tool based on relative claims. 40% longer runtime, 25% more torque, 2X the power… such claims are all relative and while they sound good they usually don’t tell you anything useful.
Steven B
I’ve found there are a few things that you should not compromise on as a DIY type person.
The first is the battery technology – lithium ion all the way. It maintains its charge in storage, so if you are an infrequent user, like some DIYers, you almost always have a decent charge to use without needing to wait for the charger.
The second is pliers and cutters, but can apply to most hand tools. Here, always go with some major brand (Klein, Knipex, ChannelLock all come to mind first). If a high-leverage version is available, buy that. They grip better, don’t twist, don’t rust as easy, and the cutting edges last longer than the inexpensive alternatives. I can’t tell you how may pliers/cutters I have in the box that I need to get rid of because they are practically unusable on fairly simple tasks.
Some things, such as table saws and miter saws, where accuracy is important, I’d also go with a name brand, and based on #3 above, check the reviews on the particular model(s) you are considering. There is nothing worse than having miter joints not line up, despite your best calibration and setup efforts, because the tool has too much play.
That said, I tend to cheap out on tools that I won’t use very often or for long periods of time, and for the most part have gotten away with it. I have a belt sander and hand held electric planer that were both inexpensive and effective. Sure, the dust collection is not as good, the belt drift far from ideal, and the fence is way too fragile, but for the purposes I use them for, I am OK with that…
Stuart
In regard to battery tech, Lithium-ion is better than NiCd, but there is a price premium. In some cases NiCd makes a lot of sense for DIYers with limited budgets.
Your other points seem spot-on.
Steven B
Every time I visit my uncle he has me fix something around the house, and it _always_ starts with charging his Ni-Cd batteries from the storage drain. This is why I believe the price premium of LiOn is worth it, even for a DIYer. When you need a tool, and have a tool, you just expect it to work when you grab it.
Jerry
Another thing to consider is that now you can do more work, with lower voltage tools. For example, my neighbor bought into the DeWalt 12v max lithium line, and I have the DeWalt 18 volt, the old style. After using both, I have found that except where ultimate maximum power is needed, their tools perform as good as mine with the NiCads, are lighter, and for the most part run about as long. To top it off, the 12v Li batteries aren’t any more expensive than the 18v NiCads. Running deck screws, I found myself very impressed with their 12v Li impact driver. It was only when driving the big lags into the main posts that I preferred my 18v unit.
Not only that, when I mentioned that I charged my batteries the night before, I was asked ‘why’. I said because NiCads run down if they sit a few weeks. Neighbor said he charged his a month or two ago, and wondered if he should recharge before we started. I suggested he leave one in the driver, and charge the other. I swear the fresh one only drove a few more screws than the one sitting for a ‘month or two’.
Nothing but lithiums for me, from now on, if I have anything to say about it.
JeffD
When needing a tool, after some extensive research, I buy the best that I can afford, without regards to COO or brand. I’m not in the “SnapOn or Die” crowd. I have many tools from lesser known, but arguably better made companies. Especially from the EU.
I think we’ve all bought or received ‘gimmicky’ tools that, like Stu said, collect dust. I re-gift mine. 🙂
Fred
I also completely agree on the Li-Ion points. But I will also add that, if you spend the money as a DIYer to get good tools with good batteries, use them! Do you use your sawzall once every few months? Just keep the battery powered one that came with your tool kit. The one point I would strongly disagree is the circular saws that come with so many 18v sets (or worse, the 4″ ones that come with some 12v sets), they’re rarely square, their blades aren’t straight front to back, and often the marks for degrees or inches are way off.
Speaking of circular saws though, most DIY users should buy a good, comfortable, quality circ saw. It can’t completely replace having a table saw & miter saw, but it can come close for a lot of basic home repair uses. Top quality circ saw, pair of saw horses, some good clamps don’t come close to what the low end of a ‘good’ miter saw costs, let alone a good table saw. I’ve owned Skil table & miter saws in the past, and while good, the DeWalt circ saw and a straightedge were better than both by a mile.
In my view, a DIYer should have the tools they could come into a situation where they’d need it. Any car owner or driver should have a socket set. It could come from SO or HF, but so long as you have tools to fix something that breaks you’re better prepared for a bad situation.
For hand tools, I do agree that someone who will use them frequently should get good, reliable ones, but someone who uses a screwdriver every once in a while to change a light switch plate to match the wife’s tastes doesn’t need a Wiha. Pliers I would say buy the best you can afford since you will be putting tool-damaging stress on it in some cases, but overall hand tools for around-the-house use don’t need to be pro grade.
Jose Hernandez
I haven’t seem the tool at any sears store, when are they going on gthe market so I can purchase my set.