Buying Tools. Why, What, How
Sep 23 '02 (Updated Jun 22 '03)
The Bottom Line The secret to happy tool buying is research. Take the time to answer the "why, what, how" questions first.
I have managed to spend a LOT of money on my woodworking hobby. Ten years ago, my mantra was "buy cheap". Five years ago it changed to "buy the best". For the last couple of years it has become "buy smart".
The key to "buying smart" is research. Like many things, the research should start with you, at home, in your head. The first question you should ask and answer completely is, "Why do I need a tool?", then "What tool should I get?", followed by "How should I find the best buy?".
Why
The first reason why you should get a new tool is that you are embarking on a new project or series of projects, whether work related or hobby related, that you just can't do efficiently, accurately, or safely with your existing tools. Particularly if your livelihood is impacted, this can be a logical, cost-benefit decision. If you are heavily into a hobby, then time is also a commodity, less measurable in dollars perhaps, that is valuable.
Cost-benefit is pretty easy. If you are going to do a job, say twenty times a year and, with your existing tool inventory, it takes an hour to do it, the cost is dollars X hours X number of repetitions. If the new tool will shave fifteen minutes off the time to do the job, then the savings are hours (minutes) saved X number of jobs X dollars per hour. If it's for a hobby, just leave off the dollars.
An example might be drilling holes for lag screws on a construction job. To drill the holes and put in the lag screws takes an hour per job with your corded drill. This includes getting power where you need it, doing the job, moving the extension cord twice, and putting the tools and cord away. If you had a cordless drill with capacity to do the job on one battery charge, you would save the fifteen minutes of extension cord rigging, moving, and putting away included now. You earn $22.00/hour and you did that job twenty times in the last year. So 15 minutes X 20 times is 5 hours you will save. At $25.00/hour you can break even in the first year by spending $125.00. You can also add the price you can get from selling your existing tool, say $50.00. Now you need to shop for a cordless that will cost you $175.00 or less. We'll continue this example in the next section under "what".
The second reason for a new tool is replacement of an existing tool. This can be because your tool is broken beyond economical repair, you made a less good decision when you bought it, or maybe it is just out of date for your current needs. If you have used the tool a lot and you expect to continue to use it, the original justification also applies to replacement. If there are jobs you could do with a replacement that you can't do with the tool you have, then you need a justification for the expense. If you are doing the job for a living, then cost-benefit works here as well. If you are into a hobby, then you have to decide how much the additional enjoyment is worth to you.
If the issue is safety, the justification is being safe. If you are doing something in an unsafe way due to tool limitations, then either quit doing that job or get the proper tool to do it. The probability is if you are doing something in an unsafe manner you will get hurt. Even if the probability is only one per cent, meaning that injury will occur on the average about once every hundred executions, probability does not apply in any single instance. In other words, you may get hurt the hundredth time, or the two hundredth time, OR the first time. Saying, as many of us do, "It's only a little unsafe" is saying the same as, "You will get hurt". Safety is a binary decision. You are either safe or unsafe. There is no gray area.
Take two teenage girlfriends. One has been sexually active for several months with no precautions taken for pregnancy. Her periods still come regularly. She shares her secrets with her girlfriend. Her girlfriend decides to try it. It happens once. She stops. So do her periods. Same issue. Be safe or be sorry.
One other reason to buy is, "I want it." This is okay, I hope, because it is often my real reason. Just skip the justification, at least to yourself. You may still need a reason (excuse?) for your dh.
What
So you've decided to get a new tool. The first part of the "what" is still inside your own head, then outside research is required.
List in your head the minimum needs of the tool. If you have experience with a previous tool, the information should be on the tip of your tongue. How you get it from there into your head is a problem I can't help you with. If you have experience doing the job, a list should pop up pretty readily. If you don't have either, maybe you should go back to the "why" question. Another way is asking friends about their experience or reading magazines or books. A library can be a good place to relax and read for a couple of hours. There are resources on the internet you can find using a good search engine if you can ask the right questions.
Don't stop with the minimum needs, however. Think out of the box a little. What else can this new tool do to help you in your job or hobby? If your needs grow later can you add additional functionality with accessories? In other words, what can you buy to do the job you are envisioning now and make it even more valuable to you (or some one else) later?
While thinking through this part, don't forget frequency of use or cost of down time if the tool has to go away for repair. The down time, by the way, is a nice excuse for having two of everything.
Now comes the fun part, researching what tool to buy. You will be looking for tools from more than one manufacturer that meet your list of needs. Frequency of use tells you what the "duty cycle" of the tool should be. Kinds of use tells you the power, weight, size, and energy type you need. The "why" section tells you what you should spend. If dollars are a concern, and they are for most of us, you may have to modify your needs list to accommodate your pocket book. If you have a good sense of why and a feel for the priority of the needs, this can be done interactively as you research.
A simple rule that almost always works is, "Buy the best quality tool you can afford that will meet your immediate needs". If the choice comes down to needs versus quality, see if you can trim your needs to maintain the quality. This can be particularly true if you can add capability to the tool later with additional purchases.
Another general rule that can help is, "A little hurt in the pocket book now is better than a big hurt later". If you really need (or want) the new tool, either wait until the pocket is a little fatter or cut someplace else (I find my wife often has unnecessary expenditures we can cut ~ducking here~).
The best research is with people you trust. Talk to your friends about their experiences. Get some general ideas of quality brand names. Check the peer reviewed opinions on Epinions. Another good source is tool reviews in the trade or hobby magazines. There is a wealth of information on the internet from these sources as well. Just crank up a good search engine (I always use Google) and ask the right question.
My list of manufacturers I generally trust in woodworking tools follows:
Makita - good motors, good quality design.
Delta - US made tools are great, Off-shore built are better than some other brands.
Jet - My favorite for stationary tools. Taiwanes built. Design and quality control good.
Bosch - Good quality, conservative design.
DeWalt - Innovative design, good construction.
Dremel - Top of the line in their niche.
First, just because they aren't on the list doesn't mean I distrust other brands. I may just not have enough experience with them. Second, just because I trust a brand doesn't mean I think ALL of their offerings are the best. In general, I have found that asian built tools without major branding are often inferior to similar tools with the major brand. I do speak from experience here.
The goal of the "what" exercise is to compile a list of tools by model number as well as brand that meet your requirements. It is okay to have tools on the list that are a little over your head on price at this point. It isn't okay to have tools on the list that are under your requirements.
Taking the example we started with in the "why" section for a cordless drill purchase, instead of using the $175.00 number for the top end of price, I would take about $215.00 as the cut off point. This assumes that since you are replacing a tool with a more suitable one, you have most of the accessories already. For a new tool, be sure to keep enough money available for the minimum accessories to make it useful for your immediate needs. By the way, telling your dh that you are planning on spending $240.00 is a good idea. Then you will get points for the money you saved.
How
Once you have a short list of candidates for your tool purchase, it is time to really do the outside research. The first step, however, is another decision. Will you by used, refurbished, or new?
Buying used is pretty high risk but there are ways to minimize some of it. Buying a tool where you know its history can help you decide if you are getting value for your reduced dollars in tool life. Buying from a friend comes in this category as does buying from a store that specializes in selling used tools and gives some kind of warranty with the purchase. Maximum risk is buying at auctions, garage sales, or flea markets. To do this with reasonable chance of being happy you need to be a tool expert on that tool and have time to thoroughly examine it. Take tools to partially disassemble it. Buying from a classified or a referral of a friend is somewhere in between the extremes. If you can get a good look at the tool, talk to the owner about it, find out why it is on the market, and, particularly if you can get an agreement for a one or two week satisfaction return, this can be a good way to get a tool.
I bought a used Shopsmith Mark V, Model 500, from a newspaper ad. I had done enough research to know how to tell its age from the serial number and I have refurbished (sometimes rebuilt) enough tools to get an idea quickly of its general condition. In this case the seller was the second owner, His brother was the first owner. It had been well taken care of by the first owner and had been sitting under a tarp in a dry but unheated building since being acquired by the seller. It had a complete set of the standard accessories and complete manuals. It had two optional tools with it. There was a little rust but no pitting of important surfaces. I got it at about 2/3 of the going price. It works fine today. I have added less than a hundred dollars to the purchase price and maybe a dozen hours labor. It allowed me to sell my asian drill press and Craftsman Lathe. Net cost was under $200.00. I have also done well picking up a few bench planes at a local auction house. Total investment $12.00. Labor 12 hours. Estimated tools value $150.00.
This method is definitely buyer beware, though. More people lose than gain on these transactions. For more thoughts on buying used tools, see http://www.epinions.com/content_3353190532.
Buy refurbished. This is a lot less risky than buying used. These tools have been returned to the manufacturer for many reasons, not all of them actual tool problems. The manufacturer makes a determination of the tool's problem, makes a repair if it is economical, and places it on the refurbished tools market. Many, but not all, carry a full new tool warranty. Be sure to check on the warranty conditions before buying. A question many have, me included, is why these tools are being returned in such numbers that they can be resold through multiple outlets. It can be an early or short-term quality problem for which there is a fix. It can be a design flaw which isn't yet fixed. It can be a customer who didn't understand the tool. many reputable manufacturers have instituted a thirty-day return, no questions asked, policy. This method of trial tool use happens quite a bit I understand. If your research has a tool available refurbished on your list, particularly at the high end of your price range, you can get a better tool for your money than buying new.
My Bosch 2hp router is a refurb. I don't have any problems with it.
Buy new. With good research this is lowest risk, and highest cost, of the buy options. You can't beat the feeling of opening a package to see all the things nestled inside their packaging. Getting out the manual and browsing through it only increases your anticipation. Getting it put together and operating the first time is a real thrill. The smell of new is just as pervasive here as with anew car. However, when that new baby goes together badly or has parts missing, the disappointment is also greater. This will happen occasionally even with the best manufacturers. Remember that large "refurb" market out there.
If you are buying used, I can't add much to what was already said about used tools. If you are buying new or even a refurbished tool, there are three main choices. Buy from a local store, buy off the internet (don't forget about eBay but understand the risk can be closer to the used risk than the new risk), or buy mail order.
No matter where you ultimately buy your tool, do your research from tool catalogs, magazines and the internet first. If you don't have internet access most libraries do. A quick search by manufacturer name and model number on a search engine can get you a ton of prices as well as maybe some more information about the tool.
The trade off for internet or mail order purchase is time and shipping charges. Be sure to understand the shipping costs and delivery terms. On freight items the cost can be quite high and the needs at the delivery point more appropriate to a warehouse than a home. Sometimes sales tax savings can offset some of the shipping cost if time isn't too important. Savings of sales tax is getting harder and is, of course, illegal unless you have a tax number in your state. In my location, delivery time ranges from two business days to eight business days. As a hobbyist, this isn't usually a problem for me. A person using the tool in their trade may feel differently.
Buying from a local store is usually the most satisfying. You can touch and play with the tool before you purchase, take it with you, and get to play right away. It is usually, but certainly not always, more costly. It is still my favorite way to buy tools. I generally don't like to buy from home improvement stores because the sales people are frequently less knowledgeable. To offset this, however, their prices are often near to that of internet pricing and their return policies are usually pretty liberal. If you are lucky enough to live near a store that specializes in the type of tools you buy, even if it is just a department of that store, this can be the most rewarding way to buy. You can often get use tips. You can go back for more answers when you know enough questions. You can just shoot the breeze about your passion with someone else who shares it. You will also likely pay the highest price for this service.
I am an admitted tool junkie. If there were a tools anonymous, I would probably be the charter member. I also like bargains. I keep a list of tools I need (want) in my head, complete with best known price. When I'm browsing a store or the internet, a great price quickly triggers the list and I grab it before it goes away. I have probably saved an average of ten to fifteen percent of the cost of my addiction in this way.
So, in summary, whether you buy tools to live or live to buy tools, the secret to happiness is research first, purchase second.
Happy tool buying,
Larry
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Epinions.com ID:
gamblin_man
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Member: Larry
Location: Pacific Northwest
Reviews written: 389
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I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. Will Rogers
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