Buy the best tool you can afford! We have all heard this so many times. Unquestionably there is some truth in it but it is not a universal truth.. Look at Consumers reports, not always is the most expensive item the best or the most durable. Hand tools, the simplest one, are often adequate to produce a quality piece. During my military service (decades ago) I have seen in certain Asian countries high quality wood work done with primitive tools. It is the skill of the man or woman that counts.. The expensive power tools, the top of the line, often only add convenience, durability, versatility , “repair-ability”, time-saving etc.,if those characteristic are valuable to you, then you should be willing to pay the price. With no significant budget restriction I buy sometimes cheap tools, mostly those that will see rare use, other times I buy the very expensive, mostly because of easy of use and durability.
John Cabot
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When it's a critical tool or item, I like to buy the best tool that I can afford that will suit the need. I'll spend more if I think I'm getting more and is justified. It really depends on the tool, the capability that's added, and the need. Paying more only guarantees that more money is spent, but doesn't necessarily merit the added cost, or result in higher quality or more capacity. It's possible to get what you pay for, but not assured!
Sale prices challenge the "you get what you pay for" philosophy alot, and can vary the actual cost in the range of 30-50%....ie: I own a 22124 hybrid saw. It retails for $999, but mine was on sale for $594 with free delivery...spending a grand on that saw wouldn't have gotten me a thing more, and IMO, it's not even the best choice at $1k, but @ $600 I feel like I got the most for my money. Spending a grand on an entry cabinet saw would have gotten me a more substantial saw, but not enough added capability to justify spending 65% more for. That was a purchase of opportunity that netted me a few added features and some function for about $75 more than my contractor saw. The jump from my Delta 22-560 to a 22-580 for $229 had similar benefits, but didn't catapult me into a hugely different class of tool.
Another example "buying better quality" is saw blades. IMHO, it's worth the added investment to get high quality blades, but it doesn't always cost more. My first two aftermarket carbide blades cost a total of $40 for a 60T Oldham finishing blade and a Vermont American 28T ripper....both were extremely disappointing...neither cut well or stayed sharp long. They were pretty much a waste of $40, which seemed like a fair amount of money at the time. About a year later I swung a deal on a Freud LU84 for $20, which was a $55 blade and a vast improvement (which I didn't know until trying it)...in that case, spending the $55 first would have been warranted. Some years later I had the opportunity to get a Forrest WWII 40T TK for $59....common retail is $90-$100....even at $100, I think it would have been a good investment...there are cheaper blades that will do the job, but the total cost differences to go from acceptable to top shelf performance is in the $20-$50 range....not that much relative to the cost of the saw system and the results on a capabiliy that I use alot and appreciate.
An opposing example, at least for my purposes, is a biscuit cutter. I got a good price on a reasonable quality biscuit cutter...DeWalt DW682K for ~ $132. Very suitable tool, decent price. I have no doubt that the Lamello for 3-4x the price is better, but since I'm finding nearly no need for even the DeWalt, spending more for a Lamello would have been ridiculous for me....In hindsight, I'm not sure that the DW was even a reasonable purchase for me. It's very possible that an Chicago Electric caliber tool for $40 would have sufficed.
If only I could have started out with the knowledge I've gained from experience!
Edited 12/3/2006 5:14 pm ET by Knotscott
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