You can cheap out on these 5 tools
When do-it-yourself types talk about tools, they usually fall into one of two groups: Those who declare that premium tools are the way to go, and those who argue that, based on the average quality of today’s tools, paying more just isn’t worth it. The truth likely falls somewhere in between, especially once you consider that some tools get picked up more often than others. Still other tools, if they fail, have unusually high consequences.
When assembling their toolbox, everyone has a budget. Where can you cut a few corners, perhaps to justify buying a few higher-end ones? We dug around and found five garage must-haves. With these, the budget option carries no penalty—and just might be your best bet.
Pliers
I own some pricy pliers, and I’m constantly passing them over to grab a cheap set, one that can get little damaged or soaked in oil and not make me feel guilty. Does that mean I am too protective of my “nice tools?” Maybe, but it also means I probably could get by with only the budget-friendly option.
Remember those Snap-On pliers that made the rounds on social media awhile back, the ones you could use to pick up a nickel by its edge? Let’s call a gimmick a gimmick. In a home shop, you rarely need the precision offered by those pliers. They are likely easily damaged if used improperly, too.
Hacksaw
Saw blades are a place to shell out, but the actual hacksaw? Even the cheapies seem to last long enough to crop up at estate sales. After all, there aren’t many ways to improve on the recipe: a metal frame, plastic handle, and threaded adjustment for the blade tension.
Hacksaws can be found for as little as $5 or $6, and those of us who just work on cars at home are unlikely to notice or truly appreciate the more expensive options.
Flashlights
At some point, light is light. Flashlights can get expensive, and while it’s very likely some are worth the premium, most are just the same switches and bulbs in a “fancier” case. I’ve never needed a truly waterproof flashlight in my garage. I’ve never needed to use one as a hammer, either.
If taken care of with even a small amount of respect, like keeping fresh batteries installed to keep the corrosion out, cheap lights work for a long time at practically no cost.
Extensions
Not extension cords, but socket or ratchet extensions. So long as the machining for the two precision parts—where the ratchet and socket engage—is right, you’re pretty well good to go. Again, when used properly, extensions aren’t going to wear out: If you’re using hand tools, you’re unlikely to put enough torque on a garden-variety one to twist or break it.
(You shouldn’t be using one as a punch, anyway. We know you’ve never done that. Right?)
Organization
At the end of the day, your toolbox is your toolbox. If you know where things are, that is good enough. Some people prefer borderline- over fully organized tool storage, but we all find what works for us.
When you’re pinching pennies, fancy organizational inserts are low-hanging fruit. There are also a lot of truly budget DIY solutions for toolbox organization that require only medium effort.
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There is a fine line between buying the right tool for the job and spending so much on tools you don’t have anything left for the actual project. Sometimes a tool’s value doesn’t align with its price. Be a little frugal: At first, you might feel like you’re cutting corners, but after a while, you’ll notice the cash saved, and your wallet will be better prepared for that last-minute Marketplace purchase that “just needs carb work.”
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My dad bought me a set of Craftsman tools when I was 16 and I’m still using most of them 50 years later. The hacksaw that came in the set was junk. I thought that was just the nature of hacksaws until I went to work in industry using professional tools.
Do yourself a favor and buy a good hacksaw. You will quickly make up the cost difference in buying fewer blades.
Sure. Go ahead and buy cheap extensions. Just don’t put any torque on them.
The proper name for Harbor Freight is “Horror Fright.”
I call them Hardly Great tools, but I do buy some tools there for occasional use.
I own a tool repair business and have worked on tools for more than 25 years. I don’t work on hand tools per se, but I do use a lot of hand tools on my job. Years ago the import stuff was junk. Now thr imports are much higher quality.
All the tools mentioned above can be cheapies but when it comes to pliers it only takes one massive pinch to thr palm of your hand to make you buy good quality pliers.
Also, unless you make your living doing automotive electrical work, a cheap meter should meet your needs. There’s no need for a 500 dollar Fluke if you’re only checking voltage and resistance.
There is a difference between good quality tools and professional quality tools. Craftsman are (were) good quality. Look at things like wall thickkness of sockets. Professional quality have thinner walls because they are made of better metal. They will fit in places where cheaper one won’t. Nothing is more frustrating than having a tool break in the middle of a job. Sure they are guaranteed, but having to stop and take them to be exchanged is waste of time and money. I worked as a professional mechanic for 35 years and learned this very quickly. Stayed with Snap-On, Mac, Matco, Cornwell etc. Well worth the extra dollars.
I’m not made of money and I love estate sales for tools. However I have never regretted spending too much on a tool I need.
I bought most of my sockets back when Sears had Black Friday sales, same with the screwdriver sets. But I go to Harbor Freight for stuff that only sees occasional use. The electric impact driver is great at only $30.
Of course, there are plenty of Triumph service tools which have no cheap equivalent.
OK, this is maybe a once in a lifetime, but have to disagree on extensions. Back in ’86, I was working as a heavy truck mechanic, under a truck, busting loose main caps to replace bearings on an 8V-92. Torque is only about 240 ft lbs when assembling, but they always seemed to take a good jerk before they popped loose. No room for an impact between the axle and the bolts, so usually broke them loose with a Snap-On 24″ breaker bar. Feet up on the frame somewhere, arms curled into your chest, then jerk. So, big bang, flash of light, lots of pain – butt end of the breaker bar hit me in the left eye and crushed it. Got back to work a couple of months later – minus the eye – picking up and cleaning my tools – I had thought the socket had slipped off of the bolt head – 12 point heads, pretty shallow – but turned out that the socket end split on the 3″ Craftsman extension I was using. It turned out that there was quite a difference in the thickness of the material used across various brands, to say nothing of the metallurgy.
I had not considered Craftsman to be Off-brand, but turned out that even back then – and that extension probably dated to the ’70’s – they did not make their own tools. I still use Off-brand tools sometimes, but am rather more careful to position my more important bits out of the line of fire.
Hope this could help someone.
Sometimes using an inexpensive mitre box will help a cheaper saw make a better cut