don't buy cheap stuff....

[thallium]

Lesson for all the younger memebers.   Don't buy cheap stuff. It ends up costing you more time and money than just going out and buying the good stuff the first time.     Today I needed to buy a solder gun. So I went to Pep Boys and bought some chineese solder gun for 22 bucks.   I brought it home and sat there trying to solder some wires together on the charger. It ends up I take the thing back to Pep Boys because the gun does not get hot enough to even melt the solder. I went to Home Depot and bought a Weller solder gun for $8 extra dollars, $30 total and had the part soldered in less than 30 seconds after I got everything set up.

So for the younger crowd, don't waste your time on the cheap crap. You'll end up wasting more time and money in the long run. I know this,   and still sometimes don't even follow from my own life experiences.

[IBsmokin]

you always get what you pay for, so my moto is; "always try to buy the best!!!!"

[Silver R/T]

go out and buy snap on lol

[IBsmokin]

dont buy cheap welfare sand paper toilet paper just to save a few bucks, buy Chamaine Ultra, and have yourself a soft wiping experience!!!

and use less squares at same the time, and no worries about your finger ripping thru and leaving you with chocolate tips!!!     LOL

[ChargerRob]

When it comes to the Charger, It's only the best! 

[69bananabeast]

buy cheap , you get cheap

[Drache]

I bought that solder gun that you seen on TV where it is cordless, heats up fast, and within a few seconds is cool enough to touch! Man I have to admit that thing is great! Havent burnt myself yet lol!

[Old Moparz]

I have to agree, most of the time you get what you pay for, but sometimes buying something cheap is the better way to go. My first tool chest when I was about 17 was a cheap, $40 POS. When the drawers were filled with tools, the bottom of the drawer sagged & wouldn't open. I eventually ended up with a Craftsman for about $100 that I still have, but have outgrown it ages ago. I shopped for a bigger one, but they were expensive, & I found one that is made in stainless steel from Taiwan. It has double wall construction, roller ball bearing tracks for the drawers, & the welds are ground smooth. This roll-away & top chest weighed over 400 pounds empty .   

I found it at Sam's Club for $650, it's 42" wide, & about 60" tall & came with the drawer liners. The closest set up to this at Sears was double the price. I try to avoid Chinese tools, like the 150 piece ratchet set for $9.95, but this tool box was very impressive for the price. I have a few drawers filled completely & they open & close effortlessly. Sam's Club seems to have replaced the 42" one with a 31" now for $550, but I heard Costco has the 42".

Here's what it looks like:

[SirNik73]

lol. my friend has that 42" box from costco. and its the nicest tool box I've ever seen. my other friend has a snap-on box and its got scrapes in the paint... but my friend with the stainless... NO PAINT to wreck. there is a difference between cheap and "inexpensive"

[bull]

My dad taught me a lesson in buying cheap stuff because he's been buying cheap stuff his whole life and getting burned time after time. You would think he would have learned by the age of 68 but no. He's always been the guy who spends a dollar to save a dime.

I don't always buy the most expensive stuff because I think a lot of that is just a marketing ploy. I typically buy name brand stuff when it comes to tools, like Craftsman or Husky, but I pretty much always avoid the cheapo crap. Ever once in a while I'll wander into Harbor Freight for certain items like air wands or tool bags but 90% of the time their stuff is junk. Why buy a piece of junk three or four times when you could pay for something once and have it last? I'm not interested in making several trips to the store trading in junk for something that works. I'd rather get the project over with.

The only thing I don't like about the stainless boxes I've seen so far is that none of them sit low and wide. They're all stackers, and I like to have an area to work on. I almost bought a Hammerhead box at Costco but the thing was about 5 1/2 feet tall. No place to work. Stainless is hard to get clean too.

[ChargerHound69]

With child labor we all win, I did not know Kathy Lee Gifford was in the Forum.

[Silver R/T]

dont buy cheap welfare sand paper toilet paper just to save a few bucks, buy Chamaine Ultra, and have yourself a soft wiping experience!!!

and use less squares at same the time, and no worries about your finger ripping thru and leaving you with chocolate tips!!!   LOL

or recycle your newspaper, wipe your butt and save yourself money lol

[Brock Samson]

 i always avoid the cheap stuff,.. and go straight to the primo stuff,.. then I'll work down... comparing features and reputations, research helps,.. But I'll ask the sales people too.
One problem with them is sometimes they will try to streer you to the slow sellers which languish on the shelves for a reason, that's where the internet comes in,.. sometimes i'll go to the store see what's up, go to competitors and act like i don't know,.. then get on the internet and research the stuff,.. then i go back and make a choice and try to get a deal,..
  It takes a while, but at least i don't feel ripped off and regret my impulsiveness...
  This really pays off on big ticket items, like cars and guitars and furnature.
  kinda fits under the heading,   measure twice, cut once.

[Recharger]

sometimes i'll go to the store see what's up, go to competitors and act like i don't know,.. then get on the internet and research the stuff,.. then i go back and make a choice and try to get a deal,..

That's a good plan.   I always try to be thorough too, with larger purchases.   I always ask any sales guys a few questions I actually know the answer to before I start asking my real questions.   If I know the guy's full of        I just move on, or find a differen't rep.  

[Brock Samson]

 ya that's allways a good plan,.. when i bought my '99 300 M the idiots said it was a '03 300 M Special, i went thru two salesmen and the manager and wound up embarrassing all three of them, they were so damn ignorant,..

[SeattleCharger]

 

[Charger_Fan]

Coming from the auto parts industry, I can usually spot cheap Tiawan crap a mile away...same goes with those travelling flower (or perfume) salesmen, they head toward me from across he parking lot & before they're 20 feet away from me, I'm already bellowing "I don't wanna buy ANYTHING from you!!!" They get this hurt look on their faces & turn the other way. Friggin' dicks.

Same goes with 99.2% of the tools out there...for me, anyway.
If it's amazingly cheap, stay the hell away...it would be less painful to shoot your toe off with a nail gun.

[Charger Aficionado]

In Regards to:  don't buy cheap stuff....  This does not apply with two things:  Women and Booz...  Anyone Agree?  I like my women and my alchol CHEAP as I can GET.

[TheGhost]

In Regards to:  don't buy cheap stuff....  This does not apply with two things:  Women and Booz...  Anyone Agree?  I like my women and my alchol CHEAP as I can GET.

Words of truth.

[Charger_Croatia]

In Regards to:  don't buy cheap stuff....  This does not apply with two things:  Women and Booz...  Anyone Agree?  I like my women and my alchol CHEAP as I can GET.

I would agree on that, only I heard "old wise advice" - If you dont pay the wh..e, you'll pay the doctor   

[TruckDriver]

You dont have to tell me about cheap stuff. I was married to a woman for 10 years

[bull]

I was married to a woman for 10 years

At least you got the gender right.

[Old Moparz]

My dad taught me a lesson in buying cheap stuff because he's been buying cheap stuff his whole life and getting burned time after time. You would think he would have learned by the age of 68 but no. He's always been the guy who spends a dollar to save a dime.

Hey Bull,

Your dad isn't related to my dad, is he?    I swear I just had this conversation with my sister a week ago. I know he means well, but you should see all the strange tools, gadgets & whatever else he picks up for himself, or as gifts for the holidays. I think he has stock in the "AS SEEN ON TV" ads. I know have a small Harbor Freight warehouse in my basement of things that will either break or injure you if you try to use them. The one thing that my 6 year old daughter likes, is the combination "Radio-Flashlight-Siren-Strobe-Ear-Assault-Weapon"

[Charger_Fan]

The one thing that my 6 year old daughter likes, is the combination "Radio-Flashlight-Siren-Strobe-Ear-Assault-Weapon"

Geez, my wife gave me one of those for Christmas one year...I just said "thanks, hon" as sincerely as I could.

[dkn1997]

and leaving you with chocolate tips!!!   LOL

Now, That's funny.

With some very specialized tools that you may only use once or twice, sometimes it is ok to cheap out a bit.  But for sockets and other stuff you use a lot, I would consider Husky or Craftsman the absolute bare minimum as far as quality.