Many of my power tools are even cheaper tha HF tools - I bought most of them with minor damage at garage sales - dirt cheap - and bought the required parts to repair. Milwaukee Sawz-all - $16 in parts - got it for nothing. Milwaukee skill saw - the BIG one, paid $15 and $6 for the required part. Ryobi Belt sander, $15. Router, $20. Only my cordless drill and my big Makita 1/2 inch variale speed reversible drill were bought new - all high quality stuff that will last as long as I need them - and parts are available if something breaks.
Lets see....two Millwaukee Sawzalls, both running, $10 and $8. Delta sawzall, $2, and a $5 part, Milwaukee 4x24 belt sander...$10. Porter Cable Belt Sander/Bosch plunge router/Greenlee 1/2 conduit -4" conduit punch set, $35 for the 3 items
Ryobi 18vt cordless drill, and the matching cordless driver, $15 along with 4 batteries and 2 chargers, with the tags still in the box, $30
450lb Hay Budden anvil, free to haul off...hell..I could be here for 5 hours typing in this stuff
Consider ALL new tools to be "kits" requiring re-assembly and modification and you won't go too far wrong. I disassemble almost every tool I buy, debur the pieces, lube them properly, wax them if necessary, and reassemble to the proper tension. They're feel like they cost 3x the price after that and they'll last at least twice as long while giving me a lot more pleasure. Plus, I have a much better knowledge of how the tool works, so field repairs are easier as a result. That has saved a job for me more than once.
Learn what to look for in tools before buying them and you'll avoid a lot of headaches, too. Figure out what makes a tool a good value and you'll avoid lots of bad purchases.
Also, I've bought several HF tools as cheap, temporary -backup- items but ended up using them for decades instead. The 5" mechanic's vise is still kickin' nearly 4 decades later, despite years and years of severe hammering on it and metal bending (-before- I learned anything from youse guys, OK?)
And, best of all, when you discover that you have bought a shitass tool, be sure to IMMEDIATELY RETURN IT. If you can do it the same day, it makes it that much harder for the idiot behind the counter to turn down the return. Be sure to tell them later how much better the replacement tool turned out. They like (and need) those stories.
couple or less years ago I was in the BORG to get a 2x4x8 and just for the halibut U checked the price on DeWalt 185001 Monroe St Toledo , OH
36606 batteries. $95.xx each, or $99.xx for 2; I checked the price at the checkout and ended up with two new batteries for each drill. Sat AM i picked up a DeWalt 18V charger w/ battery for $3.00 and after a quick charge, Junior has benn using the battery for 2 days.
We have them - but the prices are often a bit higher than in the USA,
- cost more new, pecieved value higher - particularly in areas where there a quite a few handy-men and hobbyists around. Could likely do better in a big city where there is a lower percentage of DIY guys who want the older tools.
Actually more willing to use old tools than those willing to part with them cheap. In the big cities, more likely to get rid of, and fewer ready to buy used.
My friend in Bakersfield is looking for some tools I told him to give you another call to set up a meeting. He mentioned sandblasting glass to frost images & lettering, and building a 'makerbot' type CNC router for woodworking. I downloaded the current LinuxCNC for him, and am sending it along with some other files he needs.
Ive got both glass beads and ground glass in unopened 5 gallon buckets
I have some "Fine" Black Max sand ..but not a lot. Im sure we can find something to work.
Have him come over...... and bring a truck
Gunner
"The ruling class doesn't care about public safety. Having made it very difficult for States and localities to police themselves, having left ordinary citizens with no choice but to protect themselves as best they can, they now try to take our guns away. In fact they blame us and our guns for crime. This is so wrong that it cannot be an honest mistake." Malcolm Wallop former U.S. Sen. (R-WY)
No, I never used billdrits so much that I ever needed a -pound- of any certain size, even really bad bits. I have and do buy the 10-packs, though, from both HF and MSC. I break a lot of the 7/64, 1/8, and
They only sold the 1/8" buy the pound, or an assortment by the pound. I used to drill out thousands of 1/8" rivets on some old equipment, and broke plenty. What they called 'seconds' generally had bad plating but otherwise did a great job. I still have a few of the other sizes, almost 40 years later.
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