121–130 of 144 posts
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By following this rule you could easily end up with a tool that lasts forever but strips out all your screw heads.
I don't follow this example. Isn't stripping screw heads a skills issue? How does a tool help/hurt with that?
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I think the rule of thumb for non-professionals is: Buy cheap and if you use it enough that it breaks, buy expensive the second time.
By following this rule you could easily end up with a tool that lasts forever but strips out all your screw heads.
I'm not saying this site doesn't speak some truths, but previous on this topic have been so thin, and ignore battery, motor and materials improvements that they totally undercut a real discussion on tool quality and value. If you actually want to talk tools, find a DIY/woodworking group.
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I feel the same, but I do wonder sometimes if that’s true. Are there PE firms out there quietly operating great businesses that they’ve acquired? If not, why not? Surely in the long run that’s a better ROI, and private capital should be able to take a longer view, right?
> Surely in the long run… And that's the rub. PE is all about short term ROI at any price. Their business model doesn't take product superiority or brand loyalty into account. If a widget can be made cheaper, you do it, damn the collateral damage.
Maybe this is like the toupee fallacy, and we only pay attention to the ones with this kind of strip mining approach, and we don't see the majority where they run the businesses to maximize ROI in the long run?
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I don't think there's anything to apologize for. Buying a professional tool with tens of thousands of hours of potential runtime and 1000lb+ of torque is wasteful. A Ryobi tool will realistically last for the many decades you need it for and do everything you ask of it. Lower price points doesn't just mean something is junk. It can also be engineering efficiency.
As the saying goes, anyone can build a bridge that lasts forever. It takes an engineer to build one that lasts fifty years.
Building a forever bridge would be challenging, especially for 5bn yrs in when the sun expands.
Pseudo related is I really enjoy well designed lifestyle DIY tool brands like HOTO, started with slick electric screw drivers for building PCs, and now pretty DIY kits that's nice to look at on small projects.
I think most pros agree that Klein tools have fallen off. And conspicuously missing on the list is Wiha and Wera. Wiha is a family-owned private company in Germany. Relies on self-funding and conservative growth using long-standing relationships with German banks rather than private equity. They manufacture in Germany, Vietnam, Switzerland, and a tiny plant in the US. Well known by electricians. Much better warranty.…
This is my favorite computer stuff screwdriver:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001552GH4
(just buy it)
I think most pros agree that Klein tools have fallen off. And conspicuously missing on the list is Wiha and Wera. Wiha is a family-owned private company in Germany. Relies on self-funding and conservative growth using long-standing relationships with German banks rather than private equity. They manufacture in Germany, Vietnam, Switzerland, and a tiny plant in the US. Well known by electricians. Much better warranty.…
For power tools, there's also Festool
The other Festool product I picked up is their track saw. Couldn't be happier with the results and the products are really well designed from an ergo/UX standpoint. Though I wouldn't be surprised if you could get just as good of results from a track saw at half the price as long as you use a great blade on it. I like them because they make working much more pleasant than my experience with some other tool brands.
Most of the rest of my tools are Dewalt. I settled on them as they have some of the best "prosumer" power tools in woodworking. Their job site table saw and their planer are some of the best available at their price point. Though I'm regretting buying into the battery system. I've seen times where my Dewalt impact couldn't deal with car bolts that a similar Milwaukee zipped right off. Works fine for woodworking though. I've largely replaced my Dewalt battery operated lawn tools with Ego.
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Ryobi make mostly good tools though. The results produced by most Ryobi users, myself included, are limited by user skill not tool quality.
There has generally been a grade below Ryobi that is junk. Been that way for decades before Ryobi even existed. Ryobi isn't the best quality, but it is generally good enough and cheaper.
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If you are a DIY, you might use a tool once a week, or once a year. A pro might use a tool everyday, all day. A different durability requirement. A Ryobi is not bad, if it fills your needs, but might not be enough for heavy use.
Which is market segmentation at work. If the DIYers get good enough tools at cheap prices and the pros have a separate line that’s more expensive and more durable, what are we supposed to be mad about?