The price of tools then and now

PineRidge · Aug 19, 2004

I was helping my son replace a set of front rotors and pads on his hot rod Acura this morning. Help in my son's opinion is when a dad does all the work and your son hands you a tool or two if and when you ask him to. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

There were two Phillips head screws that are used to secure the old rotors to the axles. The screws were originally used as the auto went down the assembly line to keep the rotors in place before the wheels were bolted on. In any case these screws had to be removed before I could go any farther so I got out my trusty screwdriver impact tool. This was the type with interchangeable bits, that you strike the rear of the tool with a hammer to either tighten or loosen a screw without doing damage to the head of the fastener.

I quickly broke both of my Phillips screw bits and still had one screw to remove so it was off to Auto Zone to see if they had replacement bits for my old tool. The guy at Auto Zone told me that the newer impact tools used a completely different bit than the tool that I showed him and regardless he only sold the entire kit which he was currently out of. So I decided that a trip to Harbor Freight was now completely in order. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The complete kit, blow-molded plastic case, the impact tool itself, and 6 different impact bits were on the shelf at Harbor Freight for a mere $3.49 so I grabbed one up and quickly completed my brake project. The point of this post is that it simply amazes me how inexpensive some tools have become. I know when I purchased mine years ago, $30.00 for the whole set was then cheap.

Another good example is the price of air tools, in the past couple of years prices have really dropped and the quality is still remains very good. Is anyone else seeing these changes as I am?

slowrev · Aug 19, 2004

Yep, Tools are sort of like computers. We are getting more for our money now.

Golfgar4 · Aug 19, 2004

I agree with you Mike, but I also might offer just a slight twist to the discussion. This is something that I've noticed occurring in my buying trends more and more often lately.

Yes, I believe that overall the prices for various items has come down. But I also think my perception of the value of the tool has come up to the point that I don't worry about the cost of the item if it's something that I need (want). I'm sure that this is partly due to the fact that I have more money than I did some years ago when I had to be more careful how I spent it.

Additionally, I believe that as I have become older, I put less value on the cost of the item as compared to the level of ease the item will provide to accomplish my task. In other words, I'll pay whatever they want to make it easier on myself! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Henro · Aug 19, 2004

It is a two edged sword and I don't mind being on one side of it, since I am retired and all that.

Still...those cheap (and very functional) tools are not made at home.

But the way I look at it is we could send a bunch of $$$$ as foreigh aid to countries, and get nothing in return, or we can just let them sell us something at a price we can't say no to, and the little guy like me can reap the benifit.

I'm not complaining...but my kids might...they have to find jobs here... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

gotrocks · Aug 19, 2004

Yeah Bill,
I like that idea for foreign aid. My idea takes it a bit further.
If our politician want to send $$$ to a country the let US citizens apply for a travel voucher. Then when we get to the country, if they treat us nice and want us to stay we spend the money and wala,"trickle UP economy" Of course our govt would want us to account for every penny. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Currmudgeon · Aug 19, 2004

Not only has the price dropped or stayed constant on imported stuff, it has done the same for high end domestic tools. Look at the price of a worm drive Skilsaw or a Milwaukee Sawzall today vs. thirty years ago. They're dirt cheap, today.

PineRidge · Aug 19, 2004

But the way I look at it is we could send a bunch of $$$$ as foreigh aid to countries, and get nothing in return, or we can just let them sell us something at a price we can't say no to, and the little guy like me can reap the benifit.


Henro that sounds like some really good logic to me but do you think the government is going to buy it as "foreign aid"? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

In any case our dollars do seem to be going further toward higher end tools and I am not complaining about it one bit. I just keep adding tools to the pole barn. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

SPIKER · Aug 19, 2004

I agree:

same for good tools, where as the old milwalkies are usually still going we tore up about 6 NEW ones, and yet the orriginal oldones are going strong! so we switched to the 19.00 buck grinders, and they last as well as the 99.00 ones milwalkie sells! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

i DO like good tolls, but good tools are a function thing, if it works then it is good, if it works and eventually breaks then it's a so so tool but when it breaks the cost of replacement has to be LOW ...

I get quite a few items form harbor freight, and found the quality better than a lot of the SEARS stuff, (not crafstmen but the nonlifetime sears stuff) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Oh those 3.99 impact drivers are pretty nice too! I add a scoket extension kit to mine /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mark M

Taylortractornut · Aug 19, 2004

Im with you on the 19 dollar grindders I bought one when I was 17 and its hung in there with the Craftsman and Makita. I bought a recipricating saw from the same dealer ans it cut one lawn chair leg before dying. I have a mixed bag of tools but since Ive started maintaining my truck I drive at work plus Im tired of the Import hand tools flimsyness Ive started buying all Craftsman Blackhawk and a few other. I like the chinses tools in the fact i keep a few of them in my trucks box and if they get lifted I m out 10 bucks. Plus another thing is I can modify them to fit certain other hard tor reach jobs. Since steel has gone up the imports are abou the same as the smaller Craftsman sets when they go on sale once a month. Saturday in 5 minutes I bought 118 buck worth of maetric and standard sockets, a set of ratchet wrenches, a punch set 2 pairs of the ratcheting adjustable wrenches and a square Ezout. I still Buy a fe improt tools looking at the pipe bender and a few others things. My Chinese drill press for 160 dollars is the same as a cheap Sears drill press I ve seen the made in China label on them. Its been a good mache for my tinkering stood alot of abuse.

BIGUN · Aug 19, 2004

( The complete kit, blow-molded plastic case, the impact tool itself, and 6 different impact bits were on the shelf at Harbor Freight for a mere $3.49 so I grabbed one up and quickly completed my brake project. The point of this post is that it simply amazes me how inexpensive some tools have become. I know when I purchased mine years ago, $30.00 for the whole set was then cheap. )

I know just how you feel. Since moving to this area which has a Harbor Freight Store I have been buying lots of tools. Even if it’s a tool I figure I may only use a few times the rest of my life, at these prices it seems worth it. The regular prices in this store are very good, but the sale prices are almost impossible for me to pass up. Many of these tools are not production grade, but then I’m not using them for production, and very few have not lived up to what I expect from them.