[modeless]

Honestly I've gone in the other direction. Quality for its own sake is not a virtue; all that matters is whether the item meets the needs you have. An item that breaks and needs replacement is waste, but an item that is overbuilt and never used to its potential is a different kind of waste.

I don't need the best tools in the world for my home toolbox. I use each tool maybe a couple of times a year and even the cheap ones don't break at that level of use. I bought a $250 RC car and a $10 one, and while the $250 one is awesome I've gotten more use out of the $10 one. Sometimes you need quality but sometimes you don't.

[orwin]

I disagree so much with this. I don't pay 250 to 1000 euros for each of my tools because i use them a lot (even though during the lockdowns i did). I got them because professional tools are:

- easier to store - easier to use - pack more power (thus less time spend) - more precise (i'm annoyed if my angles are one millimeter off) - less brittle (its not that cheap ones are breaking, its that even a small, almost invisble chip of metal off your torx head will make your life harder) - less dusty - safer - easier to clean - Combine themselves (transformers for woordworking smh) - Have complete accessories (angle transmission being the most usefull, also the protractor going directly on the radial saw gives you perfect results)

If you want to replace a door with cheap tools, be my guest, i did it once with a friend, i'm not doing it ever again. I'm now bringing my tools every single time.

[lelanthran]

> I disagree so much with this. I don't pay 250 to 1000 euros for each of my tools because i use them a lot (even though during the lockdowns i did). I got them because professional tools are:

I've got both professional tools and el-cheapos so I'm familiar with all your plus points, but I still think that parent has a point.

IME, "buying cheap" does not mean "a tool that breaks on the second use", or "makes your life harder". It means "I don't use this tool frequently enough to care enough to pay more".

I've got a cheapo cordless screwdriver that works well enough to do battery replacement on children's toys and similar. When I want to drive self-tappers into wood I use an expensive driver in the garage.

[steverb]

I have a rule for buying tools. The first one I buy, I buy the cheaper version (Harbor Freight house brand for instance). If I use it enough to break it within3 years, or become frustrated with its shortcomings, then I go buy a "pro" version.

Yes, it does mean I have spent more money than absolutely necessary, but on the other hand I have a lot of cheap tools that are perfectly serviceable for the two times a year I actually need to use them.

It works for me, you go do what works for you.

[hutrdvnj]

Yeah, I think that is the best approach especially if the price difference is like tenfold for the high quality product.

However there are some exceptions to the rule, for example I would never buy a low quality notebook or a low quality car.

If the price of the high quality product is too high for me, then I don't try to look for a cheaper model immediately, but try to go second hand first.

[steverb]

Oh yeah, there are certain things that I know I am going to really care about the quality of.

Never ever buy cheap jack stands for instance. The extra money you spend on the good ones is just life insurance.

[varispeed]

There is nothing worse than a weekend and sudden urgent repair to be done. Then you take out your tools and it breaks... It's so frustrating. On the other hand if you pull out a good quality tool, not only you'll fix the problem, but you'll feel good from even looking at it (or at least me).

[hashkb]

That's fair. There is also a category (I'm thinking musical instruments, sports equipment, vim) that grows with you. You might miss out (or worse, quit guitar) because you were too cheap to ever figure out what you were missing.