[jrockway]

For me it's kind of a wash. For years I avoided buying any imperial allen keys because I had a pile of free ones that were good when I infrequently needed them. I also got this combination 2.5mm hex / Phillips screwdriver which is actually quite convenient as those are the sizes of screwdriver I need most frequently.

The rest go into the landfill unfortunately, and I agree the waste isn't really worth the 3 random sizes of allen key I once needed.

[cout]

I'm a little wary of those cheap hex keys -- I've been burned a few times by them stripping out a hex head when the key was just a little loose. I know I should invest in some quality hex keys, but you are right -- it's hard to justify the purchase when I already have so many lying around.

[jrockway]

Yeah. I think part of the problem there is also low-quality fasteners, but good hex wrenches do prevent a lot of problems.

As I go through my stash of direct-from-the-Shenzhen-market-at-10x-the-price fasteners from Amazon I'm replacing them with equivalents from McMaster. I have to say the increase in quality is noticeable. I half expect to break an Amazon screw and find that it's hollow inside to save a few cents.