[Dalewyn]

>It's fair to say that individual tools should have to justify their costs in terms of productivity improvements or time savings.

Indeed, and this is why it's often advised that people should buy their first set of tools at Harbor Freight (or any other store selling cheap tools, for the not-Americans).

If those cheap tools wear out or break from use, then you go out and buy the really good ones from Snap-on or Milwaukee and the like.