this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2023
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Same for Harbor Freight. Great tools for light duty use, but if you're doing big jobs frequently, spring for something better.
I've had a HF drill since 2005 and it only recently died. It can probably be fixed since it seems the trigger just wore out, but I got 18 years of use from it for like $15.
There are 2 schools of thought, and both are situationally relevant.
Buy the 2nd last tool you will ever need.
IE, buy light duty. If it breaks and you've been using it a lot, you will likely know what features you want, how much to spend etc on the replacement. At which point you buy a more suitable tool.
Buy once, cry once.
If you are spending $200 on a tool, and the $300 is better, maybe just buy the $300 one.
Certainly more applicable to when you already use similar tools, and you need another.
That's another reason I like the Ryobi lineup. I started out with one of their basic drill combos.
But as I pickup bigger and bigger projects, I can upgrade to their Brushless and HP models, still using the same battery.
I bought early into the Dewalt system based on people saying Buy Once Cry Once. But the problem is that it locks you into the ecosystem and batteries. Then even if I want a relatively light-duty cordless tool, I’m sort of forced to always go to Dewalt.
If you’re relatively new to DIY work and similar, I do recommend the first philosophy.
I am in the same boat. I've bought a few of their tools and they are great for my purposes. I have a miter saw and a table saw of theirs. Both are probably junk compared to more expensive tools, but I use them 2-4 times a year. It doesn't make sense for me to get the more expensive stuff.
That said, if I start doing more I'll probably ditch them in a heart beat. 😆