After a series of home improvement projects and a few years of use I am finding that these projects are putting a strain on a variety of tools. Everything from drills to tape measures seem to be heading for the last round up. most of my stuff is mid grade equipment, not the cheap import stuff and yet not top of the line contractor grade. Many different people have handled this stuff the kids and wife who I have to hide the sawsall from or who knows what will be taken apart next. The question becomes how much wear and tear loss do you expect to happen to your tools after a given amount of work?
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How does a guy even answer? Everyone uses them different, and everyone has different stuff. I think the get what you pay for cliche is true here most of the time. Cheap stuff doesn't last, but you have to take care of what you have as well. Chisels aren't pry bars, for instance. Good nail guns, several years, and then only maybe have to buy a rebuild kit and replace some squishy parts. Chop saw, if it gets ten years old, there's something newer and better just making you hope yours dies. But for periodic use, buy what you want, spend the money now on quality, and you'll have it when you're still too old to use it.
"The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb " lyrics by Roger Waters
dont know about everyone else but for an example, i build/instal cabinets/ countertops as afull time business(one man operation)
typical portable power tools in my experience last 5 years even when buying the best contractor stuff
of course depends how you treat then, keep them dry, use then appropiately
shop tools, tablesaw, planer, jointer etc last almost indefinitely if treated well
most tools usually lose accuracy long before they actually breakdown
Many of my power tools are as old as the 30 yo business. Hand tools, much the same, but probably show more in the loss department. Not saying the power tools don't wear and require maintainance, but with proper treatment, sometimes only the cost of the repair would be the deciding factor. If I feel that it's money well spent to keep something of good quality running rather than buy some p.o.s new thing, I'll invest in the used. Course, then again maybe I'm just a dumb carpenter.
__________________________________________
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
You never know how long something will last, I have had pricey stuff go south in a year, and I have tools that won't die.
I buy tools to get work done, and you are better off buying midrange to have more tools. So I think your best bet is to continue to buy decent tools, but upgrade the tools that you wear out, as they wear out. Spend your money on the tools you use all the time.
I don't know what to say about maintaining tools, I just use them. It's all I can do to keep things sharp, nevermind keep a cord on everything. As far as the wife and kids? Let them get their own toys.
I buy real tools for my 4 year old. Keeps him outta mine. Most of the time. "But Papa, I don't have one just like this!"
A lot of my tools get replaced long before they wear out. Sanders is one example. Technology just keeps on improving them. I must have five.
Circ saws usually last about ten years
Same for chop boxes
sawsalls maybe only three years but I do use them hard on demo for remodels. I buy sawsall blades by the hundred and charge them to the job at 100%markup. that pays for the new unit when it comes.
Drills see some hard use too. Milwaukee seems to hold up longest for me.
tape measures?
I have about six or eight of them.
One in the office.
One in the estimating bag.
one in the tool pouches.
an extra in each truck
couple more nearly worn out ones in the bottom of the tool bucket.
Out here on the island you can't just run to the hardware store when the only one you have breaks
But I guess I get six months to a year of regular use out of one.
Excellence is its own reward!
That helps except for charging the cost off to the job since I would only be charging myself. As I replace things I try and upgrade but since I don't use them everyday for a living the use does not always justify the expense. I guess power tools are my biggest gripe. I have couple of corded older craftsman drills I can't keep switches in. They don't get used that often. And my cordless drill with the broken batteries but then its have been dropped a few times from the top of 6-8 foot ladders. Everything else seems to fit into you experience patterns.
But Pd, you bought tools that were never made to go the distance. That is why I said, when one wears out think about upgrading, or weigh the costs of buying another inferior tool. You would be well advised to invest in the tools you use all the time, whether the old ones wear out or not.
You have several drills that bother you, and it might make sense to buy a better one. You need to decide that, I have well over a thousand dollars in drills, and I better be happy. I also dumped $200 in a drill that went Murphy, and I had to give up on it, so win some lose some.
Be good to your tools and they will be good to you. My last cordless drill was ten years old before the batteries finally gave out....todays technology made replacing the batteries less efficient. If I get five outta my new one, it will have served its purpose. I only buy the best, and I`ve yet to be dissapointed. I spend a lot of time researching the particular tool I`m in the market for, and once I buy it, I take care of it.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Chisels ain't prybars? Nonsense. everything is a prybar, and in the right situation, a pounder too. Except Tape measures. They're for pounding not prying.
Piffin "hit the nail on the head" when he stated he charges his tools to the job. I never think twice about wear and tear. My customers pay for all my tools in my markup. When I have a particular job that my require the use of a very expensive tool, ie. Hammer drill to bore a 4" hole through a foundation, then I add about $150 to the estimate to cover wear and tear on that particular tool. Just make sure yo are not using your money to pay for them
"One measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions"
Jaybird,
I'm with you on this, buy the best and you won't be disappointed..
the sole execption is machinery..
You could spend ten thousand dollars to get the finest table saw made with all the bells etc..
or you copuld buy a $300 table top and do the job as well.. I've seen both used by finish carpenters on the same job site..
While desirability will hold the value of that $10,000 saw (I mean who wouldn't want one like that) that $300 table top will be usable decades from now..
As for how good you need to be to your tools, I've seen nail guns that were always cleaned and oiled. put away into a safe spot after every use, wear out before the same make and model gun that almost never saw oil or was cleaned and randomly tossed in a pile on completion of the job..
My nature is to clean and oil etc. but it infuriates me when I see Pros abuse their equipment and it still works year after year..
"but it infuriates me when I see Pros abuse their equipment and it still works year after year.."
But doesn't that spell "job security" for you, frenchy? ;<)
But after all, it's a tool. It's not something I sleep with. I refuse to let them define me, I let the outcome of my product do that. Tapes, demo tools and hand power tools will NOT be passed on to my children.
Buy the best you can afford, use them in a reasonable manner and when they break, wear out or you see a better deal, at least take the time to drop it off at a recycler.
When I need to back prime a bunch of boards I throw away the roller and brush because of the time, cost and toxic nature of the solovents needed to clean up.
I bought 8 Craftsman tapes well over a decade ago, guaranteed forever. I figure Sear's has repaced each one about a dozen times each............
Mark,
In spite of my name I'm 99 percent german and waste seems like such a chrime to me.. It's much worse when I do everything I'm supposed to do and still have equipment give me less than satisfactory service, while those who cheat on maintinance get away with it..
It make me want to tell the tool police.. Yeh, that's it,.... become a tool fink!
(actually the equipment that I sell seems to last 20 plus years with very little maintinace and still gives good service..) anotherwords if you make a big enough tool they can't wear it out ;-)
"waste seems like such a chrime to me.. "
French, buddy, therapy will help ya with this, <g> You don't talk in your sleep about this stuff, do you? <gg>
Repeat.........today's tools have no soul...............
"It's much worse when I do everything I'm supposed to do and still have equipment give me less than satisfactory service, while those who cheat on maintinance get away with it.."
Are you talking about tools here or are you refering to your relationship with your lover????? <ggg>
Ah! The arguement that since tools have no soul they don't desreve fair treatment! We liberals have been fighting for equitable treatment of tools since the first stone ax was made.
Conservatives on the other hand bill the tool to the job and discard it whenever convienant..
As a founding member of PETT (People for the Ethical Treatment of Tools) I hearby declare that unless and untill all contractors treat tools ethically I will invade their trailers/storage sheds looking for Tools of Mass distruction..
any tool found will cause the owner of said tool to be the target of a smart aleck bomb..
(in case you aren't aware of my wacko sense of humor, I'm trying to be funny here)
I know what ya mean regarding how some guys beat the crap outta their tools and there doesnt appear to be repercussions. Along the same lines, what really irritates me is when some guys do a half assed job with a project, but nothing ever comes of it. Some of the things Ive seen over the years really make me scratch my head in a "what the hell were they thinking?" manner, yet no problems ever arose because of the piss poor job done.
My own house falls into this category in several ways. My roof was framed with 2 x 7 (actual dimensions), 24" OC, without a ridge!!!! The place is 100yrs old fer crying out loud. When I replaced the shingles and resheathed six years ago I was astounded to see a virtually perfect plane of a deck. No humps, dips, imperfections worth mentioning! Now if I ever tried to get away with even a temporary version of that, I know I`d end up paying for it.
Its not fair man!J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"