Sooo… I was just wondering fellas (and forest girl 🙂 ), what are your biggest tool regrets?
I need to know so that I don’t make the same mistakes 😉
For instance – I regret purchasing my 8″ Powermatic jointer. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a sweet,well running machine that performs as expected, however – I wish I had purchased a 12″ machine instead. In fact, I wish I had either waited or purchased a used machine instead of the one I got. It’s not so much a power issue, rather a surface capacity issue. I had the Delta 6″ before that – and I don’t regret that machine at all… it was the perfect “just starting” jointer.
Now, I’m ready for the bandsaw – and I don’t want to regret my purchase a year down the road!
So how ’bout it? What purchases would you have done differently or not done at all?
PM
Replies
Whatever you do, stay away from Craftsman power tools (stationary, portable, corded, cordless).
But that is probably common knowledge to anyone interested in doing anything beyond the very basic home maintenance.
Regarding the bandsaw, I bought the Jet 14" about a year ago. Only regret is not getting the riser block. Now I have about $100 invested in blades that won't work if/when I get the riser.
Bought a 2.5 hp porter cable router without variable speed. Wished now I had that feature built in vs. the aftermarket speed control.
Bought a set of Freud chisels that wont hold an edge for crap.
Good luck!
Dave
I research my tool purchases so well that I don't have any regrets latter. :)
Except that maybe I should have spent more money and purchased a bigger planer and maybe a 8" jointer. Oh yeah I need a better dust collector, should have got a cyclone. Most of the time it's just a money thing.....except there was that big green sander...glad I sent that thing back!
Steve
You mean that big green sander with the two sanding cylinders its the only tool that I hate. I buy a lot of tools and feel that if I have made a mistake it's a learning experience.< but the big green monster is something else you can't keep paper on it. Even threw it in back of the pick up and drove it fron VA to Penn and stayed overnight while they repaired it cut and balanced the drums ect ect, and guess what it still s-----s
Talkin about a Grizzly edge sander that I bought once. What a pile.
I have bought alot of tools since that edge sander and because of that experience I'm afraid to trust Grizzly products. If you don't like what you ordered you are stuck with them. Unless you make the biggest stink in the tool industry, Grizzly will not refund your money. They just want to try and repair a machine that was not engineered correctly in the first place.
So I need a new planer, but I can't see ordering from Griz and then having a problem with the machine....oh please not that again!
Steve
Edited 12/7/2003 6:54:18 PM ET by SteveKrasnow
I feel the same way about my Grizzly 1014Z disk/belt sander. The machine runs, mostly, but the engineering's not brilliant.
Sadly, it works too well for me to justify replacing with something better, at least for now, so I'm just getting used to being frustrated by its inability to lock the disc table into place and the belt's occasional tendency to wander suddenly off track late in a job.
I have always always always regretted, in hindsight, those times where I attempted to save a buck. Those tools never worked as well as I wanted, did what I thought they should, or were as accurate as I thought they should be. Without fail, I've finally learned a lesson of hard knocks and spend considerable time researching things as inconsequential as a hammer before buying it. In a way, it stinks. I'm now the guy the high end stuff gets marketed to, and I pay for it. Ignorance might be bliss, but it doesn't have much of a half-life. At least the stuff that fills the shop and truck now will still be here and running in a decade. Oh, the Hilti guy - he looks at me coming and upgrades the college of choice for his kids.
"The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb " lyrics by Roger Waters
RW,
"Ignorance might be bliss, but it doesn't have much of a half-life."
Great line ;- )
Paul
The two most abundant elements in the universe: Hyrdogen & stupidity.
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
Hmm. Thanks. I think I need to complete the sentiment and change my tag line.
Ignorance might be bliss, but it doesn't have much of a half life. After that, you're just plain stupid.
Whaddya think?"The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb " lyrics by Roger Waters
"Ignorance might be bliss, but it doesn't have much of a half life. After that, you're just plain stupid.
Whaddya think?"
RW,
Makes me think of a favorite quote attributed to Nipsy Russell: "Beauty may be only skin deep, but ugly is to the bone!"
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
Selling my Lion miter trimmer.
Alan
Alan, My problem with the Lion Miter Trimmer was that I bought it on Ebay for $100. Came missing parts and with the blade not perpendicular to the bed. Realized that too late to return it. Got replacement parts. NOTE: New parts are not interchangeable with old ones. $60 more gone. ughhhh.
Learned my lesson the hard way. Oh well, live and learn.
Bench-top jointer. Egad. And cheesy-azzed chinese no-name drill press. $30 thin-line Delta grinder--wish I'd held out for 8" slow speed. And my first TS--a $200 Craftsman. What a train wreck that was.
Now, happy choices: Delta 14" BS, recond. Delta planer, HF lathe, Veritas marking knife (my favorite hand tool), good square and straightedge.
Charlie
When I first got into woodworking, I'd no clue what I was doing, only a rough idea of how to get stuff made and totally withoot tools save for a cordless drill and a newly gained cheap n nasty plunge router. First project was a remodel of the living room. With next to zero budget, you can imagine some of the tool choices....
Pride of place among a host of Oi Vey's...was a cordless circular saw... the idea WAS safety oriented... no cables = nothing to trip over or slice through...right..??
2 weeks later when the 2nd battery blew up in the middle of a 4ft cut I made a note that NEVER again would I rush into buying tools... by the time I finished that cut (with a blunt hand saw) I wanted to sit down n cry.... finding out just how outa shape you are is a hellova wake up call....
Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Every time I buy a new tool I regret that I didn't buy it 20 years earlier!
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
Delta's smallest drill press, that didn't have a rachet system for raising/lowering the table. Since replaced.
Delta's smallest miter saw (8.25") -- should have found the $$ to get a 10"
Craqqy tapered drill bit set (Steelex, I think)
Those days are gone -- I now wait until I can get the right tool at the price I can afford. The best $99 I've spent so far????? -- The little Delta Shopmaster scroll saw I just picked up. The newest SM model, what a little dream for under $100!
forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Good question...I'd have to say that my biggest tool regret is my Craftsman power miter. It flexes so much when doing bevel cuts it's pathetic. I've gone to using my TS for angled cuts, and the miter saw sits at the bottom of a shelf. The arbor runout isn't real good either. It's great for rough framing a house!
Of course... the regret thing can just kill ya. And when do you say when? I mean I always purchase what I consider higher end tools but somewhere we have to find a happy medium between price and size! I say size because really, after you've done the research on what particular brand of tool, you then need to decide on what particular size of tool.
For instance - my previously mentioned planer purchase. I did the research, checked the reviews and got an awesome machine... just not the right size!
Ah well, there are only a couple of expensive machines left to get. There's the bright side. The dark side? Well... the couple of machines left are pretty pricey. Pricey machines - pricey mistakes!
I definitely appreciate the comment about the marking knife and an accurate square! Those are going to be my next hand tool purchases,along with one of those nifty micrometers to help set up my jointer and planer. As for the square? Right now I use 3 (yes I said 3) squares at the same time and try to find the happy medium between them! Crazy!
Not bad though... out of all my contractor tools and shop tools - I only regret one. And I suppose it's not too much of a regret. After all, that powermatic long bed 8" jointer wired 220 does one hell of a job! (and really, how often do we really need to face joint over 8")
Grizzley lathe. What a piece of crap! Gave it away last year and have my sights on a Jet 1642.
TDF
...........Regret? Don't think they've got enough server space. ;o) 'Bout 15 years ago I bought a Ryobi 8 1/4 Radial Arm saw (think it was the RA-200). Sorriest tool I've ever used. Flexible frame and column, the blade would walk and tear the tableboards right off the machine. Scary thing to use. Had two recalls, the "fixes" never did anything. Soured me permanently on Ryobi. Sold tools I wish I hadn't . Makita 2040 15 5/8" planer and 2010 8" jointer. Porter Cable 315 circular saw. Unicontractor's saw with EMS (electronic measuring system). All great equipment either no longer available new or not as good as they used to be.
All I can say is I'm glad I just ran into this forum. Now I don't feel so bad about the supposed money I've "saved" from buying the next wondertool over the last 27 years. I now read the reviews on tools, ask around, try someone else's if I can, and last but not least pose the query..."Do I really need this?." Stay away from all 'gimmicks' I have found.
Sears Craftsman Professional 2HP Router. Someone should take the collet from the Milwaukee 3.5 HP router over to the guys at Sears who are responsible for foisting their routers on an unsuspecting public and say, "Guys, for starters, THIS is what a router collet is supposed to look like. Something like this. Got it? Now let's open up the subject of depth adjustment,..."
Course I feel dumb for ever buying it. Maybe I was having a low-blood sugar day and wasn't fully responsible for my actions,...
Ed
Pet Monkey,
Several years ago my wife asked that I conspicuously mark several items in a tool catalog so she could buy me something I'd like for Christmas or a birthday.
One of the items I circled was a Fein detail sander. I regret she opted for the Ryobi - What a P.O.S! Attempted to use it twice, but didn't have the heart to discard it until after she'd passed away.
Paul
Edited 12/5/2003 10:21:18 PM ET by jazzdogg
A set of Chinese - made brad point drill bits.
Turned out that they were crookeder 'n' my dog's hind leg. If I wanted to drill a hole even close to the diameter I was after, I'd chuck up the size 1/32 in. down, and count on the bend in the drill bit to wallow out the hole to pretty close to what I wanted.
I could get a hole pretty much orthogonal to the surface, if I used a drill press. Don't even ask about using these things in a hand held drill motor.
Advice: Buy Sterett if you are buying anything that is critical as to accuracy. I treasure my Sterett rules, try-squares, and micrometers.
Hope this helps,
Enery
'Enery
What do you use a micrometer for in woodworking?
J.P.
I'm not sure what 'enery uses his for, but my Powermatic tech had one when he was checking the settings on my planer - and I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on one!
But I want a digital version... he had a needle gauge that just didn't seem precise enough for me.
What type of settings for the planer?
I use it to set up router bit depths. It is especially handy when you use a router and jig, and a couple thou can give you a gap or make the joint impossible to put together.
Truth to tell, I don't use it for much in woodworking. The tool I do use a lot is their set of square, centerfinder, and protractor. There are cheaper versions of the set, not made by Sterret, but I have something in my sweat that eats tools, and unless it is Starret, the second time I pick up a tool, it has rust on it.
I mentioned the micrometer more or less because I was mentally thinking of what I have that is Starret. No sense in measuring wood that will move more than the tolerance of the measuring device.
I'd like to have one of those nifty dial indicators to check out the runout on my TS, though.
See ya
I bought the 2hp Delt Tablesaw. It is actualy an OK saw, but I really wish I'd bought a General Tablesaw instead. I really don't think I can justify the nicer saw now as the older one is ok and I just do this for fun.
Frank
Bis' -
I'm with you on the Delta vs General saw issue. I looked at both at a woodworking show coupla years ago but wasn't buegeting for a saw at that time. When it came time, I bought the Delta 'coz I could buy it local instead of having to travel from Seattle to Portland to get 'instant gratification'. Not that the Delta doesn't serve my purposes, I just think the General is a better made machine.
With respect to my tool purchase regret(s) .... the worst $199 I've spent in the past few years was this C-H HVLP spray unit. I've said to myself many many times .... "Self - you get what you pay for". The hours and hours I'm spending sanding and rubbing out the pitiful finish this spray outfit lays down on my cabinet doors, if I put a dollar figure to it I could have bought the most expensive spray system on the market! Unfortunately at this point, I have more time than money so .... I'll have to live with it.
...........
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
A portable drill guide made in France and a Delta BT 10" Drill Press. Guide to the dump where it belonged. With a few hours machining from my machinest BIL, the DP was given to a "newbie" WW that was a student that had to budget to get bits.
sarge..jt Proud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
"A set of Chinese - made brad point drill bits. Turned out that they were crookeder 'n' my dog's hind leg. If I wanted to drill a hole even close to the diameter I was after, I'd chuck up the size 1/32 in. down, and count on the bend in the drill bit to wallow out the hole to pretty close to what I wanted."
Enery,
I can relate! Sounds like the P.O.S. "greenwood" bits Lee Valley / Veritas is selling in an effort to fill the void left by the now-absent Stanley PowerBore bits.
PaulWhether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
The worst tool I ever bought was a new 4x24 Milwakie belt sander . About 12 or 15 years ago I paid about $350.00 for a useless , useless tool. The belt would not track and the bearings kept burning out. The factory replaced the bearings and said all was good, WRONG. What a disappointment . The tool still looks like brand new , it has not been used enough to even make it look used. It is too light to make a good anchor for a boat. BTW that company no longer seems to make that type of belt sanders, wonder why. About that time I bought a used 3x24 Rockwell freight train belt sander . I had it gone through and refurbished to new condition . I am happy to say it gets used every day and is the best belt sander I have ever used.If I had a long enough extension cord I could ride the sander down to my shop , LOL .
live and learn----------- "It's too bad ignorance isn't painful " dusty
Almost anything made by Ryobi. Bought the detail sander that had a short in the wiring after about 2 weeks. Shocking little devil. Then, due to space limitations I bought the table saw that came with the sliding table. Had to adjust it for square and perpendicular every cut and finally after about 3 years the bushings or bearings gave out so the blade became a nice wobble dado blade.
If I would have been smart, I would have bought one of the contractor saws-same size as Ryobi, and at least had something to upgrade when and if I could afford a new one.
Oh well-that's the fun of it. Always a "better" tool. Now if I only had the time to sharpen and maintain everything.
AEW
I bought some stupid jig at a wood show for making dove tails what a piece... I dont have the time or inclination to spend setting that piece up...whatta waste of 200 bucks........
Darkworksite4:
Estamos ganando detrás el estado de Calif. Derrotando a un #### a la vez. DESEA VIVO LA REVOLUCIÓN
Rigid table saw.
It not that its bad, just not enough power and I always seem top be adjusting the blade and fence for parallel. Bought it because I could pick up one Friday night, set up on Saturday and start my first project on Sunday. Every time I want to upgrade, extend or add to it, I instead put the money aside for the saw I should have bought.
It wont be long now.
This is an interesting discussion. With a few exceptions, the disappointments are very predictable.
The tool I'm most disappointed in is the Laguna XSD310 which is half of their combination X31. http://www.lagunatools.com/xsd310.asp
I also bought the mortising unit that can hang on the side (however I bought a separate stand and use a router, much faster speeds). For the most part, the tool is fine: 12" jointer and 12" planer. The rub is the going back and forth. The planer table has to be cranked back down to re-set the jointer tables (they swing away to use the planer). For the money, it has served well but all hardwood work requires both jointing and planing and dialing back in a planer setting takes too much time.
Good luck,
Norse
Lee Valley Router Table and Lift. The table itself is fine, the lift and fences suck. Worst tool in my shop.
dave
DAve, I have the steel tabletop too, really like it. The lift always looked pretty hoaky to me. What don't you like about the fence?? I've talked with a couple people who have it and like it, and it's on my list.forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
The most annoying thing has to do with the device that locks the fence to the table. Simply said it is a little aluminum C clamp. The locking screw that bears against the table has a plastic handle that is press fit to the locking screw. The joint between the knob and the screw worked great when new but deteriorated after just a little use. I replaced with just a standard screw.
Simple adustments to the fence are annoying. Slide one half to clear a cutter and lock it down and it's no longer in line with the other half. The wooden fence rails sometimes come loose mid-cut. That becomes a handful!
The product strikes me as full of clever ideas but the engineering execution is just not fully complete. Maybe these little details have been improved since i bought mine a couple years ago, but it strikes me that the product needs a another engineering revision for reliability.
Even though it is a good tool, i think the only tool i ever bought that i have regretted buying was my laguna 16sec bandsaw. This was my first machine that i bought, and it has done everything i've ever asked it to, but when i think of how much money i spent on it, i realize that i could have bought a much nicer used machine for the same money.
I guess i'm lucky that i've never had to kick myself for buying a tool yet. my philosophy of buy top quality stuff and buy it once seems to have worked well so far.
Andrew
My biggest regret is the 6 inch Powermatic 54A jointer that my wife bought me last fall.. I love the thing, and it's a great tool.. If only I could figure out to make the thing grow another 6 inches and become a 12 inch jointer..
Somedays, I wish I could figure out how to turn 6 into 12.
My worst tool purchases, not in any particular order are.
Used Delta radial arm saw, like all radial arm saws it was only suited to rough work an even then they aren?t the best tool.
Rockwell (now Porter Cable) power block plane ( what was I thinking).
Porter Cable belt sander, tool worked fine, but only useful if your goal is to butcher wood and make dust.
Scraper Plane, thinking it would be better than a plane, on certain woods, I was wrong.
Porter Cable variable speed plunge router, total dud and replacement proved to be no better, ended up in the trash.
Rob Millard
>>Used Delta radial arm saw, like all radial arm saws it was only suited to rough work an even then they aren?t the best tool.
You might have been a little quick to judge, especially with a Delta. The bearings and guides are all adjustable, and the cast iron construction is pretty stout. I have an old DeWalt cast iron RAS (consumer model) that I don't use very much, but this weekend I had to make about a dozen angled crosscuts on some wooden countertops I am making to replace some existing ones in an office. I have tuned this saw up, and I used a high angle ATB blade, but I got perfect cuts each time, perfectly straight, clean with no tearout, and the joints fit the templates I made exactly (Took a while to cut -- the joints are critical!) What else could you use on countertops with 2" lipping? It's possible with a big router and a long bit, but the RAS was a lot easier. I don't have a countertop saw.
>>Porter Cable belt sander, tool worked fine, but only useful if your goal is to butcher wood and make dust.
I mentioned in another post that one of the first wood working jobs I got in the early 70's was finish sanding pine furniture with a Porter-Cable 504 sander. It can be done, but there is a definite learning curve. We were all happy when the boss bought a Ramco wide-belt. Other uses: Nothing better for scribing to a line, rough leveling glue-ups if you don't have a scrub plane, all kinds of uses in laminating, making joints flush if you're not good with a block plane or chisel, etc......
>>Scraper Plane, thinking it would be better than a plane, on certain woods, I was wrong.
I used a scraper plane to trim the lipping on the same countertops. Didn't want to pop $500 for a lipping planer for one job. Worked fine. Could have used a card scraper, but there was over 80 feet of lipping to trim. A block plane doesn't work very well trimming solid wood lipping on a plywood top.
>>Porter Cable variable speed plunge router, total dud and replacement proved to be no better, ended up in the trash.
What did it do? I have a 1 1/2 HP and a 3 1/2 HP that are great!
I've made lots of errors, but all too frequently they have been from deciding too soon, before I really learned what I was doing.
Michael R
Woodwiz,
Tools are a little like religion, every body interprets them in their own way, and changing their mind is nearly impossible, but here are the reasons behind my earlier post.
The radial arm saw I bought was a nearly mint early post WWII model, that was indeed a well built machine, but that didn't keep it from being erratic. I spent far more time adjusting the machine than I did using it. I was quite happy with the tool when I used it for rough work, like making dummy rafter tails, and building a couple of period outdoor period fences, but for cabinetmaking I found it ( not me) not up to the challenge. I also consider the RAS one of the most dangerous tools on earth.
The Porter Cable belt sander was a fine tool, smooth running, aggressive , and well built. I just regret ever using it on furniture. I fell under the Thomas Moser spell with the belt sander, but in my now more informed opinion, belt sanders have little or no place in making fine furniture. So I guess that by that definition I should not have included this tool in the list, because the tool itself is fine, but it does not fit my needs.
The scraper plane proved no better, only more expensive than the Stanley No. 80. As I became aware of the benefits of smooth planes with heavy irons and high bed angles, the need for scrapers nearly disappeared. While acceptable, the surface left by a scraper plane, in no way compares that that left by a well tuned plane.
The Router was the smaller of the ones they made ( 1 ½ -2 HP ?) . The first one I had, failed to start after only several cuts, so I returned it. When they returned it to me ( it had a different serial number than the first one) the same problem showed up. I could not put up with that, so I threw it out and got the DeWalt, which is a excellent router, although I in general dislike routers. I have 2-3 collects for the Porter Cable router, if anybody wants them.
Rob Millard
Rob, I understand. Just couldn't resist pointing out the other side of the story.
Sorry about the router. They're usually pretty good.
I'd still bet the RAS needed some more tuning. Those old Delta's usually held their settings very well. I've had a couple at different times. It's usually the consumer grade saws that won't hold an angle after a while. I agree about the danger to an extent. I certainly won't rip on one, and they do tend to grab at times. I'm not a big RAS fan, but they do have their uses.
Michael R.
I have to agree with you on the RAS I use mine as a work bench and rough cut offs but I disagree with you on the PC router I have several and maybe at least one of all the other brands and never a bit of trouble. I have one 3 1/4 hp PC that has been doing production work for years and only has needed one set of bearings and one set of brushes. I think you hit a bad run
Petmonkey,
This is not such a good thing to be doing this time of year !!! If Santa sees that were unhappy with what we ask for....I just don't see any good reason to run that risk. Personnally, I have been very pleased with the 'how-to' books my wife and kids have bought me...Good Housekeeing puts out a killer series...:-) you'd think they notice I keep on taking Joyce's book from library...
The good news is I have a three wheel craftsman bandsaw and a skill TS that can act as bookends for those 'how-to' books...
Edited 12/7/2003 7:02:07 AM ET by BG
Oh yeah, I forgot about the three wheel bandsaw.
Bammer!
John
Delta contractors saw.
Worthless piece of crab, I could not get the saw blade to stay straight relative to the fence.. Underpowered, anything like 8 quarter maple would stop the blade.
Wound up giving it away.. giving it away! boy I was unhappy with it!
My Roto-zip.
I bought a very low end combination square, neglected to check it for square in the store, and it wasn't square when I got it home. Not a real regret, though, because that's what led me to buy a nice Starrett combination square, which I have never regretted. I threw the cheap one out, didn't want it lying around to tempt me when I couldn't find the Starrett. I realized later I probably could have kept the scale, but no great loss.
I don't own alot of tools yet. The only tools that I do own are hand tools. My only regret in the hand tools is my 8" lee valley backsaw. I wish I could trade it off for a Japanese Dozuki. I like to cut on the pull. That is it. Well maybe my two stanley handyman planes. Those things are garbage. I recently bought a veritas regular block and it is awesome. I am in the prosess of making everything veritas. I have their marking knife as well. It is nice.
Gotta go.
Derek
Drill press. Second thing I bought- oddly I thought I would use it all the time. Sadly though the only thing I use it for (and rarely) is slapping a sanding drum on it to smooth out some curves here and there. If it went missing I wouldn't notice- or well I would have to figure out some better place to keep my tape measure.
Just about every cheap tool I've ever bought (whilst saying to myself "I only really need this for the one job, so I'll save a few bucks by getting a cheap throwaway" - they never are!). Also almost all of the first lot of industrial machinery I bought many years back as a green beginner - these days I NEVER buy machinery or power tools on a whim. So what if I miss a "bargain"? This approach really hacks off the machinery and power tool dealers, I can tell you.
Scrit
Edited 12/10/2003 5:04:17 PM ET by Scrit
I bought a bunch of cheep stuff when I was a young man with no money . now I feel like im 3 years old with experence and paychecks that are o.k. and my real hobby is working with tools I dont care if im remodeling a bathroom or building a table or set of shelves I just like working with tools. so I want a few nice tools/ you know good r.o. sander ,slide saw 12 DeWalt ,table saw,finish air gun etc. tools i regret, too many ,thats where I was at, at the time . Im just a big three year old that knows more now then when I was in my 20s and 30s. but those cheep crappy tools got me to this point. thanks Dogboy woof! woof!!
Don't quite agree with the Ryobi and Craftsman comments, at least not as general rules. Both make losers to be sure (I tried the Ryobi detail sander for all of two minutes before returning it - major lemon), but if you understand what you are getting you can do OK. As I've gotten older (and wiser and better funded), I have gone for upscale tools in cases - love my Jet tablesaw, Delta Jointer, Porter Cable biscuit joiner, DeWalt chopsaw - but I can't complain about the decades of service I've seen from my Craftsman circular saw, sabre saw, and belt sander.
I bought the Ryobi radial arm saw ten years ago, and it served me well (and I do have to 'nudge' it into position and check it with a square, and the first one got returned right away because it had shot-pin holes drilled wrong). Now that I have the Jet T/S and a good chopsaw, I never use it. On the other hand, I have a Ryobi random orbit sander and a Ryobi cordless drill that are excellent.
I upgraded from a twenty year old Craftsman router to a new Porter Cable with multiple bases, and honestly the Craftsman is easier to work with and seems to be very solid.
Then there was the $100 drill press (the quill deflects by at least 3/32" at the end), the $20 set of EIGHT lathe chisels (might as well just carve them out of soap given how long they hold an edge), and the like.
Now, since I have the basics, even though some of those were knowingly short-term purchases, I figure it is much more satisfying to wait a few months or even a year until I can afford the tool that is really a pleasure to use.
You really get what you pay for. My feeling is that you almost have to evaluate the individual tool on its own merits - even the best brands are kind of soft at the low end of their product lines - and decide what price/quality combination is appropriate.
Larry
Along the same lines, Craftsman makes their regular homeowner series of power tools but they also have an 'industrial' line that is every bit as good as the Makita's, Bosch's or whatever. I have gone through 3 Milwalkee sawzalls in about 5 years. About seven years ago I bought a Craftsman industrial recip saw and I just can't kill it. The hand tools are not bad (wrenches etc), but steer clear of the homeowner line. I wonder who makes their stuff.
If bookkeeping on a computer counts as a TOOL..then the biggest regret is the computer that logs all the info for my Schedule C TAX RETURN. That is a tool that should have never been asked to do such a dastardly thing..I REGRET purchasing that tool and the fact that I am purchasing war and bombs and caskets.
OK guys here it is.
I am coming to yall with my tail between my legs. I have defended my craftsman TS with aftermarket 36" Ridgid fence for the last time. The thing will not keep its settings. The blade and fence always seem to be moving out of alignment. The fence attaches to the front rail guide with 4 bolts, but that is not holding it. I suspect that when I clamp the fence tight ,but not square, it pulls itself out of alignment. What do yall think? The killer is that I bought the aftermarket fence for around $180, if I had gotten the Beismier system....... Alas, I really didn't know any better at the time, and for most of the work I do as a remodeler it works fine. I see an Uni saw in the future!
Mike.
I bought a Ryobi 10 inch, second hand thickness planer for $50, ten years ago. I thought it would crap out and I'd buy a better one. Well, it shown NO sign of dying soon. I can't justify buying another planer when this works, so I am stuck with a 10 inch planer.
Pet,
Can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
I regret trying to get a better saw by adding better belts, milled pulleys, better fence, expensive tuning equipment, fancy dust collection, cart and blade guard.
It's still !&&^$#**~@! contractors saw. Each addition improved the performance a little bit but I was never satisfied. Should have gone to the cabinet saw the first time. I even asked that question on a forum when I was considering adding a Bies to my Craftsman.
My toys have produced good work, the shop is safer, and cleaner but.........
RD
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