The Cost of being Cheap

Nobody can really say they buy the best there is right away.

most of my power tools are from harbor freight and they have so far lasted me 2 months, Thats almost worth it, They have almost paid for themselves.

Think about it this way.......... You think you have the best bandsaw out there, what is it?

We have a $12,000.00 Dake bandsaw at work and I would take that one over anything but my HF Portaband works just fine for the $ 60.00 I paid for it.
 
Please don't get me wrong. Don't think for a moment that if I had the do re mi I wouldn't be buying better quality equipment. You bet I would!
 
"Nobody can really say they buy the best there is right away."

An important part is to do the research and then buy the best you can afford. Best is always a relative term. The research is paramount. Over buying can be a mistake too. But, at least if you overbuy you can usually/often sell it without a terrible loss.

Under buying often gives a product that is inadequate for the job(done that many times) or breaks before its value was used(done that many times too!).
 
Although I have cheap equipment; another major cost of being cheap is a longer learning curve. I would be far more productive if I had a disc grinder to flatten the tangs for example; which would give me more time on each knife. Imo, more productiveness equals to more experience and knowledge in a shorter given period of time.

Having a decent belt sander/grinder with a good flat platen and a various grits of belts would shorten finishing down as well; giving me even more time. (if its quick change belt system)
 
Buying cheap tools can give you the opportunity to determine if you are serious about the activity to spend money on quality tools. I never sell any tools. If for instance you outgrow your grinder, the old one can be setup for a particular use that can save you time. Cheap mechanic tools can be put into a toolbox and carried in a vehicle and not see much use, but still serve a function. Cheap files can be modified with a "safe" side for a specific function, with occasional use.
I buy a lot of things from HF with full knowledge of their limitations. I think as long as you don't think the cheap tool will do everything as well and for as long as it's quality counterpart you aren't wasting money. If you know you want a quality professional tool that will last a long time do your homework, save your money and watch for a good deal.

~Alden
 
300 BUCKS FOR A KNIFE?!?!?

I can get one "just like it" at Walmart for 30 bucks!

We've all heard that before...

Willing to spend upwards of 300 or 400 dollars on a watch when a Timex would do...

They came in a 35,000 dollar vehicle when a Dodge Neon would do....right?

You can grind a knife on a 4X36 benchtop grinder (I have). But once you get a quality piece of equipment, ohhhhhhh what a difference it makes. Things tend to speed up and the quality of your work improves.

Even if you are just using files, buy the best you can.

Craig
 
Sometimes cheap works sometimes it doesn't.

My Harbor Freight $189 Bandsaw and my $49 Buffer work great.

My Ryobi Drill Press from HOme Depot is a piece of crap and so is my HF scroll saw.

I started grinding on a Wilton 1x42 and soon realized I needed (WANTED) a KMG, but the Wilton is still great for handle work and sharpening.

Sometimes you have to be cheap or you can't get the job done at all.

I definately second the Serious quality issue with the HF sheet sandpaper. The grit falls off if you look at it wrong, but I got some great 1" x 50' shop rolls.

My .02
 
I try not to buy the most expensive, or the least, usually both are a disappointment. Usually middle of the road price gives most value for money spent on allot of things. For allot of things there sadly is no middle ground, and you have to decide between the two extremes.
 
My grandpa used to say "Never save on tools".
And that's usually very good advice.
There are 1€ POS chinese screwdrivers which will chip or eat away in a couple of uses.
I have an USAG screwdriver in my toolbox at the office that got used (not by ME!) as a chisel to make a hole in a brick wall and is as good as new. Not a scratch.
BUT... I've learned that for light, every now and then use spending the money for heavy professional equipment is usually a waste. A cheap hobbyst tool, used within its own limits will last a great while.
For serious, heavy duty use, where time matters and you can't fuss around, pro-grade equipment is a must.
The most important thing with cheap, light tools is to avoid pretending they perform as expensive, tough tools.
 
There is a correlation between cost and quality but it is not always direct. An expensive tool may not offer a better quality or one that is better by an amount proportional to the cost.

That being said, you also have to take into account what you are going to be using the tools for. I certainly don't go cheap on most tools that I USE in my shop, but I have a sewing machine in the corner somewhere that I use once in a blue moon. Does it need to be high enough quality to work at all? yes. Does it need to be high enough quality to work like a dream 10 hours a day sewing through heavy tooling leather? absolutely not.

My main point however, is that some of the best value you can get is building your own tools. If I could go back and do something different, I'd have saved up all my money, bought a bunch of motors, a knee mill and a lathe and built all my own tools (possibly an exaggeration ;P). In building your own tools, most of the time you save money, ensure the quality (or at least know it), and can add whatever features you want. Along with that, one of the best parts for me is the ability to modify a tool I've built to fit a different use without cringing about slicing open my old grinder or whatever. It gives you flexibility and cost efficiency. For me at least, this justifies the extra cost in time.
 
There's no sense in dropping several grand on a hobby you might not care for so much in a few years.
BTDT.
 
I just wish I have the $ I've spent on restaurants, fast food, booze and sundries over the years...oh the lost tools just flushed away..
 
One other point to consider... if you buy general purpose tools it won't matter if you move away from making knives. The tools will be useful for other things. I'm not sure the same could be said of highly specialized tools.
 
I like good tools....expensive....so I buy them. I could use less quality with close to similar results...but I opt for good. To me...it is part of the joy of knife making. I also buy good used tools and rework them into great tools. That is also part of the joy.
 
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