# Quality tools



## Jezcruzen (Oct 21, 2008)

Anyone buying quality tools as part of your preps?

For the last year or so I have been buying both hand and power tools. I pay a little more for quality tools, especially power tools. I buy commercial or contractor grade.

Yeah, I have heard about the possible absence of electricity. I don't subscribe to the total collapse, return to the nineteenth century theory, so I'm not buying broad axes and adzes. I want tools I can use now to help defray the costs associated with household maintenance by DIY with the possibility of using the tools to earn a bit of income should I choose to.

Having the right tool(s) makes a tedious, aggravating job simple. They will be hard to get eventually, if you can get them at all.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Craftsman and Husky.My dad left me the contents of his mechanics shop.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

For power tools, I like milwauki and rigid cordless drills and cordless saws, dewalt chopsaws and cordless grinders... Stay away from ryobi anything, and rigid shopvacs are good.

For hand tools, if you can afford it snapon and Mac are the way to go, but husky sockets and wrenches are fine. For screwdrivers and nut drivers and linesmans and strippers and *****, Klein, accep no substitutes


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## Jezcruzen (Oct 21, 2008)

Most of my handtools are Craftsman because of the warranty. Milwaukee, certainly, and DeWalt. I do have a Porter Cable floor model drill press that I like very much, and a bench grinder, too. I also like Bosch. I have a Bosch router that is primo, and I've been lusting after their portable table saw. As soon as Lowe's sends me one of those $25 off coupons, one is coming home with me!

I posted several months ago about the Rockwell Jawhorse. Man, I use that thing all the time!

I have a Hatachi 12" compound miter saw on a folding Rigid miter table that I can wheel out and work with. 

A man (or woman) just can't have too many tools!

I think a day will come when we won't be able to find any of these at any price.


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

I used to be a tool snob. Now I will buy almost any brand if they appear good. Almost every week I'm buying tools. I have also been collecting every custom GM auto tools that I can get. I have tools for plumbing, electrical, welding, painting (auto).

I do all this because the ability to do my own work saves me thousands of dollars a year and because WTSHTF doing my own work maybe the only option to getting things fixed.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Oh and I forgot, rcbs reloaders


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## Jezcruzen (Oct 21, 2008)

I'm with you on that, Tweto! Doing your own work even has advantages past the cost savings. You learn, and thats important. You also become even more self-reliant, and thats important, too. 

You can read a book about doing stuff, and you can buy the stuff to do stuff, but if you never get out and use it you are handicapping yourself.

I'm not exactly a tool snob. I will buy what I think is quality and durable regardless of brand. I do, however, have a really hard time buy China-made crap, and often its hard to find what I want that isn't "MADE IN CHINA".

I can't seem to find a good quality American-made bench vise, for instance. Even Wilton is now MADE IN CHINA! I'm not the only one looking. Even at auctions, an old American-made vise can go for a lot of money.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Try yard sales and craigslist


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