Instead of buying those cheap, made in japan tools, spend some time in your local pawn shops. With the economy in the shape it is in, pawn shops are overflowing with tools. For instance, I bought a very nice air powered angle grinder for 8 bucks yesterday. Any respectable shop gives you a 30 day warranty, and all tools must be tested before they are pawned anyway. Check em out. My local one had tons of compressors, air tools, nail guns, pressure washers, etc.
I never heard back from ya, I forgot all about them!! You still have the brakes to that front end? pm me if ya do...
Man the tools I've seen made in Japan these days have been pretty decent. Maybe the China and Taiwan stuff is what you're thinking of...
My local pawn shops ask more for the tools then what they are new. I tend to go to Sears after one of their sales and pick through the scratch and dent stuff. Have got a lot of cheap craftsman tools that way. Alternatively since craftsman hand tools have a lifetime warranty look around the garage sales and pick up any broken ones cheap, take them to your local Sears and they will replace them with new ones.
I keep a short list of tools I'd like to have or replace, for the fair weather swap meets. Adds to the fun to be on the hunt...
X2, every pawn shop I've been in has astronomical prices on a bunch of crap that looks like it was dragged there on a rope behind the car. Personally, I wouldn't invest too much in craftsman's lifetime guarantee. With all that company's economic woes, there's gonna be some kind of corporate sale/transfer/legal wranglings that will result in old lifetime tools becoming a one time exchange for new chineese crap with no guarantee. I'm not that young but not that old, and it's gonna happen in my lifetime. Remember these words when it does.
I put together my junkyard toolbox from garage sales, swap meet tools and the local pawn shops. The local pawn shops are pretty good on prices, especially the ones in old town. One thing you can do to see how you're doing on the junkyard toolbox is to do a job with it. I R&R'd, new seals etc. the power steering pump in my Ranger and found I needed just a few more tools to do the job. Metric for the most part. Otherwise it's fairly complete - cept I have to drag it in on a wagon. The wagon - big fat tires and all - works great for searching the junkyard and carrying out most parts.
No shit, they sell Craftsman tools in Kmart now. On the plus side, I've never really had to use the warranty much...the ratchets wear out so get a better quality ratchet (off a tool truck?) but the wrenches and sockets usually survive a long time.
Whenever I look at tools in pawn shops, they're asking almost what they cost new for a bunch of beat to hell tools. I get the feeling they don't really want to sell them, and just like to keep their shelves full of stuff forever. Maybe they expect you to haggle with them for a few hours? Or maybe they base their prices on "Mfr List Price" which is way higher than anyone ever pays for them new anyway. I find much better deals at flea markets and swap meets. The magic words to look for are "Made in USA". Watch out, because there's some shady import companies that put names like "Ohio Forge" or "Chicago Electric" on cheap import crap to give you the impression they're made in USA.
Most pawn shops will wheel and deal. Don't be afraid to make an offer. I got a Lincoln 110v mig ready welder for $150.00 Also, there are some good bargains on craigslist. Todd
the only time i get a good deal at a pawn shop is when they don't know what they got, or they are having a going out of buisiness auction. it don't stop me from looking though.
I've never seen any pawnshop tools that didn't look beat to all hell and they price everything above what it'd cost new. Apparently this pricing scheme works somehow, but they make money on the 300% interest rate, they're just loan sharks. Man I haven't had to pawn anything in a looooooong time. I guess I'm the wrong person to ask for a loan, cuz I think if you havne't pawned your junk before you ask me then you aren't really broke! Heck , I used to pawn my Craftsman wrenches and torque wrench and whatnot. Must have gotten me all of $15!! LOL
Pawn shops in Austin all think they're on Rodeo Drive, selling Rolex and Gucci. I pawned a welder (cheap little 110 flux core buzz box) and got $50 on loan. I waited too long to pay them back and lost the welder. I went in there a month or so after my loan expired and there was my old welder, now selling for $175!!! I paid $149 for it NEW at a Cummin's Tools sale. I wanted it back, so I shot the guy an offer of $100 and he said, "Sorry, I got more than that in it". I had to laugh and tell him his boss got it from me and gave me $50 on loan. He finally offered to sell it to me for $140. I just shook my head and walked out.
Alot of the pawn shop's are selling their better stuff on e-bay. They will all start dealing sooner or later because more people are pawning than buying.
Garage and estate sales are a good places to search. Look in your local Craigslist and search sales for tools. Sometimes you get lucky, but it is kind of a crapshoot.
In pawn shops the price attached to the item is a beginning bargianing point. Only a fool pays that price. I bought a $145 slide hammer set at the local pawn shop. The tag said $99. I paid $20. At another pawn shop I bought a working porta power complete for $30. Bargain with them. Their marked price is way too high. Start way to low. Remember you almost CANNOT insult a pawn shop owner with an offer. He may laugh, but he WILL counter-offer. Great places to buy tools!
Just my 2 cents: I manufacture automotive specialty tools for a living, been here 15/years and have gone thru alot of changes in Manufacturing. Obviously, we all would want to buy USA made tools, hell USA made anything for that matter. But things change, the industry drives manufacturing. They want no inventory, they want no price increases, the don't want to pay frieght and now most want 90 days to pay an invoice. Well that all trickles down to the techs, thus driving up prices. So manufacturers have got to find a way to build profit, thus. getting tools built overseas, Turkey, Hungary, and yes the Asian companies. The main difference in overseas product is how you "force" them to manufacture for you. Some companies send a print.....get a finsihed product, and sell it. We actually go overseas, visit with vendors and their engineers, and make sure the quality of our choice is adhered too. I have rejected more than one shippment trust me. Most products we purchase come in semi-finished and we do final finish and packaging here. And guys, we have 14 employees, so yes it does cost $ to do this, but we think its worth it, and bottom line.........I NEED TO FEED MY FAMILY There are very few "forge shops, casting shops, etc left here in the US. Just ask anyone in Wi. how Snapon has changed as far as manufacturing. Not trying to be a blowhard, just trying to smooth out some of the thoughts I,ve read here. Slam away if need be...
The Jalopy Journal
