That one comment about my drill bits finally made me stop buying the cheap sets.

I used to just grab those 20-bit kits for $9.99 until a guy at the scrap yard pointed out my bits were chipping drywall screws and said 'you're fighting your tools, not using them' - has anyone else had a random stranger's opinion actually save them money or time?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby3081d ago

Ngl, that line "fighting your tools not using them" really hits different. It made me think about how I used to grab the cheapest chisels at the hardware store and then wonder why I couldn't get clean cuts in pine. Some old-timer at the lumber yard told me a dull cheap tool is actually more dangerous than a sharp cheap tool because it makes you push harder and slip. I ended up spending $25 on a single decent chisel and it changed how I look at everything from screwdrivers to scissors. Cheap bits might save you $5 now but they cost you time and frustration every time you strip a screw.

tara7451d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah I used to be all about the cheapest option too, like "why spend more when this works fine" kinda mindset. But @abby308 you're totally right that it changes everything once you actually feel the difference. I remember trying to use a $10 set of screwdrivers and stripping every other screw in a piece of furniture I was building, and then I borrowed my buddy's decent one and it was like night and day. Now I kinda get why people say "buy once cry once" even if it stings a bit at first. I used to think spending more was just showing off or something, but now I see it's more about not fighting the stuff you're using.

wendy721d ago

And @tara745 I swear the "buy once cry once" thing is REAL but it feels like paying a psychic tax just to learn the lesson. Like how many stripped screws and skinned knuckles does it take before you realize that $5 "savings" was actually costing you your sanity? I had a similar moment with a cheap hand plane I bought at a garage sale. Spent more time fighting that stupid thing than actually planing wood. Finally broke down and got a decent one and it was like the tool was actually HELPING me instead of fighting me. Now I just pretend the cheap stuff is for decoration and the good tools are for actual work.