Originally Posted By: Vikas
Don't get hang up on the "pro" part. You don't have Harbor Freight there but I have heard Princess Auto is just as bad
Cheap tools are better than no tools.
- Vikas
I agree. What winds up happening, though, is that with the big list of tools I started off without, I had a big variety of things to pick from, and by matching it up with the sale items from Can Tire, I was able to get them at 50%-75% off their regular price. I recall one day discussing this at work with a co-worker, and I added up what I spent on my two latest visits and compared that to the regular prices that I added up separately: the average for those two trips (I spent $60 on one trip, and I think $75 on the other) wound up being about 65% less than regular retail.
Most of my tools are Mastercraft. My dremel is a more inexpensive Jobmate (the cheap in house brand) that I got for $15 with a 30 piece attachment set and a one year warranty.
I've been to Princess Auto a few times, but each time left empty handed. Their store layout is the most disorganized I've ever seen, and their prices are actually higher than Can Tire when you make it a habit to follow the flyer and time your buys accordingly; also with Can Tire I know I'm getting quality products that, with the Mastercraft lineup, should last a lifetime and only ever need to be purchased once.
The stores here are also well stocked and lay out their sale items well, making them easy to find and the trip quick and painless.
Quality is important to me. The socket wrench from my original socket set broke part way through the job; this would have been a major PITA if that first cheap set of hand me down tools hadn't included a second socket wrench that allowed me to complete the job.
Better tools also have stronger tips, making them less prone to strip bolts, etc, or leave behind metal shavings.
I don't think anyone should get too hung up on a brand to the point that they pay so much they have to fore go additional tools, or go without completely; but when you shop carefully and pre-plan your buys around good sales, you can get quality tools and pay the same price, or less, than the cheap alternative. This is my method.
-Spyder