It can be a tricky decision choosing which tools to invest in for DIY projects at home. While there are three main choices available: buy on a budget, splash out on top name brands or simply rent, it is far from crystal clear which option is going to offer the best value for money and achieve the best results.
The success of the supermarket budget range has led to a bargain hunting culture. Whether it’s clothes, shoes or food, the modern day attitude is to buy cheap, cheerful and in plenty; regardless of the quality we’re getting.
And while this might be fine for a cheap meal to fill a hole at night, or a budget outfit for an evening on the town, when it comes to tools, it is nearly always advisable to consider quality over price.
The problem with low quality tools is that they are almost guaranteed to achieve low quality results; regardless of the skill of the hands they’re in. They are also not built to last. While this might not seem like a problem if you’re only carrying out the odd job here and there, cheap tools are still likely be a waste of money.
For instance, quality tools (as an example, Teng Tools, Snap-on, Drapper, and C.K. are all very high quality brands of tools which are worth investigating), are not only built with maximum precision to ensure they will achieve the cleanest and most accurate results, but they are also created with the highest level of safety in mind, as well as being built to last well into the future. This means that regardless of how much they are intended to be used, they will stand as an investment, able to retain most, if not all of their value should the products be sold on.
However, an alternative to splashing out on the highest spec tools on the market is to hire them. While in many cases this is a suitable substitute, should the tool only be required for a solitary job, the success of said job could result in a new found passion for DIY, meaning that the tool will need to be purchased at some point anyway. What’s more, while initially inexpensive, hiring tools could lead to hefty overdue fines, should the tool be in your hands longer than at first intended.
Therefore, hiring tools is a great way to get use of high quality tools at a limited cost, but the practice is only really suited to one time DIY’ers and those who are able to accurately estimate the amount of time said job will take.
Yet one thing that puts people off from purchasing high quality tools is the false belief that a full set of tools is required before they can start getting involved in DIY. However, most jobs will only require a small selection of tools, so it is highly advisable to plan in advance in order to establish the exact tools that are needed then shell out for these – choosing the best quality products you are able to afford. Then when the next DIY job surfaces, any additional tools required can be purchased in due course. By employing this method you will find that over time, a full tool kit of high quality tools will be accumulated, with the cost spread out so that there are no huge, hard, hits on the wallet in one go.
Therefore, the main thing to remember when purchasing tools is to simply buy the best you can afford. While it might be tempting to purchase a bargain starter set, the products within are not only going to achieve substandard results, but they will become tired and worn very quickly, resulting in the need for more money to be spent in order to replace the products. Buying the best you can afford will work out better in the long run, not only because of the cost saved when tools come affixed with lifetime guarantees, but also because of the superior results achieved.