Bad buying decisions or tool regrets

[frankendoodle65]

I can't be the only one who's done this. Has anyone else bought a tool thinking it was right for you, then pretty quickly realise you got it wrong? It's all a learning experience so I'm not particularly upset about it, but I'll always have the voice in the back of my head saying I should have bought the right tool from the beginning!

Two examples:
I bought a Bosch sliding mitre saw about three years ago. Nice bit of kit, accurate enough for my needs. But the bars sticking out the back took up way too much space and dust collection was awful. Replaced with a Festool KS60 last year, absolutely chuffed with it and wish I'd just gone for it in the first place but the thought of spending £600 on a mitre saw scared me back then.

Then around two years ago I bought a Makita SP6000J track saw, I thought there wasn't much point spending the extra for Festool, pretty much the same thing right? Nah, after two years of minor niggles and frustrations with the Makita saw, I found a used TS55 on eBay at a great price and went for it. Solves all the problems I had with the Makita and it's an absolute delight to use, makes me smile every time.


I have plenty of other Bosch and Makita tools that I love, I'm not about to rush out and replace everything with festool any time soon, but I'll definitely think twice for any future purchases.

Does this happen to anyone else? Luckily I managed to sell both saws off at decent prices so I haven't really lost any money, but if I'd just plumped for the more premium options from the beginning instead of trying to save a few quid I'd have saved myself so much hassle!

 

[ajs]

Sure, like you it tends to be when I've bought cheap rather than paying over the odds for quality. There have even been times I've bought a tool with a specific job in mind and I ended up not using it, either it wasn't as suitable as I thought or the task evolved in a different way - don't regret those either as I figure the tool is still there for use in the future.

Most of my tasks are small precision jobs and the tools reflect that, e.g. I'll reach for a gent's saw more than a tenon saw, but you do inevitably end up with overlap when the "bigger" tool is also needed, which I don't regret at all, I accept it's the nature of the work I do. It's more when going for power tools when I have a tendency to persuade yourself one tool will do it all and I end up with bigger/heavier/more powerful/expensive tools than I need.

My biggest failing is probably buying cheap junk from the likes of Poundstretcher etc, yes I have got a few bargains but an awful lot of dross. I know on average I'd be better just spending the money to begin with. On the other hand I'm never short of scrapper tools for those "tool abuse" jobs and as bad habits go dropping a fiver here and there on junk isn't too bad.

 

[thetyreman]

selling my lie neilsen no 85 was a bad move, they are now rare and worth a fortune and no longer made

 

[Ozi]

I do the opposite, make do and struggle with a job I don't have the correct tool for then afterwards go and buy the tool. It's been happening most of my life, not simple stupidity but a really advanced kind that needs practice!

 

[Spectric]

I bought a Makita SP6000J track saw, I thought there wasn't much point spending the extra for Festool,

The only benefit the Festool offers is dust extraction, if you can work without the need then I find the makita just great, it cuts full sized sheets with ease and so what more can you ask, plus the Makita has more power.

bought a Bosch sliding mitre saw about three years ago. Nice bit of kit, accurate enough for my needs. But the bars sticking out the back took up way too much space and dust collection was awful.

Yes fully agree about those bars, a right pita but apart from that a great saw, for me had I had the hindsight I would have brought the Bosch GCM12 , again a case of the Festool being better at less dust but thats it, the Bosch has a unique mechanism which is compact, nothing sticking out the rear and with a handle orientation I like.

https://ffx.co.uk/Product/Get/Bosch...4913-110V-12In-Double-Bevel-Gliding-Mitre-Saw

 

[Spectric]

Before buying it is worth doing a trawl through these forums and asking some questions, it can save you a lot of hassle and stop you wasting hard earned cash.

 

[MikeK]

I had a delayed reaction of the mistake and documented it here:

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/holzmann-hob260nl-p-t-issues.134325/
I was able to sell the Holzmann locally after letting the buyer test it and describing all of the issues I had with it. He was happy, I was happy.

 

[Spectric]

Mike, as you have said it was perfect for use as a boat anchor just not as a PT so really it was mis-sold to you !!

 

[SLM]

A perceived bargain of a 10” planer (could never get the beds parallel).
An Axminster thicknesser to go with it (woeful extraction and horrendously loud).
An Inca P/T (nice but too lightweight).
A Metabo ADH 260 Magnum (decent, simple machine, but bits started falling off, in use).

All regrettable diversions en route to my current Dominion P/T

 

[COWS]

Bought a concealed hinge jig and drawer front jig about 15 years ago. Cost me in the region of £400 back then. Used it twice and found it a pita setting. Found it buried in a shed last year when I moved, bolts etc have rusted a bit but can't bring myself to bin it. Maybe a clean up and eBay.

 

[Jacob]

Too many is the main prob.
Bad buys - a set of 12 "Faithful" carving chisels. £20 ish. Actually three of them were quite useful so it wasn't so bad!
I'm generally sceptical about claims made on various wonder tools, which protects me from a lot of bad buys perhaps.

 

[TRITON]

I can't be the only one who's done this. Has anyone else bought a tool thinking it was right for you, then pretty quickly realise you got it wrong? It's all a learning experience so I'm not particularly upset about it, but I'll always have the voice in the back of my head saying I should have bought the right tool from the beginning!

Two examples:
I bought a Bosch sliding mitre saw about three years ago. Nice bit of kit, accurate enough for my needs. But the bars sticking out the back took up way too much space and dust collection was awful. Replaced with a Festool KS60 last year, absolutely chuffed with it and wish I'd just gone for it in the first place but the thought of spending £600 on a mitre saw scared me back then.

Then around two years ago I bought a Makita SP6000J track saw, I thought there wasn't much point spending the extra for Festool, pretty much the same thing right? Nah, after two years of minor niggles and frustrations with the Makita saw, I found a used TS55 on eBay at a great price and went for it. Solves all the problems I had with the Makita and it's an absolute delight to use, makes me smile every time.


I have plenty of other Bosch and Makita tools that I love, I'm not about to rush out and replace everything with festool any time soon, but I'll definitely think twice for any future purchases.

Does this happen to anyone else? Luckily I managed to sell both saws off at decent prices so I haven't really lost any money, but if I'd just plumped for the more premium options from the beginning instead of trying to save a few quid I'd have saved myself so much hassle!

YE GODS ITS MY LIFE STORY

I think we all do this.
Buy some basic chisels, basic machines, then as time and experience goes on you look to buy what experience is telling you to buy.

 

[Ttrees]

Too many is the main prob.
Bad buys - a set of 12 "Faithful" carving chisels. £20 ish. Actually three of them were quite useful so it wasn't so bad!
I'm generally sceptical about claims made on various wonder tools, which protects me from a lot of bad buys perhaps.

I bought much the same deal before, with the intention of
grinding them to a nicer profile.
Possibly a good excuse to buy a used 6" grinder for the same money as the chisels,
and buy some slim wheels for it.

Worst tools I've bought that I can recall..
Too pants to even bother attempting to sharpen
.

Don't normally go for this kinda junk, but was on the reduced isle, so bought for fun.
Too pants to make into something even half decent unfortunately,
I had bought suitable little rules before, but won't be stealing the smart bits from this to combine.

 

[Mel769]

Agree about the Parkside For

I bought much the same deal before, with the intention of
grinding them to a nicer profile.
Possibly a good excuse to buy a used 6" grinder for the same money as the chisels,
and buy some slim wheels for it.

Worst tools I've bought that I can recall..
Too pants to even bother attempting to sharpen
.View attachment 151995
Don't normally go for this kinda junk, but was on the reduced isle, so bought for fun.
Too pants to make into something even half decent unfortunately,
I had bought suitable little rules before, but won't be stealing the smart bits from this to combine.
View attachment 151994

Agree about the parkside forstner bits they're absolute tripe.

 

[Adam W.]

I try not to think about it.

 

[Distinterior]

My worst buy ever, without a doubt, was a small Ferm benchtop bandsaw from Screwfix years ago......
How bad could it be, I thought...?
Absolutely terrible was the answer......No better than scrap metal.....Its diabolical and I really should just throw it out.

 

[TomTheToolMan]

Guys I must be the odd one out. I never regret buying tools. Highlight of the day,week,month. Cant have too many and no such thing as a bad tool. Just haven't found the right job for it yet. Life's too short for tool purchase regret

 

[Doug B]

For me it was definitely an Axminster mortiser, complete garbage.
The transfer gear inside the machine crumbled , don’t know what it was made of but it wasn’t any metal I’ve ever seen.
I tried to machine the “cast iron” casing so I could utilise the motor on a linisher I had & that also crumbled, it had the consistently of wattle & daub rather than cast iron

 

[frankendoodle65]

The only benefit the Festool offers is dust extraction, if you can work without the need then I find the makita just great, it cuts full sized sheets with ease and so what more can you ask, plus the Makita has more power.

Before I bought the saw I'd read plenty of reviews and comparisons saying exactly that, but in my experience the Makita saw gave a pretty rough cut and loads of scorching on the wood. I tried various blades and speed settings, no difference. I even sent it back to Makita under warranty and they told me it was absolutely fine. I assumed it must have been some error in my technique or even a bent guide rail, but since switching to the festool my cuts have been absolutely perfect using the exact same rails.
The festool also has a few quality of life benefits - a much better depth adjustment, the adjustment to snug it up to the guide rail works better and it's quieter in use (probably because it's a less powerful motor, but it's got enough grunt for everything I've done so far!)

As for the mitre saws, I looked into the Bosch with the articulating arms and the Makita with front facing rails, but the festool KS60 just ticked a lot more boxes for me.

 

[frankendoodle65]

My worst buy ever, without a doubt, was a small Ferm benchtop bandsaw from Screwfix years ago......
How bad could it be, I thought...?
Absolutely terrible was the answer......No better than scrap metal.....Its diabolical and I really should just throw it out.

I can imagine how bad that must've been! When I first got started I bought a load of cheap black and decker power tools; router, sanders, circular saw, jigsaw and they were all just awful but I didn't know any better at the time! Honestly the best thing I can say about those is that they helped me realise how important it is to buy decent quality tools