Overspending On Tools

 

There was a point in my woodworking in which I strongly believed in the "buy-as-much-of-a-tool-as-you-can-afford" theory.  But when reality sets in, (several months after you have bought the tool) you realize that this might not be true for all of your purchases.  At this point, it's easy to say "Maybe I didn't need that much of a tool for what I do" and if your are thinking that now about something you own, you are probably right.

I have purchased more tools than I care to mention based on comments from the professionals whose articles we read in woodworking magazines everyday. Some of them only recommended one particular brand based on limited knowledge and the assumption that a given manufacturer's quality is present throughout their entire line of tools. Few cabinet makers recommend tools based on affordability.

And lastly, some professional's recommendations are based on which manufacturer gives them sponsorship (in other words, free tools). You may enjoy woodworking as much as they do but we can't devote as much time to it because woodworking is not what we do for a living. I'd guess that few of the high and mighty professional woodworkers go home from a long day at work and head for the basement woodshop. Keeping this in mind, remember the difference in time spent using the tools they own compared to the hobbyist woodworker. Our tools do not need to be identical to theirs. Most of us are on a tight tool budget that requires us to make smart purchases based on what we need as hobbyist woodworkers.

It is said that hindsight is always 20/20 and it's something you just can't argue. So let my hindsight be your foresight and maybe the marketing efforts of tool companies and the holy rollers of the woodworking world can be put at bay while you make the right decisions in your tool buying future.

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