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The worst thing is someone who doesn't know the difference between Philips and Cross Head and then round off your very expensive Philips in a cross head destroying the srew head while moaning that the screw driver is wrong. 
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I made a huge error once when it came to buying cheap tools. Bought a cheap all in one tool for bike fixing...
Let just say that neither tool nor screw survived that ordeal. The hexagon shaped tool gbake round, same with the screw. There was just enough grip left in the screw that with a lot of force a high quality tool managed to get it loose but by then enough damage had been made that I just chucked it all away.
Cheap tools to fix a cheap bike wasn't the best combination.
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I for one have always found those all in tools to be a false economy I play Bass and needed a set of Hex-Allen Keys bought one of those tool and found it to be very awkward to use, yeah they are handy to get you out of a mess but a set of loose keys allow me to get better purchase...beware the All-In One Tool, it does everything to an extenet.
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I got a mid quality multitool that's quite usefull when fixing stuff at home and I can't be arsed to walk down the stairs and get the correct one but overall specific tools are better.
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I have a small bag for biking containing all tools required when on the road. The total weight of the Allen keys (no others required) is less than the weight of an universal tool (even a cheap one).
I have also replaced most of the screws. I still can't understand that even really expensive bikes use ordinary (cheap) steel screws. My tracking bike is quite old meanwhile and parked in the car port. But there are no rusty screws.
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If you buy the German made tools they will last forever (until children grow up and borrow them but then your grandkids will repeat the cycle and then the next gen for many many years).
if you buy USA made they will be stronger and faster than ever required (particularly power tools), - only last for a single family generation but while you have them you can throw brick shithouses at them and they will still be sweet as they day they were bought.
Japanese, and some better Korean tools are not too bad, but usually too small and can not handle real hard work (i.e. unlike their USA couterparts you couldn't use a Japanese wood drill to bore holes in reinforced concrete.)
If you buy the Chinese versions, they will work OK for 3 minutes and then threaten to melt unless rested for a couple of hours, after that no more then 2 minutes in single session with 2 hour cooling breaks. (Completely gutless too and if pushed too hard really will disintegrate). Don't count on keeping them as about 3 - 6 months after purchase will either be a pile of dust, or infested by insects in the process of rendering that way - eventually other insects will eat the dust too
Believe it or, ... just believe it: you never loose Chinese made stuff, it just ceases to exist.
Aussie tools are just Chinese tools in disguise fumigated to keep the insects out. In fact nothing is made in Aus anymore except new generations of whingers and weak Aussie branded beers now all made to the owner's recipes; the owner being "Asia-Pacific" - i.e. Asian).
Sin tack ear lol
Pressing the "Any" key may be continuate
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Quote:
If you buy the Chinese versions, they will work OK for 3 minutes and then threaten to melt unless rested for a couple of hours, after that no more then 2 minutes in single session with 2 hour cooling breaks.
For years I thought I was really hard on tools not using them properly then I borrowed my Dads Black & Decker power drill my opinion changed. 
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glennPattonInThePubAGAIN wrote: Black & Decker
 Rubbish, I have two tools from Black and Decker and just 1 of them does a reasonable job. If you want to have decent tools, upgrade to Bosch (better) or one of the top brands DeWalt or Makita. I have some things from Power Tools or Power+ (Can't remember the name) which seem to do OK for the moment.
Same for screw drivers, screws, hammers.... Don't know all the brands there either, but I think Kreator and Stanley are pretty good ... even the bits used in electrical screwdrivers are important, the cheap ones tend to erode quickly, cheap screws are destroyed, before they are screwed completely in (and if it's wrong, try to get that out again, ...)
Hope this helps. 
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What he said.
Charlie Gilley
<italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape...
"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
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V. wrote: Black & Decker
They weren't always bad, until I got my own I borrowed by Dad's 30 year old B&D drill and jigsaws. The drill had been used for drilling metal and brick, and is still going fine.
I bought a B&D drill for car repair - it lasted less than a year of not much heavy-duty use before the reverse-gear switch gave up. 100% would not recommend Black and Decker.
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Well, 30 years ago, they'd not gone down the cheap route. Walmart stuff only now.
Charlie Gilley
<italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape...
"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
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I think my Dads was 30 years+ when I used it...sadly it was lent to a neighbor who burnt the motor out! 
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glennPattonInThePubAGAIN wrote: I think my Dads was 30 years+ when I used it...sadly it was lent to a neighbor who burnt the motor out!
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He was nice enough to record it for you[^]
Sin tack ear lol
Pressing the "Any" key may be continuate
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V. wrote: Bosch
For obvious reasons, I can only second this.
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If you use a tool and it does what it's supposed to do it doesn't matter if it costs 10 cent or a hundred dollars.
New version: WinHeist Version 2.2.2 Beta I told my psychiatrist that I was hearing voices in my head. He said you don't have a psychiatrist!
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I used to buy cheap tools, thinking it would be sufficient, but I changed my ways and if I need something I will buy the good stuff. I always regretted buying cheap stuff.
In time you build up a nice tool set. 
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They have Harbour Freight crap over here, too. I don't buy it, but they have it.
My father in law almost killed himself using a Harbour Freight chop saw one day. After that, he bought the real thing - saved his life.
modified 28-Nov-16 9:07am.
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If you want to live without regrets over your tools:
- Never buy cheap chisels or planes.
- Never buy a circular saw that isn't TCT.
- Never buy a router cutting tool that doesn't have TCT blades.
- Never buy a claw hammer under 26oz
Apart from that, temporarily going cheap is OK.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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TCT?
Charlie Gilley
<italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape...
"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
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Tungsten-carbide tipped.
Steel blades are a total waste of money, even if they're a tenth of the price.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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If I'm starting out on something I don't have tools for I buy cheap stuff that I'm sure will get the job done, and then if I find I'm break a particular tool (screwdriver, drill, large earth moving equipment) then I'll go out and buy a really good version of that particular tool. Except the large earth moving equipment.
cheers
Chris Maunder
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I think your list begins with what am I going to fix? If you are working on electrical your tools are different than plumbing. The only thing I would emphasize is safety. If you are working on electrical, TURN OFF THE POWER. It just makes things simpler. Don't ask me how I know, just don't.
Plumbing - where is the main cutoff for the house?
If you are doing anything that will cause small parts to fly around - like wood, invest in a good set of safety glasses.
Finally - YouTube is your friend. I have no idea how it started, people posting their videos of their successes and failures, but there is a treasure trove of information out there.
-------------------------
As for cheap tools vs high-end models... do you have little gnomes, children, wives or girlfriends or what have you borrowing your tools? If so, you want the $4 hammer from Home Depot sitting in your bag. That way, when it's lost, you are raging about your $40 claw hammer that you love. Same thing applies to drill bits, screw drivers, etc.
Charlie Gilley
<italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape...
"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
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charlieg wrote: Plumbing - where is the main cutoff for the house?
charlieg wrote: YouTube is your friend
A couple of years ago I needed to change out the bottom element in a hot water tank. I checked youtube and found multiple videos showing how to do this without draining the tank...turn off the valve at the tank and close all taps to create vacuum and be quick. I found out the hard way that the valve on my tank was on the wrong side. Luckily, I knew right where my crescent wrench was and where the cutoff valve for the house was and was able to get it turned off in less than a minute...while water was gushing under pressure into the closet in my office...what a mess!...and a lesson learned. 
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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