My Take On Throw-Away Tools

photo credit: lrargerich

As you may already know from reading previous posts, for several years I worked as a cabinetmaker building various types of furniture and cabinets. Just like any job, you have a tendency to collect a variety of tools for a variety of situations. You may just have a tool in your collection that you picked up knowing that you would only use it once or twice in your lifetime, but made the purchase anyway.

I’ve done this for the past few years and my basement makes that very apparent. I used to suck it up and purchase quality tools for these rare occasions, but I have since changed my thought process. When I became a home owner, I quickly realized that my money needed to be conserved and spread out among all of my needs, in addition to the monthly mortgage payment.

Over the years I came to know a place called Harbor Freight. They have always had the reputation of carrying throw-away quality tools. These types of tools were used once or twice, then tossed in the trash when they broke. I never paid much attention to this retailer until becoming a home owner. With a retail store being less than two miles away, I’ve found myself looking there more often than not when I need an oddball tool.

A couple of weeks ago my father and I were contracted to make four rolling tables for Sam Leccia’s Nub Cigar. Not having a large enough air compressor to use a High Volume Low Pressure spray gun, I needed a cheap airless paint sprayer to apply about a dozen coats of paint in a short period of time. Rather than drop the coin on a Wagner Power Painter, I headed to Harbor Freight and took a look at the tools they had to offer.

To my delight, I found an airless paint sprayer for a whopping $16.00 (in store). I made the purchase without batting an eye and it has worked great in applying the various coats of paint. Knowing that I’ll probably never use it again, I have no problem tossing it in the trash if/when it breaks in the near future.