quote:The USA is just not making entry-level tools suitable for the Harry Homeowner shop. The option is paying 5-10 times more for a tool I will only use once every few months, and well, the budget just doesn't allow for that luxury.
I'm all for buying "Made in USA" too, but I can't swallow the cost of a number of tools that I'll only use once or twice; especially when I have a Pantera and Mustang that need parts and upgrades, kids that need braces, auto insurance premiums for two teenage drivers, a 40 year old house that needs constant repairs and upgrades, kids sports and lessons, etc.
FWIW, I bought a HF framing nail gun this summer for a 3-month shed building project. It cost $60 which was well below the cost of renting a quality framing nailer for a few days, and even further below the cost of buying a name-brand American-made framing nailer. Yeah, I'd rather have the nice professional American-made tool, but can't afford the luxury of buying such a tool to use for one project, only to then store it in my garage for the next 4+ years before ever using it again.
The HF tool is full of short-comings compared to the pro tool I rented for one day (before I bought the HF tool - and before I realized I couldn't scratch build a shed in a weekend), but it got the job done. And for the price I paid, I could afford to throw it away when I finished the project because I got much more than $60 of use out of it. But I didn't throw it away because it still works just as well as when I first opened the case.
But for any tool that I'll use regularly for years to come, I will always spend the extra money for the quality tool - ask me about my air tools, socket wrenches, combination and ratcheting wrenches, most power tools, etc.
BTW - If I buy a Honda, is that buying an import or domestic? After all, they're made in America now.