"The poor man always pays twice"

Yeah you pay in either money upfront, time learning what is worthwhile, time learning to DIY, or paying for a repair/restoration by somebody else.
 
There's no such thing as a cheap used luxury car.
My brother, a cabinet maker of meager means, bought a 1974 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow thinking he would restore it easily, because "...it was cheap."

He can't even afford to replace the wheel spindles/hubs/bearings, and get the height leveling and braking hydraulics systems to function properly. Talk about complex and expensive! It does run, though.
 
well put! in my one experience with DIY speaker cabinets, i realized that the best that i could achieve was to get to the point of hearing the issues that speaker builders have been grappling with for decades.
Yeah - unless you're planning to enjoy building a lurching series of attempts, don't bother. Hitting the target on the first try is about as likely as making par on your first golf outing.
 
4 years ago I bought a loaded 2004 Audi A4 Quattro 3.0 for a "cheap" used price. Yay! I got a really nice German sedan for next to nothing!

I loved my 2007 A3 which I drove from 2009-2018. It really wasn't bad, but it did have it's quibbles. I decided to finally trade it in last August when it was needing about $2-3k worth of repairs just to keep it on the road for another year or two. Got a good trade-in on it and with some other incentives I drove my 2018 VW Passat GT off the lot. It's the first new car I've ever had and a big part of the decision was that since I drove my Audi for 9 years I plan on having this for 10 at least. It's got a 7yr BTB warranty and lifetime on the powertrain as long as the dealer does the regular maintenance. I did all the math and the cost of ownership should be a lot less on this car than my Audi. I have never had a moment of buyers remorse.

- Woody
 
My brother, a cabinet maker of meager means, bought a 1974 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow thinking he would restore it easily, because "...it was cheap."

He can't even afford to replace the wheel spindles/hubs/bearings, and get the height leveling and braking hydraulics systems to function properly. Talk about complex and expensive! It does run, though.
Why I didn't buy a Porsche 928/Citroen SM/'52 Rolls etc. They looked like good fun and then I researched the cost of parts. Sure a great way to take the wind out of one's sails!
 
Cool thread.

I'm not sure how it happened exactly, but I just used this thread's logic to justify buying a new soldering station. A very nice soldering station.

I mean, the old Hakko 936 is over ten years old...
Yay! Good move. Nice tools are such a pleasure. In woodworking we say "Why buy a $300 hand router when an $800 one will do?" If it's gonna be in your hands for hours, the nice tool doesn't beat you up.
 
I loved my 2007 A3 which I drove from 2009-2018. It really wasn't bad, but it did have it's quibbles. I decided to finally trade it in last August when it was needing about $2-3k worth of repairs just to keep it on the road for another year or two. Got a good trade-in on it and with some other incentives I drove my 2018 VW Passat GT off the lot. It's the first new car I've ever had and a big part of the decision was that since I drove my Audi for 9 years I plan on having this for 10 at least. It's got a 7yr BTB warranty and lifetime on the powertrain as long as the dealer does the regular maintenance. I did all the math and the cost of ownership should be a lot less on this car than my Audi. I have never had a moment of buyers remorse.

- Woody
I drove my 2002 Subaru for over 15 years. Got my use out of that lil' blue lady.

The 2004 A4 ended up costing me more a month, averaged out, than my 2013 Mercedes does. That thing was a LEMON.
 
Why I didn't buy a Porsche 928/Citroen SM/'52 Rolls etc. They looked like good fun and then I researched the cost of parts. Sure a great way to take the wind out of one's sails!
I've looked at 928s but I figure they're a money pit. A buddy of mine bought a 944 for $4000, put $4000 into it, which made it finally reliable as a daily driver. Then a week later somebody t-boned it, totaled. I was more sad to see that car go than my Audi. Actually, the Audi I would have happily pushed off a cliff.
 
Yay! Good move. Nice tools are such a pleasure. In woodworking we say "Why buy a $300 hand router when an $800 one will do?" If it's gonna be in your hands for hours, the nice tool doesn't beat you up.
Right! About ten years ago I realized that all my tools were a collection of Dad's castoffs and the cheap things I'd picked up somewhere-I-don't-remember. Stripped screwdrivers, flimsy rusted pliers, crappy wrenches, dull saws, loose-headed hammers...

I threw a bunch away and bought a brand new, high quality screwdriver set and you know what? They were are amazing. Absolutely a joy to use.

I've been buying really nice tools ever since. :)
 
Funny, I bought a ratcheting screwdriver with a few dozen interchangeable tips a few years ago, the most expensive one in the store, and every time I use it I think "this is probably the best thing I ever bought"
 
One of my tool using ape influences was an uncle who for my eighth or ninth birthday gave me an Excelite 99 series screwdriver. I still have the discontinued model double bits. The steel was probably better then though it seems counter intuitive. Maybe work hardened.
Even my mrs doesn't usually squawk about buying tools though she says I have too many. which is true.
 
Right! About ten years ago I realized that all my tools were a collection of Dad's castoffs and the cheap things I'd picked up somewhere-I-don't-remember. Stripped screwdrivers, flimsy rusted pliers, crappy wrenches, dull saws, loose-headed hammers...

I threw a bunch away and bought a brand new, high quality screwdriver set and you know what? They were are amazing. Absolutely a joy to use.

I've been buying really nice tools ever since. :)
Something I need to do as well. I've got some really excellent tools and some not. Once I get my shop finished and set up they all get laid out, sorted and some decisions made. As it stands now they're in drawers all over the property and I've no idea what I've even got in total. Drives me mad.
 
Something I need to do as well. I've got some really excellent tools and some not. Once I get my shop finished and set up they all get laid out, sorted and some decisions made. As it stands now they're in drawers all over the property and I've no idea what I've even got in total. Drives me mad.
When I first came across the Festool brand of power tools I was shocked by the prices - like three or four times what i was accustomed to spending for Porter Cable, DeWalt, etc.

Then I needed a tool that only Festool makes. Ouch. I thought. But Mmm, mmm, mmm. Soooooo nice. Powerful and smooth, vibration free, easy quick fine adjustments, rapid tool changes, dedicated storage boxes that clip together, excellent dust extraction, even power cords that disconnect. Very low user fatigue. So better work. Happier feeling at day's end.

Now, if Festool makes it I don't even consider another brand.
 
Right! About ten years ago I realized that all my tools were a collection of Dad's castoffs

My dad was a mechanic by trade for many years so I inherited a *lot* of tools. However, with the exception of some Craftsmen sockets, most of his stuff was, um, not great. It took me a while to get over the emotional attachment and just toss the damned things

On the other hand, he sometimes worked on heavy equipment (he had a Caterpillar D-9) so I have some HUGE sockets. They make great paperweights/conversation pieces.
 
It's better to buy what you really want versus something that comes in second.
I found this to be true when it comes to many items.

Over the years I found out when it comes to my farm equipment heavy duty is the only way to go.
An example is chainsaws.
I found that a home owner occasional use saws just doesn't CUT IT.
A pro saw is worth spending the money on.

When it comes to work footwear 3mm+ thick rough out leather Norwegian welt hiking boots are worth the money.
One of these I am going to start a footwear thread.
I have had it with the cheap imported fake leather boots that fall apart.
China has produced some high quality electronic products but when it comes to their footwear most of it junk.
 
I literally just got to experience this phenomenon. I bought some spiked isolation feet for my turntable plinth. In an effort to save some money I ordered them from a vendor on eBay. Well the savings are not to be as the feet are not going to work. So I get to buy another set in the correct dimensions. Ugh.....
 
I literally just got to experience this phenomenon. I bought some spiked isolation feet for my turntable plinth. In an effort to save some money I ordered them from a vendor on eBay. Well the savings are not to be as the feet are not going to work. So I get to buy another set in the correct dimensions. Ugh.....
I think I'm on my 3rd tonearm attempt to find a cheap alternative to the Jelco TK-950 I want. Altogether they cost the same as the Jelco.
 
I had another moment of this.

Coffee time is my favorite part of the day. Grind the beans, get the French Press out, turn on the stereo, and at least one album's worth of just me, music, and coffee. But the coffee I drink is expensive. It's REALLY good, but its an expensive local roast, and I'm trying to figure out places in my life to save some money.

So I was at the grocery store and found this store-brand coffee that was less than 1/2 the price of my normal coffee. I bought two bags. One of them was ok, nothing special but ok, and the other, which I'm drinking right now, is pretty nasty. So I saved money and ....out goes my favorite time of the day. All I can think about is how much I miss my normal coffee. And this roast is so gross that I'm going to have to buy coffee to replace it.

Since the replacement grind is going to be my normal coffee, I'll have ended up spending MORE for the same amount of coffee enjoyment, because the cost fo the tossed bag will be factored in now. So much for saving money.
 
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