What tools do you regret not spending more money on?

Not specifically a garage tool, but I bought this folding saw for taking backpacking. 

What I didn't realize is how utterly handy it is for having around the yard.  It cuts like butter, you can replace the blade as needed.  Super comfortable to hold and use.  And when you need to store it, it fold into itself and protects the blade. When I do take it camping, it slides down the side of my backpack and takes up very little room.  I like it much better than the small folding pruning saws I've used in the past.

Agawa Canyon - BOREAL21 Folding Saw

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LWNFI60/ref=dp_cerb_3

Second (third?) the JIS screwdriver comment.

Hands up if you now have at least one of the tools mentioned in this thread in a shopping cart somewhere... (raises hand)

I'll make the case for the tool box.

Yes the Snap-on, MAC, etc boxes seem overly expensive. I agree that they are new....but used? I have an old ass (late 80's?) snap-on box at work. It ain't perfect but it's durable, strong, and more than large enough for the machinist tools I need at work. Top box 36x22x23 of good quality for $400 is a deal if you ask me. But the real reason I say get a quality box is not for its size, features, or cost. Its for when your garage burns to the ground. One Craftsman box and one MAC. Not one single thing or tool survived in the Craftsman box. The only tools that didn't make it in the MAC were cheap screwdriver up to craftsman quality handles (they melted). The snap-on screwdriver were only cosmetic damage. The Air tools also didn't make it between melted seals/parts and then water damage after the fire. All the plier handle grips melted off or burned but they were all saveable with some cleaning and I dipped the handles in flex-seal to re-coat them. The Socket trays deformed but didn't outright melt. The ones in the back of the drawer had almost no damage. Any tools in a plastic case survived unscathed thanks to the box and their case. The cases needed to be tossed but the tools inside were perfect. All in all I salvaged over 90% of what was in the MAC box and am still using it today. Any Guesses at what box I bought used to put all these tools in???

BTW that MAC box was a 56" 2007 Gator Nationals edition that I bought used with some cosmetic rust at the bottom (volvo dealership in MN) from a guy who was retiring. Nearly full of tools (craftsman, snap-on, mac, blue-point) plus a horde of metric bolts and fasteners for $3200 in 2015. It was the tallest thing left standing of a 2 story house with 2 attached garages after the fire. It had also had an Oxy/Acetlyene torch set and 2 propane tanks shelved right next to it. I'd bet money if it had been on an outside wall instead of the interior wall it could have even saved the screwdrivers.

Man, when you do product testing you don't mess around.

In reply to asphalt_gundam :

Damn.  I've heard of all kinds of durability tests, but setting the building on fire is new to me.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Wasn't my idea. I was out of town snowmobiling. Besides I would much prefer to have my nearly ready to open cylinder head shop and 2JZ swapped 86 cutlass (that was only brakes away from being finished) back.

KyAllroad (Jeremy) (Forum Supporter) said:

Chainsaw.

Moving from a Poulan Wild Thing WalMart grade saw up to a good one (Husqvarna/Stihl) will make you regret ever spending the time vibrating and buzzing on the crappy one.

+ like, a zillion. In my defense I bought the poulan wild thing cuz we just bought the house I intended to use it at, was therefore broke, and figured if it got me through the first season I'd be able to get a real saw then. Trouble was, it didn't really ever stop running and I put up with it for the next ten years before giving it away and getting a real saw...

Compact impact gun to get into tight places (AirCat 1057)

A nice Dewalt dual bevel compound miter saw and a carbide trim blade for hundreds of feet of base and crown. Smooth accurate cuts are amazing.

DeWalt 15ga air powered finishing nailer for hanging said trim. berkeley driving hundreds of finishing nails by hand.

The Husky torque wrenches. So nice to have my own that I know are accurate and maintained.

Streamlight Double Clutch headlight. Probably the most used tool I own. Rechargable and has a floodlight diffusion as well as a spotlight.

A fist full of varying sizes extension including a 24" 1/4 inch one. Probably my most used extension.

Sthil MS271 chainsaw. Ludicrously fuel efficient and super nice to work with.

Actual flare wrenches. I have terrible luck with rounding off brake line nits with normal box ends.

Snap-On open end 4 way angle wrenches are life changing when working with AN fittings in tight places.

A lift instead of a jack and jackstands.

In reply to P3PPY :

The $200 or so extra for the assist arm on the tire changer would have come in handy for low profile tires.  

Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to P3PPY :

The $200 or so extra for the assist arm on the tire changer would have come in handy for low profile tires.  

I cannot imagine trying to mount tires without an assist arm. Especially since they're almost always slightly stretched race rubber :)

Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:

MrFancypants said:

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

Electric impacts have come a long, long way. I have a small body 1/2" that I use for tight spaces that zips off lugs with ease.

Mentioning how great your impact gun is and then not saying what it is = Fail. 

DOH, it's true...  fail.

24v Kobalt. I have the large body and small body 1/2" impacts. At the time I bought them the large one was rated as among the more powerful battery powered impacts, and it hasn't disappointed.  Virtually every bolt on my car is torque-to-yield and it's removed everything I've used it on.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

i've yet to meet one I couldn't do, but the 20's i just did with very low profile tires for the Q45 were not super easy.  

Someone mentioned flare nut wrenches.

H-F = crap.  Like "you may as well use regular wrenches" crap.

Craftsman = not crap, but still marginal. And these are 30 year old Craftsman wrenches.

Snap-on = berkers actually work. It's hard to justify the cost of Snap-on some times. Flare nut wrenches are one of those times.

First of all - great thread! I now have a much longer wishlist! Here are my thoughts:

Impact - from HF $50 corded model to Milwaukee 2767-20 was a huge upgrade. I love how the Milwaukee automatically lowers the RPM after you've broken a bolt loose and are taking it off, and the power is great when you need it!

Lighting - I have a mix of Milwaukee M12 and M18 task lighting which has been a big improvement, especially  as I get older. My garage started with two bare bulbs...

Ratchets - even the mid-range (non-ICON) HF models were a big improvement over what I had been using.

Inflator - Let's face it, the Milwaukee M12 inflator has taken the place of my smaller  compressor, and I can even take it on the road. Probably my favorite tool right now, love the compact size and solid performance. No more setting up extension cords and dealing with bungee-cord air hoses. Makes topping of tires easy.

For me it was cheap hex and triple-square sockets. All of the connections are undersized (e.g., 1/4 inch drive when it should be 3/8, etc.) so I keep breaking off extensions in them. So frustrating. Now I'm stuck replacing them - should have bought some stronger ones to begin with.

Lesson learned.

Wire stripper.  I never knew what I was missing until i got a good one. 

Bolt cutters.  Mine from HF have enough play in them that they don't cut the whole way through.  Really frustrating when trying to cut chain.

Gotta say I love my Snap-on ratchet screwdriver

Brake flaring tool is #1 on my list. I bought a "lifetime warranty" one at Autozone a few years ago. Just about every time I use it, the 3/16 line adapter snaps off in the line and I have to go back to the store and swap it out.

I want to also say battery powered impact, but I think I did OK for what I paid. I have a Ryobi One that came with a 4AH battery and charger that I paid $99 for a few years ago. The thing works great, but I do want to upgrade to a better one at some point, since it only has a rating of 300 ft lbs max. Great for changing tires and small jobs, but big jobs require my air-powered one.

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Bolt cutters.  Mine from HF have enough play in them that they don't cut the whole way through.  Really frustrating when trying to cut chain.

Do you have a recommendation for a better one? I’ve always wanted a pair but I have no real reason

Cal van tools makes a nice inline brake flare tool.  

I regret not buying the 20t press instead of my 12ton from harbor freight.

Tile saw, went through a few junkers and scored a nice Italian one on Craigslist.  Cuts better, faster, cleaner, easier, etc.  Also made for maintenance. 

Gotta get me one of them air impacts now big ugly is running.  

Mig welder. I bought a cheap Campbell Hausfeld fluxcore wire welder and just got frustrated every time I used it.  Thought I couldn't weld. Then I took a night class at the local trade school and found out I can weld , but the flux core welder berkeleying sux. Looking for a used Lincoln or Miller now.

Keith Tanner said:

Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to P3PPY :

The $200 or so extra for the assist arm on the tire changer would have come in handy for low profile tires.  

I cannot imagine trying to mount tires without an assist arm. Especially since they're almost always slightly stretched race rubber :)

Every time I've mounted tires recently, I end up thinking "yeah, I see how you could do this without the assist arm.....but no way am I interested in trying."

I'd throw tire balancers in at least close to that category. At work we recently upgraded to a road force machine. We're amateurs and haven't actually gotten the road force part working correctly yet.....but even just it's functionality as a normal balancer is a million times better and way more user friendly.