Does such a thing exist?
I have virtually no tools of my own aside from an old cordless drill, and I'm looking to pick up some basic metalworking powertools. E.g., rotary tool, drill press, small arc welder, hand grinder, etc. My problem is that I'm on a college budget, and I'm not sure where to start looking for good tools that aren't going to set me back too much.
I'm actually going to a flea market today hoping to find something, but if anyone has any better ideas than that I would very much appreciate it.
>>960754
The truth is you won't find good or reliable tools for small change.
Buy second hand but you're either gonna find cheap tools or good tools.
>>960754
Estate sales are a good resource if you aren't bidding against a bunch of other assholes. Rural (I.e. Farming) estates seem to have a larger variety up for grabs.
>>960754
harbor freight
>>960754
It's tough. If you're in the US, maybe check craigslist?
Depending on how far you have to your closest chain store you might find it best to buy cheap on some of the stuff and rely on changing them when they break. Maybe not a solution for a drill press (needs to be true) but for an angle grinder it might be good enough. Do you have a good place to use power tools? I find myself hampered by the sound...
>>960781
Dis.
>>960820
Also dis.
I have a rack of old Makita tools I've picked up for next to nothing. I'd say 2/3rds cordless and 1/3rd corded. I have a 10mm corded drill thats probably 25 years old that I paid $5 for and its like new. Have a 4in. grinder a, 2 power sanders (flat and orbital) and a die grinder also, all still work great. I paid maybe $50 for the lot. On the cordless side I have a bunch of older 12 volt Makita tools that I got for next to nothing because the batteries were dead. I rebuilt a few of the batteries for the cost of 1 new one (with better cells to boot) so now I have a set of better than new tools for about half the cost of one drill combo pack new.
>>960754
if you want cheap power tools you'll have to settle for 'lasts the length of the project' reliability rather than 'heirloom artefact' reliability.
really good tools only become cheap-as-china when they're approaching the end of their useful life. service parts, if you can get them, sure as shit haven't gone down in price!
