Is it smarter to start with cheap gear or go straight for the good stuff? My uncle gave me advice that still bugs me.

My uncle told me to always buy the cheapest tools when starting a new hobby, because you'll figure out what you actually need before spending real money. That worked fine when I tried whittling last year, I got a $10 knife and some basswood and it was okay. But then I got into building tiny dollhouse furniture, and his advice backfired hard. I bought a cheap $15 miniature saw and it bent on my third cut, wasted a whole afternoon on a crooked table leg. After 6 months I finally caved and got a $60 Japanese pull saw, and it cut perfect joints on the first try. Now I'm wondering if the cheap approach just makes you frustrated enough to quit. If you started a weird hobby like competitive duck herding or crafting model engines, did you go cheap first or pay up front? I'm leaning toward skipping the junk next time.

2 comments

2 Comments

umak8913d ago

Did your uncle ever try to teach a friend how to weld? My buddy used a $20 harbor freight angle grinder and nearly lost an eyebrow.

mary_kelly13d ago

Oh man, that's brutal! I saw something online about how cheap angle grinders don't have proper guards or speed control, @umak89. Your buddy's lucky it was just an eyebrow and not an eye.