Bought cheap mortar mixer bits, lost a whole afternoon

Picked up a no-name mixing paddle off Amazon for $12 last week. It threw chunks of rust into my mud on the second batch, had to stop and clean everything out. Anyone else had junk tools ruin a batch like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

foster.mary1mo ago

Used to think cheap tools were fine, but that rust story changed my whole view on them.

the_lucas1mo ago

Wait, did the rust actually ruin the tool completely or was it just surface stuff? I had a similar thing happen with a hammer I bought from the hardware store, left it outside for like a week and the head started flaking orange. But here's the thing, I just hit the rust with some sandpaper and a bit of oil and it was fine after that. Maybe cheaper tools just need a little more upkeep if you don't store them right. I've got a couple of expensive wrenches that still look brand new after years in the garage, but I treat them like they're made of glass. For the stuff I use once and forget about, cheap tools work fine as long as you dry them off quick.

claireo671d ago

Right, because nothing says "great investment" like a tool that turns into a pile of dust if you even look at it wrong. Ngl, @benlewis buddy's chisel story is basically a horror movie for anyone who's ever owned a toolbox. Maybe the solution is to just never let your tools get wet, but that's kind of like telling a fish to avoid swimming. Cheap tools are like those "free" sample coupons that turn into a lifetime subscription of disappointment.

benlewis1d ago

Buddy bought a whole set of cheap chisels and they basically crumbled to dust after one damp winter.