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: : I've seen a number of posts about where to buy Snap-On and recommending purchase of Craftsman tools. : : While these are good tools (maybe not as good as they used to be) they are not the cheapest on the market. What I find is that I need so many different tools of such a wide variety to do the construction and maintenance on equipment and buildings that I can't afford to pay top dollar for everything, : : I suspect that there are a lot of people who need more than they can afford to just go out and buy. Therefore I am going to share some of my budget-stretching secrets: confessions of a bargain-hunter and scrounge. : : With tools, it pays to shop around, value to price varies tremendously. Often the cheapest isn't worth it, but often the most expensive isn't either. Best tools values are found at: flea markets, used-tools stores, yard sales, auctions (careful!), pawn shops, dumps, thrift stores, salvage yards, and recyclers. : : Obviously this is not as conveniant as picking up exactly what you need from Sears on your way home, but I have found tremendous bargains by haunting these places and thinking about what I can do with what I find. Sometimes things need some repair, but I often pick up two or three of the same item, and put one working one together. : : I'm also not above checking out the contents of a dumpster, or asking at a construction site if scrap materials are available. I decided a few years back that I couldn't afford to be too prideful, besides, I'm doing my part for recycling. I figure the money I save can be spent on the stuff I have to buy new. : We drive an old Ford van that will lock up all four wheels in a sliding U-turn at the site of a yard sale with tools, even if the driver doesn't see it . My wife doesn't understand but tolorates the phrase "you can't have too many tools". :-) What bothers me is that most of the time you have only two choices cheap (not worth taking home) and top of the line ( I don't plan to use it to make a living with). Dusty
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