The rising prices of tools...

I thought about up the craftsman pro jointer till I saw it at almost 650 at sears

I guess I’m in the same boat. I have a spreadsheet with all my inventory on it. I look at what I paid 3-7 years ago and what something costs today and get sticker shock(just like cars!) The other side of the coin is my tools(used) are worth almost as much as I paid for them.

-- Life is good.

Yeah I was looking at a PM mortiser a couple of years ago, and when I looked again it had jumped 20%! Maybe it’s rising fuel costs or something.

-- Don, Royersford, PA

Jay, I love my Craftsman jointer, but I agree it is not worth 600 dollars.

Ibought most of my tools in 2000 and 2001, they are Ridgid brand and American made with lifetime warrenties. Now all the tools are a lot higher priced, Chinese made, and at best a service agreement instead of a warrenty. My shop is small and my tools are portable, just the way I want them. I wouldn’t upgrade even if I could afford to.

It would be crazy to have to start all over. I would like to have a good planer but just hate to pay the price for duffer.

-- Just a barn cat, now gone to cat heaven.

WHOA! Those are big price differences you are posting. A couple of years ago I naively thought that with the global downturn there would be more competition (as in reduced prices) for machinery and powertools, but now my thoughts are that reduced demand drives the unit cost up. And all the time you’re getting screwed left, right and centre with taxes and inflation (we are in Ireland anyway).
I’d like to be in a position where I could just go to one of my local tool shops for everything, and know that what I’m buying is at a fair price. I can live with going 30 bucks over an internet price for something I need in a hurry, but can’t justify spending another 120 bucks on a saw package from the local guy over a bulk buyer who’s only one mouse click away.

Todd;

I think Sears is about to price themselves out of the tool business with those increases. Their quality is pretty spotty so, they will be walking the plank with huge increases.

There are so many really good options out there now in the mid-priced market.

-- Rick Gustafson - Lost Creek Ranch - Colorado County, Texas

Sears does business with which ever manufacturer gives them the best deal. It all started when Clinton opened trade with China, that is why they discontinued buying from Emerson Electric (Ridgid) that made most of thier stationary tools for almost 30 years. Emerson came out with the same tools with thier own name on them. Now even those are made in China.

Steel and iron costs fluctuate and prices of machinery with lots
of metal can rise significantly with a bump in prices.

In any case, the OP is writing about what he paid and comparing
it to the current sticker price. It should surprise nobody that
tool “list prices” are inflated. The only supply catalogs I have seen
that sell tools at “list” are McMaster-Carr and Grainger – where
shoppers aren’t spending their own money when they buy.

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Another though, if you want to put your tool dollars in the pockets
of your countrymen, buy used, pay cash, and put what you pay
right back into your local economy. Corporate retailers squirrel
profits into offshore tax shelters and a fair portion of what you
spend when you buy new from a chain has no chance of going
out to your local economy…. employee wages only, basically..

All of this makes the used tools that much more attractive. Better quality and lower prices. It takes some work to rehab an old tool but when you’re done you’ll have a better tool and a better understanding of how that tool works. Most older tools were designed to be fixed when and if needed. Today’s tools are designed to be replaced!

-- Every day above ground is a good day!!!

You are deffinitly right about that cjwillie, just like computers and most electrical items.

Whatever you do don’t look at the prices of American made hand tools.

-- Bondo Gaposis

The only reason I but power tools from sears is the ability to put them on layaway

jaydubya That sounds painful!LOL The only reason I but power tools from sears is the ability to put them on layaway