# Being Cheap : )



## ed220 (Feb 9, 2009)

Got a habit of trying to save $ (aren't we all ?) and I love to recycle and repurpose items . Also like to scavenge off items to use them elsewhere. Anyway.. recently went in to HF to buy some cheap casters and was surprised (being as cheap as I am) of the price. Looked around the store and saw full size furniture dollies that were $9.99.
That being said I bought it removed the casters saving 5 bucks ! How about you guys? Any ideas that you would like to share with other LJ's ?


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## bent (May 9, 2008)

that's being "value conscious", not cheap. there's a big difference


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## RibsBrisket4me (Jul 17, 2011)

Nice score!


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## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

One of the best ways I have found to get new tools for cheap is buying old, beat up, or broken Craftsman handtools at garage sales and returning them for new ones. A friend bought a worthless garden hose that was all patched up for $1.00. When I asked him why he showed me where it said "Craftsman" on the nut. He took it back and got a brand new hose for his dollar. Nothing cheap about saving money like that!


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

One thing to note: If you ever need a furniture dolly, you'll have to rob the casters off of whatever you used them on, and put them back on the dolly for furniture moving. OR go buy another dolly…..since you're too cheap to buy a set of casters…...


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## WorkTheWood (Oct 30, 2011)

@cjwillie:

Very interesting idea about the craftsman handtools! I like it!


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

@ cjwillie and WTW.. I've done the same thing for years with every major dealer.

One thing to be sure of, especially with Craftsman, DON'T ever tell them you use the tools professionally. Some of the tools are only covered under the lifetime warrantee if you don't use them to make a living with. Read the fine print.
Another problem with the Craftsman tools is their idea of a swap…. I had a set of offset box end wrenches that were just right for reaching a particular bolt on an old Detroit Diesel. The one I needed broke, (considering the torque was never over 35 lbs per square inch, it shouldn't have… it was a 1/2" wrench). When they gave me the new one, it was about 5° off and never sat square on the bolt.

When replacing bearings in universal motors, don't be so quick to buy the replacement part from the MFG. Normally they are just standard bearings, and are usually the cheapest the MFG can get away with. Take the old bearing out and look up the part number online or at your favorite supplier. 
I replaced the bearings in a friends BTR20 Ryobi for $8 for all of them, and upgraded them to actually be up to running at the speed the motor runs at. Ryobi and eReplacement wanted over twice as much for just one of the bearings and it was a direct replacement.


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## ed220 (Feb 9, 2009)

Hey Rick… already had a good dolly that I didn't want to sacrifice…just for your info.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Ok…well that takes care of that situation..don't blame you for not destroying a good dolly. Several years ago I needed a dolly to move some of my shop tables and tools…so I had some old casters on hand, and made a dolly out of plywood and 2×4s…..I wound up making 2, since that one worked so good…one smaller and one larger…..now I can move about anything if need be…...


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

I use a HF large dolly for my Grizz GO555X bandsaw. About 10 bucks and works great(better than the 40+ WC mover under my drum sander)
Good idea and score.


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