Warning about that cheap post hole digger from the big box store

I needed a new post hole digger last spring and grabbed one for about $60 from the local hardware chain... figured it would be fine for a few jobs. The second time I used it, the weld on the handle snapped clean off while I was working on a cedar fence line. I had to stop everything, drive back to town, and buy a proper one, which cost me another $120. All told, I wasted the $60 on the broken tool plus about three hours of lost work time. The job was for a regular client, and I looked pretty bad having to explain the delay. Now I just bite the bullet and buy the good stuff from the start, even if it hurts the wallet a little more upfront. Has anyone else had a tool fail on them at the worst possible moment?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_beth2mo ago

My buddy had a cheap drill give out right in the middle of a kitchen cabinet install. Talk about a bad time, right?

calebhayes2mo ago

Cheap tools fail, that's just how it goes. It's not like the cabinets are going anywhere. Grab another drill and finish the job.

grant.luna15d ago

Happens with everything now, not just tools. It's like we're all learning the same lesson over and over. Bought a cheap vacuum last year and it died after three months, just when the carpet really needed a deep clean. My neighbor got a bargain bin garden hose that lasted one season before it cracked in the middle of a dry spell. It's like the whole world is designed to fall apart right when you need it most. I swear they make the cheap stuff knowing it'll break at the worst time just to squeeze one more sale out of you.