What tools should you buy?
Ah, an age old problem but one that actually is becoming worse with every year due to the ever increasing choices available.
So you have a project or a job you want to do but you need to buy a new tool to complete it. You look online and you're buried by a mountain of information because so many choices are available. What choice to make?
Price is always a factor whether you are a DIYer or a professional and if you have close to zero budget then your choice will be simple, the cheaper the better. If you've got sufficient money to be looking at a range of choices though, you might want to consider the following:
1: How good a quality job do I want to do? Sound crazy? Are you thinking "I always want to do the best I can"? Fair enough but if you're making shelves to go in your garage or shed versus making them for your living room then a quality difference might not be a deciding factor.
2: How much will I use the tool? If you're only ever going to do the one project then a huge investment on expensive kit may not be justified. Buy cheap and you can leave it gathering dust after.
3: What's my time available? Can you do the job and achieve the quality you want by using cheap tools or less tools but spending more time? Use a cheap tool, maybe you won't get the best immediate finish but you can spend time making the end result better afterwards.
A craftsman finish for DIY - Easy to achieve? Possible?
Here's the thing: If you want to achieve a professional or craftsman level finish it's not just about the tools, it's about your knowledge of the task and the skills and experience needed to get that finish. Some of that you can get by following the online advice of craftsmen, there's a wealth of advice particularly on YouTube from people that have experience and are prepared to share that experience (there is also plenty of bad advice so be selective... Do some research into the job you're doing and look for the best (not necessarily the quickest) way to do it. That's why you're here isn't it?
An approach to DIY
Do the job roughly to start with but leave spare material and time to tidy it up afterwards. 100 years ago they didn't have the tools and equipment available today but they turned out furniture and construction of high quality that survives today. They spent time and effort getting the finish right.
"Quality" power tools vs "Budget" power tools
In terms of power tools as an example, today (November 2020) there's a Scheppach compound sliding mitre saw at Aldi for £179. At the other end of the scale you could get a Festool compound sliding mitre saw for around £1200. They both do broadly the same thing but if you are cutting skirting or base board for instance the Festool will probably give you a good enough finish to cut and fit immediately many times over. With the Scheppach you might have to do some sanding or tidying up. The Festool will likely cut exactly the angle you've set over and over again. With the Scheppach you may well struggle to get and maintain the exact cut angle you want. That doesn't make the Scheppach junk, it just means you need to be aware the tool you buy may have shortcomings over the tool that you've watched the guy on YouTube use because he's got a high end piece of kit, years of experience and a well set up workshop.
A conclusion on tool purchasing
I'll round up by making one last generalisation. With hand tools, in my experience buying the cheapest is normally a mistake. That's not to say you should always pay top dollar but the very cheapest stuff that you may see particularly in bargain stores and as part of a kit is often not great. A screwdriver a saw or a chisel that disintegrates like it's made of playdoh as soon as you show it some wood is something to avoid.
Personally I do a lot of research into anything I buy (yes even a screwdriver) because buying junk is pointless. The reviews I post are based on the tools I use and I'm happy to recommend BUT that doesn't mean you'll have exactly the same opinion as me so just take your time, buy only what you need and build your own experience!
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