[Mr Anonymous]

I'm a self-admitted tool whore. I buy every specialty tool I need for a job, because I think if I needed it once, I will likely need it again. Rarely turns out to be false. I've even made a handful of tools, sometimes you're just doing off the scale stuff and need to handle it. Having a vertical mill helps too.

In 1998, our place was broken into, and ALL of my tools were stolen. It was a staggering amount, and the insurance co was hesitant to pay until their agent stepped in for me, and it didn't hurt that I had worked on the agent's farm for a decade. Majority was Craftsman, and at the time, they had an industrial tool supply chain thing that I believe was based in Cincinnati. The replacements were all drop shipped directly. All good stuff, and only recently did I find a broken socket. I usually break tools only by brute force and stupidity, rarely by inferior manufacturing. Some stuff I have is MAC, a little bit is Snap-On. My tool collection motto: "There was a struggle".

Its hard to tell anymore what is good and what isn't, and it changes regularly too. Threads like this one are very helpful.