A Conversation for Hyper Value Stores

False economies

Post 1

Potholer

Low quality tools are a pet hate of mine.

Assuming you're careful who you lend them to (and especially if you can drop convincing hints of an underlying sociopathic streak to keep people on their toes) decent tools are much cheaper and safer in the long run.

Not only are many of the 'bargain' variety legally unfit for the supposed purpose (I wonder, has anyone tried returning a pack of broken screwdrivers to one of these cheapo outfits?), but some tools are so bad as to be positively dangerous.

A few years ago, I noticed a blatant Chinese rip-off of a Swiss army knife in an 'Innovations' catalogue. Wondering just how rubbish it actually was, I called up, and was told they had a 30-day refund policy, so I ordered one for a laugh.
When it arrived, it was clear from fine detailing on some parts that it was an almost straight copy of the real thing, but the quality of the steel used was so appallingly low (leftovers from the Great Leap Forward, I shouldn't wonder) that you'd have been hard pressed to make a functional butter-knife out of it. The main 'blade' was ground to roughly a 90 degree angle at the cutting edge, and was mounted so loosely that there was about 1cm of lateral play at the end. If it hadn't been so extraordinarily blunt, it would have been even more of a deathtrap than it already was, and I returned it the next day.

Now, *I* knew it was likely to be a bag of shite before I ordered it, but I can well imagine someone with not much money buying one as a present for a child, and ending up with someone being horribly disappointed (or unpleasantly injured).

I'm all in favour of affordable tools of reasonable quality, but personally, I reckon that anyone selling substandard tools is doing nothing more than exploiting the poor, and in a fairer world, someone would give them a damn good kicking.


False economies

Post 2

Horny Leprachaun

It's Cpt Vimes' "Boots" Theory all over again. Another routine to help the poor get poorer and the rich get richer. Ooh, I'm getting all political.


False economies

Post 3

Potholer

I can't say I'd heard of that particular theory before, but after a little net research, things have become clearer.

In addition to the fact that quality stuff does last much longer (and is usually safer and more enjoyable to use), there's the environmental point. I suspect that one well-made tool doesn't use much more in the way of resources than a rubbish one, and presumably uses many times less than a succession of cheap failures.

However, for people don't have much (or any) disposable income, the short-term attraction of cheap, if shoddy, goods is understandable, even if it makes little long-term sense.

It's a definite problem with human intuitive reasoning that the up-front cost of things is often focussed on to the exclusion of other factors. Even though I'm as aware of that as most, at the gut level I still notice the effect in myself from time to time.

For example, just the other week I bought a touring bike to travel to work, as my previous (quality) bike was essentially worn out after 18 years good service. Even though commuting by bus would cost ~£500 per year (and be half as fast), I *still* initially balked at paying £500 for a good quality machine that I expect to get 10-15 years use out of.


False economies

Post 4

antique toolshopman

I am the tool meister let me know what you want to know or go to antique [Unsuitable link removed by Moderator] ,adios antiquetoolman .


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