Frugal DIY: Finding Cheap Tools

For many of us DIYers, the primary motivator for doing it ourselves is the cost savings.  When a hardwood flooring contractor wants $7/sq. ft. to lay a floor, and you know you can do the job for $3/sq. ft., that’s a big incentive to roll up your sleeves, move the furniture, and nail down those floors by yourself (or with friends and family). 

Unfortunately, every DIY project requires tools, and tools cost money… sometimes a LOT of money.  Some projects, like hardwood flooring, require specialized tools (e.g. a toe nailer) and that means some of the savings of DIYing is going to get absorbed.

But before you run out to Home Depot or Lowes and purchase the tools you need at full retail prices, take a look at our Frugal Tool Hierarchy below for the best ways to get your hands on just the right tool at a rock bottom price.  Our list starts with the best way to get tools, and follows all the way down to the worst way.  If we’ve forgotten something, weigh in below and let us know!

#1 Beg, Borrow (but don’t steal)

That’s right; you guessed it.  The best way to get your hands on the right tool is to find a friend who has it, and borrow it.  There’s simply no cheaper way to get a project done.  Borrowing brings on some responsibilities and challenges.  Here’s our take:

1. Take full responsibility for the tools you borrow.  If you break someone else’s tool, you should replace it unless you’ve worked out some other deal.  Since tools can break for no apparent reason, it’s a good idea to work out in advance who is responsible for repairing/replacing a tool in this scenario.  When I loan out expensive tools, I always tell the borrower that they assume all risk.  If it breaks on their watch, they must repair/replace it.  That way, there’s no confusion or hard feelings.
2. Don’t be a mooch.  While some people are glad to loan out tools, make sure you’re willing to give back to the lender.  Either offer to loan a tool that person doesn’t have, or at least volunteer labor hours to their next project.  Most people who own great tools are doing lots of projects, so it won’t be too long before they can use an extra pair of hands.

#2 Buy Used

Believe it or not, there are thousands upon thousands of used tools available online.  A few places to start: Craigslist, Amazon, and Ebay.  Expect to pay 40-75% off depending on the type of tool and condition. 

Why are there so many tools online?  Many people buy a tool for one project and then don’t have any further use for it.  This is especially true of special purpose tools, like the hardwood flooring toe nailer.  Also, many avid DIYers upgrade their tools to more powerful or versatile versions and just need to get rid of the older version.

#3 Buy Refurbished / Factory-Reconditioned

Many manufacturers sell factory-reconditioned tools that come with the same warranty as the new version.  These refurbished tools are generally 20-50% cheaper than buying retail.  For instance, the Wagner Paint Crew Airless Sprayer retails at Home Depot for $199.  A reconditioned version is available on Amazon for a mere $99.  We own that sprayer, and I paid full retail at HD before I found the Amazon deal…shame on me.

Some people are concerned about buying reconditioned tools because the tool was both used, and at some point broke.  This concern is generally unwarranted.  Factory reconditioning programs include quality assurance checks, and the parts that did break are replaced with new ones.  Reconditioned tools are not substantially more likely to break than buying the new version at the store.

#4 Wait for a Sale or Get a Coupon

Waiting for a sale sounds easy enough, but for many of us, it simply isn’t practical.  Further, many tools don’t ever go on sale.  That said, if you’re lucky enough to find a sale at your favorite store, you can usually add a coupon for additional savings… read on.

Both Home Depot and Lowes offer 10% off coupons that can be found pretty easily online.  Click those links for pages on this site where you can find coupons to get started. 

#5 Buy Online

Hop on the net before you buy at the store. A simple Google search for a tool name will often yield several online retailers that are slightly cheaper than buying retail even after adding in shipping costs. Amazon is always a good place to start, as many retailers partner with them directly. Figure on a 5-10% savings.  Online retailers are competing with a much larger pool of businesses, and don’t have the costs of running a brick-and-mortar shop.  As a result, they can pass on the savings.

#6 Buy Local Retail, and Take the Hit

If you’ve made it this far, you must really be in a pinch.  Of course, buying at the local big box isn’t the end of the world; all of us do it every now and then.  The best advice we can offer is to really consider what type of tool you’ll need and how often you’ll use it.  The old adage “Good tools aren’t cheap; cheap tools aren’t good” is very true.  But, if you’re only going to do a job once, you might be better off buying the “home” version of a tool instead of the “pro” version.  

We’ve been extremely happy with a tile saw we bought from Home Depot for a mere $79.  We’ve tiled 6 rooms with that saw and it’s still working great.  Tile saws can easily run into the multi-hundreds of dollars, but we’re not professional tilers, so it just didn’t make sense to buy the good one.

What do you think?  How do you get your hands on cheap tools?  Let us know if we missed a good method.

Photo courtesy of JGCF on Flickr Creative Commons.