My cheap knee kicker broke on a big job in Omaha last week

I bought a no-name one for $60 instead of my usual brand, and the head snapped clean off halfway through stretching a 15-foot roll. Had to stop everything, drive to the supplier, and lost about three hours of work time. What's the cheapest tool you've bought that ended up costing you more?

4 comments

4 Comments

derek_ross1mo ago

Cheap tools just waste your time.

grace_kelly451mo ago

A 15-foot roll with a cheap kicker? How did you even get that far?

ivan_price31mo ago

Derek's right, cheap tools waste your time. My buddy bought a bargain bin drill for a deck project. The motor burned out after twenty screws, and the chuck seized up so bad he couldn't even get his bit back. He spent more on a rental for the day than a decent drill would have cost.

matthewking8d ago

Same thing happened to me with a budget angle grinder a few years back (thought I was being smart saving twenty bucks). The plastic gear housing cracked on the second cut, and the arbor lock pin bent like a paperclip. Ended up having to borrow my neighbor's old Makita to finish the job, felt pretty foolish handing over a six-pack as a thank you. Those cheap tools just end up costing you twice - once at the register and again when you have to buy the real thing anyway.