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What is your story of buyers regret?

3K views 41 replies 28 participants last post by  bigblockyeti 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
There's nothing wrong with the product I purchased but once it arrived on my doorstep I kinda had to chuckle to myself. "What the heck were you thinking"? It's the Wood River Granite Surface Plate 12×18x3. The big one. 81 lbs shows up on my porch. I put it in a wagon and wheeled it out to the shop. Grunted it up on top of the bench where my other sharpening supplies are and now I'm thinking I'll need to reinforce the 2×4 and plywood bench it's on. It was a good deal with free shipping so I guess I'll keep it for a while who knows I may even use it. Just made me think there may be some funny stories of buyers regret out there.
 
#2 ·
my biggest tool purchase poor choice was a bosch gts 1031 job site saw. very poor quality,excessive play in the arbor, junk fence, just cheap china junk for 450.00 dollars. would have been better off buying the cheapest saw harbor freight sells. that purchase was almost 5 years ago, since then i purchased 30 year old unisaw. the bosch saw has what they proclaim as a quick start motor witch will throw a 15 amp circuit breaker just about every time you turn it on. so when i have loaned it to neighbors have to warn them to just to reset their circuit breaker till it starts. witch they all said they had to.
 
#3 ·
Mine is for something I didn't buy when I probably should have. A '70s era 8" Delta Rockwell 66" long-bed jointer in what appeared to be nice condition. I haven't jumped at it because the price was a bit too high for me. The ad is still running for the tool and I am already kicking myself for holding off on it. : (
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Chinese hand tools, drills, angle grinders, jigsaws, etc. they are all junk no matter what the price. When a discount importer started up in my area I loaded up on their opening sales and inevitably their closing clearance when they went out of business. I figured I could lay off my best tools Makitas, Milwaukees, and DeWalts, didn't last long, those imports burned out almost as fast as I could turn them on, a little much, but I did have one jig saw destroy the eccentric drive the second time I turned it on.

The larger floor machines like a drill press I can usually repair or modify, but a hand tool that burns out it's windings or destroys its gear box is just trash or feed for the melting pot if you collect scrap aluminum like I do.
 
#5 ·
A time share in Mexico. My Wife and I were pretty Jet lagged, had partaken of some of the free adult beverages being offered, and when we next woke up we were owners of a week a year for 30 years. Surprise!!!!

Actually it didn't cost that much $$$, and we swapped for several places for a varied vacation plan, but to do it again?? I'd pass.
 
#6 ·
Worst tool purchase/investment decision ever…..
I regret 'buying' my first wife. She was really expensive tool!

She was perpetual college student with no direction in life, that married me for my money (learned at end). I like to cook, and spared no expense on good food, wine, travel, or toys at time; she was spoiled rotten by me for several years. Got laid off in bad economy in 1989, and was out of work for 11 months. She tried to file for divorced 3 months after being laid off; as she couldn't deal with limited budget requiring PB & J for lunch, and mac-n-cheese for dinner, plus did not want to move to another city/state to allow me to find work.

She tried to hire an expensive lawyer, and he suggested she file mutual agreement, and walk away; as she wasn't entitled to enough money to even pay his bill. :-0)
Cheapest divorce ever, house was under water, and had almost nothing of value, but used shop tools she didn't want. She refused to sign paperwork attempting to wait till I got a job, planing to get alimony payments. I filed on her, when I learned of plan. Judge laughed at reason for delay after 6 months of her stalling, and closed the case.

Was not all bad:
Got a job offer 3 weeks after divorce was final; fully paid move, including purchase of existing house at zero loss. They even offered to convert an unused home buying assistance allowance to a cash bonus to help get past my financial challenges. She was not happy when she learned of my good fortune.

I regret learning this lesson about frivolously spending money.

Hope you enjoy the story. :)
Thanks for reading.
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
A Porter Cable Detail sander. I may have well just taken the money and threw it in the wind. It's long gone (trash) but I did keep the little rubber shapes and they even get used once in a while. #2 to the Detail Sander would be the mortising attachment for my drill press. It wound up in a scrap metal dumpster.
 
#9 ·
one that comes to mind right away was the (drillnado) an attachment for the drill press that is supposed to suck up all the dust and chips,problem was on a bit over say 3/4" it clogged up when you needed it most,and the shroud was crap.after about 2 weeks it went into the trash.looked good at the time,live and learn.
 
#11 ·
SawStop CNS for me. Don't get me wrong, I love the saw, but I went in looking to get the jobsite version and got upsold to the CNS. I also upgraded to the fancy fence, mobile base, dust collection, etc. All said and done and I was within $400 of the PCS. Didn't realize it till months later. Really wish I would have gotten the PCS.

Rockler small port hose kit. That thing is awful.
 
#12 ·
yeshavesome,

It will make you feel better to know the pcs with all the toys is far more than the $400 you mention.

That Contractors saw optioned out like that is a very nice saw.

It may be a lesson, however, that saving money on tools is usually never a good outcome.

Mark
 
#13 ·
yeshavesome,

It will make you feel better to know the pcs with all the toys is far more than the $400 you mention.

That Contractors saw optioned out like that is a very nice saw.

It may be a lesson, however, that saving money on tools is usually never a good outcome.

Mark

- Markmh1
$441 difference between the CNS with cast iron wings, t-glide fence, dust collection port, and mobile base and the PCS with t-glide.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dfljs3yqh05kbrg/sawstop.jpg?dl=0
 
#14 ·
SawStop CNS for me. Don t get me wrong, I love the saw, but I went in looking to get the jobsite version and got upsold to the CNS. I also upgraded to the fancy fence, mobile base, dust collection, etc. All said and done and I was within $400 of the PCS. Didn t realize it till months later. Really wish I would have gotten the PCS.

Rockler small port hose kit. That thing is awful.

- YesHaveSome
why dont you like the rockler hose kit,i have one and love it,i use it for connecting my ros,domino and pc bisquit joiner,works great.
 
#15 ·
"drillnado" That made me laugh, not the story per se, just the name of the vac thingie.

If this is The Rockler kit in question I got mine in Cinci at the store. I had been seeing them online, and was there. I was standing in front of them, and the manager came up and asked me how many I wanted? I asked him what will it fit? He said come on. He walked over to the dust collectors first, and it fit all of the 2 1/4" collector points. Then we walked around tools, and he could fit everything I owned and then some.

I just said huh, and he looked at me, and said darn, the packaging on this one is torn, what do you think about 18 bux? I've been very happy with mine, and long after the fact I would gladly pay the asking price for all the utility it offers me.

My thought is the 2 1/4" attachment at the vac itself is the weak point. It's possible if your vac wasn't 2 1/4 that part has the weakest adjustability being harder plastic. If it were to be permanent for a specific vac, you can use a heat gun to make it more flexible, and form fit it onto the vac's nozzle. Hold it while it molds to the vac. Once rehardened it will always stay where you shrunk, or expanded it to. The little ends will grab around anything close.
 
#16 ·
A Jointech SawTrain. Very similar to the Incra tablesaw fence and positioner system. I got it with all the options, 72" rails, a pile of templates for various box joint layouts, even came with a Microjig Gripper. Put it all on a Rybobi BT3000. The fence system outweighed the tablesaw it was attached to. I was not building anything to justify it at the time, or even now. Really well made system for sure but complete waste of money in my situation.
 
#17 ·
About 18 months ago, when I started remodeling our master bedroom/bathroom/closet, I thought it would be cool to get a portable job-site table saw and work directly in the house. This way I wouldn't have to haul pieces back and forth from the unisaw in the shop and I wouldn't have to dismantle my Delta contractor i have in the unisaw out-feed that is currently dedicated to dado. Having had good luck with Craftsmans in the past and knowing that the store in my neighborhood was having massive closing sales, I went over and bought their top of the line model. What an insult to the Craftsman name that thing was. I ended up paying close to $500 when I added up all the accessories I had to have - impulse buys.

After using it in the bedroom for about 2 months, I felt like a fool. The aluminum top was scary. I had to make all new jigs because of the odd sized slots. Luckily, someone was willing to pay me close to what I paid from Craigslist. I think I only lost $100.
 
#18 ·
Sliding compound miter saw. Thought I really needed one to do woodworking and house stuff and bought a cheaper model. Realized after purchase (on sale of course) these things are gigantic and unwieldy to move. It doesn't really fit anywhere not purpose built for them (too much depth with the rails out back). Would have been much happier with a higher quality, non-sliding dual bevel model.
 
#19 ·
"drillnado" That made me laugh, not the story per se, just the name of the vac thingie.

If this is The Rockler kit in question I got mine in Cinci at the store. I had been seeing them online, and was there. I was standing in front of them, and the manager came up and asked me how many I wanted? I asked him what will it fit? He said come on. He walked over to the dust collectors first, and it fit all of the 2 1/4" collector points. Then we walked around tools, and he could fit everything I owned and then some.

I just said huh, and he looked at me, and said darn, the packaging on this one is torn, what do you think about 18 bux? I ve been very happy with mine, and long after the fact I would gladly pay the asking price for all the utility it offers me.

My thought is the 2 1/4" attachment at the vac itself is the weak point. It s possible if your vac wasn t 2 1/4 that part has the weakest adjustability being harder plastic. If it were to be permanent for a specific vac, you can use a heat gun to make it more flexible, and form fit it onto the vac s nozzle. Hold it while it molds to the vac. Once rehardened it will always stay where you shrunk, or expanded it to. The little ends will grab around anything close.

- therealSteveN
yeah the name was funny the attachement was a POS! that was a great price on the rockler hose kit i think there about 40 bucks now.
 
#22 · (Edited by Moderator)
Sliding compound miter saw. Thought I really needed one to do woodworking and house stuff and bought a cheaper model. Realized after purchase (on sale of course) these things are gigantic and unwieldy to move. It doesn t really fit anywhere not purpose built for them (too much depth with the rails out back). Would have been much happier with a higher quality, non-sliding dual bevel model.

- GoingUp
I didn't buy a slider. I got the 12" non-slider (Hitachi). I was walking through lowes looking for kitchen trash bags or something and saw they had a killer price on the thing and just bought it. But I've had it a couple of years and am still using my Dad's old Craftsman RAS (1962). I still don't regret buying the miter saw. Eventually I will use it. Right now, it's under my left table-saw wing, actually gathering dust.
 
#23 ·
A Porter Cable Detail sander. I may have well just taken the money and threw it in the wind. It s long gone (trash) but I did keep the little rubber shapes and they even get used once in a while. #2 to the Detail Sander would be the mortising attachment for my drill press. It wound up in a scrap metal dumpster.

- Fred Hargis
I bought one of those detail sanders, tried to use it and returned it. I very very rarely return anything, but it just didn't do anything useful.
 
#24 ·
SawStop CNS for me. Don t get me wrong, I love the saw, but I went in looking to get the jobsite version and got upsold to the CNS. I also upgraded to the fancy fence, mobile base, dust collection, etc. All said and done and I was within $400 of the PCS. Didn t realize it till months later. Really wish I would have gotten the PCS.

Rockler small port hose kit. That thing is awful.

- YesHaveSome

why dont you like the rockler hose kit,i have one and love it,i use it for connecting my ros,domino and pc bisquit joiner,works great.

- pottz
It weighs a ton. Couldn't put my sander down without it falling off of my table. Always felt like there was tension. Ended up getting a Bosch hose that was cheaper and fit all of my tools.
 
#25 ·
SawStop CNS for me. Don t get me wrong, I love the saw, but I went in looking to get the jobsite version and got upsold to the CNS. I also upgraded to the fancy fence, mobile base, dust collection, etc. All said and done and I was within $400 of the PCS. Didn t realize it till months later. Really wish I would have gotten the PCS.

Rockler small port hose kit. That thing is awful.

- YesHaveSome

why dont you like the rockler hose kit,i have one and love it,i use it for connecting my ros,domino and pc bisquit joiner,works great.

- pottz

It weighs a ton. Couldn t put my sander down without it falling off of my table. Always felt like there was tension. Ended up getting a Bosch hose that was cheaper and fit all of my tools.

- YesHaveSome
ok i see,your right it is heavy but i built an overhead boom arm so the hose hangs from that,look at my projects and youll see what im talkin about.the way ive done it works great.
 
#26 ·
Not so much buyers regret but builders regret is my Monster miter saw station. I chewed up 1 complete wall out of only 2 I have in my garage with a 17' wide x 46"deep miter saw station with a ton of drawers. Its great for storage but limits the garage.

Outside of that Im happy with most of my tools but would have done a few things differently.
- I wish my router table was built into TS but I like my jessem
- maybe would have skipped on the Scroll saw but it was a good deal
- Maybe would have skipped the lathe It was a great deal and gets occasional use but im not great with it
- Laguna 14suv, I should have bought an 18" grizzly for half the price but it is a great saw

O I got it GRRRIppers I bought 2 of them and barely ever use them
 
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