I thought those cheap graphite reamers from the online auction site were a total waste of money.

I bought a set for like $15 last year because I was tired of burning through my good one on simple punty marks. The first one snapped in half on the third use, so I tossed the rest in a drawer. Last week, my main reamer was across the shop and I grabbed one of the cheap ones in a pinch. I've used it for five sessions now on small stuff and it's held up fine, it just needed a lighter touch. Has anyone else found a cheap tool that actually works okay once you figure out its limits?

3 comments

3 Comments

james27925d ago

Is there a special drawer in every shop just for tools you've sworn off but are too cheap to throw away? Mine is full of stuff like that. I had a similar fight with a bargain bin glass cutter that only works if you pretend it's made of crystal and you're a cartoon mouse. You learn the gentle touch or you learn to sweep up a lot of tiny pieces.

danieltaylor25d ago

My buddy's version of that drawer is a whole shelf, @james279. He keeps a drill that only works if you shout the brand name at it.

walker.rowan23h ago

That's the real test of a tool. If you have to perform a ritual to make it work, it's not a good tool. It's just a piece of junk with extra steps. My cheap tape measure only retracts if you whisper sweet nothings to it. You end up spending more time on the magic trick than the actual job.