Save money! Discount tools are easy to find.

Whenever I can, I buy discount tools. Usually, the savings are enough to allow me to step up in quality and still come under my budget!

If you've seen the picture of my "Bad Boy" sander, you'll appreciate that this tool is still going strong after thirty years. That's quality! Even better, I bought it almost new at a pawn shop for one third it's retail price.

Many of my tools I had to buy retail because I needed it right then. Other tools I was able to shop around. Flea markets are another great place to find discount tools. That's where my 14" band saw came from and it cost less than half what Sears carried at the time.

Today you can shop on-line and get fabulous deals, and best of all, your purchases are delivered to your door. You won't have to struggle with awkward, heavy packages, and you won't have to find ways to jam it into your car! As long as the provider uses secure transaction processing (every vendor I recommend does!), you'll be safe purchasing on-line.

You're going to find many, many discount tools in this section. Primarily, I'm going to focus on eBay auctions. To make it easier on you, I've located the tools and auctions for you! For eBay, I use dynamic queries that list today's current auction. I'll also let you know what I think are the important requirements to look for, but not necessarily brands. I can't honestly review a product I've never used. Most of my major tools I've had forever! When possible, I'll show other sources for discount tools.

Let's start off with saws. I own and use seven different types of power saws, each with a primary use, but sometimes a different tool can do the same job with extra work or jigs.

My 10" table saw is my most important wood working tool. It's hard to imagine attempting any cabinetry or furniture project without one. I have a Sears Craftsman, but look at these discount table saws, you might find a real bargain!

My next most important saw is relatively new, a sharply discounted 12" compound miter saw I got at Lowe's Home Improvement Center. They were discontinuing that product and I was at the right place at the right time! I could not have built my gazebo without it. Every piece of wood in that gazebo had at least two sets of compound miter cuts, and the main roof beams had 15 degree bevels in both faces at the top whose end was also sloped at 15 degrees!

Another new saw has astonished me with it's versatility, once again, a discounted reciprocating saw. It's commonly referred to as a "sawzall" which is appropriate! Using a 12" 6TPI blade I can cut out stumps in no time that would destroy a chain saw. With a metal cutting blade, I've sawed through rusted 1/2" bolts under my boat's trailer in seconds.

As a boat builder, I often had to re-saw thick stock. My 14" band saw, when not building boats, also let me create beautifully curved quarter-round cabinet tops and shelves for a massive furniture project. It's also my preferred saw for cutting PVC, Copper pipe, or aluminum!

If you're thinking about laying ceramic tile, whether it be floors or counters and walls, you really should consider a tile saw. Generally, tile saws are wet-saws. The water is very important to lubricate the ceramic tile and diamond blade, and to dissipate the tremendous heat which otherwise would chip the tile edges and wear out the expensive blade.

And finally, my very first power tool (I still have it) a 7-1/4" circular saw. I've used it for framing, for trimming plywood, and by putting a diamond blade on it, for cutting concrete! It truly is an indispensable tool.

I own five different type of drills and they are each used specifically.

My 3/8" corded electric drill is my workhorse drill. With an extension cord, it can reach anywhere around my house or yard. It has enough oomph to drive large screws or bolts, and obviously, drill their pilot holes.

If all I'm doing is driving screws, the 3/8" cordless drill is the tool I choose. Keeping the right bit in the cordless drill saves me time when I'm drilling pilot holes with the heavier drill using a screw-setter bit and making attachments at the same time.

I use a 1/2" hammer drill for tough jobs. If I have to drill metal outside the shop, it's king! Don't waste your time with a normal high-speed drill if you're trying to make holes in concrete - you'll get nothing but a worn-out masonry bit unless you're only drilling through mortar!

I have two drill presses. My bench-top 1/2" 7 speed drill press is used for both metal and wood. My radial arm drill press is ONLY used for wood. I can't believe how fortunate I was to buy the radial arm drill press at Sears when I did - they discontinued it one month later and I've never seen one again. What a pity! With some help from a local machine shop, I solved the problems of it's accuracy (probably why it was dropped!) and it can reach places no fixed head drill press can reach. If you see one of these discount tools - Buy It!

Sanders are definitely discount tools that can wear out quickly! I currently have four sanders that are somewhat interchangeable.

For rough "knock-down" surface sanding of edge glued counter tops, or other pieces that need a lot of material removed, I use a specially adapted angle grinder. Here's a good picture of the Bad Boy grinder/sander from my Important Jigs section where you'll learn how I transformed an angle grinder into the most powerful long-lasting surface sander I've ever used!

Orbital sanders are the finish sanders of choice and my favorite is the palm sander. This little sander uses a quarter sheet of paper and is perfect for most projects. Don't be fooled, put 60 grit paper on it and it'll take off a lot of material quick!

Belt sanders take a bit of practice to get a dressed finish. You can't let them stay in one place for a millisecond, or tip an edge without making a very visible dimple or cut. Stationary bench-top belt sanders are much easier to use and are also discount tools you'll find in this auction.

These are the major power tools I use in my shop. There's many other discount tools you can find for specialty work. To name a few, routers, planers, biscuit-cutters, nail-guns ... But this is a good start!

I hope this section helpes you find the tools you need to Do It Yourself - and do it Better!

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