Why You Shouldn't Buy High-End Tools When First Starting To Make Things

When first starting to Make things, I spent countless hours watching other Makers on YouTube.

These Makers made their projects look easy. They used their tools like experts to create exactly what was in their head and the results spoke for themselves. They also made fantastic projects week after week.

I wanted to do this too, so started looking at the tools they were using.

The Problem Was, I Didn’t Know Anything About Tools

My assumption was that a “better”, more expensive tool would make me a better maker.

I listed out some of the tools I thought I needed and looked for the best ones available. After realizing how much Festool cost, I looked for the best ones I could actually afford. Some of the ones I purchased still wouldn’t be considered “the best”, but they were good brands and I put as many of them as I could in my workshop.

With the best tools I could afford in-hand, all my project dreams would come true….right?

I Blamed The Tools For Failures

When a piece of material wasn’t cut correctly, a screw stripped out, or the finish wasn’t good, it had to be the tools fault, not mine.

Or so I thought.

It took me more time than I care to admit, but I finally realized that the problem wasn’t always the tool and whether it was “the best” or not.

The problem was I wasn’t taking ownership of my lack of experience making things.

Part of being a Maker is having the self-awareness to admit where you need to put more time in so you can use a tool the best way for you. You can only gain that experience by actually using the tool. You get a feel for it, understand what it does well as well as what it doesn’t, and you start to develop a sense of when to grab one tool over another.

Am I advocating only using cheap tools? No.

When you are brand new to a particular type of tool, get a low-cost one that you can really get to know. Once you have an idea of how you actually use it, what you like, what you don’t, and what you wish it did, then you can make an informed decision to buy a pricier one that will unlock a new level for you as a Maker.

But don’t just take my word for it

In his book, Every Tool’s a Hammer, Adam Savage says about tool purchasing:

“…I always start out with a cheap version…If you’ve never used a tool before, reviews and articles about it can only get you so far. You need to work with a tool in order to see how the tool works for YOU.” (pg 267)

He goes on to say that if you later decide to get a better version, you’re now informed and know what to get. His personal upgrade rule is.

“…if I needed a tool more than three times within a year, it was worth investing in a good one of my own.” (pg 267)

Don’t start out with expensive tools because you think they’ll make you a better Maker. A tool is just that, a tool. It’s how YOU use it that creates awesome projects.