Originally Posted by
rekmeyata
Exactly! I only buy tools as their needed, this includes when I work on my cars or home repairs. Never ever buy a tool set, like Bikeman said you'll get tools you never use, plus you'll get tools you might already have.
I get pretty sick of having to run out in a panic to buy a tool for every job. Tools can be EXPENSIVE and when you buy them from the local hardware store or LBS they cost twice or more what they cost if you do some research and shop around -especially online. Also, the tools that are stocked in a typical hardware store or LBS are sometimes the "home" type of tool and not the pro versions. To get the better shop tool sometimes you need to really know that there is a difference and where to find the better tools. A lot of LBS mechanics aren't going to let you in on the "secrets" and much of the time they hardly know themselves.
I'm a tradesman and I'd hardly want to buy many of my work tools from a hardware store. Home Depot now carries a pretty good line of Klein tools and other pro-level electrical tools but that wasn't the case not too many years ago. One really needs to do some research before just going out and buying a tool IMHO. I hate having to do this in the heat of battle. I want to be prepared, and I don't want to have the item that needs to be prepared down for an extended period of time while the proper tool is sourced. I also don't like buying a tool at retail only to find that it is not up to the task or a life-long tool and need to end up replacing it down the road. There is a whole drawer full of junky consumer-grade low-end tools that are like the land of misfit toys.
Zinn has a whole section on tools and what tools to have. He has the tools sorted into "levels" and grades them from the basic level-1 home repair kit that every bike owner should have at home (above and beyond what they carry on the bike) to level-3 and beyond to what he calls the very well stocked shop.
In the Glenn's book he does something similar but it is handy to compare and contrast the two tool lists depending on how old of a bike you are riding.
If you are into riding for the long term you might as well get into wrenching for the long term too. Don't buy cheesy tools that you will regret buying later. The best way to avoid this is to not buy them at the last second when it becomes an emergency and you NEED to buy them...
/end rant.