DustinTMoney Posted August 22, 2010 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 (edited) I have a budget of $80 and i was wondering what random orbital sander and a jigsaw that would be in my range, and also what would be the things i should look for and check if i were to get a used one from somewhere like craigslist, or if its even worth getting a used one. Also if you could give a rough estimate of the lifespan on the tools in hours or whatever is easiest measurement that i can ask a seller if i do buy used. also, what would you guys reccomend for a set of hand rasps and files and a roundabout cost of them? edit: also are there any concerns with manufacturer refurbished equipment? Edited August 22, 2010 by DustinTMoney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted August 23, 2010 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 You can buy one good sander, but not a good jig saw for anything like $80. Nor can you expect to buy both for $80. Bosch, mikita, dewalt porter cable all make good RO sanders for under $80. No one makes a good jig saw for under $80, try harbor freight but I have no clue how it will work. At the very least your final project depends on a good sander so dont cheap out unless you like to hand sand after you power sand.. I guess you can live with a crummy Jig saw as long as it can cut 1 3/4" hardwood. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DustinTMoney Posted August 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2010 You can buy one good sander, but not a good jig saw for anything like $80. Nor can you expect to buy both for $80. Bosch, mikita, dewalt porter cable all make good RO sanders for under $80. No one makes a good jig saw for under $80, try harbor freight but I have no clue how it will work. At the very least your final project depends on a good sander so dont cheap out unless you like to hand sand after you power sand.. I guess you can live with a crummy Jig saw as long as it can cut 1 3/4" hardwood. Good luck. well i went to the local harbor freight and got the random orbital sander for 20 bucks, it seems to work good, but bogs down sometimes, but i think thats my fault for trying to rush it and use it as my main tool to eat away wood on the bass i am modding. oh well, if it breaks its only 20 bucks, but its withstood my beating for a few days at least. once i get the money I'll go for a porter cable. but until i move out of beginner status of guitar building i think most my purchases for tools will be at harbor freight as i'm not too set back if i don't succeed. Actually, I may start a thread for all of the tools i get there to review them for anyone else who wants to know about their tools after i use the tool for a while just to see how it works, should come in handy for anyone else on a tight budget like i am. Next 2 things i'm planning on getting at Harbor freight are a rotary tool (dremel) for $25, the 250 piece accesory kit for it thats $20, and a plunge router that is $60. Also gonna grab a spoke shave and another rasp, i got one last time, but it was a bit too small for me after i tried using it, but hey, 2 bucks for it and i can still use it for tight to get to spots or small areas. speaking of spoke shave, i think they had two kinds, a flat and a roundpiece, which one should i get and what are the specialties of each as i may just get both to use in any situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted August 25, 2010 Report Share Posted August 25, 2010 What you are investing in are tools you will grow out of once you realize how low end they are. Better spend your money once rather than twice and buy a tool you can use for years. You will in fact spend more money in the long run opting for cheap.. Everyone has HF tools even I do, just not not the tools your buying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DustinTMoney Posted August 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2010 What you are investing in are tools you will grow out of once you realize how low end they are. Better spend your money once rather than twice and buy a tool you can use for years. You will in fact spend more money in the long run opting for cheap.. Everyone has HF tools even I do, just not not the tools your buying. well, if they last me through my mod and through my first build from scratch so that i know that i can do this whole guitar making thing, then i will buy the more expensive stuff, but as of now its a beginning hobby and i'm just trying to be minimalist on budget and the tools i'm using, so just getting the basics, and the router i may just go ahead and get the porter cable straight away if possible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted August 25, 2010 Report Share Posted August 25, 2010 Look on eBay and Craigslist for tools. There are a ton on there at great prices. Also look for factory refurbished tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musiclogic Posted August 25, 2010 Report Share Posted August 25, 2010 Look on eBay and Craigslist for tools. There are a ton on there at great prices. Also look for factory refurbished tools. ^^^+1 on this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherokee6 Posted September 6, 2010 Report Share Posted September 6, 2010 Ryobi actually makes a very good reasonably priced sander and jigsaw. You can also check Sears for Craftsman tools, especially when they are on sale. There are also garage sales! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich C Posted September 8, 2010 Report Share Posted September 8, 2010 What you are investing in are tools you will grow out of once you realize how low end they are. Better spend your money once rather than twice and buy a tool you can use for years. You will in fact spend more money in the long run opting for cheap.. Everyone has HF tools even I do, just not not the tools your buying. well, if they last me through my mod and through my first build from scratch so that i know that i can do this whole guitar making thing, then i will buy the more expensive stuff, but as of now its a beginning hobby and i'm just trying to be minimalist on budget and the tools i'm using, so just getting the basics, and the router i may just go ahead and get the porter cable straight away if possible The problem is that using bad tools makes it harder and less likely that you will succeed. I've bought a bunch of things from HF, but they're things like a heat gun and bar clamps. I've certainly gotten my money out of them, but I don't think there's a time I've used the bar clamps and not thought about the fact that I would have been happier if I bought better ones. I can only imagine how much vibration a RO sander from them would transfer into your arm and make sanding less enjoyable than it already is. You also have to think about the fact that something like a sander isn't just to make a musical instrument. I owned a 1/4 sheet sander, RO sander, belt sander and a belt/disk stationary sander long before I ever thought about building a guitar. And regarding weather or not you succeed, that's entirely up to you. Even if you make a complete mess of your first project, if you take your time, are patient, think things through and learn from your mistakes, you'll get better. It's about whether you want to do it, not if you can do it. If you want to, you will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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