When looking for new tools you will be inundated with tool combo kits that offer a huge variety for a little cost. Is this something that is worth purchasing, or should you purchase the tools separately?
Assess Your Needs
If you don’t do a lot of home repairs, or just want to have some tools lying around for emergency purposes, then a combo kit may not be a bad idea for you.
If you use tools on a regular basis, are a home handyman, or just want to have quality tools, then it may not be.
A combo kit will usually have a few tools you will use regularly, and many more that may never come out of the sleeves.
Before you spend money on the combo kit, think about all the repairs you’ve done over the last 6 months. How many tools did you need? Would you have used most of the tools in the kit?
Type Of Combo Kit
You can find many different kinds of combo tool kits. Some will be all screwdrivers, others will be common household tools, and some will be more specialty tools. Many of these kits can be useful, but you have to ask, how many screwdrivers will you possibly need? Sometimes tools that you find in the kits are just repetitive and not worth the money.
Quality Concerns
If you only need a few tools and you use them a lot, you are better off spending a little more money and purchasing them individually. Many times with the kits you are not able to open the packaging and inspect the quality of the tools.
The combo kits can be offered at much lower prices than the individual tools because the quality usually isn’t the same. They may be mass produced using cheaper materials. The handles may wear down on hammers, the steel may simply be a steel coating, and the other components may be just as shoddy. For someone who only needs to tighten a door knob occasionally this won’t be a big deal. But for the serious repair person, this won’t work for you.
Costs
You can find good quality tool kits if you are willing to pay a little extra money. Many large retailers and specialty tool shops will have kits that you can customize. They also have kits that the large tool brands have put together with their higher quality products. The thing to keep in mind with these is that they may not offer you any kind of discount by purchasing them together. While there may not be a discount, it may still be worth your money if you are able to get the tools that will last you a lifetime, and only the ones you need.
If you decide to go with a cheaper, lower quality tool combo kit, just remember that you will get what you pay for. They may be a good short term solution, but don’t expect them to last a lifetime.
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