Need help shopping for tools

[Stercorarius]

Long story short, I got a new service truck that didn't have keys for the boxes. Made the mistake of thinking I could leave my tools in overnight if I parked behind the house until I could get keys made. Local cops won't do their job. Have to buy new power tools again for the fourth time. Money is really tight. Need to replace them quickly. Open to any brand other than Milwaukee. Only looking for help finding deals or the best price on these tools. Don't have a lot of free time to shop around so if you guys remember seeing a sale or promo on them let me know.

Tools:

1/2" sae impact socket set

Cordless recip and circular

Cordless drill and impact driver

Cordless impact wrench

Cordless grinder

Thanks in advance for any help

[jtkendall]

You can get the saws, drill, and impact from Rigid for $250, marked down from $400 - https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Cordless-Lithium-ion-5-Tool-Combo-Kit-w-Drill-Impact-Driver-Circular-Saw-Reciprocating-Saw-Light-R9623N/300146409

 

Grinder for $99-$119 - https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Power-Tools/RIDGID/Cordless/N-5yc1vZc298Z18gZ1z140i3/Ntk-semanticsearch/Ntt-ridgid%2Bgrinder?NCNI-5&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchall&lowerBound=50&upperBound=200

 

1/2" Impact Wrench for $140-$150 - https://www.homedepot.com/s/ridgid%201%2F2%22%20impact%20wrench?NCNI-5

 

$489 for everything except the sockets, you'd need to pick up extra batteries too. The 4.0's are $99 per 2-pack so $588 and then a socket set. Probably won't get a lower price for all of the tools and 4 batteries, and you should be able to pick everything up at a local Home Depot. 

[Kato]

Buy Ryobi and be done with it. You'll find that it's a very capable brand, it's cheap, and it's anywhere a Home Depot is. They have every tool you could need or want, and you won't have to worry about different batteries for different tools. If someone steals them you're not out a ton of money.

 

Buy a few kits so you get tools, batteries, and chargers, then pick up a few sets of the 4Ah batteries.

[AnonymousJoe]

4 times?! That’s nuts, were all 4 times taken out of ur truck?

[Stercorarius]

2 hours ago, AnonymousJoe said:

4 times?! That’s nuts, were all 4 times taken out of ur truck?

First time was my car when I was 17 and didn't know to lock, second time (not current) company truck that didn't have locks at my house when I was 18 or 19, third time out of the (not current) company equipment yard when I was 19, and this time out of my new old pickup at 20 so it's a yearly thing. Almost 18k at this point.

[Stercorarius]

3 hours ago, Kato said:

Buy Ryobi and be done with it. You'll find that it's a very capable brand, it's cheap, and it's anywhere a Home Depot is. They have every tool you could need or want, and you won't have to worry about different batteries for different tools. If someone steals them you're not out a ton of money.

 

Buy a few kits so you get tools, batteries, and chargers, then pick up a few sets of the 4Ah batteries.

Yeah seeming like the way to go. Haven't had a tool for long enough to wear it out yet. That's what I used growing up. By no means beneath me. Would rather have DeWalt or metabo for the same price but I can't really find that option.

[Stercorarius]

4 hours ago, jtkendall said:

You can get the saws, drill, and impact from Rigid for $250, marked down from $400 - https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Cordless-Lithium-ion-5-Tool-Combo-Kit-w-Drill-Impact-Driver-Circular-Saw-Reciprocating-Saw-Light-R9623N/300146409

 

Grinder for $99-$119 - https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Power-Tools/RIDGID/Cordless/N-5yc1vZc298Z18gZ1z140i3/Ntk-semanticsearch/Ntt-ridgid%2Bgrinder?NCNI-5&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchall&lowerBound=50&upperBound=200

 

1/2" Impact Wrench for $140-$150 - https://www.homedepot.com/s/ridgid%201%2F2%22%20impact%20wrench?NCNI-5

 

$489 for everything except the sockets, you'd need to pick up extra batteries too. The 4.0's are $99 per 2-pack so $588 and then a socket set. Probably won't get a lower price for all of the tools and 4 batteries, and you should be able to pick everything up at a local Home Depot. 

That's not a bad price at all.

[Grumpy MSG]

Call me crazy, but having your stuff stolen 4 times before you are old enough to drink legally is not a good sign. I am going to tell you to think about going a different route. Just taking the list of tools you have mentioned and using the thoughts of either large or small modular boxes like the Ridgid or ToughSystem boxes: 

Cordless circular saw                                                             -wheeled bottom box

Cordless reciprocating saw and blades                              -small box

Cordless drill and impact driver + bits                                 -small box

Cordless impact wrench + 1/2" SAE impact socket set   -small box

Cordless grinder                                                                      -small box

You could probably use the open totes which would probably hold more in each box, need fewer small boxes but the same principle would apply.

 

You could have everything unloaded and in the house in a trip or two and seriously cut down on the theft from vehicles. Another thing to do is to put them in a closet or room out of view of a window in the house, so nobody can see them easily and be tempted by for quick theft opportunity. Another thing you can do, is to start at the closest pawn shop to the house and check all of them within a ten mile radius as quickly as you can for your tools. often you will find pawn shops like to cooperate with local PDs. It doesn't help them to get a reputation for selling stolen goods. Heck, you might find some tools at a price that would be a decent replacement for what was stolen. 

[Biggie]

I'm sure it still wouldn't end up being cheap but metabo does have a rebate for some free bare tools.  Acme has it advertised and if you just click on the ad it's a bit confusing as to what you have to buy and what you get free.  Somehow I viewed the rebate flyer last week so it was saved on my tablet but for the life of me I can't find it on acme anymore.  Looks like you could buy a grinder kit and a impact wrench kit and get a drill and impact driver free.

Metabo_Cordless_Q1_2018_MIR.pdf

[Stercorarius]

1 hour ago, Grumpy MSG said:

Call me crazy, but having your stuff stolen 4 times before you are old enough to drink legally is not a good sign. I am going to tell you to think about going a different route. Just taking the list of tools you have mentioned and using the thoughts of either large or small modular boxes like the Ridgid or ToughSystem boxes: 

Cordless circular saw                                                             -wheeled bottom box

Cordless reciprocating saw and blades                              -small box

Cordless drill and impact driver + bits                                 -small box

Cordless impact wrench + 1/2" SAE impact socket set   -small box

Cordless grinder                                                                      -small box

You could probably use the open totes which would probably hold more in each box, need fewer small boxes but the same principle would apply.

 

You could have everything unloaded and in the house in a trip or two and seriously cut down on the theft from vehicles. Another thing to do is to put them in a closet or room out of view of a window in the house, so nobody can see them easily and be tempted by for quick theft opportunity. Another thing you can do, is to start at the closest pawn shop to the house and check all of them within a ten mile radius as quickly as you can for your tools. often you will find pawn shops like to cooperate with local PDs. It doesn't help them to get a reputation for selling stolen goods. Heck, you might find some tools at a price that would be a decent replacement for what was stolen. 

Yeah it becomes a whole issue of quantity at a certain point. The power tools I'll have to do, but it takes a good hour or more to unload a service truck and then another hour to load which cuts into time that could be either billable hours or sleeping. You are right though. If a thief can unload it before anyone notices anything then I should be able to unload it each night too. Live in a small town and decent neighborhood can't see into any houses from the street because land was cheap when they were built, just one of my neighbors grandkids is a real pos and gets traffic through the area that likes getting things for free. Small enough town that we don't have any pawn shops that sell tools. They just sell them for pennies on the dollar to guys who take them four hours west and pawn them off in Seattle. I watch pretty much every Craigslist listing in the state, but they seem to know better. One of those things where my blood pressure can't really handle getting pissed of every night lugging everything in when people should just stick to not being a holes or catch a bullet. That's not going to change anytime so you're right, I'll just have to find a better way.

[Stercorarius]

22 minutes ago, Biggie said:

I'm sure it still wouldn't end up being cheap but metabo does have a rebate for some free bare tools.  Acme has it advertised and if you just click on the ad it's a bit confusing as to what you have to buy and what you get free.  Somehow I viewed the rebate flyer last week so it was saved on my tablet but for the life of me I can't find it on acme anymore.  Looks like you could buy a grinder kit and a impact wrench kit and get a drill and impact driver free.

Metabo_Cordless_Q1_2018_MIR.pdf

Yeah that's not a bad deal. I did that one two years ago when I ran Metabo. You get what you pay for for sure. Great little drill and the best grinder. Cost effective for going with Metabo. After this 200 yard concrete job I could probably swing it. If there was either another kit option or another bare tool option I would do it. Free impact with drill would work but then it would be free drill with grinder which then I'd have to sell and that would be a whole process. If I get my next work lined up working on pumps and more servicing/fab stuff it would be the way I'd go, but it's looking like the work readily available is barn construction where I'll need more carpenter focused tools.

[BMack37]

What you need to do is move man. I've known you for like three years and this is the third time this has happened.

 

Until then, Ryobi. You're getting at most a year out of tools so that's the logical choice. If you want power, check out the Kobalt tools...those might be good for impact wrenches since yours get beat up pretty good while in use.

[Biggie]

If you went the ridgid route you could get the $250 5 tool kit. Then get this https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Cordless-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-3-Tool-Automotive-Combo-Kit-with-2-4-0Ah-Batteries-and-Charger-R9215N/302859910.  For $300 you get the brushless impact wrench, grinder, x5 impact driver and 2 4.0 batteries.  So you'd be at $550 and have 2 impact drivers.  Maybe you could trade one for an impact socket set haha.

[khariV]

My vote is Ryobi with a side of "lock the crap out of your tools every time you turn your back."

[isaiahb85]

I'm sorry to hear that. I just hate when stuff is stolen from me. Much more than the items or the cost, I hate the feeling.

[isaiahb85]

Long story short, I got a new service truck that didn't have keys for the boxes. Made the mistake of thinking I could leave my tools in overnight if I parked behind the house until I could get keys made. Local cops won't do their job. Have to buy new power tools again for the fourth time. Money is really tight. Need to replace them quickly. Open to any brand other than Milwaukee. Only looking for help finding deals or the best price on these tools. Don't have a lot of free time to shop around so if you guys remember seeing a sale or promo on them let me know.
Tools:
1/2" sae impact socket set
Cordless recip and circular
Cordless drill and impact driver
Cordless impact wrench
Cordless grinder
Thanks in advance for any help

PM sent.

[Stercorarius]

8 hours ago, BMack37 said:

What you need to do is move man. I've known you for like three years and this is the third time this has happened.

 

Until then, Ryobi. You're getting at most a year out of tools so that's the logical choice. If you want power, check out the Kobalt tools...those might be good for impact wrenches since yours get beat up pretty good while in use.

Yeah moving is on the list of things for if I can make this thing start flowing cash. When I move it's going to have to have a shop big enough to lock a truck in. Other option is leasing a shop for the business, but that's at least a few months down the road. I do have a dealership agreement with one equipment company and a few more lined up so if any of that moves then a building with a shop to park in will be faster than buying a house with a shop or building one. 

[ToolBane]

How does insurance work for this sort of thing? The fact that you didn’t lock things up may get in your way, but I would have thought you could get a substantial amount of coverage for stuff like that.

[AnonymousJoe]

I think u have to pay extra to cover tools on a commercial policy but I’m not sure. All this talk about buying new tools and buying a building/shop, why not just pay to have the locks fixed and get an alarm installed? Or put a fence up and get a mean ass dog...

[jtkendall]

18 minutes ago, AnonymousJoe said:

get a mean ass dog

 

That could open them up to legal action depending on their local laws if someone is bitten by the dog, regardless of whether the person bit was committing a crime or not. Plus a lot of dogs won't do anything helpful choosing either to befriend this new stranger or running away themselves. A dog can be a deterrent but can't replace an alarm, additionally the dog could become a target of theft as well if someone decides they want the dog. 

[khariV]

1 hour ago, jtkendall said:

 

That could open them up to legal action depending on their local laws if someone is bitten by the dog, regardless of whether the person bit was committing a crime or not. Plus a lot of dogs won't do anything helpful choosing either to befriend this new stranger or running away themselves. A dog can be a deterrent but can't replace an alarm, additionally the dog could become a target of theft as well if someone decides they want the dog. 

This sounds ridiculous, but it absolutely happens.  My father got a 1 year old pit bull puppy that was way too friendly and within about a month, someone had stolen him from the yard when my dad was inside.

[Stercorarius]

19 hours ago, AnonymousJoe said:

I think u have to pay extra to cover tools on a commercial policy but I’m not sure. All this talk about buying new tools and buying a building/shop, why not just pay to have the locks fixed and get an alarm installed? Or put a fence up and get a mean ass dog...

Just need time to get locks fixed and that can only do so much. The other pickup's locks were out of my control.

[Mordekyle]

If you don't have time, you should have money.

If you don't have money, you should have time.

If you don't have either,


should you think about raising your rates?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mordekyle]

How does insurance work for this sort of thing? The fact that you didn’t lock things up may get in your way, but I would have thought you could get a substantial amount of coverage for stuff like that.

Big deductibles discourage filing a claim.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Stercorarius]

5 hours ago, Mordekyle said:

If you don't have time, you should have money.

If you don't have money, you should have time.

If you don't have either,


should you think about raising your rates?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yah. This is the first job I've gotten since morning the LLC so I have yet to bill anything out. Last company I was a manager at I had zero time doing 70-100 hr work weeks and no money at minimum wage and since they didn't want to increase my rate I'm trying to do it myself.