Tool Snobs?

[bluzcat]

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed more post recently by what I call "Tool Snobs"? This is a great site. I've been visiting almost 5 years and by far this is my favorite destination when I jump on the web. I have a BT3100, but I crossed over to the dark side last year when Amazon was clearing out the Jet cabinet saws. No matter what brand of tools poeple have, everyone was very cordial and polite, not to mention helpful to newbies like myself. About a year ago I started visiting another woodworking site on the "net". I found a lot of information there too, but after a while I noticed an awful lot of posts by "tool elitists". That site makes me feel that if I don't have a Unisaw with a stack of WW II blades and a big bandsaw and a drum sander (even if it's JUST a Performax!), I'm not serious about woodworking. It just doesn't have the same warm family feel as the BT3 site. Lately I have read some posts here that seem to have leaked from that other site. My feeling is, if your not interested in someone's post, just ignore it. Don't post a reply just to bash the guys choice of router bits! If you have personel experience a brand that is being discussed, and can offer some insight, that's one thing. I'm really NOT trying to stir anything up here, I just hope this site doesn't turn in to that other one.

[Ed62]

Yeah, you're right about that special feeling when you're on this site. This is only the second site I've found like that, and the other one was a photo restoration site.

Ed

[newbie2wood]

This is by far the best woodworking forum IMO. Most of the members are not professional woodworkers and understand that each person brings to the forum a different level of skills and experience. The members are helpful and polite in their feedback, even when there are disagreements.

I too have gone over to the dark side, but I enjoy coming back to this forum.
________
Cheap portble vapourizer

[messmaker]

I always get a kick out of it. You frequently hear people shooting down tools they have never seen and have no clue as to whether they work or not. My hometown is where the first Harbor freight retail store was located and still prospers. No self respecting 'Tool Snob' would live here. You are right. This site has a special feel. We seem to not take life quite as seriously as some others.

[bluzcat]

Hey messmaker, are you talking about Oxnard, California as the first HF store? I know that's where the warehouse is. I recently moved from California to Indiana, but I used to work in Thousand Oaks, just up the hill from Oxnard. They opened a retail store at the warehouse. They had by far they best parking lot sales. I respect HF tools for what they are. If you need a special tool you'll only use once or twice, that's the place. If you make you living with tools, probably the the place to shop. I have bought lots of HF tools, been happy with most (notable exception: an air stapler that was horrible). I think there was a thread a while back listing great tools/bargains at HF, and IIRC, it was a pretty long list. I am a clamp junkie, and the 6" F-style with the clutch are the best bargain going.

[ironhat]

I'm always impressed with the support supplied for problems, the praises offered for project posts and the kind words for trials and losses. We are more than just a WW site. Dare I say that we seem to respond much like a family? Good on all of you folks!

[messmaker]

Hey messmaker, are you talking about Oxnard, California as the first HF store? I know that's where the warehouse is. I recently moved from California to Indiana, but I used to work in Thousand Oaks, just up the hill from Oxnard. They opened a retail store at the warehouse. They had by far they best parking lot sales. I respect HF tools for what they are. If you need a special tool you'll only use once or twice, that's the place. If you make you living with tools, probably the the place to shop. I have bought lots of HF tools, been happy with most (notable exception: an air stapler that was horrible). I think there was a thread a while back listing great tools/bargains at HF, and IIRC, it was a pretty long list. I am a clamp junkie, and the 6" F-style with the clutch are the best bargain going.

I think they have a couple warehouses in California and one in the Carolina's but the very first retail store was in Lexington,KY.

[chopnhack]

I too have enjoyed this site's comradarie. I am a bit disappointed to see someone who may have access to higher quality tools to "shoot" down another's post. Most folks that I have encountered have been friendly, helpful and all around great. If you have advice or know of better products, by all means share the info. That's what this site is all about - sharing collective knowledge. IMO

[leehljp]

People are passionate about their purchases and identify themselves with their tools. Personally I am passionate about something that will do the job well (and I mean well) without regard to its price.

Unfortunately, some people only equate price or at least a minimum price with quality. LOML thinks I always want the expensive tools or expensive this that or the other. No, I tell her, only something that does the job well.

Another track on this same line of tool snobbery is the put down of a tool because if it of a different design and calling it weak when the very tool they compare it with has its own faults. This is one of my pet peeves.

Quite often some people would put down certain aspects of the BT3100 because of its different design and cheap price and say how well one would benefit from say a unisaw. Norm Havens, the originator of "paint the red line" used to post occasional notes on problems with HD's Ridgid models and even Unisaw problems. You would be surprised as to the number of QC problems that get out.

The real problem for me comes when tool snobs will acknowledge that of course there will be Ridgids and also Unisaws that is produced that are lemons and even beyond that some with minor problems that need new parts straight out of the crate. That is OK and to be expected, but if a BT3x00 has the problem, then it is slammed because it is cheap!

[Uncle Cracker]

Rather than tool snobs in general, I think that the OP is talking about what he sees as an increase of them lately here on this board. Frankly, I had not noticed that myself, but I try not to be annoyed by things like that, so if it has gotten worse, that might explain why I haven't noticed.

[JoeyGee]

I have not noticed any tool snobbery here. I'm not trying to refute the OP, I just have not noticed it for myself. I know it's not necessary to add to the praise, but I do really enjoy this forum, and it is my favorite on the net. I was driven here from other forums by the lack of snobbery, on ANY level, not just tools.

[crokett]

To the OP, I can make a pretty good guess as to which 'other forum' you are talking about. I am a member there. I don't see much tool snobbery but then I don't hang out in the WW sections. Thiis site provides all I need for that.

I am either in Off Topic (which has been cleaned up A LOT - all the troublemakers were run off) or in Home Improvements. There are a fair number of tradespeople who can answer home improvement stuff and simply more eyes see my posts there than here.

[ryan.s]

I completely agree with the OP. I've noticed it recently on a couple of posts, maybe some people are just misunderstood or have a unique way of getting his/her opinions across.

[Crash2510]

I have to say I also agree with the op I prefer to brush it off though because with 8000 some members you can't let only a couple give this great site a bad name.

I really don't think this is really a big deal because some people are just really passionate about quality tools, me included

[Jim Boyd]

H'mmmm I musta missed something somewhere. Snobbery is one thing I would never associate with this site. In the old days we were just "Sicko's"