Popular Woodworking 2000-11 № 118, страница 10
where to These days your local hardware store might not be the cheapest place to buy your woodworking tools and machinery. Not too long ago buying a woodworking power tool meant driving to Sears, the local hardware store or — if you were lucky — a woodworking machinery store. You could look at the Craftsman tools, or check out the two or three drills the store stocked and a couple of different drill presses. There wasn't a huge decision to be made over price because your choices were limited. You could do some shopping by mail, but the depth of selection wasn't very impressive. Today, I can compare prices on more than 100 different cordless drill models, find the best deal and buy the tool — without moving from my desk. And that goes for cabinet saws and 20" planers, as well. The tool buying revolution through competitive catalog and mail-order sales, and more recently the advent of internet shopping, puts an enormous amount of tools at our fingertips. In most cases this is a good thing, but there are a few pieces of information that you should be armed with before picking up the phone so that you save yourself time and hassles. Know What You Need With so many tools and options available, having good information is especially critical. So, what's first? Figure out what type of tool you need, and start with this magazine. Let's carry the drill analogy a little further. If you're building a deck, you need to drive a lot of 3" deck screws. So turn to the section on cordless drills and determine which drill is designed to drill a lot of big screws, or offers the other features you need. There are likely to be a couple of tools from different manufacturers that will fit your needs, so take a look at the price ranges, and choose one or two that you prefer. Another way to get specific tool advice is to reach out over the internet to other tool shoppers and owners. At internet discussion groups such as Badger Pond (www.wwforum.com) and usenet newsgroups (rec.woodworking) you can ask other woodworkers about specific brands and models. In many cases, these discussion groups archive their messages. That's a good place to start looking for tool advice. Simply asking everyone in the group, "Which table saw should I buy?" is likely to invoke a lot \ of angry responses. A good place to look for archived tool discussion is at Deja.com (www. deja.com). Research what has already been said about the tools you're interested in, then ask your question. Other new internet sites are offering new ways to get tool shopping information as well. Productopia (www.produc-topia.com) offers product reviews and makes recommendations on purchases for a number of tool categories. They also include links to the manufacturers' sites as well as shopping sites. Another twist can be found at www.mer-cata.com. This site offers tools (as well as a lot of other products) for sale in a group-buying deal for lower prices. The tool you're looking for isn't always for sale, but there are some bargains to be had. Where to Shop For the Best Price Next, dig out your catalogs or log on to the internet to check the prices on the drills you chose. You should be able to find a tool that fits in your price range — but don't buy it yet. Let's discuss where you can shop and what each location has to offer. Most woodworkers have a love/hate relationship with home centers. They love the convenience, selection and price — but it can be difficult to find someone who can help you choose a tool intelligently. Many smaller tool stores used by pro- by David Thiel 14 Popular Woodworking November 2000 |
