i look at it a little differently. when i buy a tool, i like to buy a good, quality tool that i will keep forever so that i only have to buy the tool once. it just bugs me to buy a something that isn't exactly what i want, just to get me by, because later on i'll inevitably buy the tool that i really wanted in the first place. then i have two tools, one that i like and one that i don't like, and i've spent more money than if i just bought the right tool in the beginning.
here's an example: i'm putting in an upstairs tank with a downstairs sump. to do the plumbing, i need to drill two holes, one for the send line and one for the return line. the holes need to go into a tight space between a floor and a ceiling that is hard to access, and the only way to make the holes is with a right angle drill. because i'll be drilling through 2x12 and through an oak floor, i'm going to need a serious right angle drill. so i bought
this one.
with the drill and the bit kit, its going to cost me over $450 (over $200 per hole) to make the two holes that I need for the water lines. my only other option would be to rent the tool, or to pay someone else to drill the holes for me. i've done that before, and looking back on the situation, i wish that i had just bought the tool in the first place.
dammit. nemo is eating my wallet again.