“AAAHHHH...someone said harbor freight and  Chicago Electric. stay away from both. Cheap, shoddily made, garbage.  If you are going to buy tools you want to last,  buy good ones.....in this case you DO get what you pay for.”

AGAIN with the equipment snobbery and this stupid notion that if it’s less expensive (be it tools, or sound equipment, or lighting, etc.) it’s not worth your consideration.  Just like everything out there, there are heavy duty, professional grade tools for people “in the business” and there are tools designed more for the “weekend warrior.”  And there is the out-and-out junk.  NO MANUFACTURER IS EXCLUSIVELY IN ONE CAMP.  The challenge is to discern which are worthwhile in EVERY manufacturer’s inventory.  I have used inexpensive Harbor Freight (yes, Chicago Electric) tools for YEARS with no problems, and PROFESSIONAL grade Ryobi and DeWalt tools with tremendous problems, and very over-priced junk from Rockler Tools.  For me to make a blanket statement about these manufacturers, based on my experiences in these cases would be equally stupid.  They ALL make equipment that is USUALLY very good when applied to their intended use.

Matching the USE with the tool is more prudent than blindly buying a brand name, regardless of intended use.  I often say people who buy over-priced equipment because of the NAME (and not the actual design/construction of the piece and how well it would work with the intended use) are an advertiser’s dream.  Sure, purchasing the “Rolls Royce” version of a tool would be nice, but terribly inappropriate for the person looking to merely “go-kart.”  So what’s the difference between a $25.00 Chicago Electric circular saw and a $320.00 Makita professional grade saw?  Plenty, but most of it is totally wasted on a guy with a limited budget, cutting 1/8 inch luan to build flats.  And the longer life expected from the more expensive tool is never a sure thing (and since when has ANY tool lasted for twenty years, trouble free with the abuse at a community theatre?)

A far smarter approach is to educate yourself on what to look for in a tool, and how well it is designed for the use intended.  Get on the Internet and check out how well a manufacturer stands behind their product, steering clear of the “only buy this because everything else is junk” comments from prejudiced equipment snobs.  Then go pick the tool up, hold it in your hands, look it over, read the specs, consider the warranty, AND CONSIDER THE PRICE.  Put the shoddy stuff back on the shelf, but consider the rest.  The top of the line is not always the best choice; it can sometimes be a serious waste of money.