Rockwell is 139 bucks and Fein is 300 bucks plus. What is the difference
between these 2, other than the price? They both seem to do the same thing.
The Fein can't be that much better in my opinion. What is you folks opinion
of the 2? Thanks for your help.
__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4128 (20090603) __________
The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
http://www.eset.com
"-MIKE-" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> A couple highlights... $50 RAS that gets a ton of use, and a $100 14" Jet
> bandsaw.
> Keeping my eyes open for a tablesaw upgrade. :-)
> --
>
I used to go to garage sales all the time when young and poor. One thing
that gets their attention is if you drive up in a pickup truck.
I was needing to build a lumber rack in limited space in my garage. I
spotted a garage sale and located a very nice lumber rack. It was double
sided so I cut one side off. But it fit perfect into the spot I had for it.
It would have taken me at least two hours to build. And I would have had to
purchase $50 worth of materials. And I would have had to design it and
drive to purchase the materials.
Cost?? $15! Loaded it up in the truck. Drove it home. Measured and cut off
one side. Ta Da!! Instant lumber rack.
"Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Rockwell is 139 bucks and Fein is 300 bucks plus. What is the difference
> between these 2, other than the price? They both seem to do the same
> thing. The Fein can't be that much better in my opinion. What is you folks
> opinion of the 2? Thanks for your help.
>
>
> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
> signature database 4128 (20090603) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>
> http://www.eset.com
>
>
>
Obviously build quality is the major difference.
I have had the Fein for about 3 years and have not replaced any blades yet.
I don't use it often but it certainly makes difficult problems go away when
I use it. When I bought it was pretty much the only brand available.
Today, knowing what I know I think I would go the cheaper version, the
Rockwell or Dremel. If I used the tool daily or even weekly I would
certainly go for the Fein. For monthly use, I'd go the less expensive
route. I did use it for a kitchen job on Tuesday, it saved a lot of time
for me.
On Jun 3, 4:49=A0pm, "HeyBub" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dave wrote:
> > Rockwell is 139 bucks and Fein is 300 bucks plus. =A0What is the
> > difference between these 2, other than the price? They both seem to do =
the
> > same
> > thing. The Fein can't be that much better in my opinion. What is you fo=
lks
> > opinion of the 2? Thanks for your help.
>
> The Dremel is $99 and the Harbor Freight version is about $35. Rockwell a=
nd
> Boesch also make 'em.
>
> As to the difference, other than price, well, there's brand loyalty, colo=
r
> matching with all your other tools, snob appeal, and, er, ....
>
> Let me think...
Don't strain. Have you ever encountered anyone that regretted buying
the Fein? There was somebody who posted recently about his "love" of
the $35 HF knock-off. Adjusting a tool repeatedly while using it
quickly loses its cachet. Having a non-variable speed multitool is
probably akin to having a tablesaw with a fixed height blade.
The Rockwell has variable speed and gets good reviews on Amazon. The
price is also attractive, but the blades don't seem to be
interchangeable with other tools or the HF disposables.
R
RicodJour wrote:
> On Jun 4, 8:23 am, "HeyBub" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> RicodJour wrote:
>>> On Jun 3, 4:49 pm, "HeyBub" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> Dave wrote:
>>>>> Rockwell is 139 bucks and Fein is 300 bucks plus. What is the
>>>>> difference between these 2, other than the price? They both seem
>>>>> to do the same
>>>>> thing. The Fein can't be that much better in my opinion. What is
>>>>> you folks opinion of the 2? Thanks for your help.
>>
>>>> The Dremel is $99 and the Harbor Freight version is about $35.
>>>> Rockwell and Boesch also make 'em.
>>
>>>> As to the difference, other than price, well, there's brand
>>>> loyalty, color matching with all your other tools, snob appeal,
>>>> and, er, ....
>>
>>>> Let me think...
>>
>>> Don't strain. Have you ever encountered anyone that regretted buying
>>> the Fein? There was somebody who posted recently about his "love" of
>>> the $35 HF knock-off. Adjusting a tool repeatedly while using it
>>> quickly loses its cachet. Having a non-variable speed multitool is
>>> probably akin to having a tablesaw with a fixed height blade.
>>
>>> The Rockwell has variable speed and gets good reviews on Amazon. The
>>> price is also attractive, but the blades don't seem to be
>>> interchangeable with other tools or the HF disposables.
>>
>> Your point is well-taken.
>>
>> My comparison is, frankly, based on the cheap tool vs. no tool. For
>> example, I've undercut doorways with a Dremel, an under-cut saw, and
>> so, on up to (but not including) a propane torch.
>>
>> The HF tool makes the job trivial. I'm sure the Fein or Rockwell
>> tool would elevate the satisfaction level another 2.3%.
>>
>> For me, though, if I had to choose between a $300 Fein vs. a $35 HF
>> + a lot of beer .... ?
>
> That equation leaves out one factor - time. Maybe you value yours at
> zero, others might not. You'll drink that beer once, the tool will
> probably be used hundreds of times.
I do value my time; that's why I bought the tool!
You try undercutting a door-frame with a Dremel or angle-grinder! If I EVER
use the HF tool again, I'm ahead of the game. And I won't use it hundreds of
times - I don't have that many doors. (Fact is, I did use it this morning to
chop down some trash trees that were too big for pruning shears and too
small for the chain saw.)
>
> Let me ask you this, what is the most premium tool you bought? Why
> was that worth the money?
>
Hmm. Another good point. I recently bought a fiberglass handled, 16-oz claw
hammer. $2.79 from HF (regularly $3.99). Worked swell after scuffing up the
head a bit. Oh, wait! I did buy a one-pound rubber mallet from the same
place for, I think, $1.99. Didn't need to scuff its head.
On Jun 4, 1:04=A0pm, -MIKE- <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I'm on both sides of the fence on this matter, so I'm not pointing
> fingers, when I say this.
Gee, where's the fun in that?! ;)
> I think there's a part of us that is a bit jealous when someone buys a
> POS tool that works great for them, when we've spent 10x the money on a
> name brand. =A0Is the name brand a better tool... quicker, stronger, last
> longer? =A0In almost every case, yeah.
>
> There are other advantages to buying the cheap knock-off for the person
> for whom it works. =A0There are advantages to buying to top-of-the-line
> tool right off the bat. =A0To each his own.
I have bought higher end niche tools that I have regretted buying.
Some were just oddball tools, and some I just didn't use enough to
make it a worthwhile investment. I didn't consider it to be pissing
away the money at the time, but in retrospect I would tend to think it
was just feeding the tool addiction and believing the advertising
about the tool's utility. {Anybody want to buy a Bosch
edgebander? :) }
I've earned money with my hands since I was about 12, and I do get
people to pay for my tools (one way or another). Every contractor has
been in the position where they have had to buy some equipment to
simply do the job. There's a rule of thumb that if you are likely to
only have to use a tool one or two times, rent it, if it will be more
than that buy it.
I am a relatively recent convert to the multitool - when I bought it
there was the one tool. Now with the patent having expired there are
plenty of knock-offs coming out. Some like the Bosch I expect are
pretty good. If I had to buy the tool now I would certainly
investigate the options. But I don't expect the Fein to wear out or
need to be replaced for decades.
I have bought cheap tools, and I have regretted it - many times. Too
many, in fact. At this point in the game I will sell some of the
other stuff I have so I can buy a tool that meets my requirements. My
requirements are not necessarily the same as someone else's and my
view on tool quality is also not necessarily widely shared. Since
people buy Festool stuff, there's obviously a market and I've never
heard a complaint (other than the price of the tool and/or
accessories).
BTW, I bought my Fein used on eBay with a full assortment of blades
and extras and didn't pay full price. What do you think the HF
multitool fetches on eBay? Probably a buck three eighty.*
> But the whole "what's your time worth" argument is BS to me. If you're
> on a job site and you have spend job-time to modify something just to
> get it to work, then yeah, it's a waste. =A0But if you're at home and
> messing with it to improve its performance? =A0I'm mean, some people love
> to tinker. =A0I'd rather be in the shop modifying a tool than on the couc=
h
> watching television. =A0I get a thrill out taking a 1/10-1/4 cost tool,
> spending a few bucks and hours on some mods, and ending up with a
> great tool. =A0 No one's paying me to watch TV. =A0 :-)
Some people like donkeys and raise them and think cleaning up after
them is all in good fun. To me it's still just dung. I'm with you
all the way on loving to tinker and improve tools, but I'm not going
to spend hours lapping the bottom of a cheap Chinese plane to make it
a passable tool. I'm much more likely to resurrect a quality tool
that has been poorly treated. I like garage sales and it seems people
do pay me to go to them. I am always picking up something or other
that people have no idea what it is worth. Within the last couple or
three weeks I picked up a nice infill jointer plane, an oddball but
expensive new pepper mill (Google Perfex), a gorgeous Stanley
Everlasting chisel and a pretty much full set of FWW magazines. I'll
rehab the first, have sharpened and use the second, will give the
pepper mill to my nephew who is graduating from culinary school this
month and will sell the magazines.
However you value your time there's a limited supply. However much
time you have, it's all about leveraging it. If I am trying to do
something and the tool/car/whatever is fighting me the whole way, I'm
going to be looking for a new one. If it is something that I can fix
with a reasonable amount of effort, I may do it, or I may sell it and
start with something that has better "bones".
Anyway, it's all good as long as you're having fun.
R
* A Little Rascals reference.
On Jun 4, 2:23=A0pm, -MIKE- <[email protected]> wrote:
> RicodJour wrote:
>
> > BTW, I bought my Fein used on eBay with a full assortment of blades
> > and extras and didn't pay full price. =A0What do you think the HF
> > multitool fetches on eBay? =A0Probably a buck three eighty.*
>
> First place I look is ebay. =A0 And, I grew up on TLR. =A0 :-)
It still bothers me that Bill Cosby basically took the show off the
air after he bought the rights. He said it made black kids look
stupid. Huh? It made _every_ kid look stupid! Now, that's equality!
> > I'm much more likely to resurrect a quality tool
> > that has been poorly treated. =A0I like garage sales and it seems peopl=
e
> > do pay me to go to them. =A0I am always picking up something or other
> > that people have no idea what it is worth. =A0
>
> If I'm not captain of that ship, I'm an officer. =A0 :-)
>
> A couple highlights... $50 RAS that gets a ton of use, and a $100 14"
> Jet bandsaw.
> Keeping my eyes open for a tablesaw upgrade. =A0:-)
Bought a 1940's Walker Turner tablesaw at a _terrible_ garage sale.
All they had were chipped glasses and plates on the tables outside As
I was leaving the lady asked me what I was looking for, "Old tools", I
said, and she took me down to the basement, showed me the saw, and
said she really just wanted to get rid of it, "How does $25 sound?"
The saw was the quietest tablesaw I had ever heard. It was almost
dangerous because you didn't really know it was running.
Bought it, sold it on eBay for $865.
R
Dave wrote:
> Rockwell is 139 bucks and Fein is 300 bucks plus. What is the
> difference between these 2, other than the price? They both seem to do the
> same
> thing. The Fein can't be that much better in my opinion. What is you folks
> opinion of the 2? Thanks for your help.
>
>
The Dremel is $99 and the Harbor Freight version is about $35. Rockwell and
Boesch also make 'em.
As to the difference, other than price, well, there's brand loyalty, color
matching with all your other tools, snob appeal, and, er, ....
Let me think...
On Jun 3, 8:27=A0pm, RicodJour <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Jun 3, 4:49=A0pm, "HeyBub" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Dave wrote:
> > > Rockwell is 139 bucks and Fein is 300 bucks plus. =A0What is the
> > > difference between these 2, other than the price? They both seem to d=
o the
> > > same
> > > thing. The Fein can't be that much better in my opinion. What is you =
folks
> > > opinion of the 2? Thanks for your help.
A few weeks ago I was in a Woodworking store that had nearly all the
Fein tools in the world. A sales guy gave me a tour of the stuff. A
cut up router showing the internal construction made a believer out of
me. Next he put a little toy in my hand- a small cordless drill with
a huge bit in the chuck and pointed me a 4 x 4 on the bench. You
haven't seen power!
I have no relationship with Fein at all.
If I were a professional and could possibly afford Fein tools I
wouldn't have anything else.
The highest quality tools will never make a poor craftsman better but
I believe cheap tools can affect a good one. Not me of course- I mean
a good one.
Richard
On Jun 4, 8:23=A0am, "HeyBub" <[email protected]> wrote:
> RicodJour wrote:
> > On Jun 3, 4:49 pm, "HeyBub" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> Dave wrote:
> >>> Rockwell is 139 bucks and Fein is 300 bucks plus. What is the
> >>> difference between these 2, other than the price? They both seem to
> >>> do the same
> >>> thing. The Fein can't be that much better in my opinion. What is
> >>> you folks opinion of the 2? Thanks for your help.
>
> >> The Dremel is $99 and the Harbor Freight version is about $35.
> >> Rockwell and Boesch also make 'em.
>
> >> As to the difference, other than price, well, there's brand loyalty,
> >> color matching with all your other tools, snob appeal, and, er, ....
>
> >> Let me think...
>
> > Don't strain. =A0Have you ever encountered anyone that regretted buying
> > the Fein? =A0There was somebody who posted recently about his "love" of
> > the $35 HF knock-off. =A0Adjusting a tool repeatedly while using it
> > quickly loses its cachet. =A0Having a non-variable speed multitool is
> > probably akin to having a tablesaw with a fixed height blade.
>
> > The Rockwell has variable speed and gets good reviews on Amazon. =A0The
> > price is also attractive, but the blades don't seem to be
> > interchangeable with other tools or the HF disposables.
>
> Your point is well-taken.
>
> My comparison is, frankly, based on the cheap tool vs. no tool. For examp=
le,
> I've undercut doorways with a Dremel, an under-cut saw, and so, on up to
> (but not including) a propane torch.
>
> The HF tool makes the job trivial. I'm sure the Fein or Rockwell tool wou=
ld
> elevate the satisfaction level another 2.3%.
>
> For me, though, if I had to choose between a $300 Fein vs. a $35 HF + a l=
ot
> of beer .... ?
That equation leaves out one factor - time. Maybe you value yours at
zero, others might not. You'll drink that beer once, the tool will
probably be used hundreds of times.
Let me ask you this, what is the most premium tool you bought? Why
was that worth the money?
R
HeyBub wrote:
>> That equation leaves out one factor - time. Maybe you value yours at
>> zero, others might not. You'll drink that beer once, the tool will
>> probably be used hundreds of times.
>
> I do value my time; that's why I bought the tool!
>
> You try undercutting a door-frame with a Dremel or angle-grinder! If I EVER
> use the HF tool again, I'm ahead of the game. And I won't use it hundreds of
> times - I don't have that many doors. (Fact is, I did use it this morning to
> chop down some trash trees that were too big for pruning shears and too
> small for the chain saw.)
>
>
>> Let me ask you this, what is the most premium tool you bought? Why
>> was that worth the money?
>>
>
>
> Hmm. Another good point. I recently bought a fiberglass handled, 16-oz claw
> hammer. $2.79 from HF (regularly $3.99). Worked swell after scuffing up the
> head a bit. Oh, wait! I did buy a one-pound rubber mallet from the same
> place for, I think, $1.99. Didn't need to scuff its head.
>
>
I'm on both sides of the fence on this matter, so I'm not pointing
fingers, when I say this.
I think there's a part of us that is a bit jealous when someone buys a
POS tool that works great for them, when we've spent 10x the money on a
name brand. Is the name brand a better tool... quicker, stronger, last
longer? In almost every case, yeah.
There are other advantages to buying the cheap knock-off for the person
for whom it works. There are advantages to buying to top-of-the-line
tool right off the bat. To each his own.
But the whole "what's your time worth" argument is BS to me. If you're
on a job site and you have spend job-time to modify something just to
get it to work, then yeah, it's a waste. But if you're at home and
messing with it to improve its performance? I'm mean, some people love
to tinker. I'd rather be in the shop modifying a tool than on the couch
watching television. I get a thrill out taking a 1/10-1/4 cost tool,
spending a few bucks and hours on some mods, and ending up with a
great tool. No one's paying me to watch TV. :-)
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
RicodJour wrote:
>
> BTW, I bought my Fein used on eBay with a full assortment of blades
> and extras and didn't pay full price. What do you think the HF
> multitool fetches on eBay? Probably a buck three eighty.*
>
First place I look is ebay. And, I grew up on TLR. :-)
> I'm much more likely to resurrect a quality tool
> that has been poorly treated. I like garage sales and it seems people
> do pay me to go to them. I am always picking up something or other
> that people have no idea what it is worth.
If I'm not captain of that ship, I'm an officer. :-)
A couple highlights... $50 RAS that gets a ton of use, and a $100 14"
Jet bandsaw.
Keeping my eyes open for a tablesaw upgrade. :-)
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
RicodJour wrote:
> On Jun 3, 4:49 pm, "HeyBub" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Dave wrote:
>>> Rockwell is 139 bucks and Fein is 300 bucks plus. What is the
>>> difference between these 2, other than the price? They both seem to
>>> do the same
>>> thing. The Fein can't be that much better in my opinion. What is
>>> you folks opinion of the 2? Thanks for your help.
>>
>> The Dremel is $99 and the Harbor Freight version is about $35.
>> Rockwell and Boesch also make 'em.
>>
>> As to the difference, other than price, well, there's brand loyalty,
>> color matching with all your other tools, snob appeal, and, er, ....
>>
>> Let me think...
>
> Don't strain. Have you ever encountered anyone that regretted buying
> the Fein? There was somebody who posted recently about his "love" of
> the $35 HF knock-off. Adjusting a tool repeatedly while using it
> quickly loses its cachet. Having a non-variable speed multitool is
> probably akin to having a tablesaw with a fixed height blade.
>
> The Rockwell has variable speed and gets good reviews on Amazon. The
> price is also attractive, but the blades don't seem to be
> interchangeable with other tools or the HF disposables.
>
Your point is well-taken.
My comparison is, frankly, based on the cheap tool vs. no tool. For example,
I've undercut doorways with a Dremel, an under-cut saw, and so, on up to
(but not including) a propane torch.
The HF tool makes the job trivial. I'm sure the Fein or Rockwell tool would
elevate the satisfaction level another 2.3%.
For me, though, if I had to choose between a $300 Fein vs. a $35 HF + a lot
of beer .... ?