Try being a watchmaker. We buy tools we might use twice in our lifetime.

RMD

Friends always bitched about that. One serviced all my scuba gear and manufacturers would always come out with a model that required a specialized tool that costs stupid money. then a company started reproducing the tools at a greatly reduced price.

same for a friend who was a bike mechanic. They would always require specialized tools and the cheap ass dealership wouldn't buy them.

I bought this USA-made Chicago Cutlery 7” bagel knife. I knew it wouldn’t get much use because my self-imposed calorie limit puts bagels & cream cheese mostly out of my menu plans. But it’s such a NEAT little knife. I had to have it.

Update:

After debating with myself at length: I found a very good deal and pulled the trigger.

Here's the Expensive, Specialized Tool I Knew I'd Rarely Use:



It's a Fluke CableIQ CIQ-100 network cable tester.

Darned if it didn't justify itself right out of the gate. Did a little networking project yesterday. Had to fabricate a new jumper cable. Of course I had to test it

Damned if it didn't come up with pins 7 and 8 open! Cool thing is: It told me which end was faulty.

Here's where it gets interesting: Was it really the cable or was it my shiny new cable tester? So I threw my Klein LAN Scout Jr. cable continuity tester on it. It said the cable was good.

Tested six other jumpers, of various lengths--some of which I'd terminated one or both ends, myself. The Fluke said they were all good.

So I re-terminated the new cable.

Now the Fluke told me only one pin, pin 8, was bad. I hadn't know it could do that.

Maybe the third time would be the charm? Re-terminated the new cable again. Now it came up good.

This did away with what little lingering ghost of buyer's remorse I might have had

Btw: I highly doubt the cable actually had an open in either the white/brown or brown wires (pins 7 & 8). Maybe had it been solid copper, but this stuff is stranded. I think it equally unlikely I got two bad RJ-45 connectors in a row.

My suspicion is the Monoprice ratcheting crimper isn't getting the job done reliably. So the next Expensive, Specialized Tool will be a proper ratcheting crimper from Thomas & Betts, Paladin, or the like.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Update:

After debating with myself at length: I found a very good deal and pulled the trigger.

Here's the Expensive, Specialized Tool I Knew I'd Rarely Use:


It's a Fluke CableIQ CIQ-100 network cable tester.

Fluke makes some nice stuff.

I picked up a Fluke 87v a few years back. Not cheap but I use it all the time.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
My suspicion is the Monoprice ratcheting crimper isn't getting the job done reliably. So the next Expensive, Specialized Tool will be a proper ratcheting crimper from Thomas & Betts, Paladin, or the like.

A Quest TEL-6000 has worked well for my needs.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Update:

After debating with myself at length: I found a very good deal and pulled the trigger.

Here's the Expensive, Specialized Tool I Knew I'd Rarely Use:

It's a Fluke CableIQ CIQ-100 network cable tester.

Nice!

Fluke bought out the company that made the one I use > Micro Scanner.
It has served me well but mostly just verifies connectivity, length, test tones ~ simple but effective and I have used the shit out it over the years ... and still do.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
Like my self defense firearms?

Training some, practice much, but actually "used" to solve the problem it was purchase for? Likely never.

If you're training & practicing w/ a gun you bought, then you are using it as intended. A better comparison would be safe queen guns, especially ones that cost a lot but only get shot once or twice.

The OP's question is aimed to a biased crowd. If you're on SF, you most likely own a Sig and chose a Sig over something like a Taurus that cost 1/3rd-1/4th as much that would do a similar job. If you're on SF, you probably own more than a few guns, and some of them include expensive safe queens.

In other words, a SF member is much more likely to appreciate high quality, high dollar tools even if they get used infrequently compared to the general populace or average person.

Have you been known to spend silly amounts of money on specialized tools you know you'll rarely use?
Yes

If "Yes," above, have you ever suffered buyer's remorse?
Yes

Might I add:
"Have you learned your lesson?"
No

quote:

Originally posted by Jupiter:
Fluke makes some nice stuff.

I picked up a Fluke 87v a few years back. Not cheap but I use it all the time.

Indeed they do. Mine's a Fluke 115.

quote:

Originally posted by Jupiter:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
... the next Expensive, Specialized Tool will be a proper ratcheting crimper from Thomas & Betts, Paladin, or the like.

A Quest TEL-6000 has worked well for my needs.

After doing my research, first nearly pulling the trigger on one, then maybe another, I finally said to myself "Buy once..." and bought a Paladin Tools (Greenlee) PA1530R.

It was spendy, but every other crimper I looked at had one of more flaws I didn't like.

All my other crimpers, for wire lugs, and for crimped and compression coax terminations, are T&B and Paladin. I use those less-frequently than I will these, so it didn't make sense for me to do any less, I felt.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Nice!

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Fluke bought out the company that made the one I use > Micro Scanner.
It has served me well but mostly just verifies connectivity, length, test tones ~ ...

I considered that one, but really wanted the crosstalk and impedance tests. I suppose because I had those with the DSP-100 I used at work.

I was spoiled

quote:

Originally posted by iron chef:
The OP's question is aimed to a biased crowd. If you're on SF, you most likely own a Sig and ...

In other words, a SF member is much more likely to appreciate high quality, high dollar tools even if they get used infrequently compared to the general populace or average person.

Probably generally true, but we have many members that are satisfied with HF stuff, too

quote:

Originally posted by xantom:
Might I add:
"Have you learned your lesson?"
No

Though, in all seriousness, I can't say as I've ever regretted spending good money on higher-quality tools.

Whenever I'm discussing with my wife spending stupid amounts of money on a new tool, and she balks, I remind her the only tool upon which I've so far gone top-drawer and not used to its fullest was my micro-adjustable plunge router. And even that I had out a while back to do some practice routing in preparation for a project (which I've yet to do) and appreciated my decision from years back.

I'm a tool junkie, and no mistake. I really like good tools.

Does a Bridgeport count as a tool?

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
Does a Bridgeport count as a tool?

Certainly!

I probably have more tools than anyone I know. Welding, machining, casting, woodworking, construction, tree trimming, concrete - something to get jobs done from all in that list. From the Bridgeport & South Bend to the Deere 110 backhoe to the Miller MIG welder.
I try to squeeze every penny, so used is the name of the game. But that doesn’t always work.

Example - today I ordered a specialized pair of pliers. Like snap-ring pliers but for rings that don’t have holes in the ends. These rings are used to hold cylinder heads in hydraulic cylinders. Spring steel. Strong. Really can’t get them out without buggering them up or bloody knuckles or both. I am rebuilding 4 of these cylinders. Like snap-ring pliers they do their job opening up “C” shaped rings. Regular pliers won’t do it.

Specialty? Yup. Likely use them again? Maybe. Satisfaction doing the job right, safely & easily? Yup. And now I will have a set of “Lock Ring Pliers” when I need them. Regrets? Nope.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Fluke bought out the company that made the one I use > Micro Scanner.
It has served me well but mostly just verifies connectivity, length, test tones ~ ...

I considered that one, but really wanted the crosstalk and impedance tests. I suppose because I had those with the DSP-100 I used at work.

I was spoiled

No doubt, I have had my Micro Scanner for 15 or so years ~ before Fluke bought them out.
I couldn't afford a Fluke high-dollar back then anyway and it has done what I need it to do.
The upgrade model is great and if I had to do it today I would do the same as you.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
I have had my Micro Scanner for 15 or so years ... and it has done what I need it to do.

Hey, if it's done what you needed it to do, then that's all you need

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
The upgrade model is great and if I had to do it today I would do the same as you.

Ha! What I just acquired is near EOL. It's being superseded by the LinkIQ™ Cable + Network Tester, which does everything mine does, plus PoE, plus some other stuff.

But even a refurb, acquired through a distributor to get the distributor discount, would still have been ±$1500. That was too rich even for my blood