That $40 oxy-acetylene tip cleaner set I almost skipped

I picked up a cheap tip cleaning kit from a flea market last month for $8, figuring it would be a waste but worth a shot. Turns out it cleared a clog on my favorite welding tip in under a minute, saving me from buying a $60 replacement. Has anyone else found a simple cheap tool that ended up pulling more weight than expected?

3 comments

3 Comments

vera_murphy23d ago

That tip cleaner set sounds like a REAL steal for $8. I read somewhere that a lot of those cheap kits are just a rebranded version of the more expensive ones, the only difference is the case they come in. My old man used to swear by a beat up pair of wire strippers he got for a dollar at a garage sale, said they crimped better than any new tool he bought. It's funny how sometimes the simplest, cheapest thing that you almost skip ends up being your most used tool. Guess it pays to take a chance on the cheap stuff now and then.

sammoore23d ago

That bit about your old man's dollar wire strippers really hit home. It's like the stuff that's already been broken in knows how to do the job better than anything fresh out of the box. I got a old soldering iron from a pawn shop for five bucks years ago, tip was all crusty but I cleaned it up and it holds heat better than my buddy's fancy Weller station. Makes you wonder if the companies making these higher priced tools are just selling you on the name and the shiny plastic case, ain't it?

the_jason23d ago

Had a similar thing happen with a cheap multimeter I picked up at a flea market. Display was cracked but it still worked perfectly for years until I accidentally dropped it off a ladder. Replaced it with a brand name one that cost four times as much and it started giving wonky readings after six months. Funny how that works out. Sometimes you get lucky with the junk nobody else wants.