Don,

I understand, and this is more of an academic discussion rather than practical. 

If you only use the tool once or twice a year there is the option of renting, and then keeping an eye open for a good used one?

alistair

On 2011-07-22, at 1:06 PM, Don Hanson wrote:

> On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 12:13 PM, Mike S <mikes@flatsurface.com> wrote:
> 
>> At 02:20 PM 7/22/2011, Alistair Bell wrote...
>> 
>> Heaven forfend that one would take the time to go look for a USA made
>>> tool :) After all, the price is what matters, not quality.
>>> 
>> 
>> Interesting comment on a discussion list for German vehicles.
>> 
> 
>  Good one!
> 
>  The nearest Sears store is also an hour away, I think.
> 
>  Alistair did pique my patriotic instincts, and though I recall looking at
> a Sears tool catalog in the past and almost dropping my load at the price, I
> went online and priced a 3/4 breaker bar at the Matco tools site....
> Ready?.......$229!  plus shipping.
> 
>   Ok, now I am as American as the next guy who has citizenship here in the
> USA...but I am also an unemployed tradesman...a residential
> carpenter....with the state of our US building industry, now and  for the
> past 4yrs or so...I am not holding my breath till I can expect to find
> employment at a decent wage again in my particular trade (my last part time
> journeyman carpenter gig, I was paid a whopping $15/hr......same wage I drew
> in the 1990s)...and flipping burgers at minimum wage, or working at Home
> Depot, it would take me about 4 full days wages (before withholding taxes)
> to earn the cash to pay for that  Matco breaker bar... It doesn't, BTW, say
> where that tool is made..
> 
>  The HF breaker bar is $18.99....so that tool, which I'll likely use once
> or twice a year, at the most, is $210 cheaper, which is significant to me,
> being unemployed and living on savings and SS now for about 3yrs...
> 
>  Don Hanson