Comments by "Paul Frederick" (@1pcfred) on "I Should Have Bought This Tool Set 10 Years Ago!" video.

I was surprised the Harbor Freight tools didn't fare better in the testing today. The thing with cheap tools though is no process control or QA. So from tool to tool you're going to get variable performance. Some good, some not so good. It's a crap shoot.
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I collect tools and I've noticed that as steel ages it gets harder and more brittle. It's not something I've ever seen documented or discussed. I just did a bit of online research and it does seem to be a known phenomenon. So you cannot really directly compare old and new tools because of the effect time has on tools. Time changes everything.
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The problem with cheap tools is the lack of consistency. What you're paying for with higher quality items is that consistency. Making a process consistent is costly to do. You have to hire competent individuals that actually know what they're doing. That may even care too. That costs money.
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We all have a habit of testing things to destruction, don't we? What Todd does that's different is he quantifies it for us.
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@strilight I call it the tool lottery. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Gambling can be fun to do though.
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Every household needs their junk drawer tools.
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@carbonstar9091 consistency is an ongoing issue with cheap products. Although I've bought pro stuff that was defective too. Paid the full price for it. That really stings.
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There's people on YouTube that test soldering irons. Usually pretty high end gear though. For more modest needs focus on tip cost and availability. It's tips that'll kill you owning an iron.
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@goodun2974 I think all the solid tip irons are obsolete at this point. I have a T12 iron with heating element tips and I like the performance. Fast heat and good soak. I have a Weller WTCPN station too and my T12 out performs it. I've drag raced them. I bend a piece of solder over each of their tips and turn them both on at the same time and see which one can melt the solder first. My T12 has a slow starting SMPS too and it can still smoke the Weller. But I doubt it'll still be working in 30 years from now. My Weller is at least that old. Still works like the day it was made.
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@goodun2974 maybe you don't get 10 second but how about 5 seconds? I just timed my T12 and that's how long it took from cold to melting solder. It's virtually no wait at all. I can be patient when the situation warrants it but I appreciate instant gratification too. I'm not many years behind you either. As far as isolation goes the tip of my iron is earthed and that works for me. It's certainly not live. For the $20 it cost me I can't complain. I built my iron into a shielded metal enclosure too. So it can't be emitting much interference. Someplace I have an AM radio for checking that sort of thing out.
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