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TIL buying a cheap grinder from Harbor Freight was a $60 mistake

Picked up one of those $60 angle grinders on a Friday night because my good one died mid-job at a refinery in Gary. Thought I was being smart grabbing something quick. That thing started smoking after 15 minutes of straight grinding. Sparked out and locked up on me. Had to borrow a crew mate's DeWalt to finish the shift. Shoulda just waited or bought a proper one from the start. Anyone else get burned by a budget tool when you needed it most?
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2 Comments
aaron197
aaron19716d agoMost Upvoted
Man, isn't it funny how the cheap option always seems to bite you when you're already in a bind? It's like the universe knows you don't have time for another trip to the store so it messes with you. I've done the same thing with a $30 drill from a random hardware store, thought I was saving money but it stripped out on the third screw. Almost feels like a rule of life now, you pay twice when you're desperate and try to cut corners lol.
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the_reese
the_reese16d agoMost Upvoted
Nodding my head reading this. That exact situation happened to me with a cheap impact wrench from a truck stop. Grabbed it because my main one died and I was already behind schedule. Smoked out before I finished taking off the third lug nut. It is seriously like the universe punishes you for trying to be practical when you're desperate. Now I just suck it up and take the time to buy something decent even if it means a late night.
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