Anybody who lives in a single family domicile should have a quality set of tools available.  This is another aspect of being prepared for both projects and disasters.  I recently added the following seven tools to my inventory.

When I added these tools, I got rid of some old ones I have had for many years.  My motivation for doing so was both practical and patriotic.

The practical side of me saw that several of the wrenches and pliers that I had were getting worn and corroded.  I also noticed some gaps in my tool inventory (ex. no wire strippers) that I needed to fill.  Since I had a gift card for one of the big box retailers, the out of pocket costs to me would be lower.

Then there is the patriotic, red-blooded American motivation to purge Chinese-made tools from my garage.  I believe that free men should use tools made by other free men and avoid tools made by repressive regimes.  Plus, there are still domestic manufacturers that produce high-quality tools that are readily available.  Sure, I would pay a bit more for each tool but that money would stay within the USA and support American manufacturing.

I personally like Channellock tools so I decided to purchase several of their pliers, wrenches, and a wire stripper.  All are highly-rated by professionals and are quality products that should last for decades.  They are now welcome additions to my tool kits and will be put to use in the near future on home projects.  I’m very satisfied with my purchase.

The purge is mostly complete, I only have a few more items to go before all my hand tools are American-made.  Unfortunately several of my power tools are Made in China and I don’t have domestic alternative for them yet.  However, I’ve made progress in making my garage more free and I would encourage everybody else to do the same.

Note:  Go to this link to find a list of American-made tools.  Remember to ALWAYS check the label to see where your tool is made before you buy it.