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Bought a $350 forge blower from a catalog, should have asked around first
Back in 2019 I thought I was doing myself a favor ordering a fancy forge blower from a big catalog supplier. Paid about $350 for it and it just never pulled air right for my setup. An older farrier I know told me he picked up a used one at a farm auction for $40 and it's been running 15 years. I ended up selling mine at a loss and cobbling together a setup from a local metal shop for half the cost. Makes me wonder how many of us overpay for gear that's marketed to us instead of what actually works. Has anyone else had better luck with used or local equipment over catalog stuff?
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julia_anderson4mo ago
I see it a little different, @alicehernandez. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for with new gear... especially when you're starting out and don't know how to spot a good used deal. That $350 blower might have been overkill for your setup but it probably would have worked fine for someone with the right forge. I've had plenty of used stuff let me down too, like a surface grinder that looked solid but had a worn out spindle I didn't catch. New catalog stuff definitely isn't always better but it at least comes with a warranty and a return policy.
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alicehernandez4mo ago
Yeah that line about "what actually works" really hit me. I used to be the kind of person who thought new catalog stuff was always better because it looked shinier and had more features. Then I needed a heavy duty dolly for moving some huge safes and spent like $200 on one from a big hardware chain. It broke on the second job. A buddy loaned me his old beat up one he got from a garage sale for $15 and that thing is still going strong years later. Now I pretty much always check local classifieds or ask around before I buy anything specialized.
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