Tool Shopping - What I expect when shopping

I am now an affiliate for the Tractor Supply Company. That said, I will review products available at other stores as well. For everyone, I suggest you research every product you look to purchase and then find which company has the best price. As for my wants/needs from products, here are the important factors (check reviews for guidance, but look for consistency amongst reviews):

1) Products should have a warranty available (factory production errors happen even with the best companies - expect issues)

2) I expect batteries (generic or OEM) to last a minimum of 2 years. If a battery can't last 2 years, I will find a different brand.

3) There are a number of brands that pop up and last for a year or two. Be careful with those brands. Some of them produce really good products and services but fail to compete with more established brands. That said, some companies, in my experience, create substandard products. If money is tight, buying a cheaper generic is a risk worth taking. That said, a brand name you recognize may be the better option and worth the higher price.

4) Keep an electric (corded) or manual backup - just in case. For the more critical tools that may be most useful during a crisis, keep a corded-electric backup or manual backup. You can run out of gas while batteries can fail (no longer rechargeable). For this reason, a backup is a must. My primary backups: a manual drill, a corded-electric snow blower, a corded-electric reciprocating saw, a corded-electric snow blower, and a manual or corded-electric lawn mower. The hand drill and corded-electric snow blower are a must as far as I am concerned.

5) We all make mistakes. We all buy a product from a company that turns out to be crap. Learn from your mistakes in choices and move on.

6) Look for sales/discounts. There are a lot of deals out there, many in the form of coupon codes you can use when shopping online. I recommend finding who has the best price while also having an actual 'physical' store somewhere. It's harder to hold completely online stores/brands accountable from my experience.

Cheers!