The Law of the Cheap Tool vs the Expensive Tool

So often, I've been at a fork in the road. There I stand, in the aisle of some store staring at a section of tools. These tools have run the gamut... weed trimmers, electrical tools, cabling tools, etc. You name it, I've been there.

In the (long ago) past, I made my decision based on price. Inevitably, that low-cost tool either broke or made me rage in frustration at the poor engineering and difficulty in use. If you've ever used a cheap pair of RJ45 crimpers or punch-down tools, you know what I mean.

My mind would vacillate between the trade-off of the cheaply priced item versus the obvious high-grade material, better engineering, and good "feel" of the more expensive item. I used to think to myself, "Eh, I'm only going to use this a few times, no big deal." 
!! ( insert The Price is Right fail-horns here ) !!

Eventually, I learned the same painful lesson over and over and over until I stopped making that mistake... and here it is:

The Law of the Cheap Tool vs the Expensive Tool:
If given a choice, and you choose the cheaper tool, eventually, you'll have to go back to buy the same tool (the first one broke, failed, frustrated you, etc). You'll purchase the more expensive one the 2nd time around. In the end, you've spent more than twice the amount of money than had you purchased the more expensive tool in the first place!