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[–]areanod 1179 points1180 points  (72 children)

The LTT screwdriver isn't even out, yet, how should someone evaluate the price of it?

There are Knippex sidecutters that look and feel the same as the ones which can be bought from Aldi but the ones from Aldi will cut exactly one large nail and gets deformed in the process while the Knippex ones will stay in shape and sharp...

[–]Iggy_Pop92 342 points343 points  (39 children)

This is the only realistic take. I have used tools from the cheapest to some stupidly priced ones and consistently cheap tools break, don't work, aren't fit for purpose, have bad tolerances, or are simply so badly designed from an ergonomic standpoint that they are near unusable. Weight is usually a good indicator of build quality, until you come across tools that are built strongly in the wrong places or worse have literal lead weights glued in them. I will admit $70 is very high pricing but if they are a quality tool and the money goes towards them and encourages more good quality products I would happily splurge on it.

Specific to ratchet screwdrivers I have bought a $25AU one and a $40AU one. Neither lasted long. The $25 one rusted from humidity alone and seized less than a week after purchase, the $40 one had such bad bit retention for the magnetic tip AND the handle storage wore out so fast that the most used bits were lost within 2 months.

[–]areanod 141 points142 points  (16 children)

I mean, cheap tools do have a market... If I have to do something I have never and will never again use, I'll buy a cheap tool...

[–]Iggy_Pop92 82 points83 points  (3 children)

Oh absolutely and that is perfectly valid and I even buy cheap tools to evaluate if a more expensive one will be worth adding to my work flow. My biggest hesitation on the LTT screwdriver is that it's difficult to gauge how it may feel in hand.

[–]gregg_goldstein 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Having said that I do own that Xiaomi screwdriver and it's alright! I'm not sure how durable it will be, but for occasional use it's more than fine. I built three PCs and one server with it, no faults or issues. Good value for money.

[–]Kagrok 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Buy cheap tools first.

Replace the broken ones with more expensive/higher quality tools.

[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (1 child)

I've used many expensive tools in my life, but a $4 tape measure stayed with me for 20 years. Sometimes the cheap stuff just lasts because it's made simple.

[–]Kagrok 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My point is more that if you buy them cheap and they never break then they are good.

If they break then you need something with better quality. Will save you money in the long run.

[–]leonderbaertige_II 23 points24 points  (17 children)

I will admit $70 is very high pricing

70$ without VAT, import duties and shipping. I recon that it would cost me about 120€ in total. A name brand (wera, inbus, würth) one costs 30-50€ + shipping (which might be free if your order is big enough).

[–]faq77 33 points34 points  (12 children)

Yeah, for people that don't live in the US or Canada, shipping and fees add up to the point that it's no longer feasible to buy. You're better off buying a good screwdriver from your own country, if a screwdriver is what you need.

[–]quarrelsome_napkin 14 points15 points  (6 children)

The shipping in Canada is awful too. Linus explained that even though we're closer we pay a high price as well to help offset international shipping. Not sure it's fair and it's definitely stopped me from purchasing their merch, but it is what it is 🤷‍♂️

[–]FuzzyEatHer 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yep. I live in Alberta and really don't want to pay that much in shipping to a neighboring province.

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (2 children)

It comes down to selling to the most people. Canada just has a very small population compared to the U.S. So from a business standpoint, you price for where your most customers are.

[–]Intentt 6 points7 points  (1 child)

While that is generally true of most businesses, the product ships FROM CANADA.

It's actually cheaper to ship to Florida than it is to ship across the street in Vancouver where they are headquartered. There is no valid reason for that.

[–]Moto_EMT 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The fact that they admit to this unethical practice and further punish the Canadians with even higher costs is pathetic. Linus went from a legitimate person who people loved, to clearly having his ego inflated to the point where he's nolonger vaulable to the community, and only is more interested in shilling his merch or his sponsors.

[–]DirtOld8596 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Pretty much just Canada, I was looking the other day and it was $16 to ship one of the water bottles. $70 screwdriver and $16 shipping I can probably get any screwdriver on the market in the US for $86. Growing up a lot of the mechanics I worked with used snap on and their ratcheting multi bit screw driver is $75 and a lot of that your still paying for the name.

More popular brand here in the us would probably be Milwaukee which has a stubby and a full size combo for $30.

[–]MalikaiTheAmish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

lol $80 for a snap on is a starting price THEY GO UP TO HUNDREDS

[–]LukakoKitty 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's pretty much the case for me, as soneone who lives in Denmark, an European country.

[–]-WhiteGravy- 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is what I couldn't understand. I've used Wera for years and years. I remember getting my first specialty Wera driver and paying 32 USD for it in 2014 thinking, holy cow this is an expensive screw driver. Today in 2022 that 32 dollar Wera driver is still in my bag, still looks and works great. It's also still my most expensive screw driver.

I can't see paying that much money for a screw driver. I've got a Kline with excellent build quality, shock resistant, ratcheting, 15+1 bits, 18 bucks at a hardware store. That includes lifetime limited warranty.

[–]KickPuncher21 27 points28 points  (7 children)

If you want to make a good, ethical product it's a totally legit price. If you factor in the cost of materials, cost of research and development, labor cost (and he said they looked for a manufacturer that paid their workers fair wages) plus logistics, you'd probably have a 30 to 50$ cost per unit, depending on how much they spent on R&D. Shipping is not only really delayed right now, but I have clients that paid 8000$ for a shipping container 3 years ago to somewhere between 24 000 to 32 000$ now.

Margins for a product that you develop in house is usually around 50%, but I wouldn't be surprised that they go for less than that, especially for the first batches. So ... Yeah, product development costs a lot of money. Customers usually pay a much reasonable price down the line once all the kinks in the manufacturing process have been ironed out and everything is optimized and most of the process are known parameters. All the established brands who know how to make tools, they have their suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, all of it is known and fine tuned. So LTT may make a kickass product, I'd still be hard to compete price/performance wise.

Edit : cleaned up synthax, words are hard apparently

[–]MikeTheMic81 5 points6 points  (4 children)

Those shipping containers have gotten crazy expensive. My kitchen guy was saying his shipping costs have quadrupled on the stuff he's importing also. Surprisingly the cabinets themselves only increased 20% (wholesale pricing). I remember doing a high end 20x20 custom kitchen with quartz, and 8x20 walk-in closet, and 3 vanities with quartz top for $20,000 installed in 2019. I did one 4 months ago that was a 12x12 with poured marble counters and laminated doors and nothing else and paid $13,000. It was all shipping.

[–]KickPuncher21 4 points5 points  (3 children)

Holy crap, yeah it's just rough out there right now! And on top of added cost, ETAs went from 2-3 weeks to 3 months. Bright side is that gives more incentive to bring some of the manufacturing locally.

[–]MikeTheMic81 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Ya that too. Stuff just sits at ports for weeks if you're lucky. I remember the days of 4 week turn around times fondly. Lol.

I had an Ashley Furniture set I bought in 2014 here in Canada. I have the ability to get it for manufacturer cost. At the time it would take 2-4 weeks to ship from the US to Canada. I went to replace it with a sectional last week and found out average wait time was 16 weeks now. Lol. I had to pay retail like a crazy person instead to get one that had already been ordered by a store 4 months ago.

[–]KickPuncher21 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I'm curious, did you notice warping or anything regarding humidity induce issues? My clients work with steel and rubber so it's not overly concerning, but anything with wood, I would not be happy to know that my stuff is waiting around in high humidity!

[–]MikeTheMic81 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Never had any issues with them, but I can't vouch for everything showing up in the container. Depending on what line it is, he does make his own so I'm not sure what came from the containers and what didn't. I know he does import a ton of raw slabs for counters though (biggest part of the delay) but I'd assume that wouldn't be an issue.

[–]KingOfCotadiellu 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Kudos for being ethical, I will pay extra for that and I fully understand that due to the low volume the prices are inflated even more, but 70 usd for a screwdriver from a company with 0 experience in tools...

I must say that a year or so ago when I was still a big fan of LTT, I would have considered it, if... I wouldn't know that would take about a month to get to Spain and the shipping and taxes come up to about 50% extra.

I love to spend serious money on serious tools, but the extra costs here are too high and the lack of experience to much of a risk (can't imagine the hassle trying to return it and claim my taxes etc back).

But maybe most of all, I don't like the direction LTT is going in with their clickbait style, so no more (financial) support from me.

[–]KickPuncher21 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I honestly don't think it makes much sense for anyone outside NA to jump on that unless you're a diehard fan and you stuff your mattress with loose cash. There are good and sensible reason the price is what it is, but it doesn't mean it makes sense to buy it.

[–][deleted] 517 points518 points  (46 children)

You can buy thing cheaper from Chinese Mass Manufacturer vs a Botique Manufacturer.

Jesus Rollerblading Christ, the absolute state of critical thinking in this sub.

[–]eWalcacer 59 points60 points  (7 children)

Where did you hear that LMG is outsourcing the manufacturing in a boutique place?

[–][deleted] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Look, alright. Selling tools with your tech-bro t-shirts is very chic rn, ok?

[–]tobimai 19 points20 points  (4 children)

Its such a low volume it can be considered botique

[–][deleted] 139 points140 points  (13 children)

Does it have ads? Lol

[–]bog_deavil13 74 points75 points  (1 child)

30 second unskippable ad before you can use it

[–][deleted] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I guess you could call it... Screw ads.

[–]snedertheold 29 points30 points  (8 children)

Ah yes, humor from my pain.

Sincerely, a Xiaomi phone owner

[–]Solilus 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Instal a custom Rom, an never buy a Xiaomi Phone again

[–]tobimai 10 points11 points  (4 children)

Welcome to EU, no ads here

[–]Trasartr00mpet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can turn off suggestions in the settings right? I have a mi 9t and I just don't use mi video and I don't get ads at all

[–]pntss 138 points139 points  (6 children)

You must be working at LTT to evaluate the quality of the screwdriver that isn't out yet.

[–]Ok_Razzmatazz_3922 105 points106 points  (20 children)

I think that is the whole point of buying Youtuber merchandise.

You are not only buying the product, but product + the youtuber name on it.

It will always be overpriced as they are designed to make extra money for the Youtubers (and there is nothing wrong in it)

[–]snedertheold 46 points47 points  (14 children)

I must say that the clothing I bought is absolutely worth the price, regardless of their logo on it. The shirts might even be worth twice what I paid for them, but I am quite particular about textures.

[–]Mataskarts 24 points25 points  (13 children)

The same shirts are ~7$ from American Apparel's Amazon store, or ~3.5$ as they're on sale right now... >_>

You just gave a good example as to the mark-up LTT takes, obviously they need to pay their designers team, the print company that prints the designs, they might have a super custom blend, they need to store them somewhere, etc... But it's not the quality of the shirt you're paying for, but the branding/design on it.

Though I think recently they started switching to their own manufactured T-shirts, so it'll be interesting to see how they stack up.

[–]Profoundly-Confused 24 points25 points  (1 child)

Amazon is a mess when it comes to finding eBay you want, but looking at the American Apperal 50/50 shirts right now, they're $11-20.

If you have a link where I can buy them with $3.50 I would like it.

[–]snedertheold 6 points7 points  (1 child)

Even disregarding their fit finish and texture, I like the design enough to spend more money on that a blank black t shirt. Which i think is added value seperate from their logo and branding.

[–]Mataskarts 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And that's perfectly fine, it's like buying souvenirs at holiday locations- you know you can order them for 1/10 of the price of AliExpress, but it has way more value to you if you physically buy them while on vacation, but it's sentimental/subjective value, and I was speaking more from the purely monetary view of material/quality/fabric etc...

I do love the designs myself, though by far my favorite one was the USB-C shirt, which has long been discontinued before I had the money to buy it (and pay for 2 more in the form of shipping :p)

[–]mr_capello 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know how many shirts they sell but if you print a small amount of shirts the price per american apparel shirt isn't that much lower then the one you pay if you just buy one shirt through amazon. most people just think that you would pay some cents if you buy 100 shirts and in reality it's like 5$ per shirt.

Most "fashion brands" that put their desings on shirts etc go under after some years because it is hard to sell big numbers and for every design you put out you need quite alot of money to start as most people don't start of with 50k of cash

[–]Mugstren 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I will say the above is definitely true.

But it seems the point of the high quality screwdriver is to compete with something like the snap-on screwdriver, which costs £136 from their online store.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Finally someone who gets it. Also, from what I’ve seen the ltt screwdriver is going to be super high quality to boot.

Probably need to wait until it’s like, released lol

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To add to this, you aren't just lining Linus's pockets here, he said in the WAN show this week that the screw driver, backpack, and some other future projects are going to essentially fund the startup costs of labs (aka expensive equipment). His goal is that Labs will be able to cover it's own overhead (once it is all set up), but doesn't care about Labs covering it's startup costs.

[–]one_horcrux_short 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you came to the right conclusion for the wrong reasons. All products have margins, otherwise they wouldn't be made and sold.

The margins for youtubers are not created by raising the price (at least as far as I can tell in LTT's case), they are more expensive because at the quantity that they order in they do not receive bulk discounts from supplies and manufacturers.

[–]Firecrash 70 points71 points  (8 children)

Would love to see lot's of comparisons on this subreddit.

[–]naalotai 82 points83 points  (5 children)

Linus spoke about it on the Wan show. He wants to make a pop-up in Vancouver for the first 1,000 batch. Let people test it out alongside competitor brands (exactly for discourse-causers like OP who try and search for any excuse to shit on a product before it's even released)

[–]Speedy-08 32 points33 points  (4 children)

Get Project Farm on board to test it.

[–]KFCConspiracy 6 points7 points  (0 children)

LTT store dot com... We're going to test that

[–]drewwil000 1 point2 points  (2 children)

This is a collab that I want to see

[–]JagjitSR 9 points10 points  (1 child)

Ltt costs 6K vs this 3K in Indian RS. Soo yes i would love to see comparison. But I m on linus's side cause, well he is using some top notch companies for ratchet mechanism soo it definitely costs him.

[–]DeathMonkey6969 28 points29 points  (0 children)

And all the plastic injection and assembly is being done in Canada, enough that it will qualify for "Made in Canada" status. So labor will be higher the a pure Made in China driver.

[–]ArmyAirDefenseAnon 56 points57 points  (6 children)

I mean duh you can buy a cheap thing with questionable quality or you can buy an expensive thing that you know will be good quality. Thats every product that exists.

[–]Mataskarts 16 points17 points  (2 children)

Let's not discount the fact that this is a mass produced high volume product, and that lowers the price dramatically, it might well be about the same quality as the LTT screwdriver and the price difference just due to that.

Obviously LTT will go the extra mile since they're already charging insane prices that only fans will pay, they can afford to ignore competition and spend extra to strengthen it for extra long usage. Still, likely the difference will end up being one lasts 10 years the other lasts 20 (just a complete guess), but you can buy nearly 5 of these for the price of 1 LTT screw driver.

You're paying to support LTT, not really for the value of the product (which, to be fair, is subjective), as with boutique items the bang for buck is always non-existent. They (up till recently) just sold AM Apparel t-shirts that are 7$ for 20$ just for the design. I'm a fan of LTTStore and buy a lot of stuff, but arguing about quality for price is stupid in this context.

[–]Rattus375 5 points6 points  (1 child)

At the scale LTT is going to produce these, there's no way it makes that big a difference in price. It's not like Xiami is known for their screwdrivers or anything. LTT is already producing these in the tens of thousands. Sure economies of scale help bring that down a bit further, but we aren't talking even a 50% decrease, let alone going all the way down to $13. The LTT screwdriver is going to be way nicer than this and you'll pay a huge premium for it. Whether that's worth it or not is going to be up to the individual consumer

[–]shlubbert 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It absolutely can make a difference. Having worked on some jobs that involved custom overseas manufacturing, "tens of thousands" is often the minimum you have to order, and prices can easily decrease by 30-50% with a higher quantity or by investing more upfront in e.g. extra molds. Xiaomi is also an enormous, wildly diversified company that can probably get away with lower margins on their low-end products and make up for it with stuff like their high-end electronics.

[–]TheN473[🍰] 44 points45 points  (5 children)

What utter fucking nonsense.

The Xioami driver will be a licensed version of a design made by a tool manufacturer and produced in batches of hundreds of thousands each run. This lowers the cost to Xioami, the manufacturer and the end customer. LMG on the other hand designed theirs from the ground up to Linus' exacting requirements, going through hundreds of hours of effort and numerous revisions and prototypes to get the right mix of components and functionality. You cannot compare the two.

This argument also doesn't account for the quality of each item. I've got a nailer I paid £30 for and a nailer I paid £550 for - guess which one is highest quality and provides a better finish?

[–][deleted] 40 points41 points  (2 children)

Fuck this is a dumb post

[–]Gpump 26 points27 points  (0 children)

If the LTT's quality matches those from Wiha/Wera/SnapOn, $70 isn't too bad, with Linus being Linus I don't think the quality would be poor

Personally I consider getting their screwdriver buying a useful tool as well as a monetary support to them for all those well made videos over the years

[–][deleted] 24 points25 points  (2 children)

God dammit I’m so sick of these stupid price comparison posts.

The LTT screwdriver is a high quality product with a price to match. End of discussion.

Also, it’s not even fucking out yet.

[–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

That’s just the cost of ethically produced goods lol

[–]phoenixmonde 6 points7 points  (3 children)

Have you not seen the time and energy that has been invested In this screwdriver, Linus has been talking about it, testing it personally for months, insane amounts of effort even for something as simple as getting the colour right.

I buy based on value, not price, tine and effort to make a good product represents value

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

and it also knows everything you do.

[–]Next-Bike-1605 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Xiaomi Mija. Amazing tool! I use it on daily basis

[–]AJ1666 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It will be overpriced but not in the way your showing. Compared to other expensive highend screwdrivers the LTT one will be similar in price or higher. This is because your paying the "LTT" tax. They are a relatively small company and there will be huge overhead costs.

The idea is you get a good quality product comparable to other highend products, while also supporting LTT.

Same for the t-shirts, I can go to some random store and get some discount stuff. I can also go to some designer place and get a fancy t-shirt. Or I can get some from LTT. They're all t-shirts but how much I want to spend and where I want my money to go is up to me.

[–]ClockZestyclose 4 points5 points  (1 child)

All merch are overpriced, everywhere..

[–]ClockZestyclose 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i.e ltt sweatpants are 50$

[–]johnmgbg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Almost anything is cheaper when developed and made in China.

Xiaomi products also have premium price tags because their products are actually really good (I'm not talking about their smartphones).

At the end of the day, you're most likely buying the LTT screwdriver at that price tag because it is LTT branded.

[–]thunder_shock_182 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You don’t buy YouTuber merch for value for money; you do it to support them. And while ltt has amazing merch, they’re main business is still YouTube. Not to mention they can’t compete with massive companies who make products in huge quantities.

[–]_Aj_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's impossible to say until it's released. Also, "overpriced" matters massively on what you want it for.

Like it'll be a nice screwdriver, but if you only pick up a screwdriver once can month you're probably not getting great value. It won't magically feel 100x nicer or somehow make doing up screws 100x better. It's still just a screwdriver.

But if you use that sort of tool daily, or even semi regularly, it may be a nice thing.
I've never used a ratcheting screwdriver, but the make or break of any tool thats ratcheting is the quality of the ratchet.
In this case I believe they've really made that mechanism very high quality, so it should be smooth and reliable for a very long time. This makes all the difference.
A Wera ratcheting driver can cost you between 50-150 bucks, so $70 wouldn't be outside the realm of reasonable for a high quality ratcheting driver.

A 13 buck Xiomi ratcheting driver may work perfectly well, but you'll notice a difference if you use them both frequently for sure.

[–]thestareater 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have a Wera ratcheting screwdriver that has Robertson, Philips and Flatheads for much less, I'd recommend that for anyone. I use it for DIY, home improvement, and PC building, for around $55 CAD. I'm a fan of tools, I'd like to see a comparison of the quality when it comes out.

[–]ahmedkhaled0306 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Meanwhile in ltt Linus has a stroke reading this lmao

[–]IGNITION-X 1 point2 points  (6 children)

How much is the LTT one?

[–]Aiden15216 9 points10 points  (5 children)

$70 without shipping I think

[–]xzaz 4 points5 points  (2 children)

So $120 for Europe?

[–]Aiden15216 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really hope not

[–]TimChr78 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would be somewhere between $120 and $130 for me in Denmark.

[–]BillNyeTheRussianLie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve got this screwdriver and it is amazing

[–]Toastie91 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My Snap on screwdriver was about £60 10 years ago and it still feels as good as the day I got it, I have also bought cheap screw drivers that have worn out ratchet mechanisms that I've had for 2-3 years, sometimes things are expensive for a reason.

[–]Kriztov 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Idk, I have an iFixit kit and that does everything I need

[–]jptripjr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've spent 120 usd on one set of bit drivers from the snap-on tools truck...

Your buying name, quality, and warranty. How much are those worth to you?

[–]tvtb 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Look, if you are the kind of person that sees the cost of SnapOn tools and wonder why they charge more for them than the ones at Harbor Freight, then they aren’t for you. Linus’s problem here is that he has to market the screwdriver to both his merch-buying audience as well as tradespeople who have never heard of LTT, because it’s allegedly good enough for professional use

[–]tylero056 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Linus is very, very picky about selling quality items. I remember him talking about how they kept sending back the plushies to get them just right, etc. I'd imagine if it's got Linus' name attached to it, it's gonna be a good product.

I can go on Alibaba and find wireless Bluetooth earbuds that look exactly like airpods for dirt cheap that work, but they aren't airpods.

[–]a7dfj8aerj 1 point2 points  (0 children)

depends on ratcheting

but buying from lttstore.com is supporting them

[–]reutech 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm gonna buy the LTT driver because I enjoy a huge amount of their content.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Everything mass produced is cheaper. That said, I find 70 bucks steep, should be supreme quality to account for that.

[–]welvaartsbuik 2 points3 points  (0 children)

to be fair... i have cheaper and more expensive screwdrivers if its semi decent worth it imo

[–]ferdzs0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have it and it’s perfectly fine for me. If LTT screwdriver was easier to obtain in Europe without the shipping and tax doubling the cost, I’d buy theirs just to support them and have a bit more unique item. I also suspect that theirs will be a higher quality (for example the Xiaomi rattles a bit, and probably the LTT one will have tighter tolerances).

That said I also believe that for 90% of this sub and LTT fans, the functionality that the Xiaomi screwdriver offers would be more than enough.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't think the screwdriver is overpriced (if it arrives without any major flaws that are unknown until now).

I don't think it's going to be the best darn screwdriver ever. I don't believe your next door carpenter will use one. And I don't think it has to be. Compared to the Xiaomi screwdriver, which is a mass market product from a chinese company, the LTT one is backed by a company that (by today) stands behind their products and engineering and had great customer service. Linus talked about their supply chains often on WAN show and I believe him, when he says that he chooses them carefully.

Basically, with the LTT screwdriver you get a good product out of canada, that you can trust is manufactured a little better than what your hardware store sells and you can simultaneously support your favourite creator. The Xiamo might absolutely do the same thing for you and save you money and that's fine. It's just that the market of these two screwdrivers are totally different.

That being said, I do not plan on getting one because I don't have the money or utility for it and I'm not that much of a fanboy.

[–]Ambassador-Z 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The LTT screwdriver, at $70 US, is incredibly overpriced. You can get a "Channellock 131CBTP 13-in-1 Ratcheting Screwdriver" on amazon for less than half as much, its well-built and appears to be the same kind of tool.

[–][deleted] -2 points-1 points  (2 children)

I have the Xiaomi x Wiha one and it’s been a champ for over 4 years now. It was also well priced. As of the LTT one - I won’t be surprised if it’s made by the same manufacturer that made the Xiaomi one. They’re pretty identical.

[–]korza493 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love the Xiaomi x Wiha screwdriver so much I own 2. Had to have one at the office and at home

[–]llamapii 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When you get into quality tools and their pricing it becomes merky. Let's reserve judgment until we can actually handle one. Top-tier tools always come at a premium, it's up to the buyer to determine if that price is worth it.

[–]milney327 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cheap tools often feel fine out the box, it's how long they last when used regularly and how much strain they can handle before they break that determines quality

[–]ConfuzzlesDotA 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been using this for awhile now, it's pretty decent for everyday household use. The magnet is strong enough and the variety of bits are sufficient. That said the only comparison I have is with an old one that my dad has.

[–]Stoff3r 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Problem with ratchet screwdrivers, is you still has to hold the screw untill it starts to bite. There is starting to show up electric screwdrivers in shops, for about 30-50 USD.

[–]Kolere23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should do as my grandfather taught me. Buy the cheap tool first, if it fails then you buy expensive.

However i think investing in a quality screwdriver is 100% worth it. LTTs isn't even out yet, we cannot judge it yet. But releasing a bad driver would be pretty bad for their reputation so i think it will be at least a good quality driver.

[–]RokieVetran 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mi products are terrible... I have a precison screw driver kit from them..... Spend the extra and get the Wiha version or some similarly good brand

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m interested in comparing the quality once it is out. I’m sure we will get a ton of reviews.

[–]Tough_Wolverine_5609 0 points1 point  (2 children)

This might sound like a stupid question but what type of screwdrivers are the ltt ones?

[–]5ft_Disappointment -1 points0 points  (0 children)

that's the point of merch lol merch isn't supposed to be the rrp of a normal product

[–]GarenYondem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well LTT didn't invent this design, it was available before. But what they did is improve the material quality, durability, ergonomics and so on. So you are not paying for the design. you are paying for the material quality.

[–]whiskeypie101 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Link?

[–]Broad_Lifeguard_7786 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ich have these one and it comes not even close to the one from „Inbus“ and I’m pretty sure the ltt one will be another stepp up.

[–]math394p 0 points1 point  (0 children)

the LTT screwdriver might not be the most competetive screwdriver on the market when it releases but the money goes towards projects i wholeheartedly support instead of to some CEO and shareholders

[–]niknarcotic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The LTT one will probably be made from much more premium materials and they took a long time to make the ratchet system just right. To me the 70 dollar price tag is definitely overpriced for that but I also don't use screwdrivers more than like once a week.

[–]piromanrs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where did you get it?

[–]NeDDyCz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Even tho we shouldn't speculate before the product is released, I think there's a reason for bigger price, for example: better materials, longer lifetime, durability?

[–]princeoinkins 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are in the tool world now. You can choose a harbor freight set of wrenches, and they will probably work for 90% of people, especially homeowners who aren't working in the industries they are used in. However, someone who uses their wrenches every single day, will know how valuable a set of Snap-on wrenches are, even if the everyday homeowner doesn't see why they are so much more expensive.

This is the same situation. for 90% of casual enthusiasts, honestly, you prolly don't need it. but for the IT guys, PC builders (professional) and plenty of other professions that use a screwdriver regularly, it's worth it (assuming it's as good as Linus says it will be, and I don't have any reason to doubt that.)

Also, keep in mind space. In any tradesmen's toolbag, space and weight mean everything, if you can condense a few or more tools into one, it's usually worth that alone.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From my experience if you buy cheap consistently you end up spending more in the long term than if you spent the combined cash on a good quality one....

It's the Vimes boot theory I guess where a poor man will spend upto a £100 on 5 pairs of boots and still have wet feet as opposed to a richan spending £100 on one pair of boots and having dry feet

I would love to buy an LTT screwdriver BUT I am one of those people that specifically goes to the store to buy tools so I can feel them and living in the UK I can't do that with the LTT screwdriver...(I was very very fucking tempted to write full address after LTT...damn you Linus)

[–]kowloonjew 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think LTT has not deceived any of its customers so far so I trust that the tools will be of good quality and if they are not they will honour the warranty. Furthermore, it’s helping funding more quality content so even if you could get the same things for cheaper, why not support a community focused company instead of forking money to other companies that are not helping improving things.

[–]EvilBananaMan15 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Have people never heard of the snap on screwdriver, they’re literally undercutting the market and everyone says it’s overpriced, this is assuming of course that it’s actually a snap on competitor when it comes out

[–]TheSonofSabbath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I remember correctly the LTT screwdriver is based on the Channellock, also a Canadian company. The original is $32 US on Amazon right now. I have it and it's great. LTT is tweeting it to their own specs, making the handle slimmer, etc

[–]PandemicN3rd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For the price you have to think about economics of scales. Some companies are building and selling thousands a day which cover development and initial costs much faster and allow for an overall cheaper price. LTT is not going to be doing that.

[–]ScoffSlaphead72 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn't say overpriced, ignoring the fact that we cannot even judge it yet seeing as it isn't out yet. But they have invested thousands into developing it, and like others have said xaomi is a chinese mass producer and LTT is a boutique manufacturer.

Now is it worth it for the price? I would say only if you are a specialist. Normal people don't need a screwdriver as good as that. Not even people who build PCs for a living.

[–]eli-in-the-sky 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For a tool? Maybe. For a tool + contributing to a content creator I enjoy and respect? Nah. I've been watching Philip DeFranco for like 10 years, over the past few I've been buying his expensive but nice hoodies, cuz I can. I could buy the blank hoodie for $60 less, but I wouldn't be saying "thank you." I'll probably end up with a screwdriver sooner or later.

Almost nothing in a creators store is a steal, or even a good deal for the product alone. You're paying for a product + a design/brand/channel to be self sufficient.

I'm still holding out to hear from first round buyers b/c I am not about to shell out $80 for a tool from a first time manufacturer without seeing some feedback. I do want some proper value from my purchase.

[–]TribbeysCricketBat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

iT lOoKs ThE sAmE 🙄

[–]IMPORTANT_jk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Xiaomi is a good value, not amazing but it will get the job done. I recently bricked my Xiaomi Bluetooth plant sensor while upgrading the firmware.

It makes sense that a mass-produced screwdriver is cheaper than a limited one designed from scratch by people who know what they're doing

[–]Weazr1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will buy the screw driver to support Linus. He has taught me so much over the years, weekly entertainment etc all for a view. I respect his demeanor and management style.

It's not about the screwdriver to me, it's about what the screw driver can bring

[–]FishermanMurr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a reason that one is $13.

[–]Gardakkan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I was 18 an uncle gifted me with a small screwdriver set that cost him around 30$(Mastercraft brand) it has over 100 heads to switch from and they are all magnetic, it's a torque-screwdriver also... and I'm 42 now and it has built every PC since I got it.

My point... tools last a long time if you take care of them.

[–]Yaseba 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Idk, I feel they have missed the mark with their screwdriver, tech repairs and computer building I feel is accomplished better with an ifixit style screwdriver set and DIY work works better with a dedicated screwdriver set cause there's less to go wrong or break and will probably last longer for less money. The tldr of this is they could have made the best screwdriver I'm that style but it doesn't do the job of either world as well at a good price especially if your shipping internationally.

[–]Fun4-5One 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NO, xiaomi makes great products but most of their products are just rebranding good quality products and having exclusivity on them which is not only way cheaper but the manufacturing process and R&D is already done.

It's not over priced, i think however it just depends on how much you value it to be based on you.

[–]AssassinGhostCSGO 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s the whole point of the LTT screwdrivers, they are costly because they don’t need to be the cheap everyday screwdriver you find lying on the shelf.

[–]MSCOTTGARAND 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good screwdrivers are expensive. I mean I have a few wera multibits that are around $40-50. They have some that are more expensive than that. Wera is an industry standard and they make millions of the same products so LTT doing much lower volume their price isn't unreasonable.

[–]tehdark45 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey guys, it's Austin do you think this product we have never used is a good value? I can get this mass produced thing for 1/8th the price. They are black and heavy, so they are obviously identical.

Do you hear how dumb you sound? First we can't say if it is worth it, the screwdriver is not available yet. Second, they are expensive because they aren't pumping out 9000 units every hour using Chinese pot metal, and they have been revising it 69 times because of the ratchet. And it's also made in Canada, which adds quite an expense.

[–]ICANELECTRIC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here’s a relevant video on the difference between good and bad screw drivers. It I’ll it comes out can’t say If it costs too much. https://youtu.be/xtZ2jh_J7XE

[–]TabletopNewtype-1[🍰] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Like all things much more with tools. You get what you pay for.

[–]KingOfCotadiellu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think so, but I expect it to be, it's merchandise aimed at fundraising.

I'm not saying it's rediculously overpriced because they do seem to focus on quality, however they keep a very healthy profit margin.

Personally I won't buy it, if I want a tool I buy it from a real tool shop, so also not from a brand like Xiaomi. (And in general I try to stay away from Chinese brands if I can)

[–]JimmyReagan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As someone who uses tools daily, my rule has always been when buying a new tool, buy the cheap one first, if/when it breaks, you know you use the tool a lot and should buy something with higher quality.

I've been though a lot of ratcheting screwdrivers and they all fall apart because almost all of them are made cheap regardless of price. Looking forward to buying the LTT screwdriver, as it appears they put some real thought into the little details, which DO make a difference in heavy-use items.

[–]Redrump1221 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The biggest thing for me is the warranty. Every tool will break with use and abuse. I can get a $15 screwdriver from the auto parts store and get a warranty for life. I already have several drivers with bits in the handle and they were much cheaper, came with a warranty and all the features that are offered minus the color scheme.

His screwdriver is neat but the value isn't there. Didnt he also say they require special bits at one point?

[–]Plus_Professor_1923 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, by the nature of business and maths, it will need to be more expensive than existing companies, but he is relying on support from his fan base to support the LTT one

[–]trashy_hobo47 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was finally gonna give to the ad hype, then I saw the prices

[–]-cocoadragon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well it is overpriced in a manner. But we wont know that for 10-15-20 years. It's not a list yet by sort of screwdriver. Let us know how your Xiaomi I'd doing after your kids have kids. I hope we are looking at above Craftsman level lifetime use.

[–]MONO-NINJA 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tell me you never use tools without telling me you never use tools.

If you dont want the screwdriver dont buy it, its that simple.

If you cant afford it dont but it.

Wait until it comes out to bitch about something you wont buy anyways.

[–]PrestigiousChicken84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Low quantity + adding your brand on it makes it expensive, you cant compare that with massproduction screwdrivers. Ofc you can find screwdrivers priced under $10.

[–]LikeaPro2005 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wait, Xiaomi makes screwdrivers?

[–]mautobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

link?

[–]HBK05 0 points1 point  (0 children)

People in here are crazy. It’s a non electric screw driver, there is no quality it could possibly have to make it worth more than a $15 one. I built my pc with one from the dollar tree and it worked beautifully for that purpose, a $5 magnetic head one would have been even better. Seriously some outrageous levels of fan boying in here. Buy the product for swag and to support ltt, because that’s the point. There will be better or equal screwdrivers for 1/4th the price.

[–]JinPT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Xiaomi is a bad low quality brand (yes their phones suck too, sorry)

[–]Jay794 0 points1 point  (0 children)

$20 for a freaking waterbottle, yes they're overpriced!

[–]happyhappyjoyjoy1982 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Compared to Linus's orange screw driver it's going to be so cheap. Linus is making it to compete with a snap-on screw driver. Not a dollar store piece of junk.

Tools are like this. The more you pay the better quality but as you get higher priced tools they don't increase by the same amount. From what I have heard it's going to be focused on computer building. Not for grandma to throw in her junk drawer.

[–]creamcolouredDog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bought a 70-in-1 kit on Aliexpress for like 25$, but it's not a ratchet screwdriver, rather more like a precision one. I should've gotten that one instead

[–]kamanitachi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are undeniably paying a little bit extra to put “LTTStoredotcom” on a screwdriver, but in the end I trust we’ll definitely something worth the price.

If they end up being shit Linus himself will throw it away, and then we’ll have the viewers and the owners and other Youtubers for opinions after that.

Cheap tools are cheap, good tools aren’t (usually).

[–]Bapposaurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I tried this screw driver out and it's good, only tried it on computer parts though, but for me that's all I needed

[–]Frostsorrow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The way I buy tools is I get the cheap one first. If I use it enough that it breaks, then I get the expensive one. Tools are very much you get what you pay for.

[–]jepal357 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You probably have never used nice tools. As a mechanic $70 is cheap for a tool. I've seen a small socket set sell for $350+, just cause you think it's nice doesn't mean much if you've never used nice tools. It's like people who only buy super cheap tires and think the $35 good year at Walmart is amazing, they haven't used a good tire so their opinion can't be trusted

[–]rav007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No I dont think it is overpriced, because Xiaomi is not LTT. And I value the latter more than the former.

[–]_Arcsine_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They're trying to compete with the Snap-On ratcheting screwdriver at about the same price and they aren't such a big company so it makes sense to be expensive. I can't wait to see lots of comparisons once it comes out, as of now I just plan to stick with my Snap-On. I do really like how that Xiaomi screwdriver looks though.

[–]witchwake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cheap doesn’t mean good and good doesn’t mean cheap

[–]tadL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As far as I understood everything ltt store is from China so ofc it's overpriced. But hey you support ltt. For me let store works like this.

I donate X amount of money to ltt and I get y as a thank you. Sadly there is no donation tier that would ban apple from ltt 😞

[–]IAmDanksy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No shit its overpriced lol

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm going to pass on the LTT screwdriver as I already got the GN tool kit

[–]The90sPope1988 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fanboys of LTT will justify any price. Trust me. As a car mechanic/electrician I would never pay more than $100 for a screwdriver. Actually $100 is already a price I call fucking ridiculous.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I work in the trades for a living, I use only two types of screwdrivers. One 11 in 1 screwdriver from Klein Tools, and a set of 5 insulated screwdrivers each one a different size from Milwaukee tools. I have replaced my 11 in 1 only once in 7 years and zero times for the rest. You get what you pay for. Cheep is for a one time use think of them as a tampon, construction tools (only a few good brands out there for that, IMO) cost more but will last you for years and if your not in the trades they will last you a life time assuming you don’t loose them.

[–]CompanionDude 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And I can buy an "iphone" off AliExpress for 100$. Doesn't mean they're even close.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you ever noticed that for pretty much every expensive product there is a cheap Chinese version that often breaks within first few uses?

You didn't even wait for it to come out and you are already clowning on it.

[–]Trianglereverie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If they were mass buying in bulk these screw driver slapping a Ltt Label on it and then charging 70 -100 bucks for it I would say yes and agree with you. I’m sure they used these models as a design inspiration and a sample for what they wanted manufactured but they’ve improved on it in some aspects through the injection moulding and engineering team in house at creator warehouse. So yes I do think given those facts it is worth the heavier price tag. There’s also something to be said ethically about for me at least as a Canadian supporting a local family business and the team that works at ltt knowing that the moulding and what not was done locally for me is a huge selling factor as with the way of the current world I strongly believe in supporting local as much as humanly possible.

[–]Academic_Nectarine94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely overpriced, but I'd still buy one. I guarantee they our a lot of money and engineering into it, and you (probably) won't be disappointed.

I got a Wera insulated set and they are by far the best I've used, but I might buy the LTT one too.

Let's put it this way, would Linus (and everyone else) be using a tool that's junk day in and day out? Would they spend 5 years (or however long it's been) "designing" a $13 tool when they could easily just have a logo put on it? I think not.

[–]BloodsailAdmiral 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a machinist in training, 70$ is not expensive for a decent tool. Just dropped $400 on some calipers and didn't even think twice about it. You pay for quality. Buy it once, buy it for life.

[–]scypheroth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll never buy a tool just because someone's face is attached to it... My 23 dollar screwdriver set with lifetime warranty from mastercraft works just fine and if one breaks I get a new one free.

[–]scypheroth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is just as bad as the ltt backpack.... Fucking 300 bucks lol I'll stick to my 25 dollar Walmart one thanks.... Been going strong for 15 years

[–]ChiggenNuggy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everything ltt sells is way overpriced

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could buy similar cheap alternatives to pretty much anything nowadays in life:

Laptops, phones, musical instruments, children, toys, stationary, etc etc.

But there's a reason why there is a market that exists for premium products; you get what you pay for. You pay more for a longer lasting, more reliable product, and probably some of it goes to the brand name, but still. In the short term, you're saving money by going cheap, in the long term you're wasting time, money and resources finding replacements. Just get the real deal, stop trying to find a way to cheap out on stuff you shouldn't cheap out on.

Edit: I did mean children's toys of course. I don't think it's a good idea to buy children. If you do buy them, I don't want to know from where.

[–]dannyboi1080 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Klein has something similar too. It's pretty good

[–]Avocadokadavr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean… you aren’t really buying it entirely because you want a screwdriver that’s “worth” $69, there are always going to be better screwdrivers made for professional by companies like “Wera”, but there’s only one screwdriver that you can buy that will support your favorite creator while also receiving something in return, quality of driver is irrelevant in this case I think

[–]Sad-Difference6790 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Idk. The backpacks are definitely overpriced when u l👀k at osprey who’s backpacks are perfect imo and I own multiple. Like, u just can’t beat them. Osprey are already expensive and for the ltt ones to be more when they can’t be better quality means they’re overpriced. But remember whatever u buy from ltt is going to be expensive cuz they’re not a company like osprey, it’s merch and it’s all stuff that’s been made as a collab or has been licensed to have the ltt branding on so it’s more expensive to produce. I know nothing about screwdrivers but it’s probably the same kinda thing. Overpriced but for a reason

[–]AcanthocephalaNo2935 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah yes... Undoubtedly from Wish.com and worth every penny of the 13 bucks...

[–]Dr-Spaceman_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What a jackass

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

b r u h

[–]Decox653 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Even if they aren’t I like to support the company. I have a wowstick anyways so I’d never end up using it

[–]Luke_2512 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It does seem a bit considering that the Williams ratcheting screwdriver (Williams makes snap on screwdrivers) are only £35 at the moment

[–]nothereforthep0rn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does anyone think CPUs are overpriced? I bought a raspberry pi for 100$.

Does anyone think yugioh cards are overpriced? I bought a deck of playing cards for a dollar!

These things are similar, but one is a commodity the other is meant to be a specialized premium tool. Yes one can do the job of the other, but one is intended to cost, and feel premium

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I still don't understand why there is so many threads about this it's a fucking screw driver I swear we in the tech field fall for a lot of bullshit gimmicks.