I whole heartedly agree with Kevin and others, but also know from decades of making/building/growing/doing stuff that better tools make it easier to achieve better results, but they also don’t guarantee better results. The right tools can sometimes make it possible to do things that are otherwise impossible. The trick is knowing which are the right tools for you, I’d love to have back all the money I’ve blown on stuff that when I bought it I thought was going to help me walk on water or provide the secret to life, the universe and everything.
Any job worth doing requires a new tool.
Corollary: Any job requiring a new tool is worth doing. [emoji851]
I hate buying tools and building things.
Go the direction your heart/mind/soul leads you. It’s possible you are at the perfect place right now. Keep brewing as you normally do, in another batch or 10 batches, or 100 batches, you might find a new and improved path, if not, then stay the course until the next obvious change presents itself. Ask yourself; Am I happy with my finished product? Am I happy with my process? If you answer “no” then something has to change. If you have 2 “yes’s” then you are right where you need to be.
^^^^
This!!
True, but if you do stuff there are certain minimum tools that you must have: Sockets ratchets and adapters, drill, drill bits, rotary tool, circular saw, saber saw. The basics. And as you become more advanced the tools become more specialized: Miter saw, table saw, drill press, bench grinder, air compressor, band saw. You can see where I’m going.
I have been playing that game for longer than I care to mention, but the upshot is that these days I can walk in my shop and do damn near anything I want to do without making a trip to Home Depot!
They say that money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy tools, and sometimes that’s pretty much the same thing. 
Amen to that brother, my younger self would have thought I had died and gone to DIY heaven if I had the shop and tools I have now. The real sad thing is that I never seem to find much time to play with them unless I have a pressing, urgent need for something I can’t find or buy and therefore must [read get to] build or make myself. The happy thing is that more often than not I have the tools and skills to do so.
I’ll pretend I didn’t read Denny’s blasphemy about hating tools, hope he doesn’t get struck by lightening for that one.
I have a decent collection of basic tools, but I long ago learned that I prefer to have someone else do it. I consider building brewing equipment a somewhat necessary evil . I’d rather spend my limited time using something than building it.
No, no, he’s not gonna get hit by lightening. It’s not Zeus and the thunderbolt, pretty sure Thor’s gonna take this one and get him with the hammer. Tools and all. [emoji23]
Seriously, I can see Denny’s side. We all have to prioritize. We all have only so much time to allot and have to decide how we most want to spend it.
Pretty much the lesson of this thread. It’s not an upgrade if your new system has you spending time on aspects of the process you don’t find rewarding.
[emoji106]
I agree with Denny.
I have many tools, for all sorts of jobs. Now few projects come up where I need a new tool. If it is something a friend has he can help me do it. Sometimes I hire a job out, to get it done in a timely manner. Old guy syndrome is becoming a thing at times, the back acts up, so I let some do a job. That stimulates the local economy.
When my house needs a new roof, not doing that!
Looks awesome. Kegging seems like a great move if you’ve got the space for a setup!
Thanks Kenny, no disagreement here!
So seems the moral of the story is that new tools are nice, new equipment is nice, but all of it is not necessary to make good beer. BIAB is next for me then kegging I think is the move at some point when I have space to do that!