Now a days I've been crafting my tools again to help with the nook miles tools crafting points. Mainly fishing rods and nets because I always have sticks on me lol.
I only make them when Nook's is closed and my last one breaks. I usually buy them from the cabinet and keep two or three of the main ones. Usually something like...two shovels, two nets, three fishing rods...
I switch between making and buying them. It partially depends on whether or not Nook's Cranny is open when I need a new tool. I'm particularly fond of the star net though
3 or 4 months ago, I still made all of mine because I wasn't aware you could customize the store-bought tools. (I knew you could customize the ones you crafted, so I kept customizing my shovels, slingshots and watering cans.)
I still make my watering cans, fishing rods and bug nets (to get slow progress toward the DIY Tools achievement), but I tend to buy shovels and wooden slingshots to conserve materials.
I have a really bad flower problem, so I usually buy the fancy shovels without caring about if they break or not. Hardwood and iron nuggets are really scarce on my island and I don't usually think it's worth it if I'm just cleaning up.
Otherwise, I prefer how the default tools look by a landslide. Except the fish fishing rod lol.
I craft them so I can get the achievement. I customize my shovel, slingshot, and watering can frequently so I don't need to break out the wood necessary to make new ones.
I buy em. I love the pattern shovel and elephant watering can and fish fishing rode and so on lol they're cute. And I just hang on to customize kits and customize the tools every now and then so I don't break them
I used to always make my tools but once you get to a certain amount of bells it seems like an unnecessary waste of time/resources. I now prefer to buy my tools and only craft them on occasion!
When it comes to shovels and slingshots I buy them but for everything else I craft. The shovel is the most-used tool in the game for me so its a pain when to always craft it when it breaks, especially when it comes to flowers.
I buy them and then customize them until I accidentally forget and they break. all my materials go towards making furniture for my island so I don't want to use them up on tools (and i'm lazy like that haha)