Tools you have absurd numbers of

[GaryM909]

As a woodworker, I have what most would consider an absurd amount of clamps. But I've had multiple glue ups going at once where I needed every single one of those clamps, so I don't consider it an absurd amount!

My neighbour was a woodworker and had a garage sale about three years ago. I bought 30 pony clamps with 30 lengths of ¾" pipe ranging from 1' to 8'. All for $30. I kept about eight of them and sold the rest.

 

[MushCreek]

You know that with a few pipe couplings you can make pipe clamps of all different lengths. I had a job where I needed 12' clamps, and I just pieced them together. And yes, I have way more Pony clamps than I'll ever need.

 

[Shiftless]

I once needed a 10 foot long clamp for a special job. It’s quite convenient that pipe is sold in 10 foot lengths. My pony clamps did just fine. But I had to build a 4X 12 foot long table to work on. I glued up a bunch of mortise and tenon joints on a vintage custom redwood footbridge railing restoration project. (I should have charged more for the job… my client paid extra for materials to build the table and pipe for the clamps)

 

[Firebrick43]

Sometimes it smells like boiled linseed oil and/or lanolin (sheep fat) which is in the product I used for rust retarding.

Lanolin is a wax that is secreted out of the follicles into the wool; not the sheep’s fat.

If the lanolin (via wool) touches the meat it’s inedible, not that mutton is very edible to begin with.

 

[Shiftless]

Lanolin is a wax that is secreted out of the follicles into the wool; not the sheep’s fat.

If the lanolin (via wool) touches the meat it’s inedible, not that mutton is very edible to begin with.

Thanks for clearing that up. Seems to work great. How many rusty sheep have any of us ever seen?

 

[bonneyman]

Define "absurd"...

When I need a backhoe to get into my shop.

OK
Here is one showing the majority of my collection. I built the shelves and did the lighting myself.

Heck, you could open a gym!

I have an excess of many things tool related . and half the time I still don't know where to find what I'm looking for.
I don't know what the problem is? is this not normal?

Maybe you should get an assistant? lol

 

[Beerhippie]

Lanolin is a wax that is secreted out of the follicles into the wool; not the sheep’s fat.

If the lanolin (via wool) touches the meat it’s inedible, not that mutton is very edible to begin with.

The countries of Australia, New Zealand and much of the middle east respectfully disagree.

 

[Firebrick43]

The countries of Australia, New Zealand and much of the middle east respectfully disagree.

There is no accounting for bad taste.

 

[whateg01]

I

Thanks for clearing that up. Seems to work great. How many rusty sheep have any of us ever seen?

Feel like there's a joke in there with some lube and a fence and a cowboy

 

[Madjik Man]

I’m just a DYI guy at home so any tool I have more than the bare necessity of qualifies as “having too many of.” I love tools, I do use them… I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs, so tools isn’t such a bad addiction.

That said I probably have way too many screwdrivers/drivers. This doesn’t include the overflow drawer in my old box that houses my original 6 piece Craftsman set (that got me through 25+ years of everything) and a small nut driver set.

Oh and sockets… I counted up the sockets in my socket drawer (trying to save/plan for organization) and I have 433 sockets (again not including the overflow housing my original Craftsman socket sets). Good lord… putting that in writing makes me feel uncomfortable lol

 

[GaryM909]

You know that with a few pipe couplings you can make pipe clamps of all different lengths. I had a job where I needed 12' clamps, and I just pieced them together. And yes, I have way more Pony clamps than I'll ever need.

I did keep a couple 4' and 8' ones with theaded ends and couplings left on.

 

[genog]

Screw drivers....
Pliers....
Sockets....
Ratchets....
Hacksaws!

And Why, oh Why do I have so many Nut Drivers??!!

....and floor jacks

 

[PugetDude]

I’m just a DYI guy at home so any tool I have more than the bare necessity of qualifies as “having too many

Oh and sockets… I counted up the sockets in my socket drawer (trying to save/plan for organization) and I have 433 sockets (again not including the overflow housing my original Craftsman socket sets). Good lord… putting that in writing makes me feel uncomfortable lol

You and @BlakeTheCarGuy should start your own socket cult. Others will follow...

 

[Hannahranga]

Allen Keys. And they're never the right one. I have multiple sets with one or two missing, then I have a ton of random sizes I don't know where they came from.

Flat pack furniture normally

 

[ozyborn]

OK
Here is one showing the majority of my collection. I built the shelves and did the lighting myself.

Now when my wife asks me what I want to build next in the garage. Yep. This... Only have 10 misc vices so far. But I do have a Prentiss 22 and a dozen old blacksmith vices.

 

[drokihazan]

Also for some reason I have a lot of really large tools. Like things you'd use for heavy equipment and tractors. I worked on that stuff as a teenager but never sense.

36" and 48" pipe wrench, 4-way and combination wrenches to 2", sockets to 3" in 3/4 and 1" drive, 54" prybar, just a bunch of huge tools. I also have SO MANY stud removers for some reason including every model Snap-On ever made. I cut the heads off every stuck bolt I can lately just for an excuse to use them.

 

[M.Jay]

Good lord… putting that in writing makes me feel uncomfortable lol

It's not that bad. As you already said, there are far worse addictions one can have.

I see you got the Anex low profile screwdrivers. Those are awesome! Saved me so much time when working in confined spaces!

You and @BlakeTheCarGuy should start your own socket cult. Others will follow...

The witnesses of the mystical 10mm socket?

 

[seber]

Drift pins. I have an entire drawer piled to the top. Brass, steel, hardened steel, tapered, headed, multiple lengths, you name it. But I love having the exact pin when I need it.

 

[Madjik Man]

You and @BlakeTheCarGuy should start your own socket cult. Others will follow...

Blake probably has 3x the amount of sockets than I have…

…in his overflow box.

 

[CoogarXR]

I have "just enough" of everything. It might be absurd to some, but to me it's just right, lol.

If I had to pick something that people would call strange... Probably my screwdrivers/nutdrivers. I have hundreds of them. But they all have their specific uses to me. I have hundreds of them. It's like those multi-bit kits, except I have actual screwdrivers instead of bits. I do a lot of electronics work, and chunky bit drivers don't fit a lot of places. Need a 2-foot long T15? I got it. I have all those crazy drivers that I keep spotless for electronics work, then I have a different set of a million screwdrivers that I use for mechanic/dirty work.

Oh, and multimeters and test leads. I don't have a meter that does "everything" well. So I have this meter for this purpose, this meter for that, etc. Even special little functions I happen to like that aren't really advertised functions of a meter. Like my Beckman DM78 pocket meter- it's so light it can hang from clip leads and not fall off. Plus it beeps when it senses voltage- so you can clip it on a dead circuit in another room, and you'll hear it beep when it goes live. I probably have 20-30 meters between my shop and various mobile kits. Plus tons of probe sets, both bought and purpose-built.

 

[oldmachinenut]

Metal cutting saws, 4 bandsaws and 2 power hacksaws. Blue welders, 5 and 1 plasma cutter plus 2 oxy/acetylene rigs, 1 portable and 1 fixed with an overhead reel.
I only mentioned these because my Wife asked me…
“Who needs all that stuff”

 

[logical]

I think it's pretty much the right amount of screwdrivers, even if we add the 30 or so in the basement and a few dozen others in cars, junk drawers, and desk drawers...so nothing I guess.

 

[sparky 1971]

Screwdrivers and tape measures. Unless I need one, then there are none to be found...anywhere.

 

[mm08822]

OK
Here is one showing the majority of my collection. I built the shelves and did the lighting myself.

Are those Stonco 150L's?? I loved them decades ago!!!

 

[Jarhead0408]

Absurd numbers of tools I DON'T use...wrenches, sockets, ratchets, vice grips. Most bought for dirt cheap at pawn shops years ago. I just bought the new Milwaukee vice grips too haha! I don't want to lose the Orignals from Petersen.

Absurd numbers of tools I DO use...pliers. I swear I've got 200 pairs at least. Almost all of them are of different types, sizes, and configurations. But I do use them and when I need a specific pair their is no better alternative. I am very proud of my pliers haha.

 

[M.Jay]

From now on, i will send a link to this thread to anyone telling me I have a problem owning 50 screwdrivers and a dozen ratchets.

 

[lastill]

I’m just a DYI guy at home so any tool I have more than the bare necessity of qualifies as “having too many of.” I love tools, I do use them… I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs, so tools isn’t such a bad addiction.

That said I probably have way too many screwdrivers/drivers. This doesn’t include the overflow drawer in my old box that houses my original 6 piece Craftsman set (that got me through 25+ years of everything) and a small nut driver set.

Oh and sockets… I counted up the sockets in my socket drawer (trying to save/plan for organization) and I have 433 sockets (again not including the overflow housing my original Craftsman socket sets). Good lord… putting that in writing makes me feel uncomfortable lol

That's a nice collection!!!

 

[lastill]

A selection of screwdrivers I have

 

[whateg01]

From now on, i will send a link to this thread to anyone telling me I have a problem owning 50 screwdrivers and a dozen ratchets.

 

[MushCreek]

I have several sets of hand tools for specific machines, such as the mill and the lathe. I also have 'bait' tools so visitors in the shop don't misuse my good stuff. I also have beater tools such when I need to use a screwdriver as a pry bar. Those aren't absurd numbers though- they have a purpose.

 

[rockinacummins]

The first rule of hoarding is: we don’t talk about hoarding.

 

[PoorUB]

I am just a rookie compared to many here. I have three sets of 3/8" socket sets, two in blow molded cases. I bought one set years ago when I did HVAC to keep in my truck, the other was my dad's that I inherited a few years ago. A couple screw driver sets. I generally do not keep a huge amount of extras. Some guys mentioned allen wrenches. I buy sets in the plastic holder and if I replace the set, the old ones get tossed.

 

[Shiftless]

Are those Stonco 150L's?? I loved them decades ago!!!

As I recall, I used Bell.

 

[honcho]

Flat pack furniture normally

I have no problem tossing those hex keys. One of the few things I can let go of easily

 

[Beerhippie]

I have no problem tossing those hex keys. One of the few things I can let go of easily

I often don't even take them out of the packaging before tossing 'em into the round file--along with the craptanium fasteners that come with flat-pack furniture.

 

[lund]

There is no accounting for bad taste.

English heritage people with bad food taste? No way. Err ... maybe so with the USA too.

 

[Beerhippie]

English heritage people with bad food taste? No way. Err ... maybe so with the USA too.

What? You don't consider Mickey Dee's haute cusuine?

WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA?

 

[Shoreline_]

Standard wrenches. Kept upgrading over the years and haven't been able to part with the lower quality ones.

 

[lund]

What? You don't consider Mickey Dee's haute cusuine?

WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA?

How dare you! I grew up in a English ancestry family using Velveta Cheese for mac and cheese and I can even digest spray can Cheese-Wiz on crackers. I can eat instant rice on digestible cardboard plates and be happy. I am as American as they get ... I resent the insinuation!!!

Actually in all seriousness, I am pretty well traveled in Europe, Russia, and Japan. My wife is Japanese. After traveling and working a lot in Europe and Japan, you do start to notice a lot of our USA food is ... well ... not so great. My wife is really really horrified on that I can eat and be happy. But after years of bad food detoxification, I started to be able to tell the difference between American rice and Japanese rice. As guys like to say here touting products of a certain high-profile tool company "There is a difference." That phrase does indeed appear to be correct in this context. I used to think Uncle Ben's" rice was high end.

 

[whateg01]

What? You don't consider Mickey Dee's haute cusuine?

WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA?

I've had McDonald's in every country I've visited since 2000. First thing I ever ate in Singapore was McDonald's because at 3 am when I made it to the hotel, that's all I could find within walking distance that was open. That started a "tradition" of eating McDonald's around the world. In the States,I eat it because it's consistent - I know what to expect. Overseas, kinda the same but it's not the same. They often don't use sliced cheese for example. And yes sometimes McDonald's is way better than the local cuisine.