Confess: What Tool Did You Not Really Need But Bought Anyhow? (Silly Stuff Included)

[tez929rr]

I bought one of these Cruztools Switchback kits. I’m obsessed with finding the right small set to carry on the bike.

 

[paulsomlo]

I swear I once saw someone use one of those prybars to remove a screw!

As for me, just every damned tool that I bought based on recommendations from a shady website called Garage Journal. Don't listen to those loons!

Ooh--that looks cool! Not sure what it is or what it does, but... I don't have one!

A prybar? I bought a prybar!? I already have a dozen prybars - and it's too late to take this one back!

 

[Beerhippie]

A prybar? I bought a prybar!? I already have a dozen prybars - and it's too late to take this one back!

You can never have too many....

 

[SouthernIllinois]

The list is long and distinguished but for the most recent and most expensive.....

Snap-On 3/8" flex stubby in a 1/4" drive head

- The sockets I use all the time - the ratchet hasn't been touched since I put it in the box.

 

[DemoFly]

Mag77. I just think they are cool. Bought it for no reason. I do all my homeowner cutting with a cordless trim saw.

I bought a cooling system vacuum filler. It's awesome I'm just always too lazy to set it up.

I bought a fluke 27 II but I never use it because I use my mini clamp meter all the time.

 

[theoldwizard1]

This thing - it was cheap enough, so why not? I've been all over the internet now and I still can't figure out what it does!

I worked at Sears in the 70s

Ocassionaly they would get a shipment of Craftsman screw drivers with solid red handles. They threw them all in 1 bin. Your choice 99¢. I still have some.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The most useless thing I ever bought was 1/2" drive socketls 1" to 1-1/2". Never used them. Probably never will.

 

[BWWgarage]

I bought one of these Cruztools Switchback kits. I’m obsessed with finding the right small set to carry on the bike.

I like it. Im guessing you could build your own of better quality though? I did the something similar, but a more comprehensive MX track set up with csc backpack.

 

[gorilla]

How about a brake lathe and a brake shoe grinder only used once.

 

[phred]

Did I really need the Bridgeport? I’m so conflicted, need is such a subjective word.

 

[BWWgarage]

I just bought a sunex 20-24mm wrench combo set, BF Amazon, for $28.50. I’m 53 and haven’t needed yet, but maybe ...

 

[kams1973]

I didn’t need this PROTO 1/4” drive SAE/Metric socket set, but it is a 12pt set.

 

[four.cycle]

No, I did not need an electric, illuminated, AM/FM Christmas "Snow-Globe" radio, but my baby sister does!

Illuminated AM/FM Christmas Snow-Globe Radio

she really liked the musical Halloween snow-globe I gave her a couple years ago!

 

[snarkdek]

I bought one of those Wera tool check + everyone raves about. It was on woot and for about $40 off and that was too much.

If it's supposed be the one tool to do everything why does it have duplicate bits and even duplicates of pozidrive bits. I would not recommend it for any reason. I threw it on my desk at work and the one time I needed it, it didn't have the bit I needed.

That's funny because I use the hell out of the Wera Toolcheck. It is one of my favorite tool purchases in the last 10 years. But one man's garbage is another man's treasure so to each his own.

 

[snarkdek]

My tool purchases have slowed down simply because I have almost everything I need/want and am pretty much out of room in my small garage. But I am still always looking at what is out there. If I had more room, I'd be a lot poorer.

 

[Brandon_Lutz]

When starting my tool collection, I bought one of those classic Proto pear head 1/4 ratchet kits that came in the small metal red box with some sockets, couple of extensions and a hand driver. I bought it because growing up, my father had one of those kits in his farm toolbox and I always liked it, so I wanted one for myself.

20 plus years later, I don't think I've used anything but the ratchet a couple of times. The whole kit still looks brand new and I anticipate it will stay that way until I shuffle off this mortal coil. It's stored in the very bottom drawer of my toolbox with the spares and rarely used stuff.

 

[willf650]

That's funny because I use the hell out of the Wera Toolcheck. It is one of my favorite tool purchases in the last 10 years. But one man's garbage is another man's treasure so to each his own.

I’ve literally bought 2 additional bit sets from Wiha to swap out the pozidrive and duplicate torx.

I‘ll standby my statement but why do I need Torx and security Torx of the same size. I also can count on one hand the times I’ve needed pozidrive but to each their own.

 

[finn]

The cordless bandsaw thread reminded me how little I use my M18 *********** bandsaw.

Then there’s the I on 1/4” drive flex head comfort ratchet I bought “just because” a couple of weeks ago, or the HF air floor tile scraper that ended up being useless.

At least I got a few bucks for the scraper.

 

[cody1325]

I didn’t need this PROTO 1/4” drive SAE/Metric socket set, but it is a 12pt set.

Controversial opinion--I've found that aside from spark plug sockets, I've found that 1/4 can do most household/light duty stuff.

I've got a very compact Kobalt 1/4 set in a hard plastic case (replaced the ratchet with an Icon, and the missing spinner handle is to be replaced with the CAT one) with a decent selection of standards and bits, but no deeps. I've needed them twice and had to go to other sets. Found a cheap no-name set on a plastic rail laying around in a junk drawer that I've added in the meantime.

 

[Kent_B]

A few years ago I bought a set of S-K metric line wrenches while they were still made in USA. I'm not sure I've ever used one, but they're like jewelry, the chrome is so nice.

 

[jar944]

Most of my shop is stuff I didn't "need"

 

[milkovich]

I have a tendency to need a tool I don't have for one job. I manage to get the job done without it. The next time I see the tool I needed, I buy it. Then that job never comes up again.

Most of my tools are ones I probably could have gotten by without but this is the blessed trinity of overkill as I haven't even used them (yet), I've made due with the cheap, worse versions, then bought these vowing never to use the crappy tools again.

T&D Ring and Pinion installation set, I bought this after setting up a handful of rearends with the sketchy ratech kits:



Mastercool Hydraulic flaring kit, I bought this AFTER putting 100% new stainless lines on a GMC 4x4 in the snow:


Baileigh TN250 Notcher, This is really more aspirational, it's built a few racecars since I've owned it, just none that were mine:

 

[Garagebound1]

I can't let my wife see this thread. I'm sure she believes that every tool I've bought is needed and used all the time. I just ordered the new Matco low profile pass thru ratchets and sockets. A bunch of money but I can see a lot of places I can use them. A friend of mine said to me at almost70 yrs old are you really going to get the use out of them. I sure hope to! I did buy a whole set of flexible foam sanding blocks that I thought would be put to good use. They're still unused in the box. Decided I didn't feel like sanding a whole car.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Unusual wrenches to try out - French Cles a Pipe, Saltus hinged socket wrenches (both combination and double ended).

Small sheet metal toolbox I thought was pretty neat and was going discontinued.

Swedish pipe wrench. Well I did need but not the Swedish bit.

Full set of ball pein hammers from 4oz to 32oz. But I've come to appreciate going steady with a slightly bigger hammer, instead of beating things like mad.

French riveting hammers. Haven't worked out if they're useful yet.

Punches and chisels upgrade. I'd just hit my hand a little while before, then I saw the gold Rennsteig ones, so that was it.

PB Swiss ratcheting T handle bit driver.

 

[ozyborn]

My 1 inch socket set. Too good of a deal to pass on. Back in my army days all of our tools were 3/4" Not sure what I can stuff in my garage that will need a 1" but I have them just in case. Proto set for $50 at garage sale.

If you have the room, you need the tool.
If you do not have the room, get a bigger garage.

 

[Ducky]

I have been reading through this thread and thinking to myself that I have never done this. I have tools that I may have used once for sure but not just because I wanted it and already had a good enough solution.

But then I remembered...


About 20 years ago I was heavy into E-bay and I had a tool allowance. I was bidding on multiple items at the same time, some were basically the same set/item. I would win both items and justified to myself that I can just turn around and resell the duplicate through E-bay. Yeah, never happened.

My worst purchase that was not needed was a Snap-On punch and chisel set that came in a roll. I think it is the 22 piece set. I have all the punches and chisels in that set individually and in other sets from Snap-On, Mac and Proto. To this day I have never used any items from that set. It is basically NIB. The good news is I only paid a little over $200.00 for the set. I just checked the current set price minus the roll.
Over $800.00

 

[Skellyii]

More stuff posted on the Amazon Deals on New Retail Items or Warehouse deals thread than I would care to confess to buying.

 

[rust in the eye]

My 1 inch socket set. Too good of a deal to pass on. Back in my army days all of our tools were 3/4" Not sure what I can stuff in my garage that will need a 1" but I have them just in case. Proto set for $50 at garage sale.

If you have the room, you need the tool.
If you do not have the room, get a bigger garage.

My dumb purchase was a Harbor Freight 1" dr. set. Bought because it was missing one socket and sold for approximately half price.Great deal, right. I never touched it other than to bust a nut everytime I moved the box. Eventually found it a new home for $100 where I suspect it remains unused.
OH, ozyborn YOU ****!

 

[CoThG]

Just wanted them...

 

[Callelle]

Pretty much anything purple, useful or not, I find it hard to resist the magnetic force.

 

[Byrdnyrd]

I bought this at the Newport Boat Show years ago……never did or will use it. In my own defense, the Booth Babe selling them was smokin Hot!




Cheers,
BN

 

[bdbecker]

Most recently, I picked up one of these while browsing at the local ReStore...

Vaughan Grayvik 21" Pry Bar

Made in USA · Drop-forged & spring tempered steel for strength ~ Heavy duty ~ Three-in-one nail puller ~ Special angled "Shepherd's Crook" for leverage & power

hardwickandsons.com

It's a factory second, so it has a nice purple/pink paint job. I have a couple of shorter versions, but figured it'd be nice having a 21" version available for use on a future project. Just like that 13-5/8" long 4x4 off-cut, it'll sit around collecting dust for a few years until the right situation comes along and it'll be the perfect solution for the problem of the day.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I bought this at the Newport Boat Show years ago……never did or will use it. In my own defense, the Booth Babe selling them was smokin Hot!




Cheers,
BN

Those are cool tools, but I'd never remember how to use in-between uses. Instead, I just use good ol' fashion safety wire and double it up.

 

[imagineer]

A Harbor Freight parts washer.

I had a barely used 5 gallon pail of PSC-1000 degreaser for years and it started leaking from the rusted bottom. Rather than let it continue to leak and eventually evaporate away, I bought a parts washer to transfer the degreaser into. It's been a few years now and I've only used the washer 2 times.

 

[tak1313]

What Tool Did You Not Really Need But Bought Anyhow?​

Pretty much everything...
Sadly, I buy tools based on anticipated future need versus current need.
A LOT of times, I either never end up needing them, or end up finding something even better to use so end up getting that.

 

[mikey03]

Today I was robbed at gunpoint, (teasing), the very nice man handed me two tools, a very large American made aluminum pipe wrench (retail new $100.00 dollars) and a very large crescent wrench (retail new $50 dollars) at his garage sale and he had them marked at $5.00 each tool. Oh, **** I need those like Madonna needs a comeback tour because she is broke, (teasing). Sigh (I gave him his asking price and now I have 40 pipe wrenches and 40 crescent wrenches) I did not need them but that deal I could not pass up.

Your grandkids will be selling those for $5 someday maybe to me if I’m lucky!

 

[mikey03]

I bought a bolt

This thing - it was cheap enough, so why not? I've been all over the internet now and I still can't figure out what it does!

its an antique air unfreshener

 

[WildBill]

I got a 8/16s wrench, now you can buy a whole set of equally goofy named sizes. My favorite is the tree/qrtr RACECAM.



Dingus Wrench Set

Dingus Wrench Set

Limit 4 per customer Fun sizes. (1/4) 2²/16 (5/16) nearly 8mm (3/8) 96/256 (7/16) 0.4375 (1/2) HALF (9/16) IX/XVI (5/8) π/5 (11/16) 5.5/8 (3/4) tree/qrtr RACECAM Metric equivalent on the back side

carburetedinnovations.com

 

[oscarsnapkin]

It would probably be easier to list the tools that I actually ‘needed’ versus the ones I didn’t. I literally picked a drawer in my box to randomly add something to this thread. The heavy-duty bushing driver set below is something that I needed in my truck repair days. It contains all the most commonly used sizes and I never needed anything else.

So of course I had to buy the full, large SAE set:


Along with the large metric set:


The small SAE set:



And of course, couldn’t live without the small metric set:


I think I may have actually used one of the small metric sizes on my VW. If any of you ever need to drive a bushing, I’m your guy. The funny thing is these are staying with me to the grave, I would never part with them.

 

[dscheidt]

Most recently, I picked up one of these while browsing at the local ReStore...

Vaughan Grayvik 21" Pry Bar

Made in USA · Drop-forged & spring tempered steel for strength ~ Heavy duty ~ Three-in-one nail puller ~ Special angled "Shepherd's Crook" for leverage & power

hardwickandsons.com

It's a factory second, so it has a nice purple/pink paint job. I have a couple of shorter versions, but figured it'd be nice having a 21" version available for use on a future project. Just like that 13-5/8" long 4x4 off-cut, it'll sit around collecting dust for a few years until the right situation comes along and it'll be the perfect solution for the problem of the day.

I have a bunch of Vaughan superbars. They are, indeed, super. There's a 12" version, too, in case you need to complete the set. I use the 21" a lot, just because the extra leverage makes it easier to use. If I'm pulling lots of nails, I break out the hookbar.