what hand tools have you just flat worn out?

[davestlouis]

I'm not talking about breakage, but what hand tools have you just used so much that one day you looked at them and said, "these are dead"... I got my money out of them, they weren't defective, they just wore out.

https://goo.io/KKQVMl

I treat sockets as being semi-disposable but I've never had a wrench or ratchet that died from over-use. All the threads about ratchet lubrication got me thinking about it...if you lube it the silly ratchet it may feel better but I wonder if it would ever wear out under normal use whether you lube it or not.

 

[bchee]

i have a flat blade screwdriver that is well worn. It can still turn screws but cams out a lot

 

[justinmc]

I've got a few sockets with pretty decent "wear" rings around em... otherwise though. Short of busting a few I haven't worn much out.

 

[autoace]

I have soo many tools, I have never worn anything out. I tend to use tools in a loose rotation. The same tools don't get used everyday

 

[autoace]

I'm not talking about breakage, but what hand tools have you just used so much that one day you looked at them and said, "these are dead"... I got my money out of them, they weren't defective, they just wore out.

I treat sockets as being semi-disposable but I've never had a wrench or ratchet that died from over-use. All the threads about ratchet lubrication got me thinking about it...if you lube it the silly ratchet it may feel better but I wonder if it would ever wear out under normal use whether you lube it or not.

I use the same stuff Merkava uses, I have never had a ratchet die. The lube prevents some wear I believe. As you ratchet, I think the lube protects the teeth from friction wear; however, the lube doesn't change the ultimate strength of the ratchet, plus the light ooze affect keeps the dirt out.

 

[wilbilt]

I have worn out some combination wrenches. 5/16", 10mm and 15mm. They were Snap-ons.

The same with sockets. Some name-brand, others no-name, mostly 12-point.

The only thing I wear out these days are #2 Phillips bits.

 

[daveblank]

When I was a tech, I used 10mm & 14mm sockets till they were almost round about every 6-9 months.

 

[davestlouis]

A brother in law of mine used to work on the assembly line at Chrysler, and he said they killed Snap On industrial sockets once a week or more, but they did use the same socket, for 2 shifts, on the same machine, every 30 seconds or so.

 

[chammyman]

once a week, thats why we pay so much, to cover their warrenty claims!

 

[davestlouis]

I can't imagine they had a warranty on tools in that sort of environment. It was assembly work too, so at least they weren't fighting with rusted-on fasteners like I am. As an aside, can you imagine standing on the same station, all day, 5 days a week, doing the same repetitive motion...hanging a piece of trim, for example? I'd go bonkers. No wonder they had drinking and drug problems in the plant, the boredom would kill you. I seem to recall that my BIL said they used weird drive sizes too, to keep the tools from following the workers home. I'll have to ask him about that next time I see him.

 

[chammyman]

I would also go crazy I could never do assembly line work, well I could if I had to but I don't want to.

I would have taken the drive tools home with me so I could use the weird size sockets

 

[davestlouis]

Well, my BIL and the other 2500 guys/gals in that plant won't have a chance to take any tools...they closed the plant 2 weeks ago, minivan sales are way down and Chrysler pulled the plug. I arranged to give this same guy my Cornwell rolling cabinet for Christmas last year, since I had just gotten a shiny new MATCO cab...at least he has a nice tool box, I just hope he doesn't sell it or pawn it.

 

[Brad54]

I've worn out a fair number of screwdrivers over the years. Mainly Phillips, but several straight blades, too.

Never worn out a socket, ratchet or wrench. I've bought, and was given by my dad, a bunch of worn out chisels--cutting ends rounded or chipped, heads mushroomed way out. Some time on the grinder brought them back, and I use them a lot.

-Brad

 

[eschoendorff]

I have worn out some combination wrenches. 5/16", 10mm and 15mm. They were Snap-ons.

The same with sockets. Some name-brand, others no-name, mostly 12-point.

The only thing I wear out these days are #2 Phillips bits.

roger that

 

[trackwelder]

The teeth on several pairs of visegrips.

 

[chammyman]

The teeth on several pairs of visegrips.

yep, I need some more.

I burst my proper Mole visegrips the other day, burst the weld where the screw passes throguh so it skips out now.

 

[caper]

I've taken some Gray ratchets in for warranty and been refused because they were "worn out".

 

[64merc]

I've seen many worn out screwdrivers and 12 point sockets. Those twelve points get so worn that the ridges are almost completely gone. This seems to be less of a problem with larger sockets. I've never worn out any myself though.

 

[nismomans13]

I got some snips and wire cutters that I have worn out. I also got a pair of wire cutters that I got from my grandpa when he passed away, I would say they have to be from the 30's, and still cut wire like their new.

They sure don't make them like they use to.

 

[gougou]

The first time I worked on a car, I wore out a socket while trying to replace an alternator. It was a 1/2" socket. The socket set was a no-name brand and given to me by a "grandma", who knows little about tools. At that time, I did not even know there is a Craftsman there. Imagine how Craftsman impressed me at that time (that's before I find this board of course).

 

[sammerdog]

Would my can koozie wearing out count on this thread?

Like a few other posters, I've gone through a handful of phillips and slotted screwdrivers. One other item I've replaced a few times are standard Craftsman pliers. Seems the "figure 8" opening wears wider and wider until the pliers only work in the wide setting.

....and of course, my 3/8" ratchet goes back to Sears about once a year for exchange.

 

[Fedwrench]

I've gone through #2 phillips, and T20 torx bits and the same size screwdriver blades. I've also worn out a couple of 3/8 flex head ratchets where the handle fork that held the head spread from normal use. I've also worn out 8 and 10mm sockets. I've also worn out air ratchets and replace 100ftlbs torquesticks annually if they count. May be a wrench here or there but, my tools have always performed well over the years.

 

[krusty the clown]

my tools are ok but i'm worn out

 

[Jononon]

Drywall saws seem to last a matter of weeks, I've worn out the joint on any number of wire cutters, and slotted screwdrivers that are so rounded they're only good for opening paint cans.

Other than that I don't think I've ever worn out, as opposed to busted, a tool.

FYI: Hitting a 14mm gearwrench with a 2lb dead blow ball pein will strip the ratchet. Who knew ? Although it did loosen the bolt which, for the sake of a £3.15 wrench and the non-availability of tools on a Sunday afternoon, was really all that mattered *hides from Merkava*

 

[wrenchr]

my tools are ok but i'm worn out

Krusty,
The speeder you are looking for what is the drive size?

 

[krusty the clown]

Krusty,
The speeder you are looking for what is the drive size?

it's a 1/2 drive

 

[jsaw]

most of my high use sockets have been replaced a few times. 7MM has been replaces 5 or 6 times in 16 years. the tool truck guys never give me any hassle replacing them. that is part of the reason for paying high tool truck prices.

 

[sberry]

Screwdrivers and tin snips.

 

[speed bump]

Stuff I can think of
Framing hammers
1/4" drive 12 point sockets
lots of Diagonal cutters (in refrigeration we were doing good if these lasted 6 months in the shop)
Lots of screwdriver bits
Some #2 philips screwdrivers

 

[rickairmedic]

I would say the tool I go through the most is a 1/4" magnetic nut driver bit . I go through them constantly . I also go through a fair amount of Wiss tin snips more now than I used to .

Rick

 

[goodfellow]

I also wear out a set of aviation metal snips every few years. The straight cut models last about two years, while the left and right generally last a bit longer.

I buy Wiss, but have noticed that they wear out more quickly than they used to.

 

[krusty the clown]

I buy Wiss, but have noticed that they wear out more quickly than they used to.

it's a shame but it's called planned obsolescense. i have a pair of my fathers wiss snips that are close 50 years old and they work as good as the newer ones i have bought.

 

[J.A.F.E.]

I've worn the serrations off SO E703 pliers (now E703BCG). They still work though.
<a href="http://s451.photobucket.com/albums/qq235/mcpfstevo/?action=view&current=54132.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq235/mcpfstevo/54132.jpg" border="0" alt="e703bcg"></a>
~Steve

 

[Elroy]

lets see here:
hack saw blades
drill bits
cold chisels
tin snips
grind stones
carbide burrs and end mills
strike flints
files
wire bushes
mig tips & gun liners
C-Clamps opps that was bent, not worn-out

and yes Phillips screw drivers

Lots more.

 

[Merkava_4]

I have worn out some combination wrenches. 5/16", 10mm and 15mm. They were Snap-ons.

You got me curious as hell about that; where were they worn at?

 

[Coach James]

Countless #2 Phillips bits, many pairs of tin snips back when my dad and I had a roofing business, a few cold chisels from cutting rivets.

Aside from that, any tools I had to replace were broken, not worn out.

Coach

 

[wrenchr]

You got me curious as hell about that; where were they worn at?

Not like yours Merkava, the chrome is probably worn off of yours!!

 

[Torque1st]

I still have Craftsman sockets I bought at age 10 (1963), I am 55 now.

I wear out screwdrivers. I can regrind the flat ones a couple of times. If you are careful and hollow grind them they will work better than new. Phillips, Reed and Prince, etc just have to be tossed out or made into flat screwdrivers if the metal is good enough, otherwise picks or awls or trash.

I have also worn out hex keys but the tip can be ground off.

I break any Crapsman tools made since 1970 so I don't buy them. Crapsman tools made after that time are loose and sloppy which makes them break and ruin fasteners.

 

[jerk_chicken]

Anything with a Pozidrive tip.

Wore out a bunch of triple square bits, used on head bolts and others on axles. Now some hex bits, but those are CM.

CM ratchets that skip after a while, and that's pretty much it.

 

[fatfillup]

Knipex alligator pliers. Those are similar to the cobra pliers but with slip joint action. I use them on plumbing fittings like a pipe wrench and get good life but I've been using them for at least 15 years. Actually I get great life, use them a whole lot.