Tool attrition?

[Dimitri]

Anybody else find after buying some new fancy gizmo that seemed like a good idea for a specific job it ends up out of the tool box?

After posting in the thread looking for cutters for DIP packages, I started to realize all of the nice to have, but utterly unused tools in my box and that I have gotten rid of over time.

Anybody else have the same feelings?

Dimitri

 

[rockinacummins]

I don't regret a single tool purchase...

That's what I tell my wife anyway... Can't give her the satisfaction of saying "I told you you spend too much money on tools!"

 

[southalabama]

Only regrets are deals I missed.

 

[jobo1004]

My only regrets are buying a cheaper tool and then buying a more expensive version a few months later.

 

[AA/FC]

The only thing that I can think of would be a Cadillac Northstar water pump socket. I'll never own another Northstar engine so the socket will probably never be used again.... unless a friend needs to borrow it someday. lol

Otherwise, I don't regret ANY of my tool purchases. I don't need to use every tool, every day for me to justify owning them. I used that Northstar water pump socket once 10 years ago and it still sits in my tool box....

 

[Steevo]

My only regrets are buying a cheaper tool and then buying a more expensive version a few months later.

^^ This!

I can't count how many times I have cheaped out and bought a poor quality tool "because I only need it this one time . . .", and then end up buying a good one when the cheap one fails.


Oh, and the entire bottom two drawers of one of my cabinets is filled with Honda motorcycle special tools, that were for pre-1980 vintage Hondas. I keep them in case I buy an old bike to work on.

 

[littleponderosa]

Echoing jobo1004 & Steevo. Cheap tools lend themselves to poor results.
Bill

 

[hifi_hokie]

^^ This!

I can't count how many times I have cheaped out and bought a poor quality tool "because I only need it this one time . . .", and then end up buying a good one when the cheap one fails.

This has happened often enough that I have a fairly large Wright and Proto order coming in the near future

I have a Duralast Taiwanese set of sockets and combos in case I need to make a very basic parking lot-type fix, but cheaping out on the main tools has bitten me more than once...

 

[supersteve]

I can justify hanging on to unused tools because a lot of guys in the shop come to me for help with unusual or specialty tools and situations. I like helping the guys out.