What are your pet peeves with hand tools?

[theoldwizard1]

I am not a fan of blow molded cases for hand tools. No room for expansion.

I am not a fan of "wrench racks" or other things that keep tool "neat" EXCEPT for socket rails. After getting a decent upper and lower tool chest, putting my sockets on rails was the best thing I did.

Next best was buying a middle box so I could buy more tools !

 

[monkeyspanners]

Those rubberised grips that perish while the rest of the tool is still useful, also find them in household items where they don't add any functionality to the item and are just a place for germs to hide etc.

 

[Davefr]

I agree with the premise of a keyless chuck - my only experience was with DeWalt drills had two of them with keyless chucks and both crapped out in short order.

What do you suggest for a GOOD keyless chuck ? A particular brand of drill/screwdriver or an aftermarket add-on ?

The first thing I do is throw away keyed and low end keyless chucks.

Once you use Rohm, Albrecht or any of the quality keyless chucks you'll never use keyed again.

 

[hautpot]

-skipping sizes on spanners or sockets

-spanners not proportional in size

-Poor packaging (I am looking at you Mitutoyo!)

-uncoated screwdriver bits

-demolition screwdrivers, its either a chisel, prybar, or flathead.... not all three

-multi **** edc stuff: (AKA tasteless, tacky, gimmick tools)

-Laser etching (looking at you Bluepoint!)

-Flex ratcheting spanners

 

[abvw]

Laser etchings. I avoid buying tools that doesn't have their brand and sizes proudly stamped. Worst offenders are sockets and extension with completely smooth chrome finish with no knurling and laser etched.

Plier handles that flex also irritates me.

 

[98ssuck]

Useless socket sets. One set at work has 1/4" 3/8" 1/2"drives. The 3/8" drive only goes up to like 11/16. The 1/2" drive only goes up to 13/16". It isn't a Chinese set from homecheapo or China direct. It probably cost the company a couple hundred bucks. My 3/8" set goes up to 15/16" and I don't have to carry around a extra 1/2" ratchet for no reason.

 

[FedUp]

I agree with laser etching, flexing plier handles and skipping sizes.
Sometimes I prefer a blow molded case, but please make it where I can pull the pins to remove the lid.


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[stearn786]

Don't know if anyone mentioned this yet but ratchets with the selector opposite of everyone else. I have a Kobalt 1/4" ratchet that the selector goes left for reverse and right for forward. Nice ratchet but it drive me nuts to use it after using an SO dual 80 all day

 

[greenbikemike]

They don't make them for left hander's.....

Greenbikemike

 

[redwrench60]

Screwdrivers and prybars with rubber ***** over molded handles that get slick as a wet noodle and come apart after soaking in solvents or oils.

Laser etching on tools. Hard to read sizes after lots of use and it just screams cheap *** garbage. Are you listening, tool companies? If you're proud of it, roll stamp your name in it!!

******** "nutbusting" or "breakaway" torque numbers on impact wrenches. Never mind some mythical, fluffed up number conjured up under laboratory conditions that I will never duplicate in the real world. Just tell me how much working torque the damn thing has and quit with the smoke and mirrors.

 

[davethorik]

Laser etching on tools. Hard to read sizes after lots of use and it just screams cheap *** garbage. Are you listening, tool companies? If you're proud of it, roll stamp your name in it.

Funny you say that. I felt nit picky about this, but here are my new Klein pliers. They have a hold open spring, so here is the laser etched logo/script on the rivet in that position. They are very good pliers in every other way, this seems cheap and cheesy.

 

[B_Bimmer]

Laser etching is a chronic embarrassment. Virtually all great tool companies are doing it on their pliers, and I recently noticed that snap on is doing it on their standard crowfoot wrenches. Still great tools, but it's going to make it a lot harder to sort out the junk in twenty years.

 

[redwrench60]

Laser etching is indeed a damn embarrassment. It's actually most likely my biggest tool related pet peeve. After what amounts to just a little use in some cases all size, trademark and model number markings are gone or unreadable.

That's a damn fine pair of Klein 2000 series Iron workers' you got there Dave. I have a set myself, but after the 100th trip in and out of the tool pouch they'll just be another set of no name pliers!

 

[drink]

My biggest gripes have to do with tool sets, whether you buy them as sets or put them together as sets. Number one is skipping sizes. Yeah, you may not use the 16mm socket much, but it's good to have it when you need it. Number two is if I buy a set of tools, I want to know that if I damage, lose or wear out a tool, I can can replace the tool with the same exact tool. Case in point are my husky USA wrenches. If I ever have to replace one, it would be replaced by a sticky chromed, shortened, lobster claw POS made in PRC. What are your pet peeves?

You know I have to agree with you on what you are saying. Leaving stuff out is a PITA. Selling customers a line of made in USA tools and either dropping the line or sending the line offshore with non-matching tools is a PITA. If they would stick with it they would probably have a following.

 

[anndel]

My pet peeve is made in china. My other pet peeve is not having enough hand tools muuuwahahahahahha

 

[crewchief888]

Yep I checked out berlands (sp?) tools outside of new Lenox when we were in the Chicago area. They had a decent amount of SK which is my go to brand. They might of got some business of mine if the prices hadn't been through the roof.


No wonder most of the stock looked like it had been there 20+ years.

i thought it was just me that thought the prices were really high.

on everything, not just SK

i've stopped there a couple times in the past when i was driving by

i think my biggest gripe is socket sets not coming in metal trays like they did "back in the day"

 

[Andrew360]

Mine is more of my own fault but I lose whatever I was just using and spend more time looking for it again than actually using it.

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[Dave455]

I would love to see tools and tool sets that come with:

- Actual space for the cord. Many cases are nearly impossible to use again, since you can't stuff everything back in after using it.

- Space for the tool with the bit or blade mounted. One of my pet hatreds is a case for a tool that requires you to remove the bit or disassemble to tool to get it back in.

- If a tool needs consumables, these should be clearly specified on the box. What freaking batteries does this thing need? What size nails? What diameter saw blade?

Yes, all these!

AND, being a Brit, I ESPECIALLY hate it when a power tool comes in a box that won't accommodate the lead with a British 240 Volt plug attached!

AND ... if a tool needs consumables why can't the size be stamped on the tool instead of having to look through some 28 language manual printed on bog paper!!

 

[dutchgray]

Even worse if you have to use 110v tools in the UK because of safety rules, those plugs are massive. Hate blow moulded cases, the mostly open ones are so much better and the cost difference can only be tiny.

 

[bsg1]

i buy most all of my hand tools at an OldSchool swap meet and many of the deals are once only opportunities. a pet peeve of mine that has everything to do with me is passing on a good deal, only to obsess about it later. even worse is going back at the first opportunity and finding that the item(s) has been sold or has otherwise become unavailable.

 

[KEH]

Locally there is an independent tool dealer in a B & M store, nice guys, they sell Proto, Wright, SK, Mayhew, Crescent, Waterloo boxes, and some other good stuff plus some quality imports. Oh, also Ken tire tools.

KEH

 

[Rickster]

The really nice plastic boxes that power tools come in. I'd much rather they put that money into adding accessories or even making a better tool. Just ship the power tools in a cardboard box because I throw out those really nice plastic boxes anyways.

 

[marinusdees]

that there called hand tools,when you don't use them to work on your hands...

No, but they will hurt your hands.