How many tools have you worn out through honest use?

[Robinson1]

I know tool warranty is a big deal for alot of people. Reading on here it seems that some are constantly warranting hand tools.

I understand a tool is a tool and many of us (myself included) rely on tools to make our living. That means that sometimes we have to use tools beyond their intended limits. Beacause at the end of the day the job has to get finished.

I've broke my fair share of tools both in my home shop and on the jobsite. So I'm not judging.

I'm just curious how many tools you have worn out through honest use of the tool? For example, if you smoked a cordless drill running a 3 inch hole saw (I'm guilty of this one by the way). I would consider that abuse. However if you smoked the same drill after years of small diameter holes and driving screws I would consider that wearing the tool out.

In 15 years of construction and finish carpentry I've went through several tools. Some like the drill I referenced above were 100% my fault. I was pushing the tool, it failed. At the end of the day it owed me nothing.

Looking back I can honestly say that the number of tools that have failed because they were worn out have been few. Mostly hand tools. Several wrenches in common sizes. A few impact sockets in common sizes. A bunch of chisels and pry bars although that could be considered abuse! I've popped the claws off a couple Estwing hammers doing demo and stripping forms. Maybe abuse but I think stress cracks as they were all hammers I'd used for a few years. bunch of chalklines that finally just fell apart. The same with tape measures. Several tool bags.

On the power tool side. I've worn out several saws after cutting multi house patterns and miles of OSB. Several impact drivers. One air compressor after 10+ years of almost daily use.

I'd consider everything else to be failures from abuse.

So be honest. How many tools have you actually worn out?

 

[ItsNemo]

A couple cheaper screwdrivers where the tips wore down (especially Phillips)...otherwise, not much that I can think of.

I've had tools outright fail, things that have bent, snapped, or seized up when using them properly. Had mastercraft ratcheting breaker bars that I went through 3 of them where the ratcheting mechanism would lock up even at low (sub 50ft-lb) torque levels...eventually just returned for store credit. A brand new sds drill bit snap on the first hole. A set of threaded spring compressors that bent. Quite a few 7mm bit sockets snap when doing brake calipers. Had one of the bad batches of gearwrench ratchets that wouldn't ratchet.

 

[Philbert]

I have yet to wear out a tool from use anymore. Back in the day I'd go through a catspaw every few years. I have not warrantied very many tools. I might have been to Sears for a screwdriver or two I just don't remember.

Even my cordless I haven't broken them but the batteries would go bad. I'd just buy a new system. I love the new cordless I 5hink they are all great to decent. LI batteries changed the game. I went with Makita again. I like the driver drill combo. But hesitant to go beyond. I just don't want to get locked in to an ecosystem.

 

[NinnyCTSV]

I’ve broken my fair shake of ratcheting wrenches going far beyond their intended use back when I didn’t know any better.... some of you may know what I’m talking about. But standing on an impact trigger with the ratcheting end on a stubborn bolt. But looking back the only thing that really stands out is a lot of filter straps snapping from hundreds and hundreds of oil changes. I’m sure I’ll think of others but I keep coming back to the “abuse” and a lot of my broken tools over the years could be chalked up to abuse

 

[PelicanPines]

Wore out:

B&D corded drill ... purchased in 1976 ... lasted till 1992.
Craftsman Pro sawzall ... purchased in the late 80s ... died a few years ago.
1 3/8" diamond hole saw... 1992... dull dull 2018 ... drilled about 80 holes... all with water

Not going to mention the little stuff or single use ****.

Wore out about a dozen screwdrivers in my life... dozens of saw blades, some sharpened to death.

 

[Capt Chrysler]

Lot!

Back when I was wrenching for the daily bread. Snap on flex head ratchets we're good for about 2 weeks. So I had 3 of them in the tool box. Chrome sockets lasted about 1.5 years. Screw drivers, lost track.

Always had a Great Snap on guy. He keep my broken stuff fixed and I made his house payment.

Different story today. Didn't spend $500 with him last year. So warranty replacement is a little slower.

Capt. Chrysler

 

[check251]

I wore out a couple of Snap on 1/2" drive impact sockets. Can you abuse these? They were used on my Ingersol rand 231 which isn't the most powerful gun out there. A Craftsman 3/8 raised panel ratchet was rebuilt and replaced.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Wore out a Belden Bixs cut off termination tool. The black (see pic)cutter levers over a wire cutting it off while setting the wire. Terminating mostly 23/24 guage it took a number of cuts to wear out the knife.

 

[ssdave]

Quite a few #2 phillips. A few nail sets. Many tape measures. Craftsman hammer on the current house I'm building; a nice light weight wood handled ripping hammer that the head mushroomed till it's almost unusable. And, most of the nails were nail gun; I did have quite a few hand pounds on some of the remodel structural and setting underdriven gun nails. I've had quite a few Craftsman sockets that wore or stretched to the point of slipping easily. Wore out a pair of Snap-on Diagonal cutters; that was after several other brands failed by not being capable of cutting the hardened wire. Knipex loop bending pliers, the tips get grooved to the unusable point. Slip-groove pliers have worn enough that they "skip a tooth" and won't hold. Dead blow hammers that the plastic gets beat up till they crack and fall apart. Worn out many rubber faced hammer pads. Rawhide mallets, they get worn out easily. Couple of hacksaw frames have bent or stress fractured from continuous flexing. Power tools; wore out a couple of sawzalls; couple of jig saws, several drills, couple of routers, couple of belt sanders. Wore out a cheap tile saw. Had to rebuild my MK770 tile saw as parts wore out. B&D Industrial rotohammer a shaft broke after years of use. Wacker packer the foot wore through and broke. I've worn out ratchets until they need rebuild kits; some have worn the hole in the frame till the head is loose or wobbly and they can't be rebuilt easily. Essentially every gearwrench ratcheting wrench I ever owned failed; either falling apart or stopping the ratcheting action. Wore out a couple sets of brush cutter/pruners; the hinge gets worn and sloppy. Wore out many aviation shears.

Most of these items I just threw away after they had served their time. Why would I warranty something that had served its intended purpose so well to the point that it had worn out? I do warranty my #2 phillips SO drivers; they replace the blades and I keep the old handles I like.

 

[dr_clyde]

I've wore out a couple of chucks on my cordless drills. Couple of ratchet guts. Beyond that, I'm not sure I've wore out much. Broke, yes, but not much I've wore to the point of being un-usable.

Edit. I forgot about tape measures. I've wore out dozens of those.

 

[Toolfool]

Carpenter as well, 35 years. The usual : couple of compressors, couple of cordless drills, one sawzall. I've gone through about six different brad nailers. At $90 to $150 to replace, they're not worth reconditioning. I still have the Skilsaw and Milwaukee router and screw gun I started with. Replace brushes and cords and they keep going. I also have never carried my tools in an open pickup, drives me crazy seeing a guy's tools in the pickup bed in the rain. And it rains a LOT here.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I had plenty of cheap tools fail suddenly / completely when I was a newbie, but since I began buying quality stuff wearing things out has been mostly air tools, which eventually are not worth rebuilding or I wore away the handles / outer bodies, and a few sets of screwdrivers.

 

[mrjaw14]

I've been checking pawn shops for some used sockets from name brands and I run across entire sets where the ends look used and deformed and chrome peeling. from the entire sockets...clearly worn out. seemed like they were pawned and new ones were bought. the drive end isn't usually chewed up as i'd expect it to be if an impact was used.

I've wondered how a socket set can get so worn in normal use, or if I'm finding abused stuff around here.

 

[Vantastic]

I wear out the tools of my trade (flooring installation) pretty often.

Power stretcher about every 8 years
Electric tacker about 5 years
Underlayment stapler 2-3 years
Compressors, jamb saws, hand tools they all wear out when you use them everyday.

 

[Kev442]

Many #2 Philips. After the second set of brushes, I considered my 3/8th electric drill worn out. A couple 1/2" electric drills. Two cheap grinders, but those are considered disposable from day one. A 7" grinder died way too soon on me. Mushroomed a few framing hammers. A good recip saw and a cheapie one too. When the ball on an extension won't hold, I consider it worn out. Several 13 and 10mm sockets. I wore out my Cman DOE sae wrenches, didn't warranty them, moved on to combos. Several digging spades, about turned pointed into square...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

My knees

 

[matt_i]

I claim to have worn out the motor brushes on a DeWalt 18v cordless drill. The old NiCd battery version. Basically abusing it driving thousands of deck screws in the top gear. The motor would still run but could not drive at low speed any more, only full throttle. Typically a DC motor which cannot regulate speed has brush issues. I never bought new ones as I could only find them for ~$60/set and the Milwaukee M18 which replaced it was $99...

Saw blades, drill bits, carbide inserts, tungstens, ironworker punches...all of the above, but its mostly an issue with losing the edge although the carbide can crater

 

[Trucky]

When I worked in a machine shop I went through a few Torx drivers and a few Allen head sockets. Every fixture we used (read: abused) had thread inserts and those poor 1/2" and 5/8" bolts were terrorized repeatedly until they died or the thread inserts gave up the ghost. Also, hammer faces (lixie hammers) were fairly frequent replacements... maybe every few months.

 

[gdpolk]

I've worn out quite a few. In my experience though the ones that wear out the most have been inexpensive hand tools and things with motors in them. I've also had quite a few that had parts on them wear out, which when replaced yielded the tool back in good condition.

For example, on my 2x72 knife grinder, the solid aluminum tracking wheel that is supposed to be crowned has worn down into a dished shape and my belts are no longer tracking properly. Once that is replaced, the grinder will function like a new one again. It hasn't been abused, it just had parts that are slap worn out from honest shop use.

 

[Robinson1]

Carpenter as well, 35 years. The usual : couple of compressors, couple of cordless drills, one sawzall. I've gone through about six different brad nailers. At $90 to $150 to replace, they're not worth reconditioning. I still have the Skilsaw and Milwaukee router and screw gun I started with. Replace brushes and cords and they keep going. I also have never carried my tools in an open pickup, drives me crazy seeing a guy's tools in the pickup bed in the rain. And it rains a LOT here.

It drives me crazy too. Stuff is way too expensive to let it get rained on. I've got a 12 foot enclosed trailer. It's full to the point of overflowing. Looking to pick up a 16 footer soon.

I forgot about nail guns. I've worn out a few 18 and 16 ga guns. I managed to destroy my first framing gun before I wore it out. Off a 3 story roof on to concrete nose first!

I've never actually worn out a cordless drill. They always end up getting destroyed or killed by abuse in some spectacular fashion!

 

[patchap]

I wear out roofing guns at about 1 every other year. Hitachi, bostitch doesn't seem to matter. I get them rebuilt and let the crew use em, once they break once it starts happening more frequently.

 

[four.cycle]

At least 3 or 4 Black & Decker electric drill motors (1/4" and 3/8", fixed speed and VSR.) Ran them to death.
At least 3 Black & Decker orbital pad sanders (the type that use 1/3 of a sheet.) Ran them to death.
One Black & Decker 7-inch electric circular saw (ran it to death finishing a roof job - probably my fault. Tossed it into the garbage when blue smoke started boiling out of the motor.)

One Ryobi 3/8" VSR electric drill motor. Ran the hell out of it until the on-off switch froze in the "ON" position. Gave it away on CL.

One Stihl FS-80 gas-powered "handlebar" brush/weed cutter. 1970 vintage. Ran it to death several times. Ron Jones Power Equipment got tired of trying to outsource used parts for it and told me to get rid of it. Sold it for $50 bucks on CL.

At least two or three hand saws. Probably should have just had them sharpened. Easier to just buy another saw.

Several #2 Phillips screwdrivers. Probably because they were cheap-*** screwdrivers. My 1970's Rosco still has a nice sharp point, though. Go figure.

My first 2875 Indestro 1/4" drive RHFT ratchet. Put a repair kit into it about 25 years ago, and it held up for a few more years. The splines inside the head literally wore out. Bought a little Snap-on for a replacement in 1994.

A 2812D 1/4" drive 3/8" 6-point deep-well socket. Still using it, but after 47 years it's starting to get a little sloppy.

At least two standard garden shovels

At least two or three dozen plastic grass rakes - wore the tines off.

At least half a dozen "D-rings". They don't last long when you're doing trail work.



Several gas-powered rotary lawnmowers. Just ran them to death.

My old beater Snapper Hi-Vac is on its fourth or fifth engine now. Does that count?



An older Stihl chainsaw. (031?) Had point-triggered ignition. Couldn't find parts for it any more. It was tired. I think Ron Jones gave me about $10 bucks trade-in value for it when I bought the MS390.

I think most of us would accept that drill bits, hacksaw blades, and 1/4" hex drive bits have lifespans of limited duration, so perhaps those don't need to be mentioned, but I've tossed more than a couple into the trash.

 

[pi_guy]

Since the 70's about a hundred SO tools.
4 or 5 dremel tools
A bunch of craftsman hand tools
Smoked a Milwaukee sawzall cutting out bamboo roots

 

[kb1982]

My sister's love giving me tools for Christmas. Unfortunately they usually are subpar quality. I can't remember whether they were companion brand or allied wrenches, but they were absolutely horrible. They would ether bend or pop the box end with minimal force. Cheap ratchet adapters would also shear the drive end off fairly easy. So far my SK brand ones are holding up fine. Had the same results with the HF wobble extensions. Last on the list, would be a Craftsman RP ratchet. I've killed others, but this one puked the guts with normal use on a tight bolt. Worse was that I wasn't expecting any excitement, so I banged my hand up pretty good. If I was abusing it, more care would have been taken.

Sent from my Z962BL using Tapatalk

 

[2oolhound]

I wore out my makita 9/16 hammer drill (corded) in a few days drilling 3/4" holes in 8 - 10" logs with a wood auger bit. The thing got so hot you couldn't hold it. Finally so much smoke was pouring out of it you couldn't breath around it. It would still work but it heated up real fast. I just gave it to the gardener on site.

The worst job I had for wearing tools out was falling trees. Chain was bought in 100' rolls and chains lasted a week or 2. Sprocket noses for the bars lasted 2-4 weeks. Bars about 1 -2 months. Air filters, carb kits, recoil assemblies and other saw parts were always wearing out. I'd do a top end rebuild with new cylinder and piston once every 4 months and buy a new saw each year so you always had 2 or 3 running saws on hand. Falling wedges would last 10 per month maybe. 75' tape measurers needed refills every month. I the winter, snow shoes (aluminum bear paws) might last 2 months and in summer rubber caulk boots would average 3 weeks. I've had them rip 6" long on a sharp limb the 1st day rendering them useless. Leather caulks lasted 2 - 6 months depending on conditions. Sometimes you were working in 6" of water. You needed 2 -3 pairs so some were always drying so you could re-dubin them for a days use after they dried. Safety pants lasted a season unless they stopped you from cutting a leg off in which case they got pretty tore up (never happened to me but see lots of them). I won't even mention wear and tear on your vehicle from driving the roads and skid trails. Even the 2 way radios required new $30 crystals every time you changed locations. On payday you'd run around paying bills till it was all gone.

 

[Honda guy]

I can only think of a handful of things. Been turning wrenches on motorcycles for the past 30 years.

-I wear out a 32oz. SO deadblow about every 8 years. I think I'm on my 4th one now.
-A few phillips screwdrivers, although haven't worn out any since I switched to Matco/Witte screwdrivers 8 years ago.
-A couple of SO Midget pliers.
-A Proto pear head ratchet. Still functional but sloppy loose. Body worn out.
-A couple of wire cutters/dikes.
-A C/P 1/2" air impact that I bought used.
-Several Apex phillips bits.
-Feeler gauges. Numbers worn off. Bent/torn.

A few things have held up surprisingly well:
-My favorite ratchet for the past 20 years or so, has been a stubby, flex-head 3/8 Cman. I disassemble/clean/lube it yearly and it still feels like new.
-A Black & Decker cordless mini driver. Got it used, off the Mac truck, 8 or 9 years ago. Looks a little rough, but holds a charge and works good.
-An el cheapo Vessel type impact. Cost me $5 back in 1985. The end is all mushroomed out, but still working.
-SO cordless 3/8 impact gun. Daily use at work for 5 years. Still on the original batteries and works like new.

 

[kb1982]

I can only think of a handful of things. Been turning wrenches on motorcycles for the past 30 years.

-I wear out a 32oz. SO deadblow about every 8 years. I think I'm on my 4th one now.
-A few phillips screwdrivers, although haven't worn out any since I switched to Matco/Witte screwdrivers 8 years ago.
-A couple of SO Midget pliers.
-A Proto pear head ratchet. Still functional but sloppy loose. Body worn out.
-A couple of wire cutters/dikes.
-A C/P 1/2" air impact that I bought used.
-Several Apex phillips bits.
-Feeler gauges. Numbers worn off. Bent/torn.

A few things have held up surprisingly well:
-My favorite ratchet for the past 20 years or so, has been a stubby, flex-head 3/8 Cman. I disassemble/clean/lube it yearly and it still feels like new.
-A Black & Decker cordless mini driver. Got it used, off the Mac truck, 8 or 9 years ago. Looks a little rough, but holds a charge and works good.
-An el cheapo Vessel type impact. Cost me $5 back in 1985. The end is all mushroomed out, but still working.
-SO cordless 3/8 impact gun. Daily use at work for 5 years. Still on the original batteries and works like new.

Did you leave out a chain breaker also?

Sent from my Z962BL using Tapatalk

 

[CoogarXR]

When I worked on TVs I burned through Philips and Torx tips like crazy.

In working on cars, about the only tool that I wore out without abusing it was a 1/4 Craftsman ratchet.

In construction (destruction? lol) I wore out a few hammers, blowing out the nail-pullers (they end up keyhole shaped sometimes).

 

[Parrothead]

Hmm...lets see. Ratchets, sockets, pliers, Vise Grips, screwdrivers, orbital sander, and other stuff I just can't think of.

I've just worn out some (list above), and I've abused some, but I've broken quite a few things in my day. I am also a fairly large individual and can put more torque and force behind things than maybe they were designed for. I grenaded some Vise Grips using nothing but me. Man that hurt. It happens.

Some of the stuff I warrantied, some I got repaired, and some I just threw in the trash because there was no way they'd believe I did it without abuse! (see vise grips)

 

[crewchief888]

actually "worn out" very few...

maybe 4 or 5 worn out sockets over the last 30+ years of wrenching on const eq,
i think i still have a couple 15/16" 3/4 dr MAC impact sockets that are worn to the point where theres no hex left in them



i'll break a socket or wrench before it ever wears out

even then, it's few and far between....

 

[atomicpunk]

Went through a bunch of tape measures over the years, some Marson hand rivet guns, also some popular size 1/2" drive impact sockets-the square end turned star shaped and wouldn't stay on the impact wrench, and a Matco 3/8 air drill with around 20 years of service. Got my $$ worth out of it, couldn't rebuild it-parts no longer available.

 

[Aaron_W]

I'm mostly a hobbyist and DIY'r so my tools don't get the punishment of somebody doing it for a living.

I've broken some cheap tools, ratchets mostly and of course had batteries eventually fail and just replace the whole tool, because the battery isn't made anymore (Makita 9.6v

 

[jsaw]

After 25 years of hard use, I wore out SK 1/2' deep impact sockets to the point that they just fall off of the impact if you dont hold them on.
Have worn out a dozen or so impact sockets over the years. I will wear them to the point that they will not stay on the impact.
A couple pairs of channel lock pliers have worn the teeth completely smooth
A couple if Bonney 6 point combination wrenches so worn that they slip off of fasteners.
A few extensions wore both ends out so that the make end would not even hold sockets on, a couple that the retainer ball fell out of the end. the female end so worn that it wouldnt even stay on the square drive of the ratchet.
Have also blown apart lots of impact swivel sockets . for a while I was having to warranty 13 mm and 18mm 3-4 times a year
I had the anvil break off my 3/8 impact, and had to replace it.

When I was younger, I used to break a lot more tools, At this stage of the game I wear out more tools as opposed to breaking them. Living in the rust belt is brutal on tools

 

[mv213]

When I was working in building trades I used to buy Craftsman number 2 Phillips 6” screwdrivers by the handful every few months. Also Stanley #99 utility knives. Otherwise just brushes on Skil 77 and some other power tools. I was always careful never to abuse my tools though.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

With repeated use, even a good tool will wear out.. I have seven ProTo, Snap-on, and SK ratchets that have received new kits. Sockets get replaced due to obvious wear. A large brass hammer is so deformed it looks more like a club. A Snap-on gasket scraper has been sharpened so many times that it is getting narrower as the cutting edge gets closer to the shank. Air tools wear out, and impact sockets that are worn to the point that they fall off a good impact wrench are replaced. Worn phillips screwdrivers are turned into awls or mini pry bars. Extension cords with worn ends either get a new end or replaced all together. Electric power tools have brushes, bearings, switches, and cords that wear out; and I don't always repair them.

ProTo, Snap-on, SK, and Wright are some brands that have earned My respect and loyalty due to being durable, dependable tools.. I bought some cheapo brand tools for infrequent, occasional use, but these have been culled mostly to sets of large impact sockets. If these sockets break; they get replaced with a single ProTo or SK socket.

When using these tools 40 to 70 hours a week for decades, I expected to buy a few replacements.

 

[Dozerhand]

I've worn out a couple grease guns in my day. I worked with a laborer once who wore out a flat shovel. He kept the same one for about 10 years. When he retired it would only hold a half to a third of what it did new. I think he planned it that way.

 

[Aaron_W]

I'm mostly a hobbyist and DIY'r so my tools don't get the punishment of somebody doing it for a living.

I've broken some cheap tools, ratchets mostly and of course had batteries eventually fail and just replace the whole tool, because the battery isn't made anymore (Makita 9.6v

Wow, I must have been tired as I only posted about 1/2 of my thought.

I've mostly had tools become obsolete, discontinued batteries being the major culprit. Of course I've gone through consumable tools, screw drivers and bits etc. I don't really think there is a way around that.

My tools just don't get the pounding of tools used by somebody making a living with them everyday. I also buy tools based on their expected use and am willing to pay for quality to a point.

I'll buy Ryobi or even the occasional Harbor Freight tool if I only expect it to see light duty or infrequent use. Despite the derision many give these tools most can actually handle light to moderate use without breaking. I don't have many Ryobi tools, but those I have are more than adequate for typical home user work.

Anything I will be using often, or that may see harder use, I'll pay for higher end DIY and mid range professional grade tools so they tend to last. I'll never own a set of Snap On wrenches unless I find them at an Estate Sale, but I do buy quality tools that are probably overkill for the use I put on them. For example, I would probably be fine with a Dewalt or Ryobi recip saw, but I spent the money for one of the higher-middle range Milwaukee Sawzalls. With the use it gets I don't expect I will ever need to buy another.


Since I'm the one paying for them, and they rarely make me any money I try to take care of them. From the perspective of a tradesman who works with tools every day, I probably baby them.

 

[ScottsGT]

What brand of drill bits you guys using!? I think the only mention of them is the post above. I need y'all's drill bits!

I've worn out drill bits, cheap 1/2" impact gun, my 30 yo Blue Point die grinder. When I was a bodyman I use to go through 1/4" and 3/8" air ratchets all the time. Craftsman ratchets gave up the first time I used them and had a couple of Snap On sockets split and one actually fell apart in pieces after many, many years of use. Might have been some use on an air ratchet at some time.

 

[itstippy]

My Grandfather was a machinist and millwright for American Brass Company in Kenosha, WI for 40 years in the 1920s - 1950s. He always carried a pocket knife. He was a meticulous man, and kept his knife sharp. Being a machinst, he knew how to properly sharpen a knife to a razor edge.

He was also a man who, when he found something he liked, took great care of it and kept it forever (including my Grandmother, his wife for 78 years). Here is his old pocket knife, now a treasured possession of mine. When new it would have had two full blades. He did indeed wear out this tool through use:

 

[M6erfan]

Almost every GearWrench product I bought crapped out in pretty short order, from less than normal use. To this day, maybe unfairly, but I think GW = POS.

I've worn out a few ratchet guts over the years, nothing a new kit didn't fix.

Screwdrivers, expensive and cheap. They're consumables in my book.

Of course regular 1/4" bits & hand impact bits