Are you a tool hoarder ?

[woody 73]

Lets face it some of us myself included are tool hoarders, just looking at some of the guys with over 100 vises, 300 ratchets, buckets full of hammers, screwdrivers, Craftsman block grinders, table saws etc.

So lets hear your stories and don't be ashamed if you have 2000 of the same item some of us are in the same boat. I will start things off as most of you already know I love those old hammers, I could never pass them up at garage sales. I have a lot of ratchets, screwdrivers and sockets but my love is those old hammers.

So if someone has a lot of the same item like vises or block grinders or other tools, what is it that you like about them and by chance do you use all of them or just love to collect them and store them in your Man cave.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Lets face it some of us myself included are tool hoarders, just looking at some of the guys with over 100 vises, 300 ratchets, buckets full of hammers, screwdrivers, Craftsman block grinders, table saws etc.

So lets hear your stories and don't be ashamed if you have 2000 of the same item some of us are in the same boat. I will start things off as most of you already know I love those old hammers, I could never pass them up at garage sales. I have a lot of ratchets, screwdrivers and sockets but my love is those old hammers.

So if someone has a lot of the same item like vises or block grinders or other tools, what is it that you like about them and by chance do you use all of them or just love to collect them and store them in your Man cave.

A few years ago on Ebay, a guy was selling a lot sale of larger US made combination wrenches, from 1" up to 1-5/16". Mixed bag of Napa, Craftsman, etc (mostly all USA Danaher brands from one time or another). I must have made six or so sets of the large combination wrenches out of that lot buy. I still have some of them banded together with zip tie. LOL.

I've got no fewer than 7 snowblowers, I think I only actually bought one of them, the rest were freebies off the curb or given to me.

I've got at least 5 to 7 rollaway sets top and bottom.

And the list goes on..and on....

 

[Richard Cranium]

Yes, I am a hoarder, Now where is my 12 step program, no wait a min. I don't want to be cured of this. I went to an auction and purchased 3 -5 gal. buckets for 25.00 each. Got a bucket of vise grips, a bucket of adj. wrenches and a bucket of channel locks. Rich Sorry I couldn't find the other pictures real quick like, but if you call bull **** on me, I did post them in the yard sale thread and I could find again but would take more time than I have to look here at work. Found them

 

[LXCam]

 

[thetool]

I'm not, I really think I need 250 ratchets

 

[redwrench60]

I'm definitely a tool hoarder but I hoard tools to use. Seems like I'm always into something so I have tools everywhere. Work, home, parents place, vehicles, kitchen drawers, my outbuilding...hell I have a big mug with pliers screwdrivers and a tape measure on the computer desk. They're in the door pockets of my truck, the cupholder on the mower and in my pockets while I work. I'm probably never more than 10 steps from some kind of tool. What can I say....it keeps me out of the bars and from the company of dubious Women.

 

[zkling]

A hoarder is typically deifned by the space or lack there of in which their stuff is stored, not by the ammount of stuff they have.

 

[1990 Grand Wag]

Well, you know that old saying, "It's better to have and not need than need and not have." Well, that applies to me in spades......................

 

[JUNK-MAN]

I'll admit it, I have close to 200 screwdrivers and at least 20 hand carry tool boxes and I'm approaching 300 wrenches too so yes I'm a tool hoarder.

 

[larry_g]

I would say no. I have plenty of tools and most get used. If anything I need to get a few more metric items to deal with the newer stuff that keeps showing up.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[woody 73]

With large tool collections did any GJ member ever have chainsaws out the wazoo as they say? In all my many years here at the GJ I don't think I ever looked at many pictures where the guys had many chainsaws.

 

[ravenzfusion]

With large tool collections did any GJ member ever have chainsaws out the wazoo as they say? In all my many years here at the GJ I don't think I ever looked at many pictures where the guys had many chainsaws.

Just check out the home depot clearance thread in hot deals! Plenty of guys with chainsaws!!

 

[rednotch]

becoming one thanks to this site and the deal section has me buying a lot of tools I wouldn't have otherwise.

I guess I'm not really a hoarder though it works out since I've sold a few and give a few away to family. Car parts are my problem though I can't bring myself to sell most of them.

 

[the gypsy]

It is funny 'cause I do like tools and some people may call me a hoarder, but when I need a tool it is never close to me. It may be at my mom's or a property I own or somewhere else. So I spend my time looking for my tools. The last tool I misplaced and still wondering where I put it would be my "RIVET" gun.

What is worse is when I decide to put this tool in that bag because it is used in conjunction with the other tools in the bag, I suddenly lose the tool. Or shall I say I forget where I put it. Go figure.

 

[Ponchoguy]

becoming one thanks to this site and the deal section has me buying a lot of tools I wouldn't have otherwise.

I guess I'm not really a hoarder though it works out since I've sold a few and give a few away to family. Car parts are my problem though I can't bring myself to sell most of them.

My rule of thumb with car parts is that if I no longer have the car, the parts go on Ebay to be flipped. I had Saturn parts up the ying-yang, and once I sold the car, I started selling what I had...still have some items here and there.....I even had some NOS parts for them and flipped those on Ebay.

 

[Zrexxer]

Are you a tool hoarder ?

Of course I am. Next question?

 

[Lassen Forge]

The hard part is when you go to downsize (say, reducing your number of screwdrivers to less than 50) what do you do with the tols you've culled? I mean, you can't just throw away tools, right? What if you may need that for... something...

 

[dodge610]

Well yes i am and darn proud of it. I would not have it any other way.

 

[vertguy]

After picking up my 4th CM block grinder this morning, I definitely fit right into this thread. And when my wife asked what I had picked up, she just shook her head and walked away... followed by asking why I needed another grinder

 

[Rileysan]

Of course I am. Next question?

I set up tool boxes for each of my cars - which I am down to 6. Each box has its own sets of 3/8" and 1/2" drive sockets & ratchets, screwdrivers, combination wrenches, hammers, pry bars, and other misc tools.

I don't have too many tools, I just don't have enough space!

Brian

 

[Kensgarage]

I set up tool boxes for each of my cars - which I am down to 6. Each box has its own sets of 3/8" and 1/2" drive sockets & ratchets, screwdrivers, combination wrenches, hammers, pry bars, and other misc tools.

I don't have too many tools, I just don't have enough space!

Brian

What you should do is buy an antique bus. Then you can put a set under each bench seat.

 

[Maui]

Is the Pope Catholic?

Maui

 

[rockinacummins]

I don't look at it as hoarding. It's an investment.

To me, having a lot of good tools is better than money in the bank. I can use them to make money, or I can sell them to make money.

I would never go into debt to buy tools. I buy and sell enough to pay for what I keep.

That's my outlook on the deal...

 

[PugetDude]

Maybe I'm swimming upstream, but I'm actually trying to scale down.
Sent a box of old Plvmb stuff off to a fellow GJ'er yesterday.
Bought it at a garage sale, then realized "why?" I've already got duplicates of nearly all my old Craftsman stuff.

 

[Rileysan]

What you should do is buy an antique bus. Then you can put a set under each bench seat.

The thought of an antique bus has haunted me for years. I always wanted one to tow my racecar!

 

[NJHandyGuy]

I used to be now I only have 2 sets work and home

After filling a 20 yard dumpster it kinda shows you hAve a problem

 

[ruffryder]

It would be an interesting idea to put together basic tool packages for underprivileged youth that are interested in working on things..

Sorry, it was my first thought when I saw a picture of all of those blue channel locks. I recently went through my tool box and will be giving / making my son and daughters their own tool kits.

Later

 

[RatchetMan]

Maybe I'm swimming upstream, but I'm actually trying to scale down.
Sent a box of old Plvmb stuff off to a fellow GJ'er yesterday.
Bought it at a garage sale, then realized "why?" I've already got duplicates of nearly all my old Craftsman stuff.

This is where I'm at. If I don't use it on a regular basis I just consider it as something I don't need and I get rid of it.

I went to an estate sale the other day where the guy obviously bought up every old wrench, pair of pliers, ratchet, etc. that he ever came across and it reminded me that more is not better. I'll take 2 or 3 nice ratchets that I use every day vs. 200 ratchets that I paid $2 each for but which just sit in a drawer and take up space.

 

[great white tj]

Why would I not won't to that......

 

[Maui]

^What?

 

[Cmjl67]

Yes I am, but a great believer in the 'just in case' i may need it theory

Wish I had someone deserving to give some of it away to (especially brand new metric socket set) but neither my friends nor relatives are into mechanics and i need someone close at hand 'just in case' i break or lose something

so unopened large ratchet and socket set languishes until the stair upstairs - just in case...

c

 

[shoggoth80]

Hoarder? No. I have an assortment of tools that mostly serve a purpose. Now, I bought some because I wanted to have the extra versatility, not necessarily out of necessity. Lol.
I've got a couple car kits. Nothing extreme in either case. I have a cheap box that houses my personal tools. I need to upgrade this, as its organizational capabilities are lacking.

I don't just get tools to have tools though. I'm actually going to be giving away some stuff to friends, because they have an older car that will occasionally need attention, and they don't own much of anything. It's clutter on my end, as it is stuff that I have upgraded some time ago already.

 

[canuckian]

I wouldn't say I'm a hoarder. I'm simply building an inventory actually, I have very few duplicates other than a couple screwdriver sets and other odds and ends that will eventually be sold or traded. I do have a modest collection of ratcheting screwdrivers but I doubt one could consider that hoarding. It's no different than collecting die casts or antique tea cups.

 

[Fretters]

Yes and no would be my answer. I am a collector/hoarder, but I also try to limit saying yes to something I know I might not need or use, even if I can see a potential usefulness, unless it's something I actually want. It's a constant case of treading that fine line between collecting, available space, and then just having/hoarding for the sake of it with no real interest in the items.

On occasion, some stuff I turn down I could probably easily flog for more if I did buy it or get it, but I also know that I'm terrible for not wanting to get rid of anything once I actually have it, hence why I try to temper the yes/no approach. I make a piss poor job of limiting myself in general though.

 

[Fretters]

It's no different than collecting die casts or antique tea cups.

That's how I look at it. Some people collect model railway gear and suchlike, I merely collect workshop equipment. Each to their own.

 

[94_C/1500]

I appreciate the older finer tools but I don't hoard them. Sure I wouldn't mind a few but I also don't want anything I'm afraid to use. I don't get tools if I can't use them. Some of the collections on here are amazing but I'm not one for it. I do have a lot of tools in my opinion but I need more. But I don't have buckets of tools everywhere. I want tools for their usefulness. I don't collect tools, I use them. I might be on the lookout for stuff but I am not a collector. I'm the same way with guns. Now magazines I'm a hoarder. I have thousands of automobile magazines, if I ever get the chance I'm going through them. I do collect board games. I have 3 Sorry games, 5 Monopoly, 10 Clue, and one that is monopoly and clue. Those have all be acquired by weird luck.

 

[woody 73]

Do we have anyone that has a passion for one type of tool that they can not turn down at a garage sale?

I know we have one GJ member from years ago that loved snap-on ratcheting screwdrivers I seem to recall he had every color in the rainbow.

Another GJ member had tons of only green colored tools as they went ape **** over that color.

Any massive screwdriver lovers out there hiding them from the wife?

Come on tell your stories we all love pictures.

 

[Fretters]

Do we have anyone that has a passion for one type of tool that they can not turn down at a garage sale?

My biggest weakness is Drummond lathes, followed by unusual or less common vices, (vises). I merely have more of the latter than the former due to cost, availability and space limitations.

 

[woody 73]

Warning, warning, warning,...Do not open the following link you if you are not a tool collector/hoarder.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

http://columbus.craigslist.org/tls/5243599450.html

Come on who among you has several of these?

 

[woody 73]

My biggest weakness is Drummond lathes, followed by unusual or less common vices, (vises).

Fretters do you have one picture that we could all look at of the lathe in question.