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Awesome tools you have but never use

toolaholic

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 26, 2012
Messages
2,123
Location
PA
Hi all, back in June 2004 I bought this Bosch hand power plane. Used it to put a straight edge on lumber. I now use my router table with the offset shims as a joiner. Probably hasn’t been used since 2007. I remember the dust extraction was superb in it. Anyone else have a great tool that sits.
 

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Meursault74

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 1, 2019
Messages
21,961
Location
Southern California
This was discussed a little while ago
 

nadogail

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
31,952
Location
Coronado, CA
I have a heavy slugging wrench from a steam heated hydraulic laminating press that was being cut up for scrap, the wrench fit the nuts on the 5 inch diameter studs that held the top bolster onto the press. It looks to have been Plasma or Water Jet cut from 2" plate. It has a 5/8" hole for the stud that kept it from being "lost".
I rescued it as the press, which I used to maintain, was being cut up for scrap. I have yet to weigh it, but I guess it must have 25 or more pounds (10+ Kilos) of steel in it.
 

JradM

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 4, 2019
Messages
1,816
Location
Alberta
24 inch adjustable wrench

“I‘d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it”
I bought mine for the same reason - but I've found it useful over the years. One thing that comes to mind is gate adjustments around my farm. They use large fasteners, they're not all the same size and they're under tension holding up the gates. I just wander around a couple times a year with my big adjustable and a magnetic level and I can easily get them in alignment without anyone lifting up on the gate for me.

I also use it occasionally working on tractors. Most often I'm using the 3/4" socket set, a breaker and my Dewalt high-torque impact - but there are hydraulic hoses and such where a socket won't fit. Break them loose with the big adjustable and spin them off with a pliers wrench. 👍
 

VH5150

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
104
Martin flare nut socket set .. It was case of I'd rather have 'em than not have them if I needed them, so I talked myself into spending the astronomical price for them (metric and standard). Well, I still haven't used 'em after almost 2 years.
 

Forgottonia

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Messages
808
Location
edge of Forgottonia
Nail gun. I love to use it. But only have occasion to get it out maybe three or four times per year. Most of my projects only use a handful of nails, or take nails that are too big for my pneumatic nail gun.
 

VRStrickland

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Messages
46
A Texas twister. Waited over a year to get my hands on this thing because for the first year it was out it was exclusive to Mac and we don’t have a Mac dealer in this area. Had it for three or four years now an it has never worked for anything.
 

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peteco

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 23, 2008
Messages
207
Hi all, back in June 2004 I bought this Bosch hand power plane. Used it to put a straight edge on lumber. I now use my router table with the offset shims as a joiner. Probably hasn’t been used since 2007. I remember the dust extraction was superb in it. Anyone else have a great tool that sits.
I have the same planer from that timeframe. Use once every few years to plane a door edge or something. Glad I have it.
 

4lug39

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 22, 2005
Messages
124
Location
Bastrop,Texas
A Texas twister. Waited over a year to get my hands on this thing because for the first year it was out it was exclusive to Mac and we don’t have a Mac dealer in this area. Had it for three or four years now an it has never worked for anything.
I bought mine from a Tech that was retiring. I've only ever used the puller with a slide hammer once. I don't think he ever used it. My indexing pry bar is the thing I grab to pop out CV axels.
 
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Allpurpose

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2018
Messages
20
Hi all, back in June 2004 I bought this Bosch hand power plane. Used it to put a straight edge on lumber. I now use my router table with the offset shims as a joiner. Probably hasn’t been used since 2007. I remember the dust extraction was superb in it. Anyone else have a great tool that sits.
I kept thinking to buy one of those, but I eventually bought an ancient DeWalt joiner from the 50s.. Have had a planer for a long time now and use them both a lot. I've lost track of the tools I've bought over the years I have forgotten I even have.. Do old electric motors stripped out of junk HF equipment count? I have a bunch of those.. Motors are worth more then the equipment brand new..
 

Kuma601

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 24, 2020
Messages
960
Location
Cali
One of those scenarios that one thinks it will get good use but the reality is that some of those great tools are less than expected. Delta had a water cooled version similar to the Tormek that was a bit more stripped down. I thought it would be ok for sharpening knives and chisels. Was to slow and the grit rating on the wheel made it a between spot as it was not fine enough for my wishes. It sits under the bench and has not been run in 23 years.
 
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Packard V8

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 16, 2009
Messages
7,380
Location
Spokane, WA
My list is endless. First which comes to mind is a Bosch foam saw.

1661991220869.jpeg

Who doesn't think he might need one of these someday? They cost a couple hun new and I may have paid $5 for mine.

jack vines
 

sparky 1971

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
7,971
Location
Central Iowa
My Mac Axis 26" locking flex head ratchet. I've used it once in the three years I've had it, and it was on a friends truck.

Edit: I'm also going to add my 36" 3/4" drive ratchet. I used it once to tighten the bolts on a light pole I installed. I also have a 1-5/8" ratchet wrench I bought for another light pole job. The day we set the poles, I forgot to grab the wrench. That was in 2016 and I've never used it.
 
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isb cornbinder

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
7,073
Location
Pacific South West, BC, Canada
The prices were right and having these tools makes me feel good.
 

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oldwino

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
1,917
Location
Sonoma County California (wine country)
Nail gun. I love to use it. But only have occasion to get it out maybe three or four times per year. Most of my projects only use a handful of nails, or take nails that are too big for my pneumatic nail gun.
I outdid myself the other day. Needed to drive 3-4 8d finish nails which I didn’t have. Drug a hose through the house, fired up compressor and saved a 5minute trip to Ace for a box of nails. See guys, I use my stuff
 

ecotec

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
5,443
Actually I just used this to diagnose a new dead alternator. I use it maybe once a year and it takes up a lot of space.

IMG_1694.JPG
That is super fun. Cannot stop looking at it… the old buttons and lights… the printer paper that feeds out of a box… the lit up bear logo. I love it.

Do you have all the manuals and diagrams and such?
 
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vwpieces

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 28, 2020
Messages
5,925
Location
Hills, PA
Never is a long time, probably do have some but can't remember what they are. Guess that's from not using them.
I do have a few VW Dealer specialty tools for the old air-cooled cars but some are for specific needs I have not needed. But they are collected for nostalgia and the value. Not really thinking I would use them when they were acquired.
 

Bigblue&Goldie

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 12, 2009
Messages
10,678
Location
AZ
Eastwood brake line flaring tool. I bought it to help plumb cars, that I've yet to have the time to work on, so I've only used it a couple of times.

I also have a Lincoln engine stand I haven't used at all.

My badass tubing bender hardly gets used, but I still love it.
 

Xcursion88

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2013
Messages
785
Martin flare nut socket set .. It was case of I'd rather have 'em than not have them if I needed them, so I talked myself into spending the astronomical price for them (metric and standard). Well, I still haven't used 'em after almost 2 years.
Find someone that drives a tahoe,silverado,subrban etc that needs new brake lines run from the MC to the ABS unit.

You'll definitely use them there and you'll also need angled wrenches.

Definitely something I never wanted to get good at. 🤬🤬
 

crewchief888

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
13,744
Location
NW indiana
Biscuit joiner I bought when the wife wanted a custom dining room table top made. Never been used.
Armature growler I picked up at the last dealer I worked at during an "obsolete tool" clean out.
 

dr_clyde

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
6,443
Location
Holland, MI
4000 sq. feet of tools and equipment and I can say the vast majority earn their floor space. I tend to sell off stuff that truly isn't used or takes up a lot of space. That said, I do have some tools and machines that might only get used once every year or two but are still worth hanging on to.

My 12x 24 hydraulic surface grinder hasn't really seen much use. I just don't need to grind much these days. But if a job comes along and needs it, I have it.

My Ridgid 535 pipe threader is one of those tools that might sit for years, but when you need to thread a mess of pipe, there's nothing better than having a good power threader. Only paid $380 or something like that used at auction for it, paid for itself on the first job and now it just hangs out on the pallet racking until we need it.

My 48" Barth box and pan brake doesn't see a lot of action. Most jobs are brake press jobs, but the occasional bracket comes along where I can just bend it up quick on the Barth. Sometimes the old girl will sit for a year without use.

I don't do a lot of woodworking, so my routers and various saws and nailers sit unused for a good long while sometimes.

I've bought some auto service tools to use for a job then never again. I have a coolant system pressure tester, a fancy brake caliper spreader, fan clutch wrench set, and a drum brake service set that I bought for various projects over the years and just sit in the toolbox. I'll use them someday. I just don't work on cars much, but when I HAVE to, I like to have the tools.

For the most part, I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
 

slowtwitch73

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2019
Messages
5,876
Location
Hellgate
Yeah I have a really nice precision machinist level that I have yet to use and prob never will. And a band saw blade tensionometer.
 
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