Best tools you've found

[driftpin]

ECHO CS300 chainsaw, needed a chain. Took the carb off, cleaned it, replaced fuel lines, new filter, cleaned spark arrestor screen. back in service. Smack dab in the middle of the road just south of the FLL airport (Ft. Lauderdale).

Ingersoll Rand 231C 1/2" air impact w/a 3/4" deep socket. Found on Bird Rd. in Miami FL. works perfectly. Only reason I saw it, I couldn't make a left turn when I needed to, so I had to go a couple blocks out of the way. When I made a U-turn, I saw it resting against the curb.

 

[pelletman]

I found an older Honda track snowblower on the side of the road with a free sign on it. I couldn't stop and turn around fast enough. I wrestled it into the back of my SUV myself, when I got it home it fired right up but needed belts, which I replaced. Works great.

 

[Zrsnopro97]

Man you guys have some good finds, best I’ve found is a snap-on stubby screwdriver on the front seat of a truck at the junk yard lol

 

[sportfan]

Years ago while competing in a dirt bike enduro I found a Craftsman fine tooth push button 3/8' rachet on the trail. I found a Snap On round handle 3/8" 7/16' box end wrench for a $1 at our flea market last Sunday morning.

 

[bwringer]

While out for a relaxing tootle on my motorcycle, I found a very nice orange Husqvarna self-propelled 4WD mower with a free sign on the side of the road. It was on a very remote county road about 30 minutes from my house, so odds were good that it would still be there.

I had a mower with a good Honda engine but a bad deck at home, so I figured this would make a worthwhile swap.

So I went home, switched to my van, and grabbed it. A very friendly gent popped out of the mansion nearby and helped me load it up. He said it ran fine, but he bought a new one when the cable broke and didn't need this one any more. Looking at the vast, immaculate property, let's just say it was obvious dropping $400 to replace a mower with one little problem he didn't feel like fooling with didn't sting him the same way it would sting me.

Long story short, it needed a $10 blade brake cable, and it's been flawless for about a year.

I was sitting in my truck at a Grange last year. Waiting for my wife to buy some chicken food. Parking lot was nearly empty, covid times you know.

Look over and see something sitting in the middle of the isle across the way. I got out and walked up to a nice Wilton mechanics vise, missing the base, but the bolts and lock nuts were there.

It might have been there a while, had leaves caught around it. So I threw it in the back of the truck. For safety, wouldn't want anyone to run over it.

Went inside and no one there knew where it came from.

Oh well, I guess I got a free vise.

A month later my boss came in and showed me one just like it he found on the side of the freeway that morning.

Keep your eyes open, never know what you can find.

As a motorcyclist, the story of not one, but two rogue street vises fills me with dread...

 

[Masheen365]

FIL found an 18v DeWalt impact driver with 1.5 ah battery on the dirt road by the house one day. He just put it up on a shelf in the cane barn. About two years later I was working on something at the barn and decided to give it a go. I’ll be damned if it didn’t still work AND have enough charge to finish what I was working on. I bought a charger for it and give it back to him for a Christmas present.

I lost a good chainsaw off my tailgate a few years ago. I had just finished making a more aggressive set of bucking spikes for the Stihl 291, and had it on my tailgate. Needed to head in to town for something else and never closed the gate. When I got to where I was going, it was gone. This was two days before we got hit by a hurricane…

 

[jhelrey]

Almost full 30# bottle of R22 two weeks ago in the ceiling at work. We no longer do our own recharging, etc. so home it went!

 

[wood02]

Found a Stanley 10mm combination wrench on the side of the road.

 

[Moldyjim]

While out for a relaxing tootle on my motorcycle, I found a very nice orange Husqvarna self-propelled 4WD mower with a free sign on the side of the road. It was on a very remote county road about 30 minutes from my house, so odds were good that it would still be there.

I had a mower with a good Honda engine but a bad deck at home, so I figured this would make a worthwhile swap.

So I went home, switched to my van, and grabbed it. A very friendly gent popped out of the mansion nearby and helped me load it up. He said it ran fine, but he bought a new one when the cable broke and didn't need this one any more. Looking at the vast, immaculate property, let's just say it was obvious dropping $400 to replace a mower with one little problem he didn't feel like fooling with didn't sting him the same way it would sting me.

Long story short, it needed a $10 blade brake cable, and it's been flawless for about a year.



As a motorcyclist, the story of not one, but two rogue street vises fills me with dread...

No doubt!
Mine was in the back end of a parking lot, so not too bad. My bosses was alongside the freeway, that would be harsh day in nearly vehicle. But hitting one on a bike would be really nasty.

Years ago a friend was supposed to join us at a camp out. He showed up late. He said he was driving along on the highway at dusk. He didn't see the trailer hitch laying in the middle of the lane. But he sure heard it!

Did some damage to his oil pan, front cowling under the radiator and his exhaust system.
He was not happy. Had to have it towed, nearest tow was 27 miles away, in eastern Oregon.

He had to rent a car to join us.

 

[oldpliers1]

A pair of 7 inch bahco pliers from 70s and 7 inch bahco long nose pliers . In a old disused comms room in a Government site .
Got some other really good stuff including a tool cabinet loaded with Sidchrome. ( the building was going to be demolished) Best find to date . ( does not come close to the 6 truckloads we have had stolen ) second and 3rd from right .