buying modified tools

[toymn6366]

was in pawnshop found a 1 in and a 7/8 in older long proto wrenches with some other wrenches, the 7/8 open end had been ground thin for something i bought it anyway just a $1.00 just wondering if anybody else bought modified tools. i buy mine to work with not to polish and leave in a waxed toolbox anyway.

 

[crewchief888]

was in pawnshop found a 1 in and a 7/8 in older long proto wrenches with some other wrenches, the 7/8 open end had been ground thin for something i bought it anyway just a $1.00 just wondering if anybody else bought modified tools. i buy mine to work with not to polish and leave in a waxed toolbox anyway.

for me it depends on how they've been modified. i modify tools when i need to, sometimes i need 2 of the same size wrenches side by side on fittings and hyd hoses and some wrenches are just too thick. thats one of the reasons most of my angle head wrenches are from matco, they are much thinner that snapon or mac.
sometimes wrenches need to be bent to clear an obstacle when theres no other access to a nut or bolt without disassembling half of an engine or removing multiple hyd steel lines.

 

[VegasBruce]

It depends on how muck they have been modified. The ground wrench I would buy. you could always use it for something like this. A couple of pawn shop wrenches make great shifters.

 

[toymn6366]

thats cool

 

[Mickey O]

I've modified plenty, but I don't recall ever intentionally buying a modified tool but I have unwittingly bought a few and not been happy about it.

 

[rsanter]

if it was cheap enough and I could make use of it...I would buy it

bob

 

[srmofo]

personally i have a 7/8 wrench ground thin, so it must be a common dilema. for the price i would of bought it also if i was already buying stuff.

other than that though i wouldnt buy a modified tool, cause now theres now warrnty on it and if i didnt see an immediate need for it, it would be a waste of money

 

[RM209]

Several years ago I bought this 1 1/16”box wrench for a buck at a pawn shop, because it looked interesting. Not sure what the previous owner was trying to do as he cut off one end and smoothed the edges; my only guess was that he might have needed a spud wrench, and this was as close as he got!
The wrench interested me as it’s marked “FORGED SELECT STEEL” on one side and “MADE IN U.S.A.” on the other side; no manufacturer markings of any kind.
RM209

 

[matthew]

RM209, that's an Indestro, made in Chicago. From what I've read, they disappeared about 20 years ago. I picked up an Indestro Select double box end wrench not that long ago, also just because I liked it...

 

[RM209]

Matthew: Thanks for the good news! I like Indestro tools, but don’t see them very often; this means I now own two, the box wrench and a ½” breaker bar.

RM209

 

[Dale B]

I've seen wrenches modified like that before. They do it when they have broken the other end !!

 

[tatra]

sometimes offset box ends are modified for clearance issues such as setting valves on large diesels.............if i needed that size and it was a coupla bucks ,sure............otherwise prefer to modify to my specs and finish............