Do you buy tools for yourself or ...

[theoldwizard1]

... the next couple of generations ?

I did not NEED an M18 mid-torque or an M18 1/2" drill and I personally won't use them much. My son and daughter have used them more already and they have 6 kids between them !

"Jonesing" for an M18 reciprocating saw or maybe a portable band saw ! For the kids !

 

[m6z]

Lol.

I have assembled a nice basic tool kit for my toddler, so I guess so. Sometimes the deals are just too good to pass up.

 

[tak1313]

I never heard of having a reason to buy a tool...is that something new?

 

[71goldss]

I can’t count the number of times I’ve found fantastic deals and bought one for me, and one for my son. Wrench sets, screwdriver sets, pry bar sets, the list goes on… Why buy only one, when you can buy two? Someday he’s going to have a lot of duplicates to deal with!

 

[isb cornbinder]

I buy my own tools. There was one exception, 3 years ago my son gave me a Milwaukee 3/8 M12 ratchet for my birthday.
This year he helped himself to one of my big Beach toolboxes. He borrowed my pickup to move the toolbox to his workplace.

 

[Stuart in MN]

... the next couple of generations ?

What a strange thing to do.

 

[Aileron]

Will the m18 still be around in 10 years if you are buying for a future generation? How many pitched the Dewalt nicad 18 v tools before some found out about the ebay adapters? Even somne of them have drawbacks. I don't see electrical cords going anywere but certain batteries may become outdated by technology and unobtainable.

 

[Firebrick43]

... the next couple of generations ?

I did not NEED an M18 mid-torque or an M18 1/2" drill and I personally won't use them much. My son and daughter have used them more already and they have 6 kids between them !

"Jonesing" for an M18 reciprocating saw or maybe a portable band saw ! For the kids !

Most states it’s illegal to have kids between two siblings?

 

[crewchief888]

I buy for myself.
At 65 years old, youngest and the last of my family the name dies with me.

 

[finn]

I occasionally bought tools for the kids when they were done with college and setting up their household. A few common hand tools before that. They really needed or appreciated the help when starting out and had a place to keep them though.

Buying tools for an infant, though, is crazy. I can think of not a single power tool that was common when I was five that would be relevant or useful todar. In fact, the electric drill that I got when I was maybe fourteen is obsolete and sits on the shelf today. Even the battery tools that I got ten years ago, while they still function, are obsolete by today’s standards. On the other hand, my grandson is almost fifteen. If he wanted tools, I would gladly indulge him. He’s more into tennis, though, and I know his dad has more tools than space.

Tools in general, are consumables and not conducive to future proofing. Buy them, use them, and retire them when they are obsoleted by improved technology. It would be improbable that I would buy a pneumatic nailer today, as the battery nailers have improved to the point that a compressor isn’t necessary to install baseboards any more. My brushed tools purchased ten years ago would be brushless if replaced today

 

[larry_g]

I've reached an age where I borrow tools from my kids... One son who owns a construction company stopped by the other day and he had the back seat of his pickup full of red boxes of Milwaukee tools. He also lives just a mile away.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[signcrafter]

I buy tools for myself and kids know where they are if they need to borrow them. I have the 3/8 mid, drill, sawzall, hackzall, portaband and a ton of other m18 tools along with a ton of m12 tools. If the kids have a task that needs taken care of and will require a new tool then I will buy it for myself and do the job for them or borrow it to them.

 

[Komet]

Man, I wish my dad would work on stuff with me / invested in things we could do together. He always got super angry and gave up on projects though, so maybe not.

I buy all my stuff for me exclusively. I will most likely never procreate.

 

[dnschmidt]

I buy tools because I like tools. It's my hobby. I see no need to justify a hobby. When I played golf I didn't feel that I had to justify that so why would I have to justify my tool Jones?

 

[cgrutt]

I see no distinction between mine and my son's, everything I own belongs to him as far as I'm concerned. Goes beyond tools but he has a pretty nice collection hope he appreciates it when I'm gone.

 

[larry_g]

I can honestly say that all the tools I have bought were for me with no consideration to what my heirs want or need.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[nadogail]

I gave my son a starter set of tools several years ago. I don't think he ever used a tool properly and seems to have no inclination to learn to learn.

 

[tamaraw]

I try to buy nice hand tools that will last for myself. I suppose this means that most of them will still be around for someone else eventually too but that's not really a consideration at purchase.

Buying portable power tools "to pass on" is just doofy because most of them have a limited lifespan in regards to their proprietary hardware and charging systems. Simpler tools like table saws or drill presses can survive longer but also take up a lot of space and are more likely to get unloaded at some point because of this.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Will the m18 still be around in 10 years if you are buying for a future generation? How many pitched the Dewalt nicad 18 v tools before some found out about the ebay adapters?

My son has a decent set of Dewaly NiCad brushed tools. The original batteries are dead because they are over 10 years old. Never heard of "adapters". How do you charge the batteries? Not on a NiCad charger!

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I buy them for myself mainly because I don’t have anyone to give them too yet. I’m still young so that will change one day. I probably wouldn’t let anyone use them or touch them till I’m dead though lol. Cause no one can ever put them in the right place it seems.

 

[theoldwizard1]

In fact, the electric drill that I got when I was maybe fourteen is obsolete and sits on the shelf today.

I still use the 3/8" - 1/4" socket set I got 55 years ago !

 

[theoldwizard1]

I buy for myself.
At 65 years old, youngest and the last of my family the name dies with me.

I was the "last" make in our branch of the family tree.

Then my son was the last male.

Now his son.

 

[Lucid Moments]

I have no children and of the two nephews I do have neither are into cars at all so all of my tools will probably get sold at a yard sale. Y'all watch for my obituary.

 

[Shiftless]

Bench vises are essentially unchanged in the last 100 years. There are lots of really old ones in regular use in shops of many GJ members as well as normal people around the world.

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

Bench vises are essentially unchanged in the last 100 years. There are lots of really old ones in regular use in shops of many GJ members as well as normal people around the world.

Anvils as well! I guess GJ'ers could start a new tradition of gifting each newborn child and grandchild an anvil!

 

[ecotec]

Bench vises are essentially unchanged in the last 100 years. There are lots of really old ones in regular use in shops of many GJ members as well as normal people around the world.

There are so many tools that are basically the same as 100 years ago.

I would add the ball peen hammer.

 

[dnschmidt]

My son has a decent set of Dewaly NiCad brushed tools. The original batteries are dead because they are over 10 years old. Never heard of "adapters". How do you charge the batteries? Not on a NiCad charger!

DeWalt itself makes an adapter to use what they call 20V Li-Ion batteries on their old 18V NiCd tools. https://www.dewalt.com/product/dca2203c/20v-max-battery-adapter-kit-18v-tools There are no 20V Li-Ion batteries they are in fact 18V but Milwaukee holds a patent on 18V Li-Ion tools so DeWalt calls their 18V Li-Ion tools 20V because when they come off of the charger they have an open circuit voltage of 20 Volts. Strictly marketing ******** to make them sound bigger and better and to avoid paying Milwaukee royalties.

 

[Odd-job]

Tools to me are enhancing capability and expanding possibilities to build, create and fix. I like to share that with my kids. Some are more interested than others to say the least

Looks like I just justified my tool hording habit.

 

[zendriver]

My kids are not in to tools, but even if they were, buying something I don't really need or want, so they might find use for it 15-20 years from now, makes little sense.

If they did have use and have interest, I'd probably just buy something and give it them now.

 

[Old Donn]

When I first built my inventory, it was strictly for me. I'm older now, so are the kids. Whenever we visit them, (all three are out of state), they get stuff, whether they want/need it or not. They're gonna wind up with the tools and everything else down the road.

 

[Rickster]

I find myself more often than not buying two of something and then giving one to the kid. If/when the grandkids become gearheads it's going to get real expensive for me!

 

[Aileron]

My son has a decent set of Dewaly NiCad brushed tools. The original batteries are dead because they are over 10 years old. Never heard of "adapters". How do you charge the batteries? Not on a NiCad charger!

The adapters i bought were for 18V Dewalt nicad tools to use a milwakee's m18 battery in them. I used the reguialr milwakee charger. I alod found one to use the m18s in the Newer Dewalt 20V tools. I have a slug of m18 batteries and charges so unless they all **** out I'm good. The only issue I found was when i was using my 18V Dewalt circulkar saw, i went to make a cut and at that particular blade hieght the length of the batter and adapter got in the way. It was just at that height setting as i never noticed it before. I still have a bunch of older Nicad Dewalt tools and a few working batteries but I'm not spending the money on anymore nicad dewalt batteries unless I have to.

 

[Lassen Forge]

No, I bought all those whitworth tools for my grandkids because I KNEW it was the way of the future, all this SAE and Metric **** will go the way of the dodo....


No, I buy tools because I need them. My kids need tools, they can do what I did when I was a kid and buy the ones THEY need.... not the one I say they'll need....

Because for my granddad (who raced british stuff, drove Jags and other obscure limey stuff) all that WW and BSF stuff was a necessity, but what good do they do on my ex-2018 Forester or my 2023 Fiat?

 

[kaymccampbell]

If my kids ask for a specific tool for or birthday, then I'll get them one, within reason, but otherwise, I'm buying my tools for my projects.

 

[redwrench60]

I wrench on junk, build and fix things for pleasure and for a living so tools of all kinds are part of the deal. I love sharing what I love with those I love so yeah I buy tools and share spares with my teenage son and teach him the way of the wrench and hammer. Just like my Dad did.