Do you wear out your tools?

[johnny1290]

Do you guys work the hell out of your good tools until they wear out? I'm a weekend wrench at best and figure I'll never get enough hours on the snappys or knipex to have to replace them. I freely use my SO screwdrivers to stir paint or as a prybar, or my f80 as a substitute hammer.

If I drop a wrench or grind some pliers a little, no big.

I love them but they're just tools to me and as such I consider them expendible. Are the majority of people collecting to give their tools to their kids? Or do you guys work them like a rented mule?

And no I'm not trying to abuse any warranties, I don't know/dont care about them.

If I break something so be it, I'll buy another instead of using a 'cheap' set of tools and keeping my good ones in the drawer for easy jobs only.

I even use the gold plated wiha screwdrivers I found on sale from here!

What say you?

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Work as a mechanic, all the tools i bought new still look pretty new. I don't abuse my tools and always keep them clean. People often say/think that i don't use them because they're so clean. Wear on things like impact sockets is inevitable but otherwise i haven't worn anything out yet. (The impacts show wear but are far from worn out.)

 

[ngk22r]

dont let some people here know your using snappy screw drivers as a paint mixer!


I use my tools when ever I can, and I do have my favorites to use. I work them, but not abuse them and if they need to be rebuilt then its all in the game.

 

[crewchief888]

i have a tendency to beat my tools into submission.

i work on construction eq for a living. i think ive abused every tool i have at one time or another.
i do have a couple of 3/4"dr MAC impact sockets that are so worn out they wont grab a bolt anymore, and have anvils on my impacts that are badly worn.
i have a couple pairs of 20 year old channellock side cutters that are worn to the point, they are useless
my commonly used sockets are worn, but not to the point where they are no longer useful.
most of my tools are at least 15-20 years old, a few are closer to 50

i loose more tools than i wear out or break.


my dad passed on his guns and tools to me, and i hope someday that my stepson will inherit some, or all, of my tools to use.

 

[woody 73]

I use my lathe tools and in the course of using them I need to sharpen them all the time,after so many years they do wear out. I don't abuse the tools,but I do go through a lot of chain saw chain,again it needs to be sharpened every so often. I need to replace files and grinding stones very often.

I sure would not tell other GJ members about using those snap-on screwdrivers as paint mixers.

 

[sselander]

good one, nearly fellover after laughing from that post.


Wera Koloss Hammer-ratchet:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00981389000P?vName=Tool%20Catalog&cName=Bench&StationaryPowerTools&sName=Table%20Saws&sid=IDx20070921x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=00981389000P

http://toolguyd.com/2010/03/wera-koloss-ratchet-with-hammer-function/

 

[crewchief888]

good one, nearly fellover after laughing from that post.


Wera Koloss Hammer-ratchet:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00981389000P?vName=Tool%20Catalog&cName=Bench&StationaryPowerTools&sName=Table%20Saws&sid=IDx20070921x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=00981389000P

http://toolguyd.com/2010/03/wera-koloss-ratchet-with-hammer-function/

i should get me one of these, that way i can slip on a nut and bash my knuckles, and with the same tool hit my thumb

 

[Displaced Hokie]

I tend to take a little better care of them now, but I've certainly used a ratchet to hammer on a flat screwdriver like it was a chisel! That was mainly youth mixed with not having the right tools available.

I've worn out screwdrivers, and I've got some older ratchets (JD by Bonney and an S/K) that have worn out inside. Otherwise, I doubt I'll ever wear out a socket or wrench.

In the guitar world it's called "mojo" - battle scars that add character to the guitar (tool) you are using. I used to buy a new rack of sockets and immediately lay them on some cardboard and give them a shot of paint. It helped me keep track of them when I worked in a shop. I can't imagine anyone here doing that...or myself anymore for that matter.

 

[mkdive]

Somehow I just don't believe you use a F80 for a hammer.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Somehow I just don't believe you use a F80 for a hammer.

 

[Gary S]

I still have pretty much all my hand tools that I've bought since 1970. They never seem to wear out. My power tools are another thing. I use them hard and expect electric drills, saws, and grinders to wear out every 20 years or so and need to be replaced.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I freely use my SO screwdrivers to stir paint or as a prybar, or my f80 as a substitute hammer.

 

[ZRX61]

I have some 30 year old CK screwdrivers that are starting to show some wear, but I bought a new set a year or so back

 

[2drx4]

All my work tools have lots of chrome missing from them, just from travelling.

Otherwise I'm not too bad. But I've definitely taken some expensive tools and stuck them in the mill or lathe.

We have one guy at work that routinely puts his snappy stuff in the grinder...

 

[johnny1290]

I didn't mean I pound nails with the f80, but I'm not shy about tapping some calipers or banging on a wrench or bolt or something either. I'm not going to get out from under the dash to get a hammer.

I work and store my tools outdoors, a little rain and dirt never hurt them, and wd40 pretty well keeps the rust away.

Maybe I like the dings and to see how much abuse they can take, I dunno but I don't coddle them.

If I *lose* a snappy wrench or socket I'm heartbroken and POd. If I broke one, eh that's the price of living in the big city, stuff breaks.

 

[Danglerb]

As an amateur I am too conscious about misusing a tool. I figure I screw up enough accidentally that I'm not going do something wrong on purpose.

 

[Daedalus]

I have a 10mm 1/4dr socket that I use a LOT on my cars and which I've recently replaced. It wasn't quite rounding bolt heads, but it was worn enough to just plain not feel right, like a wobble socket would if they were made. It was from the first tool set I bought over 15 years ago, back when a small 1/4dr set from Sears was all I could afford.

 

[mrholeshot]

I have some tools that are flat worn out. I get in the habit of using a select few tools and use the others when I need duplictaes and such. I could never live long enough to wear out all of them. I'm not shy about using a screwdriver and a punch. chisel, prybar or scraper and I also have no problem tapping on it with a Snap-On ratchet. In my world it's all about getting the job done. Sometimes you do what you have to do. It's a tool

 

[OccupantRJ]

I love my tools and probably have as many or more than most, but I ain't kissing my tools ***. They exist to WORK for me. Just today, I went to a remote area and removed the entire steering gear and front brakes from a Blazer, and had no qualms on using the 20 oz ballpein on the handle of a Craftsman ratchet, on the brake caliper, to keep from chancing knocking the bark off my knuckles. That's also why I am not OCD about the brand or having full sets of most of my tools. I have bought them from yard sales over the years so cheap, that I grab the first candidate that strikes my fancy. I've been scarred up enough over the years. Let the tools take the licks. I've got more. My tools other than wrenches and such, I take pretty good care of.

As I have stated before, the value of a tool lies in it's usefulness and durability. Anything else is just jewelry. I don't wear jewelry, not even a wedding band.

 

[treasureseeker]

I have worn out 1/2” drive chrome sockets, which may have accidently been used for years as impact sockets. In normal use I have worn out ratchets, screwdriver tips and corded drills. I now found the other extreme where I want my tool investment to stay as close to unused condition as possible, band went to a lot of trouble in choosing the tools I restocked.

 

[NAYLOR]

Tools are made to be used. I try to purchase quality tools that can handle the abuse I throw at them but I'm by no means overly rough on them. I am a firm believer in using the right tool for the job, but sometimes me stuff gets abused. If I know I'm going to break something, I try to use the one that is cheapest to replace.

 

[bsaint]

Tools are made to be used. I try to purchase quality tools that can handle the abuse I throw at them but I'm by no means overly rough on them. I am a firm believer in using the right tool for the job, but sometimes me stuff gets abused. If I know I'm going to break something, I try to use the one that is cheapest to replace.

Same here. If it takes grabbing something with pliers and hammering on the side of the pliers to remove something so be it. I buy tools to "git 'r done." My snap on pliers have made it through with stripes. That was sells me on good tools. The ability to be taken just over the edge of their rated function and still perform. Plenty of tools have been cut down to size and rewelded. Or "accessories" welded onto sockets. Whatever it takes unless they make the correct tool lol.

 

[ecotec]

i still have a few of the tools from when i started as an electrician (16 years ago), but i would not say most. i have replaced a few klein screwdrivers over the years. i have blown holes in about five pairs of linesman pliers. i break a ratcheting tap handle every few years. tape measures last about four or five. every once in a while i lose a tool (very few in 16 years). i use the right tool for the job and do not intentionally abuse them, but i have worn out and broke my share and lost a few.

 

[cortez]

As a contractor I beat the hell out of my tools and ladders ect. I also alter them a lot to get better time and production.

When a hand tool is dead I always save it and grind out a custom tool as needed, after all the steel is of high quality and valuable (just keep it cool during altering).

 

[larry_g]

The tool below is about 2" shorter than it was from the factory. I was in a position that I could not get any other tool in the box to fit, so I bent the handle of the rachet to allow it to work. After the job I tried to straighten it back out and it broke. So I cut off the bent part, bored the handle in the lathe, and pressed the 2 together. I see my tool as a line to a paycheck, at least before i retired, so if modification is necessary or some abuse required so be it.

One of the better ones I had was a rig I was working on had a box wrench on the rear brake line. Obviously some one did not have an open end or flare wrench used the box wrench and just left it there.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Diablo]

Im an electrician by trade, i generally go through 1 maybe 2 #2 robertson screwdrivers, maybe a flat too. Linesmen and side cutters have been known to need replacing as well,

 

[kc-steve]

i have a tendency to beat my tools into submission.

i work on construction eq for a living. i think ive abused every tool i have at one time or another.
. . . my commonly used sockets are worn, but not to the point where they are no longer useful. most of my tools are at least 15-20 years old, a few are closer to 50

i loose more tools than i wear out or break.

I am an occasional tool user, but come to think of it, I also lose more tools than I ever wear out.

Steve

 

[mrholeshot]

The tool below is about 2" shorter than it was from the factory. I was in a position that I could not get any other tool in the box to fit, so I bent the handle of the rachet to allow it to work. After the job I tried to straighten it back out and it broke. So I cut off the bent part, bored the handle in the lathe, and pressed the 2 together. I see my tool as a line to a paycheck, at least before i retired, so if modification is necessary or some abuse required so be it.

One of the better ones I had was a rig I was working on had a box wrench on the rear brake line. Obviously some one did not have an open end or flare wrench used the box wrench and just left it there.

lg
no neat sig line

Thats just flat *** cool

 

[HandyManny]

Do you guys work the hell out of your good tools until they wear out? I'm a weekend wrench at best and figure I'll never get enough hours on the snappys or knipex to have to replace them. I freely use my SO screwdrivers to stir paint or as a prybar, or my f80 as a substitute hammer.

If I drop a wrench or grind some pliers a little, no big.

I love them but they're just tools to me and as such I consider them expendible. Are the majority of people collecting to give their tools to their kids? Or do you guys work them like a rented mule?

And no I'm not trying to abuse any warranties, I don't know/dont care about them.

If I break something so be it, I'll buy another instead of using a 'cheap' set of tools and keeping my good ones in the drawer for easy jobs only.

I even use the gold plated wiha screwdrivers I found on sale from here!

What say you?

Well I personally would avoid using my own ratchets as hammers. I have an array of hammers for hammering. I have on occasion used my linemans plier to tap things with, and I've destroyed my fair share of screwdrivers over the years. All in all though I regard tools as tools. I don't baby them. I do generally us them for their intended purpose. Of couse you know as well as I do that sometimes you have to use a tool beyond what it was designed for and sometimes you have to sacrafice a tool or two once in a while to get the job done. Some things are unavoidable. I would say I treat my tools with respect because I put them to good use. I can't think of any worst way to disrespect quality tools than to keep them for show in a climate controlled garage and never use them. At the end of a job my stuff does get wiped down and put away and stored properly. I used to wrench prefessionally for a few years on various jobs off and on, small engines and aircraft. Also worked various construction trades and manufacturing jobs. Spent most of my adult life flying airplanes professionally rather than fixing them. Now most of my wrenching is done as occasional weekend auto mechanic on my own stuff and repairs for friends and family. I don't care how pretty, rare, vintage, or fancy a tool is. If it's serviceable and in good working condition I'll use it. I wear out more screwdrivers and drill bits than anything esle.

 

[HandyManny]

As a contractor I beat the hell out of my tools and ladders ect. I also alter them a lot to get better time and production.

When a hand tool is dead I always save it and grind out a custom tool as needed, after all the steel is of high quality and valuable (just keep it cool during altering).

Me too. I have a bucket that sits in the far corner of my garage that I toss my abused and broken tools into. There are a handful that have found their way into that bucket over the years. I generally alter those as well sometimes, if I need to, and put them back to use.

 

[HandyManny]

Tools are made to be used. I try to purchase quality tools that can handle the abuse I throw at them but I'm by no means overly rough on them. I am a firm believer in using the right tool for the job, but sometimes me stuff gets abused. If I know I'm going to break something, I try to use the one that is cheapest to replace.

I couldn't agree more

Glad to hear that there are more and more members like me on this forum. I was beginning to worry

 

[mrholeshot]

Well I personally would avoid using my own ratchets as hammers. I have an array of hammers for hammering..

As do I but when sometimes when I don't have a hammer handy I'm not shy about tapping a bolt in or out with a Ratchet or whatever is laying there. If I'm close to my toolbox I'll grab the right tool. I just don't worry about scratching the chrome, nicks or dings.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

As do I but when sometimes when I don't have a hammer handy I'm not shy about tapping a bolt in or out with a Ratchet or whatever is laying there. If I'm close to my toolbox I'll grab the right tool. I just don't worry about scratching the chrome, nicks or dings.

Same here.....

Some of my stuff does shows it's age. Also the range of work I do has an effect - some stuff ends up with weld burns 'cause it's too hard to climb out of the center of the machine to protect everything and then go back in to weld -- I go in with tools / welder ready and don't come out 'till it's done.....
Paint, though, is usally my boss's issue - he grabs anything handy to stir it with...even my SO screwdrivers

I used to refuse to buy Snappy scredrivers 'cause I knew the abuse they can go through wouldn't be a warrantyable replacement. My SO man said - "I'm not gonna ask how the tip broke - I just replace it and keep going"...now I have drawer full of 'em.....


I have yet to actually wear out any of the general hand tools like sockets / wrenches. I get ratchets rebuilt and I do regularly replace (warranty exchange) some specific tools like diagonal cutters that get dull from use, a few screwdrivers, chisels / punches.
I also wear out allen wrenches all the time - I get a new set about every 6 months.

 

[Kev442]

I don't use a ratchet as a hammer, but I sure do whack the ratchet with a hammer, mainly doing front brake work. Have worn out very few tools outside of screwdrivers over the years. I consider screwdrivers to have a finite life.