Finding Tools

[mcgyverit]

Lets say you are driving down an outer road to a highway, cruising along and spot a tool laying on the side of the road. now I am sure that we have all seen the stray ladder on the highway, or something as small as a socket. Lets say you have been driving by it for a week and it hasnt moved, do you consider it "Finders Keepers" or leave it be?

 

[holden26]

Would depend on what it was. If it didn't have much value yea, but if it was worth a bit i would probably hand it in

 

[mcgyverit]

who would you hand it in to?

 

[fordracing200]

depends on where it is? If its just a random whatever in a field or on the side of the road its finders keepers...if its on a jobsite or something then no its hands off. what item is in question?

 

[makgreens]

there was a crowsfoot in the ditch next to my firehall....of course i stopped and got it and put it in the halls toolbox haha
tools on the roadside are a free-for-all unless its a jobsite like ford said

 

[hguerrero]

even if it's at a job site...who would you give it to and what's to keep them from keeping said tool?

 

[lilredex]

Agree it's finders-keepers. unless you know who lost it.

Walking the dog through local school yards and parks have found wallets, phones, I-pods, bicycles, hammers, bolt cutters, hatchet, base balls, golf balls, whiskey, beer, lots of bottles and cans, bus passes, keys and even a bit of cash. (even found a new remote control ******** with a ***** to go with it!!)

Always attempt to find the owner where possible.........otherwise it is F/K.

 

[volvo420coupe]

I have found many tools under the hoods of cars, or lying hidden deep in the engine compartment, I always ask the owner if they may have lost a tool, and then if its new to the shop (not a co-workers tool) then its mine.

 

[Tantara]

My best find was a Snap On swivel head ratchet handle.

Brad

 

[EvelOne]

If I find a tool at work, it goes to the supervisors counter for the owner to claim. I would hope others would do the same for me.

If the tool is found on the side of the road, a junk yard, a park or any other place where there is no chance of finding the owner then it is finders keepers.

 

[Diesel-Mech]

(even found a new remote control ******** with a ***** to go with it!!)

 

[Uncle Buck]

Lets say you are driving down an outer road to a highway, cruising along and spot a tool laying on the side of the road. now I am sure that we have all seen the stray ladder on the highway, or something as small as a socket. Lets say you have been driving by it for a week and it hasnt moved, do you consider it "Finders Keepers" or leave it be?

Lets say you have been driving by it for a week < That would never happen, I would stand on the binders, grab the tool and be on my way. I am not speaking of private property, or peoples broken down vwhicles/trailers etc by the side of the road, simply goods that have fallen fom a truck/car, or clearly been lost only.

 

[Uncle Buck]

depends on where it is? If its just a random whatever in a field or on the side of the road its finders keepers...if its on a jobsite or something then no its hands off. what item is in question?

Agreed!...............

 

[Don 18]

When I was a teen I saw something drop off a city truck and clank into the street. I grabbed it and ran after the truck yelling, but they didn't stop. I got a nice 12" Crescent wrench out of the deal.

Recently, I saw a chewed up Craftsman screw driver rolling around in the street. My wife was rolling her eyes and laughing when I picked up that humble looking tool. She wanted to know what I would possibly do with a destroyed junky screwdriver. I drove straight to Sears and exchanged it. She just stared speachless when I handed her the brand new screwdriver

Don

 

[ironfist]

When I was a teen I saw something drop off a city truck and clank into the street. I grabbed it and ran after the truck yelling, but they didn't stop. I got a nice 12" Crescent wrench out of the deal.

Recently, I saw a chewed up Craftsman screw driver rolling around in the street. My wife was rolling her eyes and laughing when I picked up that humble looking tool. She wanted to know what I would possibly do with a destroyed junky screwdriver. I drove straight to Sears and exchanged it. She just stared speachless when I handed her the brand new screwdriver

Don

Gotta love the exchange department

 

[ironfist]

When I was in High School I did some landscaping in the summer and while cleaning some weeds in the bushes I found a 20 oz Estwing hammer . Asked the owners if it was there's and said no , so i kept it . It's my favourite hammer .

 

[Garage_Mahal]

A friend of mine's son found a weed eater that had fallen off a town maintenance truck. (Truck passed by, then later he saw the weed eater, so he couldn't alert the workers in the truck.) He hid it in the bushes so it wouldn't get stolen. He then went home and called town hall to tell them to reclaim it and where it was. The cops came and arrested him for theft, now he has a record. No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[mcgyverit]

great responses. A "week" may have been stretching it a bit, but 8 hours was more realistic. Also, not on a job site, never!

Driving on the outer road to work and saw something looking like a stick or something on the side of the lane next to the shoulder of the road, but being dark and on the bike I just left it be. on the trip home, I am cruising the same way and happen to see in the same general area something gold shinny so I stop. get off the bike and walk back and it is a hammer. As I get closer it is a brass dead blow hammer. I pick it up and it is a Snap On brass dead blow hammer! Now I cannot confirm this is what I saw in the morning, but it was there when I came back by. so, I snagged it and put it in my tool box when I got home.

 

[sk farmer]

Agree it's finders-keepers. unless you know who lost it.
(even found a new remote control ******** with a ***** to go with it!!)

Always attempt to find the owner where possible.........otherwise it is F/K.

did you find the owner of that tool set?

 

[wreckercologist]

I was sitting at a stop light waiting for the signal to change when a truck turning left in front of me went through the intersection. A nice, 6' wooden level went flying off of the truck box. I didn't even bother to stop, it was junk. I don't think the owner bothered to either!

I've found a variety of tools along the road. Craftsman 1/2" ratchet, plomb 3/8" breaker bar, craftsman wrenches, sockets. At work, I always scope out the trade in trucks first! I've found Snap on, Mac, Matco, sk, craftsman, ect. A guy I work with found a shiny brand new Matco 9/16" ratchet wrench.

 

[HankMurphy]

Finding tools is great...but always remember there's someone at the other end who may be suffering.

I've found a KAL 1/2" breaker bar on the road years ago (pre-internet) and kept it. For years it was my only 1/2" driver! Plus a pair of Vice Grips.

My most recent find was a Dewalt 18V cordless reciprocating saw (AKA Sawzall). It went really nice with the rest of my Dewalt 18V tools. But I posted it in the CL lost and found, put a note on a telephone pole (TOOL FOUND with no details), and got a call from the rightful owner. He had just moved into a new house, worked building sets for studios, and could clearly identify the tool because he had put his initials in it. He was happy to get it back, and I don't need another tool at the expense of someone's livelihood.

Lessons learned:

1. ALWAYS mark your high-value tools. Sure, it reduces the resale value.

2. Follow the Golden Rule and make some attempt to find the rightful owner. Craigslist is great for this. Don't identify the tool exactly, ask for details to weed out the fakers.

Good luck,

 

[ears]

I have found quite a few misc. tools. Best was a Dewalt 18v 4 pack about 5 or 6 years ago. Most recent and frustrating about three or 4 months ago I saw a Dewalt cordless drill on the shoulder. I jammed on the brakes and did a u turn at the first break in the medium. At the next break a guy cuts me off does a U turn and snatches it up right in front of me.

 

[NotEnough]

I was behind a truck with kitchen cabinets in the bed. When the light turned green his 3' level slid out. I pulled into the lane next to him and told him what happened. He sent the passenger to go and get it. He seemed really appreciative of the heads up.

 

[babzog]

Many years ago, I was driving courier. Waiting at an intersection one morning, a potato chip delivery truck rounded the corner with the rear door open. Out tumbles a large box of Ruffles all-dressed (big bags). A lady in front of me stops and heaves it out of the road and onto the median. I go and do my delivery and when I come back that way, the box is still there.

Yeah, roommate and I got sick of that flavour.

Found a couple of axes and a hatchet left in the bush when a bunch of us were camping.

Found a pair of vice grips attached to my tie rod after a wheel alignment.

I lost a hand brush (left it on top of the car) last year. Wife was walking the kids a few weeks later and found it again, minus the tip of the handle.

 

[eborcim]

There's a reason why they lost it, so you could find it. My wife laughed at me when I'd grab something from the roadside. However she did pick up a cheap tin tool box one day in the ditch that was full of tools. So, no more laffin!

 

[caper]

My dad used to work emergency patrol for the highway dept in Ontario.He was stationed on the 401 through Toronto.8-9 lanes in each direction.He literally has 3 10 gallon storage tubs full of tools he has found on the highway after 25yrs of service.I raid them whenever I get to Ontario for a visit.I have gotten snap on ratchets,screwdrivers and wrenches from him he picked up on the road.Also got two 18" long punches,one snappy and one mac.

 

[lilredex]

did you find the owner of that tool set?

Uh yeah, that one did present a bit of a challenge. To date, no one has stepped forward to claim ownership.

 

[holden26]

who would you hand it in to?

Police or owner if they could prove it was theres

 

[nissan_crawler]

A friend of mine's son found a weed eater that had fallen off a town maintenance truck. (Truck passed by, then later he saw the weed eater, so he couldn't alert the workers in the truck.) He hid it in the bushes so it wouldn't get stolen. He then went home and called town hall to tell them to reclaim it and where it was. The cops came and arrested him for theft, now he has a record. No good deed goes unpunished.

Yep. A FARMER back home stopped to pick up some tools that were on the gravel road, sheriff pulled over, farmer explained, he got nailed for theft.

Me, I'm not getting a record for some screwdriver. I just keep on driving.

 

[dirtball]

I found a Klein 10-in-1 on a roof of a commercial building few weeks ago. It had been there a while and was a little rusty but I thought it was a good find.

I find tools lying in insulation all the time in attics. I also loose a lot of tools crawling around attics. I think of it like an exchange program for people who work in ****** crawl-spaces.