Found on road

[KEH]

Today I stopped at a Cross roads stop sign and found a pair of slip joint pliers
in the road. Stopped at stop sign, put truck in gear, cut motor off, got out and picked up pliers. They are Matco # ps086 with a little road rash but little rust. They must have had plastic grips originally, handle still shows forging marks that not been ground off. They have the wire cutter notch. Jaw serrations are still sharp. One of my better finds.

KEH

 

[d_rock]

 

[Jawn]

How do you guys find stuff in the road? Only time I see things in the road is on the interstate, and I ain't risking my life to go pick it up. Besides, by then it's probably been hit by a few hundred cars and a few dozen semi trucks and ground into who knows what.

 

[gringowillie]

I see tools in the road all of the time but my wife refuses to get out and pick em up.

 

[KEH]

Sorry about the no pics skills, I need to work on that.

I agree on the no interstate picking, years ago I turned down what looked like a 20 foot chain, at least 5/16 diameter links. It was at a busy on ramp at the interstate.

This intersection didn't happen to have much traffic at the time. The truck protected me also, I only held up one car behind me briefly.

KEH

 

[skyking]

I found a big buck knife in an innersection once .It was squashed and fanned out. My wife said I was crazy. Just to amuse myself I sent it to Buck and asked if they really meant what they said about their warranty. They sent me back a brand new knife in the box with a new warranty. I felt a little bad because I hadn't purchased it originaly,but gave it to a friend for Christmas.

 

[bestatv]

My buddy rides a bicycle everyday and it's amazing what he comes across.Watches,lighters,tools,swim mask,life jackets,coolers,etc.

 

[jhelrey]

A Dewalt Battery was on the side of the road today. In such an area there was no way I could get it!

 

[RV77]

Matco.........thats why you found them on the road.

 

[KEH]

After looking more carefully in a better light, the number on the pliers is psj88 which does not show up in the present catalog. Looks identical to present 546g, @$21.95.

It does show plastic grips on the 546g.

KEH

 

[HandyManny]

How do you guys find stuff in the road? Only time I see things in the road is on the interstate, and I ain't risking my life to go pick it up. Besides, by then it's probably been hit by a few hundred cars and a few dozen semi trucks and ground into who knows what.

I used to walk everywhere whenever it was possible, still do, so as a result I've found a few good tools on the road or in the gutter from time to time. I'm with you though I sure would not try to retrieve any tool that's laying out on the highway or busy freeway. I've actually seen what happens when a semi runs over a human (a suicide) and believe me it aint pretty, pretty horrific actually, taking about mangled body parts scattered over the distance of 50 to 100 yrds. So I would not encourage anyone to risk it if you do't have to.

 

[darkk]

I sure would not try to retrieve any tool that's laying out on the highway or busy freeway. So I would not encourage anyone to risk it if you don't have to.

What's the matter with you guys? No sense of adventure? hahaha...

 

[pendragon1998]

Drive through Atlanta interstate traffic long enough and you can add a few free mattresses and ladders to your collection. Seems like every time I drive through there, I hear about or see a ladder on the road.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

theres a corner by my house i seem to find stuff on ocasion

 

[KEH]

As a matter of interest, the pliers are missing the plastic grips. I called Matco and I can't get the grips by themselves. Maybe I'll try the bicycle tube trick mentioned in another thread. I plan to give them away to daughter and SIL anyway, they can use them as is. BTW, I guess I need new glasses, I looked at them in the sunlight and the model number is psj8b which is in the catalog for $28.20.

BTW, they have the pin which hold them together braded, if that's the correct term, at both ends. The old CeeTee pliers which Daddy got in the early 1950s and the ones i bought new have the pin threaded and a nut on one end.

KEH

 

[metaleltr]

Warranty them

 

[Bob C]

A Dewalt Battery was on the side of the road today. In such an area there was no way I could get it!

You didn't want it anyway as it was dead and in a ticked off state I tossed it there.

 

[Gary S]

I see tools laying by the side of the road regularly. If they are on a city street, or a slow 2 lane road where I can pull over, I stop and pick them up. When they are on the side of the Interstate highway where it would be too dangerous to stop, I keep going and forget I saw it.
Just last week, I spotted a hammer on the shoulder of the Interstate highway. I kept going. Someone else got that one.
My life is more valuable than a hammer. I already have all the hammers I need.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

For a few days there was a screw driver on the inside shoulder of the curved on-ramp from I-78 Eastbound to the New Jersey Turnpike northbound. There was never a traffic jam there in those few days where we would be stopped and I could snag it.

I see a lot of yellow cargo straps by the side of the road.

The thing I'm KICKING myself over was a diamond plate storage box from what looks like a dump truck. It was on I-78 on the right shoulder at the end of a closed on-ramp - and I was driving LOML's minivan. If it was empty it would have been stop, toss and go! If it wasn't empty it might have been stop, open, vomit and call 911 - followed by a police investigation - the on-ramp was from Newark NJ.

Cheers

Jim

 

[MaleMan]

I see tools in the road all of the time but my wife refuses to get out and pick em up.

lol this made me chuckle. think ive now got a job for the GF when im stuck in traffic.

 

[Motor-Mechanic]

Only things i ever find on roads are traffic and roadkill.

 

[70Chevy]

My ex-FIL saw a green metal box on the side of the expressway one day...he drove a few miles but it bothered to much to keep going. He turned back and found it full of 30+ **** videos.

 

[Mastermind]

found a mag-lite, my favorite 2 5/16 adjustable pintle hitch, countless straps and bungees, large pair of channel locks.

my question is how do so many shoes end up on the side of the highway? just a single shoe....i swear i see ne every mile on the highway up here....dont get it.

 

[t4runner]

I once found a tool box in the middle of the road it was old, it had leather straps for handles and was riveted together. I stopped to pick it up and all most threw my back out it was full of stone cutting chisels.

 

[where2]

My best cheater pipe came off the off-ramp of the local interstate. As a Surveyor, I'm used to playing in traffic. Picked up a nice heavy duty hand truck with pneumatic tires one day. Tackle box full of tackle with an electronic fish scale. A surprising amount of cash, usually coins, but an occasional bill or two. A working orange strobe light with lens intact... I could go on for an hour...

 

[losttechnician]

Channellocks, vise grips, screw drivers, sockets, roofing nailer the other day... The best find was an aluminum Magliner hand truck. Took the wheels and axle off, and pressure washed all the grease off it, and it is still going strong 15 years later.

 

[A29]

Just missed a Muncie 4-speed a few years back. Guy in front of me beat me to it

 

[fourjeepin]

I found a 13mm Craftsman combination wrench a couple of weeks ago. At the end of my driveway! First thought was awesome. Then, did I drop it? We live on a somewhat busy street and someone lost it at just the right place.

 

[Syndicate]

You'd be surprised what you can find on old country rural roads. People often speed through them and then fail to stop at most of the stop signs. Also do not tie down loads properly. My best find was an 18V DeWalt drill and battery. Tiny bit of road rash on the battery but the drill was fine. Sold it for 60 bucks. Found a couple of small snap on drivers out in a shop parking lot. Took them back in thought maybe a tech might have lost them. They said it was from a dude they fired who got pissed and ran out of there like fire was called out. Said I could keep them. Put them on eBay and made 31 bucks.

 

[c2sedan]

About 15 years ago, I was out driving near my house one day, when this pickup I was following turned left. I thought I saw something fly off his tailgate, but didn't really pay attention. About 12 hours later I was walking by the same intersection on my way work. When I looked in the gutter I found what he had lost. It was a pair of pliers. Not sure of the proper name I've always heard them called "lineman's pliers" kind of big, square nose and a wire cutter. They were a little beat up but still servicable.
I took them in to work and had the handles rubber dipped, and still use them to this day

 

[metaleltr]

Channellocks, vise grips, screw drivers, sockets, roofing nailer the other day... The best find was an aluminum Magliner hand truck. Took the wheels and axle off, and pressure washed all the grease off it, and it is still going strong 15 years later.

My grandfather found one of those magliner hand trucks, we have it now, it's an awesome hand truck!

 

[billp603]

My daughter's car had part of the exhaust break apart yesterday on her way to work at a large shopping mall. So I went up after dinner to see what it was and rig something up enough to get home, I moved her car to the back corner of the lot to be away from other cars and jack it up and not get run over while I was underneath it. As I was walking back to move my truck there as well I spotted these Vise Grips (left ones in picture) just sitting near the edge. This is also the area of the lot where the front end loader/snowplows are parked most of the winter.

I looked closer at them today to see if they were worth cleaning up, they are stamped Vise Grip, Dewitt, Nebr. but do not have the release lever, I though it was missing but it does not have the pivot hole so I'm thinking they must be quite old to predate the lever? The other pair in picture are from the late 70's, does anyone have an idea of the date these were made?

 

[maddawg308]

Found today in an intersection near me - thankfully it was early morning so not much traffic. Petersen-marked pair of 7" Vise-Grips. Hadn't been there long, no finish worn off it from being run over. Nothing like free in the middle of the road!

 

[The Copilot]

My daughter's car had part of the exhaust break apart yesterday on her way to work at a large shopping mall. So I went up after dinner to see what it was and rig something up enough to get home, I moved her car to the back corner of the lot to be away from other cars and jack it up and not get run over while I was underneath it. As I was walking back to move my truck there as well I spotted these Vise Grips (left ones in picture) just sitting near the edge. This is also the area of the lot where the front end loader/snowplows are parked most of the winter.

I looked closer at them today to see if they were worth cleaning up, they are stamped Vise Grip, Dewitt, Nebr. but do not have the release lever, I though it was missing but it does not have the pivot hole so I'm thinking they must be quite old to predate the lever? The other pair in picture are from the late 70's, does anyone have an idea of the date these were made?

These are definitely worth cleaning up. They pre-date the appearance of the release lever in 1958. There should be some patent information stamped on the handle near the "Vise Grip DeWitt Nebr.". Most likely these fall into the 1942-1958 time period but there is a chance they could be a little earlier depending on what the patent number information on the handle says.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

Around here pipe wrenches and Crescent wrenches litter the roads. I've got smaller Ridgid and Proto pipe wrenches coming out of my ears from people leaving them on service truck bumpers.

My wife spotted a 6' fiberglass stepladder in the bar ditch on the way out of town a few months ago. Minor road rash, but perfectly functional.

It's funny how securing things in the truck becomes a total non-priority after a 12-16 hour day in the hole.

 

[mrjaw14]

I have found some Snap-On slip-joint pliers with grips intact, at least one Klien flat-blade screwdriver, and a double box end matco 12mm/14mm wrench.

It looked as if whoever dropped the SO pliers had just done so recently, and in my neighbourhood, so I even waited a bit in the event someone came back looking for them. No one was looking for them, and I sure wasn't going to leave them there!

 

[richtersrodz]

My wife and I were driving by a Tia's Mexican food restaurant one day. They were gutting the place and filling up the dumpster. She begged me to go look, and I told her she was crazy, that nothing would be in there good. We found two big copper lights, and a full glass and wood garage door, w/double pane windows. It had "trash" written on it with a sharpie marker. I ran in and asked the guys about it, that were doing the work. He said that he'd ask the boss man, and come back tomorrow.

Long story short, my wife went back the next day with the truck, and dudes dug it out of the dumpster and loaded up the panels to the door for her. It was the full glass garage door that separated the inside and outside patio on the restaurant. It's probably a $2,000 garage door, that we scored for FREE! and was heavy as hell. Best dumpster find ever. So, now when she tells me to stop and look at some place that is getting gutted, I keep my mouth shut and go along with it..

Edit - added picture. it's a crappy picture, but it was all glass, besides the very bottom panel. It was painted green and made to look old, but was really brand new. We had to cut open the side of the garage just to install this door, and later repainted it. We took the door with us, when we sold the house. It was just too good to leave it behind.

 

[Outlawmws]

I've found a fair amount in the road, as well as dumped on the curb. One "road kill" that sticks to mind is my extension ladder. Someone lost it off a truck at an intersection two blocks from my house, and I saw it went back and picked it up. it was missing one of the pivoting feet. I went back the next day in day light and found the foot...

Up hunting we found a ramp for ATV's then another a half mile down the road. Near new aluminum too. We watched for possible owners, but I guess they were gone. I let my partner have them since all I have are trail bikes and no truck, and he has an ATV and a truck.

Two of my 3 drawer roller tool boxes are from curbside pickups. Someone busts a castor and throws the box away... One is now my welding bench, and the other is bolted back to back to an identical box (both PowrKraft) that was my welding bench previously, and are the rolling base for my huge 12" AMF Dewalt RA saw, with the drawers and bottom compartment used for power tool storage and accessories.

 

[Matt018]

I found a pair of tongue and grove pliers a year or two ago, and a few weeks ago i found a craftsman 1/4 driver handle in the road. Was a sweet find because i had needed one badly.

 

[FoMoCoPower]

Found this guy a couple days ago near the entrance to the facility where my storage unit is. Free is for me!!! Kinda funny,since the one I use in my storage unit broke the next day!