Found tools on the road

[Fialaja]

Looked for this thread to add 2 days ago I was driving and saw a red thing on the side of the road so I swung a u turn and investigated. Turned out to be a very rusty toolbox that looked to have been dredged from a lake. The whole side was missing from the rust, and by the bent up nature of it it had flown out the back of a pickup truck. Though the box was toast, strewn around were 2 craftsman professional wrenches, ahusky ratchet, and husky sockets of both USA and China manufacture. There were also3-4 husky made in China wrenches, a Kobalt wrench and 2 wrenches marked China

Soaked all these heavily rusted tools in white vinegar and found the USA tools came out better than the Chinese stuff.

Anyone else finding stuff on the road? I know there’s a thread on it here somewhere

 

[Stuart in MN]

There have been a number of them over the years, but here's the most recent found tools on the road thread: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227120&highlight=found+road

 

[woody 73]

A number of years ago...well it had to have been in the 1980's I think but anyways in my home town one of those big bank trucks had there doors swing open and out came all the cash. I even remember one guy saying he picked up so much cash he left the city to never return imagine that.

Why can I not find those kind of hauls?

 

[DadsTools]

A number of years ago...well it had to have been in the 1980's I think but anyways in my home town one of those big bank trucks had there doors swing open and out came all the cash. I even remember one guy saying he picked up so much cash he left the city to never return imagine that.

Why can I not find those kind of hauls?

You talking about Joey Coyle?

 

[donovanl12]

I was driving and had to brake suddenly at a red light, and I heard something fall off my roof and onto the road. Hopped out and saw it was my pocket knife. So not exactly found, but i was surprised it made several commutes down i95 before finally falling off! And I'm glad I found my knife!

 

[WWheeler]

A number of years ago...well it had to have been in the 1980's I think but anyways in my home town one of those big bank trucks had there doors swing open and out came all the cash. I even remember one guy saying he picked up so much cash he left the city to never return imagine that.

Why can I not find those kind of hauls?

Same just happened with a Brinks truck a couple months ago in Indy.

Brink’s Truck Spills Cash on Highway, and Drivers Scoop It Up
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/03/us/cash-armored-truck-indianapolis-highway.html

Completely unrelated, there was also around the same time a machine gun and a box of grenades that fell off a USAF truck from the 91st Missile Wing, the forces that guard our nations nukes, on a highway while traveling from one base to another.

Disappearance of weapons at Air Force base prompts investigation
https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/18/politics/air-force-missing-weapons-investigation/index.html

Since AFAIK they haven't been returned for the reward, I'm guessing the wrong sorts of people found those tools in the road. Maybe they'll post about their find in this thread?

Perhaps even more worrying, that same unit that guards our nukes was since discovered to be tripping on acid.

Air Force Uncovered LSD Use Among Airmen Guarding Nuclear Missiles
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...sd-use-among-airmen-guarding-nuclear-missiles

 

[Packard V8]

Some years back, my FIL, riding his horse on a rural road in Kalispell, MT, found a new Snap-on SL715 1/2"dr long handle ratchet; about a $150 bill. He didn't like it because the handle was too long, so I traded him a standard Craftsman rat for it.

jack vines

 

[AceofSpad3s]

Completely unrelated, there was also around the same time a machine gun and a box of grenades that fell off a USAF truck from the 91st Missile Wing, the forces that guard our nations nukes, on a highway while traveling from one base to another.

[/url]

I wish some of the local Natty Guard trucks around the local depot would drop me some care packages on the highway.

 

[spriso]

I find them all the time-- I finally decided to document my finds on my commute and have an Instagram account @toolsintheroad


-spriso

 

[skunkape1]

Since I got got my driver's license, I have picked up 377 rubber bungee straps off of the roads. Each one is a treasure.

 

[desertdog256]

My most recent find was not a tool. I was running at mach 1 down the turnpike in Oklahoma, topped a hill and saw one of those giant coolers in the middle of my lane. You know, the ones nearly large enough to carry a whole deer.

Since there was no traffic to speak of, I got on the brakes hard, moved right, backed up on the shoulder a few hundred yards and snagged it.

It’s not a Yeti or similar, but hey, I wasn’t just gonna leave it there.

 

[protegeV]

I found a 20v dewalt 1/4" impact driver in the road about 5 years ago. Used it til the battery died and it sat in a toolbox for a year til I remembered I had it and someone at work gave me a charger since they had 3. Been using it every day since.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

Some years back, my FIL, riding his horse on a rural road in Kalispell, MT, found a new Snap-on SL715 1/2"dr long handle ratchet; about a $150 bill. He didn't like it because the handle was too long, so I traded him a standard Craftsman rat for it.

jack vines

I'd almost put money down it was a generator guy that lost it. I've been more amazed at the stuff I've carelessly left out and haven't launched out of my work truck bouncing up fire roads to telecom sites, especially in Montana.

 

[4xdog]

A number of years ago...well it had to have been in the 1980's I think but anyways in my home town one of those big bank trucks had there doors swing open and out came all the cash. I even remember one guy saying he picked up so much cash he left the city to never return imagine that.

Why can I not find those kind of hauls?

I was living in Columbus back then. I could even tell ya near what exit on I-71 southbound it happened. I've had litter fly out of trash trucks in front of me, but that's the closest in my experience...

 

[brokeboater]

Ladders, wrenches, I find quite a bit. My best find, I was out tooling in my boat and found an abandoned hull. I towed it home, went through the process of getting title to it and sold it. I forget the make but it was a desirable old rig.

 

[Nova231]

A couple of months ago, I saw an orange handled- screwdriver in the middle of the road at night. Turned out to be a Snap-on hard handle SDD6AO. It was more or less undamaged (although a few weeks later I needed to have the handle replaced). I still consider it a pretty good find. A few years ago I picked up a Snap-on FXW1 wobble extension in a crosswalk, which has a little cosmetic damage but is functional. Actually, it's the only wobble extension I have.

 

[[memphis]]

Found this snap on torque wrench in the middle of the road today... case has some road rash but the torque wrench was recently recalibrated

 

[Motown]

Found this last week on my way home. The battery was lying near it, but someone hit it before I could turn around. They broke the part with the contacts off.

 

[LA1]

in the mid 90's I found a Makita drill in a metal case with extra battery and charger. the batteries were no good even back then, NiCad. I found various other tools. When I was 14 I found a ratchet on the side of the road stamped "spain" little further down found a kick start for a M/C, then a little further down found a M/C license plate. in my teens to present found several ratchets, 1/2 breaker bar, slim jim, individual sockets, small sledge hammer, rubber mallet. I was in back of a ups truck with the doors open packages were falling out I picked up as many as I could and took them to a nearby ups depot.

 

[Browning1]

A few years ago my dad found a complete set of gear-wrench ratchet wrenches. 1/4" to 1" while out riding his motorcycle. I found a cheap 20 pc. tool set on the ditch bank last year. Now all of my vehicles have a tool set of some sort in them.

 

[RustyJunk]

I have a 3 ton Hein Werner hydraulic jack I found in the road back in the early 80's, I used my belt to strap it to the back seat of my motorcycle to get it home. It still works great and I use it quite a bit.

 

[Hootbro]

Picked up this Snap On stripper/crimper pliers off the side of the road a couple of weeks ago. They were doing utility work on a corner junction box for a week or so and I noticed the pliers laying on shoulder. A little Kroil and steel wool and they cleaned up fine.

 

[jgromada]

I had found a real nice SK 3/8" socket wrench one time. I use that thing all the time.