Green behind the ear tool mistakes

[bsaint]

Whats something you bought with good motives and it turned out it was a mistake once you gained experience?

For instance my first socket sets were good quality 12 point socket just to find out those arent quite the socket to use on the rusty north east fasteners. Ended up slowly selling them all for 6 point.

Also knipex. sold them all except my mini bolt cutters.


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[Ton ton]

I bought some Craftsman batteries for cordless tools about 7 years ago. Dumbest thing ever.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Bought some low tooth count ratchets hoping they would be everyday use items. Turns out they sucked for most modern automotive tasks, so that turned out to be a fail.

 

[PugetDude]

Knipex Needle Nose Pliers.

They should hire Gumby as their advertising spokesman.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I have an AMP strip and crimp tool. It looks like this SnapOn strip and crimp tool. The difference is, the AMP works correctly and the SnapOn only crimps good enough. The screw cutters on the SnapOn are not a tough as the screws. The cutters are not useable, now.
I got the SO tool from Craigslist. It was $10. I should have been suspicious.

 

[fordnut85]

Snap-on cordless 3/8" impact.

I thought it was pretty god until I got my hands on a Milwaukee

 

[Copymutt]

Bought a 40V Ryobi weed eater. Here I sit w/ either a defective battery or charger and 2 months out of warranty. Going back to gas.

 

[dsimatt]

Craftsman line wrenches, oh how did they **** and makes buying quality even more expensive.

HF angle wrenches.....they **** but hurts less modifying them for a task.

 

[MikeF2316]

Craftsman line wrenches, oh how did they **** and makes buying quality even more expensive.

HF angle wrenches.....they **** but hurts less modifying them for a task.

Isn't this the truth. I found mine worked if you could clamp some Vise Grips on them to stop them from spreading.

 

[dsimatt]

Isn't this the truth. I found mine worked if you could clamp some Vise Grips on them to stop them from spreading.

Only tried them twice and think I just tossed them, just a waste of.money.

 

[Radio Flyer]

I knew a guy that worked at an independent shop. His boss saw the craftsman line wrenches in his tool box. Boss told him to take them home, "They are not allowed to be used here".

 

[ScottsGT]

Butterfly impact wrench. Never quite figured out why I bought that thing back in the day.

Ordering anything from HF. Everything I have tried buying on line takes about 6 weeks to show up.

 

[Bighead38]

Whats something you bought with good motives and it turned out it was a mistake once you gained experience?

For instance my first socket sets were good quality 12 point socket just to find out those arent quite the socket to use on the rusty north east fasteners. Ended up slowly selling them all for 6 point.

Also knipex. sold them all except my mini bolt cutters.


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Lol I can’t even remember the last time I used a 12 point socket. Guys who aren’t in the rust belt just don’t understand.

 

[unslow1]

I'm definitely in the rust belt and primarily use 12pt. Don't get me wrong I have full sets of 6pts, 3 sizes of torches and probably a dozen kinds of spray release. Some things you can look at and know not to even attempt with a 12 pt. Some get the vise-grips as the first try. I think all tools are really personal preference. I still like my butterfly ratchet and Robo Grips.
The Snapon razor knife sucked and I'm not a fan of the Knipex pliers wrench.

 

[WI-tractor-Dr]

Knipex raptor pliers and IR 259g 3/4” impact were both major disappointments for me after using them.

 

[Y00PER]

I'm definitely in the rust belt and primarily use 12pt. Don't get me wrong I have full sets of 6pts, 3 sizes of torches and probably a dozen kinds of spray release. Some things you can look at and know not to even attempt with a 12 pt. Some get the vise-grips as the first try. I think all tools are really personal preference. I still like my butterfly ratchet and Robo Grips.
The Snapon razor knife sucked and I'm not a fan of the Knipex pliers wrench.

I must live in the rust belt of the rust belt, since many used car dealers around here get their cars from Wisconsin and Illinois because they aren't rusty.

 

[WrightToolFan]

After I got out of the military, I got a job in civilian aircraft maintenance. I bought a large set of combo wrenches to find I only used 4 of them. Same for sockets. Only used a handful of sockets. Still have the sets I bought back then and use them, but could have saved the cash back then by not buying whole sets and only buying what I needed.

 

[Davefr]

Knipex Needle Nose Pliers.

They should hire Gumby as their advertising spokesman.

^^^ Agree

2. Buying SO at MSRP from their website. (ie subsidizing 50% of the price for dealer support and not getting any). Many better options.
3. Getting sucked into the HF "gimmick of the month". (or Sears when they were alive).
4. Buying cordless tools with battery packs unique to just that tool. (ex: my $200 Sawzall with dead/obsolete NiCad batteries)
5. Adding to my ratchet collection just because I find yet another good one on the garage sale $1 table.
6. Failure to explore Lista/Vidmar as less expensive tool storage options. (vs. tool truck boxes)
7. Late in embracing tools from Japan as viable high quality options.
8. Buying a large stationary air compressor. (when battery/electric tools and a portable compressor would be better.)
9. TBD
10. TBD

 

[lardy1]

Cheap crowfoot wrenches. I was warned.

 

[setfocus]

the "speedy" inner tie rod tool, worked 75% of the time when it was newish. Lucky if it works 25% of the time now. I don't even attempt using it anymore, just takes up space in the toolbox.

another is a toe sleeve hook tool. First time I was aligning my old '96 k1500, I borrowed the normal tool that goes on a ratchet... was dark and I was hungover, I was having issues. So I bought the bar with the hook on it, it's pretty useless. I've long ago gotten the hang of using the normal hooks

 

[GirchyGirchy]

Also knipex. sold them all except my mini bolt cutters.

What was wrong with them? Sounds like the needlenose pliers are junk, but I love the Cobras and pliers wrenches.

 

[mr.lemons]

Spent too much money on thru tang PB screrwdrivers because obviously I need the toughest and most expensive PB drivers. Big mistake, much prefer the cheaper lighter standard drivers.

 

[bsaint]

What was wrong with them? Sounds like the needlenose pliers are junk, but I love the Cobras and pliers wrenches.

Just not that stiff of a noodle - er needle - nose pliers. I think I didnt like the pliers wrench either. I might have the cobras.

To add.

Also made the mistake of falling in love with Proto Big Dawg ratchets only for them to be no longer supported or made.

Bought a couple ratchets I thought Id use a lot and hardly used them (i.e. roto ratchet).


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[Lassen Forge]

Crescent Wrenches. They have their uses, which are few and far between. Done more damage with them than with vise grips.

That and using work supplied tools when they went through a penny pincher manager, and he bought all koreakrap / tiawanictrash for use in an industrial setting, then making it almost impossible to get them replaced when they failed (usually out the gate). For a while they prohibited us from supplying our own... they couldn't figure out why productivity went through the $#!tter, and finally relented after about a year and a half.

Knipex Needle Nose Pliers. They should hire Gumby as their advertising spokesman.

What was wrong with them? Sounds like the needlenose pliers are junk, but I love the Cobras and pliers wrenches.

I have their extended needle nose pliers, and I haven't run into an issue with them... maybe it's how I use them, maybe I got the one good set, I don't know, but I rather like them...

I knew a guy that worked at an independent shop. His boss saw the craftsman line wrenches in his tool box. Boss told him to take them home, "They are not allowed to be used here".

If he's paying my tool bill, cool. I made a living decades ago off Craftsman tools, and any damage I caused I fixed. But sure... I'll use whatever you think I need to use, but I need to be paid for it, either through my wages or through you paying the tool bill.

Mind you, I did switch over to SO for a lot of my line stuff, and I do like it somewhat better, but I also have an assortment of the stuff I used to use, and have no problem using it because (a) I know its linitations, and (b) I know it works.

 

[seber]

Got sucked into the HF composite ratchet that was talked up here. The backward lever action turns out to be unusable for someone who has used them the other way for sixty years.
The very first wrench set I ever bought was Sears branded in 1962. I bought them to build a mini bike. Every one of them broke on that project. Sears did not warranty tools that were not Craftsman.

 

[Cgw1984]

Listening to xenophobes for tool recommendations. I spent far to much on "made in usa" stuff, when a cheaper import (from europe or taiwan) has worked as well or better. Now, that certainly isnt true for every true, but many.

Edited to add: the usa tools were not at all junk, very nice actually, im speaking merely from a "work getting done" perspective)

 

[MushCreek]

I'm still working on 'green behind the ears'.

One of my worst purchases was a whole set of Irwin Vise-Grips. I have several of the old-school Vise-Grips, and just assumed the Irwin ones would be good. They ****.

 

[Robbie B]

That $100 vice grip set and the $100 long handle pliers set Mac tools sells. The vice grips are made of pot metal and are flimsy as **** and the long handle pliers have way less leverage than they should and are about impossible to use because of their length.

 

[bsaint]

That $100 vice grip set and the $100 long handle pliers set Mac tools sells. The vice grips are made of pot metal and are flimsy as **** and the long handle pliers have way less leverage than they should and are about impossible to use because of their length.

Yea I was thinking that (fortunately) before I bought them. I ended up with the gearwrench / kd x joint ones.


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[nadogail]

I bought a Royobi Cordless tool kit; Drill. Circular Saw and Work light from HD some years ago, the batteries quit holding a charge, So I bought new Royobi batteries and they had the same problem.

I have owned a 9.6 Volt Makita with the long battery, when it died my employer replaced it with a Dewalt, the Dewalt was replaced with the Royobi and now I am back to Makita.

I will replace my Makita, if and when it dies, with another Makita.

 

[PugetDude]

Add Gearwrench ratcheting tap wrench to my list. Broke the first time I used it.

 

[CS454]

That $100 vice grip set and the $100 long handle pliers set Mac tools sells. The vice grips are made of pot metal and are flimsy as **** and the long handle pliers have way less leverage than they should and are about impossible to use because of their length.

Both those sets gather rust in my "main" box...useless all around, the included screwdrivers and adjustables with the pliers set I got didn't do much to win me over either.

I recently grabbed the 7/10/12 inch Knipex plierswrench set....the 7" has proven useful on brass, the rest have been relegated to said box.

Avoid the Hedonic Treadmill!

 

[Robbie B]

Both those sets gather rust in my "main" box...useless all around, the included screwdrivers and adjustables with the pliers set I got didn't do much to win me over either.

I recently grabbed the 7/10/12 inch Knipex plierswrench set....the 7" has proven useful on brass, the rest have been relegated to said box.

Avoid the Hedonic Treadmill!

For some reason mine are still in my main box. I bought them not long before I quit wrenching on cars. I’ve got to find something to replace them just haven’t been worried about it to particularly.

 

[Robbie B]

Yea I was thinking that (fortunately) before I bought them. I ended up with the gearwrench / kd x joint ones.


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Good call. Wish I’d done the same. I should’ve spent the money on snap on.

 

[Grokew]

Klein tools 11 in 1 Screwdriver. The rubber on the handle was annoying and there is no way of using that Screwdriver once the rubber breaks or is removed.
Curiously the stubby six in one doesn't have that problem with the rubber and is actually great.

Great Neck 6 in 1 Screwdriver. The plastic handle is way too slippery.

Cheap 10 dollars socket and ratchet set from the auto parts. Sockets broke when loosening a battery terminal. The ratchet got stuck often.

Titan Tools bit-holding Screwdriver. The bits aren't bad, but the shaft of the bitholder was off-centre and I suffer from OCD. Same with their ratcheting precision Screwdriver.

The iWork ratcheting bit driver and precision bit driver set. The box broke when opening it, the shaft on the precision bitholder was bent, the ratchet on the large bitholder was loose and then broke.

Cheap stamped metal multifunctional circlip pliers. They bend when being used, causing the clips to fly off.

India made pistol grip pliers.

Quad drive wrenches. They aren't bad, but due to having zero offset they aren't as useful as they should. I saw some new ones with flex head and I want to try those.

 

[lardy1]

Tekton rolling head pry bars. I should have sent them back. I have had great results buying from Tekton but these things are nothing but junk. An embarrassment to their brand. As bad as some of that old MIT stuff they are trying to put behind them.

 

[seber]

Huskvarna string trimmer. Busted the line ate the drum exit every 30 seconds. Wound up with a Stihl.

 

[Augus7us]

Pffft. You guys need to step into the big leagues

This is an interesting one but I'll try not to ramble on too much.

So pre 2014, I really had no tools by GJ standards. A battery drill and some corded hand tools, few sockets... But I always wanted a shop like my dad, just never had a reason, I wasn't good at anything. A lot of stuff happened in 2014 that eventually lead me to the conclusion life was short and I needed to make something, buy some tools and so on. This lead to me trying to carve some wood which lead to me making a carving knife. It was **** but I was hooked. Never carved that wood again and decided to make another knife.

For whatever reason my first step was to obtain a surface grinder. I had done very little research but I saw one and thought it necessary. At the time I lived in an apartment with a powerless detached garage. There was a huge industrial auction and me and pops went, with me aiming to take home a surface grinder. Well I won one, cheap too... However in the midst of auction fever I also bought a band saw.

Before I go on I think its important to note two things. One I was new to all of this and two this was a 40k sq ft facility and I was way in the back looking at the projector picture of this saw. My thought was it was cool and maybe 18" throat. I got a great deal on it and was amazed no bid on it. While I had the high bid my dad left. I won and he eventually returned and said I better go look at the saw.

I did and about **** myself. It was over 6' tall and weighed several thousand pounds. It was bigger than a smart car...

Fortunately a clever shipping guy was stationed out front offering transportation services. Turned out he was cool and held this and several other items I bought to fill up his truck. I had to find a special rental place that eventually became a make shift shop. Where I taught myself quite a bit, started a now lifelong quest for tools and I am working on my new shop next to my house. Rental place was almost an hour away...

Also I spend too much time on here looking at shop ideas and tools with you bone heads

Anyway here's what you all came for:



I freaked out a bit to be honest. I had no idea what three phase was, how I would sell these, if they even worked haha. It was an adventure but I flipped all of them and made money too!

 

[theoldwizard1]

I'm definitely in the rust belt and primarily use 12pt.

Also in the rust belt. I learned at a very young age that 12pt **** when working on old cars . I don't own any 12pt sockets.

 

[Ton ton]

Great thread, everyone. Now I know what not to buy.