How old were you when you first bought 'expensive' tools?

[2level]

I saved up paper route money and bought a Sun Professional Tune-up Kit (good quality compression gauge, tach/dwell/volt meter, remote/bump starter switch, and vacuum gauge) when I was 14. Next major purchase was at 16 y.o. -- a Speedaire 1.5hp air compressor.

All of these things are still in use today; although, the Speedaire compressor is a secondary one, mainly used to operate the safety locks on a car hoist.

 

[Davefr]

18.

I used my first paycheck at my first real summer job to buy an SK mechanics tool set. It liberated me from having to use Dad's hodgepodge of tools.

A combination wrench with a box end brought tears to my eyes it was so good. Dad's wrench set was a Globemaster double open end set.

 

[bczygan]

To me, all tools are expensive. Had very few tools most of my life, as I worked in an office, as my father did. No exposure to using or needing them. Had a set of C'man when I got married. Got stolen with my car. Just started buying again since joining GJ. Now I'm going hog wild!

Bill

 

[toolmiser]

I was a freshman in High School when I purchased a new Delta (Rockwell then) wood lathe for $250.00. That took a lot of lawn mower pushing for neighbors. I don't know where your threshold of expensive is.

 

[fordcragar]

When I was 10 or 11 my dad started taking me with him every day to work during the summer, he owned a gas station; which was in the mid 1950's. He didn't pay me much for helping, but took me to the parts store every once in a while and let me buy some SK Tools, many I still have today.

 

[M_George]

I was 18, my senior year and the Tech School had a deal on a 3/8 SK Wayne SAE socket set. That was in 1972. I am still using it to this day.

 

[camd64]

18, I started an apprenticeship working at a Ford truck dealership. Snap-on, Mac, and Matco all got a good chunk of my paycheck when I first started out.

 

[Toothaker]

18. In 1978 I got a job at Cessna, and they required all employees to have a set of specific professional-grade tools. They financed it with no interest, paid over a month or two. Job paid $5.35/hr; the set contained Proto and Wiss and other name brand tools and cost $850. I still have the tools which lasted a lot longer than the job did.

 

[upsidedownone]

Strangely enough, about when I started reading these forums...

 

[AngryBeaver]

Dad bought me a 50's Mac top chest full of old tools when I was 16 at an auction for 50 bucks. Still have most of them. My first own tool set was a 350 piece USA craftsman master set in the early 90's.

Didn't touch my first snap on until 1999/2000 when working on industrial diesels and busted my knuckles when the crapsman ratchets broke. Been a snap on tool snob since but really appreciate the older quality tools.

 

[ScottsGT]

I guess around '82 or '83 when I was done with autobody class at tec and at a shop that provided tools. I still wanted good stuff and started buying Snap On to take home. Wait, I had already bought a small SO upper cabinet. It was full of Craftsman.

 

[2level]

18.

I used my first paycheck at my first real summer job to buy an SK mechanics tool set. It liberated me from having to use Dad's hodgepodge of tools.

A combination wrench with a box end brought tears to my eyes it was so good. Dad's wrench set was a Globemaster double open end set.

My Dad's small hodgepodge of **** tools, and the need to get household projects done, is part of what motivated me to buy tools at a young age. That, and the 'need for speed': wanted a hot rod since grade school.

I used to buy my Dad tools for Father's Day, birthday, and Christmas gifts, but he's not mechanically inclined. The real gift was doing the maintenance for him, with those tools. One of my favorite gifts is the Craftsman tool chest that he and my Mom bought me for Christmas after I rebuilt the 350 in the family truckster.

 

[ForstnerPrime]

17, was really starting to get into woodworking and I was fascinated by woodturning, so I eventually got a wood lathe, most useful purchase I've ever spent.

 

[WittHay]

Bought a used Snap-on apprentice set when I was 17. It came with a KRA56 top chest and had mainly made in Canada Snap-on along with a CP impact wrench

 

[2level]

I was a freshman in High School when I purchased a new Delta (Rockwell then) wood lathe for $250.00. That took a lot of lawn mower pushing for neighbors. I don't know where your threshold of expensive is.

There's really not a threshold; it's up to the reader. I paid $100 for that $350 Sun Tune-up kit. It was used. Speaking of Delta; I was older than you (about 19) when I bought my first Delta piece, a 1950's Unisaw. I'm still getting good use out of it too -- just started building another bookcase.

 

[T_R]

About 19. When I went from lube rack to shop at the dealer I started buying the good stuff from Snap on and Mac. Still have it all 25 years later.

 

[B_Bimmer]

I thought the tools I bought at harbor fright were expensive when I bought them, turns out I was right, some of the priciest scrap metal I've ever bought. Meanwhile some of the most expensive stuff I have bought more recently has proven itself cheap in time and labor saved.

 

[Lonnies Performance]

My Dad gave me a 1/4", 3/8", & 1/2" drive S-K socket sets when I was 8 (he ran an auto parts store). I bought my first tools at age 12... Craftsman screwdrivers. Still have the socket sets 42 years later & I still complain that I can't buy more of the S-K tools locally.

 

[Unruh]

I was 41 years old. My Dad had all SK tools growing up. He passed away when I was 18 and my ex-brother-in-law took all his tools while I was away at college. My brother, he is 17 years older than me, gave me a bunch of tools. I was pretty happy with them at the time. However; whenever my brother came to visit he would complain about my tools (his old ones). A few years ago, I was at his house and we were messing around in his garage and I used some of his tools. Not all tools are the same. I've been slowly buying better tools as I find good deals on Craigslist, Marketplace, or Offerup. Sometimes I save up for a special trip to the tool truck.

 

[mbshop]

19 in 68 when I went to tech school in los angeles. Bought a craftsmen set. But getting into the $$$$$$ stuff was in 1970 when I started working at a mercedes dealership in hawaii. Then we only had a so dealer. Old man in one of those old small vans. Spent a 100 bucks a month on a 700.00 salary.

 

[302]

Not sure what you mean by expensive. First tool truck tool was about 2-3 years ago when I started working in a shop where they actually came around...I couldn't WAIT to get on that freaking truck and take something with me.


Prior to that I worked in a place for 3 years-ish and the Snap On truck never came by, not once, ever. Didn't like my boss because he was cheap and never bought anything.

Haven't had a 0 balance with Snap On since then. Maybe it's a curse but I've gotten a bunch of tools I couldn't otherwise afford because they take payments.

 

[JUNK-MAN]

My dad gave me his snap on and sk from his mechanic days when I was 12 or 13. After that I bought a ton of good name SO, sk and mac stuff dirt cheap, most of witch I still have. I started wrenching for extra cash when I was 15 and haven't quit wrenching or buying good stuff since.

 

[bcradio]

I would say 19 or 20 years old

 

[Rubiman14]

About 16...but not anything from a tool truck. Was about 23 when I started buying only professional tools.

 

[Certified Drunk]

I was 18 and the Snap On tool truck was like a crack store... I still have all the tools I bought back then. That was 36 years ago.
Today, Cash is king with the tool truck..

 

[Flinter987]

My daughter is just over a year old and I've already bought her some really nice Carlyle!

 

[theoldwizard1]

95% of everything I own is Craftsman, even my 1/2 impact and air hammer (although they both have CP cast in the housings). Name brand expensive ... I don't own any.

I bought a 2hp Craftsman twin cylinder, oil lubed, 20 gallon air compressor when I was in my mid-20s. (I should have bought the 3hp.) Adjusted for inflation, it is STILL the single most expensive tool I have ever bought. Sadly, I have never really used it that much. It does blow up pools for the grandkids in a short amount of time !!

 

[rharman]

Probably 18. I worked at an HD dealer downtown LA and the Sears store was right on my way home - Olympic & Soto for you locals. Got paid every Saturday and the office would cash our checks if we wanted. Stopped at Sears on the way home almost every week. Those were the days of catalog order and a lot of sales too. That was 44 years ago....

 

[crewchief888]

17 years old, while i was still in high school, and started my machinists apprenticeship, i bought my "starter set" of machinist's tools.
all brand new starret

my dad passed away 2 years later, i inherited all his late 50's SK tools.

in '84 i started working at a const eq dealer, and started buying stuff off the tool trucks...

 

[theoldwizard1]

Stopped at Sears on the way home almost every week.

I worked at Sears 45 years ago. I bought something at least once a month (that was all I could afford; usually waited for a sale). I would never call Craftsman hand tools "expensive", even back then.

 

[MShaw]

I was 13 and working on lawn mowers and garden tractors. There was a Snap on dealer four houses up the street so I started with him. Still have a lot of what I started with and I am now 76.

 

[FigureItOut]

I was 30, just married and got a Dewalt drill and impact combo. They were the flagship models at the time I believe, 20V but not yet brushless. I did a lot of Harbor Freight buying for a few years as I built stuff up. I'm 36 now and shooting for quality first and value a close second, but never at the expense of quality.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930AZ using Tapatalk

 

[theoldwizard1]

I was 13 and working on lawn mowers and garden tractors. There was a Snap on dealer four houses up the street so I started with him. Still have a lot of what I started with and I am now 76.

Got me beat ! My oldest stuff is ONLY 50 years old !

 

[sberry]

I bought a few tools since I was 10, when I was 20 needed more stuff and bought the biggest set Sears had, it was 3 grand or so back then. I priced some from the truck, 14K and not even half way thru the list. I figured I cold always go back and get it if needed.
I have a small handful of snap. its nice, been worth having but I didn't need every wrench to cost 30$. I bought a couple more Sears sets a couple times when my demand spiked. I have several sets and a couple packed boxes, a service truck with 3/4 air and I probably couldn't get 5 large at a good sale. The upside was didn't have much in to it.

 

[panknuckshovel]

I was 13 and working on lawn mowers and garden tractors. There was a Snap on dealer four houses up the street so I started with him. Still have a lot of what I started with and I am now 76.

Nice

 

[zendriver]

17 - 41 years ago.

My Brother was wrenching at my dad's Phillips 66 service station and was visited by the Snap On truck regularly. I was a pump jockey, but worked on my own stuff.

I thought I'd be cool and "join the club" and sprung in for a 10 pc 3/8" ratchet/socket set and some deep well SAE and metric sets. I think I might have also purchased a black screwdriver or two.


Suddenly, I was in debt, for what I think was maybe $150 or $175, for virtually no tools. I remember how annoyed I was every time the tool guy, pulled in because I had to pay up - if I had the money, which was a bit of a stretch, usually, for a party guy working part time for $3/hr. So glad and so done, when the last payment was made.

I still have those original tools (except screwdrivers) and although I now a garage full of tools, I have never made another tool payment since and never will.

 

[Lassen Forge]

I must have been around 20 or so, and needed *something* (IIRC it was some specialized wrench for removing the gozunder nut from the right facing sub-cover hydrodynamic oil filtration system on an old honda 450) and sure enough, not only did a tool truck magically appear within a few minutes, but they had the appropriate and matching socket for said gozunder nut... without which you were guaranteed to break expensive parts and customers hearts. The socket was IIRC $48.50 or something abhorrently high in 1978 dollars, but it was worth every penny. And it still has neither broken nor stripped out one of those nuts. Never.

BTW, I still have that socket. If you ever end up with an early 70's Honda DOHC450 twin, and need to remove that damned nut (you have to to rebuild the motor) I can remove it for you. But not for free!

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

I was 19 when I first set foot on a Snap On truck and bought a set of ten mnetric wrenches 10mm through 19mm for $119. I did the math and was in shock at the cost per wrench - thinking that I would never need the 16 & 18.....those two stayed like new for decades. I switched to Matco at the time solely based on the tool dealer's attitude.
I had been working for a German car shop in Arlington VA back then(1981). The owner was like 2nd father and let me & let use his tools - mostly Hazet and Snap On. It was by far my best experience with an employer - more like family.

Thanks for stirring up a good memory

 

[2level]

I worked at Sears 45 years ago. I bought something at least once a month (that was all I could afford; usually waited for a sale). I would never call Craftsman hand tools "expensive", even back then.

I highlighted 'expensive' in the title because it's a relative term. Could be equivalent to 3 days or 3 months of wages. And it doesn't have to be hi-end name brand 'expensive': a Craftsman wrench set qualifies.

So does a single Snap-On dead blow hammer, a Harbor Freight cherry picker, an old A/C stick welder, a lathe, a timing light, ect. -- pretty much any tool, equipment, or tool set that pinched your finances, or drained your wallet, or put you in debt; and that you bought when you were 'younger'.

 

[BillK]

Probably 20 or so. I still have my Craftsman 2 1/2 hp compressor that I bought when I got married in 1973 Still works fine too