Keeping tools you know you’ll never need or use again

[coleman10]

In the process of cleaning out and organizing the garage and I ran across a Slam Scraper. I used that 17 years ago to pull up linoleum off the floor of our first home. At the time, I figured I'd keep it just on the off chance that I may need it again. Well, 17 years later, I haven't used it once and I know for a fact that I never will, but it's the hardest thing to put that ridiculous thing in the trash. I have this feeling that as soon as I get rid of it that I'm going to need it, even though I know for a fact that that will never happen.

Anyone else keep tools you know you'll never need or use (other than keeping them for sentimental reasons)?

 

[mbshop]

Yes ! At least a third of my collection of tools and other stuff are like that. And they will remain so.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I spent the last 10 years dragging around a HEAVY Kennedy toolbox of machinists tools I was given at the end of a job. I realized I used a few taps over the years, and that's it. Finally sold off the set of reamers, and a ton of files. Going through taps, dies and drill bits to sell and donate.

Same thing with a small trowel I used for one job 5 years ago, finally just tossed it in a box along with a mess of other tools to donate to the local Humane Society Thrift Store.

 

[Shootinok]

Never say never.

 

[Jlbc212]

Who knows for sure what's in one's future? I grew up in the days before Home Depots, Lowe's, Menard's when just about every store closed by one pm on Saturday and never opened on Sunday or holidays. As such I tend to hold onto excess materials and tools. You never know when such things will be needed. However, in my later years I've come to value the worth of space. Things that I hold onto need to worth the space they occupy.

 

[Fretters]

Yup. I look at it this way: Unless you need the space, why get shut. Better to have and not need....

 

[oldschoolcraft]

I'm a believer of freeing up space. I really like having a well organized living space and I've caught myself spending $$$ to store things I don't need and likely will never use because I hate clutter so if I'm going to keep something, it needs to be stored in a nice container.

One example is spare parts organization. I bought several expensive organizers. I forget the name now but they are super high quality plastic with trays of various sizes and cost $70 per tray and I spent a few hundred dollars on these. I calculated the cost per cubic inch of each tray and started realizing that it was costing me a lot of money to store stuff. Example $5 to store spare springs I'll never need that I could easily re-purchase for less than $5 if I needed them in the future.

Of course I didn't need to spend hundreds of dollars on high end organizers, but before I had them, all my spare parts were thrown in random boxes and I'd waste 30+ minutes finding one part anytime I needed something.

I feel like tools are the same way and once I buy a house, I'll have a nice cart or fixed drawers and I won't be happy with cheap stuff, so I'll calculate the cost to store this unnecessary tool forever.

If you spend $5k on an Epiq, Lista, Vidmar, or other high end system, you'll realize that that unneeded tool probably costs $50 or more to store. And the tool might be worth $10 at best.

Of course it's nice to have stuff just in case, so you don't have to completely stop work, but if you're 99.999% sure you'll never need something, unless there's sentimental value, I suggest selling or donating it.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

The first step is to eliminate the reason the tool was made for in the first place.
If it is a woodworking tool, the wood would have to be eliminated.
About now, some folks would like to head South to eliminate needing their snow shovel.
Looking at Your location; would You be interested in trading for such a conversation piece?

 

[kctyphoon]

I have a 4' scaffolding filled with corded tools and nail guns I have not touched in years.

 

[brandyspaw]

This is an interesting post. I just recently boxed up a bunch of my old suspension, transmission and other special tools when I changed out to different roll cabs. I just felt it was a good time to box them up to have more room for tools I'll actually use. I'll likely never use them again as they're all from my days as a mechanic which are long gone.

However, while my first thoughts were to sell them locally or on ebay, I ultimately decided I'll just leave them boxed up in storage. If I ever need them they'll be here. Plus now that I'm retired it won't be forever until I'll need to sell all my tools at either an estate sale or auction. So everything might as well sell together after I'm dead and gone or when I'm too infirm to use them.

 

[McFarmer]

I've been getting rid of stuff. Mostly giving it away.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

Who knows for sure what's in one's future? I grew up in the days before Home Depots, Lowe's, Menard's when just about every store closed by one pm on Saturday and never opened on Sunday or holidays. As such I tend to hold onto excess materials and tools. You never know when such things will be needed. However, in my later years I've come to value the worth of space. Things that I hold onto need to worth the space they occupy.

This^^^, at 68 I'm just starting to realize this, but I'm still somewhere in the middle of buying things I know I'll never use and the value of space.........lol

 

[anndel]

Never say never.

Exactly, I sold a Lisle 42920 fan clutch wrench then discovered I needed it when working on a neighbor's car replacing the clutch fan and water pump. Kicked myself for several weeks plus the other neighbor I sold it to didn't want to loan it to me.

 

[JRC3]

Anybody want to buy some 14.4 and 18v dewalt stuff? I have tons. It's time to cut it loose.

 

[coleman10]

Exactly, I sold a Lisle 42920 fan clutch wrench then discovered I needed it when working on a neighbor's car replacing the clutch fan and water pump. Kicked myself for several weeks plus the other neighbor I sold it to didn't want to loan it to me.

Sounds like a lousy neighbor.

 

[unslow1]

After watching how many of my Grandfather's tools he had to buy again after giving or selling I'm keeping mine.

 

[rmsg0040]

Depends on the tool, if I feel like its worth keeping I will keep it, if not I will sell it off.

 

[shanny19]

Guilty. Lots of examples, but impossibly-large-by-todays-standards oil filter wrenches come to mind. Silly, but I don't toss them.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

If it breaks on the first try, it goes in the trash or back to the store. No mercy, no exchange, will not be used again.

 

[jonesg]

Anybody want to buy some 14.4 and 18v dewalt stuff? I have tons. It's time to cut it loose.

Trying to sell worthless but still functional old tools is just another way of not being able to let it go until it's got claw marks all over it.

The week I tried Milwaukee lithium I gave all my dewalt nicad tools to a kid starting out.

 

[JRC3]

The week I tried Milwaukee lithium I gave all my dewalt nicad tools to a kid starting out.

Lies. No way those batteries still worked.

 

[lestat]

Exactly, I sold a Lisle 42920 fan clutch wrench then discovered I needed it when working on a neighbor's car replacing the clutch fan and water pump. Kicked myself for several weeks plus the other neighbor I sold it to didn't want to loan it to me.

That's an interesting one. At first glance, it appears your neighbour is a nasty piece of work. But then again, I would gladly sell all my seldom used tools to my neighbour only to borrow them when needed, so he kinda has a point.

 

[Danglerb]

Where I live if you put up a Garage Sale with Tools sign people will line up willing to offer close to nothing, but eventually even HF stuff sells at an ok price.

OTOH I can't see ever getting rid of any tools, other than when somebody needs some item I know I don't need.

 

[davethorik]

I was a machinist for about 7 years. I still have my Kennedy roller and most of the tools, in my bedroom lol. I'm not sure if I'm ever going to be a machnist as a means to support myself again, however I haven't ruled out the idea of a hobby shop. Because of that, I've kept most of my stuff...did flip a few key pieces for some quick cash after I got out, but it was more the status symbol tools I knew would fetch good money.

I had a bunch of extras of "the basics", ie more SK 45170 than I would ever need, channellocks, tape measures, etc. I donated a lot of these items to the local career center's Carpentry program, where hopefully they are being used.

Whenever I buy new tools, i try to gift or donate another tool in my collection to someone else, so the number doesn't keep going up. Of course there are times it's inevitable.

Also, generally speaking, I will hold onto tools that I bought for a specific task and then never need again, just in case I do need that tool again, I'd feel like a chump for buying the same thing twice.

 

[Aberdale]

I have several tools I will likely never use. I even have duplicates of tools that I never use. I just can't part with them. You know . . . . . I may need them someday.

 

[joe_pinehill1]

I can't remember the last time I used my corded 3/8 drill.

 

[Bagherra]

Timing light...

 

[bczygan]

Still building my collection, but I know there are tools I'll never use.

Getting rid of a tool just seems wrong.

Bill

 

[Gmonkee]

When I went from yellow tractors to late model cars a lot of stuff went unused. The years that followed most of it was sold off.

I have never needed to replace any of it.

 

[crewchief888]

ive still got 99.9% of the tools ive bought over the past 40 years.

havent worked as a machinist since '83 but i still have all the tools, and have added a few more in recent years. i did sell my machinists boxes in '84. (i was flat broke, and needed some quick cash)

ive gifted some tools to a friend, ( a lot of CM "fluff" i got in a deal with a set of toolboxes) some to my stepson, (he didnt have anything) and a couple things to a co-worker that was struggling with a couple bolts, and didnt have much in 1/4" dr for the limited access
i have a few sockets that i bought over 20 years ago when i worked at my last dealership, couple have never been used, but i still have them.
i still have a bunch of deere special tools that will probably never see the light of day again.

i can only recall selling 1 thing, a plasma cutter, (that i thought would be the greatest thing since sliced bread) it really wasnt. but i came out ahead on the deal with a $300 profit.

 

[L5wolvesf]

How does anyone "know" they will never use a particular tool again?

As far as trashing a tool goes - that is just wasteful. Why not give/donate it so someone can get some use out of it?

As far as space savings goes. How much space does a few small tools take up?

 

[MShaw]

I was thinking of getting rid of my large OE wrenches. Then I bought a new receiver hitch for my latest pickup. You guessed it, I needed a 1 1/2" and 1 5/8" wrenches to install the ball in the hitch. And only 40+ years between uses.

 

[JRC3]

I can't remember the last time I used my corded 3/8 drill.

I have two Milwaukee drills out in a cabinet. The 3/8" needs a switch and the 1/2" needs a cord...Or mayby it's the other way around, because I think the 1/2" has a quick-lock cord. Both simple fixes to make them 100% usable. I think it's been at least five years now. Probably more like 10. Hmm, I'm pretty sure they are Milwaukees. *scatches head*

 

[PelicanPines]

All tools must be kept and mislabeled ... to confuse your heirs.

 

[DFB]

I still have a timing light don't think I get rid of that, but old there's an old engine rpm analyzer probably it should be in museum hey...or the dump.

For some reason I hang on to a useless rocker switched 240 ft lb Chinese impact wrench but THATS goin on the tool table this coming summer for a fact.

I have few tool pouches and accessory drill holsters I'll never ever use along those NiCad drills I'm not getting rid of yet. Shoot I still got some dead batteries and broken drills around I'm sure.

Still building my collection, but I know there are tools I'll never use.

Getting rid of a tool just seems wrong.

Bill

Knowing some our old post's Bill there's probably tools you'll never find

 

[bczygan]

Quote:
Originally Posted by bczygan View Post
Still building my collection, but I know there are tools I'll never use.

Getting rid of a tool just seems wrong.

Bill
Knowing some our old post's Bill there's probably tools you'll never find



So true!

We were broken into once, and I could never figure out what was stolen!

Bill

 

[rmsg0040]

How does anyone "know" they will never use a particular tool again?

As far as trashing a tool goes - that is just wasteful. Why not give/donate it so someone can get some use out of it?

As far as space savings goes. How much space does a few small tools take up?

Here's one from me, had a dewalt 1/2 corded impact wrench, got the 1st gen fuel 1/2 impact. Sold the corded in favour of cordless. This was many years ago. No regrets

 

[ozyborn]

I have no extra tools to sell. This is from a guy that can not walk away from a decent vice at a good price. They just go under the heavy work table with the dozens of others. Yes I have a collection problem. I need a larger table.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

you know it only takes one time using a tool that you haven't used in ten years to reinforce the fact that "I'm glad I didn't sell that tool" to make you keep them all.

happen to me I had to buy a special puller to get the harmonic balancer off the wifes PT cruiser about ten years ago to do the timing belt. When I was done I thought "I'll never use that again". Then when we sold the car about 5 years ago and I remember seeing that puller in my tool box I thought "well for sure I'm not going to use that again".

fast forward to last summer along comes my daughter with her 98 dodge stratus, guess what? needs a timing belt, guess what else same 2.4 motor "hey where's that puller".............sure glad I kept that puller, I'm not never selling it!!..........lol

 

[joe_pinehill1]

Timing light...

I keep my light to work on old Kohler K series. But now when I set the timing I adjust the point with a feeler gauge, if the engine runs OK, I'm done.