Loosing tools

[metaldad]

i tend to misplace things from time to time. and the strangest places they'll turn up. i have of triplicates of triplicates.
i also dont permanently lose tools often, however when i do, they leave in spurts

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Last tool I lost was a set of diagonal pliers (aka wire cutters). I was doing some wiring in the rafters of my basement shop, left them in the "crotch" of the structure. Found them a year later when putting some "got to save" lumber in the rafters....

 

[PugetDude]

My neighbor had a friend install his garage doors. The installer "lost" a cheap Casio watch(band broke when he was working} on back side of the 12' high top plate.. with the alarm set to go off at 4:00 every afternoon. Took over a year for the battery to wear out...drove my neighbor crazy trying to figure out where the faint alarm was coming from. (it shut off automatically after a few minutes.)

I've lost a few tools that I've loaned out, but I have to say I've had pretty good luck getting stuff back. Most of what I've loaned is very basic hand tools; the people borrowing them wouldn't know how to use much else. Most of my neighbors are pretty good DIY'ers and have most of what they need. We do have a couple that believe a 7 ounce claw hammer, 2 screwdrivers, and a pair of pliers (all from Kmart) is a "tool set"

This thread reminds me I need to return Mike's compression tester before we head to AZ for the winter...

 

[softailgarage]

 

[thatguysb]

^^^ This is a good policy... I have a lot of money in tools, and I’d be a fool to give them to a “tool”. Their are 3 people who are allowed near my stuff and they all still ask even though I trust them and it’s unnecessary it proves they are responsible....

As for Loss in 5 years I’ve lost 2x 1/4” sockets, a wrench, a number of bits and drill bits,
A set of truck keys which were found later. all of which were lost by me and not the others
Mention before. The key is being aware and using some organization. A bin, small tool box/bag, cart etc to return things to your work station as you use them. Cleaning up after each job is a simple task that greatly prevents loss. Good tool box organization and good memory of the drawer layouts helps to quickly identify missing items.

In the past I could quickly look through my stuff and know if something is out of place. It takes time, but now every tool each drawer, rack, and shelf is memorized. I can say tool blah to someone from across the shop and they can find it 9/10 times, but I can tell if something is missing almost immediately. It’s learned behaviors it does takes time, but it soon becomes second nature and the loss of tools dwindles.

This is the truth, i recently started working in a company and use my tools daily, before i was a DIY guy and now finishing tech school.

now i could easily scan thru my tools and easily know whats missing, after each job i clean and repack them. Never lost anything yet.

I recently started using socket rails to keep my stuff organized, Can spot a missing socket a mile away.

 

[Unruh]

I was at a wreck yard pulling parts off a old form pick-up. Put down my 3/8th inch S-K socket set to get a better grip on something. Got the part off, grabbed everything except that green box. I went back to see if it was still there, but no luck. Someone was happy when they found that little treasure.

 

[theoldwizard1]

there is a pair of diagonal cutter somewhere in the garage. They could even be in my tool chest, just not the right drawer.

 

[Muzzy]

Ya know I just remembered - I had a PERFECT vintage Stanley circular saw that I lent to a friend years ago.. case with original manual, blades and all. it belonged to my great uncle that had passed away.. he had contractors working in his house and one of them stole it. As much as I wanted to *****, I really couldn't since he also had $70,000 in cash stolen from his house - so I didn't think I was in a position to ***** to him over a circular saw..

Wait, what? $70k in cash laying around the house where a contractor can find and steal it?

 

[BFHtime]

Due non of eww guys have knotin betr to due than buss hiz balls over grandmar?





Gezzz

Leave grandma out of this.

 

[MN_Runner]

Leave grandma out of this.

My grandma had a calming effect on me as when I felt lost she made me feel relaxed and loose. My Snap On tools will not be loaned out to anyone since a thought of losing any Snap On will affect my mood.

 

[why worry]

Last tool I (lost) loaned out was a McCulluch chainsaw with a 20" bar. When I finally found (recovered) it it had a 16" bar, a wore out chain and the carb was full of sludge. I keep it on the shelf to remind me not to loan out tools.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Last tool I (lost) loaned out was a McCulluch chainsaw with a 20" bar. When I finally found (recovered) it it had a 16" bar, a wore out chain and the carb was full of sludge. I keep it on the shelf to remind me not to loan out tools.

Dang.... familiar... I let my neighbor borrow my Homelite chain saw... only to find out later he didn't understand what bar oil is for..... bummer....

 

[jumbojak]

I've never loosed a tool in my life.

Might have lost a few, but never found myself loosing one.

I have. I can throw a four pound hammer suprisingly far!

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Lol....

 

[Ji m]

I popped a ceiling tile open in an office building,
and an Aluminum Rigid stilson wrench was up on the grid,
teetering, just waiting to fall(!)

No pipe fitters or plumbers were working there,
& none had been there for a long long time according to the space owners.

So I happily gained one wrench, and potentially saved a headache for someone down the line.


Great story except for I only had the wrench for a couple months, then ****, it went and disappeared on me too

I guess I had found a Cursed, Disappearing, Aluminum Rigid Stilson Wrench.

 

[ProGun3400]

My SIL's Dad had a big white board up in his garage with what was loaned, the date it was loaned, the promised/expected date of return and the borrowers signature.
AFAIK his stuff always got returned.

Sounds like my grandfathers method of keeping track of who/what/when. I don't make it a habit of loaning tools but when I do, I now write things down. I've had a few guys eventually return something that I had forgotten that I loaned.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

I popped a ceiling tile open in an office building,
and an Aluminum Rigid stilson wrench was up on the grid,
teetering, just waiting to fall(!)

No pipe fitters or plumbers were working there,
& none had been there for a long long time according to the space owners.

So I happily gained one wrench, and potentially saved a headache for someone down the line.


Great story except for I only had the wrench for a couple months, then ****, it went and disappeared on me too

I guess I had found a Cursed, Disappearing, Aluminum Rigid Stilson Wrench.

That reminded me of the time I found a 24" level in the rafters at the AM General plant that did the DJ5 .. we were painting ceilings there. Its still in my tool collection all these years later.. Always wondered who left it there and why...

 

[Ji m]

That reminded me of the time I found a 24" level in the rafters at the AM General plant that did the DJ5 .. we were painting ceilings there. Its still in my tool collection all these years later.. Always wondered who left it there and why...

Did you work there?

Was that the old Studebaker plant too?

The whole story of AM General, how Kaiser/AMC got it, and why they had to sell it off is pretty interesting!

 

[Firebrick43]

Last tool I (lost) loaned out was a McCulluch chainsaw with a 20" bar. When I finally found (recovered) it it had a 16" bar, a wore out chain and the carb was full of sludge. I keep it on the shelf to remind me not to loan out tools.

Dang.... familiar... I let my neighbor borrow my Homelite chain saw... only to find out later he didn't understand what bar oil is for..... bummer....

Don't you guys know there are three things you never lend out.

Your chainsaw, your wife, and your gun. They will come back screwed!

Farmers say wife, loader tractor, combine. Some one will run a root thru them.

 

[ProGun3400]

The key is being aware and using some organization. A bin, small tool box/bag, cart etc to return things to your work station as you use them. Cleaning up after each job is a simple task that greatly prevents loss. Good tool box organization and good memory of the drawer layouts helps to quickly identify missing items.
In the past I could quickly look through my stuff and know if something is out of place. It takes time, but now every tool each drawer, rack, and shelf is memorized. I can say tool blah to someone from across the shop and they can find it 9/10 times, but I can tell if something is missing almost immediately. It’s learned behaviors it does takes time, but it soon becomes second nature and the loss of tools dwindles.

Excellent advice ......... My brothers & I learned this valuable lesson while growing up/working in our dad's auto transmission/repair shop. We had a cart that we used for R&R tools. It was well organized, slots/spots for everything. A quick scan over the cart would reveal an empty slot/spot & the search was on. He had socket rails, wrench holders permanently attached to this cart. There were no extra socket holders on the rails. Pry bars, extensions, etc all had their designated spot. He pounded into our heads about keeping track & taking care of tools. Every tool was to be put away at the end of every job. Before a customer's car was taken out of the shop, a clean up and sweep for tools was done. More than a few times, we've raised cars back up on the lift to find a socket still attached to a nut/bolt. Not until I/we started buying my/our own tools did I/we realize/appreciate why he was constantly on our butts about losing tools. Our dad is long gone but I still have some of his tools that were handed down, many of which I used as a kid......

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Did you work there?



Was that the old Studebaker plant too?



The whole story of AM General, how Kaiser/AMC got it, and why they had to sell it off is pretty interesting!

Yep, Studebaker Plant 8, parts....north of the Curtis Wight engine plant later Studebaker truck plant.. They made mail trucks there along with the CJ10 pickup, 2-1/2 & 5 ton and dump bodies.... amongst other things when AMG had it....


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[decableguy2000]

I loose tools at work from time to time. Sometimes I get lucky and find when I go back to last place I think I used them, sometimes get in a hurry and leave stuff on the back tail board of the truck never to be seen again. But I do find about as much as I loose. Outside work in, at all times of day and night, along with every kind of weather.

At home things get lost on the work bench but turn up before I get replacements

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Today did some work in my basement workshop... by the time I broke for dinner, I’ll bet I had 6-8 pencils going.... even though I was wearing a shop apron.....


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[ford33]

I have had service people leave tools behind when working in my home. It's typically the smaller tools like pliers and screwdrivers and a small drill. When I find the tool I call them and tell them I will leave it on the back deck for them. Sometimes they come back and retrieve it and sometimes they don't. A $20 tool may not be worth a 20 mile round trip.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

A couple of summers back the guy servicing my AC unit left a large adjustable wrench behind.. Not a quality wrench.. so must have been use to loosing them. I tend to be more careful with quality tools and will hunt them down because they are both expensive and often times hard to replace....

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Whether lost, stolen, or not returned when loaded out; missing those tools is the pits..
The lost or stolen can simply be replaced. It is the loaned tools that are not returned that tick Me off the most.. When I trust a person enough to loan them tools or equipment; I not only lose the tool, but My trust in that person.. Money can replace that tool, but not that trust.

 

[icthruu74]

I "lost" a set of 1/2" drive metric 12pt sockets,a,few weeks ago. Looked for them for an hour. Finally gave up and went out to buy a cheap HF set just to get the car back together. I finished the car and was putting away tools and there was the set, in the ratchet drawer instead of the socket drawer.