Missing tool...hope I'm not alone!

[Northern26]

I never had problem finding tools in my disorganized garage - that is (1) before my mother and her lifelong partner came to stay with me and he decided to reorganize (without consulting me ) and (2) my grand-kids grew older

Know that feeling, only when people mess with my space and stuff do I start losing tools.

 

[PelicanPines]

After years of friends and family borrowing and returning my tools... I'm in a situation. Loaned a major set of woodworking tools... during covid... and it's gone missing. I have requested return... promised to do so... let's see.

But YEARS everyone returned everything to the exact location... I even gained a few tools in appreciation.

Now... my garage is locked ... key code changed ... doors bolted ... sorry can't help you.

In the mean time... 100's of new labels printed... reorganized. My inventory has swelled to overflowing...

except for the massive hole on the shelf (woodworking tools missing)

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

We can joke about missing tools , and it's certainly true the easiest way to find them is to buy a replacement. But I'm finding it scary . I use to have great and powerful photographic memory , now I put down a tool ,and walk out of the shop. When I come back a minute later I can't find the tool. I'm staring at oldtimers.

 

[Old Steamer]

After years of friends and family borrowing and returning my tools... I'm in a situation. Loaned a major set of woodworking tools... during covid... and it's gone missing. I have requested return... promised to do so... let's see.

But YEARS everyone returned everything to the exact location... I even gained a few tools in appreciation.

Now... my garage is locked ... key code changed ... doors bolted ... sorry can't help you.

In the mean time... 100's of new labels printed... reorganized. My inventory has swelled to overflowing...

except for the massive hole on the shelf (woodworking tools missing)

We can joke about missing tools , and it's certainly true the easiest way to find them is to buy a replacement. But I'm finding it scary . I use to have great and powerful photographic memory , now I put down a tool ,and walk out of the shop. When I come back a minute later I can't find the tool. I'm staring at oldtimers.

I don't mind helping someone but it has to be someone who has earned the right to borrow tools. That's a small number of people for me, those who borrow and return promptly and if it breaks or is damaged, they replace it with like kind. Otherwise, it's as stated "sorry, I can't help you".

On the flip side of this, I am hesitant to borrow tools and will only borrow from a certain few. There are times when I will buy a tool rather than borrow, depending on the tool and need.

A good friend kept a cheap set of tools handy and would loan those. The borrowers soon stopped completely because he was loaning "low cost" tools.

I've found "lost" tools in books where I was using them to mark pages. Even found them under the hood of the truck/car days/weeks later when doing something else. I too am staring at oldtimers.

I'm reminded of what Gomer Pyle said: "Neither a borrower nor a lender be".

 

[Sevenhills1952]

We can joke about missing tools , and it's certainly true the easiest way to find them is to buy a replacement. But I'm finding it scary . I use to have great and powerful photographic memory , now I put down a tool ,and walk out of the shop. When I come back a minute later I can't find the tool. I'm staring at oldtimers.

I knew an old guy years ago (younger than me now![emoji15]) owned a car reupholstery business. He would wander around, reading glasses on top of his head, mumbling "Where's my dom glasses".
Funny then, not so now.

Sent from my SM-S205DL using Tapatalk

 

[Hytekrednek]

I have a shop, a shed, a truck toolbox, and a room in our house for gunsmithing, reel maint. and other small projects. My point is that I understand fully the frustrating search for that tool. On a daily basis, I am hunting something. I plan to move most tools to one place... eventually.

 

[SuperCat]

I've had this problem with tape measures - I can't find one when I need one. So, I started picking up a few, at the flea, at a garage sale, at HF. Now I have about 10 scattered around the house and garage. And I still have to walk more than a few steps to find one. So, I'm going to buy a few more and hang them everywhere. I am going to keep buying tape measures until I can reach out, arm's length, and touch one wherever I am in the house and garage. I can fix this problem. A guy has got to have goals in life, you know.

 

[metaldad]

have a 4 drawer hf cart at work. takes 3 elevator rides to get to it.
needed a hacksaw. thought one was on the cart. couldn't find.
brought another in.
needed a plumb bob, ratchet pvc cutter, chalk line.
mis placed 10'' pipe wrench.
brought all in.
been a slow week, spent most of it cleaning up.
'found' all my mis placed tools, basically next to each other, in a gangbox i keep near the tool cart
and i still aint found those lead ladles

 

[rossddvm]

What really drives me nuts is not being able to find a tool that "I just had in my hand".
I swear "I haven't move my feet since I last touched it"
This scenario happens all too often and can almost instantly raise my blood pressure.

 

[Qualitytools]

Happens to me all the time either looking for what I know I have to start a project or during a project, I will put it down to do something else and turn around and I can't find what I just put down. So frustrating!

 

[jtball]

Generally, when I have trouble finding a tool it is because my wife has "borrowed" it. One day I was riding along on the mower and spotted my Mac adjustable pliers in the grass, covered in rust. I seriously considered locking my toolbox.

 

[MatBirch]

After a house fire, and a pretty major burglary incident, I constantly find myself wondering where “that” is because “I know I had it”. Not just tools, but different oddball things as well.

 

[Zmann]

Just stumbled on this thread , I was thinking last night where is my dewalt 20v flashlight ?

in my field we find a lot of lost tools on top of drop ceilings

good chance my DeWalt is above one now lol

 

[Jland]

What really drives me nuts is not being able to find a tool that "I just had in my hand".
I swear "I haven't move my feet since I last touched it"
This scenario happens all too often and can almost instantly raise my blood pressure.

This is the only time I misplace a tool, while using them...and yep.. the bp spikes. Having said that long ago I got into the habit of putting my tools back in their assigned place when I'm actually done with them..