Most expensive tool for one use

[quadrcr87]

A seal driver for the outer axle shaft seal on my F350, which cost $85. I figured the seals are $25 each, so if I screwed one up I would've regretted buying the tool. In the end, I'm glad I bought it because it paid for itself on its first use when I had to best the **** out of the seals to seat them! The ****** part is my buddies 2005 needs to be redone, but my driver only works on 99-04 trucks.

I also bought a Eastwood flaring tool to make some new resr axle hard lines. Shop wanted $5 per flare and I couldn't get my bluepoint flaring kit to work for me, so I splurged. The tool is awesome and will definitely get more use, but it may not be for a few more years.

I had the same dilemma with my F-250 seal job, ended up using a section of galvanized pipe with a cap on 1 end to hit and a flange on the other grinded to size to fit the seal perfect. Cost ~$10

 

[K-Dog]

Man I HATE buying these type tools but I love having them.

I have maybe half a dozen specialty sockets. Not a lot.

 

[Aerogt01]

Paying the dealership $1000 for a timing belt replacement that I didn't have the tools or time to do before a big road trip and the car was overdue.

Guess that makes me the tool.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I had the same dilemma with my F-250 seal job, ended up using a section of galvanized pipe with a cap on 1 end to hit and a flange on the other grinded to size to fit the seal perfect. Cost ~$10

I had seen people do that, but I didn't have the time or desire to piece one together. My uncle has the same truck that I do, so it will get used again. I should really just sell it though.

 

[Nick Danger]

I bought a Wagner Paint Crew for $100. Used it once to spray oil on lattice panels before I hung them. It's been taking up more than two cubic feet in my garage ever since.

 

[shanny19]

It's been taking up more than two cubic feet in my garage ever since.

Yeah !!!!, storage space per limited usage is even more annoying than $$ per usage.
Texture hopper gun.
Propane Torpedo heater. And the Effing hose. Grr.
Stupid lawn fertilizer whirlybird thingy.
Tile saw.

 

[rtole]

Snap on ball joint press. Bjp1. I am finding more uses for it.......but I doubt I will ever make enough commission from it to justify the price vs an OTC kit. It save some time doing some lower ball joints due to its reversibility.... But not enough to make up the cost difference on my commission plan. I get paid more by the hour than commission. It is very nice though.

 

[Rakoprtr]

My boss recently purchased a150 wrench for mercades cams will prolly never be used after we finish this one car

 

[e30bradley]

I have 'special tools' but I seriously doubt any of them will be used only once. I'm probably going to buy a ton of special tools sometime soon just so I can do a timing belt, water pump, head gasket, head rebuild job on an e36 bmw sometime soon.

 

[Uncle_Charlie]

Keep in mind, I do my own vehicle repairs when I can, I'm not a professional mechanic. Several years back, I had to buy a GM fan clutch wrench to change a water pump. The stupid thing rounded off the nut that secured the clutch to the water pump. I ended up having to replace everything from the pump out to the fan. What should have been a two hour job turned into a three day affair because I had to special order a new fan. The only part that was not new was the bolts that hold fan to the clutch. The entire original assembly is still in my shed somewhere.

 

[kctyphoon]

Hilti te 56 rotary demo hammer. Bought it to tear out kitchen and bathroom sink tiles in a rental house we owned. I have never used it since. Just sits in my bottom tool box drawer.Paid almost $900.00 for it plus $80.00 for the chisel bit.

I have the picture, because I tried to sell it on ebay and craiglist with no luck.

I'm curious what the asking price was..

 

[Skidonenko]

400 bones for a 7.3l powerstroke injector cup removal and instalation tool. Used it one time and left the business a few months later. Got most of my money back out of it.

 

[crewchief888]

i dont have very many one time use tools.
only things i can recall were 3 or 4 weatherhead sockets i bought to install some fittings in hard to reach places on a vibratory compactor that i was installing an autolube system on.

 

[my58dodge]

A leaf spring spreader for a Ford Model A. Around $100.00. Model A's use a single transverse leaf spring front and rear, and the rear is under tremendous preload in its installed state. People have been killed removing these without the proper tool.

 

[Kev442]

Plasma cutter. When you need it, it's the only tool that will do the job, but supplies are expensive, so I've only used mine on two projects.

 

[GTA Matt]

I probably have a ridiculous amount of specific use tools. Most ranging from $200 to $1000. Cam timing tools for specific models, like volvo, ford 4.0, gm OHC, etc. Also have the kent-moore duramax engine service kit. And both sizes of the ford axle shaft seal drivers that were mentioned (cheap by comparison). And call me crazy but I also have an $800 brake drum mic that can, well, only measure brake drums

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Only used once category: Detroit Diesel tune up set. Did a side job for a friends twin engine Bayliner about 18 years ago and haven't used it since.

Only one very specific use: Deutsch pin crimper for about 300 bucks - feels expensive since it's really just a fancy pair of pliers.

 

[devoncoolman]

Too many to list. Dmax injector puller, ipr valve socket for 6.0 powerstroke, sparkplug tube puller for toyota 2.2l 4cyl in the Camry, timing tools for 2.0 ford ztec motors, etc. list goes on and on.

 

[bbs lm-r]

Some of your responses make me feel better about some of the stuff I've bought lol.

Snap on ball joint press. Bjp1. I am finding more uses for it.......but I doubt I will ever make enough commission from it to justify the price vs an OTC kit. It save some time doing some lower ball joints due to its reversibility.... But not enough to make up the cost difference on my commission plan. I get paid more by the hour than commission. It is very nice though.

I thought that was the tool I was looking at recently, I was going to ask you what you thought of it. It was off by one letter though, BJR1.

 

[jcgresham]

The one tool that can cost you thousands and thousands for one use is hanging between your legs.

Drop the mic; you WIN!

 

[jcgresham]

then you were asking more than the fair market value, something as common as a Hilti TE 56 will sell for precisely its fair market value with a 10 day run on ebay on a no reserve auction starting at $1 - a high number of the people on earth who know what it is will see it and not let it get into someone else's hands cheap! - you just may or may not be happy with its fair market value.

Source: ebayer since 1997

I buy items like this at pawn shops. I got a great deal on a Bosch Bulldog hammer drill; then I put a new chuck and drive gear in it. Knowing the guts of your used hammer drill; priceless....

 

[brass89]

Camshaft alignment tool for cooper mini. Assenmacher aren't wallet friendly, considering each vehicle needs a different damn tool and considering what it is - essentially just a flat friggin bar.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FGV0Z0S/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[AndyA]

The one tool that can cost you thousands and thousands for one use is hanging between your legs.

Yeah, but I've used that tool WAY more than just once! So it averages out