My most useless tool purchase

[rslaback]

It has always been my plan to have a lathe with a collet system. I much prefer that to a 3 jaw or 4 jaw chuck because of it's speed, low rotational mass and lack of part damage. To that end a few years ago I bought a 15pc 5C collet set from Amazon that has been sitting in a drawer for a while.

I finally purchased a 5c closer chuck and after machining a back plate have it installed and spinning in my lathe. It was finally the time for those collets to get put to use. Except they ****. The finish on them is absolutely terrible with burs all over. What is worse though is that they don't run even close to true. I thought my chuck itself was the problem as when I installed a 1/2" precision bar the end was flopping all over. But a better collet from a different lathe had the bar running quite true.

I figured maybe I got a bad batch so I bought a second set figuring I could test out the collets of both sets and keep the best one of each. I spent some time this morning measuring runout and I gave up after the 1/8" collets had .045" and .058" of runout measured at 2 inches from the collet face and the 3/16" collets both measured over .060" when measured at the same distance.

Why even make a product this poorly? As best I can figure they can serve no other purpose than as expensive paperweights.
Anyone else got a **** tool story to make me feel better about myself?

 

[1Bad55Chevy]

I bought this thing a few years back now.....

Front End Service Set | OTC Tools

otctools.com

Literally fits nothing.... I think I got it to work on a Kia once.

 

[WildBill]

I bought this thing a few years back now.....

Front End Service Set | OTC Tools

otctools.com

Literally fits nothing.... I think I got it to work on a Kia once.

I borrowed a set like that once and was unpleasantly surprised to find it completely useless on four different vehicles.

 

[larry4406]

Sad...

They make them to entice the buyer with a low price, take their money, and offer no value in return.

 

[msharley]

It has always been my plan to have a lathe with a collet system. I much prefer that to a 3 jaw or 4 jaw chuck because of it's speed, low rotational mass and lack of part damage. To that end a few years ago I bought a 15pc 5C collet set from Amazon that has been sitting in a drawer for a while.

I finally purchased a 5c closer chuck and after machining a back plate have it installed and spinning in my lathe. It was finally the time for those collets to get put to use. Except they ****. The finish on them is absolutely terrible with burs all over. What is worse though is that they don't run even close to true. I thought my chuck itself was the problem as when I installed a 1/2" precision bar the end was flopping all over. But a better collet from a different lathe had the bar running quite true.

I figured maybe I got a bad batch so I bought a second set figuring I could test out the collets of both sets and keep the best one of each. I spent some time this morning measuring runout and I gave up after the 1/8" collets had .045" and .058" of runout measured at 2 inches from the collet face and the 3/16" collets both measured over .060" when measured at the same distance.

Why even make a product this poorly? As best I can figure they can serve no other purpose than as expensive paperweights.
Anyone else got a **** tool story to make me feel better about myself?

Cutting splines?

 

[Professor Gascan]

The flathead screwdrivers that came with the last set I bought. Okay, maybe not useless, but they've definitely been used more inappropriately than they were intended to be.

 

[rslaback]

Cutting splines?

I suppose I could use it to cut one specific taper angle.

 

[niget2002]

I have 2 kids... what was the question?

 

[msharley]

I have 2 kids... what was the question?

Slacker!

 

[niget2002]

Slacker!

Ran out of funds.

 

[1982fxr]

It has always been my plan to have a lathe with a collet system. I much prefer that to a 3 jaw or 4 jaw chuck because of it's speed, low rotational mass and lack of part damage. To that end a few years ago I bought a 15pc 5C collet set from Amazon that has been sitting in a drawer for a while.

I finally purchased a 5c closer chuck and after machining a back plate have it installed and spinning in my lathe. It was finally the time for those collets to get put to use. Except they ****. The finish on them is absolutely terrible with burs all over. What is worse though is that they don't run even close to true. I thought my chuck itself was the problem as when I installed a 1/2" precision bar the end was flopping all over. But a better collet from a different lathe had the bar running quite true.

I figured maybe I got a bad batch so I bought a second set figuring I could test out the collets of both sets and keep the best one of each. I spent some time this morning measuring runout and I gave up after the 1/8" collets had .045" and .058" of runout measured at 2 inches from the collet face and the 3/16" collets both measured over .060" when measured at the same distance.

Why even make a product this poorly? As best I can figure they can serve no other purpose than as expensive paperweights.
Anyone else got a **** tool story to make me feel better about myself?

How much were these vs a high end set?

Is there a middle ground on these?

 

[Nutria]

I've had some Lang snap ring pliers in the past-- good value. So, I bought a full set this year: absolute ****. A given pair of tips were different lengths or pointed in different directions. Maybe one of the twelve pieces in the set was usable. Returned, obviously.

 

[ER70S-2]

I much prefer that to a 3 jaw or 4 jaw chuck because of it's speed, low rotational mass and lack of part damage.

I mainly use collets for their precision, but not with the amount of runout you measured! You need to buy Hardinge. They are expensive, but I'm sure you can find a used set somewhere.

 

[RoninB4]

....

 

[rslaback]

....

Say more.

 

[LopezBart]

To that end a few years ago I bought a 15pc 5C collet set from Amazon that has been sitting in a drawer for a while.

I forgot where I bought mine, but they're definitely import. Enco (cheapo MSC) I think.

045" and .058" of runout measured at 2 inches from the collet face

That's of course immediately visible to the naked eye - no dial indicators needed. Mine are much better than that in that they appear true .

Shars has a high precision 5C round collets - 15 piece set for $190 - 0.0005 TIR 1" from face.

2025 Catalog

Flipsnack is a digital catalog maker that makes it easy to create, publish and share html5 flipbooks. Upload a PDF or design from scratch flyers, magazines, books and more.

www.flipsnack.com

I've had good luck w/ their tools and cutters; not the cheapest, but reasonable quality. They even have sales at times.

 

[sgrammel]

left handed hammer
metric crescent wrench

 

[rslaback]

How much were these vs a high end set?

Is there a middle ground on these?

The originals were around $65. I opted to go with these to replace them. They are listed at $100 on Amazon and have some good reviews that are from actual machinists that compliment their quality. All Industrial offers them on eBay and their website for around $78 shipped which is a decent enough deal for me to pull the trigger. I personally went with eBay as CapitalOneShopping wanted to give me 10% off.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[Cruzan80]

Just to confirm, the thing you were holding in the collet to measure the runout was already known to be straight, right?

 

[tarmy]

I have been around, now, to have seen this topic over the years keep popping up.

Yet I have failed over those same years to NOT STOP buying the occasional tool that once home…is useless for the intended purpose.

 

[crewchief888]

only tool i can recall being a "worthless" buy was a cheap tubing notcher. i used it once and tossed it on the shelf.
founbd i could cut notches faster and easier with a grinder

 

[RoninB4]

Say more.

- I can say more but it's a somewhat lengthy reply about cause and effect. There's tests that you should have made to determine the cause of runout, it may not be what you think the reason is. If you, or anyone else, wants the info contact me off list.

 

[rslaback]

Just to confirm, the thing you were holding in the collet to measure the runout was already known to be straight, right?

Yep. I work in a plastics plant which means I have access to ejection pins which are precision ground and straight.

 

[rslaback]

- I can say more but it's a somewhat lengthy reply about cause and effect. There's tests that you should have made to determine the cause of runout, it may not be what you think the reason is. If you, or anyone else, wants the info contact me off list.

You should do less assuming that anyone who isn't you is incompetent.

 

[RoninB4]

You should do less assuming that anyone who isn't you is incompetent.

-Perhaps so but by your first post you already sound lacking in knowledge/experience. You shouldn't assume that working in a "plastics plant" means you know very much as you clearly don't. You also bought similar items and expected different results? Without even testing to determine why there's runout? I didn't have to presume you're incompetent, you demonstrated that with both replies. You're a perfect example of the low end of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Good luck using your capabilities.

 

[rslaback]

-Perhaps so but by your first post you already sound lacking in knowledge/experience. You shouldn't assume that working in a "plastics plant" means you know very much as you clearly don't. You also bought similar items and expected different results? Without even testing to determine why there's runout? I didn't have to presume you're incompetent, you demonstrated that with both replies. You're a perfect example of the low end of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Good luck using your capabilities.

Wow. You sure are certain of assumptions based on what you chose to gather from a couple of posts. But anyway, here we go:

• I didn't say I know squat from working in a plastics plant. I said that I have access to numerous sizes of ejector pins which are precision ground, hardened pins that have a runout tolerance along a 6" length of .0003". This was in response to a reply asking if I was certain that I knew the test material was straight. It is.
• None of my machining knowledge came from working in the plastics plant. I do use that knowledge in my job sometimes but it was the formal machining training and then teaching machining basics for years that I use as the basis of my knowledge.
• I bought similar items assuming that it was a possibility that I could have received a bad batch. Because of the Amazon return policy, the first set was a lost cause but I knew that if I bought another set I could find the best of each, hoping some might actually be usable from the second set and simply return the worst of them, essentially having no financial cost to hopefully improve the quality of the item.
• I didn't bother to test why there is runout because I honestly don't care. I tested the same chuck with the same 1/2" rod but used a better collet that came with my Heavy 10 and got less than .001" of runout at 3 inches. That tells me instantly that the collet is the problem as that was the only changed variable. Who really cares why the bad collets have runout. If I can't grab it off the organizer and use it straight away without turning a tapered part it serves no purpose to me.
• Can you help me see my incompetence? I'm always up for learning more and so far the name calling hasn't really taught me much.

 

[jsaw]

I bought a set of adapters that clamped on to vernier calipers they were supposed to be used to measure brake drums. They did not work and we're a totally useless waste of money.

 

[cody1325]

I have a pair of Fluke Networks Need-L-Lock pliers I bought on sale ages ago (either in-store at a Tuesday Morning or online via Woot/Amazon). I tried them once on some scrap phone line today, but otherwise--zero use.