New guy wondering

[small]

OK new here seems like a cool place. I guess there is a forum for everyone and thing. Tools! another passion.

So Going through my tools today straightening things out, I came across a set of Proto 8pt sockets 1/2" drive 1/4" to 1" with only one that I ever used! I remember buying the set thinking how handy it would be at work. I'd come across a few square plugs and jack bolts I'd used a adjustable on, what the heck. Well I just celebrated 20 years at the company and this had to be one of my first purchases when I got there. I'd always heard Proto was Stanley's Industrial grade and couldn't be beat. I think the set was close to $200 from Grainger. I've only ever used one from that set. Now being a boss it will never get used anymore either. May just place it up for sale, but I always regret selling stuff afterwards, call it sellers remorse.

Well this got me thinking, in addition to a thread somewhere today about buying just what you need, rather then sets (tap and Die), I recalled about 25 years ago when I worked as a Mechanic for Sears needing a crows foot 18mm to take loose a hose from a power steering rack and pinion. Back then there weren't many stubby wrenches either. So I bought a 18mm from the parts store, it could have been a Easco wrench and cut it in half. Got the job done. I don't know what happened to it, but my box now has many "Modified" Chinese wrenches, for special applications.

A few years after Sears I worked part-time wrenching for a Rental place working on all their equipment. A co-worker, another part-timer, had just dropped $$$ on a set of metric flare nut crows feet from Snap-on for his day job. Like from 8mm-19 mm. He was so proud of those, the polish was just beautiful. He'd brought them in to show off. I asked why he'd gotten them and he talked of the same application, R&P in GM cars. Years later I talked to him and he had never used any of them other then that 18mm! I imagine now they look like they'd be handy with ABS modules?

Also my Snap-on 3/8" Dr. shallow socket set (1/4"-1") came with a 11/32", and 19/32" those and the 1" have never been used. I don't have any idea why those are even in a set. 32nd??

All of that said what sets have you all bought that never get used? I mean I can't be the only one. Some of my metric sets don't include every increment so someone figured that out. Though I wished they'd include a 7mm to hex sets!

 

[murphaayyy]

i think a lot of us, but it is also good having the tool cause when you dont have it, you need it.

heres a list of sets where i havnt used all of the pieces yet.
13pc snap on inverted torx sockets
6pc snap on gold long allen sockets
chrome swivel socket sets for 1/4 and 3/8 snap on williams respectively
matco master coolant pressure adapter set. (i mean it can pressure test a ferrari, but who knows if ill ever need it)
tap and die set from harbor frieght
sir tools pneumatic brake caliper wind in tool adapters.
blue point master ac fuel line disconnect set
lisle inner tie rod end tool adapters

im sure there is more. but regardless i am happy with all of it, and probably wouldnt have changed much.

 

[3baygarage]

I guess I've wasted a bunch of money on various Saltus wrenches in craftsman, snapon, s-k, Armstrong, etc. Not so much on a set though. I just can't see why I'd want to put a 12 point socket end on something when I can usually get at it with a small breaker bar. Or better yet now there are low profile tools.

 

[small]

Sure murphaayyy but you've used more then ONE in those set I imagine. I can't think of any other set I have, other then maybe the inverted torx bits ("E"). Also just to use them I did use all the TP Torx even though I've only come across a few TP's.

Again what's with the 32nds in the snap set, were there ever fasteners that required them.

 

[KRB52]

Any of the stuff that I have that has not been used, I add the work "yet" at the end.

 

[murphaayyy]

Sure murphaayyy but you've used more then ONE in those set I imagine. I can't think of any other set I have, other then maybe the inverted torx bits ("E"). Also just to use them I did use all the TP Torx even though I've only come across a few TP's.

Again what's with the 32nds in the snap set, were there ever fasteners that required them.

ahh now i see what your saying. yea cant say i havent used most my stuff. tp torx is one of those sets i tried to avoid buying lol. this include turning tp torx screws into non tp torx lol.

 

[small]

KBR52, let me know when you use that 19/32".

 

[Makoto]

I have an o2 socket that I bought for a car I built and used it maybe once. Then I decided the turbo manifold sucked so I swapped it out, had a new downpipe made, and never used it again.

 

[2mJps]

I bought a set sae and a set of metric craftsman 6 point wrenches. I havent used any of them. I will never sell them but if i could go back in time their are alot of stuff i wouldnt have bought.

 

[devoncoolman]

The garage i work at does such a vast majority of different stuff most of my tools get used. Same with at home i go from oil changes on small cars to transmissions to head gaskets on wheel loaders to maitenance on dump trucks. So i get to use a vast majority of my tools.

Only things i can think of at the moment are my 3/8 metric 12 impact sockets. Mainly use them on flywheel bolts on asian cars. No buyers remorse there. $60 for 8-19 off matco. Couldnt beat that. They aren't made in us but for as mich as i use em spending $200 or more just would have been dumb. Also most of my 12pt chrome sockets dont get used much.

 

[crewchief888]

back in my early days of wrenching, i bought sets of tools.

many years later and a few of them have never been used..


i dont buy a set of anything nowadays, just what i need for the job.

 

[wornoutoldman]

Kinda the way I feel about ratcheting wrenches. Do I need to buy several sets of wrenches that will get a lot of use? 8-21mm short, long, flex ~ 1/4-1-1/4 short, long, flex or settle for the regular wrenches, socket sets and ratchets, that I've been using for 30 plus years? Obviously more is better. But I'm always shopping for the good deals.

 

[Farmall450]

I feel like that w/ my ratcheting stubbies...I use one or two sizes once or twice a year,

 

[small]

Hey wornoutoldman, a coworker just got a heart two weeks ago after almost four years on a VAD.

Yes there are many tools that get used infrequently, in fact I have to remember to use something other then a common combination wrench. Its like wait I have a ratcheting one I can use! Same with different ratchets too. Seems like I find my goto for those and the rest get pushed to the back.

I have many sets of wrenches, of many different styles same with sockets yet its the 8 pointers that I know I've only ever used one of out of the set. Even those goofy etorx I found over the years I've used at least two!

So I'm guessing I'm the odd guy then to have this issue.

 

[jmm]

Weatherhead sockets! I've only used two sizes, ever. I got a pretty sweet deal on an older used Cornwell set though, so I'm not complaining. I'm sure a day will come when I've at least used half the set. There's probably more, but I wouldn't want to encourage any more second thoughts.

 

[454ragtop]

Funny, I just took pictures of this external thread chasing tool just the other day for the same reason, never used it. It came in a used tool roll away I bought at least 30 yrs ago. Stumbled across it in the back of a drawer last week looking for something else. Well made, has a protective brass liner for the other side of the threads, and 6 or 7 double sided chasers. Always thought it would bail me out of a jam someday, but I don't recall ever using it.
Jim

 

[WWIIjeep]

Again what's with the 32nds in the snap set, were there ever fasteners that required them.

That question comes up every couple of months or so, and the answer is yes, there were fasteners that required them. In fact, go back far enough in history into the first half of the last century, and you'll even find wrenches and socket sets that included sizes in 64th inch increments.

Among many other things, 19/32 and 25/32 fit 5/16" and 7/16" heavy hex nuts, respectively.

7/32, 9/32, 11/32 and 31/32 had some applications in electrical fittings and electronics equipment. 11/32 is still the standard size for 8-32 hex nuts.

Here's the last time we had this discussion, two months and a day ago, listing a variety of additional examples:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211615



Regarding the OP's question: "what sets have you all bought that never get used?"

In 40+ years of wrenching, I've probably used most of everything in every set at least once, including a lot of 32nd inch sizes, and even the Blue-Point version of the thread chaser 454ragtop mentioned.

The ones I've used the least are metric flare nut wrenches (almost never), and in fact, I hardly ever use any metric wrenches anymore. The only ones I even keep in my main tool box are a 1/4" drive metric socket set and a metric hex wrench set. The rest are buried in a tool box on a shelf, just gathering dust, but no, they're still not for sale, just in case I might need one someday.

Just to be fair, there are also other types besides metric that I haven't used for a long time, including Bristol spline, and the clutch head type mentioned a day or so ago.

 

[small]

WWIIjeep that Snap set w/t 19/32 was bought new by me IIRC in '88 at that point I wonder if it had a purpose. Its not like I tried to trade it back or anything. I guess I'm just not old enough to have run across something that required it is all.