Overflow tools

[knock knock]

I have purchased several tool boxes this year on market place and garage sales. There were only a handful of things that I was after but now have duplicates of lots of things. I filled out my home box.then truck tools set of basic hand tools. I then toss all the pure junk in a box to be donated. But still have several fairly complete basic tools sets. What do you guys do in such a situation?

 

[WildBill]

How can someone have too many tools, I'm very confused by this post. Did I accidentally end up on a Family Handyman forum?

 

[tarmy]

Build a bigger garage/shop…jeez OP

 

[Ohio Andy]

How can someone have too many tools, I'm very confused by this post. Did I accidentally end up on a Family Handyman forum?

When you have no place to put them I can think of no other way

 

[WildBill]

When you have no place to put them I can think of no other way

Then you build a bigger shop.

 

[finn]

Basement, garage, shed, shop, house in town plus garage at that house, Az garage.

That’s seven complete sets plus two trucks, a tractor, and a Sprinter based class B motor home.

No such thing as too many hand tools, although there are some specialty tools, like a flathead Ford valve removal tool that I probably wouldn’t buy duplicates of.

 

[fourjeepin]

I started with a set in my Jeep when I was in college. After graduating, I added basic stuff to the daily driver. Then I bought a tool box and started accumulating. That box now lives in my detached shop. Overflow happened and I ended up with a box in the attached (daily driver) garage plus a box in the basement for house projects.

I promise I didn't intend to accumulate so much. But between the bad influences here, the hot deals section, great deals through work, road finds, the occasional estate sale, and inherited tools from my grandfather and step dad; my wife must think I am trying to corner the market.

 

[john.k]

You can give them as Christmas presents ....when the grandson says he wants a Playstation 25 ,he actually means a collection of miscellaneous sockets and a cheap ratchet drive.

 

[Jack_K]

The usable junk tools are good for modifying for special purposes.

 

[four.cycle]

What do you guys do in such a situation?

I see you're new here.

We have this thing called "Secret Santa" here - where members do a "gift exchange" with other members.

You just pack up all the "extras", put them all into a flat-rate box, and ship it out. Easy peasy.

Might be too late now for you to sign up, but if you P/M @GJSS he might be able to hook you up with an unsuspecting victim.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I made a "travel" set. Just the basics : Couple of screwdrivers, pliers, needle nose, Vice Grips, a few combination wrenches and 1/4" and 3/8" socket sets.

 

[RegeSullivan]

When I have extra stuff that makes a set I give them to young relatives and friends. Often the sets are mis-matched but decent quality. Screw drivers I often just donate because I never seem to put together a complete a set... #1 & #2 Phillips are always worn beyond the useful stage unless you need them to put starter holes in drywall.

 

[MovingAlong]

I have purchased several tool boxes this year on market place and garage sales. There were only a handful of things that I was after but now have duplicates of lots of things. I filled out my home box.then truck tools set of basic hand tools. I then toss all the pure junk in a box to be donated. But still have several fairly complete basic tools sets. What do you guys do in such a situation?

They're yours, donate them or toss them. But get them out of your garage... Square footage costs money, storage costs money, piles of junk lying around cost mental health - get rid of them.

 

[bwringer]

Yup, once you've put together car tools, cabin tools, etc. get 'em outta your way, whether that's giving them away to younger relations or dropping them off at Habitat ReStore to clutter up someone else's garage.

I'd also say that it's not worth bothering with stuff that's not at least old-school Craftsman or better. Toss that no-name junk into the metal recycling bin and skip a few steps. As mentioned above, old screwdrivers are junk 99% of the time.

And be realistic about how "complete" or handy or valuable these tool sets really are. Bear in mind people who aren't already tool-using primates may or may not be all that excited about getting a batch of grody old tools. Some will be quite appreciative, of course.

Think about purpose, too -- you need metric tools for vehicle maintenance. A set for home projects will be quite different than a set for mechanical projects.

 

[hobie18]

I usually give them to members from online forums. Not always cleaned up. But I do send a snack to make up for it.

 

[john.k]

You can also donate to something like"Tools for Africa" .,a lot of churches run such schemes.

 

[Houdini5150]

Donate them to High School or College Kids? Grandkids, Kids, etc etc Or lazy time trying to sell full sets online?

 

[Dave455]

Easy, do what I do..

1) Go through ‘em and chuck the rubbish. Taiwanese tools, used to varying degrees, from the 70’s and 80’s - junk. Chinese, most of it - junk. Etc..

2) Go through again and chuck anything in poor condition. Anything with deformed jaws, anything with lifting chrome - junk. Depending on the quality I might spend time on something rusted, but not once it’s pitted.

3) Make sure you really have your needs covered. Kit for each vehicle? Road box to grab quickly? Tools for house and shop?

4) Take everything else to a boot fair / auto jumble / swap meet! I generally do this alternate years, usually at a fair I’d be going to anyway, and do o.k.

 

[four.cycle]

^ If it's cheapie Chinese ****, just put it out on the curb. No sign or Craigslist ad necessary. Free tools ALWAYS disappear in a hurry.
They'll even haul away rusty broken screwdrivers.

 

[john.k]

No tools are junk unles they are broken ,someone can always use them.

 

[hobie18]

True. But they can junk up your space and mind.

 

[bwringer]

Just dropped off about 20 pounds of duplicate tools I didn't want at Habitat ReStore.

Ahhhh... much better.

I'm sure I'll fill the space with something or other soon enough.

 

[richfinn]

How can someone have too many tools, I'm very confused by this post. Did I accidentally end up on a Family Handyman forum?

What I think he means is "Redundant Tools"!!

Old stuff you don't need anymore like maybe SAE/Imperial sockets and wrenches

Special tools for Automobiles/Motorcycles they stopped making in 1978

Maybe more relevant for GJ members, tools where you upgraded to something better and realized you're old one was a heap of junk

 

[ecotec]

What I think he means is "Redundant Tools"!!

Old stuff you don't need anymore like maybe SAE/Imperial sockets and wrenches

Special tools for Automobiles/Motorcycles they stopped making in 1978

Maybe more relevant for GJ members, tools where you upgraded to something better and realized you're old one was a heap of junk

I still have a few obstruction and distributor wrenches, specialty sockets, other specialty tools, and customized tools of all kinds that I haven’t used in ages.

I have given away a lot of them, but I still have tools for things I haven’t owned in 20-35 years.

There are a few wrenches and sockets that I customized, but I don’t remember why.

 

[richfinn]

I still have a few obstruction and distributor wrenches, specialty sockets, other specialty tools, and customized tools of all kinds that I haven’t used in ages.

I have given away a lot of them, but I still have tools for things I haven’t owned in 20-35 years.

There are a few wrenches and sockets that I customized, but I don’t remember why.

Yep, they are very hard to let go of, but I'm into "streamlining" my tools nowadays

 

[Fixr]

If you are near a university with a Mechanical Engineering department,

I have purchased several tool boxes this year on market place and garage sales. There were only a handful of things that I was after but now have duplicates of lots of things. I filled out my home box.then truck tools set of basic hand tools. I then toss all the pure junk in a box to be donated. But still have several fairly complete basic tools sets. What do you guys do in such a situation?

If you are near a college/university with a Mechanical Engineering department, you could post an ad on a bulletin board, send an email notification through a student coordinator, or just plunk a cardboard boxful outside a lab labeled "Free". There are still lots of starving M.E. students who would grab all they could. Same thing for a community college with vocational classes.