Particular Tool Addiction

[Tony G]

At the risk of being repetitious does anyone here have a tool type that they cant buy enough of? I'm talking mostly about vintage tools that one or 2 would suffice but you cant stop acquiring them like a hoarder. For me it was ball peen hammers and now its old time oil dispensing cans. I think I might need some kind of intervention.

 

[Boilerhouse]

Wish I could say I had a massive hoard of steam engines, but they aren't easy to find and often aren't cheap when you do find them.

 

[ryan20021982]

Well I visit a place every 2 weeks that is an estate sale but they are like a garage sale with new stuff added all the time, and I can pass up a good pair of pliers. It don't matter the type as long as they are a good brand. I think I have 10 pairs of needle nose pliers now that are all the same size.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

C-clamps and related type clamps.

You simply cannot have enough clamps.

Everytime I think I've bought enough clamps, i end up needing more clamps. They're that useful.

 

[Josey Wales]

Yes. Every time I see a certain ratchet at the swap meet I have to buy it. I got the first when my mom passed, and now whenever I see one...

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I'd have to say wrenches..I buy every style / size I can (within budget and barring other specialty needs). My tool man says I have more drawers full of wrenches than anyone he sees. Some of them I only use once a year, but when I do, I'm glad I bought it for whatever difference there is that makes it perfect for that specific job.

 

[gdpolk]

Clamps at good prices. I don't even know how many I own but I've ran out and gone to the store a couple times in the past year. Most of the time they just set there not being used, but when you need them, you need them and they are so cheap that I can easily justify another 2, 5, 10, whatever here and there as they hit steep discounts.

I'm also rather fond of socket extensions of various sizes and configurations. There always seems to be that one oddball bolt that takes some odd size/configuration of extension and having the right size/type of extension on hand makes a difficult job into a painless job really quickly. I have regular ones, locking, quick detatch, wobble heads, adapters, etc all in lots of sizes for each drive type and yet any time I see something in a configuration I don't have I feel I've got to pick it up.

 

[M6erfan]

Not a single specific tool, but I'm a sucker for 1/4" drive tools. Ratchets, spinners, sockets, bits, you name it, can't seem to get enough! Why? I have no idea...

 

[Finky198]

Not a single specific tool, but I'm a sucker for 1/4" drive tools. Ratchets, sockets, bits, you name it, can't seem to get enough! Why? I have no idea...

Agreed same reason to

edit:
I've got to add PLIERS to my list especially (Snap On and Knipex) ones
and KNIVES a man can never have to many cutting tools.....

 

[landrover bodger]

sockets I cant resist them

 

[4x4gearhead]

For me it's ratchets and wrenches. Ratchets aren't always necessary, but wrenches usually are, since I work with hydraulics daily.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Metal ones

 

[four.cycle]

Not a single specific tool, but I'm a sucker for 1/4" drive tools. Ratchets, spinners, sockets, bits, you name it, can't seem to get enough! Why? I have no idea...

^ yep. must have about 30 or 40 1/4" drive socket sets now... not a clue why.

and I just added a couple more onto my Ebay watch list, because I know for sure I do NOT own a 1/4" drive Companion or Kraueter set.

 

[jeejay]

Zip ties (I use them as chop sticks).

 

[gearhead1]

Yes. Every time I see a certain ratchet at the swap meet I have to buy it. I got the first when my mom passed, and now whenever I see one...

Me too. Love ratchets for some reason. Thought they were awesome when was a kid and have loved them since.

 

[txlch]

Definitely ratchets for me as well, and this site isn't helping haha. I started reading GJ about 3 or 4 months ago and have gone from about 5 or 6 ratchets up to 22 and still have a long list to go. I'd say hammers are the other tool I can't pass up.

 

[Indexmill]

We ain't right.

 

[Filson]

Old pliers. I probably have 40+ pairs of pliers of different sizes/styles. Ratchet junky too, as I'm starting to get a small horde at this point. Vises are another. I can't help but buy anything Reed or old Plomb, especially pebble finish. I came upon a 1" drive 1948 Plomb ratchet box set (extensions, breaker bar, 6 sockets) all in amazing condition. Dropped a few bills on it. What the #%$& I will ever need a 1" drive ratchet set for, I have no idea, but I just couldn't not bring it home. (Told the wife I needed it for working on our tractor lol.) I'm starting to call this the GJ Fever. It's a sickness you get after hanging out here on GJ.

 

[FANTM58]

I frequent estate sales, and it seems I always come home with a pair of Vice Grips.
All sizes and shapes , I have an entire drawer for them in my tool box.
I usually only pay $2-$4 each ,,help !!!

 

[FANTM58]

Oh and I also tend to buy specialty tools and pullers at these estate sales, most of them
Vintage, for old cars ETC . I have quite a few !!

 

[woody 73]

Hammers a man can never own enough.

 

[canuckian]

Snap on hard handled ratcheting screwdrivers. They've had the most variations of the same exact tool than any I know of. It's the only real tool "collection" I have. I'm just north of 80 of the regular length ones, all colors of the pistol grip ones and 24" ones (as far as I know) and only have 2 or 3 exact duplicates that were too cheap to pass up (good for trading). The frustrating part is that so many companies have used these for promo items or for employee awards, I discover new ones all the time that I don't have. It's never ending. I do keep the ones I buy limited to themes that I'm interested in so that helps out a little. I don't follow NASCAR or football so I don't bother with those but anything auto related or plane/airline related, I'm after them.

 

[Finky198]

They are my favorite tool of all time.... and I thought I had an issue with 6 in total ! HA !

You my friend are on a different level, A true "Addict" I Suppose...

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Lately I've been buying lots of drill bits and taps. You can get them so cheap compared to new ones. Also clamps, files, and pliers, particularly channel locks and vise grips.

 

[Farmall 1066]

Diamond Calk Horseshoe tools! Especially adjustable wrenches. Bet I'm approaching 25-30 of them, from 4" to 24".

 

[canuckian]

They are my favorite tool of all time.... and I thought I had an issue with 6 in total ! HA !

You my friend are on a different level, A true "Addict" I Suppose...

it's pretty cheap as far as addictions go I guess but yeah...it's becoming an issue

 

[markbugno]

Tape measures. Especially old metal cased, 1/2" wide ones that fit nicely in your pocket. Especially lufkin mezuralls.


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[vintage nut]

Vises and wrenches/sockets in obscure/useless sizes and drives. I've got a reasonable collection of whitworth I'll probably never use, including a 3/8 hex drive socket. A set of gray 9/32 drive BA sockets, and other odd things like that.

Oh yeah and I forgot my biggest vice. The wood handled MAC screwdrivers. My dad buys tools from a guy who puts them aside for me, and I must have 30-40 of them. I flat grind the tips of them to fit specific screws working on guns, so it's actually useful having that many

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[Rileysan]

Double box end wrenches (DBE) and ratchets of any size. I stopped counting. I don't wanna admit I have a problem!

Brian

 

[BK13]

Sockets. I have more than I need, but I keep buying more.

 

[dodge610]

Knives I have more than i will ever be able to cut up stuff. But allways find another that calls my name. Of course I have to answer.

 

[zkling]

Industrial pneumatic tools and large electric drills.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I will buy local stuff just because it's local, even if I've never heard of the company until that point.

 

[Superbec]

screwdrivers

Must be new, german-euro , discounted

for hand tools I got doubles or triples of most stuff there is

 

[Richard Cranium]

Most any thing Snap on, But I buy most any of the Peterson vise grips that I find that is reasonable and good shape. Also channel lock pliers if I don't already have a dozen of that size already.
Richard D.

 

[Blöckw@rt]

Wrenches and screwdrivers.....you can never have enough ph2 screwdrivers !

 

[Tony G]

Wow! by the volume of tool confessions on this thread when and where is the first meeting of Tool Hoarders Anonymous?

 

[tawhite]

I got an Eifel Plierench about ten years ago at a flea market. I started wearing it on a pouch on my belt and it quickly became my favorite pair of farm pliers.

I looked online and saw all the different jaws and variations. I drove the market on the Eifel Plierench on Ebay for about a year after that. Multiple sets with all the jaws, modern Garland Henning NoPak sets, specialty ones for industry with custom jaws, etc.

After I had several five gallon buckets full, I stopped. Over the last decade, I have given all but a few pairs away. I still think they are the single most useful set of pliers to carry for general use (although the Snap On 3 position slip joint opens wide enough to tighten standard hose fittings and that alone makes it a contender).

taw

 

[colin39]

Spanners/wrenches think i now have 6/7 differant sets from 4mm to 36mm and two sets from 37mm to 65mm.
And socket sets, i amaddicted to facom stuff too

 

[crewchief888]

C-clamps and related type clamps.

You simply cannot have enough clamps.

Everytime I think I've bought enough clamps, i end up needing more clamps. They're that useful.

i buy most of my vice grips and vice grip welding clamps at the flea mkt.

i really hate getting weld splatter on a new pair.

as long as they are complete, function properly, are not bent, and i can pay less than $5 for em....