Really Cheap Tools that You Love!

[wormwood]

When I was in 9th grade I bought this 4 prong grasper off the 99¢ table at K-Mart.

Nearly 40 years later I still use it more than I care to admit!

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

now that is dedication!

 

[bcradio]

99 cent orange hook and pick set from HF has been to hell and back and still ticking...

I don't use them for prying only scraping and grabbing (they aren't pry bars)

 

[richfinn]

CK tuff snips medical shears £4 a pair

Best scissors ever

 

[mayday0017]

The right angle air grinder from HF, think I paid $7 to use once on a job... that was 8 years ago and my go to tool for anything that needs shaping or grinding have 3m rolloc system on it.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

HF Pittsburg rubber ratchets....

 

[X1 Mike]

I don't have it anymore but when they were closing them out I bought a bunch or the Skil Power Wrenches for $15 each. I gave them all away except one. Used to use it all the time but I left it on the charger for about a month without using it and fried the battery, doh.
All the ones I gave away are still going strong.

 

[bonneyman]

Ratcheting ball drivers. I seem to collect them.
I'll even buy used ones that don't work, and take then apart and fix them and epoxy them back together for use. I've yet to actually wear one out.

 

[Activ3]

HF Pittsburg rubber ratchets....

Yes.

 

[Mickey O]

 

[ex-x-fire]

I don't have it anymore but when they were closing them out I bought a bunch or the Skil Power Wrenches for $15 each. I gave them all away except one. Used to use it all the time but I left it on the charger for about a month without using it and fried the battery, doh.
All the ones I gave away are still going strong.

These are great for under dash work. I had one that I used for a year in a shop, yeah it lasted a year, pretty good if you ask me.

 

[wormwood]

Ratcheting ball drivers. I seem to collect them.
I'll even buy used ones that don't work, and take then apart and fix them and epoxy them back together for use. I've yet to actually wear one out.

I've never had one of those but they do look easy on arthritic hands (like mine).

 

[Tallted]

The extension magnet has saved me many times. I think I payed like 3 bucks for it.

 

[Farmall450]

Zip ties.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

Oh yeah, my HF 1/2 hammer drill...This is the best drill I have ever owned......For about $30..

http://www.harborfreight.com/power-...speed-reversible-hammer-drill-68169-8027.html

 

[Exceller8]

This little utility bar is killer for $2. Yes, it's made in China but for $2 I really don't care. I bought one after watching Stuey's video here:

I have since gone back and bought 3 more of them. I don't know if this is a Christmas only item so if you want one you better go to Lowe's and snag one!

 

[mrpizza]

I love my HF 25" breaker bar.

 

[genevabuck]

99 cent orange hook and pick set from HF has been to hell and back and still ticking...

I don't use them for prying only scraping and grabbing (they aren't pry bars)

Wow. I have a ton of tool truck tools, but someone stole my Snap On hooks, so I bought the HF ones. I had two snap the first day that I used them. Believe me, I'm not a HF hater either. They have some real good stuff.

 

[wafrederick]

My central Pnuematic earthquake 1/4" drive air ratchet for $50.00.Still works to this day and I use it a lot at work,about 3 years old.

 

[Rawlins87]

HF small ball pien hammer. Was 2.99 and use it everyday at work.

 

[tjmonsen5]

Wow. I have a ton of tool truck tools, but someone stole my Snap On hooks, so I bought the HF ones. I had two snap the first day that I used them. Believe me, I'm not a HF hater either. They have some real good stuff.

I agree, my buddy has HF picks and I think they are made out of paperclips.

 

[CNGsaves]

The one tool I've held onto for decades . . . . AND . . . . still love using is my
. . . . . . . old faithful screwdriver . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The . . . . . . ScrewBall.

Nothing else has the leverage and torque to get out stubborn screws.

 

[davethorik]

The right angle air grinder from HF, think I paid $7 to use once on a job... that was 8 years ago and my go to tool for anything that needs shaping or grinding have 3m rolloc system on it.

x2 I got mine on sale for $9 it is their cheapest one and mine is a tank. It has survived countless water blasts from the crappy air compressor and lack of a water separator at my old job. It vibrated loose at the angle, left handed threads if memory serves. Plus general abuse of deburring thousands of parts. Still going strong. It is 7 years old.

also, regarding the HF hooks...I have also had bad luck with them. ended up with 2 sets and I have broken almost every single one. I have much better luck with my craftsman aluminum handled double sided scribe/pick. Think it is $5 at Sears Hardware. I always red loctite the two tips into the handle. my dad has one that is almost identical but made by Mac and that one is older than me.

 

[bonneyman]

I've never had one of those but they do look easy on arthritic hands (like mine).[/QUOTE]

As I get older, I find regular screwdrivers - even the ergonomic ones - don't provide the comfortable, all-day-long grip that I need.
And, although EASYDRIVERS go for $10-20 on ebay, I've found several for a buck or less.

 

[bonneyman]

The one tool I've held onto for decades . . . . AND . . . . still love using is my
. . . . . . . old faithful screwdriver . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The . . . . . . ScrewBall.

Nothing else has the leverage and torque to get out stubborn screws.

Ever have one of those apart?

 

[djwyman]

I agree, my buddy has HF picks and I think they are made out of paperclips.

I have a set of these sitting in my tool box that a friend of mine gave me...I have only used them once or twice but they do feel very cheap though if they break i guess I can't complain as they were free to me.

 

[doan]

The right angle air grinder from HF, think I paid $7 to use once on a job... that was 8 years ago and my go to tool for anything that needs shaping or grinding have 3m rolloc system on it.

I bought a couple of them to avoid changing tools. one has a cup brush and the other has a rollloc.

 

[Spug]

My pocket screwdriver with valve core tool on the back. Worth it's weight in gold, and it was free. I pull it out about ten times a day.

 

[rodster_67]

When I was in 9th grade I bought this 4 prong grasper off the 99¢ table at K-Mart.

Nearly 40 years later I still use it more than I care to admit!

Got one just like it! It's been in my tool box a long time too. Don't use it a lot but handy to have.

 

[GoodEnough]

I use this dirt cheap HF stuff constantly.
I finally feel like I have a real set of tools.
I can now do jobs without needing to buy tools.
Much of the"little stuff" I now own.

• magnetic pick up tool
• oil suction gun
• pick tools
• trim pry tools
• wobble extensions
• sandpaper
• razor blade scrapers
• C-clamps
• grease
• bungee cords
• zip ties
• epoxy
• u-joints
• extension bars

 

[SMKS]

99 cent orange hook and pick set from HF has been to hell and back and still ticking...

I don't use them for prying only scraping and grabbing (they aren't pry bars)

I used the picks from HF for a while, too. I found I used them enough that I could justify a better set.

I like the Pratt-Read picks. They're still cheap, but they're USA made and seem better made than the HF picks.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BZZ33W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[ol'Red]

razor scrappers — the best for paper gaskets IMO

 

[outdoorsman310]

anything free!

 

[WVBrady]

The one tool I've held onto for decades . . . . AND . . . . still love using is my
. . . . . . . old faithful screwdriver . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The . . . . . . ScrewBall.

Nothing else has the leverage and torque to get out stubborn screws.

I agree. Mine is in a rack on my garage wall, where I can get to it easily. Mine got loose enough that the clear plastic retainer would rotate while I was using it and the bits would fall out. I wound some thread between the retainer and the body to tighten it up. Crude, but effective.

 

[WVBrady]

I don't have it anymore but when they were closing them out I bought a bunch or the Skil Power Wrenches for $15 each. I gave them all away except one. Used to use it all the time but I left it on the charger for about a month without using it and fried the battery, doh.
All the ones I gave away are still going strong.

I got one for me and one for my brother. I use it quite a bit, probably more than my 1/4" air ratchet, because the air hose limits accessability sometimes. I also left mine plugged in too long. It still works, but doesn't seem to hold a charge as long as it used to. Have you checked to see if there is anyone who rebuilds the batteries? I don't know why they quit making them; there must have been some problem with them. I know that some of them had bad switches because I saw instructions on how to replace them.

 

[uart]

It still works, but doesn't seem to hold a charge as long as it used to. Have you checked to see if there is anyone who rebuilds the batteries?

I don't have that exact same one, but typically that sort of thing would run on two AA nicads, though it could also be sub-c's. If you can open it up then you could easily solder in a couple of replacement batteries.

A little tip with devices like that thing, ones that don't have proper "cut-out" chargers, is to buy a small timer (electronic or mechanical) and always set a time limit for the charge. After having several similar experiences of cooking power tool batteries I always use them for charging stuff now days.

I'm ****** hopeless, even if I just want to put something on charge for 10 minutes to freshen it up, I still often forget it and find it 3 weeks later fully cooked. These days I won't connect anything to a charger without a timer to give me a time limit back up!

 

[Agentwho]

Way back when I started working at a car stereo shop I picked up a pair of cheapo automatic wire strippers. They were the yellow and blue pistol grip style and they worked awsome. I wore that set out and kept fixxing it untill they just fell apart. I never saw another set of cheepo auto wire strippers work as well as they did.

 

[larry_g]

I got a 12 piece set of these many years ago as a gift. First thought was cheap plastic clamps. I finally tried one for some thing and found they are great. The ratcheting mech allows good pressure control and there is some flex in the jaws to allow a bit more control. The set I received contained some larger pairs.

Does anyone recognize where these come from, other than Sears, and may be purchased?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[92integra]

Grip on tools 4 piece pry bar set. 20 bucks at northern tool held up so well so far and for 20 bucks I dont really care they dont have striking caps just wail on em as needed. And my addition to the pick debate would be titan picks about 6 bucks I think nice grips and jave served me very well so far

 

[djwyman]

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/PFM0/20129.oap?keyword=magnetic+pickup+tool

this magnetic pickup tool...on the site it says it picks up 8lbs. but I have picked up some heavy stuff with it just for giggles as long as you hold it up and down. Sad thing is I don't remember buying it. I was just at my house one day and now it is at my box at school and I use that little sucker everyday when I drop a bolt in a car.