Tools to have in order to avoid abusing other tools

[YesIHaveAHammer]

I don't consider myself a serial abuser but I have done it and seen other people do much worse. I like to have the right tool for the job, to avoid damaging tools or the workpiece, so have most of the below by now.

• Pry bars - save the slotted screwdrivers
• Flat chisels - save the slotted screwdrivers
• Scrapers - save the wood chisels
• Compact bolt cutters - save the diagonal cutters
• Shears or big scissors - often better/safer than knives
• Bearing drift set - save the sockets
• Breaker bar - no cheater pipes on ratchets
• Tools of the right size - avoid bending/twisting/snapping smaller ones

What else do you have or would you have?

 

[finn]

Oxy acetylene torch set

 

[Fedwrench]

I think having a set of demolition screwdrivers to beat on can save other screwdrivers.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Oxy acetylene torch set

To heat up stuck fasteners, avoiding hammering and reefing on other tools to undo them? A blowtorch may also do.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Die grinder - save your drill bits (friends love to ream with theirs)
Knockout punch set - save your step bits

 

[Nutria]

Yes


No

 

[MOS3522]

This thing:

 

[four.cycle]

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Pretty sure they still make a large (18-24") flat tipped prybar. We always kept one around to get the bottom radiator hose loose.

Impact screwdriver, or at least something like the Felo wooden handle screwdrivers, with the metal through shank, leather back, to act as a mild impact screwdriver for those road kits.
I like those pocket screwdrivers, flat head helps with electrical connections, magnet it nice for dropped stuff. Phillips is good for eyeglasses.

 

[Nutria]

This thing:

Yes. I finally broke down and got an induction heater. A game changer. I agree on four.cycle's skin tool too.

 

[Odd-job]

• The next drive size up - I am up to 3/4 drive
• Impact sockets for impacts
• Plastic belt buckle - so you don't scratch the car
• Variety of Phillips screwdrivers and bits to find the perfect fit
• Various presses - 20T Harbor Freight and an arbor press vs wailing on something with the air hammer
• I guess this is all about having the right tool for the right job

 

[KnurledNut]

A good selection of pullers and a press to avoid beating stuff in/out.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Knockout punch set - save your step bits

Where do these fit in, among step bits and hole saws?

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

I agree on four.cycle's skin tool too.

Instead of using knives as thin pry bars?

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

A variety of hammers. I have a varity of old, mostly cheap tools that I'll use in situations that may be considered abuse.

 

[richfinn]

Soft faced dead blow hammer (I like the Hultafors T-Block with replaceable tips)

Brass drift (I have a couple of Mayhew branded ones and they are great for beating stuff you don't want messed up)

Breakout connections/back probes for electrical diagnostics (nothing worse than spreading a connection and introducing more faults)

 

[OccupantRJ]

• The next drive size up - I am up to 3/4 drive
• Impact sockets for impacts
• Plastic belt buckle - so you don't scratch the car
• Variety of Phillips screwdrivers and bits to find the perfect fit
• Various presses - 20T Harbor Freight and an arbor press vs wailing on something with the air hammer
• I guess this is all about having the right tool for the right job

Turn your belt buckle to the side when doing car repair. I had a friend who wore his like this at all times. He was a painter.

 

[OccupantRJ]

A pipe vise either a stand alone or incorporated into some vise jaws will make life better. I just used mine a few minutes ago to remove four pipe fittings. A piece of actual leather belt used with one as a cushion will allow working on cylindrical items without marring them.

 

[snickers muncher]

A cheap dead blow mallet so you don't abuse one of your most valuable tools---your hand.

I used to see a lot of young guys use their hand to smack something into place. Let's see how that hand and wrist is doing after a few years.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Open tote tray toolbox, so you're more likely to have the mentioned tools at hand.

 

[bwringer]

A goodly assortment of punch styles and sizes, so you're not trying to do inappropriate things like bending a pin punch trying to use it as an alignment punch. Or use the wrong size punch.

Or, for example, if you're dealing with roll pins, use actual roll pin punches, and you'll be a lot less likely to damage the punch and the work.

If you really want to get detailed, scare up some metric roll pin punches so you don't screw up the bore or your punch trying to move a 6mm roll pin with a 1/4" or 3/16" punch.

 

[niget2002]

Impact sockets for driver and impact guns.

 

[finn]

To heat up stuck fasteners, avoiding hammering and reefing on other tools to undo them? A blowtorch may also do.

Blowtorch helps, but doesn’t replace the oxy acetylene set, mostly because, in addition to being able to provide more heat, the flame is almost infinitely adjustable so you have better control. I try to use the smallest tip possible for control

I would add an induction heater to the list, but I haven’t sprung for one yet. It’s on my list ,as the open flame in an enclosed garage with solvent around is a little scary.

 

[AEAdam]

Did someone already say impact gun? That was a game changer for me as a young man. I was breaking tools and car parts right left and center. For me, that was my #1 tool that saved other tools.

#2 was my long ratchet. Before that, I used pipes or hit ratchet handles with hammers.

#3 just having the right tool for the job. Like so many here, there was a time in my life when I would use an Allen bit socket in a Torx head. Today, if a job requires a short triple square socket, I have it. Having the right tool for the job has been a huge differentiator.

 

[Shiftless]

A short length of train rail on your workbench to use for hammering on things instead of using the tail end of your vise for an anvil.

 

[RMERR]

A beater wood chisel I use for rough gouging. Wack the end with a hammer. Pry stuff. All the things that you should never do to a quality wood chisel. If the blade chips a little, oh well, I just sharpen it up on the belt sander. No special angle guide needed, just eyeball sharpen a new edge. Hey, it's a beater.

 

[whateg01]

A wood chisel is a great scraper. Just get one for that so you don't destroy the good ones you use for woodworking

 

[johnre]

A slow speed wet sharpener - because edges will dull from use, and a dull edge tends to get forced.

The slow speed and use of water with it will preserve the temper in the edge, as opposed to a high speed grinder.

I have the Grizzly T32720 - which is a pretty good knockoff of a Tormek, at considerably lower cost.

 

[gatewaysysop]

A variety of hammers. I have a varity of old, mostly cheap tools that I'll use in situations that may be considered abuse.

I will add, regarding hammers, have at least a couple copper, brass or bronze in your arsenal. More to save whatever you're beating than to save your other hammers.

Brass drift (I have a couple of Mayhew branded ones and they are great for beating stuff you don't want messed up)

These have saved me a few times already.

A goodly assortment of punch styles and sizes, so you're not trying to do inappropriate things like bending a pin punch trying to use it as an alignment punch. Or use the wrong size punch.

Or, for example, if you're dealing with roll pins, use actual roll pin punches, and you'll be a lot less likely to damage the punch and the work.

If you really want to get detailed, scare up some metric roll pin punches so you don't screw up the bore or your punch trying to move a 6mm roll pin with a 1/4" or 3/16" punch.

I have probably saved many of my pin punches by using solid/starting/drift style punches first.

 

[NFT5]

A set of JIS Phillips screwdrivers. Saves damage to the normal Phillips screwdrivers (which rarely get used now) and damage to the screws.

 

[Gangly]

I have a nice (to me) set of tools, and a not as nice (to me) set of tools that mirrors the nicer set. When I get angry at something, I usually grab something from the lesser set of tools and abuse the snot out of it.

***EDIT***
I did not intentionally purchase a nicer set of tools for this purpose, its just kinda happened over the last 25+ years of wrenching that I have spares of everything. Over time, you notice that you have a newer/nicer version and an older/abused version of everything you typically use a lot of.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Where do these fit in, among step bits and hole saws?

Instead of drilling through several sizes to get to a 1-1/8" hole, you would just drill one small hole for the stud of the knockout punch and then use a 1-1/8" knockout punch to get the correct size hole without extra drilling and wearing through each size on your step bit. Leaves a better finish than a step bit, as well.

 

[bwringer]

A set of JIS Phillips screwdrivers. Saves damage to the normal Phillips screwdrivers (which rarely get used now) and damage to the screws.

...and damage to your palm, damage to the walls from thrown screwdrivers, damage to the stuff you're working on, and wear and tear on your drill and drill bits.

Seriously, getting hip to JIS on Asian machinery and buying proper screwdrivers saves SO much metal, flesh, and aggravation.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Johnson bar - when you really need to lift something heavy and move it a bit. Preserves that tool you call your back.

 

[MOS3522]

Johnson bar - when you really need to lift something heavy and move it a bit. Preserves that tool you call your back.

I watched some professional riggers use a few of these to move a 9,500 pound safe into my old job . . . they made it look so easy.

 

[Beerhippie]

I'll second the hammers, but you need a goodly selection and they need to be close at hand:



That way, you'll never feel tempted to use this:



as a hammer.

I'll also second the RR anvil and vise w/pipe jaws.

 

[crewchief888]

i abuse all my tools equally.

 

[Fixr]

A cheap dead blow mallet so you don't abuse one of your most valuable tools---your hand.

I used to see a lot of young guys use their hand to smack something into place. Let's see how that hand and wrist is doing after a few years.

I have yelled "Your hand is not a hammer!" at quite a few younger mechanics. Of course, I know this because...

 

[dscheidt]

I'll second the hammers, but you need a goodly selection and they need to be close at hand:



That way, you'll never feel tempted to use this:

I've got approximately all the hammers. I'll still use a pipe wrench as a hammer, because I've got it in my hand, and it's got a hammer side. It's a tool, I'm going to use it as one. Some reasonable hammering isn't going to hurt the function of the tool, even if it leaves a few marks. Pipe wrenches make lousy hammers, I'll go get a proper one way before I'm using it hard enough to break it.

 

[Fixr]

I may be weird, because I don't use screwdrivers as chisels or prybars, I don't use pipe wrenches as hammers. I have plenty of the real thing. That doesn't mean I won't use a 3 or 4 foot chunk of pipe as a cheater on my 36 inch pipe wrench. Never more than that, because I don't have an appropriate size pipe any longer than that.