TOOLS - When is Enough, Enough

[NotOrganized]

Having tools close by is always justification for big spending in my opinion.

 

[-OSIS-]

Hahaha never enough tools!

 

[Specs]

Captain jack sparrow says it best:

Follow the pirates code!

 

[6PTsocket]

I buy tools as needed typically, but others I buy as a result of getting an extremely good deal. Case in point, I went to a garage sale a few weeks ago where the guy was moving and selling tools at VERY good prices. In my pile were a Dewalt 1/2" impact gun, and PC router (among a lot of other nice tools) for $50. Killer deal.

Well, I didn't have any impact sockets or router bits, and in order to use these tools I needed both. Lucky for me Sears came through with their SMW rewards, and I have a total of $63 invested into a 1/2" impact and sockets, as well as router and 10 carbide bits.

Since you were not looking for those tools, I assume you had no project that required them. Now you have to figure out what to do with them. LOL!! After being bombarded with ads for multitools, I figured it would be good to have one, even though I had no specific project. It works OK but I hardly ever use the damn thing. Go back to plan A and buy stuff when you need it. Unfortunately, I often don't take my own advice.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Jim C.]

For me the answer is probably never. In terms of having the right tools for DIYer, car, hobby, projects around the house and out in my shop, I have everything I’ll ever need and then some. As for the collector in me, well, that will keep me buying tools until I’m no longer able to do so.

Jim C.

 

[bubinga]

Hard to say. I started out with a basic set of wrenches and sockets, a hammer, some screwdrivers, a few pliers, a level and a circular saw. When I bought my first home I really got into woodworking so my tools kind of went in that direction. Then I got back into cars and my tool purchases morphed toward that. These days my son and I are getting into welding and metal working so guess where my tool purchases are heading? Who knows what will be next![/QUOT] Moose97, I like your statement and what you are saying.
I am the very same way.

(Sent from my Compaq desktop, using firefox)

 

[Parrothead]

Q. TOOLS - When is Enough, Enough?
A. When you don't need (as opposed to want) any more!

Many people are unable/unwilling to say enough is enough, until someone/something does it for them e.g. wife threathening to divorce, loss of income, loss of health or the dawning realisation that you don't have much time left to use the tools.

Many here have expressed concern about what wiil happen to their large tool collection after they're gone, maybe better not to have amassed so much.

Some say that at the end of one's life all you have is memories, maybe better to spend the money on creating memories, trips with loved-ones, shows taken-in, places visited, parties with friends, celebrations etc..

I've a slightly different viewpoint wrt continuously buying tools : Where I come from and how I was reared dictates that it's wrong to show how much you have whether it's tools or toys. It's seen as greed (= a sin) and inconsiderate/insensitive to those who don't have or can afford much in life. Here we try to include everyone in whatever is going on, not just the well-off. I will praise the guy who has scrimped and struggled to put together a small toolkit, all of which he uses, I will be scornful of those who can afford to spend vast sums on more tools than they can remember they have but use only a fraction. Maybe better for their soul if they had spent some of their money helping others instead of selfish indulgence.This is why I never post pictures of what I have (not as much as some of you guys.) And no, I'm not envious,because I've got enough.

End of rant,

Al.

Well spoken. I have come to the conclusion that I have too much as it stands. I keep telling myself to pare down, and I hope to do it this spring!

I mean...how many set of screwdrivers do I need, even if I've used/use them? Junkyard box, Travel box, Kitchen tools, Main box, easily accessible tools on the peghooks. Really? I have 9 full sets of screwdrivers, and by that I mean every one has P0-P3 at least and a good deal of flatheads. Why!?! It's ridiculous. Time to do something about it!!!

 

[BikerDad]

When you start accumulating tools you have no idea how to utilize, you have enough.

Noooo, I wouldn't say that. I'd say when you start accumulating tools that you have no clue what they're for and/or no intention of ever using them. Self-acknowledged tool collectors are, of course, exempted from this limitation.

 

[Gmonkee]

Compartment your tool accululations.

Modern users, home-work-showcase-whatever

My quantity is in antiques and minor collections like gimmicks and Oxwall. Each is distinct and seperate.

Home tools, work tools and the electrical kit. Plumbing melded into home kit as uses decreased.

The smallest kit is at work and the biggest working tools kit is the home kit. It has to cover a range of jobs never seen at work.

Crusty antiques interest me most and never get used. Work tools are boring if solid users and more than adequate.

 

[Pitalplace]

They say there is no such thing as a stupid question. This may be that exception to the rule. We will always need another tool.

 

[fasteddie313]

I "collect" tools..
My sockets are like a coin collection and it is fun to look at all of the various makes and ages of sockets as I put them away..

I'm running everything from plomb to snap-on.. proto wright wiliams cornwell craftsman blackhawk on and on..

I go to the garage sales and buy all the USA and euro made tools I find for the right price..
I'll buy ALL of your USA sockets at $0.20 each all day if they can be read and used pretty much..

One day I will sell them for more than I paid, when I can't take them all with me, and it will have been a great investment, and fun..

Wrenched too, flippin everything..

I have like 20 USA made adjustable wrenches, they are awesome..
Have a brand new proto one, diamalloy crescent, wright, etc..
I love em and will but more for $1-$2 each forever..

I have a great time going to sales with pocket change, few bucks here and there, and I have thousands of dollars worth of tools..

Tools are pretty liquid, they sell pretty well, good investment.

I could probably split my tools into 2 good shops worth, and trade one for a decent car..

Money in the bank..

 

[davethorik]

I'll buy ALL of your USA sockets at $0.20 each all day if they can be read and used pretty much..

One day I will sell them for more than I paid, when I can't take them all with me,

...

Tools are pretty liquid, they sell pretty well, good investment.

I could probably split my tools into 2 good shops worth, and trade one for a decent car..

I think we all like collecting tools here, but if you believe the above statements, you are deluding yourself.

 

[crewchief888]

i very seldom buy i tool that i dont have a need/use for...

i have a LOT of duplicate tools and equipment one "set" stays in my service truck, the other "set" in the garage, plus a few select hand tools in the house for quick repairs/DIY.

as a professional wrench turner it always sucked having nearly all my tools at work, when i had to have something at home for those times a claw hammer and bent screwdriver just wouldnt work, i started adding stuff to keep at home.

yanno, seriously, i really do have enough tools....

 

[Gmonkee]

I seriously considered the same about four years ago and sorted to classes of tools. Then considered what I use and what was just going back into deep storage.

I have sold off all of the modern stuff in deep storage starting with sets and brands. Then the bits and bobs and lastly the no name stuff all while keeping two working sets aside for my job.

I don't miss all that clutter for a moment. It was to no benefit on my job. But now it is helping others make a living somewhere here in town.

I feel liberated of the load it was and trying to keep it from being stolen or borrowed away indefinately.
I still have more than enough tools for most any job that comes my way.

 

[Fialaja]

The way I see it is it’s a hobby that can make you money, save you money and gives you something to do to keep out of trouble. Better I spend money on tools and hold up in the workshop then blow money at a bar and have nothing to show for it...

 

[tool_scrounge]

For the record, this is not a good thread to read with my wife sitting next to me.....

 

[Crazyjake8493]

When you have the tools to do everything you need to, then it's enough. If you need to do something different and you don't have the right tool, then it's no longer enough and it's time for a new tool.

Unless you're a "collector" of tools and not a user.

 

[NotOrganized]

I buy an odd M18 Milwaukee tool two or three times a year. Hand tools are a once a decade or two flurry of spending. Currently in one of those now.

 

[ssdave]

When you have the tools to do everything you need to, then it's enough. If you need to do something different and you don't have the right tool, then it's no longer enough and it's time for a new tool.

Unless you're a "collector" of tools and not a user.

I "collect" tools..
My sockets are like a coin collection and it is fun to look at all of the various makes and ages of sockets as I put them away..

I'm running everything from plomb to snap-on.. proto wright wiliams cornwell craftsman blackhawk on and on..

I go to the garage sales and buy all the USA and euro made tools I find for the right price..
I'll buy ALL of your USA sockets at $0.20 each all day if they can be read and used pretty much..

One day I will sell them for more than I paid, when I can't take them all with me, and it will have been a great investment, and fun..

Wrenched too, flippin everything..

I have like 20 USA made adjustable wrenches, they are awesome..
Have a brand new proto one, diamalloy crescent, wright, etc..
I love em and will but more for $1-$2 each forever..

I have a great time going to sales with pocket change, few bucks here and there, and I have thousands of dollars worth of tools..

Tools are pretty liquid, they sell pretty well, good investment.

I could probably split my tools into 2 good shops worth, and trade one for a decent car..

Money in the bank..

CrazyJakes got it right. I've been there, done that. I came to the conclusion I was not a collector, but was a hoarder and was keeping stuff I had absolutely no use for. Many multiples of things that even one spare was questionable. Worn and cheap versions of something that I had upgraded. Extras that had come to me by accident and I hadn't gotten rid of.

I sorted out the extra stuff, and started selling it and used the money to buy nice stuff that was exactly what I wanted and needed. I'm still in the process of weeding out and selling, but I still am also buying. What I do now, though, is sort stuff immediately, throw away or sell the excess, and the things that I upgrade, I sell the replaced item or get rid of it. Overall, I'm trying to go up in quality and usability, and down in quantity. Really valuing the tools for the capability they give me, not the quantity I have collected.

On the fun and investment aspects of selling? It's a pain to sell a lot of low value tools, and there aren't a lot of high value ones unless they're shiny, high end sets. For me, selling has been much more of a burden than a fun or profitable activity. Selling $.20 sockets for a dollar and a half is about as fun as weeding the garden or cleaning out a chicken coop. Using my tools is easily several times as profitable as selling my unwanted stuff, and a lot more pleasurable.

To illustrate, I bought about $350 of tools last week. I sorted, grouped, and sold real close to the $350 I had invested back, and had about 4 hours total in doing it. Out of all that, I kept a fairly nice batch of yard tools, a half dozen Snap-on tools, about the same in Proto, and a handfull of other tools that I liked. Maybe $200 worth retail; probably worth more like $50 to me. So, I paid myself $12.50 per hour. Plus invested time and gas in it. I at least enjoy the buying end of it, as it let me get some things I really wanted, and that are hard to get.

 

[7avalon7]

For me, I do not collect tools. I buy them because there is a need for it, or I expect I will need it in the future. Only reason I buy it now for my future need is because I can get them extremely cheap like from garage sale or Sears. Otherwise I do not buy that tools. I also try not to buy duplicates. I do have some duplicate sockets in my tool box, like chrome and impact sockets. I also have a small set of tools to keep in the car.

Eventhough I paid for most of my tools cents to the dollar, I know investing in stock market, real estate, etc can easily make much better returns, so I do not consider my tools as investment. I do save money from fixing things using my tools and have some enjoyment in the process. I also enjoy being able to help the neighbor fix his car or whatever small job I can help with.

While I will keep buying for my future need, but I do think I have enough for what I need now. When I have a chance to buy nicer/upgraded tools, like Knipex pliers, I donate/give away my lesser quality pliers.

I try hard not to become one who hoard tools (or anything). I know it is very easy to just keep buying, especially when I can keep finding cheap deals. "Hey, another set of 10cents/sockets" Pretty quick I can end up with several hundred of them when I only need a handful to service two cars. I think at that point it will be much harder to stop hoarding.

 

[Specs]

Enough is when you have to wade through a knee high sea of sockets from your bedroom to the bathroom, like a kiddie ball pit

You know when you have too many tools when you find more 1/4” sockets in your couch cushions than actual change...

You know you have too many tools when your truck guy refuses to sell you any tool and gives the number of the support group for tool addiicts anonymous ...

Some members taking this topic wayyy too seriously.

 

[jgromada]

As long as a new tool serves a specific purpose (even if that situation has been identified yet) a new tool is justified.

If a new tool can save me money by allowing me to perform a task that otherwise I would have had to pay someone else to do then a new tool is justified.

I have saved soooo much money doing my own brake jobs etc that I told my wife my tool purchases are justified for a really long time. Now if i were to buy a tool just to have it and never planned on using it then it would be a total waste.

 

[Gmonkee]

A few months ago a plumbers wrench went on sale at HD. I grabbed one for the bike kit and possibly any odd plumbing **** like drain nuts

It has proven useful in enough situations including plumbing stuff.

I did not buy it for a immediate need. I had always used other tools for the same jobs.

So hard to define what is hard need and a luxury in some items.

Now if I had two dozen of the same in a box in the attic....

 

[davethorik]

I recently changed careers, and went back to a machine shop. Which is good, because that meant my Kennedy roller was no longer house furniture

Getting that out actually cleared a decent amount of room...that was immediately filled by all of my contracting tools
The way I look at it, I needed a step stool anyway. My aluminum Werner 4' fills the bill nicely, after I hosed all the drywall dust off of it of course.

 

[BroncoAZ]

When I was young I started with a Craftsman 231 piece set and kept adding. I purchased some decent stuff and some functional junk over the years that got the job done when I was broke, but now I can afford to upgrade as needed. As I’ve gotten older I also like clutter less and less, so having less better quality tools well organized appeals to me. I’m not going snap-on as I’m just a DIY guy, so I went with Sunex and Astro Pneumatic impacts but at least I’ll have complete sets of matching stuff.

I just got a couple new to me boxes, so I need to inventory and organize my tools and the extras. I might upgrade to a new screwdriver set and some German pliers. In the future I may upgrade my main wrenches to something better than the Craftsman raised panel. Many of my older air tools are relative junk HF or equivalent, so I’ll be thinning the herd and replacing most with M18 tools as I need them. I’ll be getting rid of my old tool boxes so I don’t start looking for reasons to fill them.

 

[Roberts210]

I rarely need a new tool, but when I need a new one, I buy one.

 

[Professional Tool User]

I've got to be slow down and think harder about the cost benefit of having each and every new tool before I buy anything.

 

[gman007]

Here at GJ , we have members from all walks of life, professional back grounds with different levels of skill sets and interest in tools, fixing things, restoring etc. So what tools a professional skilled tradesman needs for his/her job as well as at home is obviously different from say an office professional who for sake of interest and/or saving money fixes cars and other things around the house.

Personally I fall in the latter group. And for years I made do with a minimal set of tools that I needed for my level of skill set to get the jobs that were in my capability done. And when I really needed a tool that I did not have to get some specific job done, I would buy it and I would do so considering both the quality and price.

But then I caught a "bug", as I got sick and tired of Chinese ****. I wanted quality US made tools and if I could not find new ones (which unfortunately is true of many tools, equipment), I would find old and used US made tools and if necessary I would restore them.

The restoration in turn got me into buying more tools to restore these tools! So now tools in themselves have become the end game. Even my wife who has zero interest in and knowledge of tools has wised up to this fact.

The other day she was asking me so why don't you limit yourself to buying "useful" tools like you used to. I said what do you mean useful?, all tools are useful!! She responded well tools that you use to fix stuff other than tools! I guess among other American made tools having several dozen vises does not help my case .

In conclusion, in my world one could argue that it is "enough" when one is buying tools to JUST fix tools . But if I can help it, that is not going to happen

 

[Gmonkee]

Funny, ratchets and vises never got me. I buy old and really old DOE wrenches.

My big vise is 2.5" import and my fave is a clamp on smaller thing. Outside of work bigger is not needed. A big block of aged cedar and a train track tie plate are my anvil with short bit of rail if curves are needed. Old junk doing tool duty.

I want to do things like great grandpa did when possible. When modern tech is required use that. I love pop rivets...

Enough is what it takes to build and maintain my home. A wide range of tools but really not a massive quantity. Four handboxes worth maybe plus shovels and prybars? All basic services covered. Electric and plumbing seen two upgrade cycles and the bike kit just one. Now reduced to a reasonable weight and still wide capacity. Paint is in gross overkill but packs tight in a corner. Extension rollers of light weight took a few tries. Number five was right. lol! My son can dispose of those he don't want after my funeral.

It is all about being ready for most things without hoarding too much ****.

 

[Evan(CA)]

All in all its fun to accumulate and trade tools, for some its the journey not the destination. Some people collect baseball cards, some people collect tools. And when the former sees a Babe Ruth vintage card is he not going to buy it just because he has enough cards already?

This. What started out of necessity has become a hobby for a lot of people on this board, including me.