Tools You Are Glad You Own & Why.

[Oregon Dave]

Have no business starting a new thread; some folks here-abouts give me dispensation because am older than most trees. Having the obligatory ‘pick-up bed’ full of hand tools; was pondering which ones was especially glad to have, and why.

Starting off:
1. A pair of Utica pliers. Reason: Nostalgia (belong to my granddad) & Craftsmanship. They feel like gun-steel, operate as smooth as an old 30-40 Krag rifle he had. Handle grip pattern, checkered jaw tips, ~7” long & out of the 6” tool kit class; suspect made by inventive and talented tool makers - pre corporations.

2. Klein Lineman’s Pliers. Reason: Nostalgia (belong to my dad) & Craftsmanship. Had a great Dad; was a power lineman - that whole group of men was super for a boy to grow up around. Later, bought a small horse ranch; changed the fence over to New Zealand high-tensile wire - those pliers are the best fencing tool ever - built like a tank and was great having Dad be part of the build.

3. Stihl Chainsaw. Reason: Labor Savings. Am old enough to have been a ‘back-up Charlie’; the kid who hangs on to the rear handle of a felling saw, carried over my Dad’s, Granddad’s, or Uncles’ shoulder, so it doesn’t snag up in the brush. Am also old enough to have cut my share of cord wood with bucking saws, buck saws, and a ‘clunky’ first chain saw; went through the Macs & Homelites - these Stilhs with a double skip chain; seems hardly fair for the trees. Have been using electrics lately, corded & battery; not because I’m old, blame it on crappy gas; too much carb fiddling.

Anyway, got any tools you feel just really glad to have; please share your thoughts!

 

[Beerhippie]

Every damned one. I acquired them over the years as I needed them and every one does a job and does it well.

Except maybe the screwdrivers... they seem to be reproducing when I'm not looking.

 

[micromind]

Large hammer.....because it can smash things........

I really can't pick just one tool or even several tools, the majority of them are indispensable.

 

[Shiftless]

M12 Fuel impact driver
Most recently used it to screw together my new back yard fence.
Shown here with a T25 bit. I also used a magnetic hex driver for the Simpson screws.

 

[Shiftless]

Besides the impact driver, I really like my Wilton C1. It doesn’t look nearly this clean any more.

 

[1930artdeco]

VICE GRIPS! They hold, grip, crush and are generally the third hand any good mechanics needs.

Mike

 

[Burt Shaver]

Most of my tools like sockets and wrenches get taken for granted even though I could do near nothing without them, when the this type of question comes up, the first tool that comes to mind is my 20 ton press that I purchased a few years ago. Should have made that purchase many years ago. I guess my second tool I’m glad I have is a MityVac, pressure and vacuum capable. But really I’m glad I have all my tools.

 

[Shiftless]

But really I’m glad I have all my tools.

Most all of could admit, if honest, to having more tools than we really need or could possibly use. I’m thinking of duplicates. I don’t know how many quarter inch flat blade screwdrivers I own. How many T25 driver bits in my various tool boxes and storage drawers? I have 4 corded electric drills. (Some of you might know me as one of the GJ members with a 100+ bench vise collection… does that count as having too many duplicate tools? )

 

[Oregon Dave]

Have no business starting a new thread; some folks here-abouts give me dispensation because am older than most trees. Having the obligatory ‘pick-up bed’ full of hand tools; was pondering which ones was especially glad to have, and why.

Starting off:
1. A pair of Utica pliers. Reason: Nostalgia (belong to my granddad) & Craftsmanship. They feel like gun-steel, operate as smooth as an old 30-40 Krag rifle he had. Handle grip pattern, checkered jaw tips, ~7” long & out of the 6” tool kit class; suspect made by inventive and talented tool makers - pre corporations.

2. Klein Lineman’s Pliers. Reason: Nostalgia (belong to my dad) & Craftsmanship. Had a great Dad; was a power lineman - that whole group of men was super for a boy to grow up around. Later, bought a small horse ranch; changed the fence over to New Zealand high-tensile wire - those pliers are the best fencing tool ever - built like a tank and was great having Dad be part of the build.

3. Stihl Chainsaw. Reason: Labor Savings. Am old enough to have been a ‘back-up Charlie’; the kid who hangs on to the rear handle of a felling saw, carried over my Dad’s, Granddad’s, or Uncles’ shoulder, so it doesn’t snag up in the brush. Am also old enough to have cut my share of cord wood with bucking saws, buck saws, and a ‘clunky’ first chain saw; went through the Macs & Homelites - these Stilhs with a double skip chain; seems hardly fair for the trees. Have been using electrics lately, corded & battery; not because I’m old, blame it on crappy gas; too much carb fiddling.

Anyway, got any tools you feel just really glad to have; please share your thoughts!

Well folks; misspoke, didn’t necessarily mean tools your glad to own, meant to say especially glad to own & why. We all buy tools we like/need; with varying degrees of research or not. Probably most have too many tools; especially compared to our parents & grandparents - myself am way way beyond that; as old as I am, and with the amount of tools acquired, still can’t pass a quality vintage tool marked $1.99. at St. Vinnies’. Isn’t it a rule, every man should die with AT LEAST a 5gal. bucket ea. of screwdrivers, pliers, crescent wrenches & hammers and two more half filled with tape measures and pocket knives - isn’t that the Bucket-List rule; anyway got about 10 men covered.

Was thinking more along the lines of tools that have a history, special story; like saved your life, helped with your first born, was a thoughtful gift from a family member or friend.

My no.4, for example, contributed some to the length of my life; a high-lift jack. Elk hunting in the Blue Mountains of Oregon; 35+ miles from a hard-stand road; hunter maintained track mostly. Blizzard rolls in; white-out - 6-8” of snow at the rig when we got back to it; got much worse going out - oblique laying log had been cut out to clear the road, now well hidden in snow; clipped the end with the front hub, breaks front spring shackle, tires under the floor board.

To my benefit, had a Dad and Granddad “You go off the road in this country (basically all roads then were dirt roads) you better carry enough tools, parts, oil and gas to get back, or be horseback”. Rig was a brand new ’70 Chevy 4wd pick-up; down-payment made with mustering out pay; had the ‘advised carry gear’, snows getting up to the headlights. High-lift jack got us up; come-along got the axle back in place - no spare shackle though; used our belts to hold it in place - got out. Had a hydraulic also, but time saved not digging and blocking, with that snowfall; glad I owned a High-Lift Jack.

 

[Whitworth]

My father's 16 ounce rip hammer. Plumb brand. Sentimental reason.

My Record block plane. First "real" tool I bought for myself. Probably 35 years ago or so.

 

[Beerhippie]

These:



helped pay my rent, food and beer bills for a couple of decades.

They're now honorably retired:

 

[nigelrudtbandit]

For me I love my Wera strike he’d screwdrivers they seem to suit my cak handed style along with my Record No 75 vice so much I’ve two! And would happily have more the only fault is no quick release but most times I can live without that!

 

[genog]

My wife and I bought our house back in 1994
It was a MAJOR fixer upper and we did everything.....all of the work ourselves

We spent just about all of our money.....with the few bucks that we had left,
I bought a Milwaukee Super Sawzall for the demo work and a DeWalt 12" Compound Miter Saw
Wouldn't have been able to remodel , add a bathroom, put a roof on the house......among other things

I love those two tools.....
And the SAE Snap On combination wrench set, 7/16" - 3/4" from my dad is something that I'll never part with