Unused tools

[sizzler90]

I was out in my garage the other day rearranging my HB 44 inch tool box again (1 of 3 tool boxes I have). Thinking I need to get a bigger tool box. As I was trying to get them all neatly in my toolbox I was asking myself when was the last time I used at least half of them. I can't think of the last time I used a SAE anything other than a 1/4, 3/8, or 7/16. I have 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 drive sockets up to 1 3/4. And at least 2 sets of wrenches that are the same. All this SAE stuff takes about 3 drawers in my tool box. Everything I work on now takes metric. I hate to get rid of the SAE stuff, but really it just taking up space, collecting dust. I've had most of them for 40 years, but have not used them in the last 8-10 years.

What would you do?

 

[TractorJeff]

Keep them another 40 years?
Are you retired? If not maybe at that time, you'll see some OLD piece of American history you always wanted when you were younger. Then you'll need those tools!

 

[a52-830]

re-sort the boxes, putting the things you use all the time in the easy to reach places, and the rest of it in less accessible places. maybe even packed tightly . . . .

 

[Rex_A_Lott]

Buy an old Chevrolet and put those tools to work.

 

[sizzler90]

Keep them another 40 years?
Are you retired? If not maybe at that time, you'll see some OLD piece of American history you always wanted when you were younger. Then you'll need those tools!

Not retired yet, but not to many years to go either.

re-sort the boxes, putting the things you use all the time in the easy to reach places, and the rest of it in less accessible places. maybe even packed tightly . . . .

I thought of this also. I could just put them all in one of the smaller boxes after a light coat of oil.

Buy an old Chevrolet and put those tools to work.

I would love to do that, but as it is I have 4 cars in a 3 car garage.

 

[sberry]

I need to strip my boxes another layer again. I went in to one a while back and between 1/2 and 9 1/16 in chrome must have had a dozen pieces in my service box use cart, I use one on occasion, just a mess to sort thru, 2 isn't bad and I very rarely use 1/2 x1/2 from there anyway whicjh meant 10 or 11 sockets I really never used but roll with the rest every time I need 1, had 20 extra screwdrivers, dozen pliers, lots of it junk level and not really used. I strip it out and put it out of the way in storage so to speak so I aint got to slosh thru it all.

 

[sberry]

I got this one to push the stuff , the extra, the occasional off our working carts and stations. Good way to make sure specialty stuff doesn't get kicked around with the general. I don't mind walking over on occasion for something if I know where its at, it doesn't even need to be hyper organized.
I have another for widgets, pullers, spec app stuff etc.

 

[Pathfinders]

I have a lot of tools I don't use since I joined this site. A Wilton vise, and God knows what else.

 

[IslandBikeCo]

All my metric stuff is arranged with socket holders and wrench holders nicely over 3 or 4 drawers but the unused SAE stuff is just thrown into one drawer. Its there when I need it but its a mess.

 

[Joe0121]

My Father in Law owns a John Deere Model B, a 2510 and a 60 Vintage Back Hoe. When the Time comes I'll be glad I kept all my SAE sockets around. I also use them A lot on Fastnerrs and even new cars generally have SAE stuff on suspension components.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Buy an old Chevrolet and put those tools to work.

Yes, I agree and thank you for the honesty because we all know if you buy an old Ford, you still won't be needing those tools.







Seriously, I wouldn't get rid of them. Maybe put them in a lower drawer where you won't see much of them. If your luck is anything like mine, you get rid of them, you'll need them a day later.

 

[LXCam]

You do realize that within a couple of days of getting rid of something, you'll need it right? I have several tools that rarely see the light of day, but when they do I have a Dos Equis.


Stay tooled up my friend.

 

[Kent_B]

Buy an old Chevrolet and put those tools to work.

I was going to suggest an old tractor, but same principle.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Unused tools? My address is....

Tommy

 

[Richard Cranium]

It is tough to get rid of a valuable tool, even if you don't use it much. I guess that is why I have so many tool boxes.

 

[bczygan]

It's the way of the world.

I've observed some rules for tools:

Misc. will never get organized and will always have too many multiples of one size.

The more you pare down your tools to the bare necessities, the more apt you are to need the oddball one you just got rid of.

Whenever you decide you only need one of a tool, that's when it breaks.

The tools you use the most, are always the ones you misplace first.

When you think you have enough tools to do the job, the scope of the work increases.

You will always find you need a certain special tool, when the project is all apart, at 8PM on a Sunday.

You never have too many tools, until you open too many drawers on the upper box.

Bill

 

[Northislander]

I had a customer (Milton) i did a hot water tank replacement for gift me a Reed 18" Low Profile Rotary Cutter with wheels for steel or copper still in the box very lightly used and yes he also payed his bill. He was a retired pipe fitter and was slowly getting rid of tools he did not use anymore. I gladly took the cutter and it sat on my workbench for many years "unused" as i do not get into that size steel or copper pipe in my job. Anyways i was at the wholesaler one day and overheard another customer along the counter asking for a cutter to cut large diameter steel pipe. I gifted him the cutter, had him follow me home and get it. He couldn't believe i would give it to him but it was just collecting dust in my shop as it was in Milton's and now it finally had a home where it was going to be used. OP it feels really good when you give a tool to someone who needs it. I'm sure i could have advertised it on e bay and sold it but that didn't seem right unless i gave the cash back to Milt and he's gone now "but never forgotten" and i hope Rick who i gave the cutter to one day hands it on to a young apprentice who needs it.

 

[James-W]

I have mixed feelings about getting rid of old tools/equipment. For example, I have a Foley automatic filer that has worked VERY well over the years. I used to sharpen a lot of steel blades for people and the when you do you that as the years go by you make quite a bit of money with it. But now that has all changed, hardly anybody uses steel blades anymore, most people use carbide blades. This machine isn't for carbide, only steel blades. So I have not sharpened a steel blade in probably 5 years or more. It just sits there collecting dust. I should get rid of it, but it is sort of like getting rid of an old friend and I can't bear to do it.

Here is a link to one in action. It looks like a carbide blade being sharpened, but he isn't exactly sharpening the blade. It looks like he is making the gullet deeper. Anyway, it is a cool piece of equipment that must have taken a lot of careful thought to invent, but now it is practically useless since carbide has taken over as the standard for circular saws and hardly anyone uses a handsaw these days.

 

[Rex_A_Lott]

Yes, I agree and thank you for the honesty because we all know if you buy an old Ford, you still won't be needing those tools.

There's one in every bunch....
I have old Fords too, and truth be told you need more tools for them than you do the Chevrolets. If you've ever worked on both, you know that's true.
My ultimate goal is to make one of the Steevo type workbenches with a SAE section and a Metric section, but its still a ways off yet.
Too many tools is a "terrible" problem to have. Good Luck

 

[sberry]

I had a full size drawer with speedo wrenches in it, must be half a dozen maybe more and maybe someday get one out for the kids although they are already on to an impact. Double open ends but for a couple too, really just to sort thru. I got a 5 gallon bucket for it and store it in a basement now, havnt been back for a single piece since.
It was a case of not even using any but storing 3 or 4 of each. It was tempting to leave 1 just in case but I made it and got rid of them all.
I have a large shop and compulsively strip space wasters I don't need. Keeping track and finding is hard enough without having to wade thru junk. Cardboard is really a space killer and some are compulsed to save boxes and bags the stuff come in. I saw a hoarder show where the guy could have reduced to 1/4 if not for all the boxing.
I actually deliberately invested in junk storage. I have some for deliberate needs but some for random **** too good to toss but we don't want littered in the work areas. You got to be able to find it, willing to use it when you do.
The boxes in the pics above are kind of out of the way along far wall. I have the common hi freq tools in island and peninsula fashion in regards to foot traffic and bay design. I can reach 2 bays and the tool stand with 1 hand still on the hoist. In a little hindsight I could have spun the hoist controls 180 but its pretty minor and gives a good view of the operation. But every tool is on it to do a typical job.
I since got rid of 1 cart in the pic that was a catcher and held some stuff in the way I didn't use and willing to walk to if I do . n
Pic 3, 4 and 5 are somewhat current

 

[NUTTSGT]

There's one in every bunch....
I have old Fords too, and truth be told you need more tools for them than you do the Chevrolets. If you've ever worked on both, you know that's true.

That's why I included the for the humor. To be honest, you are also correct, you spend more time wrenching and fixing the Fords. . . . it takes horsepower to break stuff.

 

[-Brent-]

If you haven't used them in 8-10 years, send them off and replace them with a nice small kit of 1/4 and 3/8. Or, put a small kit together and move off the rest.

 

[vettex2]

As soon as you get rid of a tool, you will need it.

I have 3 roll arounds and some carry boxes. I even have a carry box in my kitchen. My honey thought it was weird until she needed pliers, screwdrivers, hammer, etc......

 

[vtwinjunkie]

I was out in my garage the other day rearranging my HB 44 inch tool box again (1 of 3 tool boxes I have). Thinking I need to get a bigger tool box. As I was trying to get them all neatly in my toolbox I was asking myself when was the last time I used at least half of them. I can't think of the last time I used a SAE anything other than a 1/4, 3/8, or 7/16. I have 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 drive sockets up to 1 3/4. And at least 2 sets of wrenches that are the same. All this SAE stuff takes about 3 drawers in my tool box. Everything I work on now takes metric. I hate to get rid of the SAE stuff, but really it just taking up space, collecting dust. I've had most of them for 40 years, but have not used them in the last 8-10 years.

What would you do?

Perhaps I am a packrat...but the only time I can get rid of tools is when I have doubles or triples of sizes haha. Other than that I will let them sit forever

 

[sizzler90]

Seriously, I wouldn't get rid of them. Maybe put them in a lower drawer where you won't see much of them. If your luck is anything like mine, you get rid of them, you'll need them a day later.

You do realize that within a couple of days of getting rid of something, you'll need it right? I have several tools that rarely see the light of day, but when they do I have a Dos Equis.


Stay tooled up my friend.

Yes, this is my super power. I can get rid of something just days before I need it.

 

[James-W]

I think hand tools is one thing, equipment is another thing entirely. Hand tools are easily stored, but equipment can take up a lot of space. If you are a bit short on space anyway, then having equipment you don't ever use can be a real "space waster" to have.

 

[Empty Pockets]

I have a sizable number of both metric and SAE tools. My boxes are set up so that I have easy access to either or both. My duplicates are stored away in carry boxes, easily accessible, if I should break one, or need a duplicate.

Please don't get rid of the tools that you think are excess, buy a carry box, and store them, as you will need them the day after you get rid of them

 

[gnpenning]

What part of Idaho? I can store them for you and you can borrow them back anytime you need to.....

Do you have a young family member or neighbor that is starting out?

 

[Know Wosad]

Tools are the emergency fund. Dont sell them. They are about the only things that increase consistently in value.Gold and silver jump around like a lying politician. Tools climb slowly and consistantly. QUALITY tools.
I have 2 stacks full of "tool polisher tools". I just look at them once in a while and sometimes grab some and use them just for kicks and remembering when I was young..
My 48x24 ,10 drawer is the stuff I grab constantly. I'm making a new 2 inch thick top for it now...and looking for a proper vice(the hard part). I'm thinkin' a 120 from Jens
This one
https://www.jensputzier.com/brockhaus-heuer/vises/3261/brockhaus-heuer-vise-101120-size-120

 

[Empty Pockets]

My dad passed in April, I'm just getting around to getting his tools. I'm replacing mine with his minus some sockets he's missing (not many) and storing mine for my son. I have his tool boxes too. I have so many sockets right now, it's ridiculous. I have 4 1/2" ratchets 3 3/8" and 2 1/4"....and a partridge in a pear tree. I can't get rid of all this stuff. My son will need his own set eventually. (He's 3) I put them in a box with screwdrivers, extra hammers, a ton of box wrenches, extra ratchets, hex everything, pipe wrenches. Box weighs 40 lbs.

ONLY 9 ratchets? What's the problem? LOL

 

[bmrtoyo]

It is tough to get rid of a valuable tool, even if you don't use it much. I guess that is why I have so many tool boxes.

Hello ,my name is John ,, i am a tool addict ,,lol

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Sort em out and grab a carry around box to stick em in. Put that in some inconvenient corner where you will have to move it every couple weeks. That's what I do at least.

Glen

 

[padroo]

The best tools I have are the ones I don't use. That means nothing is broke.

My wife talked me into cleaning out my 32 X 40 back garage this summer. I got rid of a lot of nice stuff and just gave it to Habitat for Humanity. I don't like selling but if I can give it away I am OK with that.
I took seven loads to them and they were happy except for the guys that had to unload my trailer.
I have been retired for 2 1/2 years now.