Useful tools you never would have bought.

[61scout80]

What are some of your useful tools you would never have never gave a second look at the store? you know the stuff, you have no idea how you got it, but you have it. and it's damn useful.


A lot of my tools at this point are china made that I got second hand or as a gift. My father set me up with a fairly complete tool set a friend of his gave him. His friend was all about buying the cheapest stuff he could find. A lot of these tools i would walk right by, even the USA made models. I'm slowly buying Craftsman stuff to take it's place.

here are a few of mine.
first is a 30" long breaker bar, china made. This thing has saved me countless times. even though the steel is soft and is getting close to needing to be replaced it served me well. It will be replaced with Craftsman. I would have passed this up thinking I'll never need a tool that big.


double box end Craftsman ratcheting wenches. My wife came home with these when they were on sale. I always preferred standard style wrenches. I was a little snobbish when she presented these to me, but after the first couple uses i was hooked. She is also thrilled to see me use them.

My magic wand. Well, it's really a magnetic on a telescoping rod. Its the most popular tool I have. Although I usually get asked "why do you have this?" right up until the socket falls off the extension landing in the part of the engine bay no hands will fit in...


What are some of your tools you didn't seek out but now can't live without?

 

[Sloper0204]

After wrenching on these for quite a few years, I will never again be without a high quality set of O-Ring tools and Allen Wrenches:

 

[Zrexxer]

Snap On radiator hose pick. A friend gave me one for my birthday 20 years ago... I was like "what the hell is THAT for?" After he showed me... well, my years of cutting stuck radiator hoses off of vehicles were over. It's so simple... but works so well.

 

[Mike83]

Another vote for mechanics picks. My c-man pros are probably some of my most used tools. Used for countless projects around the house and in the garage.

 

[Mickey O]

Snap On radiator hose pick. A friend gave me one for my birthday 20 years ago... I was like "what the hell is THAT for?" After he showed me... well, my years of cutting stuck radiator hoses off of vehicles were over. It's so simple... but works so well.

I'll have to post a picture of a tool that I have that works pretty well on radiator hoses as well (it's at the other garage right now), it's for removing motorcycle hand grips. It's basically an air blow gun with a special tip.

 

[Red Green]

A set of hose clamp pliers. The ones for taking the factory style clamps that do not have the screw.

 

[garfunkle24]

Dead-blow ball peen hammers. Thought they were really gimmicky, but after being given one by a colleague, I use it all the time now.

 

[gofastman]

1/4" gearwrench thumbwheel, if it didnt come in a socket kit I bought I wouldn't have given it a second look, but its suprisingly usefull.

 

[sickboi55]

anyone seen the stanley ratchet that "ratchets" when you "twist" the handle. kinda nifty.

 

[garfunkle24]

anyone seen the stanley ratchet that "ratchets" when you "twist" the handle. kinda nifty.

I have a couple of them, they're called the "Rotator" I believe. They can be very handy, but definately not my 'go to' ratchets.

Also, I don't think I've ever driven a fastener at a right angle with mine. They are handy in tight spot though, as you can take up any slack in the ratchet mechanism with the twist handle, so it engages the next tooth right away.

For any Canadians here, you can get the same ratchets through Canadian Tire, which makes it very easy to get warranty. Trust me, those ratchets do break.

 

[supertooljunkie]

I have a couple of the old Ford monkey wrench type adjustables. Thought I would display them in the shop, but they work great for tightning faucet nuts under the sink.

 

[dede2897234]

I also own a Stanley 3/8" drive rotator ratchet. A description of the ratchet and picture can be found here: http://www.stanleytools.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=SMT+RATCHET+PEAR+HEAD&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER=89-962&SDesc=3/8%26%2334;+Drive+Rotator+Ratchet. I bought mine at Wal-Mart for about $23. The one task I continually use the ratchet is replacing the oil filter on a 1997 Chevy Cavalier. There is hardly any room around the oil filter to swing a conventional ratchet.

Dave

 

[GSteg]

3/8" Gearwrench stubby ratchet. Could not have taken out a stuck oil filter on an ES330 without it. Not much room to work with.

 

[Joe B.]

I have a Black & Decker cordless screwdriver that I bought for $5 when I was assembling some RTA furniture. It runs on 4 AA batteries that I must have replaced 5 times now. For such a cheap tool, it just keeps going. I have played with more expensive cordless screwdrivers but I always come back to this one. I mainly use it around the house and it is great for light duty screwing.

 

[car99r]

I'll have to post a picture of a tool that I have that works pretty well on radiator hoses as well (it's at the other garage right now), it's for removing motorcycle hand grips. It's basically an air blow gun with a special tip.

Please do share! How does it work on older bikes which the grips have been on a long time?

 

[Danglerb]

I bought one of the shortest extensions, barely longer than an adapter, wouldn't have bought it except it was an all or nothing lot of tools. Turned out to be one of my stays on the cart tools.

 

[Rickster]

Yup, I'll have to second or third the picks. Picked them up used with a bunch of screwdrivers one time and thought "WTH?" Now that I have them those darn things come in handy.

 

[Joe Mamma]

Add me to the list of guys who choose picks. I use a Snap-On set (the typical 4 piece set).

I originally thought I'd use them once or twice a year for o-rings or something. But I use them all the time. I don't know how people live without them.

Joe Mamma

 

[Mike83]

...great for light duty screwing.

hmmm

 

[Mugen AP1]

The SO picks are my most used tool. I'm in hydraulics and obviously everything has seals/o-rings in it. I have about 10 hard handle versions in my box right now. I also keep 2 in my chest pocket at any given point during the day-thats how often i use them.

Also when i first started as a tech i thought 'speeders' were useless...now i use them ALL the time when i have pumps/motors with multiple bolts

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

anyone seen the stanley ratchet that "ratchets" when you "twist" the handle. kinda nifty.

I have a couple of them, they're called the "Rotator" I believe. They can be very handy, but definately not my 'go to' ratchets.

Also, I don't think I've ever driven a fastener at a right angle with mine. They are handy in tight spot though, as you can take up any slack in the ratchet mechanism with the twist handle, so it engages the next tooth right away.

For any Canadians here, you can get the same ratchets through Canadian Tire, which makes it very easy to get warranty. Trust me, those ratchets do break.

I have a Husky branded one. It has been used for one job (back spark plugs on FWD 6's in van's and cars). I keep thinking I am going to weld a nut on the base of it, since you can spin it all the way around. Then I will put another ratchet or speeder bar on it, when using it.

Picks are great, even used them in plumbing projects (clearing hair from the drain stoppers).
My Snap-on 3/8" in 1/4" drive. If I had seen it originally, I would have balked (especially at the price). My mom grabbed it out of my fathers hand at our junk store, gave the $22 and gave it to me for Christmas. It is in my top three Christmas gifts of all time. (my father wouldn't have used it yet, and it has probably been 6 years)

 

[tony p]

anyone seen the stanley ratchet that "ratchets" when you "twist" the handle. kinda nifty.

I have the Facom-branded one (I imagine the guts of it are the same as the Stanley one) which I got from a tool-dealer friend in return for a small favor - I wasn't looking for payment of any kind.
I'd looked at them before and expected it to be a bit gimmicky but it's been quite useful. It's a bit bulky (compared to Facom's usual ratchets which are very compact round-heads) but the handle is fat enough to give a reasonable amount of torque for nylocs once they're broken free; and one thing I hadn't appreciated before using, the ratchet - in 'twisting' action- is not just for recovery of position but keeps on turning in the selected direction with the 'return' twist, so you can just keep twisting back-and-forth on the handle.

 

[61scout80]

Also when i first started as a tech i thought 'speeders' were usless...now i use them ALL the time when i have pumps/motors with multiple bolts

That is one of those tools for me. i look at them all the time, wish i had one a lot but yet i never pick one up. I need to fix that.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I have a Blue Point brand ratchet like that. Doesn't see a lot of use but is invaluable at the right times.

 

[car99r]

OK so now I have to go buy a pick set. I don't own one but you all have convinced me...lol

 

[autobody]

SK Hose hose clamp pliers with the long reach cable.
Matco RSD5A screwdriver

 

[LCD]

The cordless drill with keyless chuck that I loan to my wife to use when she hangs curtains and blinds since she doesn't like to use power tools and it keeps my honey-do list shorter and she likes to be able to say that she did it her self. This drill was my fathers and I would never thought about buying something like this since I feel the more power the better Carter

 

[Danglerb]

Not all rotator ratchets are equal, some such as the Nieko are junk, others not bad. As pointed out, you don't have to crank the handle, just make a small back and forth, and the drive ratchets in the selected direction.

 

[dakota_522]

i got a skil battery powerd ratchet for chirstmas and man i use it all the time in the shop for air boxes and batteries and skid plates, i would be lost without it

 

[Joe69]

I've got a hammer head bit for my air hammer. A coworker suggested I try his out one day. I now carry 2 in my service truck, in case I break one. It has become one of my favorite tools. You somply wouldn't believe what I use it for. It will vibrate loose a rusted bolt, pipe plug, countersunk screw. You name it, I've taken it loose with an air hammer. Awesome tool!

Joe

 

[wreckercologist]

I've got a hammer head bit for my air hammer. A coworker suggested I try his out one day. I now carry 2 in my service truck, in case I break one. It has become one of my favorite tools. You somply wouldn't believe what I use it for. It will vibrate loose a rusted bolt, pipe plug, countersunk screw. You name it, I've taken it loose with an air hammer. Awesome tool!

Joe

+1 on the hammer bit.

 

[mrjsl]

The little plastic bolt/nut/drill bit size checker guide - It stays in the drawer with my bits and I use that thing all the time.

 

[hguerrero]

what year is your AP1?

The SO picks are my most used tool. I'm in hydraulics and obviously everything has seals/o-rings in it. I have about 10 hard handle versions in my box right now. I also keep 2 in my chest pocket at any given point during the day-thats how often i use them.

Also when i first started as a tech i thought 'speeders' were useless...now i use them ALL the time when i have pumps/motors with multiple bolts

 

[Joe H]

The little plastic bolt/nut/drill bit size checker guide - It stays in the drawer with my bits and I use that thing all the time.

Any idea where I can get something like that? I cannot tell you how many times I wish I had one of those at work.

 

[Sweet Old Bill]

Snap On 7.2 volt driver. It is fairly compact, but handles a lot of repetitive tasks. Mine is an older version, new one has a li-ion battery. I have two batteries, one is charging while I am working with the other one.

 

[Griff93]

Makita cordless 3/8 impact. I've always kinda been an air tool guy just for the power. I generally use it more than my air tools.

 

[Sloper0204]

Any idea where I can get something like that? I cannot tell you how many times I wish I had one of those at work.

All dozen or so that I had came from my Fastenal salesman back when we were picking up a couple bags of bolts and misc other hardware a day from them.

Another one came from the place that we ordered all our o-rings through.

As an addendum to my previous post in this thread, I love the picks/o-ring tools so much I have three sets in my main toolbox, a set in each vehicle box, another set in the kitchen box, one in the snowmobile toolkit, two sets in the gun cleaning/maintenance box, etc.

You name it, I've used one of those tools on it.

 

[Mugen AP1]

what year is your AP1?

My AP1 is a 2001. Love it! Had it for years.

 

[hamma]

These roller seats http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=46319. So much better than sitting on the ground, a milk crate or cinder block.

 

[Mickey O]

Here is the tool I was talking about (found a pic on my pc), it's for removing motorcycle hand grips that don't have holes when you want to reuse them. I have also used it on radiator hoses (make sure the cap is off), usually a quick burst loosens them right up. I'd have never bought it but I found it at a cycle shop going out of business and it was marked down to $13 from $29,