Very common tools I / You never use

[strelnik]

The crow's foot wrenches definetly dont get used much.

.

This is definitely a question of what you work on.

I couldn't live w/o crowfoots, working on certain small diesels, they make life much easier.

On the other hand, I rarely use an adjustable wrench, unless I'm doing woodwork/carpentry.

 

[crewchief888]

I really don't like adjustable wrenches either, but still use one every so often... sometimes, it's just the right tool. Ditto visegrips.

+1 on the adj wrenches and vise grips.
i keep a couple 15" adj wrenches in my service truck "just in case"
just 2 small pair of vise grips, one std, one needle nose.

funny thing is i carried a 4" adj wrench with my equipment keys for years, it was a lifesaver not having to climb down off a loader to grab a small wrench to remove a wire off a sending unit.
sadly i lost the wrench along with a set of keys one night

 

[jwitt]

Nut drivers and something about seeing a mechanic use a claw hammer drives me up a wall.

Jim

 

[wxm]

Funny to read all of this, it appears what we work on from guy to guy is really different.

For instance, Nate never used his grinder, Ive got two grinders, I run the snot of. One has brushes, the other stones,

I burn up a 3/8" air ratchet about every three years

I use 1/2" sockets daily, I rarely ever touch my 3/4" even though I have 2 sets !

And I loath 12pt sockets, and only use one if Ive misplaced my 6pt for the moment.

Ive got speed handles, and never use them, in my mind, that was the answer for speed prior to air tools.

I do have a 3/8" Snap On battery powered impact I bought new and never use. It does not have enough power to do much of anything, and I think it was spendy.

I use my pick set weekly if not daily..

That's what I was going to say. I used my bench grinders so much so I have to have two of them to avoid changing disc/wheels.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I also despise vise grips.

I only really use my adjustable for releasing serpentine belt tensioners on older VWs.

 

[nuclearlemon]

i used an adjustable today...had a really stubborn cap on a bottle of detergent that i needed to open.

 

[archfish]

Wow, just realized I haven't used a regular pair of pliers for anything in years.
There has to be 5 or 6 pairs in my box, and I would have told anyone buying a first set of tools to get some.

Use the cobras daily though...

 

[Indy_500]

Nut drivers and something about seeing a mechanic use a claw hammer drives me up a wall.

Jim

i use a claw hammer to press bearings on and when i need to use punches or chisels.

 

[matthew]

i use a claw hammer to press bearings on and when i need to use punches or chisels.

Sounds like you need a couple of ballpeins and crosspein hammers...

 

[Thumper]

Yeah ......seeing somebody use a claw hammer working on a car drives me bannas..!

 

[speed bump]

Metric anything. I used a 12mm wrench the other day for an odd fitting but other than that they sit in my main box. Speed handles almost never go anywhere either, air ratchet is much faster although I did use one the other day to chase threads.

Most of the other stuff on that list I use regularly. Adj wrenches sure beat the wrong four sizes when you are 50 ft off the ground. Dykes, love them, almost never use linesmans pliers though. Torx pops up randomly enough. I don't like watching people use claw hammers for driving hardened steel stuff to much danger of chipping something.

 

[mjozefow]

I use my adjustables all the time. Crescent wrenches are great for working on hose fittings and such. They just don't do well when confines are tight. They save frustration too. As Speed Bump said, they are better than 4 wrenches of the wrong size.

Also, a hook and pick set is one of my most used tools. They are great for a huge variety of things, but I mostly clean out junk from vise parts with em. U use slip joint pliers all of the time too, they make great knock-around pliers for holding hot parts and such. All of mine came from a box lot at an auction.

My common tool I never use would be the speeders as well. Also 1/4" dr short sockets. They are so small I try to use the deep wells if possible so I can actually grab them.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I don't know if it is habbits on how I use tools, or I have been sold a bill of goods on tool use. Seems I have some very common tools that I almost never use. Curious to know others feelings on this topic.

Some tools that are typicaly in every well tooled person's box I never use.

Dikes/sidecutters. I never use the common sizes (4-10"). I use a large linesmans plier for better leverage cutting that kind of stuff and a mini sidecutter for fine stuff. I must have 3 or 4 pairs of side cutters in the box and I NEVER use them. Rarely I will grap an end nipper for these type tasks. Even when doing home wiring, I use the sidecutters in linesmans/combination pliers to strip wire and all the duties of a plain sidecutter. 10 years doing res construction and thousands of hours at home wrenching on you name it and never found a need.


1/2 ratchets. Anything that heavy I use an impact. I use my 3/4" drive stuff much more and truth is I only use my 3/4 drive ratchets a few times a year. I use my 1/2 breaker bar a fair amount.



12pt sockets. I know there are times when only one will work, but I have yet to find that situation where the 12pt on a wrench won't work.


Speeder handles. Nope, never used one. Though I own 4.

Seriously, I know for some application somewhere these items must be perfect. I have tons of stuff I almost never use, but it is stuff that is beyond the very basic items I listed above that every basic tool set has. Just seems odd, that I work on almost anything and everything in my man cave and never use these very basics that supposedly everyone should have/needs.

I remember reading here some never use basic slip joint pliers. I use them all the time for gripping odd things and hot items.

What's your never use?

I think you are an exception to the rule, at least my rule.

I use dykes constantly, couldn't work without them.

Same with 1/2 drive tools, use them all the time.

I own very few 6 pt sockets. Small 1/4" drive stuff is good (necessary?) to have in 6 pt to prevent rounding, and I have a few 6 pt bought for special purposes, usually very thin nuts where surface contact is very important.

Speed handles, I rarely use, but sometimes when they prove to be the best choice.

Charles

 

[Auzivision]

Craftsman RoboGrips

 

[bill wallace]

aircraft mech =12point wrenchs & sockets, every 1/4in drive tool known to man, speed handles in any length, slip joint pliers in all sizes, dykes in all sizes, crows feet in several types, & angle wrenches 30&60 degree,roll around toolbox with the bigest casters you can fit.

 

[nate379]

I have a decent compressor, still faster by hand. Not to mention not having to drag an air hose all over the place and the thing is so big it hardly fits anywhere. I have owned one probably 10 years and have used it maybe twice.
I do use my 3/8" impact gun on all sorts of things though.

I used to think the same thing until I stared really using mine constantly after getting a decent compressor. Now I'd only use a hand ratchet if I absolutely had to. An added benefit to using the air ratchet that I found was that I have by far, fewer busted up knuckles, cuts and scrapes on my hands from swinging the ratchet back and forth in tight places. Plus I work way much faster .

 

[nate379]

About the only thing I can think of that a bench grinder can do and a hand held angle grinder can't do better is sharpening drill bits.

For that I just clamp the angle grinder upside down in the vice though.

That's what I was going to say. I used my bench grinders so much so I have to have two of them to avoid changing disc/wheels.

 

[Old Donn]

Metric anything. .

Interesting. No vehicles newer than the early 1970's vintage in Butte?

 

[loj]

I couldn't tell you the last time I used a slotted screwdriver, other than to pry/puncture/stir something.

 

[GarageEnvy]

Dremel tool

The thing is so close to worthless it's hard to even consider it a tool. Still once in a blue moon I have to dig it out and attempt to accomplish something with it. Someone gave it to me and if someone said you had to give up one tool this would be the first to go.

 

[SLOCOBRAR]

a lot of the never used tools here i use a lot. don,t think i,ve ever put a oil pan on without a speeder

 

[comedyman809]

flex head ratchets, i try to use them, but get angry when the heads flex and i dont want them to.

i used one today, and it kept flexing itself too much to have leverage.

it is a brand new 1/2 williams flex head. very nice ratchet cost me 50 bucks new, but i think i dont like it anymore.


maybey ill look into replacing flex heads with the locking flex heads.

i like gearwrenches flex heads with the detent ball, yet it still flexes on its own, but not as bad as regular flex heads.

 

[comedyman809]

Dremel tool

The thing is so close to worthless it's hard to even consider it a tool. Still once in a blue moon I have to dig it out and attempt to accomplish something with it. Someone gave it to me and if someone said you had to give up one tool this would be the first to go.

dremel!!!!

if you got your self a hobby of r/c cars(or any smalll scale hobby for that matter), that dremel would be the greatest tool ever invented!!!!

 

[comedyman809]

Yeah ......seeing somebody use a claw hammer working on a car drives me bannas..!

i used the claw part of the hammer on someones care once, they go through the headlamps easier and less glass in my eyes

 

[shotgunfatcat]

My most favorite tool is a speeder and I don't own one. I use a battery powered impact for most of the work you would need one for. I have been keeping my eye open for one though.

I use a side cutter almost daily (when I work on things).

My air ratchet is old so I pass it up a lot just because it doesn't perform as well as I wish it would.

I use a 1/2 ratchet quite often, but mainly for one tire jobs or the bobcat.

I use adjustables on propane tanks and changing out the ball on my hitch.

My least used tools are probably double box end wrenches. I will use the backside of a combo or a ratchet/socket combo. Pozidrive screwdrivers, and 8 point sockets.

 

[rsieracki]

i recently bought a speeder (Snapon ofcourse) at gargesale due to all the GJ junkies making me think i needed one... guess thats not true.

so ive never used my speeders, i have a bunch of crowsfeet (why i dont know) that ive used 2-3 of when i insited on rigging something up to get to something i probobly could have just removed another part to get at it faster with a regular socket or wrench. torque wrenches (had to have them used only a few times), i avoid my adjustable/crescents but use on occasion. love my grinders/wire wheel, tho i bought an angle grinder for my epoxy floor project and i cant stop using it with a wife wheel now.. like my new fav tool. flex head ratchets i insist on using and like someone else said they usually flex at the wrong time. a big drawer of mismatched wrenches n sockets as i like my sets better so i can see whats missing but i still but odds n ends at garagesales/fleas as "$1 is too cheap to pass up"

come to think of it i dont wrench as much as id like to anymore... perhaps i need a project car

 

[fr0mastaj]

Dremel tool

The thing is so close to worthless it's hard to even consider it a tool. Still once in a blue moon I have to dig it out and attempt to accomplish something with it. Someone gave it to me and if someone said you had to give up one tool this would be the first to go.

I find myself using my dremel tool alot... cutting bolts and other small things on cars. Last month, had to cut the little heatshield off of a Tundra's O2 sensor to reach the frozen and stripped nut properly. (why they designed it so it pools water is beyond me) a 4" grinder would have done more damage than helped!

Also used it last week to grind down the notorious hansen 1/4" pegs to fit properly... save me from a **** load of hand sanding.
________
Ipad accessories

 

[bw77]

tho i bought an angle grinder for my epoxy floor project and i cant stop using it with a wife wheel now.. like my new fav tool.

OK, now you got me thinking.

 

[forceyoda]

I picked up one of the extra long 24" matco 1/2 ratchets that I have never used, probably never will.

 

[alex71]

...cant stop using it with a wife wheel now.....

Pics of aforementioned wife wheel please.

 

[rsieracki]

Pics of aforementioned wife wheel please.

how bout a pic of my fat fingers dancing on the keyboard hitting the wrong keys?

 

[kc-steve]

Most tools that I might not use OFTEN, I buy at estate or garage sales. Otherwise, I plead the "Fifth," meaning to refuse to answer a question because the response could provide self-incriminating evidence punished by forfeiture.

It's always a good plan to have tools around. You might just need it sometime.

Steve

 

[crewchief888]

i mentioned this before, but i'll mention it again,

95% of my work i accomplish with 5% of my tools
the other 5% of my work i use the other 95% of my tools.

 

[back2class]

i mentioned this before, but i'll mention it again,

95% of my work i accomplish with 5% of my tools
the other 5% of my work i use the other 95% of my tools.

so true...so true

 

[crewchief888]

i have a lot of days that only 2 or 3 tools come out of my service truck,

then there are those days it take an hour to put tools back in my truck when i'm done.


i like the 3 tool days myself

 

[Arnie C]

Speeders are great for assembling engines on stands and working on motorcycles.

Crowsfoots are great for diesels or any turbo car with all the odd fittings.

Flex head ratchets, I only use them for remove two bolts on the back of the intake manifold on a Mitsubishi to remove the head without crawling under the car.

Swivel sockets I might use once or twice a year but am damn glad to have them.

I rarely use my 12 point sockets except for 4 point and the odd 12 point fasteners.

I agree on the air ratchets. Ive had a few including some nice Matco ones and sold all of them.

Flat head screwdrivers for light pry applications where a pry bar is too big and sometimes hose clamps.

I only use my nut drivers for hose clamps and light duty stuff like appliances and hobby stuff. The 5/16" and 8mm are the only ones I use regularly because they fit on worm drive hose clamps.

I would have to say the tools I use some of the least are standard Allen keys, especially small ones. I have a few driver sets and T handles that take the brunt of the use.

 

[plinker]

I just used my Dremel today with a sanding drum. Havent used it in a while, still one of my favorite power tools (first one too).

I use my speeder's somewhat often in a while for when I need to change a tire and have no air available.


One tool I havent used in a long time (except for the knife blade) is my multi-tool. When I started buying tools it kinda went unused (probably as I now had the proper tool(s) for the job) but I still wont go anywhere without it.

95% of my work i accomplish with 5% of my tools
the other 5% of my work i use the other 95% of my tools.

+1

 

[Skin]

I find myself using my dremel tool alot... cutting bolts and other small things on cars. Last month, had to cut the little heatshield off of a Tundra's O2 sensor to reach the frozen and stripped nut properly. (why they designed it so it pools water is beyond me) a 4" grinder would have done more damage than helped!

Also used it last week to grind down the notorious hansen 1/4" pegs to fit properly... save me from a **** load of hand sanding.

I tried cutting the rusted heat shield from an exhaust pipe once with a dremel. Went through a damn fortune in mini cut-off discs. Worthless.

 

[sselander]

I used my Dremel to slice a couple of exhaust manifold nuts on my Mazda and some nuts on a chrysler minivan end links.

Way more precise than anything else. I don't recall going through to many discs.

 

[mtkst19]

i dont use my 1/2 drive sockets much anymore and when i do it is on a impact. i have the master impact set from 10-30, plus an assortment of axle nut sockets. really, i use my long handle 1/2 ratchet to turn engines over and whatever size sockets for crank pulleys or axle nuts and thats about it.

i stick to 3/8 and 1/4 drive. more 1/4 drive it seems now than ever. and w/ the advancement of 3/8 cordless impacts w/ balls of a 1/2 gun of old, i use them more on stuff like suspension work.