What is your Pet Peeve about your Tools?

[foreverfalcon40]

My biggest Pet Peeve is that when you barrow my tools, PLEASE ASK BEFORE YOU TAKE and they way you found it is the same exact you way return it. FYI CLEAN AND IN THE SAME EXACT PLACE!

 

[thaghost87]

losing them; i lost a 18mm wrench some where in the shop and a spark tester i really liked.
bugs the hell out of me

I second that! Lost tools are the worst!! I also hate when ppl don't put stuff back

 

[BK13]

I also hate seeing a fancy triple bank snap on box only with half the drawers half empty and filled up with stupid **** that shouldn't be in there. A toolbox drawer should not have nuts and bolts in it.
Stop wasting ur money on such a nice box only to fill it with junk!

Only slightly disagreeing... everyone always says to get a bigger toolbox than you need right now, as you will fill it up sooner than later.

But yeah, don't fill it up with ****.

 

[rockinacummins]

If I were to say that to anyone I would mean it as a sincere compliment. Obviously I don't know the tone it is said in, but I think they are trying to be nice.

I agree some of them are. But some of them, typically my grandfathers old friends who think they know it all, really just think I'm a dumb kid who doesn't know anything. And to an extent they are right. But I don't like when they look down their nose at me. But thats their loss as far as I'm concerned!

I'm not about the "poor pitiful me" thing. I'm just glad to have a shop and some tools in it, regardless of what some people may think. And I'm glad for this site and you guys who understand!

 

[Ridge Runner]

1. I used to work the night shift at CarMax. It got on my nerves that someone would constantly use the top of my cabinet (with an MDF top) to lay their dirty parts on, and then not bother cleaning it off afterwards. To be fair, though, once I put a note on it asking them to stop, they did.

2. I work with people who are pretty frivolous about their tools since the expensive stuff is provided for them. I will not loan my jump box out because instead of wrapping the clamps around the body, they're lazy and just clamp the electrodes to the body, scratching the piss out of the housing. To exacerbate things, they like to clamp them on the handle, making it less comfortable to carry.

3. My Craftsman laser-etched sockets. I got them exactly ten years ago and they've served me well, but the etching is fading on the most-used ones. I knew this day would come, but their easy visibility has spoiled me and I kind of dread moving away from them. It will be nice to have better-fitting sockets, though.

 

[Tucko]

I hate that I wasted money on a set of Craftsman rachet wrenches. They NEVER fit into the spot where I need to use them. Hence, they sit unused. I hate them.

 

[sawbuck]

I gotta disagree with ya bud, have you paid attention to who's in office.....

funny...i see what you did..

 

[Manny2_0]

Stolen Tools​

while it may not happen much in a shop, on some job sites it's rampid

to the extent that even my tow hitch sleave & Ball got stolen

 

[bsaint]

Round drop lights that roll out of the work area when you're right in the middle of needing it!

 

[454ragtop]

One of my pet peeves is tools that come in blow molded cases that don't fit in the case the way they are when you use them. As an example, the Mastercool hydraulic flaring tool. The first thing you have to do on taking it out of the case is thread the die holder off the hyd unit and then back the clamp screw out of the die holder, after your finished using it, you need to thread those 2 pieces all the way back in before it will fit back in the case. Obviously the nitwit that designed the case never had to actually use the tool, or he would have left just a little more room so the tool would fit in the case ready to use.
Jim

 

[twertsy]

I gotta disagree with ya bud, have you paid attention to who's in office.....[emoji14]

Glad I wasn't the only one thinking that.........

 

[Ridge Runner]

One of my pet peeves is tools that come in blow molded cases that don't fit in the case the way they are when you use them. As an example, the Mastercool hydraulic flaring tool.

Yes!!! Especially when it's something as expensive as the Mastercool tool.

 

[Codyyy]

My dad's biggest pet peeve I'm pretty sure was his tools not being put back in the right place. His pegboard had outlines with each tool on it. My grandfather would borrow tools and not put them in the right place. I guess I inherited that from my grandfather, because if I put tools away in an organized fashion it takes me a while to find them. If I lay them next to the project I'm in the middle of, I may trip over them a bunch but at least I know where they are.

 

[Wizzard]

-Having to replace a socket from the same category set with a different brand, knowing that the missing one may be hiding somewhere in the garage.
-Not being able to clean a smudge off of a cordless tool even with a strong cleaning solution (like to keep my tools clean).
-Having a bunch of tools scattered out on the ground when doing a major repair, sometimes there is no other option.
-How easily USA made 3/8 drive hex bits can snap, especially the smaller sizes.

 

[rodsnratfinks]

Your post reminded me of a major gripe. I used to be a medium sized electrical contractor. I out fitted every truck for its intended duty. I'd show up on a project and say go grab THIS only to hear, well so n so has it. So one day I completely lost it and had everyone come into the shop, and strip the trucks. I then made a itemized tool list including serial numbers for every truck/man and had them sign for it. The statement included a responsibility clause in the event of loss, which didn't mean **** in real life, but they didn't know that. But I also explained to them when I send a truck out, I know what capabilities they/it could perform. And not having the right tools not only impacted the project, but their bonuses at the end of the year. That whole ordeal that cost me a couple days of down time for over 20 guys was one of the best things I ever did, the guys then treated MY tools like they were theirs and theystopped growing legs for the most part.

Bravo sir! You are an inspiration to us all.

 

[NY_treeguy]

Your post reminded me of a major gripe. I used to be a medium sized electrical contractor. I out fitted every truck for its intended duty. I'd show up on a project and say go grab THIS only to hear, well so n so has it. So one day I completely lost it and had everyone come into the shop, and strip the trucks. I then made a itemized tool list including serial numbers for every truck/man and had them sign for it. The statement included a responsibility clause in the event of loss, which didn't mean **** in real life, but they didn't know that. But I also explained to them when I send a truck out, I know what capabilities they/it could perform. And not having the right tools not only impacted the project, but their bonuses at the end of the year. That whole ordeal that cost me a couple days of down time for over 20 guys was one of the best things I ever did, the guys then treated MY tools like they were theirs and theystopped growing legs for the most part.

Did this last year and it held for a good part of the season but everything eventually went back to ****. If it happens again I'll be looking for new crews.

 

[rodsnratfinks]

I have maybe 2 or so

I hate watching toolbox tours or seeing somebody's drawers in their box and they Have a drawer full if loose random sockets!! Organize the damn things.

I also hate seeing a fancy triple bank snap on box only with half the drawers half empty and filled up with stupid **** that shouldn't be in there. A toolbox drawer should not have nuts and bolts in it.
Stop wasting ur money on such a nice box only to fill it with junk!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This one gets me too. My friend was talking about his Epiq 68" box that he just bought the other day and he mentioned that one of his favorite features was the handy drawer where you can store your manuals and catalogs. Really?

 

[jwsia]

My biggest is a drawer with loose sockets rolling around...WTH at lest buy a HF .99 socket rail

The second biggest is trying to fix something on the farm with my fathers or FNL tools. both typical farmers. Tools kept in tractors, cardboard boxes, the house...even some in the TOOLBOX

 

[cuengineer]

Having to search for a special tool that I know I have but can't seem to find. Also, losing a wrench, most likely a socket, while working on the engine of a car. It didn't fall through so did the tool monster eat it? Always the most common size so I end up having to buy another to replace it.

 

[Codyyy]

This one gets me too. My friend was talking about his Epiq 68" box that he just bought the other day and he mentioned that one of his favorite features was the handy drawer where you can store your manuals and catalogs. Really?

I cleaned out my dad's Kennedy/Craftsman machinist rollaway and it had a few of those "junk" drawers full of stuff. I filled a bag with a few pounds of loose staples. Then filled a small cardboard box with boxes of staples. I had a smaller drawer full of sanding and polishing discs for a die grinder that was nowhere to be found. I'm still trying to clean it up a bit.

 

[WVBrady]

One of my pet peeves is tools that come in blow molded cases that don't fit in the case the way they are when you use them...
Jim

I used my new come along for the first time and never was able to get it completely back into the case; it took a while to even get it close. I just had a thought. That would probably be a good aptitude test for mechanical ability. If you can put this back into the case, you can have the job.

 

[MrJason]

My biggest pet peeve:

The rare occasion when I loan a tool for a weekend, and it comes back dirty.

I keep my tools clean, and HATE it when others think that's acceptable, to waste my time and value my tools so little.

Big reason I don't loan anymore.

Jason

 

[bwringer]

Damaged or just plain crappy tools. It just plain ***** to grab something and find that it doesn't work.

It's only in the last few years that I've been able to bring myself to break the cycle and toss unusable tools into the scrap metal bin.

I've become comfortable with the fact that Philips screwdrivers can't and won't last forever. Those crappy made in India pliers my wife dragged home from somewhere? Tossed. Spread-out 13mm Kmart wrench? Into the bin. And I feel so much... cleaner somehow. Cheap socket with no detent? Clink. Twisted torx bit? I make a note in my phone to pick up another and toss the crappy one.



Inch tools also piss me off. I don't need 'em 99.99% of the time. But it seems like every tool set includes a bunch of useless SAE garbage to pad out the piece count. So I set aside a small drawer for inch tools. The only time they come out is if I'm forced to work on farm machinery like Harleys or lawn mowers. The rest of the time they're out of my way.


Come to think of it, non-JIS tools also piss me off. I've pared my main toolbox down to only the metric stuff needed for the Japanese vehicles I work on, so it's easier to find what I need. The 9mm, 11mm, 13mm, 15mm, 16mm, 18mm sockets and such go into another drawer in case I have to work on a Ford or something. I still don't think I've ever used an 11mm anything.

 

[67King]

I have two big ones:
1. Using other people's tools. Don't know where anything is, how they have it organized, etc. Some folks, not so bad. Other folks are bad.
2. Having two sets of tools being used on the same project.

The two are often at odds with each other. If you help out a friend or vice versa, there's that dilemma. If you don't have your tools, it takes a lot longer because you have to find stuff (and obviously the other person's organization is a big factor here). If there are more than one set, then they get mixed up (unless they are different brands).

 

[67King]

I still don't think I've ever used an 11mm anything.

Brake lines and bleeder screws on Porsches, should you anticipate ever seeing one.

 

[leg17]

I had a shop teacher that doesn't respect tools. During a plumbing demonstration he used a 12" adjustable as a hammer multiple times. There was a hammer a couple feet away and even commented on how he was too lazy to grab it. Some kid commented on how he "loves when tools are used as other tools". That just killed me.

In the end, EVERYTHING is a hammer.

 

[BikerDad]

The tools that really get to me are those that just lay around and make no attempt to return to where they belong...

lg
no neat sig line

I was going to say my pet peeve with my tools is that they don't put themselves away.

Why can't they just find their own way back to bed?

 

[FullRaceMerc]

Here's another. On a jobsite, when I loan a tool out of my big bag to someone I trust, I tell him to leave it next to the bag when he's done. Some of us have worked together for 15 years, & I have no doubt that I'll get it back. Then to have him try to guess where it goes, just to put it in a place where I'll never look, since that isn't where I keep it. Please leave it on the ground so I can put it away. Wrong is much worse.

 

[BioNerd]

People grabbing my stuff before asking.
People asking me for something and I say "yes, just put it back where and as you found it", and then I'm looking around for the thing to be found in the wrong place.

"can I use your chisel?"- f-off

 

[1950mercury]

When your friend uses your brand new Matco locking flex head ratchet as a hammer and mangles it

 

[bwringer]

Round drop lights that roll out of the work area when you're right in the middle of needing it!

For that matter, lights in general piss me off. Somehow, no matter what kind of contortions your light is capable of, there's a point in every project where you cannot get light where you need it.

I sure am glad we have LEDs now, though -- it's been a while since I burned myself on a drop light, or dropped the damn thing two inches and shattered the stupid %$#@!^&! "rough service" bulb.

 

[superchargedv8]

"losing" a socket, buying a new one to complete a set and then having the lost one show up...lol

 

[geologist]

I hate it when people burn up the electrode holder on a stick welding rig. It pisses me off like you wouldn't believe. Nothing ***** more than trying to bury a root pass and having the rod shift because the electrode holder no longer has its grooves.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

Pulling the ground prong off of an extension cord so you can use it in a 2 prong receptacle on an old house. I have had that done to more than one cord by knuckleheads over the years. I have an adapter on the truck for situations where I choose to use one, but apparently it's common practice in some circles to rip them off. Then the guy acts like he did me a favor by modifying my cord so it works everywhere.

I got into an issue with a metal bodied grinder that was shorted to the body when I was young. I learned in a shower of sparks that normally you don't need the ground for the tool to run, but it is important for your safety that it's there when something goes wrong. I choose to keep them intact on my cords. Do what you want with yours, but leave mine alone.

I guess it comes down to my biggest pet peeve being someone not returning a tool in original condition.

 

[meier motor sports]

others disrespecting them. and losing them *****. i was working on 5 cars and a lawn tractor this weekend. and in 3 different spots. i cant find a 14mm 3/8 short impact. hope its just in the wrong spot and shows up.

 

[Manny2_0]

others disrespecting them. and losing them *****. i was working on 5 cars and a lawn tractor this weekend. and in 3 different spots. i cant find a 14mm 3/8 short impact. hope its just in the wrong spot and shows up.

Take it easy,
It was the weekend

probably just out chasing other sockets, or holed up with another socket in a nice little cubby

 

[Jeremy77]

I work in an industrial environment and my employer buys 99% of the tools that are needed everyday. They buy great tools as well. Armstrong, Proto, Williams etc. I hate seeing guys abuse/misuse these tools simply because they didn't come out of their pocket. I've seen 7/8 wrenches used as hammers, pry bars etc. Countless pairs of Channelocks, Vise Grips and Crescent wrenches of all sizes left on I beams to rust and corrode. Even though I haven't bought these tools, I still need them everyday and keep mine stored away, clean and ordered. And for Gods sake, if I need a 3 lb. hammer or a 4' pry bar, we have those as well. Why in the Hell would I beat a rusted 1/2 stud out of a flange with a perfectly good 1 1/4 wrench?

 

[nicksnothereman]

I don't like no one touching my knives. I'm not sure why.

 

[Manny2_0]

I don't like no one touching my knives. I'm not sure why.

I don't mind anyone touching my knives
They just can't cut anything with it

 

[Manny2_0]

I work in an industrial environment and my employer buys 99% of the tools that are needed everyday. They buy great tools as well. Armstrong, Proto, Williams etc. I hate seeing guys abuse/misuse these tools simply because they didn't come out of their pocket. I've seen 7/8 wrenches used as hammers, pry bars etc. Countless pairs of Channelocks, Vise Grips and Crescent wrenches of all sizes left on I beams to rust and corrode. Even though I haven't bought these tools, I still need them everyday and keep mine stored away, clean and ordered. And for Gods sake, if I need a 3 lb. hammer or a 4' pry bar, we have those as well. Why in the Hell would I beat a rusted 1/2 stud out of a flange with a perfectly good 1 1/4 wrench?

The tool Gods will get them for this, in this life or the next