When did you start buying tools

[Steevo]

I started coveting and collecting tools when I was about 12 (1967). I bought my first hip-roof tool box at a garage sale when I was 13, and had a better tool collection than my dad when I was 15. I had multiple paper routes and I saved every penny for tools, bicycles and odd equipment I brought home to work on. I bought a multi-drawer Craftsman top box when I was 16, and then begged everyone to put their Christmas money together and get me a 3-drawer rollaway that winter..
I have never sold a tool other than a crooked drill press and a leaky hydraulic knock-out tool, so I have pretty much every tool I have ever bought, borrowed, inherited or stole.
They are now spread across two garages and a shop and two states.

 

[speed bump]

Probably somewhere around 10-12. I started getting tools at about 8 and by 10 or 12 I was a regular at the hawk shops.

 

[Borrego]

I was late to the game, probably late teens or early 20s.......Used dad's tools until then. I have always been big into Craftsman because dad was. Wasn't too long before he was asking me if I had certain tools in my boxes......Kind of hard to tell dad to stay out of the rollaway drawers. Easier to show him where everything was.......Wasn't long before his #1 tool rule came back to haunt him - "If you use it, clean it up when done and put it away."

 

[Moose-LandTran]

How old were you when you started purchasing your own tools?

18, i was a tyre fitter doing little things here and there like brake pads. When i was 17 my mum and dad gave me two socket sets for Christmas which got me started, when i was working and had money i started buying tools myself. Almost as soon as i had the money it was spent!

The first tool's I ever bought: SO Hard handle Screwdriver set in Red ..

The first i ever bought myself was a set of Snap-on ratchets with orange hard handles. My boss had an older 3/8" one and i just had to have my own set.

 

[countryroad82]

I was about 10 when I bought my first Popular Mechanics screwdrivers and soldering iron to work on my postwar Lionel trains. At 12 my sister bought me my first Craftsman set to work on my dirtbikes. Before that I scrounged around and had some of my fathers tools to work on them but it was pretty incomplete. I still have that set that I have "retired" under a cabinet so nothing can happen to them. After that I started working in auto parts stores so I would use my discount to buy K/D or Craftsman when they were on sale. Now I am still buying and lately I have been slowly upgrading my Craftsman sockets to Snap On. I keep my SKs in my truck for junkyard runs or roadside repairs.

 

[Old Donn]

When I moved out and realized I couldn't always borrow my father's tools.

My too. Didn't get too carried away till I bought a house, had a place to put them.

 

[Coolabah]

How old were you when you started purchasing your own tools?

...OK, here is where I confess all... I was 5 years old and my 6th birthday was approaching- up 'till now, I had destroyed a heck of a lot of things around the house in the name of "fixing".....my dad had some cheap tools and I learned to abuse them early....!!!
my parents had these awesome friends. long story short I was given free reign at the biggest hardware store in the city to choose a birthday present.... ended up choosing a cantilever toolbox and lock (dunno ...wanted to keep as yet non-existent tools safe ??) ....still have the toolbox 45 years later, $6.00 well spent !!!

 

[FJF]

As you can see, this is my second post on GJ. I started working with tools at a very young age, designing and building [very] small electric-powered cars out of scrap parts. Still own the miniature vise I've had since I was 8. Once I hit my teens, priorities changed for better or for worse, I spent seemingly forever in school only to work in a field that had zero in common with the thrust of my education. Through the years I've mostly played with electronics and done very light mechanical work - all with $.10 tools. Now, approaching 48 years of age, after deciding that my tools are utter **** and finding this forum, I'm starting to buy good tools; ordered some Wera screwdrivers and Knipex pliers to get a feel for quality. Can't wait to try them out. All I do is search the site and read. Thank you all for the guidance.

 

[W650Mike]

Bought my first motorcycle aat 13 and discovered that we didn't have metric tools on the farm. Bought my first wrenches shortly thereafter. 38 years later...I'm still buying.

 

[Kirbot]

I guess I was about 7 or 8 when I actually paid for my first tool.

It was a coping saw from a flee market.
The addiction started early with me.....

 

[mark viii mark]

Started with "gateway"tools like Craftsman when I was about 16, then got hooked on Snap on when I was 18. Addicted for many years, got help. Still get the shakes when I see that white truck. My name is Mark, I am a tool junkie. lol

 

[Greatbear]

Probably about 7 years old, I bought some cheap tools from the PX for working in bikes and taking things apart.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I bought $40 dollars worth of cheap Tawain tools when I was in the Marines. Some nut drivers, screwdrivers and a ratchet set. I kept them in a .50 cal ammo can. I built my collection from there.

That was back in '88 and I still have some of the pieces.

 

[Yotaforce]

Lol. I did not really start buying any tools until I moved out and left my dads garage behind. He had everything I ever needed. I still find myself borrowing a few things from time to time. It's cheaper, and besides, he said he has willed it all to me (not that I look forward to that at all). He borrows some of my tools as well now (almost 20 years later).

 

[airbatica]

I guess I'm a relative youngster (33). I bought my first tools in 1996, a Craftsman socket set, box wrench set and screwdriver set to maintain my 1969 Chevelle station wagon. The Chevelle is long gone, but I still have the tools. No complaints, they've done everything I've asked them to. I didn't start filling out my collection until recently (last year or so). Now I've got a 41" HF Roller Cabinet, about 1/2 full. The top drawer is nearly full of sockets, impact sockets, ratchets and extensions. Also have two drawers full of wrenches. I'm loving my Wera screwdrivers too.... looking forward to knocking out some projects when its not 110+ outside this fall and winter.

 

[BloodySinner]

When I took a 2 year aircraft maintenance engineering course in college. At first I was buying buying the cheap **** while wondering why on Earth would I pay 5x the amount for a Snap-On/MAC tool (never even heard of the brands) even though there was a 50% discount for students. Simply because I couldn't afford the good stuff at the time.

About a year later, things changed. I was doing better financially so I decided to test the waters... Never bought cheap junk ever again.

 

[TireTracks]

I dident start really buying tools till I was 14, I asked for and got a 193pice Craftsman set, Still have notebook pages of things to build or buy.

 

[Rickster]

I was 16 and working at a Mobile gas station. Bought a set of Craftsman double box SAE wrenches with a small offset, a set of combination wrenches and a Craftsman two drawer Rally Box. Still have the double box wrenches in my toolbox.

 

[tjmonsen5]

For my 16th birthday my grandpa gave me a craftsman 100 piece socket set and a few pliers, etc to get me started since I just started driving an old car that would definitely need repairs. For christmas and each birthday, as well as randomly through the year, he would give me new craftsman tools. My collection started to get bigger, and my tools were all in a big rubber box in the garage. My parents bought me a toolbox for christmas, which i soon filled up as well. Last year my parents bought me another toolbox, a 42inch one this time, top and bottom. And now I have filled it up again!! My parents and grandpa stopped buying tools for me because they just dont know what I need anymore. Its all down to the specialty stuff from here on. I am very thankful for my tools.

 

[oeyniman]

... started at the age of 16, when my apprenticeship started.
Had 2 cantilever boxes full of nice bits and pieces, including some extra long hand made T-handle Allen keys, my files I did my final exam with and such.
2 metal boxes with my 5'' METABO (very special those days, when 4 1/2'' were common) angle grinder and a BOSCH drill inherited from my dad - a gift from his dad.
All burnt down and lost in one night at my buddy's place, where I stored most of my stuff.
After I learned that my buddy was okay so far, I looked at it only one more time, after I saw that my beloved METABO turned into a little puddle of melted alloy. Turned on my heel, just to re-purchase at least my favourite HAZET 851 1/4'' wrench set I just couldn't live without.
Buying ever since. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Definitely more since I'm on GJ.
Tough luck.

 

[Shipfittin]

Around the age of 15 I received my first set from Craftsman, probably around a 200 pc for Christmas that year. I've been buying tools ever since. I don't have the set anymore, it was stolen out of my truck one day.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I started when I was 16 and had to do the ball joints on my old beater 77 Dodge truck. Dad had tons of stuff around and familly had allready given me a decent CM starter setup for birthday / Christmas, etc, but I had to go track down a SO man to find that Chrysler ball joint socket when I needed it and buy that myself. It still resides in my toolbox and has been used a few times in the 25 years since.

 

[Outlawmws]

First real tools I can remember buying myself was a Weller soldering gun, a pair of Crescent needle nose pliers, and a pair of Crescent dykes for making slot car frames. about 5th grade. So 10 or so?

Craftsman wrenches came not long after.

I still have and use all three.

 

[Toolfool]

I was the neighborhood bicycle repair/ mod kid. Dad didn't have squat for tools at home (he repaired cameras for a living), so I went to sears at about 13 - 14 years old and bought screwdrivers,pliers, and an adjustable wrench. At 15, I told Mom I wanted to remodel my room, so she bought me a B&D drill, circular saw, and jigsaw for my birthday and Christmas (both in December). In high school I wasn't allowed to take shop classes, I was on the "academic" track, had to take all the college-oriented classes. Look where I ended up. Dropped out of pre-med after two years, repaired cameras for 15 years, then residential construction for 27 years.

 

[Steevo]

First real tools I can remember buying myself was a Weller soldering gun, a pair of Crescent needle nose pliers, and a pair of Crescent dykes for making slot car frames. about 5th grade. So 10 or so?

Craftsman wrenches came not long after.

I still have and use all three.

I made a lot of brass tube slot car frames back in the days when we had slot car tracks to go race them on.
Fried a lot of 3volt motors running them at 6v, too!

 

[RYS]

I have some SK wrenchs from when I was 12 or 13.

 

[e30bradley]

when I raced R/C cars from age 11-13? and then 15 for automotive tools.

 

[crewchief888]

back in the late 60's, dad bought me some, to fix my bicycles.
i started buying tools when i started my machinist apprenticeship in '76,
started buying more when i started riding dirt bikes, and bought a toyota in '81

 

[4Tigers]

Bought a 9/16 1/2 dog bone wrench at local auto store in New City, NY when I 15 they gave me a sliding plug gap tool Still have both 40 plus years later!

Love tools -- Wife bought me a power max 45 plasma cutter Friday can't wait to try it this weekend

 

[ricleh]

The first tool I can remember buying was a screwdriver at Sears in 1958.

 

[bacpacker]

I got my first CMan screwdrivers, must have been 10 or so. I grew up on a farm and we fixed/repaired EVERYTHING. So I learned early on the value of a good tool. My parents got me a nice CMan set with top and bottom box for my 12th Christmas. I was like a kid in a candy store. I've been buying tools ever since. Picked up a Dewalt 18v cordless drill last week. Sweet!

 

[jhn9840]

Parents Gave me set of JC Penney sockets,wrenches,and screwdrivers for my 16th birthday in 1975. Shortly there after I bought my own Craftsman set. Can't remember how many pieces. Still have and use both sets along with many additions. Seems to be a pretty popular occurence growing up for many of us. Shame what Sears is doing to the Craftsman name. Like someone mentioned earlier the thought of trading in one of my good old Craftsman tools for the new junk just makes me sick.

jhn9840
John

 

[dittle fart around]

Started working in a hardware store straight out of high school. Made my first purchases there with a discount. After moving to California, I was managing a hardware store and made power tool buys of Makita brand tools.

 

[lodemia]

I started mowing lawns when I was 10 or 11. I've been buying tools and repairing things since then.

 

[larry_g]

First real tools I can remember buying myself was a Weller soldering gun, a pair of Crescent needle nose pliers,...for making slot car frames .

Same story here, as well as some files and an exacto knife kit. Not sure I still have the pliers but the weller and exacto are still around. First set of hand tools was when I started tech school.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Strouty]

I probably did not start buying tools until 15 but I had tons of gifts or hand me downs before that. I do remember buying one of those hammer with the screw drivers in the handle things when I was like 10, but I don't consider it a real tool.

 

[KermitFrog]

Given tools so young I can't remember.

Around 9 my dad's store carried SK, Great Neck & TaT so I bought that.

At 12 I bought my first all out set. Paid around $450 in 1983 for a Craftsman set. During the summer I made about $600 a week detailing cars, I had my own business then. All the tools belong to my dad now as I left it when I joined the military. Still a disorganized mess despite him buying several roll arounds.

 

[TAftw]

I used my dad's tools forever. First tool purchase was a Cman set when I was 17. It was Black Friday and drizzling rain, I remember lugging that whole set through the parking lot lol.

 

[TurboCup87]

I bought a socket and wrench kit from Montgomery Ward in 1969 when I was 16. Still have much of it including the 3/8 ratchet. Use it all the time!