Why oh why do people recommend these tools???

[creativecars]

I am amazed by the number of people on here who keep recommending certain tools to someone just starting out.

I am not talking about brand. A cheap "vise grip" type tool can ruin just as many fasteners as SO vise grips.

Vise grip, Crescent (adjustable) wrench, dog bone or any other fit all type tools can literally do more damage than good. I do think some of them need to be in a tool box, but they should never be the first thing on a tool list. If a person has the proper wrench or socket then a fit-all is not necessary. Nobody likes to remove a fastener after some knuckle head screwed it up with pliers or rounded it off with an adjustable wrench. Please teach new garage kids to use the proper tools and not to screw things up for the rest of us. If you are a duct tape and baling wire mechanic... please don’t pass it on to another generation.
Am I alone on this???

Rant over…

 

[bobcatdan]

I'm not saying a vise grip or crescent wrench are a replacements for proper size tools, but those two examples are mandatory tools for any size tool set. Stuff like a dog bone is a waste of the Chinese labor to make the thing.

 

[Hyster Gareth]

Totally agree the dog bone is an insult to proper hand tools.

QUOTE=bobcatdan;3541984]I'm not saying a vise grip or crescent wrench are a replacements for proper size tools, but those two examples are mandatory tools for any size tool set. Stuff like a dog bone is a waste of the Chinese labor to make the thing.[/QUOTE]

 

[R.Anderson]

I'm not saying a vise grip or crescent wrench are a replacements for proper size tools, but those two examples are mandatory tools for any size tool set. Stuff like a dog bone is a waste of the Chinese labor to make the thing.

There are USA made dog bones.

 

[Alchymist]

I like my birthday gift dog bone. Man, it's a Craftsman, and since I got it, I have never had a paper blow off my desk!

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I hate it when people use the old "Universal Wrench" for everything. People like this usually buy the cheapest one possible so it destroys everything it touches.

FWIW, I love my Proto adjustables, more so than my made in USA Williams adjustable. The only time an adjustable is ok to use is if you don't have a wrench big enough, or you come across a *********** fastener that doesn't seem to be SAE or MM.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Sorry, but I believe Vise grips are a very necessary tool. I don't use mine on good fasteners that can be removed with a wrench or socket but for a lot of other things they are good to have. Same goes for crescent wrenches. Personally I hate crescent wrenches with a passion but they do come in handy on the occasion.

And sometimes you have to be a "ducttape and bailing wire" mechanic to get field repairs done so you can make it back to the tools and parts. Knowing how to improvise, adapt, and overcome when you don't have that well equipped toolbox available is an utterly necessary skill. You shouldn't rig stuff together out of laziness/ignorance but you should know how to get your MacGyver on when you need to.

Now utter **** like dogbones and other gimmicky ****, that **** ain't allowed in my house or vehicle.

 

[bobcatdan]

There are USA made dog bones.

Who had made a dogbone in the USA in the last 50 years?

 

[creativecars]

I did say some of these do have their place, but people turn to this forum for recomendations. Some folks keep telling new people to make the same poor tool choices.
Out of all the tools I have to teach my kids with I would never show them how to cut corners on tool choice. People will pick up their own bad habbits with out us recommending them.

 

[dr_clyde]

I seldom use my adjustable wrenches for turning fasteners. However, they make fantastic metal shaping tools. I use them to straighten crooked metal, bend or twist bar stock, add leverage to a flat object, the list goes on. One of the best uses is taking the twist out of long, thin sheared sheet metal.

I have wrenches up to two inches, so i usually have the right wrench for the job.

 

[Kracin]

I am amazed by the number of people on here who keep recommending certain tools to someone just starting out.

I am not talking about brand. A cheap "vise grip" type tool can ruin just as many fasteners as SO vise grips.

Vise grip, Crescent (adjustable) wrench, dog bone or any other fit all type tools can literally do more damage than good. I do think some of them need to be in a tool box, but they should never be the first thing on a tool list. If a person has the proper wrench or socket then a fit-all is not necessary. Nobody likes to remove a fastener after some knuckle head screwed it up with pliers or rounded it off with an adjustable wrench. Please teach new garage kids to use the proper tools and not to screw things up for the rest of us. If you are a duct tape and baling wire mechanic... please don’t pass it on to another generation.
Am I alone on this???

Rant over…

{RANT}

i hate it when people who know absolutely nothing about what other people use tools for assume that the only tools that anyone should use are the tools they own, regardless of situation and or what is being worked on or what the profession or non/profession is.

i hate it when people think that just because they can't find a use for a tool and use it properly that the tool MUST be junk and/or obsolete so why does anyone bother buying them anymore.

i hate it when self-proclaimed know-it-alls try to generalize everything into one incoherent sentence that pertains to a very small portion of the population in general.

{/RANT}


am i doin it right OP? just wondering if you know how many other professions out there actually get along with the use of tools you may have never even heard of before?

 

[Kracin]

Sorry, but I believe Vise grips are a very necessary tool. I don't use mine on good fasteners that can be removed with a wrench or socket but for a lot of other things they are good to have. Same goes for crescent wrenches. Personally I hate crescent wrenches with a passion but they do come in handy on the occasion.

And sometimes you have to be a "ducttape and bailing wire" mechanic to get field repairs done so you can make it back to the tools and parts. Knowing how to improvise, adapt, and overcome when you don't have that well equipped toolbox available is an utterly necessary skill. You shouldn't rig stuff together out of laziness/ignorance but you should know how to get your MacGyver on when you need to.

Now utter **** like dogbones and other gimmicky ****, that **** ain't allowed in my house or vehicle.

much better than the original post that assumed everybody worked on perfect and untainted machinery/cars

 

[oldtools]

People need to realize these "universal wrench" is not meant for mechanic/auto work. It is meant for home use. How often do you run into space issue assembling a bed or a chair? How tight are those bolt/screw threading into wood? They are clunky, but they are useful in situation where space is not an issue.

 

[oldtools]

Who had made a dogbone in the USA in the last 50 years?

http://www.petfooddirect.com/produc...t?extcid=PLA&gclid=CM3ckeaQkLsCFcY1Qgodow8AZg

 

[neophyte]

I don't think I've ever seen a plumber remove a wrench rom his bag or box that wasn't an adjustable of some sort. If I did it was a wrench made for turning one or two standard sized fittings like the Ridgid "One Stop" wrench.

 

[Stooge]

I know i havent been on this forum too long, but this is one site that seems to be of the mentality of using the right tool/ ostercizing those who are the whatever tool will do, vise grips for everything type. I have a few pairs of both in my box, Dont remember the last time the adjustables were out of the drawer for anything other than some plumbing stuff and the vise grips usually only get used if theres some mangled piece that needs some convincing on one of the old cars.

 

[jjjrmx5]

Am I alone on this???

Rant over…

Yes.

Vice grips and adjustable wrenches have thier place.
As do other tools.

Work in metal fab and welding and vice grips are your best friends.

Plumbers love adjsutables. As do industrial maintenance guys/girls and farm equipment guys.

Everyone just thinks of tool users as folks that work on cars.
It's FAR more reaching than that.

As for "shade tree" mechanics and ZOMG I know it all 20 somethings fixing the Honda in the driveway?
Yep.
100% agree.

Ya still can't fix stupid though. Sadly.

 

[plinker]

Knowing how and when to use certain tools is just as important as having the right one.

I use adjustable wrenches (quality ones) and Vise grips quite often and the latter has saved my **** more then a few times. That said it goes back to the right tool being used the first time. And sometimes stuff just come's with experiance.

 

[bobcatdan]

http://www.petfooddirect.com/produc...t?extcid=PLA&gclid=CM3ckeaQkLsCFcY1Qgodow8AZg

Good one.

 

[byoungblood]

I mainly use Crescent style adjustable wrenches working on plumbing because of the atrocious tolerances on many plumbing fittings.

While a proper tool should always be used first, vise grips certainly have their place in a toolbox.

 

[monkeyspanners]

I've used adjustable wrenches for over 30 years on refrigeration system for flare nuts and components, i don't recall any damage to tool or fixture cause by their use.
They are not my first choice on general nuts and bolts etc but like vicegrips and slipjoint pliers they have their place. They are the right tool for certain tasks imo.

 

[Thumper68]

I use both offending tools mentioned often, both at work and in the shop. I see no issue with using either to remove a fastener.

I wouldn't however use one to install a headed fastener.

Vice grips are a godsend for installing threaded rod, slip joints are great for rigid elec conduit same for adjustable wrenches, there are places that these tools are needed.

I better rant would be about teaching people where and when to use them rather than saying that they should not be used at all.

 

[scaron]

i'm not going to stand up and defend gimmick tools like a dog bone wrench but vise grips and crescent-style adjustable wrenches are time-tested, helpful tools when they are used properly. vise grips are invaluable for taking apart stuff that is completely mangled and i'll often reach for an adjustable if one is close by just to hold on to a nut or bolt head while i am using a ratchet on its corresponding bolt or nut, respectively. i would never use either tool to initially break a fastener loose (unless i am gonna toss it and replace it, then i might take out the vise grips) or finally torque one down but i wouldn't knock those tools either; they have their place.

 

[Jarhead0408]

I wish I had a link for you, but another member here posted one that was made back in the '30's or '40's. They didn't sell too well back then either.

 

[Beachside Hank]

“FWIW, I love my Proto adjustables, more so than my made in USA Williams adjustable. The only time an adjustable is ok to use is if you don't have a wrench big enough, or you come across a *********** fastener that doesn't seem to be SAE or MM.”

This may have happened yesterday, or it may happen yet in the future:

“Hey boss, I can’t find a wrench to fit this bolt, never seen anything like it.”
“Lemme see dat- yup, thought so, it’s a *********** #7, gimme my Proto…”

Thanks Blue, now those buggers have a name.

 

[Jarhead0408]

What do you know, I checked out this thread and spotted this....

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180993&page=147

REALLY old dogbone wrench in that one....

 

[bobcatdan]

Craftsman did offer a dogbone wrench for a while in 50's.

 

[air]

If you can find an old Proto 'ClickStop' Adjustable, you will NOT be sorry. They are the Cat's Meow.

 

[oldtools]

I was able to remove several rounded off bolts with vise grip. It save my a$$ in many situations. I think vise grip is an essential tool.

 

[3baygarage]

Going back a few years, I had a friend called "The Fonz", who enjoyed using Vise Grips and only Vise Grips on everything.
Especially on things that would easily round such as brake line fittings.
I also think he used 10W-30 in his hair.

 

[jlsanzaro]

Sorry, but I believe Vise grips are a very necessary tool. I don't use mine on good fasteners that can be removed with a wrench or socket but for a lot of other things they are good to have. Same goes for crescent wrenches. Personally I hate crescent wrenches with a passion but they do come in handy on the occasion.

And sometimes you have to be a "ducttape and bailing wire" mechanic to get field repairs done so you can make it back to the tools and parts. Knowing how to improvise, adapt, and overcome when you don't have that well equipped toolbox available is an utterly necessary skill. You shouldn't rig stuff together out of laziness/ignorance but you should know how to get your MacGyver on when you need to.

Now utter **** like dogbones and other gimmicky ****, that **** ain't allowed in my house or vehicle.

you said it best. IMPROVISE, ADAPT, AND OVERCOME thats what makes a great mechanic and thats what needs to be taught to the next generation.

 

[Coach James]

“FWIW, I love my Proto adjustables, more so than my made in USA Williams adjustable. The only time an adjustable is ok to use is if you don't have a wrench big enough, or you come across a *********** fastener that doesn't seem to be SAE or MM.”

This may have happened yesterday, or it may happen yet in the future:

“Hey boss, I can’t find a wrench to fit this bolt, never seen anything like it.”
“Lemme see dat- yup, thought so, it’s a *********** #7, gimme my Proto…”

Thanks Blue, now those buggers have a name.

*********** #7....HAHAHA!!!

Coach

 

[OccupantRJ]

Vise grips, Channel locks, and Williams adjustable wrenches. These three are in all the tool boxes I own. If you don't use them, you ain't working on very much.

 

[KnurledNut]

And sometimes you have to be a "ducttape and bailing wire" mechanic to get field repairs done so you can make it back to the tools and parts. Knowing how to improvise, adapt, and overcome when you don't have that well equipped toolbox available is an utterly necessary skill. You shouldn't rig stuff together out of laziness/ignorance but you should know how to get your MacGyver on when you need to.

Well said.
Sometimes you gotta do stuff like this:

 

[stolender]

I have a vintage Williams #1999 Multisocket dogbone. I've never used it, but it's a well made tool by a respected company.

 

[955point9cummins]

I just sold all of my box end and open ended wrenches. Don't need em anymore. I have a couple pairs of visegrips, even a robogrip, an adjustable socket from home Depot (on sale 9 bucks!), 3 sizes of crescent wrenches, and a claw hammer. Have an amazing out of space in my garage now.

 

[BFHtime]

Proper employment of such tools is the key. I learned as a kid, 8-10 years of age to put a crescent style adjustable wrench on a fastener, then tighten the tool to the fastener, before trying to turn the fastener.

I learn this by rounding some nuts or bolts. I remember being pissed that the tool was not working right. I know now, to pay attention to what is going on, and if the tool can not take the torque, then find something else that can.

I find vice grips great at taking out stripped screws.

I caught my dad with a dog bone wrench. I asked him, "what do you have that for?", his response, "to keep from carrying around as many tools". He said he still carries a set sockets and ratchets but he doesn't want to carry them. I think he uses it as a gauge, instead of carrying the set. He is having difficulty walking from wear and tear of a life of physical labor, he is pretty much retired but does work to give him something to do.

There are situations where sometimes my older cheaper tools fit better than my newer snapon tools. It happens.

In that same day he did mention that he was tired of chasing down tools that he lent out. He used to have three boxes of tools on his truck that he daily drove. He bought a new truck and is trying hard to to put a box on it. Although he put in a box to go under the back seat, which I did tease him about. I am not sure he can go without having tools.

Over Thanksgiving I went in his basement to look at the piles of tools that he has. Long post I know but, this is probably the only place people can relate to just looking at tools just to check them out.

 

[shoggoth80]

I'll echo the sentiments of many:
Vise grips and adjustables are not replacements. Occasionally, ya need to clamp down hard on a fastener to remove it, because it's already screwed up though. They also work well for holding onto some parts. I hate adjustable wrenches as a general rule. Dog bones should not exist. Lol.

When I worked as a stage hand, the typical tools were a hammer and a crescent wrench for putting together stages and truss.

 

[djwyman]

Call me a bad person if you want but if I am on my motorcycle the only tool I have usually is a letherman multi tool and if said motorcycle breaks and I need rig the bike up to get me home that ****** comes out...it may mess up the fastener but at least I got back on the road and to the house. I say that to say that sometimes you just can't possibly have a set of sockets and wrenches with you so you may have to improvise. Also vise grips and adjustable wrenches have their places and should be in any tool box for those situations in which they are needed

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

[monomach]

When I was a wee lad, I changed oil for a living to put myself through school. Dogbones are amazing for lube techs. Anyone who says otherwise has no idea what they're talking about.

Keeping one of each on your drain pan saves you a trip to your box on 99/100 cars. On 99/100, there's plenty of room for it to fit and the plug isn't torqued to high heaven and needing a real wrench.

Those things saved me so much time...