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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Piles of cheap tools



Anybody who's handy should have a good set of hand tools. They should be kept clean, organized, and stored in the same place. When you need a tool, you'll know where to find it. Quality hand tools last a lifetime, so it's a good investment. The bulk of my good hand tools come from my dad.

That being said, if you are anything like me, a lot of cheap, random tools end up in your possession. Some are yard sale specials. Others are from friends and relatives. At this point in my life, the only way to not end up with more cheap tools is to actively discourage people from giving them to me. That's not going to happen.

Okay, so you've got a good set for the house, then what? I've put together some moderately decent tool kits for the van and my wife's car. My boat has a good enough kit. That marine enviornment is tough on tools, so I check that kit often and keep them well oiled.

But wait, there's more . . . tools that is. I've still got things like random wrenches lying around, homeless. Today I used one of those random wrenches to work on my backup oil furnace. When the fuel tank runs out, a wrench is needed to bleed the air out of the system. After I was done, the wrench was hung on the side of the furnace. Next time I have to do that job, the right tool will be where it's needed.

If you are doing serious work, use a serious tool. However, often a cheap tool will do plenty of lighter duty jobs. If you've got them anyway, might as well put them where they'll be of use. Sure beats having them rust away in a box somewhere.

-Sixbears

20 comments:

  1. And there's always selling or trading.

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    1. That works -if you don't tend to hoard tools, like I do. :)

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  2. Phyllis (N/W Jersey)December 30, 2012 at 7:24 AM

    My Dad's hand tools are used often and will passed down to my sons. My tools, good ones, are taken care of and like yours were expensive. I loved woodworking and making toys but finding tools that were small, light and sturdy was difficult.

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    1. Difficult to find, but worth the seach, I'm sure.

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  3. Kinda like the three 25 rnd 10/22 mags that I'm heading down to the gun show today with...they are earlier butler creeks that are prone to missfeeds...yet curiosity just makes me want to walk around and see just how gullible the general public is. I'm told that a BX-25 is going for a 100 bucks right now lol

    Old WC Fields was most certainly correct...

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    1. That would certainly be selling a cheap tool at a good tool price.

      Bought my quality Ruger magazines for my P-89 before prices went crazy.

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    2. After action report:
      Got four bricks for the POS mags lol

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    3. Sweet! That's turning nothing into something.

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  4. My father-in-law said that I was dangerous when handed a tool. Gee, I wonder what he meant by that?

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    1. Could mean anything Dizzy. Could mean anything. :)

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  5. I have tools that i got as a kid and i remember the occasion clearly, but i never remember where i left it the last time i used it.

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    1. Thats one reason it's nice to have lots of tools in lots of places.

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  6. Actually, I have some good tools, but I started to pay folks for doing things like the plumbing. Getting down isn't a problem, but getting back up can be!

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    1. You've got to think: what else can I do now that I'm going to be down here for a while. :)

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  7. One of my favorite things to do is hunt for old tools in second hand stores,yard sales,and antique shops.As my brother and I are acquiring a 20 acre piece of montana,hand tools of the type used by http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss dick proenneke (alone in the wilderness)to build his cabin are highly sought after .Hope to utilize some of those trees ,old school.Happy new year.

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    1. Good movie. Saw it a few years ago. Shows what can be done with some very basic tools. I remember being impressed with how he formed boards. A bit more work than picking them up at the lumber yard.

      Happy New Year to you too.

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  8. organize your tools, extra ones can be seperated into "bunk bins" til you "need replacements" or giveaways to those whom "borrow"

    keep them clean, sharp, and lubercaited

    rusty tools are a bitch to use...

    meanwhile "HAPPY NEW YEAR"

    Wildflower

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    1. Good advice. I should gather all those odd ball tools into bins, just to see exactly what I've got.

      Happy New Year to you too!

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  9. plastic "shoe boxes" are great for some tools

    plastic tray bins with ajustable seperators are great for tiny sockets, drill bits, and allen wrenches

    bigger items, storage zip bags work well

    very big items, saran wrap and duct tape


    in all keep them semi organized and clean

    again, happier new year to you
    hangover if applical be painless!

    Wildflower

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  10. Good suggestions. I've got a lot of tools in bins, but they are really too big to organize properly. Might as well just label them "stuff." I've got to break them down into smaller containers.

    I may find my way to a wee bit of single malt scotch.

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