A while ago we had a member lamenting about the socket he dropped into the dark abyss known as an engine compartment and ended up by saying it was one of his good craftsman sockets. More recently we had someone looking to replace one of his old wrenches.

My first thought was “come on man, they are just tools”. And then I looked into the mirror and realized that the hypocrisy flag was flying high.

I have a craftsman 8 pc Mico-Screwdriver set (read tweekers) that I had in my tool bag for 4 years on my last ship. They are hands down the best tweekers that I and everyone who has ever used them have ever found. So of course craftsman discontinued them. I almost never break them out because I cannot replace them. This sounds silly but is actually really stupid when you understand that for 4 years they were the go to tweekers for every sailor in my shop and when I transferred not only did I have the entire set but they were in perfect condition. (There are some ex-sailors here calling bullshit but really, they are in perfect shape). With proper usage they will probably last forever but I just don’t ever use them, I use the cheap sets I have laying around instead.

So what are your “good Tools and why? And what does it take to make you break them out?

a great customer gave me one of these ,he ran a gas station in central Phoenix,
back when I was delivering appliances.

https://shop.snapon.com/product/SSDMR4B

I've had it for 20 years

what a wonderful invention

Use my Milwaukee 18v drill and driver all the time. Great tools.

Less often I use my Bridge City Tool Works scratch awls. Very high quality rosewood, brass and steel. Beautiful pieces. They stay in the shop, not the traveling toolbox.

My Dewalt 18v drill I bought forever ago. Just added a 20v Dewalt circular saw and the twin 20v battery pack came with an 18v adapter...so my old drill/driver can just keep on truckin even if the obsolete batts go bad.

You all missed the point of the post, I think?

For me it's testers. I carry an $90 VoltCon (electrical tester), very good tool does 99%+ of what I need I only break out the $300 True RMS meter for things under 12v or where accuracy matters. Had it for 7-8 years, still looks like I opened the package yesterday.

Used it today for first time in a while chasing bleed through voltage.

can't say I have any good tools, everything is in the nonairconditioned shop area under the house.

Id really like to have some good tools, but due to rust from humidity and possibility of flooding from hurricanes I keep it to what works for now

This isn't even half of what I own. It takes two guys to roll it anywhere. For about 55 years I've either purchased or made tools including pullers for gears, covers and housings, bearing removal and installation and so on.
My insurance agent suggested a value of $20,000 for coverage.

I'd be lost without all of them.

quote:

Originally posted by Oldrider:
This isn't even half of what I own. It takes two guys to roll it anywhere. For about 55 years I've either purchased or made tools including pullers for gears, covers and housings, bearing removal and installation and so on.
My insurance agent suggested a value of $20,000 for coverage.

I'd be lost without all of them.

I like your style!

I use what I have and replace what I lose. Maybe buy 10mm deep sockets in pairs...

I have about $20,000 of Snap-On tools. Had two shops, an Alfa Romeo shop and later a yacht repair business.

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:
I have a craftsman 8 pc Mico-Screwdriver set (read tweekers) that I had in my tool bag for 4 years on my last ship.

If you ever need another set of micro screwdrivers, Wiha makes very good ones and Wera and PB Swiss make exceptional ones.

I have cheap sockets and wrenches and stuff like that. My "good tools" would probably be sets of PB Swiss and Wera screwdrivers to cover almost everything (PB Swiss normal size flathead, Phillips, and pozi sets, micro flathead and Phillips sets, Wera micro hex nut drivers in imperial and metric - I need to get a Torx set), PB Swiss hex keys, and Knipex Cobra Pliers and Pliers Wrenches in assorted sizes, all of which I use very frequently.

I also have some high-end for hobbyist use electronics tools like a Hakko soldering station and a Tektronix digital storage oscilloscope that I mainly use for DIY audio and guitar equipment.

Years ago, I bought a full set of Bonanza gunsmith screwdrivers.
I use them with due reverence.

Long story short: never

Long story:
I "won" some Snap-On Tools at a Ducks Unlimited Spring BBQ in Anchorage, AK (year in and year out one of DU's top 2 or 3 fundraisers in the US). I say "won" because my coworkers talked me into the guaranteed winner package (they did it too) and I got about a 50% return on investment (e.g. $400 gun and the Snap-on Tools) whereas my coworkers both got 100+% return on investment (better gun and won more loot with their tickets).

Back to the topic at hand, I haven't lived in AK since 2014 and the Snap-on Tools are still in their original packaging because so far I have always grabbed my 30 year old Craftsman tools or even the inexpensive Costco kit I bought for my truck.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
a great customer gave me one of these ,he ran a gas station in central Phoenix,
back when I was delivering appliances.

https://shop.snapon.com/product/SSDMR4B

I've had it for 20 years

what a wonderful invention

Same here, but mine is the T handle version.
Man you can really torque things down with one of them or break free stubborn screws/bolts with it.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:
I have about $20,000 of Snap-On tools. Had two shops, an Alfa Romeo shop and later a yacht repair business.

So you have one $19,800 Snap On tool chest and a $200 Snap On socket?

In my mind if a tool isn't ever used, it isn't a good tool and in fact it's not a tool at all. It's a collectors item.

I have a good handful of tools that have been collected over the years. If I had to pick one favorite, it will be my worm drive Skil-Saw. It has never let me down!

 
I really cannot abide cheap, poorly made tools. I buy good tools and those are the ones I use, always.

I have a SK 18pc 3/8 ratchet set I bought about 30 years ago. Just looked it up, $271.59. If I remember right I think I paid $49 for it.

My hand tools are all in the middling range, so nothing really special that's ever not used when needed and no duplicates of pretty much anything.

Only thing I have in this category would be a kitchen knife, a Bob Kramer made for me in 2011. That doesn't come out every day but if it's a day or weekend of cooking it will be used for the duration. Like some things other never touch as a collectible, it is just too good when using to NOT use it when you can. I suspect the same is true for you guys with your fancy hand tools in hiding! Get 'em out!

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
My hand tools are all in the middling range, so nothing really special that's ever not used when needed and no duplicates of pretty much anything.

Only thing I have in this category would be a kitchen knife, a Bob Kramer made for me in 2011. That doesn't come out every day but if it's a day or weekend of cooking it will be used for the duration. Like some things other never touch as a collectible, it is just too good when using to NOT use it when you can. I suspect the same is true for you guys with your fancy hand tools in hiding! Get 'em out!

One of my knives has a piece of tape on it marking do not use for wife's sister and BIL who was staying with us after last year's hurricane. Kitchen knives will probably be an answer of many.