special tools?

[tractorguy2]

This post isn't about specialty tools but rather tools that are special to you for any reason.

Back in my middle school years I wore out my made in Japan socket set grandpa gave me for Christmas in 1978. I thought I needed a new set. Was going to buy another cheap one. Dad told me I should buy a good one. Saving my lawn mowing money and dad helping a little. I had enough! Dad ordered me this S-K socket set out of his tool catalog for $83.99. I thought that was a lot of money.

I was always afraid I'd lose a piece of it since it took most of the summer to come up with $83.00. So I seldom used it. I ended up buying an ACE hardware socket set. In fact I don't even keep my S-K set in the shop. It's in my basement toy tractor shop. I use it mostly for household repairs. I still have whats left of my 1978 socket set grandpa gave me.

I have all of dad's tools. I have more socket sets than I will ever use.

This is what $83.99 would buy in 1984.

 

[ArleninOr]

Have that same set in my tools also.

 

[caterpillar guy]

For dad I bought a 3/4 socket set with an 8 inch extension and sockets from 7/8 to 2 inch I priced the sets and then the individual sockets were cheaper so went the individual way with a ratchet was around 69or 70 dollars back in about 1968or so. Been a long time. He still has all of it yet. He's added to it since too. I bought a 3/4 set like that with deep well sockets back about that time 1984 maybe later. was around 100.00 or 150.00 with ratchet breaker bar and extensions. Bought a put together set of Wright 1 inch drive impact sockets out of one of those bargain barn deals for about 75or 80 dollars with a couple extensions with a set of deep well sockets also. Went back a couple days later and the rest was gone. Would have liked to gotten more of them. Thought 2 inch was big back then now would like to find a set up to the 4 inch size. Most of my tools came from pawn shops or other used places like that. all are name brand like Mac,snap0on,Wright or such. I don't bother with the cheap junk it just costs money in the end with replacing it with 3 more to keep one to use.

 

[da.bees]

The majority of my hand tools are Craftsman I bought in the 60s. The tool I've stressed most over losing was a small pair of Swiss made needle nose. While organizing a barn last summer I came across a wood splitting wedge Granddad helped me build while teaching blacksmithing. It was forged from several pieces of mild steel with stainless sandwiched in center.

 

[DR. EVIL]

Was about 1973, maybe '74, local Blain's Farm & Fleet had a Wright tool set, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 sockets, standard, deep well, 6-pt and 12-pt, and various extensions and ratchets, breaker bars, some cheap screwdrivers, cheap Vice-Grips, and a complete set of Wright combination wrenches, 1/4 to 1. I've gone thru several sets of screwdrivers, lots of Vice-Grips, but the ONLY socket I've broken was the 3/4 deep well 1/2 drive socket, forget what I was taking apart but it split up the side, I saved it, it became the start of my 7.3L PowerStroke fuel filter wrench when I bought my '96 F-250 in June '96.
But the Wright sockets have been great. I've added several sets of Craftsman sockets and ratchets over the years. Dad gave me all his Craftsman 3/4 drive sockets, breaker bars, and ratchets, and extension, it's only got a couple sockets, I remember when he bought the ratchet, $18 and 18 inches long! Buck an inch.
Thing I've had the biggest problem with has been screwdrivers, I've gone thru close to a dozen sets! C.J. Baker used to write excellent technical articals in Hot Rod Magazine back in the early 1970's, one on starting your tool collection recommended getting a big heavy large straight blade screwdriver to use as a gasket scraper, pry bar, take ALL the abuse so your other screwdrivers can survive. I bought a big beefy STANLEY screwdriver about 1973/'74, it's still my best screwdriver! I've priced a set of Snap-On screwdrivers several times, I went to college in the early 1970's in Snap-On's home town, Kenosha, Wis. They do have an outlet store. And they're still beastly expensive!

 

[Steve in VA]

My maternal grandfather farmed central Illinois. He carried these pliers in the breast pocket of his overalls. Today I do the same when I wear my overalls.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

I have a set of Craftsman impact sockets in the original case I bought back in the early 1980's with a Milwaukee electric impact wrench,wore the impact wrench out years ago but the impact sockets are still in good shape after years off pretty hard use.They are my go to sockets.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

When my boy was in HS, I gave him a complete set of Craftsman sockets. It came with 4 drawers, one for 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 sockets. The bottom drawer was for end wrenches.

Years later for Father's day, my son bought me the same set of Craftsman sockets that said MADE IN USA on them.

Can't get anymore special than that.

 

[Determined]

When I first started off all the tools I owned would fit in an aluminum lunchbox.

Once I had a few dollars for tools one of the first brand name things I bought was a 12 inch long Snap on flat blade screwdriver.

Unfortunately a few months later my truck was broken into and along with some other items my screwdriver was gone.
I filed a police report but never heard anything back about it.

Fast forward a couple of years I get a phone call from the police, they had arrested two guys trying to break into a boxcar down at the rail yards.
When they searched them one of them had the big Snap on screwdriver on him.

The officer asked him where he got it from and the reply was oh that I've had it for years. (clearly not the brightest bulb on the tree)

The whole time he had it the idiot never bothered to look at it close enough to see my name engraved on the handle.

Ended up going to court on the request of the police and when all was said and done I finally had my screwdriver back.

While I take good care of my tools I take a little extra care of this screwdriver and it is still in my box 38 years later.

My Dad's been gone going on 27 years now, he as well had a 1/2 inch SK socket set which I have now, I still think of him every time I pick one up out of the toolbox.

The old Miners lunchbox, it is stocked with enough tools to handle most any roadside repair that comes up and it always gets packed into whatever vehicle we take on a trip.

 

[RCP]

I have my Father's tool set that he accumulated in 25 years of working as a mechanic and a heavy equipment operator. When I was 19 I took a job as a mechanic for a local Massey dealer, but I did not have any tools. Dad bought a new set of tools from Napa for himself and gave me his collection of tools. At that time I was disappointed that he got the new set, but now I am glad he gave me the old set. There are stories that go with many of the tools on how he acquired them. There are Craftsman, S-K, Bonney, Firestone, SnapOn, Thorsen etc tools in the box. The other nice part is since they are a mix I know what size the wrench is by the shape or style as many of them are unique. I use these tools almost every day.

 

[Dusty MI]

I'm at our winter quarters so I can't look but I've got a 1/2" drive socket set that my dad bought before I can remember, and I don't remember the brand name, I think S & K now owns it. The lettering is in triangular shapes.

 

[rrlund]

I've got a great big pair of Channel Locks that Dad got for me for my birthday when I was probably 14 or so. They're big enough to use to take off oil filters. I don't use them a lot, but when I do, they're about all I have to do the job I'm using them for. I've got an old pair of fencing pliers here too that Dad had in his wooden fencing box. I use them a lot. They're so worn that the wire cutters are worthless on them, but working with barbed wire and staples, they're the only thing that'll work most of the time. I've looked at new ones, but the new ones have rubber covered handles and wouldn't work to tighten corner brace wires or with my Texas Fence Fixer.

 

[old-9]

Nice set swivel sockets as well.

 

[gmccool]

When I turned wrenches in the 70s I started out with a bunch of miss matched stuff. I slowly bought Snap On when ever I added more tools as I needed them. In the 80s I had enough Snap On tools that I had a rider on my insurance policy for 10K should something happen to them. I can't imagine what they are worth today. I'm sure most of them have tripled if not quadrupled in value, maybe more.

 

[greenmech]

I still have my SK sets I bought in the 60's. 3/8 and 1/2. Ron MN

 

[Dave BN]

I have an assortment of tools from my dad and an uncle that I treasure and I think of them when I use those tools. Also have the first socket set I bought. It's a K-Mart set that I bought when I worked there in the 70's. $8.99. My most treasured tool is a long nose plier that I got when I started in the communication business. I've had it for 45 years and it's been most of the way around the world with me. It has seen many bad days but a lot of good days too.
Dave

 

[Janicholson]

My grand father was a carpenter, He left me his hand made wooden tool box filled with planes, squares, chalk boxes, chisels, bars, hammers levels and more. Precious. My wife's great grandfather has left her a cast iron spirit level from about 1910. it is really neat. Jim

 

[chvet73]

I still have the 1/2 drive Craftsman socket set I bought when I was 12 in 1962. My 1st real tools. Not knowing anything I thought bigger was better. If I was smart Id have know a 3/8 set was far more practical.

 

[Indiana George]

Glad to see you posting?How are you

 

[Uncle murph]

My favorite uncle passed suddenly in 2001,I have his toolbox just as he left it,cigarett butts an all(he would never throw them on the ground)Mostly SK and Craftsman.Not for sale at any price.

 

[Gtidwell]

I have my grandfather's claw hammer. No one will ever get that hammer from me. I do not use.

 

[gab]

Only S/K tools I have are three ratchets and a handful of sockets, I've never stripped an S/k ratchet, but I've busted many Craftsmen and Snap Ons.

 

[tractorguy2]

My dad used nothing but S-K for decades. If he did break a socket. Replacements were easy. Just go two blocks to the mom and pop hardware store. They sold S_K as did most hardware stores back then. When S-K disappeared from all the stores. Dad bought Carquest brand and NAPA brand tools. NAPA sockets broke easy and the NAPA store often change brands and then not warranty the tools.

 

[Bill in Colo]

The one I hold dearest is my Dad's 3/4 drive Craftsmans set purchased in 1934 when he was working for Shell oil in Ventura Ca.

 

[Tony in SD]

I still have the carpenter tools I got from grandpa in the 1960s. Now Im older than grandpa was when he passed away. In 1975 I bought $500 worth of Craftsman tools. Still have all of them plus added to them over the years. All are special to me.

 

[Mark-Mi]

maybe this
plomb

 

[SDE]

I have a Sears 12 adjustable jaw wrench that has my uncle's initials on it. I got it at his auction, where I bought grandpa's F-20 that he had started to rebuild. My intention was to mount the wrench on the tractor, but I haven't done that yet.

 

[Butch(OH)]

When I was a Jr in HS I went off to the vocational school and took Ag Mechanics. Mom and Dad bought me the required tools at Sears. Basically 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 socket set, wrenches to 1 1/4 and other smalls. When I graduated tbey gave me a Craftsman roll away box. Still have the box and 90% of the tools in use most every day.

 

[miangus]

I got a nice Power Kraft set for Christmas when I was 12. I still have most of it. Still my favorite combination wrenches. I have a SK 1/4 inch set from my grandpa. I have a SnapOn 3/8 drive ratchet my father was using for a wagon pin on the green chopper. When I was sorting through my uncle's wrenches to sell I keep a SK 3/8 drive ratchet and his SnapOn line wrench.

 

[560Dennis]

Went to a auction , Those SK sockets sets have not drop one bit ,in fact they will sell handsome .

 

[Russ from MN]

When I was young my dad didn't have any 3/4 drive sockets or ratchet, so when I got out of high school in 69 I bought him a nice Craftsman 3/4 set in a steel box. I still have it, along with all my millwright tools. My first socket set was 3/8 Fleet, bought at Holiday Village in S Minneapolis, a good set, still use it.

 

[SVcummins]

Now thats a set to be proud of. This is the breaker bar to my John Deere 3/4 socket set my grandpa bought me when I was in high school . Had this set a lot of years and has followed me to many different jobs and through college

 

[DoubleR]

When I was seventeen I left home in Mi. on my 350 Honda. When I ended up in Ca. a few months later my bike needed some work. I brought a new 3/8 metric SK socket set at a swap meet for 20 bucks. 6mm to 19mm with deep well sockets in the green steel case. I have seen the same set for close to a hundred bucks many times. Over 50 years later I still have it and use it. It traveled around with me on that motorcycle until I ended up back in Mi and I've had it and have used it many times and still do. Got allot tools but its still my most memorable thing. Maybe I tell them to throw it in the casket when they bury me.

 

[the tractor vet]

My first set of tools were company bought , the owner of the company call the MAc tool guy on a Saturday morning and told Homer to get his donkey to the shop. When Homer arrived as he walked in the old man garbed the tool book from under Homer's am and said i want one of EVERYTHING in this book that has to do with mechanien and i don't want those cheap Mac ratchets you swap them out for S&K's and you get into the OTC book and i want the full puller set up to 100 ton with the air pump and one of them new portable track pin presses . This went into my new company truck as i was now considered full time . I could use the company tools any time i wanted for something i was working on on my time . BUT i started buying my own tools and i started with the Mac brand and S&K ratchets and still usen them to this day . I have from 1/4 up to 3/4 . Just after i got married the one tool box i kept with me in my truck driving days got stolen out of my pickup and they got four of my org. S&K's and i replaced with S&K'

 

[Carlmac 369]

(quoted from post at 14:32:51 01/26/22) My grand father was a carpenter, He left me his hand made wooden tool box filled with planes, squares, chalk boxes, chisels, bars, hammers levels and more. Precious. My wife's great grandfather has left her a cast iron spirit level from about 1910. it is really neat. Jim

Did he build houses, stores and banks?

Did he chain smoke Camel cigarettes and hammer nails in planks?






This post was edited by Carlmac 369 on 01/28/2022 at 07:48 am.

 

[Steve in VA]

Level on the level
Planed each and every door

 

[Janicholson]

Yes on the things he built. He smoked a pipe (15 of them in a rack so they could dry between uses) 2 corn cob, one
Meerschaum, several Briars.

 

[dhermesc]

When I was in college I bought 3/8 socket set Professional Craft in a molded plastic case from Wal-Mart - this was in 1987. I kept that set in the trunk of my car until I owned a place with a garage, then I owned a place with a shop. They were the cheap Chinese made sockets but I used them to pull transmissions, work on equipment and did everything with them I would have done with a high quality tool. The case made it easy to know when you were missing a piece. Eventually I had to put metal hinges on the plastic case to keep the lid on it. Never lost a socket, never broke the ratchet in 30+ years of using it. Then my son go ahold of it and in one summer he lost 5 pieces out of it before I even knew he was using it....