Tools you love to hate

[MarkB_MI]

So... what tool do you hate to bring out? For me, it's the reciprocating saw. When I break it out, I know: 1) nothing else is going to do the job; 2) I'm going to butcher whatever it is I'm working on; and 3) I'll wreck at least one blade in the process.

 

[Stephen Newell]

I don't know if I have any tools I hate. They would have to have electronics for me to hate it. The reciprocating saw I probably use it more than anything. I'm been remodeling a house where I've been having to tear out walls and it makes it a lot easier to cut the nails holding the timbers together than having to pry everything apart.

 

[Steve@Advance]

The smoke wrench.

The BIG hammer.

The extra long cheater pipe.

 

[2510Paul]

I would second the reciprocation saw. It mean I have something I cannot get at with anything else except maybe the torch.

The BIG chisel also means I have a tough bolt or piece of metal I cannot break so we try and leave that in the drawer. I guess that goes with the BIG hammer.

I don't care to use the torch only because I use it so infrequently I am not good at it. Otherwise it is a great tool. I likely should pull it out more and leave the chisel in the drawer.

Finally, the Bottle Jack to push on something stuck like a wheel hub. Ugh.

Paul

 

[ClaytonBolen]

Valve spring compressor, mines right in that sweet spot where its to big for the smaller valves and to small the for bigger valves.

 

[ditchwitch]

I would say the adjustable wrench. 1. because you cant remember the size of nut or bolt. 2. You know thats theres a big chance your going to knock the skin off a knuckle. 3. But its so handy of a tool you cant hate it.

 

[M-MAN]

Easy, Chinese backhoe.

 

[SVcummins]

1 inch impact the big boy long anvil and weighs about 50 pounds you start and about 150 by the time you do a set of brakes on a semi

 

[glennster]

the spring hose clamps on the newer cars. ahve have a couple tools to remove them but if they slip, those lil bugger clamps will peel you wide open pronto!

 

[Geo-TH,In]

4) Good chance you will damage a cordless battery because it shakes so much.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

The reciprocating saw is one of my favourite tools. My set of bolt extracters, or easy-outs, are not one of my favourites.

 

[SweetFeet]

M-MAN,

By another name, is that a shovel?

 

[rrlund]

Gear puller. I don't have enough hands to get one on and lined up.

 

[Leroy]

Do you have one with a 1" stroke or one with the 3/4" stroke? When I bought mine and had 2 good ones I made sure it was the 3/4" stroke as a lot of what I would be wanting to do was close work at end of blade and the 3/4" would work without blade constantly jumping out of cut slot that the 1" would have done. If you have the 1" stroke and try a 3/4" stroke you might change your mind. A 1/2" stroke would be even better for a lot of jobs but I don't know if they make one.

 

[4wdtom]

ViseGrips, they are so useful. I know you can do a lot of damage with them but you can also, with care, do a lot with them. And my machine tools, lathes, milling machine, shaper, drill presses. Love them even though they aren't really all that special.

 

[4wdtom]

Thought I should make it clear, I love these tools, don't really hate any tools, just have favorites.

 

[greg oliver]

M-MAN, My co- worker is severely allergic to it. He is our resident super trucker so I have him stay in the cab of the truck. He is fat and overweight so I don?t want him having a heart attack while walking behind the truck with me

 

[Ken(Ark)]

(quoted from post at 09:02:01 04/20/19) Thought I should make it clear, I love these tools, don't really hate any tools, just have favorites.

I love an E Z Out when it works the first try , I hate it when in breaks and gets stuck in the broken bolt .

 

[dr sportster]

I have burned through a lot of Dremel tools.

 

[Thomasthetankengine]

Handy man jack. I know it is dangerous but, like its name, it comes in handy a lot of times.

 

[RBoots]

Channel lock pliers that are worn out enough that during a hard grip they slip out of the groove it needs to be in and the ends of the handles pinch your hand, fingers etc. Then they get thrown in the iron barrel.

 

[MarkB_MI]

> Do you have one with a 1" stroke or one with the 3/4" stroke?

Checking the specs, my Makita JR3020 has a 1-1/8" stroke. That's good info if I buy another one.

 

[hanovertom]

I agree with vise grips! Seen more stuff screwed up with them. A person should have a license to own them

 

[SVcummins]

Real channel lock brand has a lifetime warranty

 

[Destroked 450]

My 6 ft long spud bar, when it comes out of the corner of the shop something is really screwed up.

 

[710ltd2002]

I always feel a little ashamed using an adjustable wrench. Usually means I?m too lazy to go out to the shop and get the right size wrench or socket.

 

[M-MAN]

Post hole digger.

 

[4wdtom]

I must have the license I rarely screw up anything with them. Same goes for crescent wrenches, useful but easy to screw up stuff with them. I use them for bending stuff as much as on a nut or bolt. As with all tools you need to know their limits.

 

[warbaby]

my metric crescent wrench.

 

[Dusty MI]

(quoted from post at 11:07:29 04/20/19) I agree with vise grips! Seen more stuff screwed up with them. A person should have a license to own them

I understand what you are saying but, I do sheetmetal work and use hand benders for bending, and needle nose and c-clamps when using my spot welder.

 

[Ultradog MN]

Dittos on the smoke wrench.
You know you're going to burn seals, wreck a bearing or carve a little too close to the bone when that tool comes out.

 

[Ted in NE-OH]

24" pipe wrench , If I have to get that out I am really in trouble.

 

[grandpa Love]

Jack hammer.....when setting fence posts. Ground is too rocky sometimes. Instead of 50 posts a day you might get 15-20....long day.

 

[Jar7120]

Easyouts. Enough said

 

[The Famous Grouse]

The set of Easy-Outs.

First of all, if you are reaching for an "Easy Out", it's already been a bad day. And it won't be getting better from here.

Secondly, there is no other tool in the known universe that is as misnamed as "Easy Outs". In fact, they are neither easy, nor has any bolt since the peak of the civilization of the ancient Phoenicians actually come out with the use of said Easy Out.

Really, instead of "Easy Outs" they should be called "Something Difficult, And Time-Consuming To Do With Your Hands That Will Ultimately Be Futile".

Grouse

 

[Frank(Mi.)]

Shingle stripper--- it means the misery is only getting started....

 

[hd6gtom]

Those dam tools you have to have to remove broken spark plugs on those darn ferd motors. Why didn't ferd recall these darn things and fix their problems?

 

[Leroy]

That long stroke is what is causing your problems. Keep it for trimming limbs in trees and the like and go out and buy yourself a 3/4" stroke unit and your problemd that make you hate it will dissaper. Tru cutting off a dammaged boult in a 2" angle iron and that long stroke will hit the angle every stroke and on other direction of stroke it will push blade completely out of the bolt slot. That is why you are dammaging so many blades. That extra 3/8" on strok will make many a problem if you are trying to do close cutting. Now like cutting that limb on the tree there is nothing in back for the blade to hit so it will work good in a situation like that. And shorter the blade the better they work. I tried to keep a 6" steel cutting blade in one and a short wood cutting blade in the other one.

 

[MarkB_MI]

> Shingle stripper--- it means the misery is only getting started....

Boy ain't that the truth. And on almost every roof I've done, somebody put down two layers of shingles.

 

[SVcummins]

An easy out works great on broken hydraulic fittings
and also grease fittings and they also work on bolts
if you can get a centered hole drilled through them .
For bolts I prefer the welding method to using easy
outs

 

[The Famous Grouse]

(quoted from post at 18:54:30 04/22/19) > Shingle stripper--- it means the misery is only getting started....

Boy ain't that the truth. And on almost every roof I've done, somebody put down two layers of shingles.

Seeing somebody do a rigging job on a roof by doing a shingle over almost tempts me to violence. I just want to go up there and nail their foot to the roof for all the pain and future misery they will be causing people down the road.

I hate riggers. Do it right or step aside so somebody who knows what they're doing can do it right.

Grouse

 

[Bret4207]

Clamshell type post hole digger or a pickaxe. Either one means a lot of sweating, sore muscles and probably a miserable job.

 

[WI Dan]

HA - you're right! I've never thought about the recip saw that way, but it's true!
However; in my younger days on the framing crew, they called me "Dr. Sawzall" for my ability to cutout a 2x4 sill from a doorway without scratching the new subfloor deck.