Tools. Love/Hate relationship

[Konaexpress]

Why do all you nice people even try?................

John

 

[speedhighway46]

GotSmart nailed it! I used to use tool "boxes" and for numerous reasons concluded there had to be a better way. Switched to tool "bags" for the cubic inch efficiency and tighter packing potential. Never looked back! With limited storage volume when on the road, every cubic inch counts. With boxes a lot of volume is wasted as empty space within the box; bags compress to the volume required of what's inside: no waste!

Big, spacious roll cabs are great in the shop; when on the road, pack as efficient as as is possible.

 

[ice_maiden]

ok I know this is a guy subject .... but I have to interject that as a girl, I'm still a bit of a tool junkie.

 

[GotSmart]

ok I know this is a guy subject .... but I have to interject that as a girl, I'm still a bit of a tool junkie.

Who says it is a guy only problem? 

You should have seen the kitchen equipment I liquidated when I down sized!    

Some home stores are now selling quality tools in pleasing colors and pattern to attract the "lady" customers.  

Tool addiction knows no boundaries. 

 

[debit.servus]

...
The reason for plastic boxes is safety.  If you bump something, much less chance of damage.  No worries about rust or sharp edges.  Slide a working metal box on carpet, and then look at the carpet.  Usually trashed.
With bags you can pile them, stick them into odd size cubbies, and when they are empty, put them in another bag to save room.

After 55 years of collecting and earning a living with tools, I doubt you can give me any advice I could use.

Didn't know about the carpet damage, do acknowlege the dead space, rust and sharp edges disadvantage.

GotSmart nailed it! I used to use tool "boxes" and for numerous reasons concluded there had to be a better way. Switched to tool "bags" for the cubic inch efficiency and tighter packing potential. Never looked back! With limited storage volume when on the road, every cubic inch counts. With boxes a lot of volume is wasted as empty space within the box; bags compress to the volume required of what's inside: no waste!

Big, spacious roll cabs are great in the shop; when on the road, pack as efficient as as is possible.

Tool bags for me are great for parts and supplies. As the supplies are used up, the tool bag can be smaller. Digging through a black tool bag looking for a tool, having tools catch on the fabric inside the bag, and having to jam the toolbag under the bed is a pain for someone who isn't pulling a living from those tools. The toolboxes I have I work to pack as full as possible, minimizing deadspace.

In general I am looking for van storage solutions with minimal deadspace, standard containers (Every year plastic totes change in design, defeating the stackibility and purpose to a degree), granularity, portability, accesibility, low maintence. Milk crates are awesome, same for square buckets if one can afford/find them.

What is a roll cab? Is that the roll mat some tool sets come in?

 

[speedhighway46]

A "roll-cab" is what tool owners call a caster mounted floor size rolling cabinet with numerous drawers for easy access to individual tools. People with know tools know this term.

Trick on getting tools in and out of canvas bags without any hassle: take them all out before you start work and lay them out; you're going to need them anyway. I have one bag for general tools; one for wrenches; one for sockets and drivers, one for electrical/electronics; and several for misc small supplies (tie wraps, shrink tubing, terminals, etc). Probably 60 pounds of stuff; all fits into on milk crate.

 

[GotSmart]

A "roll-cab" is what tool owners call a caster mounted floor size rolling cabinet with numerous drawers for easy access to individual tools. People with know tools know this term.

Trick on getting tools in and out of canvas bags without any hassle: take them all out before you start work and lay them out; you're going to need them anyway. I have one bag for general tools; one for wrenches; one for sockets and drivers, one for electrical/electronics; and several for misc small supplies (tie wraps, shrink tubing, terminals, etc). Probably 60 pounds of stuff; all fits into on milk crate.

In my boxes i keep drill bits.  Paddle, boreing, and hole kits as well as the metal bits that dont fit in my display.  Hand tools, wrenches and specialty Automotive repair, ectractor kits, brake tools, socket  extension and such.  Oversized such as pickle fork pipe wrenches and other kits for emergency use.

The bafs are set with specialty.  Multi tool and body saw, household electrical, (A separate box fir automotive / solar) A tub for hand power drills, saws, lights.  Carpentry tools, saw horses, And many others.  

I even have a splitting maul. and a sword I picked up from somewhere!

60 lbs is just my box of oversized tools.  

I might need an intervention!   :angel:

 

[MikeRuth]

Have to say I have been a wrench all my life and two roll aways and two large bench tops are just a touch of my stock. not to mention power tools not in the boxes.
At this point in my life while working on downsizing and considering full time in the van I've come to realize that I need to evaluate what is it I really need to be on the van.
I certainly don't need a chop saw, or a saws all, drill press , grinder bench vise etc. Hmmm where do you put the welding tanks, LOL

So I don't have my list yet but I'm leaning towards one compact bag in stead of the box and just the absolute minimum of sockets, extensions, and ratchets needed to work on the vehicle.

It's definitely tough to make these choices.

 

[Gary68]

i see basic tools x2(1 is none,2 is 1) a must,my problem is my grandpa's ww2 toolbox,no way am i going to toss/sell it and dont have any gearhead nephews/cousins to give it to so i must keep it and remember the times...

 

[VJG1977]

Have to say I have been a wrench all my life and two roll aways and two large bench tops are just a touch of my stock. not to mention power tools not in the boxes.
At this point in my life while working on downsizing and considering full time in the van I've come to realize that I need to evaluate what is it I really need to be on the van.
I certainly don't need a chop saw, or a saws all, drill press , grinder bench vise etc. Hmmm where do you put the welding tanks, LOL

So I don't have my list yet but I'm leaning towards one compact bag in stead of the box and just the absolute minimum of sockets, extensions, and ratchets needed to work on the vehicle.

It's definitely tough to make these choices.

One starting point is to decide what repairs you will be willing to do in a parking lot or on the side of the road.  If you do not plan on changing a clutch then you don't need to carry a clutch alignment tool....

 

[GotSmart]

One starting point is to decide what repairs you will be willing to do in a parking lot or on the side of the road.  If you do not plan on changing a clutch then you don't need to carry a clutch alignment tool....

Thats part of the problem.  The only thing I am not willing to do is the AT.  

Last year I re did the top end in the desert.  $2000 job for $130.  

Perhaps I should get a cargo trailer.

 

[minimotos95]

My main problem is power tools, half of them I haven't used in the past year. Yet when someone asks if they can buy it I instantly respond "no, I need that." circular saw, Dremel, Palm sander, and jigsaw I can't even remember the last time I used any of them. My Dremel and Grinder still live in their bulky plastic cases which I will figure out something better when I get around to it.
I like tool bags for power tools but digging through one to find an 8mm wrench? No thank you, a real tool box is a must.
Right now I have that 3 drawer craftsman, one tool bag for power tools, my sander is on the loose somewhere and the 2 bulky plastic cases. I finally sold my welder after coming to terms with the fact I was not skilled enough to run an 80a buzz box and need more power anyways. The plastic 3 drawer craftsman will likely be replaced with something metal to save a few inches without loosing volume

There's also other types of bulky tools I definitely am not getting rid of anytime soon, like my reloading stuff, come along and pair of bumper jacks. If I had a full size half ton van I would definitely overload it filling all that extra space with tools.

 

[debit.servus]

A "roll-cab" is what tool owners call a caster mounted floor size rolling cabinet with numerous drawers for easy access to individual tools. People with know tools know this term.
...

I know what that is, just didn't know the term. Are there little roll cabs the size of a milk crate, with minimal deadspace?

In my boxes i keep drill bits.  Paddle, boreing, and hole kits as well as the metal bits that dont fit in my display.  Hand tools, wrenches and specialty Automotive repair, ectractor kits, brake tools, socket  extension and such.  Oversized such as pickle fork pipe wrenches and other kits for emergency use.
...

Boxes are great for little stuff, bags are great for larger and variably shaped things. Found in general, many time one large container takes less space holding x units of stuff than many smaller containers holding x units of stuff. Examples includes food, fuel and water containers.

i see basic tools x2(1 is none,2 is 1) a must,
...

This.

...
Last year I re did the top end in the desert.  $2000 job for $130.  

Perhaps I should get a cargo trailer.

This is how having tools and skills pays off, this is the reason to invest in tools.

 

[steamjam1]

I have been trying to cut down my traveling weight, so I reviewed my tools.  I went to my insurance pictures, and realized I had 14 separate pictures of my tool collection.  Each picture is showing a different collection of tools gathered for a specific reason.   

I just realize I am a tool junkie!

I have not bought any tools lately, mostly because what I have is better than what I have seen. I need help from a professional selling my unused treasures.  :s

Those sockets do 80% of my work.

Yes I am also a complete tool junkie! Its HARD for me to decide what to carry in my van and what I don't need. There is always the voice in the back of my head that says "YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOUR GOING TO NEED >insert tool here<!!!"

 

[IGBT]

I have recently had to pare down my tool collection to the bare minimum (still about 500 pounds) to get ready for the road.

I sold a 1000 pound Hardinge lathe and a 7000 pound cnc mill, both of which built our RV.  Keeping the MIG because I would owe it alimony otherwise.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Metal boxes are not like bags, they're easy to slide on carpet and maintain the same outside shape and size. This minimizes storage hassle and dead space.

Did you replace them because of the purported weight savings? If so; congratulations, you gained .002 additional MPG from switching from metal boxes to plastic containers.

Most HFTs are decent for the price. However for a lot of the under $10 items can be had for a few dollars more with much better quality elsewhere. HFT is best for consumables and things with no moving parts.

Yeah; I'd rather carrying a jack, jack stands, 4 way lug wrench, an intermediate tool set, intermediate amount of replacement/spare parts and fluids, 2 gallons of spare gas than be stuck without them. The cost of calling a tow truck 1 mile from the paved road to change a tire because one left behind their jack and jack stands to save fuel, wipes all any and all fuel savings.  It's another thing entirely if one didn't have the m-o-n-e-y for the required tools beforehand, I feel sorry for you for being too poor to be proactive.

Some people with macgiver mindsets will say "use the tools around you" and "it's an adventure", and not carry more than a couple swiss army knives with them. They are the ones that call for help after drinking their last ounce of water, and have spent 4 days trying to fix a tire with branches, rocks and their mind. I rather have the tools and not need them than to need the tools and not have them.

Who are all these people you are always talking about that "do this" and "do that" when they should have "done this" and done that?"  Starting to think they are all figments of your imagination.

 

[GotSmart]

I went through eight boxes / totes of tools in the last week.  I have three I am keeping, and five to sell.  I have another four to decide on.  It is strange that during all of this I am still looking for a couple specialty items I know I had.???

This has encouraged my kids to do a general clean up, and there are cases of books to get rid of.  

Now to search the camping equipment, and see what really gets used. 

Yard sale next weekend!

 

[Txjaybird]

I went through eight boxes / totes of tools in the last week.  I have three I am keeping, and five to sell.  I have another four to decide on.  It is strange that during all of this I am still looking for a couple specialty items I know I had.???

This has encouraged my kids to do a general clean up, and there are cases of books to get rid of.  

Now to search the camping equipment, and see what really gets used. 

Yard sale next weekend!

Hey,  I have a question for you on a different subject, one you have experience in.  I'll PM you & hope you have time to reply   or not  as you see fit.                      Jewellann aka TJB

 

[WrenchLife]

Some call em tools, I call em toys. They are the reason we could never go full time. I use them all day to make a living and most evenings for enjoyment. When we moved from our old house to our new house we moved everything inside the house in a day with 2 vans and trailers. My shop/tools/toys took another 8 days, with rollbacks, forklifts, and semis involved.
I am a toolaholic, I go to meetings, every Wednesday when the Snap-On truck pulls on the yard.

 

[wagoneer]

Bitty,, having been a guy using tools all my life I could walk away and never look back, until I need a tool. It is a love hate thing called life. And it is worth living