Tools. Love/Hate relationship

[GotSmart]

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.

When I was on my Walkabout, I stopped by my brothers house.  He had a 4 car garage, with just enough room to pull one car in it.  It took me more than a month to sort and pack his tools for moving.  

 

[bullfrog]

I grew up around tools. A machine shop next door, a wood shop jn the back yard, and a mechanics garage across the street. Vocational school, military service, A.S.E. certs, and 25 years later an Industrial Education Degree. Watched my dad and friends collect and buy tools all their lives then get too old and physically too weak to use them. I saw the same thing happening to me and have tried to change. I have gone from three shops to a couple totes and a good Leatherman but still have a hard time letting someone else do it for me. The time is coming when I'll have too and want to be able to enjoy life instead of bitch because I can't do as much anymore. Expand your interests and loose the excess if and while you can and hope you find more with less. Good luck too us all.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Tools are great. The three things I like most in life are roadtrips, tools, and fly fishing in no particular order.
I used to own a small cabinet shop but shut it down when I started doing more extensive road trips. Sold all the big cast iron tools, spray booth, etc. Hardest thing to sell was my collection of clamps, man did I have a nice one. Now I have basic jobsite size tools......table saw, 10" non sliding miter saw, pancake compressor, few nail guns, cordless set, bag of hand tools, ratchet set and can accomplish pretty much everything I need to with them. I could part with them if need be as they would't be hard to replace.

One toolbox I can and wont part ways with though. I grew up installing carpets and vinyl with my Dad. He passed in 08 and I grabbed his toolbox of carpet tools. I have fond memories of being in charge of carrying it to and from the truck and repacking it at the end of the job everyday starting at about 10 years old and through High School. Everything fits into it one way only or the lid won't close and I still know how to pack it! Smells like a mix of hot melt glue from the seaming iron and new carpet when you open the lid. I'll probably never use those tools again, but like having it around for the memories.

 

[ArtW]

I grew up around tools. A machine shop next door, a wood shop jn the back yard, and a mechanics garage across the street. Vocational school, military service, A.S.E. certs, and 25 years later an Industrial Education Degree. Watched my dad and friends collect and buy tools all their lives then get too old and physically too weak to use them. I saw the same thing happening to me and have tried to change. I have gone from three shops to a couple totes and a good Leatherman but still have a hard time letting someone else do it for me. The time is coming when I'll have too and want to be able to enjoy life instead of bitch because I can't do as much anymore. Expand your interests and loose the excess if and while you can and hope you find more with less. Good luck too us all.

At that point in life, it'd be really cool to find a young person with an interest and offer them 'mentoring' where you sit back and supervise while he does the heavy lifting, wrench spinning, etc
It lets you not have to do the work, teaches a youngster with an interes how to repair things, and might provide a youngster with no father figure with some needed positive reinforcement

 

[GotSmart]

Yard sale today.  I went outside at 6.15 to start setting up.    EARLY BIRDS  :dodgy:

Those that want to buy gold at aluminum prices.  

They were wanting my shelves and tables, as well as being a general pain.  

Once I got rid of them, I had a good day.  I made a lot of people happy, and got rid of 3/4 of my tools.  

Tomorrow I unload the rest of the stuff.  I hope the pressed glass and carny glass buyers come by.     I found a box that made about 5 moves without being opened.  

The next road trip will be much easier.  I might just take the over load springs off and see how it rides.

 

[rvpopeye]

It sounds like you're not crying yet !
Glad you did well . One more day .............

 

[DannyB1954]

I worked as a mechanic for 30+ years. The only thing in my garage now is tools. (no room for cars or even motorcycles).
I don't like dealing with greedy people, so I haven't tried to sell any. You sell it for half price, they want to give you 1/4 or less. Maybe I will donate to a school, then I would get a tax break.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I don't like dealing with greedy people, so I haven't tried to sell any. You sell it for half price, they want to give you 1/4 or less.

There are a ton of hustlers out there that scour craigslist for stuff they can flip for a profit.  They're hoping you are really hard up and desperate for money.

If you want to sell your stuff to someone who really wants it for his own use, and is willing to pay a fair price, try this.

The craigslist ad should have a good description and good pictures.  Try to anticipate whatever questions someone might ask.

Finish with:

These cost $X new.  Will sell for $Y.  FIRM!  Don't waste your time and mine asking if I will take less, I won't!  If interested,  email me  at [email protected] with your phone number and I will call you.

 

[GotSmart]

I worked as a mechanic for 30+ years. The only thing in my garage now is tools. (no room for cars or even motorcycles).
I don't like dealing with greedy people, so I haven't tried to sell any. You sell it for half price, they want to give you 1/4 or less. Maybe I will donate to a school, then I would get a tax break.

Everything I sold I had made money with.  One set of $11 wrecking bars I had used for 30 years, and sold for $10 to someone that could use them.  

A new tool lists for say $40.  On sale it is $20.  (What I paid for most of them, 1/2 price on sale)  I would ask what they were worth, as a used tool, and got it.  I had several flippers there, and everyone paid within 10% of what I was asking.  

My plumbing tools, that I made $100,000 a year with were mostly outdated, and worn.  I can not honestly expect to get 1/2 new retail for worn out tools.  

Some items had appreciated, but most used tools, even name brand, are used tools.  I would rather something moves on to a useful purpose than rusts in a box unused. 

Perhaps you need a tool intervention.  

 

[DannyB1954]

I have a lot of Snap-On, Mac, Cornwell, (professional tools). None of them were ever on half price sale when I bought them. Most of them have a lifetime warranty. I remember in a single year spending $10,000 on a Snap-On truck. I may do as Optimistic suggested in post #49. I will have to get some current catalogs and price sheets.

 

[Gunny]

I have a lot of Snap-On, Mac, Cornwell, (professional tools). None of them were ever on half price sale when I bought them. Most of them have a lifetime warranty. I remember in a single year spending $10,000 on a Snap-On truck. I may do as Optimistic suggested in post #49. I will have to get some current catalogs and price sheets.

A couple of years ago I asked a friend of mine (professional Mechanic) to assemble a basic toolkit for me on the road. He shopped Snap-on, the kit would have cost almost as much as my old RV.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I have a lot of Snap-On, Mac, Cornwell, (professional tools). None of them were ever on half price sale when I bought them. Most of them have a lifetime warranty. I remember in a single year spending $10,000 on a Snap-On truck. I may do as Optimistic suggested in post #49. I will have to get some current catalogs and price sheets.

You can often find used Snap-On and Mac tools on Ebay.  Check past sales there to get a realistic idea what people will pay for them.

 

[GotSmart]

How many tools do you actually need to do a roadside repair?

 

[highdesertranger]

depends on the repair. highdesertranger

 

[rvpopeye]

Yeah , you need the tools to do whatever you're capable of or willing to attempt on the road, not one more though!

 

[WrenchLife]

This is true. My parents carry very few tools and no extra parts. my dad can change a tire, change his oil, change his brakes, and change light bulbs, that's the extent of his repair skills.
I on the other hand have enough tools with me to take the engine out, except a hoist. I also carry a spare alternator, a belt, 2 injectors, valve cover harness, cam sensor, fuel pump, fuel filter, and fluids..
My wife mentioned having an intervention last week when I brought home an 1880's era band saw that weighs over 1200 lbs and is 9 feet tall. She hasn't even seen my score from this weekend, an old 50kw generator with only 835 hrs on it. Another toy/tool/project.

 

[rvpopeye]

She's not gonna like it !
Just a guess ???
Skuh kuh kuh kuh kuh

 

[highdesertranger]

holy cow a 50kw genny you could power a small city. got a pic of the band saw? if you wife isn't going to like it, that means I want to see it. highdesertranger

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

How many tools do you actually need to do a roadside repair?

depends on the repair.  highdesertranger

Corollary to Murphy's Law:  The tool you need for that roadside repair is the one you left home.

 -- Spiff

 

[WrenchLife]

holy cow a 50kw genny you could power a small city.  got a pic of the band saw?  if you wife isn't going to like it,  that means I want to see it. highdesertranger

I will snap some pics and post em up. Had to partially disassemble it to get it through the 7 foot door into my basement/ wood shop. It hasn't been run in over 20 years from what the folks I got it from knew. Planning on restoring it as I put it back together.
Here is a pic of one exactly like it that has been redone.


The generator is cool too, it was a freebie. Backup power for a greenhouse, tree fell on it in a storm and busted the manifold. It's got an old International 545 set up for propane or gasoline. Hard to find parts for the motor so I'm going to repower it with either a dt360 or dt466 and run it on waste motor oil.