The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest What was the last tool you bought?

A needle scaler from Harbor Freight, would have gotten the one Eastwood offers but those were backordered.

Finally bought a complete set of 3/8 and 1/2" drive impact sockets. Both standard and deep, Metric and Inches. After having good luck with the 3/4' ratchet I purchased a few months back, I once again went with the Masterforce (Menards) brand. I don't need Snap On quality or their prices. According to my online research, they are made by Apex Tool Group. They are not marked stating the country from where they were made but seem to be of high quality.

John

Bought a 4 piece set of 3/8 drive Clutch Head bits. My original 50 year old set has disappeared so a new set was in order.

Didn’t buy, but assembled this little unit from freebies.

Trailer: was free from my brother’s company. It was a former light tower trailer. I had to install some angle iron bracing under the welder. We also bought the 2x6 boards.

Spools: free. Dad picked them up at the dump. They were for water lines and leaked, but might work for welding cable.

Field welder: my bro in law bought 3 of these for a few hundred dollars each ( I know, right?! He seems to have horseshoes in his ...) when he and I were building drilling rigs together. He kept one, gave one to his dad, and has been letting my dad use this one on the farm. He has said to keep it there. Ah yeah, we can do that.

I think it will be a pretty sweet little unit when it’s all done.

I just have to remove the pintle hitch and install a ball hitch.

After 30+ years of abuse my heavy commercial battery charger finally crashed. The boost feature quit several years ago and now only the trickle charger works. So, I bought a new commercial grade fully automatic charger/booster and it arrived today. It is a DSR by Schumacher. Hope it lasts as long as it’s predecessor.

Where is it made?

Probably China.

That's a mighty pretty garage floor Martin. Nice charger, hopefully as you said it will last as long as the other one.

Ms Kathy’s living room floor. It had just been delivered by USPS, it’s now out in the barn with all the motorized equipment.

Does a pill cutter count? I really did not buy it the VA sent it to me today. I had looked at them on Amazon but was sure that I had not ordered them. I was getting along fine with a paring knife doing a few at a time. But in their wisdom, the VA sent me 2.

Cutting back on your drug use Ron? That is at least a start!

Nice charger Martin!

Don

Got a motorcycle tire balancer. Plan to try it out in the next week or so. Supposed to work on big cruiser rims but my use will be smaller dual sport bikes. Same principle as the most effective R/C aircraft prop balancer everyone uses, consisting of a shaft with centering cones set between low friction bearings. Just gotta make sure everything's nice and level. Will set the ends on a couple of chairs or jackstands, whatever works.

Picked up a neat little bead roller. Specifically for hose (radiator) beads.

Also got these neat little doohickies. They will make straight marks down the length of various size tubing.

I assume those are for use with the tubing benders in your pic. They'd be good for making multi-angle bends along the length of the tubing.

Bought a little contraption called a TIG feeder. I have yet to try it out.

They are for marking tubing, curved or otherwise. A sharpie fits in the top or side holes snugly. I haven't used them yet but really could have when I was making the second and third row seats for the Burb.

I have been using the bead roller lately as I've been making up custom cooling systems.

I was checking those out. Let me know how you like it please. Now if they could make one to keep me from dipping my tip.

Adjust the tip so you can rest the cup on the piece you are welding? Similar to all those guys doing the "walk the cup" welding videos.

I try and not buy things that I don't know how to use.

I had to borrow one of these at an auction not too long ago to jump the Cornbolt dump truck. Totally dead battery. This thing jumped the 392 IH Big Block about 6 times without running down or having any issue. I was amazed at how compact it is -- fits under the seat in the van.

I asked Mrs. Santa and she gave it to me early. NOCO Boost HD. says it'll do 40 starts on a single charge. Has a light, and a couple of power ports (standard cig lighter and a usb.

Now that I have it, I'll probably never need to jump a 12-volt vehicle again.

Looks like it'll take up less space than a set of jumper cables, and probably safer than asking a stranger for a jump these days.

Skooter -- That's exactly what I'm thinking. We bought one for our daughter, too.

I got one of those NOCO boost GB70's last Christmas. It's great. Ditched the battery for the generator - just use this now. When the battery on the lawn tractor dies, I will use this. Portable starting power when needed.

I just bought a Rivet Nut Insertion Tool from HF. I originally bought just the rivet nuts so I can install new (really old) Shell style horns on the firewall, intending to use just a bolt and nut to install the rivet nuts, but discovered the it was not that easy. Seemed I needed more hands than I have, marred the face of the rivet and it didn’t compress evenly, so I decided a new tool was in order. After all, men can’t have too many tools! The reviews on the Doyle HF tool were really good.

I didn’t want to fasten the horns to the firewall using a nut and bolt for two reasons. The first is I would need my wife to help, and she would be too keen on laying under the dashboard. Second, I just installed the firewall pad and cover, so I don’t want to remove it to get access to the nut. I figure I could remove a couple of the firewall clips to gently pull the pad away from the firewall to drill the holes.

I tested it out using one of the supplied 1/4”-20 rivet nuts and it was easy. Now on to install the horns!

That looks like a nice set.

That is a nice tool. But being a cheapskate, I've installed rivet nuts with a nut and bolt to expand them. So far it has gone OK. If I have the need to set more rivet nuts, I may have to get one of those. Not that expensive.

I’m a cheapskate too and tried that route. Didn’t fare out too well. The rivet nut was turning unless I made the hole really tight. Then the nut scored the top of the insert and to top it off, the rivet didn’t crush evenly. I always wanted a rivet nut tool so now I had a reason to buy one.

The trick is a tight hole, and a greased washer under the nut. Another trick is a piece of aluminum or steel directly on the rivet nut (under the washer)that you can hold stationary.

I tried a couple of washers but I didn’t grease them.

So a rivet nut is a rivet with internal threads?

I have never heard of this tool until now. I need one.

I bought a 3/8" tubing straightener. I'm replacing the vacuum lines on my two speed rear end and decided to splurge.

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-h...1497297&wickedsource=google&wv=4

I picked up this version. Love it! https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rus-654440

I no longer buy straight sections of tubing from my FLAPS. I'll buy it in 20'-50' rolls and straighten what I need! Steel, stainless. Doesn't matter!

Well technically I didn't buy this, it was a Christmas gift from my BIL. With the addition of my lift I had wanted a tall stand. This will definitely come in handy.

Gotta get down to HF and get one. They're having 25% off through Monday (New Year sale). Thanks for the tip!

Well, it may not (yet ...) be an old truck tool, it *is* the most recent tool I bought ... I finally treated myself to a cordless reciprocating tool for Christmas. Whoa -- is this thing handy for a number of tasks! Most recently, I have been using it on a carpentry project (drywall ... I am a lousy drywaller ... but I am improving ...)

Here's something I built/bought.
Made up the base and upright from some tube steel I had laying around (I think it used to be table legs), bought a 10' stick of 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 x 1/8 angle, and some locking casters off Amazon. Got it mostly done today and stuck one of the fenders on. Way easier to work on all the little rock dents in them bolted to the stand. Once both are cleaned up, I'll bolt the other one on the opposite side and primer and block them both. Then when the weather allows, it'll be a paint stand.

Now, that's handy!

Getting ready to start on my cab patch panels. I purchased a 20lbs pot blaster form HF. I view the item on line and the store showed 3 in stock, when I got to the store there was only one and it was a return. As the blaster had been returned it was an opened box and marked "Parts Missing". The manager had it discounted to $59.00. I went through the box and could tell it had been used not just opened, there was media still in the tank and the nozzle was broken. Other than the nozzle and the cheap plastic funnel being broken the kit was all there. I told the manager I would give him $40.00 for it, he said that with opened items you only had 5 days to return it if it didn't work. He discounted it to $40.00 and I took it home.

I haven't used it as yet but did replace the nozzle and added the air line fitting.


https://www.harborfreight.com/20-lb-pressurized-abrasive-blaster-68994.html

Craig,

Just a WAG, but think you will get your $40 worth in no time once you put it to work.

Nice find!