The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest What is your favorite tool?

I know that we all have a gazillion tools but we also have our favorite one. So let's see what your favorite tool is.

Mine is an extra long Proto rachet with a 5 foot section of pipe- gets those really stubborn bolts loose when you can apply a "six foot Swede".

brass hammer... you can beat on things without really having to worry about hurting them.

That's an interesting question . How to choose ?
When I was aircraft engineering , the most used tool for me was the long handled speed brace , undid thousands of those blasted 'Phillips ' screws over the years . Hated that one though . Got really sick of panel removal and refitment .
Got a really nice wee Snapon 3/8" drive ratchet with a short handle , just fits in my hand with nothing to spare . Makes for easy fast action and is delightful quality.
Think the tool I had the most fun on though was the Bridgeport milling machine . I could make anything on that , and often did !. Digital readout helped lots Used it when I was doing prototype engineering for a 2way radio Co. It was great learning to do compound curves just using the handles .

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This Would Be If I Had One!!!!

Hhhmmmmmm... That's a tough one. I would say, by far, that my favorite is my 4" Makita grinder. I use that darned thing for so many tasks. I've used it to strip paint with a stripping disk, finish and blend welds with a flapper disk, cut out rust with cutoff wheels, strip rust with a wire brush, and of course grind and shape any number of projects.

I've heard that every mechanic has a "pet" screwdriver - one that is his favorite. Seems to be true!

---> Bill

Mine would have to be right now my new Millermatic 130XP mig welder got it last week been welding everything in sight. Fixed my broken wheel borrow, welded the two halves of my hood tother, and all sorts of other stuff. Never realized I had so much to be welded. And getting better everyday at it. Second would be my Dewalt Angle Grinder. Later.

bottle opener!

Depends on what you need the tool for.

The right tool for the job is my favorite.

Tow truck!!! Thats the begining of all projects.
Next would be the copy machine,how else do you make money

Money or trading stuff.Without purchasing power you got no tools no truck no woman no life.

Uncommon common sense is my favorite.

Copy machine is good, just make sure it has color capabilities - wouldn't want to get caught with black and white and be called an old foggy would ya?

My favorite tool? Dang, they are all my favorite tools. Just depends on what I need at the moment. How about the 6" Crescent my dad gave me when I was 4. I had my tool box stolen in 82, and it was one of three tools that wasn't in the box.

59Apache38,
Works for me ,but not well, I use it a few times and end up with a hammer.
Dennis

I know a lot of guys will be cheesed, but my favorite tool is my bulldozer! Its name is Whimpy and it is the best piece of equipment I have ever owned.

Favorite? Isn't that like asking a mother which child is her favorite?? They're all my favorites and I love each of them very much (Smoooooooch!). For some strange primordial reason, I do seem to enjoy using the BFH, though....

And I don't know how I ever lived without my cordless drill! (DeWalt 14.4volt)

John

Actually, I seem to categorize my tools into 3 main groups; mechanicing, wood working, and construction. There is some overlap, but not a lot.

The most use: screwdriver
Most time saving: 4.5" grinder with metal cutting wheel
Most indespensible: Timing light or air compressor
Requiring most skill: chizel
Most versatile: adjustable wrench

By the way, I was at a contractor's dinner the other night and won a brand spankin new 76 piece Craftsman Tool set (I was soo happy - more tools). Since this came in one of those premolded plastic cases, I'll keep this in one of the vehicles as a road box.

[ 01-15-2002: Message edited by: 59Apache38 ]

Craftsman Professional 12v cordless drill. Look for real bearings and look at torque not just voltage. 18v drill with sleeves can be crap. This is until I get my welder.

At this point in time I would have to say that my favorite tool is this computer. I am still in the research stage of my rebuild and am extremely happy with the information I am absorbing out of you folks. More data, please!

Also, that handy set of clutch head screwdrivers I got for Christmas is indispensible for those blasted little boogers.

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Dang it Phat. Having a garage bigger than your house ain't playing fair.

With me I guess it depend on what I am doing. I have a set of Blue Point crimping pliars that cut ANYTHING and make good, tight crimps. They were $37 off the big dream truck that shows up once a week. I later found virtually the same thing at American Electic made by Klein for $21.

I also really like my Fluke 78. It has a temp sender that I use extensively for A/C work and has proven to be accurate and handy. I got a 400 amp ac/dc inductive clamp with it that has saved a LOT of time tracking down electical problems. Being able to store high and low reading is also VERY useful for intermittent problems.

It seems like my latest favorite tools are the latest ones I get. I have a set of snap gages and another dial indicator on the way from Enco. I also bought a 2"-6" Starrett outside mic from a co-worker who is retiring.

Future purchases might include a Ingersoll-Rand 2112 3/8 drive impact. I have a battery-powered 3/8 Snap-On at work that works great for a fast screwdriver or for smaller fasteners (5/16 and below), but it just isn't powerful enough for bigger things and I hate to drag around my CP-749 half inch drive around all the time. I really like that CP-749--I think it has the top power of ANY 1/2" drive on the market.

Other favorite tools I have are ones I have made to do special jobs. I made a lifting device to handle heavy rear tractor duals when the final drives have to be removed from the tractor. I can use a come-a-long to level the wheel/axle side to side which really helps when you are trying to put everything back together. These can weigh up to 3000 pounds fully weighted and are a bear to handle sometimes.

Some tools are just what is laying around. When I assemble a hydraulic cylinder that uses leathers for piston seals, I cut open an aluminum pop can and put the can sidewalls over the leathers so they will not catch in the end of the cylinder as you reassemble the cylinder. This trick has saved a lot of rework for me.

Probably the best tool anyone can have is common sense. Use common sense in any situation, know your strengths and limitations, and be willing to listen to sound advice.

RC, you hit it on the nose.

Common sense

Sometimes we lose it, and when we find it we don't need it.

Mine is the pneumatic air wrench. Really knocks those rusty nuts/bolts off these old stovebolts. Coming second is my John Deere tractor which I use often to move the most recent stovebolts from one spot to another so the wife won't yell that the yard looks like the old "Sanford" and Son's junk yard.

MY ODDEST TOOL IS A CRAFTSMAN 5/8 1/2" DRIVE SOCKET WITH THE "CRAFTSMAN LOGO AND SIZE ON THE OPPOSITE END OF WHAT IT SHOULD BE. I EVEN CALLED THE CRAFTMANS CENTER HOT LINE TO SEE IF AT ONE TIME THERE WAS A CONTEST. THEY JUST LAUGHED AND SAID I GOT AN ORIGINAL ODDBALL.(LAUGHING). IT MAKES FOR GREAT CONVERSATION !!

ALAN

The tool I like best is an old 1 qt. oil can with spout, my uncle gave me just before he passed away he was 75, he said his dad gave it to him when he was a young man. I think it is from the late 20's or early 30's I still use it to put oil in my stovebolts. It reminds me of my uncle everytime I see it in my shop!!! Mick Inniss

Mick, I know the cans. Starting in the 30's, my folks had a county grocery store with gas pumps. Bulk oil was the thing. I have the old copper plated gallon can that was used for oil changes. I wish I had the bulk oil container with the crank that measured out exactly one quart.

I know what you mean by remembrances. When I'm in WA, I throw out the crab pot with a certain alignment of the doors with the shore because an Uncle said the crab would find their way into the pot easier! Hey, it works!

My favorite tool isn't a mechanic's tool but I've used it several times. It's a draw knife, about a foot long, with two round handles. It's pretty special to me because my grandfather who was a blacksmith, wheelwright and carriage builder made it in his blacksmith shop from a worn out horse-shoer's rasp. He used the drawknife to shape long pieces of white oak, to be used for wagon tongues and other tasks that required removing a lot of wood quickly. Even though I've only used it a few times, it's a pleasure to use since it is so well balanced in the hands, compared to machine made drawknives. It sits, always sharp, ready for another job. Best regards, jacques

I love my cordless 14.4v DeWalt drill. That bad boy will twist your darn arm off in torque mode!

My favorite tool was always my dumptruck. I would enjoy leaving the jobsite for a few hours and spend some time driving that thing all loaded down to the dump at about 50 mph.

I would always come back with a smile on my face.

Some of the dumpguys would let me dump in the pit with the big trucks. What a feeling.

[ 01-30-2002: Message edited by: Tony M ]

For wood: My bandsaw for power tools, my Record chisels for hand tools.

For truck work: my die grinder for grinding and my air hammer for making a lot of noise. My vacuum gauge for tuning, and my HVLP gun for painting.

My favorite tool of all is the key for the garage door.

Drive on 4 post lift.

My favorite is the one with the thing on the side, oh, what was that thing? I think it was some kind of doohicky. Man, I will never forget that tool.

seriously though, the tool I use the most is pliers. Good for bending stuff, and helps to pull out those huge splinters I get.

Big or little even Air Compressors! I like being blown and have tools fot it too! My torch set is use alot for "remodeling" and "dissassembling" old trucks. My welder when I'm making lots of tools or hitches or tow-bars or ......? My wife, when I want to.........Push an old truck in garage......sheesh! what did you think I was gonna say? :p

Favorites? I must really be getting old... the air wrenches, electric sands,cordless this and cordless that....God how I love them all. I never want to go back to the "good ole days" I like the fast stuff....more time to play

Long as I work on old trucks, I'd like to never be without

this helper

Bill