Tool - which one do you hate and why?

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by wayner

Ive decided never to jack up a car again and instead obtained a display cabinet that I can look at each day to remind me of all of the fun without the blisters

Speaking of blood blisters......

Lineman pliers. I lost mine and I'm pleased.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Speaking of blood blisters......

Lineman pliers. I lost mine and I'm pleased.

Ha! :-)

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by red-beard

The stupid ball joint tool for the 914.

the tool is stoopid?

or the design that requires a tool like that ??

[RWebb]

I don't know whether to vote (or caucus) with the "POS slotted screw" people (again, not the tool as per above, but the design)

... or with the crappy rewind string trimmer folks...

[JJ 911SC]

Any cheap ones...

Buying cheap, usually end up with buying twice

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Husqvarna 4-cycle weed wacker with pro quality Husky string is what I normally use, but when it's time to get serious, I use an Echo with a saw blade on it. Heavy as hell, but it'll cut small trees down.

When you get way out there in the boonies, you want your gear to work.

Just looking at that creeps me out.

[javadog]

Any and all flashlights. Sooner or later, they all quit working.

Stupid me, I’ve never thrown one away, thinking that someday I’ll fix it.

[RANDY P]

Hand operated siphoning / bleeding tools.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by RWebb

the tool is stoopid?

or the design that requires a tool like that ??

I thought we covered all that in the tech forum. You've got to use a big ol' pipe wrench to take that nut off. Probably a breaker bar too, and probably you'll have to use your legs to push against the bar. The reason is dirt gets in that stupid nut. The special tool is used so you can tighten it once the threads are clean, to torque spec with a torque wrench.

I've seen people cut the nut off with a dremel many times. It's because they just haven't thought it through.

[herr_oberst]

Craftsman ratchets. My mid 70's versions got stolen a while back; the modern replacements are such pieces of crap that they sit idle taking up space in my toolbox.

Harbor freight sells better ratchets than Craftsman and that in a nutshell is what's wrong with the world.

[beatnavy]

Originally Posted by RWebb

the tool is stoopid?

or the design that requires a tool like that ??

Yes and yes. It's a Porsche special tool that costs like $60. And removing the damn ball joint is still PITA. In most cases it's probably easier with a pipe wrench, but I bought the "special" tool, so....I fight with it before giving up and just using the pipe wrench. And that makes me stupid.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by rusnak

I thought we covered all that in the tech forum. You've got to use a big ol' pipe wrench to take that nut off. Probably a breaker bar too, and probably you'll have to use your legs to push against the bar. The reason is dirt gets in that stupid nut. The special tool is used so you can tighten it once the threads are clean, to torque spec with a torque wrench.

I've seen people cut the nut off with a dremel many times. It's because they just haven't thought it through.

Not dirt. Rust. The only way to remove the nut is a dremel. It is a terrible design. All of it!

[MAS956]

I spent a year with this thing one weekend. Still traumatized....

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-120-Volt-Breaker-Hammer-BH2760VCB/dp/B0046REI8I

[RWebb]

there's also a big drill called "The Arm Breaker" - when I had something that needed its use, I hired a tough kid to use it

might be a 3/4" drill - I ferget

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Not dirt. Rust. The only way to remove the nut is a dremel. It is a terrible design. All of it!

It's definitely old school. The 987/ 986/ 997 front ends are super easy to work on.

Someone mentioned the spring compressor earlier. If you are methodical, then you find they're easy to use. "New Wayne" has one that is superb. One bolt. I'm referring to of course, the Schwaben one from ECS Tuning. You still probably want to use anti-seize unless the torque specs call for dry. Even so, that bottom nut on the 911 strut needs anti-seize. Tie rod/ steering knuckle too.

[zakthor]

My dad splurged on a bag of total crap tools at harbor freight. Bad screwdrivers, bad vice grips, bad wrenches. They look like tools but will only damage what they touch. Worst of all are the channel locks. He put this pile of crap on his boat for 'emergencies', but thats the last place to use bad tools.

Whenever i work on it and finish a job, whenever i take a break, i celebrate by giving one tool a float test. Super cathartic. He gets so mad when i tell him but the whole set of junk cost less than a bottle of wine, let alone what he saves having me do the simple maintenance.

I deposited a new set of tools in the old location, mostly reasonable stuff from lowes.

I normally use a channel lock for something scrungy, like pulling a stuck socket off a bolt head, but those great neck units are bad beyond words, if they were soft plastic they wouldnt shed chrome colored flakes...

[dad911]

IMHO phillips screws are joining slotted in my book. I go out of my way to buy torx & square heads, phillips are ok, if I encounter a slotted screw it goes right in the garbage, and gets swapped.

However, a table saw is the only tool I own that has done permanent damage. Almost 2 years, and 1/4" off my left index finger, I can finally type and pick up objects with it.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Craftsman ratchets. My mid 70's versions got stolen a while back; the modern replacements are such pieces of crap that they sit idle taking up space in my toolbox.

Harbor freight sells better ratchets than Craftsman and that in a nutshell is what's wrong with the world.

Just yesterday I pulled bumper off of a truck, and reached for the HF set I bought on a whim that had through holes in the sockets/handle. Much easier than a deep socket with the long, rusty studs and no working room.

https://www.harborfreight.com/sae-metric-go-thru-socket-set-21-pc-62305.html

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by dad911

IMHO phillips screws are joining slotted in my book. I go out of my way to buy torx & square heads, phillips are ok, if I encounter a slotted screw it goes right in the garbage, and gets swapped.

Same here. Phillips are just not worth the effort on any screw longer than 1"

Originally Posted by dad911

However, a table saw is the only tool I own that has done permanent damage. Almost 2 years, and 1/4" off my left index finger, I can finally type and pick up objects with it.

I was at a cabinet shop the other day and the guy demonstrated the safety table saw. It is amazing! He touched the side of the blade an it stopped in less than 1/4 of a rotation.

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I was at a cabinet shop the other day and the guy demonstrated the safety table saw. It is amazing! He touched the side of the blade an it stopped in less than 1/4 of a rotation.

SawStop. Interesting story about the founding and history of the company. I bought the Professional Cabinet saw for my shop about 3 years ago. Not only is it very safe, but it is also high quality and very accurate.