The Tool You Couldn’t Live Without
 

Thinking about this today working on my daughter’s car, what’s a tool that you hesitated to buy that you now can’t live without?

For me it’s easy - 3/8 cordless ratchet. Never felt like it was something I needed, now I use it every freaking time I work on anything. Not sure why I waited so long to buy one. Mine is from Harbor Freight and I can’t seem to kill it.

Milwaukee M12 FUEL Compact Cut Off Tool, so handy, use it all the time.

Knipex cobra pliers

Ditto on the cordless ratchet. I have both the 3/8 inch and 1/4 inch, plus a couple of impact drivers. Actually, I have two 3/8 inch ratchets and it’s nice not to have to switch sockets off and on.

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For me it is without a doubt my M12 right angle half inch impact gun

Do you have the Bauer one? I like their Bauer line of battery/cordless tools and have about a dozen in total.

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Sure do and agree. I also have one of the 1/2 20V cordless impact wrenches and it’s great as well. I would have more but still have some old Craftsman cordless stuff that won’t die.

Leatherman

My damn reading glasses. 3.0. I am somewhat blind.

Probably my tape measure.

I plan things a lot, and spend a huge amount of time going through the project in my mind. And by using the tape measure it makes me feel like I'm actually doing something other than just talking about it.

I should have been a structural engineer. I see things very 3 dimentionally in my mind.

Can't really choose just one. That's why I have an overcrowded tool box...(edit) Oh wait...maybe my Case pocket knife. I find myself using it more than anything I take out of my toolbox.

My smartphone. I look up how to do stuff on YouTube all the time.

Type measure. One of my smaller cordless drill, Milwaukee normally.

There’s so many I ‘can’t live without’. Drill press, table saw, welder, chainsaws, sanders and more sanders and drills and clamps and vices and my jigsaw. If I lost them I’d just need to buy them again.

My most impressively unexpectedly essential tool is my corded die grinders. I’ve got a fast one and a slow one and a collection of bits. Never knew they existed and now I’m using them all the time. A universal chisel for metal and wood and stone.

The winner!

3/8" cordless dewalt impact. not the drill, the ring attachment style impact. ridiculously handy for so many things.

Oscillating tool.
Have a couple.
Probably one of the greatest things ever invented.

Computer…looking up repairs on you tube…anything and everything is on there! I retired in 2012 but even back then the PST2 / PIWIS tester was indispensable in Porsche repairs.

If I'm honest all of my cordless DeWalts make it possible for me to do anything.

If I HAD to choose one it might be the impact driver. But then there's the table saw and , and, and ...

10MM socket

20 volt 1/4" Dewalt impact driver... Use it all the time as a screw driver and with sockets.

& a car lift.... First bought one about 20 yrs ago. Can't imagine working on a car without one now.

Good IDE or text editor with proper syntax highlighting, code completion, and good refactoring/code generation :D

/\ /\ /\ I was gonna say that.

Lately it has been my old Dewalt angle grinder. I keep thinking of getting a cordless, but this one just keeps working. The most recent project is a mount for the surge tank/fuel pump for my FJ40 efi conversion.

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I have a bunch of little ones to keep the equipment ready in the winter.

I also have a large one that can jump start a bus: I call it Nikola:cool:

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My wife. The most versatile, helpful "tool" at my disposal. And the patience of Job to boot. Most things just wouldn't get done around here without her help, even if it's "just for a minute" (which often turns into hours, without complaint). Even if she does wind up pinned between the Harley and the 911 every now and then...

I guess the building where I house my tools. I hate working on projects in ****ty weather.

You know Jeff, you probably shouldn’t go around calling your wife a tool…..:D

toolish
 

Not really tools

Zip Ties
Gorilla Tape

Lots of good suggestions here. Every time I read one, I’m thinking yes, that’s important!

I have lots of tools that I use often but the one I "couldn’t live without" is this one...

1* Stainless Steel Putty Knife. I use it all the time for all sorts of things.

(Mine has a wooden handle but otherwise the same as this one)

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40 ton press, Mig Welder, Air Hammer, lathe, Vertical Mill, pretty much anything where you are screwed and their is no work around.... :)

I really need to invest in a press, that’s on my short list.

^^^^^ Matt, when you need one, there is no substitute (to coin a phrase :) )

We can't do gearboxes without one, we could do control arm bushings, wheel bearings without one, but too much pain in the a$$

Cheers

i recommend this one Matt.

CENTRAL MACHINERY 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press

Does everything from bearings to tiny roll pins in chrome quarter window hinges. A little more care is required for the hinges.

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A claw hammer.