What kind of tool user are you???

I absolutley love Tia. The different views an expierence we have really make this site great. All the great tools are fun to look at t as well.

I often wonder how many of the tools actually get use thoe? I mean I know my tools after a month don’t look new. Some would say I beat my tools up, I say I just don’t baby them. Working out in the field they get dirty. When they get muddy they just get thrown back in the truck. Every so often I clean them up but am not scared to get them dirty. I sometimes feel bad when you pay for a tool but it looks like garbage the next day. At the same time as much as I use mine there impossible to keep clean. 

As long as we enjoy our tools that’s what matters. I was just curious what kind of user you are? 

I figure wipe them off at the end of the day and they should last a bit longer if they only get cleaned once in a great while. Hand tools not so much but my battery stuff will get a quick wipe down at the end of the day. I try to take care of my tools.

I use my tools but take care of them. I don’t abuse them and don’t lend them out. I figure I drop several hundred on a tool, it’s going to last a long time if I take care of it. I’ve lent tools out and gotten them back beat to crud so now? No lending. It’s like my work car. A lot of the guys I work with beat the crap out of theirs, I figure my bosses let me have it so I take really good care of it. I use it hard but maintain and clean it all the time. I got issued a creeper at work 14 years ago for performing commercial safety inspections, I use it all the time and it’s still in great shape, the head rest isn’t cracked, the wheels work great, I just care for the stuff I use and own. 

I use my tools for work. I specialize in home repair.

I don’t Baby them, but I do try to take care of them. If it’s raining hard, I try to put them under cover. They get dirty, muddy, and used. They don’t get cleaned other than maybe getting blown off with my cordless blower.

When they break I replace them. Then I sell the broken ones on eBay. Some people apparently have time to waste on broken things.

I own my tools. They do not own me.

At work, I use the proper tools for the task at hand, the fewer tools, the better. The jobsite is not the place to find a task for an obscure tool.

Like I said earlier, I own my tools. They do not own me.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wood related tools end up just being blown off with compressed air.

With my pliers and screwdrivers I wipe them down if there is anything that gets on them. I hate slippery or sticky stuff on my tools. I normally rest my drills/impacts on the battery (standing up) so the tool looks pretty clean but my batteries start to look ratty. I try to keep my grips clean too. I use a lot of brake cleaner haha.

Use my tools professionally. I enjoy my tools, and I certainly don’t abuse them by any means, but I also don’t treat them like a collectable. I have enough tools that I never ask any of them to do more than they are designed for, as I have the right tool for every job – maybe it’s just that I’m extremely lucky, but maybe that’s why I’ve never had a tool that’s needed warranty or premature repair. Buy once, cry once.

when my father ran his business, he provide many of the tools for the crews he had, he also allotted 10 minutes a day for guys to collect, clean and or put tools away. It was a different time back then (50’s 60’s 70’s) when you could buy a tool and it could last you 25 yrs. Plus it was also a time when majority of the jobs his company did were cost plus didn’t need to be in a hurry. Now we don’t think nothing of dropping $250 on the newest drill just to say you have it, even though you have a perfect working drill already…..If you make a living with your tools it is only economical to take care of them, if you are just a hobbyist it is still economical to do the same……  

I do almost everything construction related, my company is a two person show, my brother-in-law and I operate a damage mitigation service and oftentimes we do the restoration as well, we also take on general contractor work too and are building a custom lake home right now(amongst other  a projects).  We have a yours, mine, and ours tool thing. My tools make money for me, I use em hard and toss em in my truck til I use em again the next day, sometimes I work 15 days straight, sometimes I’m not working for a week.  I rarely clean them but don’t intentionally get them dirty either.  The mitigation equipment is cleaned and inspected after every use as well as replacing filters etc.  No exceptions on them considering they are industrial grade air cleaners, dehumidifiers, blowers and extraction equipment.

I stopped using cordless power tools a while ago with a few exceptions. I’m a field, well the field service guy. The only time I don’t use tools is on the way between service calls and when I’m in the office. I don’t want to be there any more than I have to and told get used accordingly. I buy all my own tools. I’ve stopped buying tools for a few months now. All my tools look like they’ve seen some shit literally and figuratively.

At the end of the day I just hit my tools with a cordless blower and back in the trailer it goes. Rarely do more than that, and only if it was a muddy/shitty gross scenario. 

Used, not abused, but not babied. I will blow them out every once in awhile. Grease or heavy dirt gets cleaned off bit thats it. They get tossed around, stepped on, etc.

overanalyze wrote:

2 minutes ago, overanalyze said:

Used, not abused, but not babied. They get tossed around, stepped on, etc.

Same. I use them, some more then others (You can tell by looking at them) . If one falls off a table, no big deal, I pick it up and put it back on the table. I hate when I get a new tool and have to use it for the first time, but after the first scratch, that goes away. 🙂

If you’d be upset if you dropped a hand tool off a table(other than super precision tools like an expensive caliper), you have some serious OCD.

I am a tool User, not an Abuser …… My tools at home are used but cared for just like @BMack37 and @ChrisK they are blown off and wiped down before putting away. I buy quality tools, but if I dropped one I don’t cry, after all it meant to be used. There are speciality type tools that don’t get used as much but still kept up with. We all have a shit ton of money invested in our tools, let’s keep them as long as we can.

My tools at work are company provided and I care for them just the same. They are subject to ALOT more dirt and grime, but they last me at least twice as long as the rest of the guys.

As long as you take care of something as you use it, it should be with you for a long long time……. Regardless of the brand

I take care of my tools, now I don’t always take the extra step to wipe them off or blow them off, they get dirty they get dirty, I’ll wipe moisture off though to prevent rust. Hand tools are kept fairly clean, not saying I’ve never used my drill bottom for a hammer though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They stay as clean as the rag on my pocket. Something I picked up during my cattle days. I always keep a rag either tucked into my belt or pocket. The only time told actually get a focused cleaning is usually my seal puller and vice grips after changing wheel seals.

JimboS1ice wrote:

Hand tools are kept fairly clean, not saying I’ve never used my drill bottom for a hammer though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mordekyle wrote:

I won’t use my 78″ level for a lever/prybar, but I admit using my older 78″ level to tamp dry concrete when setting a fence post.


Anyone else have a confession/concession to make?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mordekyle wrote:

1 hour ago, Mordekyle said:

 

 

I won’t use my 78″ level for a level, but I admit using my older 78″ level to tamp dry concrete when setting a fence post.


Anyone else have a confession/concession to make?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

My impact might have been used like a hammer on SEVERAL occasions….

Cr8ondt wrote:

My impact might have been used like a hammer on SEVERAL occasions….

can’t say I have used an impact driver as a hammer, but this one time at band camp……

I am super anal retentive, I wipe down my tools after I use them. I blow them out too. My Rotary Hammers look like new. I can never understand how some guys let their tools get so full of crud. (And wonder why they don’t last).
I buy grease and regularly maintain my stuff. I have personally made exactly 2 warranty claims in 10 years, both were battery related.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

HiltiWpg wrote:

33 minutes ago, HiltiWpg said:

I am super anal retentive, I wipe down my tools after I use them. I blow them out too. My Rotary Hammers look like new. I can never understand how some guys let their tools get so full of crud. (And wonder why they don’t last).
I buy grease and regularly maintain my stuff. I have personally made exactly 2 warranty claims in 10 years, both were battery related.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree if time is spent on caring for tools they will last that much longer, I know many tools aren’t made to last like they used to so that is more reason to care for them the best you can. Sorry but slammin em into a big tool box at the end of the day is no excuse, If you are self employed or work for some one else it is still part of your bottom line. when you start looking into costs it shows better, last year for gasoline was $3,000 how can we get that to $2,500 tools cost was $5,400 how can we get that down to $3,000? oh take better care of them……see where I’m going with this…..

People tend to take much better care of their tools when they have to supply their own.

I suppose you could keep costs down by giving employees a tool stipend and a list of required tools. Then they’re less likely to throw a $100 piece impact into the dirt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Retired now (more or less), but when I was using tools on the job, i had to buy my own. Being a tightwad, I was very particular to take very good care of them. Had all types from standard hand tools to very specialized tools. Only bought the best I could find and was always glad I did. I admit I don’t always buy the absolute best available now that I am retired, but I won’t buy crap either. Still take care with them though. I used to cringe watching people use tools for a purpose they were never intended for. Almost always ended in personal injury/ tool damage/messed up parts. 

I generally only use my good tools as they were intended but I have some HF tools around that I will use a screwdriver as a hammer/pry bar/punch. Most of my good screwdrivers have a soft grip so they don’t make good hammers anyway. HF tools are also great for grinding and otherwise modifying.

I’ve been toying with the idea of trying to harden the steel on some HF hand tools.

The nicer and better looking the tool the better it gets treated in my opinion. 

Very good question lol as everyone I am sure knows I keep my tools up to top notch I clean them after every use and dont lend out I have spent countless hours on cleaning and repairing tools or restoring . like my 9 inch bosch I dont want anyone but me to operate because I have spent more then 24hours on it . Its sad to see how people treat there tools in a awful manner and then they go and say they are trash well its how you use the tool too. I only baby a few tools and others I push but not hard. I cringe when people absolute go ham and beat the shit out of them like stepping on cords pisses me off or throwing tools down I dont stand for if u do that then your not using my tools again. Sorry for the rant but when I use my tools I put them away in better condition . and to the very few I lend out I expect them to come back in better condition then I gave them in.

For the man hours you’ve spent taking care of your tools in what I would consider to be an unhealthy level, you probably could have bought all new ones already a few times over. Just saying…my time is valuable, not sure about yours. 3 hours of labor is all it would take for me to replace my impact, for instance. 

Other than levels, I do try to keep my levels nice. I cringe every time I drop or knock one over. I’ll snap a picture of my tool trailer soon and post it once I reorganize again. I tend to get sloppy from week to week about keeping my floor clear of supplies/buckets/etc.  

Hugh Jass wrote:

For the man hours you’ve spent taking care of your tools in what I would consider to be an unhealthy level, you probably could have bought all new ones already a few times over. Just saying…my time is valuable, not sure about yours. 3 hours of labor is all it would take for me to replace my impact, for instance. 
 
Other than levels, I do try to keep my levels nice. I cringe every time I drop or knock one over. I’ll snap a picture of my tool trailer soon and post it once I reorganize again. I tend to get sloppy from week to week about keeping my floor clear of supplies/buckets/etc.  

JimboS1ice wrote:

5 hours ago, JimboS1ice said:

I’m just trying to think of the time and effort it would take to keep my Milwaukee grinder clean… lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just compressed air and call it a day. Some tools are just going to get grimy. Wood tools are the same, there is going to be saw dust…just try to keep them dry.

Hugh Jass wrote:

For the man hours you’ve spent taking care of your tools in what I would consider to be an unhealthy level, you probably could have bought all new ones already a few times over. Just saying…my time is valuable, not sure about yours. 3 hours of labor is all it would take for me to replace my impact, for instance. 
 
Other than levels, I do try to keep my levels nice. I cringe every time I drop or knock one over. I’ll snap a picture of my tool trailer soon and post it once I reorganize again. I tend to get sloppy from week to week about keeping my floor clear of supplies/buckets/etc.  

BMack37 wrote:

 
Just compressed air and call it a day. Some tools are just going to get grimy. Wood tools are the same, there is going to be saw dust…just try to keep them dry.

I am a bit OCD about my tools. Every tool has a place and it needs to be clean after working on tbr vehicle or job. At the end of the day, a quick wipe down of the box and power tools, then I go home. I figure I have paid a lot for my tools, they help me perform and complete my work in which I take pride. I want those tools to last a long time.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

Some tools I use pretty much daily, some I use almost never. I always clean them up before putting them away. I wipe hand tools off, and blow the dust out of my power tools. 

I take a little extra care with infrequently used tools. If I know it will be idle for a long period of time, I’ll give it a coat of oil or whatever is appropriate to prevent corrosion or other storage issues. 

Nice thread! I get teased a bit about how clean my tools look but I’m not that obsessed with it. My main goal is to keep the internals clean. Bit of compressed air, and a quick wipe on the grip it necessary at the end of the day and that’s good enough. My woodworking tools look new when cleaned, but are generally coated in sawdust. My Sawzall, grinder etc., I don’t worry about cleaning them. They are made for dirty jobs. My automotive stuff is kept separate from woodworking stuff so the crap underneath my truck doesn’t get on everything; just on the stuff I’ve purchased to make my truck last longer lol. I use the tools, I don’t abuse the tools, but I don’t treat them like they’re treasures; they’re tools. 

I’m with Bremon, I get made fun of as my tools look new. I’m not afraid of using them but I don’t throw them around and I do keep them off abrasive surfaces.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I pretty much never clean my tools. I feel compressed air just blows dust and debris INTO the tool. Who cares if its on the outside of the tool. I work with a ton of MDF, I just shake the dust off and thats about it. If there is a shop vac around or a dust extractor I’ll use that. The only thing I used compress air on is the outside of my box and the top of the table saw. 

My mechanic tools just get wiped off with a rag before they go back in the box.