When I worked in an auto plant one thing that got drilled into you was where you set tools down, always back to where they are supposed to go. If you set a tool down on a vehicle...well it is gone down the line now! Sadly, that discipline is now long gone for me and I spend at least 1/3 of my time looking for the tool I just used 10 minutes ago.
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Toolbox - What to put in it?
- Thread starter Jampy00
- Start date
For some jobs, I'll wear a tool belt (or have a job specific wearable tool bag) for that reason. Nothing gets set down. Everything goes back on my body. The generic tool belt gets mostly emptied after each job other than a collection of various screws/nails/tie wire in the bottom.
Sadly at the moment there is too much of me above the tool belt and not enough below to keep it in place (lets call is Gru shaped). I guess I need one of the ones with suspenders.
For smaller jobs, something like this works. Works with gru shape and if I am in one location for a long time, I often hang it on the post/tractor whatever to get the weight off me. Still use it the same way and all tools go in and out of bag. Simplifies return to big box too as I know I got out 5 tools and don't need to keep track of whether 32 are still in the main box.
How old or what are the your battery tools?
For modern lithium ones, the batteries hold a charge for a VERY long time. The only time mine are dead is because I drained them and forgot to charge them. Otherwise they sit for months and are still be ready to go (minor charge loss).
I have my old Ni-cad 18V dewalt at the inlaws cottage. Batteries are dead when I want to use it but they still take a charge (I don't work it hard so I can't comment on how degraded they are). Once I went lithium, I didn't want to use ni-cad anymore. With lithium, I have no issues with self discharge. The only li-ion battery I have had fail was a dewalt with a dead cell (I only had two dewalt batteries, a dozen red, a green and a blue).
All that being said, if the li-ion are very cold when you start work, that can cause issues. Once you are using them, their self-heat tolerates cold weather well but leaving a li-ion in a barn at minus a lot won't be a fun time if you want to use it before warming it up.
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Not sure how but I came into possession of multiple tool bags of various shapes and sizes.For smaller jobs, something like this works. Works with gru shape and if I am in one location for a long time, I often hang it on the post/tractor whatever to get the weight off me. Still use it the same way and all tools go in and out of bag. Simplifies return to big box too as I know I got out 5 tools and don't need to keep track of whether 32 are still in the main box.
If anyone is looking let me know as I’m going to start trimming this stuff.
Send me pics. I'm a bag whore. They're just so useful.
100% agree. I think that this being a "Multi-Use" tool box I have to be careful how I organize. Instead of sorting things out for the job, I think it would be wise to sort by tool type. The label each compartment with the contents. I'm also not buying top end tools, that way if something does get lost (as I have many weeds) it is not a huge impact to the wallet. Princess Auto will be my main stop for tools, but I'll buy a quality tool box to transport them as that will for sure take a beating..
Not a question of age, but I keep all my "battery" tools together so no need to take up space in a tool box. If I need a drill I'll bring a drill along with the tool box...
I still think you may be trying to do to much with the basic portable kit and you would be better served paring it down and having task specific kits like electrical, plumbing, mechanical, etc. that you can select before you set out. And a very basic, basic kit.
But if you must... for the main kit, keep adjusting, if there is stuff you never use, move it out. If you find you needed X, add it. Adjust and refine as you go.
If you decide you must include wrenches and sockets (and not just an adjustable, pliers, and vise grips) for non-automotive house/farm use you can eliminate redundancy, for example:
7/8 is 22.2mm, so just bring 7/8, use it for both
5/8 is 15.9mm, so just bring 16mm
9/16 is 14.3mm, so just bring 9/16
1/2 is 12.5mm, so just bring 13mm
7/16 is 11.1mm, so just bring a 7/16
3/8 is 9.5mm, so just bring a 10mm
5/16 is 7.9mm, so just bring an 8mm
1/4 is 6.4mm, so just bring a 1/4
Add in the other common metric sizes like 12mm and 15mm and you are covered.
The above may mess with people's OCD, they may worry the split up sets will get lonely in the main box, or they may consider it blasphemy but for non-mechanic, around the house/farm use it does the job as long as they are decent and not the cheapest offshore crap one can find. Works well for wrenches and sockets, I would not do this for allen keys.
But if you must... for the main kit, keep adjusting, if there is stuff you never use, move it out. If you find you needed X, add it. Adjust and refine as you go.
If you decide you must include wrenches and sockets (and not just an adjustable, pliers, and vise grips) for non-automotive house/farm use you can eliminate redundancy, for example:
7/8 is 22.2mm, so just bring 7/8, use it for both
5/8 is 15.9mm, so just bring 16mm
9/16 is 14.3mm, so just bring 9/16
1/2 is 12.5mm, so just bring 13mm
7/16 is 11.1mm, so just bring a 7/16
3/8 is 9.5mm, so just bring a 10mm
5/16 is 7.9mm, so just bring an 8mm
1/4 is 6.4mm, so just bring a 1/4
Add in the other common metric sizes like 12mm and 15mm and you are covered.
The above may mess with people's OCD, they may worry the split up sets will get lonely in the main box, or they may consider it blasphemy but for non-mechanic, around the house/farm use it does the job as long as they are decent and not the cheapest offshore crap one can find. Works well for wrenches and sockets, I would not do this for allen keys.
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I live on 5 acres, not running back and forth for a wrench.
I have a self contained socket set, won't be in tool box.
Of course it'll change as my needs change, that's part of the fun.
This is something that will be built overtime, even cheap tools add up fast...
I rarely buy tools for kits like that. I have a box full of spares that would be pillaged (it's also useful when you need to make a custom tool).
Dirty Frank
Well-known member
Don't disagree. Spares will be used.
Lucky bugger! I have to spend time trying to remember what I was working on just before I walked to the toolbox in order to figure out what it was I went there to get.
Neither. Their plier wrench is completely different geometry and fantastic for many jobs where you dont want to leave a mark. Their water pump pliers are similar to channel lock but with a different jaw shape and slightly different slip mechanism (push button instead of open to adjust).
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