What are the essential tools in your shop?

[crane operator]

Okay- we were broken into the day after thanksgiving, and they took most of the tools out of my shop building. I ended up getting 95% of it back after chasing them down, but that's not what this is about.

What this is about-- I was faced with a Monday morning, with most of the tools gone, and trying to go back to work.

We managed to scrounge up a couple sets of sockets (1/4",3/8",1/2"drive), ratchets and combination wrenches, and a couple hammers (big and bigger, the only two sizes of hammers), that were still left.

They also didn't take my floor jacks, battery charger, or air compressor, or the 3/4" drive socket set, which I also view as pretty important.

I went and purchased the following on Monday: 1/2" drill and drill bit set, 4 1/2" grinder and cut off wheels, roll pin punch set. Screwdriver set, file set, inspection mirror, punch and chisel set. Metric and Standard allen (hex) wrenches, 8" flat steel ruler and stainless caliper. 12v/24v/ AC/DC tester with leads.

But the two things that were also stolen, that I knew were on my repurchase before anything else, were these two tools:





My big Lincoln mig welder, and my torch. A lot of tools I have, are convienence, not necessities. The torch and the welder can't be replaced by something else, and I can't work on my equipment without them. I don't need a chop saw if I have the torch. Torch loosens and separates many stubborn items. Welder sticks them back together

I think I'd buy a torch and welder before I would have replaced my big air compressor. I could always fire up a crane or truck for some air for a tire, and I don't have to have a air impact if I've got a ratchet.

What's in your shop, that if it disappeared, would be repurchased without a doubt in the next 24 hours?

 

[bam1968]

Sorry to hear that crane operator... Just the thought of those worthless thieving b**tards makes my blood pressure go through the roof. A couple of things that come to mind for me would be drill press and bench vise. You mentioned already picking up a 1/2 inch drill and they probably didn't take the time to unbolt a vise. Those are just two things that seem to get used daily around here.

 

[Tinkerer]

It probably wouldn't be something that was stolen. It would be two trail cams. One cheap one the thieving ba###ds could find real easy and give them confidence the got it and their in the clear. Another good one well hidden to nail their a##. There are card readers for smartphones available that do away with the need for using a laptop to see what is on the SD card in the cameras.

I installed a 120 volt motion detector light inside my storage building and I have a !0 inch fire alarm bell hooked up to the light.
I wish I could post a video of it going off. It is enough to give a thief diarrhea !!

 

[td25c]

Good topic Crane OP .

Reckon if I woke up and everything was gone first 3 items I would go replace .

1 Leatherman super tool 300

2 Skoal tobacco .

3 Cold beer .



After that would be simple hand tools like wrench & socket sets .

Then welder & torch .


More important is to be versatile & somewhat compartmentalized . " Don't put all the eggs in one basket "

We have a shop with welders & tools plus multiple trucks with the same . None of them are parked in the same building or property .

This gives a little redundancy in the event of trouble be it theft , fire , or tornado type disaster .

If we loose one unit chances are that # 2 or # 3 will still operate .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compartmentalization_(engineering)

 

[Old Doug]

The place i work at built another shop on the same piece of land as the old shop i work out of.The first shop dosent have much for tools just the basics and the new shop has less. There has been a shop at this place for almost 50years and 2 years ago they got their first real vice. It is hard to belive what can be done with almost nothing. First would be the basics wernches,socket sets other hand tools then a good vice. Its hard to work at this place and think about all the time saveing stuff i have at home like today a truck had its brake shoes frozen to the drums and it took 30 minites to find a old peice of shaft for a punch to tap on them. i think they would buy some stuff if i ask but i hope to be out of there before summer.

 

[thepumpguysc]

I 2nd A VISE.. theres a reason they're so expensive.. cuz they're invaluable..
You'd be surprised at the things you can get away with when you don't have it handy.. but a vise isn't one of them..
air compressor= pressurized air in a can.. parts washer= brake kleen.. vise=?? rachet straps & c-clamps are not = and don't come close, especially if you have to flip your project several times..
That's one of the 1st questions I ask when called out to a job site.. is there a vise on site??

 

[td25c]

Good point on the vice guys .

Something else to go along with the vice is a simple work table . Use it all the time , I need to mount a small vice on it .

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.co...utriger-repack&p=568175&viewfull=1#post568175

It's also at home in the dirt on a job site when needed .

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.co...5-Wabco-c-pull&p=342531&viewfull=1#post342531

Pretty handy item that's very portable for jobs or at home in the shop .

 

[Junkyard]

I've been told that essentially I'm a tool. Not sure if that's good or bad......

It would be hard to pick, I'm like everybody else I've got all kinds of stuff. I'd have to say my crane and forklift. Waste oil pump too. That's been too handy.

I'm close to TD except it's a regular pair of pliers and Copenhagen haha

Junkyard

 

[alskdjfhg]

That little battery terminal clearer deal that has the receptacle for the posts and the little brush for the female connections.

Regular wire brush

1/2" socket set, ratchet, breaker bar.

Two 3/8 - 1 1/4 combination wrench sets.

Scewdrivers, hammers, punches and a big prybar.

Duck tape, bailing wire.

And yeah a Leatherman. I like the Wave model myself.

 

[td25c]

I'm close to TD except it's a regular pair of pliers and Copenhagen haha

Junkyard

LOL Junkyard .

Yeah , check out the Leatherman tool Bro . Get a good leather belt pouch to carry it in and will be surprised how often you pull it on tasks .

Some of the best money I ever spent . https://www.leatherman.com/super-tool-300-2.html

Word of caution ..... they scare the hell out of security guard's & cops .

"Uhhhh ...............Is that a weapon you have on your side sir " ? I'm like WTF !

Calm down man ..... it's a Leatherman multi tool .

 

[Junkyard]

Looks handy for sure. When we used to haul to refinerys I had an incident. I had moved some cows before I went up to MN to deliver a heat exchanger. Forgot to get my hotshot out of the bunk. Rent a cop Rambo about lost it over that. He asked me what it was, and then proceeded to ask if it worked. I said come here and I'll show you....he was just smart enough to stay away!

Junkyard

 

[Mobiltech]

I'd be lost without my cordless impacts and swivel impact sockets. They get used every day on every job. The only time I turn the air on is to blow something off or use the die grinder.

 

[Seabass]

My Milwaukee fuel impact.

 

[check]

Three very useful tools I noticed many other mechanics overlooked:

16" Channelocks (it's a filter wrench, curved prybar and pipe wrench all in one).

Proto 385 snap ring pliers (fit about 90% of all snap rings I have ever dealt with).

6" Vernier calipers. I'm still using the one I bought new at Sears in the seventies. It's still just as accurate as it was when I bought it, although I've had a couple dial type which broke.

When I worked offshore, I carried a 35 pound tool box because platforms had some tools and I was constantly up and down stairs, in and out of helicopters and on and off boats. Those 3 items were always with me.

It was always fun handing other mechanics including bosses my Vernier calipers. They would wrap it around a bearing and try to get a reading and then have an ohshet moment when they realized they couldn't read it. Mine rode in a thin leather sheath in the top tray getting pounded for 20 years and always worked perfectly.

 

[Tinkerer]

I use my cordless drills more than I ever imagined.

 

[Seabass]

M18 Grease gun now that I own one. Wish I bought it years ago.

 

[nowing75]

Super glue. You can glue them not to your finger if it's in a tight area to reach Or glue the washer to the nut. also is nice to have aroun an arcair slice for those stubborn pins

 

[RZucker]

It probably wouldn't be something that was stolen. It would be two trail cams. One cheap one the thieving ba###ds could find real easy and give them confidence the got it and their in the clear. Another good one well hidden to nail their a##. There are card readers for smartphones available that do away with the need for using a laptop to see what is on the SD card in the cameras.

I installed a 120 volt motion detector light inside my storage building and I have a !0 inch fire alarm bell hooked up to the light.
I wish I could post a video of it going off. It is enough to give a thief diarrhea !!

I saw this a bit late, but I know a guy that has a motion detector that trips a tape loop of the nastiest barking dog you have ever heard. Not a single break in since he set it up.

 

[Volvomad]

I have a fetish for pry and heel bars .My favourite was my home made purpose built from an old spud digger chain . The shop hand ground one end off it one day after looking at in my box for 5 years thought it was just bar . I blew up . I had forged ,hardened and tempered it 15 years ago . Luck for him it was not the heel end he attacked or he would be getting it surgically removed .

 

[Willie B]

MIG, a good one, mine is Miller Matic 252. A big monster drill press. I favor an antique that weighs about 1000 lbs. A good DC stick welder. My most useful tool is a bucket loader. It serves as my work bench, welding table, weld turner, port-a-power, etc., etc.

Willie