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What is your most "Useless" tool?

9K views 45 replies 25 participants last post by  Jere39 
#1 ·
I was looking around the shop for something to do and I spied this. It was given as a Christmas gift several years ago, and it has been hanging on the wall since. It is a SKIL Combination Standard / Metric wrench. I’m sure it would work on loose bolts, but I would be concerned with the flimsy slide adjuster, and it only provides grip on two sides of a bolt unless the bolt is 1” or 25mm. A Crescent wrench feels studier than this. So this is my most useless tool. Sure I have other tools that don’t get used much, (A small tube bender, and water heater element socket) these were purchased for only one use, but at least these were used once, and may have a future use.

What's yours?
 

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#2 ·
Are you sure that's meant to be a wrench and not a nut sizer, lol...

Mike
 
#4 ·
be a lil more specific on where the nuts r located.. OMG.. I left the door wide open..

Combination knuckle buster/ head stripper,should of re gifted it .I cant think of any useless tools right now,im kinda useless
do u think ur age has done that to u.. did ur wife tell u that.. LOL
 
#5 ·
The one sitting in my tool chest in the garage when I'm broke down on the road. :hide:

I own several tools that haven't been used. Some were purchased just to complete a set, and some that came in a set, I've never come across the part that they fit. I wouldn't call any of them "useless".

A "useless" tool is one that breaks when you're using it. Even then, if nothing else, it can still be used as a paper weight to keep drawings for the project in progress from blowing away.
 
#6 ·
more like tools ...... my neighbors , they won't even fetch me a soda when I worked on there vehicles ... and then bad talk me behind my back ( about charges ) , ( after that incident they were told to take it elsewhere and pay $ 75-90 a hour and full price + on garbage parts vs. my $45/hour and my rather steep parts discount on good stuff )

I have tools that were given to me from " trying to give a good gift" family members ( my nephew and niece that have no mechanical training ( there dad was hardly around ) , I have some screwdrivers and doall tools (a tool that "does all" some from as seen on TV!!! ) from them over the years ( mostly when they were young didn't know and thought I would like it and the Christmas "garbage" sales they had at school who sold it ) now they are in there mid 20's and know better ( I want my tool catalog and summit catalogs back guys and which one went on my amazon and Ebay list ..... :tango_face_smile_bi ) ,

but still I have a small drawer in the big box with them in it, they are not sold /given /thrown away , just not used . ( except the screwdrivers they got for me one year ,they bought me Cornwells for Christmas the good heat treated tip ones , they are beat up and well used ! ) ,
My nephew who now lives in Japan ( English languages teacher ) was here for the summer at my Moms and came over and I was working on quick job before we did our thing and I asked him to fetch a wrench for me and he went to the box and opened "the drawer" and was suprised I still had all the "stuff ". he made a comment about them and called them junk tools,
I told him there is more behind the "Junk" than he thinks ( most people in the family think I am selfish but do not see the things I do as I am "apart" from the family because of the parents ) . he noticed a few tools they didn't give me , tools that my grandfathers have given me ( real tools and some which are now broken/worn out ones )
to me they "fix" my mind when when I need it . it tells me who I am, who taught me to use them, who my family is and its the thought of who gave them to me ( this mostly ) . what suprised him most is what year I was given what .. yep still remember the year you guys bought me the swiss butter knife ( chinese swiss army knife ) 2000 , and the toothpick is the only part that has been used .. some of them would look usefull if the materials were better and a little more engineering done , I have used one and its actually a cresent wrench Sears.com was kind of handy
 
#7 ·
Sometimes--the most useless "tool" in the garage...

Is ME!..:Disgus:


As far as things in my toolbox that are useless,I have several...

One is this nifty "bone wrench"--made of the finest die cast lead available..
:rolleyes:
It has failed most every time to loosen or tighten anything I tried using it on...
While in theory its a darn good idea,they need to be made of tool steel,not soft lead like crap!..

I also have a couple of weird box end wrenches that "fit all sizes" ,they have a cam action lever that grips the nut...too bad the "box" is so thin it cracks instead of loosening the nut...(cant find a picture of one online)..

Another useless tool I bought years ago,is a cheap tiwan "chain wrench",I thought it would be great for removing oil filters..but the part of the tool that grips the item your turning is maybe 1/8" thick,and it usually just crushes and slices into the oil filter can instantly,allowing the oil to drool down your arm,onto the floor,etc..:mad:...

I could list many more tools I have that either dont work as intended,or were made of inferior crap metal...I had a hammer that had the head shatter like glass once,almost lost an eyeball...I'll never buy another hammer at Woolworth's bargain table!..
 

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#11 ·
I also have a couple of weird box end wrenches that "fit all sizes" ,they have a cam action lever that grips the nut...too bad the "box" is so thin it cracks instead of loosening the nut...(cant find a picture of one online)..

Another useless tool I bought years ago,is a cheap tiwan "chain wrench",I thought it would be great for removing oil filters..but the part of the tool that grips the item your turning is maybe 1/8" thick,and it usually just crushes and slices into the oil filter can instantly,allowing the oil to drool down your arm,onto the floor,etc..:mad:...
the weird box ones IIRC were called gripwrenches , there new one is called the snap and grip ( more like strip and rip , strip the nut off while rip the back of your hand open )

you bought one of them chain wrenches too,,, now I do not feel so bad .. and for the same purpose ... mine met a firey death with the cutting torch after cutting a filter to the point I just chiseled it open and spun the base off . , I replaced it with a OTC 7206 strap wrench which cost a few bucks more , but I have one my buddy made for me from a harley trans chain and peice of pipe and broken socket . nice and wide you roll the chain up against itself to bite the piece I use it on cylinders
 
#8 ·
Several tools that someone gave me for Christmas passed years.Mostly Craftsman gimicky tools.Like the Dogbone wrench or the socket with all the little spring loaded needles in it that is a one size fits all strip off the head of a bolt wonder tool.Thank goodness Gift cards came along after these and the people who use to buy me worthless tools now buy gift cards.
 
#9 ·
The most useless tool? These hands that arthritis gave me...
 
#10 ·
My useless tool is my snow blade for my John Deere 165 hydro because it's restored and I don't want to scratch it up so it's kind of useless except for show.
 
#13 ·
No argument from me on that comment!...especially their ratchets !..

Another "useless" tool I got was a set of no-name cheap flare nut wrenches--that seem to be made out of spring steel...they work GREAT for rounding over brake line nuts,instead of tightening or loosening them !..the wrench spreads open instead of turning the nuts.:mad:

I got a set of "Pittsburg" brand HF flare nut wrenches as a Christmas gift a few years ago--the 3 most often used sizes ,snapped like peanut brittle the first time I tried using them...

I also have poor luck with those phillips screwdriver bits for deck screws..
Seems every brand I buy that isn't outrageously expensive,strips after driving 10 screws in,like they are made of really soft steel...they strip the screw heads out too!..
Also the screws like to snap off just as the head enters the wood..screws aren't "tools",but they are useless with no heads on them!..
 
#15 ·
only hydraulic wrenches ( FNW) I have are snap ons and they are the only snap ons In my box I paid for , sae and metric sets, best $250 I spent ( and that was 28 years ago, they are $250+ a set now ) , as for the bits I learned long time ago doing drywall , get American Vermont I buy the 25 packs , also it helps to have a adjustable clutch drywall gun .
most deck/drywall screws are actually powdered/sintered steel , not real steel .

larry do not feel bad have one too . only works on nuts on bolts or large bolt heads
 
#14 ·
Here is another tool I ran across, I think I was given two of these, I tried to use one and it self destructed, not sure why I still have this one?
 

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#16 ·
WOW I have a few, its hard to pick one.... Ill have to go through the box some day. All the ones shown Ive had, or have tried to use... Ya you guys are right. USELESS!! Those dog bone wrenches are at the top of the list!! You know, if you have something it will take off, you cant get to it because its too darn big!! Most times I get a useless tool, its part of a hail Mary project... im on my last list of ideas, and not thinking clearly. I had one fo those nut brakers for a project like that... ya its gone now. :) Some of the useless tools, get bent, cut up, and otherwise adapted at times for odd ball needs, so I have used at least parts of them for stuff I have done.
 
#17 ·
This is another mostly useless tool--it either wont fit where you need to use it--
Or--IT splits,instead of it splitting the nut!..
And I've bought a few "good brand name" ones too--they all sucked!..

I currently have only one un-broken one,and its not broke because it wont fit on anything I could have used it on--no room for it,or to get at the bolt to tighten it enough...
Use an air impact gun on it, = instant breakage,hand tightening usually ends up snapping it in half too,it just takes longer,and more effort--or it slips off the nut just when it starts biting in to split it....:1336:

Maybe because I used it mostly on 7/16 to 1/2" bumper bolt nuts,was too much for it..but my theory is if the tool opens up to 3/4",it should split a nut that big..I was lucky to split 2 or 3 nuts with success before each one broke..
 

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#20 ·
never had luck with the flat splitters, used the angle ones with some luck ( otc) , but I have a hydraulic one ($$$) that will break them in half ,
the cheap ones I find the wedges are not hardened and are soft , and your supposed to put a crease with a chisel to start them like a pilot hole ( If I have to use a chisel to start a crease I will often finish the job with my chisel ) this is mainly why I have a cordless dremel with bunch of cutting discs .better than any splitter. cut it 3/4 thru and chisel it done .. and the capacity of most spliters is 1/2" have to have room for it when it lets loose ..

them dog bone wrenches , I have one its not useless , it came with my schwinn 10 speed bike back in 1976 , its perfect for them , better than the stamped flat wrench they gave you in later years .. but what I didn't under stand is why they gave it , as the seat adjustment was the only thing that had a nut on it as it had the quick change lever wheels and a allen bolt for the handle bars and peddle assys .. must have been for the lower line bikes that used nuts .

another useless tool is the flat stamped wrenches they give you with air tools! other than the spray gun wrench the wrenches for die grinders and sanders are useless ( I bought HF wrenches and ground them down to fit for replacements )
 
#19 ·
wait a second.. I have 2 of them here.. they have 4 paws tho.. follow me everywhere.. & eatin me out of house & home.. another pair of them also demands I have to pet them constantly.. never get any work done if I do that.. just some lovable Angora's..
 
#27 ·
that is only for AN aluminum fittings after they are assembled ( not for assembly to hose) and will slip if too much torque is applied preventing strip out and will not damage the finish of the fitting .

my neighbor grabbed my AN wrenches and was about to use it on a steel nut he about got the crap beat out of him .. and have to pay for a new set ..
 
#24 ·
now on that subject.. usin ur right hand on a left handed screwdriver voids the warranty.. the same is true usin a metric crescent wrench on American OEM bolts.. go figure..
 
#26 ·
I have one of them Irwin metric adjustable wrenches in the package so do not laugh , but I wonder who the idiot was who printed the bolt sizes on a cresent wrench , like who cares use it get the dang nit or bolt off , you use a caliper to measure with ..
 
#28 ·
I think we need to sub-categorize; most useless by weight, most useless by cost, most useless by [?]

I mean, we all have something utterly totally useless in the bottom of our toolbox, right? Some screwdriver that failed and twisted, should have been thrown away but wasn't.

What have you spent money on, only to be completely disappointed?

I have an electric nail/staple gun. Doesn't work.
Won't push a 1" staple into soft wood. I bought it because I'd seen a guy using a similar one that did work.
I bought an air type from the same company; it works great.

What should I do with the electric one though? It would be wrong to sell it.
 
#29 ·
A Lincoln grease zerk "clearer". Mess maker/thumb smasher would be a more appropriate name.

If you try it on a clogged fitting, the oil just leaks out around the zerk when you hammer on it. I've tried it over a dozen times, and it's only ever actually cleared the fitting once.

And if you don't hold the plunger in for the first two whacks, it will rebound and fly out, spilling all your oil again.
 
#32 ·
yes we have all sorts of tools but there are times when we need them to do some thing or even cut them up to fit in tight places you never know when you may need it so we keep them .
at times when doing some repairs or build i use a lot of different tools to make the job easey.
 
#33 ·
Easy-outs.

Never, ever removed a stuck bolt with an "easy-out", despite many attempts over the years.
I'd nominate them as the most over-rated tool, since I get the impression that they're regarded as legitimate occupiers of our toolboxes.

And I even still have a few, and I keep trying them.
Never works if the bolt is actually even a little bit stuck.
 
#35 ·
Back when I was a practicing diesel mechanic, I successfully removed broken off head bolts in several Cummins big-cam engines with an easy-out. The trick is it has be an expensive set, and you have to drill enough of the bolt so that the remaining wall is think and flexible. THEN they work. But the cheap ones I still have in my box, yeah they are worthless.

The most ridiculous tool I have is two Kobalt quick adjusting crescent wrenches. They cant even pinch my finger hard enough to make it hurt, let alone ANY bolt.
 
#34 ·
Many years ago, I was working as a mechanic at a US car repair garage. There was a semi-attached body shop next door.
One day during lunch break, one of the bodyshop guys asks us if anyone has metric screwdrivers, because he has a foreign car and just can't find one that fits.

Well of course we all had a good laugh at the poor guy; but actually in Europe we use "pozidrive" screws that look like Phillips but are just slightly different, so a stubborn one will strip if you use the wrong screwdriver.
Metric? Not really. Maybe. Irritating for sure. I need to find my glasses to separate my pozi from my phillips bits. they're almost identical. But not quite.

I just bought a big Canadian camping trailer put together with square drive "Robertson" screws. Those just don't exist in Europe, it's the first time I've seen them in 30 years. Imagine my delight when I found a bit set on sale [because it was made for the US market and didn't have pozidrive bits] that included Robertsons!

Now we have Torx, [male and female] and there's hex, and that most useless and abominable straight slot screw.
 
#36 ·
I agree with Mark's thoughts on "E-Z Outs"...they seem to bust off instead ,and are anything BUT "E-Z" to get the remains out of the stuck bolt without damaging the item it is stuck in..

Anyone ever need a "clutch head" screwdriver ?...I did,when I tried repairing a camping trailer that had about 1000 of them,and not all the same size heads either!...

How about a set of "Bristol Hex Keys" ?...my dad had several sets of those,they were used on the instruments and data recorders he repaired at the LNG plants...

I also agree the "old fashioned" straight slotted head screws,are just about worthless..
I have probably 20 lbs of various sizes of those,most so rusted its hard to tell they are screws,that were leftover from my late grandfather and uncles tool rooms...

I bought a "Buffalo" brand hand impact driver some years ago,to remove the phillips head bolts holding my Honda C-110 engine cases together..the kind you hit with a hammer,to loosen tight bolts..

It flew apart after 3 or 4 good whacks,pieces flew all over the garage--I managed to find them all and re-assemble it,but it evidently had a rubber ring "lost" that held the guts inside the case...I had to fudge a o-ring off something else onto it,to get it to work long enough to get my engine apart..

I cant imagine having to work with the tools our ancestors had to use,like bit & brace drills,hand planes,chisels,saws,etc...its a miracle they were able to build such fine quality furniture,houses,with such crude tools...we're just spoiled rotten today...and I bet most of us couldn't duplicate what they built,even with the best of the latest power tools..
 
#37 ·
A bit brace was one of the first tools I ever had.
When asked what I wanted for Christmas, that was whet I asked for. I always had tool lust.

I saw a neighbor [in Holland] whacking out hinge slots in a window frame with chisel and mallet. He had a stack to get through.
"there are power tools for that now." I chided him.
"Yeah, I have a few routers downstairs." He said, "But I like chiseling and I have nothing else I need to do today."
Nicolaas was paid by the UN to teach how to build sea going wooden boats by hand in Indonesia and Eritrea, where they still don't have a lot of power tools. spent years out there.
 
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