"Tool of the Year" Thread

Fordman

Fordman

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What is your Tool of the Year?
Yes, we have a huge thread of general tool discussion, but I thought it would be interesting to see which particular tools people find excellent in one way or another.
Expensive or cheap, just tools we find more useful than others, maybe unique, maybe time-saving, or whatever. Just something which rings a bell with you.

I have a big range of good tools, but the tool which every time I pick it up I think "what a beauty", is a silly pair of slip-joint pliers (multi-grips). Over the years how many of us have pinched a bit of skin when a slip joint slips, and they are never in the right place to grip the work. Like the pair that was included in most Japanese car tool kits, very handy but prone to catch you out.
A couple of years ago I bought these Irwin 10" slip-joint pliers, with a press-button release on a ratchet type of slide. What a beauty it is - simple but effective - easy to use and reliable when squeezed - very positive action. OK, I know it's just a simple tool, but it's my Tool of the Year.

Irwin Grips_red.jpg


Beat that! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Cheers,
 
My nomination is my set of Digital Vernier Callipers Used so often, they are now left permanently on the bench. If I want to be sure that number one son will return my verniers. I lend him my old manual set. Had to teach him how to read/use them. Now he dazzles his bike mad mates with his old school wizardry.
 
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Kincrome loc-on sockets and kincrome 10 mm ratchet spanner...

But my little trojan spanner kit still brings delight everytime I use it (not very often)... its gold plated and a gift so I really look after it but its come in handy a few times...

20201022_182508.jpg



Cheers

Dino
 
Dano said:
My nomination is my set of Digital Vernier Callipers Used so often, they are now left permanently on the bench. If I want to be sure that number one son will return my verniers. I give him lend him my old manual set. Had to teach him how to read/use them. Now he dazzles his bike mad mates with his old school wizardry.
Click to expand...

Next time they are at ALDI buy several sets .... just store them with the battery out. I agree, you use them for EVERYTHING!
 
Mine need no batteries, and it's so long since I needed them they are put away with valve regrind tools and carby tuning stuff.
 
Where do I start.

Milwaukee cordless bandsaw
Milwaukee cordless rattle gun
Milwaukee cordless angle grinder
Bahco 30 inch adjustable spanner
KD flexible magnetic pickup tool with retractable head

Roger
 
dino said:
But my little trojan spanner kit still brings delight everytime I use it (not very often)... its gold plated and a gift so I really look after it but its come in handy a few times...
Cheers
Dino
Click to expand...

Dino, that IS gold! What an oxymoron, gold-plated Limited Edition Trojan tools. They look nice shape spanners,too.
Collector's item.

Cheers.
 
Roger Wilkinson said:
Bahco 30 inch adjustable spanner

Roger
Click to expand...

Hmm, can't beat the 30" Bahco, but how about a 600mm vernier?
Like others above, I am using my smaller 200mm verniers all the time, checking screws diameter to choose a drill size, usually. And I still use the old school manual vernier scale.

That's not a Vernier - THIS is a Vernier!

Verniers_red.jpg
 
Fordman said:
Hmm, can't beat the 30" Bahco, but how about a 600mm vernier?
Like others above, I am using my smaller 200mm verniers all the time, checking screws diameter to choose a drill size, usually. And I still use the old school manual vernier scale.

That's not a Vernier - THIS is a Vernier!

View attachment 126576
Click to expand...

I thought when the distances got that big they used Chains?
 
Roger Wilkinson said:
Where do I start.

Milwaukee cordless bandsaw
Milwaukee cordless rattle gun
Milwaukee cordless angle grinder
Bahco 30 inch adjustable spanner
KD flexible magnetic pickup tool with retractable head

Roger
Click to expand...
That's half a decade covered.....
 
Three years ago it was my cordless rattle gun. My best friend after 0.5 seconds of use on a tight hub nut and a crankshaft pulley retaining nut.
Two years ago it was a very long 3/8" drive extension to get safe purchase on the fitting at the end of the R8 master cylinder
One year ago it was a 14 mm flange nut spanner to get safe purchase on the inlet pipe on top of the same master cylinder but on the 4CV (!)
This year it was my copper mallet. Why it took so long to lash out and buy one I'll never know.
Ambition for next year? Depends a bit on whether a horrible job comes up....

Good idea Mr Fordman. Thank you!
 
Kim Luck said:
I thought when the distances got that big they used Chains?
Click to expand...

By pure chance, when I was at my old home town centenary a couple of weeks ago, the small local museum had an original Surveyor's chain - made up of 100 links, 66ft long (count them in the photo). What I had never heard of was the other one, an Engineer's chain, 100ft long, and used for town planning, measuring street blocks and building sites. Interesting enough for me to take photos.
Whippet, yes, I think the roods and perches are area measurements, links are length.

Seasink, when I helped my Dad find an old survey line in the bush to clear land on our farm 60 years ago, we used a length of fencing wire 66ft long so we could find the survey marks which were 10 chains apart - we didn't need verniers for that! :rolleyes:

Surveyor's chain:
Surveyors Chain_red.jpg


Engineer's chain:
Engineers Chain_red.jpg


And that's how they did it in the "old days".

Cheers.
 
I have actually used a chain! 10 sq ch to the acre. It went with an old brass vernier theodolite. With 100 links in the chain, we have an earlier form of metrication. The typical suburban street is one chain wide.

Until SI metrication rods were used to measure brickwork. (perches are used for land). 16.5 ft or four to the chain.
 
When I was at school, I use to do weekend and holiday work with the neighbour who was a surveyor. I remember him measuring with the chain roll. One of my jobs was to pull on a set of spring scales at my end to tension the chain and read/record the ruled measurement at the end of the chain He'd calculate the tension to match the expansion or contraction of the metal chain in accordance with the temperature that day. Learnt a lot working with him.

Once we were out in the scrub looking for a survey shield that was suppose to be in a tree. He was confident he had the right tree and showed me where he thought the bark had grown over the shield. With an axe he cut away the bark and there it was, it had been chiselled into the tree by the original survey team. Common practice way back then. I forget how old it was now, but is was a very old survey mark.

Brian was the lead surveyor in the team that re surveyed Norfolk Island back in the '60's.
 
seasink said:
Mine need no batteries, and it's so long since I needed them they are put away with valve regrind tools and carby tuning stuff.
Click to expand...

A micrometer? I've used it 5times today at least .... and I've only been in the shed for an hour ..... Measuring Orings for an injection pump, measuring bolt heads in MM (to figure out what sized AF sockets I need).... So quick and easy to use, especially in confined spaces when they are digiital with a display (so you can read in it situ without pulling it out to check the calibrations).

all that for just $15 (at least that is what I think they were last time they were at ALDI). Last time I went to the local bolts and bearing store .... they pulled out ALDI micrometers to measure the fitting I wanted them to replace.... I laughed at said "thats a cheap ALDI one .... do you trust them :) " ..... They buy them buy the dozen .... They work well and you don't need to worry about them getting pinched or broken.
 
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