What is your favourite tool?

[beetle]

In defence of my good friend Peter, the question is 'what' is your favorite tool, not 'who'. Otherwise, I'd  have to agree!😂😂

Love ya, Pete!!!

I was talking about the beer!   

[tris]

The cam at the move able jaw multiply the clamping force tremendously and the jaw moves in parallel too.  I have two of them in different sizes 

I was taught to avoid adjustable spanners but that looks like a version well worth having in a tool box
I shall keep my eyes open for a pair

[wirespokes]

I have to agree - the Knipex pliers wrench is a super cool tool!

I don't know that I can say it's a favorite because I have several tools that rank up there with it. Like the Knipex Cobra pliers, or the mini lathe, or the different tools I've made to repair gauges, or the small German Arbor press with all the different attachments I've made for working on gauges, the precision grinder for making speedometer shafts (and other things).

One of my favorites, and I like it so much I haven't even used it, is a brand new Oregon State College (it's been a University since the mid 50s) 6" Vise. They didn't make them for resale but their own use, and made them in-house using their own foundry and the students in the trades classes. I was lucky enough to pick one up that hadn't been machined and was 90% there. My machinist had graduated from Oregon State in that time period but hadn't worked on any of those vises - he really wanted to figure out how to finish the machining on it so we could put it together. It turned out beautiful! So it's really rare and probably the only new one in existence. I never had any idea so much went into making a vise!

[Huzo]

Usually the one that falls most readily to hand. As an experiment, let your right arm drop loosely by your side  while standing and allow it to swing languidly left to right and back, whichever tool it finds first is probably your favourite if there's any truth to that old chestnut...'Might be a loaded question though, I once saw a post on here entitled " what's the best route" ? The obvious answer in Australia is " a silly one"... Maybe I mis understood.

[johnr]

The one that's right for the job.

[Northern Bill]

What is the difference between the Kimpex Pliers wrench and the Cobra wrench? 

[Testarossa]

[rtbickel]

Mine was a dog-leg box end wrench with no sizes indicated and the patina of age and use but the damn thing would fit both metric and SAE bolts and seemed to work on just about anything that I had in the garage at the time.  Unfortunately, the plumber who fixed my sewer line came back a couple of days later and kicked in the back door, stole my tools, stereo, change jar, etc.  Fortunately he left his fingerprints and got a 25 year vacation for his third conviction.  I never found another wrench so useful.

[Stephen]

Cappuccino Machine

[canuck750]

Fine wire wheel in a bench grinder, makes quick work of corrosion.

Second best an air compressor for running air tools, drying parts, cleaning off parts, air passages etc.

Third would be my parts washer.

My small 40+ year old bench top Myford lathe has not been used much but when used it has been a great tool to have.

Mig welder, milling machine, ultrasonic cleaner..........

[Lumpy Idle]

nice gif phang. now if we could only add parrot noises to it...or maybe a barking dog. yeah, the parallel jaws with the multiplier effect are key.

[slowmover]

Toothpick.

[Arizona Wayne]

My favorite tools are a set of long needle nose pliers, 1 straight, the other curved, I got from HF for $9 a few years ago.  They come in soo handy so many times working on MCs/maxi-scooters. 

[wirespokes]

What is the difference between the Kimpex Pliers wrench and the Cobra wrench?

Knipex pliers wrench - you've already seen those earlier in this thread.

Knipex Cobra - Google for a photo (I can't seem to load one) - they're like water pump pliers or channel locks, but they lock into position and have different teeth that work really well.

[fossil]

A lot of Knipex tools. They are one of those great German tool maker companies like e.g. Hazet, Stahlwille, Picard (hammers!). I like the diagonal cutters, especially the 70 07 140, a model I use for about 45 years now (i am in electronics).  And  :1: for the pliers wrenches. http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=113&L=1

[Muzz]

The one that's right for the job.

 :1: on that

My 5" angle grinder is great; 1mm slitting disc for cutting and the aluminium oxide grinding disc (does steel, sharpens tools pretty well, alloy and stainless).

When I want to glue metal together my BOC 175 amp mig/tig/arc welder is the bees knees.

For electrical, my multimeters, both analogue and digital.

[Phang]

A lot of Knipex tools. They are one of those great German tool maker companies like e.g. Hazet, Stahlwille, Picard (hammers!). I like the diagonal cutters, especially the 70 07 140, a model I use for about 45 years now (i am in electronics).  And  :1: for the pliers wrenches. http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=113&L=1

two of my favourite pliers 

photo taken when they were new and shiny.

[fossil]

Ah, the 25-160 plier. Good for everything. And hard to destroy.

[Adk.IBO]

The one that's right for the job.

^^^this^^^ I sold Snap-on Tools for 14-1/2 years, living, eating and breathing proper tool use. (Not a plug for Snap-on). The right tool will get the job done with the least amount of buggering and aggravation. JMO as it was then also...

[waxi]

A lot of Knipex tools. They are one of those great German tool maker companies like e.g. Hazet, Stahlwille, Picard (hammers!). I like the diagonal cutters, especially the 70 07 140, a model I use for about 45 years now (i am in electronics).  And  :1: for the pliers wrenches. http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=113&L=1

Stahlwille... what a great wrenches. My father has a complete set of them already 30 years. If I would buy "same" set now, I'll be broke. Not to mention quality of Unior, Wera, Hazet, Knipex and Usag. And of course Gedore.

[Phang]

Stahlwille... what a great wrenches. My father has a complete set of them already 30 years. If I would buy "same" set now, I'll be broke. Not to mention quality of Unior, Wera, Hazet, Knipex and Usag. And of course Gedore.

My wife and son don't have a single idea on how much my Stahlwille and Hazet tools cost.

I think I should prepare a list of my tools with prices, seal in an 'only open after I die' envelope.

Otherwise they will sell it at used Stanley prices at garage sales after I passed away.

[Bill Hagan]

My wife and son don't have a single idea on how much my Stahlwille and Hazet tools cost.

I think I should prepare a list of my tools with prices, seal in an 'only open after I die' envelope.

Otherwise they will sell it at used Stanley prices at garage sales after I passed away.

Suspect that in our home the reverse -- in the sense of I don't have a clue what some things "SHE" thinks are important cost -- is also true.  Actually, I don't want to know.   

Verily.

Bill

 

[fossil]

"And of course Gedore." Yes, of course.

Years ago I visited the industrial fair in Hannover. In one hall all the toolmakers had their booths. Very interesting was the contrast between Belzer-Sandvik and Hazet. The Belzer booth was clean, well designed, all those really beautiful tools were securely locked in nice-looking glass vitrines. Very different Hazet: They put a really big open workbench into the middle of their booth, a really greasy thing, littered  with old engines and engine parts, then took a container full of tools of all sorts and poured it over the bench. Everybody could take tools and wrenches and use them on the engine parts. Never again I saw such a lot of craftsmen literally with tears in their eyes!

[Shorty]

In terms of dollars made with it, this 5 point knife/scraper is a champ. One of the most useful tools in the hangar.

[Pop]

All those things are great, but the best tool in my humble shop is my refrigerator /freezer. Always a case cold in the fridge, and several bottles super chilled in the ice box. Those tools have got me through a lot of tough jobs.
Pop


Life is tough, getting old is tougher, but not having the right tool just plain sucks!!!!!

[Phang]

In Chinese culture, you will gain more respect from not using the right tool or no tool at all to accomplish the same task.

I am going to say my favorite tool is my hands 

[john fish]

Goes by various names.  Comes with a variety of attachments to grind, polish, sand.  Can reach inside objects.

[Huzo]

In Chinese culture, you will gain more respect from not using the right tool or no tool at all to accomplish the same task.

I am going to say my favorite tool is my hands 

Post # 34

[Phang]

Post # 34

other primates grab different tools from us with their arm length, is that the reason why monkey, gorilla and etc. evolved differently?

I heard it is the orientation of the thumb that separate us.

[Matt Story]

Goes by various names.  Comes with a variety of attachments to grind, polish, sand.  Can reach inside objects.

What are a couple of those names so we might look into it?