Best cheap tool you ever bought.
- Thread starter moparmat2000
- Start date
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ball joint press
340six
King Of Bling
And Lowes or Craftsman themselves
mopar head
DoD nuisance Alien/Squatch extermination team
Craftsman wrist ratchet was awesome, shame it was poor quality.
missing linc
Loose nut behind the wheel
What blows my mind is realizing that in 1979, when I was 16, I daily drove an 11 year old car, 1968 Ford Fairlane 500. Today at 62, my daily is a 29 year old car.
On the topic of this thread, one of my best cheap tool buys was a 1/4 drive thumbwheel ratchet, bought for $5 about 20 years ago, thing works great still and saves a lot of fiddling around, sorry, no pictures at the moment.
missing linc
Loose nut behind the wheel
Got a picture of the thumb wheel ratchet.What blows my mind is realizing that in 1979, when I was 16, I daily drove an 11 year old car, 1968 Ford Fairlane 500. Today at 62, my daily is a 29 year old car.
On the topic of this thread, one of my best cheap tool buys was a 1/4 drive thumbwheel ratchet, bought for $5 about 20 years ago, thing works great still and saves a lot of fiddling around, sorry, no pictures at the moment.
missing linc
Loose nut behind the wheel
Forgot about this battery charger/booster that I picked up at an estate sale a few years ago for either $30 or $40. Works perfect.
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mopar head
DoD nuisance Alien/Squatch extermination team
Bought a set of those, probably craftsman, 1/2-3/8-1/4. Come in handy...rarely.
Alan J Odze
AJ
Funny I was watching Jay Leno not so long ago. He was working in a car that was 100 years old. He said no car built in modern times would ever last to 100 years old. The electronic will never make it. Anything built today with computers 40 years from now nobody will have the means to repair or replace the electronics.
Is it Petty Blue..?
Woody500
Well-Known Member
Looks like a hydaulic jack to me. Used many like it over the years.
ajarofclay
Well-Known Member
And that's the Plan!
Woody500
Well-Known Member
Bought a 700-some piece set from Sears in 1972 or 73. Cost was way less than others. Seems like it was in the $700 range, too. Probably still have receipt somewhere. Then I could afford to buy anything I still needed from expensive tool companies, as I needed them, & usually w/o needing to make payments. Saved a lot more that way. & Sears replaced broken tools for free, too.
Swinger 340
Well-Known Member
I still have my left-handed lug wrench, that I use often.
Msmith3054
Member
My trusty old 8” Metric Adjustable Crescent wrench.
dr dodge
Well-Known Member
I got an old drill grinder from work, for free when they shut down the machine shop
like this a darex (just looked it up, wow...$$$)
so I buy all the drill bits at yard sales
you can tell the good old steel bits right away, and I toss the junk
it will do up to a 1 - 1/2" bit and down to 1/8 (with a magnifier...lol)
like this a darex (just looked it up, wow...$$$)
so I buy all the drill bits at yard sales
you can tell the good old steel bits right away, and I toss the junk
it will do up to a 1 - 1/2" bit and down to 1/8 (with a magnifier...lol)
ajarofclay
Well-Known Member
Nice! I used to be a whiz at sharpening drill bits by eye, 40 some years ago. These days my eyes can't even imagine seeing that fine point. Hell, I can't even read the size stamped into the bits.
Woody500
Well-Known Member
I've always sharpened drill bits freehand. Constantly sharpening in batches, as we were always riveting something & needed to. Also bits up to the 1-1/2 to 2" range for the machine shop, using a 2 foot diameter disc sander, some multiple angles. Have a sharpening machine I inherited & kept & used little. Might need it now, since I don't see as well.
Need cataract surgery & trying to get fully moved beforehand.
Nice machine!
Can we get a definition of "cheap"?
About 10 years ago, I bought a Coats RC 15 rim clamp tire changer from my friends shop that was going out of business.
500 bucks.
I stopped counting after it paid for it's self, but at around $50 every time I dismount/mount a pair of tires, I am WAY on the plus side.
I also picked up a small, matching Coats low speed balancer for $375 at a swap meet.
I'm WAY on the plus side with that one, too.
Last summer, I put two on my daily, two on the wife's daily, and two on my mom's.
2 months ago, I rotated the fronts to the rear, and put two more on the wife's.
That's 200 for the mounts and maybe another 80 for the balances that I still have in my pocket.
It's the second time I've done all 4 of the wife's, the third time for mine and the second time for mom.
Plus the 73 (2.5 times), the Dakota (at least twice), the D100 (one here, one there) and a few parts car roller tires.
About 10 years ago, I bought a Coats RC 15 rim clamp tire changer from my friends shop that was going out of business.
500 bucks.
I stopped counting after it paid for it's self, but at around $50 every time I dismount/mount a pair of tires, I am WAY on the plus side.
I also picked up a small, matching Coats low speed balancer for $375 at a swap meet.
I'm WAY on the plus side with that one, too.
Last summer, I put two on my daily, two on the wife's daily, and two on my mom's.
2 months ago, I rotated the fronts to the rear, and put two more on the wife's.
That's 200 for the mounts and maybe another 80 for the balances that I still have in my pocket.
It's the second time I've done all 4 of the wife's, the third time for mine and the second time for mom.
Plus the 73 (2.5 times), the Dakota (at least twice), the D100 (one here, one there) and a few parts car roller tires.
MILO
Well-Known Member
Best cheapest Hog Ring Pliers
BFH.. for when strength overcomes lack of skill!
Woody500
Well-Known Member
I've bought so many cheap tools @ garage sales after moving to Florida I have a hard time picking one. Unfortunately the good garage sales seem to be a thing of the past now. And not as easy to find them either. Used tool shops seem gone, too.
A near new 15" Williams Aluminum Pipe Wrench for $2, and a DeWalt angle grinder w/ a box of discs, including diamond discs for $30. DeWalt had a wobble caused by the wrong washer under disc, but works great. Shield mount is broken & replacement is NLA.
A near new 15" Williams Aluminum Pipe Wrench for $2, and a DeWalt angle grinder w/ a box of discs, including diamond discs for $30. DeWalt had a wobble caused by the wrong washer under disc, but works great. Shield mount is broken & replacement is NLA.
Oldiron440
Big blocks rule small blocks drool!
I bought a used Graco or Gray I can’t remember what brand it is air jack. You can use it as a bumper jack or frame or pinch weld on the rocker panel's. I’ve got the original rear bumper on my Volare so I can pick up the rear quite high and lock the jack, pick up the front at the K frame and a hydraulic floor jack add a few stands and I’m ready to work. The jack has enough reach that I can pick up my Plymouth from the side at the frame connectors. I paid $100 for it in 1988 and it still works great.
All those "Villagers" kicking the bucket ought to have some good garage sales!
Does my little 1/4" drive socket set from KMart that I still use count? I probably bought this in the late 70's for around $8!!
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