Simple Tools That Work

Thomason

Thomason

Joined
Nov 28, 2002
Messages
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Here's one. French made fly swatter. Plastic covered wire mesh swatting surface. Edges covered in canvas. Wood handle. Far and away superior to the WallyWorld plastic ones.
Afternoon score so far is 4 confirmed kills with one miss. Makes the hunt and kill a pleasure. :D
Simple tools that work. What are some others?
 
P-38 can-opener
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Great thread idea!

Some that occur to me:

Leather belts and leather shoes. We tend to replace them when they stop looking new, not when they wear out. I have some belts and shoes that are ten years old and still going strong. shoes need to be resoled but that's to be expected.

Good old fashioned rip and claw hammers with oak or ash handles. My framing hammer belonged to my dad and it's the only one I use or need. I haven't even hand to replace the handle, although I can tell it's not original so he must have replaced it at some point.

I bet I'll think of some more.
 
The "Wonder Mop". About $6.50 at Wal-Mart



Large, super absorbent strips soak up big spills. Machine-washable, replaceable, mop-head is extra-durable. Thanks to the unique wringer sleeve, your hands never touch water! Mop can get into hard to reach spaces.
 
I own a drill with a cord. Not too long ago, that was fancy, but now it's quaint.
But I'll trade the convenience of always being at full strength for the convenience of drilling somewhere far from an outlet any day.

Mike
 
A cast iron dutch oven. Not many people use them anymore, but for those of us who do, they're unbeatable.
 
Old pair of quality linesman pliers I've had for years , got them from a relative who had them for years , cleaned them and blued them and use them all the time.

I think I'd be plenty bummed if I lost those pliers.
 
Henry David Thoreau said that, and he made quite a few other very perceptive observations, too. Thoreau would have loved a Douk-Douk or an Opinel pocket knife for their simplicity I'm sure. :D
 
Estwing Mason's Hammer: bought it for camping, to pound tent pegs, split fire wood, dig holes as well as general hammering. 40 years years later it still works just as well.
 
I own a drill with a cord. Not too long ago, that was fancy, but now it's quaint.
But I'll trade the convenience of always being at full strength for the convenience of drilling somewhere far from an outlet any day.
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Ditto that. I hate using a cordless drill when I'm right next to a power outlet. An ideal solution would be for me to get an AC adapter battery pack that would let me choose corded or cordless. I've been using wire wheels a lot on rust and paint lately and those drain the battery packs in a hurry.
 
A nice crescent wrench.

Sure, it's adjustable, and as such slightly complex, but a great tool to have.

Josh
 
MSCantrell said:
I own a drill with a cord. Not too long ago, that was fancy, but now it's quaint.
But I'll trade the convenience of always being at full strength for the convenience of drilling somewhere far from an outlet any day.

Mike
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My younger brother somehow ended up out of the estate with my father's Black and Decker corded electric drill circa 1950. And his children will -- if they can appreciate it -- fight over that drill. It just keeps going. I've had the same Milwaukie corded drill for getting on fifteen years now and it just keeps going. No cordless lasts for more than a few years because the batteries go soft.

If you need to use your drill away from outlets or if you're gonna drill thousands of holes a year, then get a cordless and plan to replace it every few years. Otherwise, get a corded drill, a 100' heavy-duty extension cord, and a cord reel. When the cord is on a reel, setting up anywhere within 100' of an outlet takes just a few seconds. And a good extension cord on a reel is a great thing to have around in general, as good a tool as the drill.
 
NeedleRemorse said:
I've been using wire wheels a lot on rust and paint lately and those drain the battery packs in a hurry.
Click to expand...

A nice Milwaukee angle grinder is the way to go here. Not only will you appreciate the extra rpms, but the screw on wire wheel attachments are also far superior.
 
Leather belts and leather shoes. We tend to replace them when they stop looking new, not when they wear out.
Click to expand...

I had to retire the one belt I used my whole life. I got it in 6th grade for 3$ at Kmart, lasted me up until this year. Not bad, almost ten years for 3$. It was a braided type and the braids in the back had started ripping apart. The only reason it broke was from skateboarding. You could see wear marks on the back and side from when I had taken a good fall. What can I say, I'm tougher than the belt was. :p
 
Two tools that I carry on my keychain:

1. A 1 AAA-battery powered flashlight. Small enough to be with me always, but illuminates what I need to see in a pinch.

2. Atwood Prybaby XL. It works as a small prybar, scraper, nail puller, screwdriver and bottle opener. No moving parts to break, and a robust 3/16" thick.
 
I think a pair of slip-joint pliers is about the most useful thing in the tool box. You can use it to grab things or to crush or crimp. You can cut stuff with them. You can even use them to drive screws or hammer on nails and other fasteners. You can scratch your back with them, or, if your are so inclined, use them as a roach clip. There's no end to the uses for a pair of pliers.
 
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