History Do you remember the 1st tool you ever bought?

Yes, a pair of pliers when I was about 8. Made in West Germany. I still have them and use them.
(My father never had tools.)

 

I can't remember for sure.
Probably a bondo spreader.

 

No but it was probably off the Globemaster table at NAPA. The first decent tools I bought was a Proto socket set that got stolen, along with all my other tools in 1980.

 

British Standard Whitworth wrench... when I discovered most of my dad's wrenches did not fit on the old BSA I bought. Still have it.

 

The first Christmas with my wife in 1972, she bought me a Craftsman top box and a roll around. Plus some Craftsman sockets and two sets of S&K socket sets. I still have one set of sockets and I gave the boxes to my son several years back!






Bones

 

My first tools were almost certainly stolen from my father without the intention of keeping them. I honestpy don't remember my first tool that I owned. I used dad's the whole time I was younger. When I grew up I do remember one of my first Christmas gifts from dad was a craftsman socket set, most of which I still use.

 

I only remember from after the army. First tool I bought was a hammer.

 

I have no idea.

 

1954 bought a Proto 1/2" socket set with ratchet. breaker bar, 6" and 12" extension, u-joint,and speed wrench for $35 brand new put $5 down and paid as I went.. Also bought a 7 piece screw driver set with wood handles and hardened tips for $1. 49 you read that right. Still have and use all of these regularly

 

One of the craftsman socket sets in blow molded case, about 1988, 12 or 13 yrs old, paper route money.

My dad had everything, but owned rental houses, tools weren't always at our house. I was painting and remodeling with him from 10 yrs old.

My grandfather liked going to auctions in his retirement, woodworking guy - was always hooking me up with stuff. One of them was an old electric drill with aluminum case with a screwed up ground - surprise. He felt horrible when it happened - we got some mileage outta that story. He was around long enough that we could sit down and have a few drinks, laughed our ass of over that one a few times.

I actually buy a lot of used tools when I see good ones. I wonder about who JB, Bob and STR were, what company crib 14 was in.
I used to supervise skilled trades and when guys would retire I'd ask if they would give me one of their tools and I'll get them a new one (Blue, Henry, George) when I pick up those tools it brings a smile everytime.

Our tools are more than tools sometimes.

 

I hated those smooth polished tools. Yeah, they look pretty and are easy to clean, but when your hands are coated with oil/grease/antifreeze while doing a water pump or some other greasy job, they're slipperier than a greased pig and nearly as hard to keep ahold of.
I worked as a mechanic for Standard Stations for about 4 years and they furnished the tools. For some reason it was all SnapOn (all the other 'basic' tools they furnished were 'Chevron'-branded made by Proto) and those proved to be real knuckle-busters if greasy. Knurled ratchet handles and matt-finish wrenches for me!

 

Not my first tool, but the first expensive tool I bought.
Bought it new in 1977, for $2,400, that was a lot of money in 1977.
Lincoln Electric had their own financing, 12 monthly payments.
I was 25, and it was the first thing I ever bought on payments.
Great machine & still making me money to this day!

 

Lucky man, after a few failed attempts at stamped steel tools, I told my ex “I have plenty of tools”

 

But….was it a $7K hammer? JK, I recall some outrageous price 30-40 or so years ago about the Government paying for a hammer.

 

I dig ya man. They were purty, but like I said 1+ 1/2 yrs they lasted.
Next set was S-K Wayne, they were nice. They lasted 9 nine Years.
One morning, leaving my girlfriend's, my van was sitting with the wing window full open.
A top box with with tools I'd had forever got away.
Another top box, that My father ( A/C mech ) left to me was entrusted to a friend 'til I could get settled again. Several months later, I had to hear a b. s. story of how some work men had been in the basement.
AND The Beat Goes On
I love going into a tool store and going "got-that - got-that - got-that,, and, want-that want-that.
This I got money for, it's coming home.

 

The first automotive tool? Don't remember, but I do remember the absolute first tool I bought; it was really cheap small claw hammer and a bag of nails (in a small remarked Pillsbury Flour Bag).

Me and my friends were building a treehouse in the woods about a half mile from my house.

 

The welding shop at the paper machinery company I worked for thru the 70's had a couple of those machines. They are/were kickass machines. I'd bet you haven't had many, if any, repairs to the basic machine over the decades. BTW, I always thought of you as being a really old timer, having read about you in the magazines for years. Now I find out, we're probably the same age. And that's not old!

 

S-K Wayne. 50 years ago. Still using quite a few of the sockets. Good old American made stuff designed to last.

 

Craftsman 1.5 ton floor jack
I used it for 40 years and the hydraulic cylinder stopped working last year. I kept the handle, it’s a handy bar for additional leverage.

 

70's teen that rode dirt bikes, hi/lo auto parts 10mm open end/box end wrench. i believe hi/lo turned into o'reilly.

 

About 1953.. A torque wrench from Sears Roebuck. Craftsman. I still use that rascal.

Ben

 

One of my first big tools was a Bluebird engine hoist. I traded off that first one long ago, but eventually found another. While I love the hoist, one of the problems with it is that you have to take it all apart to store it. Then you have to pile it up in a corner somewhere. They make a storage cart for it, but you can't find a used one. New carts cost as much as the hoist.

Solved the problem by making a base that allows the hoist to pretty much store itself. Pushes around easily by the handle.
Left to right:

assembled hoist, partially finished leg inserts, disassembled hoist, stowed away

 

First tool I bought wasn't a single tool, it was a 3/8" socket set I got at Montgomery Wards, their Powercraft line. I still have the set after well over 50 years, and the ratchet handle still works like new. My dad liked Powercraft tools also, and we found this set at the local Ward's bargain center. Not sure why it was there as usually items there were missing pieces, or had been repaired. This set was complete, and looked unused.

 

Dog bone wrench for new Schwinn Hornet

 

In about 1969 or 70 I bought this same kit at Western Auto but mine was metric so I could work on my newly aquired motorcycle. Very primitive tool but it worked for a while, no idea what became of it.

 

I have that exact same ratchet. Got it 2nd hand 25 years ago, still clicking like brand new

 

March 10th 1962, I bought my first car at 14, a 1948 Ford coupe non-running . It was a Saturday and the following Saturday my dad took me to Pep Boys, where I bought a 3/8th drive socket set made by Fleet tool. 3/8th to 3/4 12 point sockets, ratchet, 3 inch extension, and breaker bar. I still have the whole set, less box except for the 9/16 socket that cracked many years ago. Everything still works well 50+years later.

 

s&k 1/2" drive socket set in1960

 

I really do not remember the first specific tool I purchased, maybe a left hand adjustable ? but I do remember my parents buying me Craftsman tools, tool box for my birthdays and Christmas, starting around 1958 me being 10 years old then. I still have them with Many added through a lifetime of carnut addiction, I have A Lot of tools to say the least, equals most small automotive shops/business's. I also have my Dad's racing tool box/tools some Snapon there, mostly Craftsman brand. I will say one of the very best tool I've purchased is my 4 post lift, 13 years ago this spring, allows an old arthritic man to still work on my cars. My parents grew up in the depression era, Dad a WWII Navy Veteran, he came home and built a Midget racer, met my Mom, I joined the family, car was raced from 1948 through 1974, myself driving it 70/74, this car is under restoration by me. I thank my parents for who I am, I Have stated many times, I'm a very Lucky man.

 

A three-angle pick from Snap-On. Used to remove paint and other debris from screw heads before attempting to undo them.
Back from when I worked at the airport, old screws out, new in. Then the new ones got a daub of paint to protect them and not look so out of place.

Phil