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

My first was this S-K 1/2" drive ratchet. I bought it used in 1955 for $4.50. Here is a picture of it I took today. It still works perfectly after a 67 years of continuous use.

 

Interesting. I also bought a quality 1/2" drive ratchet PLUS a 1/2" and a 9/16" socket. Still going after 60 years.

 

I remember the first tool I ever met

 

Craftsman socket set, metric, lost the 10mm socket immediately

 

SK 1/2" Drive socket set from the local Coast-to-Coast hardware store with birthday money from my Grandfather. Unfortunately, that set died in a shop fire 16 years ago, but it was replaced with another SK set, that I still have today.

 

I bought a socket set at Grand Auto in 1976. I still have it somewhere, it came in a nice metal case. not sure if it was American made but it is of good quality. back then I don't think there were many companies making junk tools as people would not have accepted them in those days.

around 1978 I bought some "cheap" hammers and dollies at the San Jose Flea market, again, NOTHING at all like the crap you see at Harbor Freight. not the quality of the Martin tools I have, but still in my tool box with the others. I still use them from time to time.

 

1969, from JC Whitney mail order, a Husky "Master Mechanics" 250 piece tool kit....of which at least 75 pieces were hack saw and utility knife blades. Still have the majority of the tools and scars from the utility knife....The tool box was metal and still carries tools

 

I got this vice as my first tool in 1968 when I was 10 years old

 

Yup, many years ago, wasn't a tool it was a Craftsman mechanics tool set with their gray tool box.
Unfortunately it got stolen.

 

Back in 1964 when I was in Jr. high I started with messing with old lawn mower engines and mini bikes. The only tools I had were some pliers and a couple of screw drivers. My uncle helped me with my first real tool purchase - a Craftsman 1/2" drive socket set with a breaker bar in a metal case. But no ratchet, which I bought separately. Still have everything but the case and the bar that went thru the hole in the end of the breaker bar. Even though my dad wasn't a mechanic type he then bought me a Sprunger floor model drill press for Christmas which I still have and use. Thanks again to Uncle Paul for advising my dad. Another Uncle (Uncle Al) worked for IR and he gave me an electric impact and a really extensive set of Williams Super Wrenches. Still have the wrenches but the impact is long gone. Miss them both along with my dad.

 

Snap On 3/8ths drive ratchet. 40 years ago. Still my favorite. Snowman ⛄️

 

I think it was a set of craftsman dog bone ratchet box wrenches so I could get the control arm off my Lincoln Mark VIII

 

Bought this Craftsman tool box in 1963 - still have it. At that time we all hauled our tool boxes around in the trunks of our cars. Mine was this '62 Impala with a '63 409/425 I swapped into it. Tool box is in the trunk in the last shot (1966).

 

I never bought a tool until I moved out of my parents house, my dad had everything we needed back then when I was growing up.
But away from home I needed a timing light, bought a chrome Sun. I babied that thing. Kept it on the box, etc. went to use it one day (had only used it 1/2 dozen times) and the light wouldn’t flash.
Some 20 years later decided to put a new bulb in it, no luck finding one. Still pisses me off.

 

If getting tools with trading stamps counts, it was a Thorsen 1/2-inch drive ratchet and socket set. I was about 11 or 12, and my mom said if I filled all of the booklets for her, S&H trading stamps, I could use the Top Value trading stamps. I still remember how bad that glue tasted!

 

The first hand tools were SK 3/8 socket set and Kmart wrenches witch I still have after fifty years but the Sharp paint gun, Viking air file and the ND DA I started with are long gone. But I have drawers full of air tools, Sanders and grinders of all types, just were the hell did they come from? lol
I've got more than a few paint guns including some I've forgotten about.

 

Industro tool set from JC Whitney, circa 1963. $29.95 IIRC plus shipping, a few more dollars. My Dad was tired of me using (and losing!) his so he gave me the money.

Set consisted of a 1/2" drive 12-point socket set (3/8 to 1"), a 13/16" plug socket, the ratchet and a breaker bar. No extension... The rachet finally wore out, I trashed some of the smaller sockets by using them with an impact wrench. Still have the breaker bar and plug socket. But there was more...

Sets of box end and open end wrenches. 1/4" to 7/8" for both. The open ends weren't that good; really narrow, with the nuts flat only about 3/16" wide and a short length (the longest was only 7"!). Zinc finish too, the box set and sockets were chrome. I finally gave those to a kid I knew, along with whatever 1/2" sockets that were left by then. The box end had the same length issue, but had offset ends, a feature not seen much these days. Those I still have and occasionally use as they'll fit some places my newer ones won't. The smallest one is perfect for bleed screws on wheel cylinders. The smaller ones (1/4" to 7/16") were six point, the larger ones 12.

The remainder was a screwdriver 'set', with a handle and two-ended shafts that fit into it. Those proved to be junk, didn't last too long. A pair of slip-joint pliers that gave me I can't tell how many blood blisters before my Dad had pity on me and gave me a pair of genuine Channelocks. I threw those away, wouldn't wish those on anyone. And lastly, a hacksaw frame. My Dad took that and threw it away as soon as he saw it, saying 'you'll hurt yourself with that junk', he gave me his good spare which I still have. None of this was Industro branded, those were/are good tools that took a lot of serious abuse. Other than the sockets I killed with the impact wrench and the ratchet just wearing out, all the rest were very good quality. I can't tell you how many times I used the short box wrenches and hammered on one end to get stuff loose without hurting the wrenches ever.

And a small metal tool box that would just hold all this stuff, still have that too, although it's just place to keep extra and some oddball tools now.

I just realized that I've owned those for 60 years! Damn....

 

I got two small sets about 1954 at Western Auto,both had small tin clip/boxs,one boxend set an a scocket set that looked like this,very cheep-O but they did worked. Used on pedalbike at first.
Dad had said,I could not use his tools anymore. Blamed me for 1/2in. boxend getting lost. I think he lost it though.

 

Back in 1963, I was 10 years old. I bought a set of S.K. Wayne 1/4" drive sockets and a ratchet wrench. This isn't the set, for they were lost long ago, but I remember how cool they were.

 

small thorsen 3/8" drive set. Bought from napa, I was 14 so that's around 78'. still have most of it.

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My Mom repo'd a three drawer Snap On tool box from a deadbeat renter. It was stuffed with Blue Point and Snap On most everytthing hand tool related. Got it as a combo birthday/xmas present in Jr. high and was informed that it also covered future birthdays/xmas. Fast forward about 6-7 years and I'd just started racing Modifieds and had the box on the trailer. Hit a pot hole the size of the Grand Canyon, truck goes one way, trailer decides it wants to go a different way and doesn't like hauling the tool box anymore. I get the whole shit-a-ree stopped and jump out of the truck just in time to see a 18 wheeler do a damn good evasive move and just clip the edge of the box and scatter everything, everywhere. Spent the next four hours dodging traffic and scooping tools. Get back to the shop, do an inventory and figured I should have spent about four more hours dodging and scooping. Shit, that pothole cost me a little over a grand and I didn't replace the box (too damn expensive and Snap On driver said getting run over by Semi kinda voided the warranty). Guy did cut me a deal on the tools though, said he liked the story...

 

Same one here, late 1969, I was fifteen, had my first car about a week, 61 Impala 348/3 speed, had just recieved my learners permit.
Not sure, my older brother may have bought it for me, was probably making sure if/when I lost something it would not be from his set.

 

Ha! Reminds me one time I stopped at the light before the highway, something shiny caught my eye. It was a socket. I backed up, parked, and scooped it up. Another shiny thing caught my eye.
I spent 20-30 minutes scooping up someone’s lost tool set. Never found the rathchet, but did find an extension. Everything was Proto Industrial.
Thanks for the memories.

 

Dad died in 1972, I was the oldest so I got the tools, mostly Craftsman still have them today. Treasures to me.

 

High school bought a S-K set 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 ratchet sets with combo wrenches. 57 years later all still good have never repaired any ratchets

 

1968, I was 13 I bought a nice shiny chrome looking 3/8 electric drill and a grinding pad so I could sand the rust and the Bondo I used to fix the rust on my dad's 64 chevy pickup. Had it for years, finally wore it out. Of course, I found out a few times why they went to insulated drill body's later on., lol Larry

 

Yep, you didn't want to see the ground prong on the plug missing with those.... LOLOL...

 

3/8 ratchet set that was probably SK. I know that I used it on my 51 Mercury when I was 16. I've still got a few of the sockets kicking around and think that the box might be out in one of the sheds.
I didn't have a hell of a lot of tools of my own until I started trade school and bought a tool set with top and bottom boxes from a Napa dealer on a deal that the school made with them for us. I used that box until I traded it for a Snap On and Carl Swindler my tool man in Waco fussed that if he knew how flimsy that thing was he wouldn't have taken it in trade. I've still got several of the Challenger wrenches that came with it though.

 

I think it was 1963 when I bought my first "real" tools, the local parts house (Nelson automotive in Atlantic IA...their floors were polished Oak, and they kept them that way) sold me a half inch drive set and I think it was Bonney-con or something like it. Their ratchet had a very fine action and after 20 years it quit working. I have kicked my self a thousand times for not keeping it. Later I inherited dad's Craftsman tools and in the last 60 plus years some have gone away In the 80's I broke his breaker bar and traded it at the Sears store for a new one. I haven't broken the new one yet but I'm not as strong as I was then

 

I really don't remember the first tool I bought however, my first ever tools were a 1/2" and 9/16" Snap-On wrenches that my father gave me when he brought mom and I home from the hospital at three days old! Yes, I still have them!