Tools that are junk, IMO

[Cameron Wood]

- 4 in one screwdrivers. Probably 1/2 of use of screwdrivers is prying, wedging, poking, etc., and these fail miserably at this. Add the bits getting stuck and lost- junk.

- Quick grip clamps. Almost every one I have used did not hold, and at best had miserable clamping pressure. A scam.

- Random orbit sanders. Expensive paper that comes off and spins across the room, exposing the even more expensive backing pad to wear and worse grief.

- Contour gauge. Nothing to reference it against makes this worthless.

- Electronic stud finder. Maybe newer ones are better, but the older ones were the most un-ergonomic tool ever.

- Straight cutting aviator snips. No point at all.

- Bent claw hammer. Less likely to gouge your face if you're a klutz, that's about it.

- Pocket screws. Not so much junk, as just wrong. An insult to woodworking.

<rant

[John Kananis]

4 in 1 screwdriver - totally agree

Quick grip clamps - these are good for a quick hold (an extra hand) but not glue ups so mostly agree

Random orbit sander - sorry, I like this one

Contour gauge - meh

Stud finder - try the Franklin sensors device, fathoms better than most

Straight aviator snips...lol

Bent claw hammer - I guess, never thought about this before

Pocket screws - these get a bad rep because of how and when they're used but they used pocket holes always in woodworking, just not with a commercial jig (attaching table tops for instance). Going off memory, which could be skewed but they even used them in ancient Egypt. All that said, I don't use them in fine work, mostly for shop stuff.


- 4 in one screwdrivers. Probably 1/2 of use of screwdrivers is prying, wedging, poking, etc., and these fail miserably at this. Add the bits getting stuck and lost- junk.

- Quick grip clamps. Almost every one I have used did not hold, and at best had miserable clamping pressure. A scam.

- Random orbit sanders. Expensive paper that comes off and spins across the room, exposing the even more expensive backing pad to wear and worse grief.

- Contour gauge. Nothing to reference it against makes this worthless.

- Electronic stud finder. Maybe newer ones are better, but the older ones were the most un-ergonomic tool ever.

- Straight cutting aviator snips. No point at all.

- Bent claw hammer. Less likely to gouge your face if you're a klutz, that's about it.

- Pocket screws. Not so much junk, as just wrong. An insult to woodworking.

<rant

[Jerome Stanek]

- 4 in one screwdrivers. Probably 1/2 of use of screwdrivers is prying, wedging, poking, etc., and these fail miserably at this. Add the bits getting stuck and lost- junk.

- Quick grip clamps. Almost every one I have used did not hold, and at best had miserable clamping pressure. A scam.

- Random orbit sanders. Expensive paper that comes off and spins across the room, exposing the even more expensive backing pad to wear and worse grief.

- Contour gauge. Nothing to reference it against makes this worthless.

- Electronic stud finder. Maybe newer ones are better, but the older ones were the most un-ergonomic tool ever.

- Straight cutting aviator snips. No point at all.

- Bent claw hammer. Less likely to gouge your face if you're a klutz, that's about it.

- Pocket screws. Not so much junk, as just wrong. An insult to woodworking.

<rant

4 in 1 screw driver I have a Wright tool one that is my go to

quick grip clamps I have a set that looks like a cualking gun that works great

Random orbit sander I love those if you get a good one with quality paper

Contour gauge don't use

Electric stud finder I have a good one that I have used for 30 years

Straight cut aviator snips I used all the time installing ceilings best tool for cutting grid

bent claw hammer I don't care for

Pocket screws don't use

[Curt Harms]

- 4 in one screwdrivers. Probably 1/2 of use of screwdrivers is prying, wedging, poking, etc., and these fail miserably at this. Add the bits getting stuck and lost- junk.


A small pry bar works pretty well for prying and wedging - maybe better than a screw driver. Particularly if screw drivers I have close to hand are square drive/Robertson, phillips or Torx. Correct tool for the job.


- Quick grip clamps. Almost every one I have used did not hold, and at best had miserable clamping pressure. A scam.


Agree with John, a 3rd (or 4th) hand. Not all clamping jobs require lots of pressure like PVA.


- Random orbit sanders. Expensive paper that comes off and spins across the room, exposing the even more expensive backing pad to wear and worse grief.


I don't recall a random orbit sander throwing a sanding disk unless the pad was well past due for replacement.

[mike calabrese]

Wow I can see this topic really taking off.
My turn on the runway.......
IMHO just about any tool that is marketed as a tool that can do several jobs is junk. Tools are made to address a specific function. When that focus is blurred so is the effectiveness of the tool. I could go on and on but pictures are worth a thousand words .............
On the other hand not all multi tools are really junk one example I would offer is a true swiss army knife , a true brand letherman . Even then each individual feature is somewhat compromised in size or broad reach of function.
Anyway off to Harbor Freight to get some of those multi tool time and money savers:D
calabrese55

511334

511332

511335

[Lee Schierer]

- 4 in one screwdrivers. I have a few in strategic locations such as the trunk of my car, travel trailer and boat, where I don't have space for a full set of screw drivers.

- Quick grip clamps. I use these for quick holds, never for clue ups

- Random orbit sanders. My ROS uses adhesive backed paper. Never had a disk go flying across the room in 20+ years

- Contour gauge. I think I have used mine 3-4 times. Fortunately I didn't pay much for it.

- Electronic stud finder. I agree, but they do get the job done. I also use rare earth magnets.

- Straight cutting aviator snips. No opinion, I don't own any.

- Bent claw hammer. The primary purpose is to drive nails, not pull them. I have several of each type.

- Pocket screws. As noted above pocket hole screws have been used for centuries, even in fine furniture. The new jigs make it easy. I use mine for certain things. I even built a cabinet for an artist that was entirely assembled with pocket hole screws, no glue as it had to be able to be disassembled.
511336511337511338

[Tom M King]

I forget the tools on the list, but I have a collection under about 45 feet of water. They were in the category of only being good for seeing how far you could throw them.

[Jim Becker]

My 4 in 1 screwdriver has been with me for over 30 years and there have been zero issues with it.

[Rob Luter]

I have several 4 in one drivers. I keep a different bit in each so it's like having a set. I like that the bits are gunsmith style and hardened. I also like the fact that a Creeker local to me turned the handles on three of them.

[Bradley Gray]

I have quality versions of all of these.

[Jared Sankovich]

4 in 1... stop using it as a pry bar/chisel. They work great when you use them as intended, sort of like everything else on your list of bad tools.

[Phillip Mitchell]

Easy fix here is to buy better tools. I don't have or use everything on the list but the ones I do have (4 in 1, quick clamps, ROS) do not give me any problems like you're describing.

This also calls to mind something my mentor used to say to me early on that stuck with me.

"You only need to be 10% smarter than the tool you're using."

[Darrell Bade]

Most of Rocklers gadgets with a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist.

[Bruce Mack]

You call that a clamp? This is a clamp :D I have used a couple on my bench to secure a panel for flattening. Four of these with MDF on two heavy sawhorses make a workbench.

[Bill Dufour]

A "bent claw" hammer is actually a claw hammer. Not much choice in the stores. They are designed to pull nails. Work pretty well for that once the nail head is above the surface.
I think what you mean by claw hammer is actually a rip hammer. Several years ago I was looking for a claw hammer and Horrible fright had none at all but at least 5-6 types of rip hammers in stock. Similar at other big box stores.
The rip hammer is better balanced for driving nails with most of the weight in line with the hammer face. I think it is also supposed to be used as a rough hatchet for splitting boards down to fit.
Bill D

[Dave Sabo]

1. It’s a poor craftsman that blames his tools !

2. If you would use tools for their INTENDED purpose instead of cowboying it - you’d have better luck and results.

3. Perhaps you should buy better quality tools and and consumables. Especially when it comes to sanding !

[mike stenson]

Yea, cheap tools bad (banned word removed). So do good tools when you use them wrong.

I really try to not pull nails with a hammer that are fully sunk. They all are bad for that.

[Edward Weber]

Apologies to the OP but it sounds like someone with very little patience or tool proficiency.
All of what you said CAN be true but many of us have much different experiences with the items in your list.

My experience relating to the items on your list.

- 4 in one screwdrivers. Wrong tool for the job you described

- Quick grip clamps. They're rated at about the same as a light duty F-clamp but they're not as good, one hand operation is their best quality.

- Random orbit sanders. No such problem

- Contour gauge. No suh problem

- Electronic stud finder. They are better these days

- Straight cutting aviator snips. Making straight cuts

- Bent claw hammer. Access and leverage

- Pocket screws. Ancient idea, modernized

Tools can be frustrating at times, IMO you either need to repair them, replace them, update them or practice with them but you can't let them win.

JMHO

[Richard Coers]

Using a screwdriver as a pry bar is actually dangerous. They can be very brittle, snap in half, and throw shrapnel. I love 4 in 1 screwdrivers. One in the house junk drawer and one in my go bag to fix stuff at our daughters. Much better than carrying 4 drivers. In fact, there is a purpose for everything you cut down. The reason your random orbit throws paper is that you muscle it and burn up the velcro hooks. Let the sander do the work and don't press down, and it's an invaluable tool.

[Rod Sheridan]

- 4 in one screwdrivers. Probably 1/2 of use of screwdrivers is prying, wedging, poking, etc., and these fail miserably at this. Add the bits getting stuck and lost- junk.

- Quick grip clamps. Almost every one I have used did not hold, and at best had miserable clamping pressure.
- Random orbit sanders. Expensive paper that comes off and spins across the room, exposing the even more expensive backing pad to wear and

- Contour gauge. Nothing to reference it against makes this worthless.

- Electronic stud finder. Maybe newer ones are better, but the older ones were the most un-ergonomic tool ever.

- Straight cutting aviator snips. No point at all

- Bent claw hammer. Less likely to gouge your face if you're a klutz, that's about it.

- Pocket screws. Not so much junk, as just wrong. An insult

<rant

Hi, here are my comments

- screwdrivers are for screws, other tools are for other tasks

- I have some Bessey quick clamps, they work great for what they’re for.

- I have a couple Festool sanders, never had a problem

- new stud finders are much better

- I’ve never had an application that needed pocket screws so I can’t comment

Regards, Rod

[Mark Wooden]

I have to agree with most; get good tools and learn to use them in the right application. I have all the tools mentioned- with the exception of a stud finder, I still use a knuckle- and havent had any of the issues mentioned. An I swing a curved claw hammer, 12 through 20 oz Stanley 100 Plus model with a wood haft ( no longer made) and have for 40 years.
You can keep your Stilettos ;)

[Zachary Hoyt]

I love 4 in 1 screwdrivers. The ones that Stanley sells are the best for my particular use. They have a 5/16" hex socket if you take out the big tip, and 1/4" on the other side. When someone buys a case for one of my banjos I include a free 4 in 1 screwdriver because they can use it to tighten the head with the 5/16", adjust the tailpiece with the 1/4", and the small Phillips tip and both large tips also have applications on the banjo hardware I use. I bought 70 of them for $1 each at my formerly local surplus/salvage dollar store and still have about half left, I think.

[Warren Lake]

you will never take my dynabrades away from me they are awesome

you will never take my stroke sander away from me as its an awesome machine and its 12 feet long so it wont fit in your car

My Stilletto hammer has a side nail puller that is so good its dangerous, ive launched nails across a lawn by accident it works so well, not cabinet size but carpenter land.

never used a screwdriver as a pry bar, have a number of them different sizes

have six or seven aviator snips, had Wiss then tried Midwest and dont use Wiss anymore

no pocket screws here

and ive never had a disc fly off a dynabrade I use 3M stick it for the most part, if anything I sand too long heat it and its harder to remove. If I want to make it easier i do what car builders do and they drag it across their pant leg which leaves some lint and you end up with less stick. Still its no issue. Dont use hook and loop and so far no reason to. I think stick on is flatter from the nature of how it works.

[Cary Falk]

- 4 in one screwdrivers. I have a couple. Great for taking somewhere. The only thing don't like is the shaft is wider and it doesn't fit in a lot of places. I mostly use battery power drill/impact(12V,18v,20v). I have a draw full of screwdrivers

- Quick grip clamps. Work great for holding things while I get more clamps.

- Random orbit sanders. How does one sand without a ROS? Those awful 1/2 and 1/4 sheet vibrating sanders? A ROS was a game changer for me.

- Contour gauge. Don't have a need for one but could see where it could be useful in certain situations.

- Electronic stud finder. A good one is a life saver.

- Straight cutting aviator snips. I hated them as a kid because they rubbed my thumb joint the wrong way. I have a modern set of right, left, and straight snips.

- Bent claw hammer. Hardly ever use a hammer unless it is a rubber one. Air nailers are more efficient.

- Pocket screws. Been around forever. I only use then for face frames on cabinets.


My list:

Block planes are the devil incarnate. LOL, I have seen some cool videos though.

[Patty Hann]

4 in 1... stop using it as a pry bar/chisel. ....
Yes, stop that... a standard table knife works so much better for prying.

[Mark Wedel]

I tend not to use my 4 in 1 screwdriver very often in my shop, when the full array of screwdrivers is easily at hand. But elsewhere when I might need a few bits, the 4 in 1 will usually cover me and save me another trip to get the right screwdriver. I actually had a screwdriver (flat blade) which had the opposite problem of being hard and potential for breaking if used for prying - rather it was too soft and would bend - that one ended up in the trash pile at some point, as a screwdriver with a bent drive shaft is really worthless.
ROS I use all the time. I did have to replace the backing pad at one point - one has to think of those as a consumable, just like the sandpaper itself. I bought a pack of 3 replacement backing pads for not a lot of money - first replacement hasn't worn out yet.
Pocket screws - I use these for a lot of projects - but it depends on the project. They are fast - no waiting for glue to dry up. It also lets me disassemble things in the future if I need to - more than once, I built something, and decided that wasn't quite what I wanted or I could otherwise make it better - I could disassemble and re-use most of the materials, vs it ending up as firewood.

[Bill Howatt]

ROS? I sanded my entire cedar house siding 2 or 3 times with my Bosch (hook and loop) with no trouble until a wire burned off a motor brush. Immediately bought another to do the job this summer.
Pocket screws? Maybe not in the class of elegant joinery but they do work and are comparatively quick and easy. They aren't a new invention; have been used for years in furniture fastening such as table tops, braces and chairs.
No real argument against the wisdom of buying quality tools but I temper it with - how much use do I expect to need from the tool. I needed to drill about 8 holes in concrete and didn't see the need for doing more. No way I wanted to spend for a quality one so I bought a Chinese $25 cheapie. Drilled my 8 holes. Lent it to a couple of friends who have drilled who knows how many holes, drilled some unexpected ones for myself and a neighbor across the street. Still works fine!

[Pat Germain]

1. It’s a poor craftsman that blames his tools !

I've always had an issue with that statement. When I was young, the only mechanic's tools I had access to were cheap, Taiwan tools. The sockets didn't fit well and tended to strip bolts. Then the sockets would completely split. I never had access to a torque wrench, although I really needed one. Sorry, I just don't agree. No craftsman can adequately practice his trade with lousy tools.

Same with woodworking tools. Try to make clean, accurate cuts with dull blades or cheap, low-quality blades. Or try to produce quality work when you simply don't have access to the right tools. Reminds me of when I was in the Navy and we were expected to get everything hospital-grade clean with no cleaning supplies whatsoever. Only so much you can do with underwear and old uniforms.

[Pat Germain]

Yes, stop that... a standard table knife works so much better for prying.

Especially when you're trying to get the bread out of a hot toaster.

[mreza Salav]

Every single one of them I have a good use for and wouldn't call any of them junk.
The most surprising in your list was ROS: that's the one sander I use the most.

[Patty Hann]

I have a Craftsman screwdriver with those interchangeable bits (is that a 4-in-1 screwdriver?)
My Mother gave it to me at Christmas ("stocking-stuffer") the year I bought my house (1983...so this was a US made Craftsman tool, FWIW) .
I still have it, still use it. It lives in the "junk drawer" in the kitchen.

I use the small Irwin quick clamps as a third hand, and for lightweight clamping. I also have the tiny ones when gluing miniatures of anything.

I have all three aviation snips. I use the straight cut ones the most, for cutting hardware cloth and chicken wire.

Pocket screws... have used them all in the shop furniture I have built, and will continue to use them, at least for those builds (more of which are on the horizon).

[Michael Burnside]

I'm just waiting for one of these "tool" comments:



Metric system - Merica don't need it, impossible to make fine furniture with this system


Or



Imperial system - 3rd grade math is hard, impossible to make fine furniture with this system



I think a lot of us are forgetting that typically the dumbest tool in the shop is you.

P.S. please stop using screwdrivers as pry-bars... My old man would have taken me out to the wood shed for doing something like that...sheesh.

[Patrick Varley]

I bought this set of screwdrivers on impulse, specifically for use as prybars, eetc. For $7.99, I'm not complaining.

https://www.harborfreight.com/demolition-screwdrivers-2-piece-64859.html

[mike stenson]

eh, I grew up with metric and use 'imperial' without issue. From an engineering perspective, the biggest problem is when people insist on trying to convert.

Then again, measurement just induces error anyway.

[Michael Burnside]

eh, I grew up with metric and use 'imperial' without issue. From an engineering perspective, the biggest problem is when people insist on trying to convert.

Then again, measurement just induces error anyway.

It was a bit tongue-and-cheek but yea, most of my projects end up being relative dimensioning measurements anyway.

[Tom M King]

I don't remember ever owning a 4 in 1 screwdriver, but do have a 10 in 1 in the house tool drawer.

https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/multi-bit-nut-drivers/multi-bit-screwdriver-nut-driver-10-1-phillips-slotted-bits

[Bradley Gray]

I swing a curved claw hammer, 12 through 20 oz Stanley 100 Plus model with a wood haft ( no longer made) and have for 40 years.

I've been swinging a 16 oz. Bluegrass for a long time - it just feels right.

[Dave Sabo]

I bought this set of screwdrivers on impulse, specifically for use as prybars, eetc. For $7.99, I'm not complaining.

https://www.harborfreight.com/demolition-screwdrivers-2-piece-64859.html

Perhaps this would be a better choice ?

https://www.harborfreight.com/pry-bar-set-4-piece-58388.html


-or-

one of these :

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=pry%20bars

[Dave Sabo]

I've always had an issue with that statement. When I was young, the only mechanic's tools I had access to were cheap, Taiwan tools. The sockets didn't fit well and tended to strip bolts. Then the sockets would completely split. I never had access to a torque wrench, although I really needed one. Sorry, I just don't agree. No craftsman can adequately practice his trade with lousy tools.

Same with woodworking tools. Try to make clean, accurate cuts with dull blades or cheap, low-quality blades. Or try to produce quality work when you simply don't have access to the right tools. Reminds me of when I was in the Navy and we were expected to get everything hospital-grade clean with no cleaning supplies whatsoever. Only so much you can do with underwear and old uniforms.


We'll just have to disagree then.

I understand your perspective though, I just have little tolerance for using that as an excuse / crutch ( blame). At the end of the day YOU are responsible for YOUR safety and performance. Acquire, beg, borrow another tool ; take more time or alter your process to achieve the results your after, refuse the job...................but do not blame your outcome on the tooling !


Utoob and furniture outlets are full of videos of woodworkers from third world hovels making satisfactory things without the latest laser sharp Forrest blades, Wiha screwdrivers, or the finest handmade Japanese chisels........................all with safety practices that would make you cringe.

[Steve Demuth]

I have to assume you wrote that because you were bored and wanted start a long thread on Sawmill Creek. Nothing else about it makes sense to me.

I don't have an actual 4 in 1 screwdriver, but I do have a high quality handle with a hex socket head that holds standard bits. I like it.

Quick grip clamps: Just. Plain. Useful. I don't often use them as the sole clamp for a glue up, but holding things together while I dry fit, or get the real glue up set up, they are indispensable. Also use them frequently to create a temporary stop block to hold "real" clamps when doing angled glueups. Beats hell out of gluing on and having to remove a stop block, when they fit. I use them all the time to clamp things on the drill press table - pretty sure mine have saved me quite a bit of flesh in that role over the years. I've got half a dozen or so, all fairly old, and all still work just fine. I also have a bunch of the micro version, about 5" long, which are, from a quality point of view, junk, but I still use them for tiny glue ups.

ROS: Wouldn't be without it. I've never had a single disc spin off mine.

etc. etc.

[Doug Garson]

I find prybars do a terrible job as a screwdriver, especially on Robertson or Phillips screws. Quick grip clamps do work as binder clips until you try to put the clamped files in a file cabinet, then they suck. ROS make terrible hammers, not enough swing weight, they're even worse as boat anchors and afterward they don't work at all as sanders. :cool:

[Cameron Wood]

ROS? I sanded my entire cedar house siding 2 or 3 times with my Bosch (hook and loop) with no trouble until a wire burned off a motor brush. Immediately bought another to do the job this summer.
Pocket screws? Maybe not in the class of elegant joinery but they do work and are comparatively quick and easy. They aren't a new invention; have been used for years in furniture fastening such as table tops, braces and chairs.
No real argument against the wisdom of buying quality tools but I temper it with - how much use do I expect to need from the tool. I needed to drill about 8 holes in concrete and didn't see the need for doing more. No way I wanted to spend for a quality one so I bought a Chinese $25 cheapie. Drilled my 8 holes. Lent it to a couple of friends who have drilled who knows how many holes, drilled some unexpected ones for myself and a neighbor across the street. Still works fine!



Yeah, add Bosch tools to the list. Probably a 25% success/satisfaction rate from many of their tools over many years. By far the worst of the various brands.

Also cabinetmaker's screwdrivers. Have tried to like them and failed- pretty but they just don't work well.

[Richard Coers]

I have to assume you wrote that because you were bored and wanted start a long thread on Sawmill Creek. Nothing else about it makes sense to me.

I don't have an actual 4 in 1 screwdriver, but I do have a high quality handle with a hex socket head that holds standard bits. I like it.

Quick grip clamps: Just. Plain. Useful. I don't often use them as the sole clamp for a glue up, but holding things together while I dry fit, or get the real glue up set up, they are indispensable. Also use them frequently to create a temporary stop block to hold "real" clamps when doing angled glueups. Beats hell out of gluing on and having to remove a stop block, when they fit. I use them all the time to clamp things on the drill press table - pretty sure mine have saved me quite a bit of flesh in that role over the years. I've got half a dozen or so, all fairly old, and all still work just fine. I also have a bunch of the micro version, about 5" long, which are, from a quality point of view, junk, but I still use them for tiny glue ups.

ROS: Wouldn't be without it. I've never had a single disc spin off mine.

etc. etc.
Well said Steve. A post like this skirts around the edge as a troll style post. But he'll have reading for days as all the comments will roll in.

[Patrick Varley]

Perhaps this would be a better choice ?

https://www.harborfreight.com/pry-bar-set-4-piece-58388.html


-or-

one of these :

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=pry%20bars

Can these pry bars also function as screwdrivers?

There's something to be said about versatility.

[Cameron Wood]

Well said Steve. A post like this skirts around the edge as a troll style post. But he'll have reading for days as all the comments will roll in.

A combination of feeling grumpy, and contributing to our mutual entertainment. You come here looking for something to read and think about, right?

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have and use all of these tools as well. My aviation snips rank right up there with my hunting equipment. Go ahead and try to pry them from my cold fingers. If it were not for Karl Klenk we might be corresponding in German.

[mike stenson]

we might be corresponding in German.

I wouldn't have an issue with that.

(makes reading felders technical doc easier, but talking to their support harder)

[Thomas McCurnin]

Every tool has a time and place. I won’t go through the list an argue my point, but every tool on the list has a time and place for being the perfect tool for the job. You may not use some of them, but each has its place.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have and use all of these tools as well. My aviation snips rank right up there with my hunting equipment. Go ahead and try to pry them from my cold fingers. If it were not for Karl Klenk we might be corresponding in German.

My pocket screw rig is a 3/8 spade bit. I have not seen my contour thing-a-ma-jiggy in years.

[Ron Citerone]

The tool I expected to use a lot and turns out I rarely use is a biscuit joiner. Nothing against them just don’t feel a need very often. I’m sure some people use them a lot. Will keep it though.

Every junk drawer deserves a 4 way screwdriver. 😉

[Edward Weber]

Every junk drawer deserves a 4 way screwdriver. 

I'm sure this could be another thread but I don't, won't ever, have a junk drawer. This goes for the kitchen as well as the shop.

[andrew whicker]

I don't think there is a day of woodworking when I don't use my squish clamps (as I call them)

Also not sure what the replacement is for ROS...

[Bernie Kopfer]

Every tool has a time and place. I won’t go through the list an argue my point, but every tool on the list has a time and place for being the perfect tool for the job. You may not use some of them, but each has its place.

Well said!

[Cameron Wood]

Wow I can see this topic really taking off.
My turn on the runway.......
IMHO just about any tool that is marketed as a tool that can do several jobs is junk. Tools are made to address a specific function. When that focus is blurred so is the effectiveness of the tool. I could go on and on but pictures are worth a thousand words .............
On the other hand not all multi tools are really junk one example I would offer is a true swiss army knife , a true brand letherman . Even then each individual feature is somewhat compromised in size or broad reach of function.
Anyway off to Harbor Freight to get some of those multi tool time and money savers:D
calabrese55

511334

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I agree with this, except for the ever-present Swiss Army knife, and I carry a Gerber multitool, which is used almost 100% as one hand operable collapsible plier.

[Jim Becker]

The tool I expected to use a lot and turns out I rarely use is a biscuit joiner. Nothing against them just don’t feel a need very often. I’m sure some people use them a lot. Will keep it though.
Like you, I still have me biscuit joiner...a Freud 102. It rarely gets use, but when it's the right tool, it's the right tool. I think the last time I pulled it out was actually to make a few groves for splines...

[George Yetka]

- 4 in one screwdrivers. A good ratcheting screw driver can be great (wera and mac are the 2 I own and love. I have separate screwdrivers for prying) the 4-1 were great when i was in the trades
- Quick grip clamps. Bessey extra heavy I just upgraded to are up to the task
- Random orbit sanders. Cheap RO sanders with cheap paper will cause this. I remember as a kid my fathers entry level bosch with 10 cent paper doing this.
- Contour gauge. Never used one
- Electronic stud finder. rarely use one but magnets or the franklin
- Straight cutting aviator snips. Agree though I hate using lefts or rights also
- Bent claw hammer. Id rather have a pneumatic and a pry bar
- Pocket screws. quick and easy for cabinet stretchers is the only time I really use them.

Theres plenty I think of as junk now but did the job just fine for me before finding my way to better stuff.
Light duty F clamps(deflect way too much), Bosch palm router(couldnt hold height), Paslode(never charged/gas always empty), Home depot/Lowes( I used to love going there and tool shopping but now I know you cant get great stuff there just some good stuff), low end compressors (too loud to use in the garage. I bought a grex cordless to avoid the sound after a couple years)

[George Yetka]

I'm sure this could be another thread but I don't, won't ever, have a junk drawer. This goes for the kitchen as well as the shop.

Where do you keep your junk?

My wife hates the junk drawer in the kitchen. She prefers the junk on the counter because "Messy drawers drive me crazy"

[Bradley Gray]

My wife prefers her junk on the counter.

[Dave Sabo]

Like you, I still have me biscuit joiner...a Freud 102. It rarely gets use, but when it's the right tool, it's the right tool. I think the last time I pulled it out was actually to make a few groves for splines...


Interestingly enough , ELU (Swiss co. gobbled up by B&D for their routers and biscuit joiners) had a version of their joiner that was purpose built for exactly that.

It had several part #'s

DS140
2278
3380

and was also available (may still be) in DeWalt livery as the DW685

Good ol' Norm even used one on very early episodes of the NYWS.

https://offerup.com/item/detail/646665912

[Jerome Stanek]

I agree with this, except for the ever-present Swiss Army knife, and I carry a Gerber multitool, which is used almost 100% as one hand operable collapsible plier.
That is why I carry a Gerber I can open it with a flick of the wrist Unlike the Leatherman that my buddy carries

[Edward Weber]

Where do you keep your junk?

My wife hates the junk drawer in the kitchen. She prefers the junk on the counter because "Messy drawers drive me crazy"

Landfill
If it's junk, why would I want to have a special drawer to keep it in?

Of course, everyone has there definition of what junk is.

[Michael Burnside]

Landfill
If it's junk, why would I want to have a special drawer to keep it in?

Of course, everyone has there definition of what junk is.

I’m right there with you Edward.

[Patty Hann]

Landfill
If it's junk, why would I want to have a special drawer to keep it in?

Of course, everyone has there definition of what junk is.

Call it a catch-all/miscellaneous/odds-and-ends drawer.

Mine has a scissors , box cutter, Screwdriver with interchangeable bits, set of pliers, a few pens and markers, some clothespins (for holding bags of chips shut), small mag light (the one that takes 2 AAs), 6 foot tape.

[Warren Lake]

Top quality company ELU.

I dont see that tool though the lamello does that anyway. Id never be without a lamello machine.

[Phillip Mitchell]

Thread drift, but I use my Lamello Classic X quite a bit and would *not* want to be without it.

[Rich Engelhardt]

If I ever put my junk on the kitchen counter, my wife would beat me with a hammer - claw, rip or ball peen... - not that I even can put my junk there...

Anyhow - there are some quality multi-bit drivers. I had one from Compaq computer -before they merged with HP and one from Snap-on tools.
Both were outstanding. The bits never pulled out and got left. The one Snap-on bit that did break on me when I tried to pry something was replaced free of charge.

I had a steel rod contour gauge also that was top shelf and a plastic piece of junk that wasn't.

My 5" DeWalt and 6" Ridgid ROSs work very well. Maybe to lower quality ones don't.

Yeah - I have the Porter Cable biscuit because of Norm. I paid too much for it to throw it away. I use it every so often.

[Mike Stelts]

I wonder what OP would use instead of a contour gauge to record the profiles of my 1850 house's molding for replication. It also doubles as a great pry bar :rolleyes:.

[Erik Loza]

I’ve been remodeling my garage over the last month. Framing new shelves, new solid wood workbench, etc. Two of the tools I’ve used the most are Harbor Freight squeeze clamps and my Craftsman ROS. Agree with others: Original post borderline trolling.

Erik

[Edwin Santos]

Thread drift, but I use my Lamello Classic X quite a bit and would *not* want to be without it.

More thread drift. Lamello Top 21 here and I've lost track of the number of problems it's helped me solve.

[Cameron Wood]

I wonder what OP would use instead of a contour gauge to record the profiles of my 1850 house's molding for replication. It also doubles as a great pry bar :rolleyes:.


Make a clean cut and trace the outline onto paper, but a scriber also works OK if it is in place. Something that old usually has a lot of paint build up and has to be stripped to get an accurate profile.

[Mark Wooden]

......... Agree with others: Original post borderline trolling.

Erik

Yep, have to agree .
OP has a bad time with tools, period. Should probably take up golf instead

[Earl McLain]

Yep, have to agree .
OP has a bad time with tools, period. Should probably take up golf instead

Based on my past experience at trying to golf...all golf clubs are junk!! :p

[Terry Wawro]

My two cents..... I own a lot of four way screwdrivers. One in the kitchen junk drawer. (Yup. Got one of those too) One in the tool caddie in the basement. (Yes I'm lazy so I have tools on each floor and in the garage and in my workshop) One in each car. One on the boat and one in my go bag of misc. tools when a neighbor asks "can you come looks at something for me". Used the kitchen one about 45 minutes ago AAMOF. Get good ones. Klein, Craftsman, etc. Even the Home Depot models are good. Not a fan of the Harbor Freight versions.

Irwin Quick-clamps? Love them. Not the power of bar clamps but great for exactly what they were designed for.

[Michael Schuch]

A 4 in 1 screwdriver is for tossing in the glove box or RV just in case. I have never considered them a shop tool.

[Warren Lake]

have one of the lee valley multiple tip screwdrivers in each tool belt at the back. Saved me lots of time past. It also has a metal cutting blade in it and a wood cutting blade besides the screw driver tips.

[Jim Dwight]

- 4 in one screwdrivers. Probably 1/2 of use of screwdrivers is prying, wedging, poking, etc., and these fail miserably at this. Add the bits getting stuck and lost- junk. - disagree. I think I have one that is about 8 in one. Very handy to grab when you do not know for sure what shape screw head you need to address. I have others for non-screwdriver tasks like prying.

- Quick grip clamps. Almost every one I have used did not hold, and at best had miserable clamping pressure. A scam. - disagree. For glue-ups, I often use these to get a soft clamp on the parts to hold them in position while I apply a "real clamp". I agree their force is too low for reliable glueups. But they are incredibly handy as an "extra hand". As an illustration I was cutting a few vertical 2x4s about a week ago and wanted to use a speed square to guide my circular saw. It was hard to hold the speed square while manipulating the guard and stupid safety button on the saw. Luckily there were other people handy who held the square but a speed clamp would have been ideal for this.

- Random orbit sanders. Expensive paper that comes off and spins across the room, exposing the even more expensive backing pad to wear and worse grief. - Totally disagree. My big one, a bosch, has a turbo mode that is belt sander fast. It can then be switched to regular random orbit to get the surface ready for finish. Absolutely would not be without it.

- Contour gauge. Nothing to reference it against makes this worthless. No comment

- Electronic stud finder. Maybe newer ones are better, but the older ones were the most un-ergonomic tool ever. Disagree. They certainly are not fool proof but can be helpful.

- Straight cutting aviator snips. No point at all. Disagree. What do you use to cut a straight line?

- Bent claw hammer. Less likely to gouge your face if you're a klutz, that's about it. Disagree. Often easier to use than a straight claw hammer.

- Pocket screws. Not so much junk, as just wrong. An insult to woodworking. Disagree. Not a fine furniture joint, at least where they show, but very useful where you can hide them or for quick and somewhat crude woodworking. I've also seen videos of people discovering then in fine antiques. They been around a long time.

<rant

Nice way to stir up some responses. I don't really think you believe what you wrote.

[Cameron Wood]

Nice way to stir up some responses. I don't really think you believe what you wrote.

Based on 46 yrs pro woodworking and construction. I know my ROS experience is in the minority but curious if shared.

Also for your entertainment.

[jack duren]

Ai find these useless..

[jack duren]

I’ve got all kinds of clamps and I’ll give a list of useless ones,l

[jack duren]

Not a very good clamp..