What's something that gets on your nerves about tools?

[Junction Runner]

Figured I'd ask to see if there is anything about specific tools that bug/annoy you guys, for me, it's hacksaws, or more specifically the little bits that actually hold the blade.


As I found out this morning, they can fall out, I have no clue when, can't find it anywhere, and they are not sold separately, so I have to either find a way to rig something up myself which is pretty much guaranteed not to work, or to buy a new hacksaw.

Is there anything similar to things like this that annoy you guys?

edit: well, picture hanging wire seems to be able to get nice tension on it, I made sure to use a lot, not sure how well it would work on cutting metal, but I guess I will see, it's just a bit of electrical conduit, if that goes well it might work well on bolts, but definitely not a lasting solution. I bet lock wire would be better. (I need to get some of that stuff someday.

[deth502]

price, availability, and the fact that the right one is never around when you need it.

[G7PSK]

The fact that all too often all that is in stock when you want one is a piece of crap aimed at the diy one time user.

[Skimask]

The Panavise.
As good as it is, you think you got the thing tight enough not to move, then you hit it a bit, it slips, and acts like you never tightened it at all!

[GK]

The price of actually decent quality tools. Due to the influx of ultra cheap crap from China that almost everybody buys in preference, "quality" is now a niche, low-volume category with pricing to match.

Hexagonal ("Allen") keys

Phillips head versus posi-drive. 

The mix of metric, UNC and farking BSW threaded bolts on my Landrover.

[SeanB]

The thing with a hacksaw is that you really always need to keep a blade in it, then it never gets lost.

My one is that you can never find the right screwdriver for a screw first grab in the bag. I bought some nice reversible screwdrivers already, but it always is that you need the **OTHER** end each time.

To think at work the most common threads I cut are actually BSW, as I get the tools cheap and very good quality as used ones on auction. Metric is generally odd sizes, from M3 to M20. I made a nozzle last week and cut the threads as 5/16BSW to match the tap that fitted the hole. Then the rest was metric size and after making the test model from a scrap of Nylon I went out and bought PTFE rod 12mm dia ( actually closer to 14mm but that was nice) and machined 10cm down. Actually gave some to anther customer as I really only needed 10cm but bought a meter of the rod along with nylon 10mm rod. Nylon $1 but PTFE $10, and I bought the last meter they had in that size.

[SeanB]

The mix of metric, UNC and farking BSW threaded bolts on my Landrover.

Let me guess, metric on the bodywork, UNC on the engine and BSW on the wheels and brakes.

[GreyWoolfe]

price, availability, and the fact that the right one is never around when you need it.

+1  Add to that you can't find the right one when you need it so you go buy another.  Naturally, that is when you find the one you couldn't find.

[Phaedrus]

$10 soldering irons that plug into the mains and have a stand that weighs less than the iron, so that one tug on the cord can knock it onto the floor and set the rug on fire.

[nanofrog]

price, availability, and the fact that the right one is never around when you need it.

+1 

I'd add in poor QC, particularly for top brands as I expect FAR better than that of the cheapest products made (i.e. near perfection), and things that don't work as advertised (i.e. features that influenced my purchase decision, yet don't actually work properly or at all).

Edited for clarity.

[AndyC_772]

Poor QC not just for top brands, but for absolutely any tool at all.

Our tools are what we use to build, debug and fix other things, and it's those things which are expected to require our time and attention, not the tools. I never, ever have time to waste on tools that don't work correctly.

I generally work on the principle that any piece of test equipment needs to be at least 10 times as reliable as the thing it's being used to debug, and preferably more so. I need to be absolutely certain that if I'm shown a voltage, or a waveform, or any other measurement, then it is a true reflection of the state that really exists - subject to the known limitations of the tool in use, of course.

If a correctly used meter reads an incorrect resistance, or a scope fails to properly decode an I2C transaction, or a crimp tool fails to securely attach a connector to a wire, then it is junk, and belongs in my 'special' toolbox. The one that gets emptied once a week.

[staxquad]

Breaking drill bits.  I hate seeing empty slots in my number, metric and letter sets.   The imperial set is easier to keep complete.

[FrankenPC]

Cheap needle nose pliers.  Low grade metal results in warped/mis-aligned tips that no longer close correctly.  Might as well thrown them away.

And I also hate tape measures.  I hate them because hey have tiny hidden feet that cause them to walk away. 

   

[Mr Smiley]

Those pesky meter test leads that insist on wrapping themselves round and round      and round each other leading to a tangled mess to the point you can't separate the probes as far apart as you want   

 

[nanofrog]

Poor QC not just for top brands, but for absolutely any tool at all.

I get your point, and generally agree. 

Where I digress a bit I guess, would be that I don't expect much from the cheapest common denominator (Wun Hung Lo mentality manufacturing outfits). Probably should expect better (at least proper function), but practical experience has severely tempered my expectations from such a product segment.  For example, I would expect a WHL cutter to cut in the most basic sense of the definition, but with expectations of joint failure during use, snap a jaw or handle off while cutting within the rated wire size, ... sorts of things.  My expectations are truly that low these days. 

Where I do expect as close to perfection as possible though, is when buying top tier products. Simply put, I expect to get a tool in this particular segment that actually does it's job properly every single time I use it, assuming it's not just worn out or I haven't broken it due to stupidity/misuse. That's my entire reason for buying the damn thing in the first place, so QC failures in this segment really do piss me off, and it's a valid response in such cases IMHO. 

Hope this clears things up.   

[Smokey]

I had a GM mini van that I was driving back from camping.  Right outside the park a plastic part of the belt system on the engine melted.  I got a tow to the nearest auto parts store and I pulled up right as the guy was getting ready to close.  I got him to stay a little late and they had the part I needed in stock.  I bought that part, but I also needed a socket set to replace the part in the parking lot.  Those socket sets were really overpriced.  Now comes the decision.  I only have one shot since the guy wanted to go home, so do I buy the metric set or the English set.  I figured since it's an American car, that I'll go with the English set... errrrrrr... wrong choice.  Metric bolts.  After a lot of slipping and cursing I got the part tight enough and drove home. 
So ya.  metric vs English sockets.  That's my vote.

[karlmag]

price, availability, and the fact that the right one is never around when you need it.

+1  Add to that you can't find the right one when you need it so you go buy another.  Naturally, that is when you find the one you couldn't find.

+1

I've even tried to preempt the need to go out getting another one by buying an extra beforehand - but for some reason both the primary and the backup are nowhere to be found when needed... Then you go get a third one... :-P

Also wrong size tools, flat batteries, tools with various grades of crappiness and also other people's mishandling of various types of tools...

[con-f-use]

You search for the perfect tool (sometimes for month), you buy it, and two days after the return period has ended, you find an even better one for the same price. And to top things off: your buddy had the audacity to buy the better one or you told him about and he bought it, or he knew all along and didn't tell you. 

And also this:

The price of actually decent quality tools. Due to the influx of ultra cheap crap from China that almost everybody buys in preference, "quality" is now a niche, low-volume category with pricing to match.

A thousand times this!

[Rerouter]

The top selector on a 2 direction socket driver, without fail half way through i will knock the selector and not realize the sudden reverse in direction, which gets to a point where i think, "why is this so hard to undo" when i have tightened it back on more than i begun with

The other is power tools, the manuals very rarely cover what percussive maintenance is needed on them, e.g. a low end jigsaw i was given from work had nearly killed its stroke arm because the little guidance wheel for the blade was way too far back, meaning all the cutting force was only on the stroke arm, decided to read over the manual included, and it only covered how to change the cutting bit, not even repositioning the base plate or the guiding wheel,

And finally slop in shifters, while i will admit to only owning cheap units, its amazing that they can slop one way or another by half a mill, so every single time you have to use one you have to reset it to the right width, then make sure its actually tight enough, you lift it off to make the next quarter turn of your nut and now its too tight to fit back on, (this was for some customers DIY square nuts that met no standard size)

[free_electron]

helping hands .... they should all be treated by applying the business end of a steamroller to them...

[Junction Runner]

helping hands .... they should all be treated by applying the business end of a steamroller to them...

Oh man, amen to that. Pain in the ass to get into position, then the joints get loose, or the clips, and they eventually just pull off...

Hate those things, at least the pre made ones. I want to make one using some of that flexible tubing that has sort of ball joints in it, unsure of the actual name but it's getting more popular to do.

[con-f-use]

I want to make one using some of that flexible tubing that has sort of ball joints in it, unsure of the actual name but it's getting more popular to do.

Coolant hose (brad names: Loc-Line, SnapFlow and Snap Loc). Cedarberg, Enco and Jeton carry them.
You're welcome

[nanofrog]

I want to make one using some of that flexible tubing that has sort of ball joints in it, unsure of the actual name but it's getting more popular to do.

Here's some various links to give you ideas using segmented flexible coolant lines for a DIY helping hands (pulled this from another post I made today).
Gorilla Pod
Desk Squid
Third Hand++
Helpful Helping Hands
DIY 4-arm Helping Hands Soldering Tool
Soldering "helping hands" made with Loc-Line coolant hose
Loc-Line, I Love This Stuff (camera mount)
Examples of Solutions Made with Loc-Line from Modularhose.com (.pdf)

Coolant hose (brad names: Loc-Line, SnapFlow and Snap Loc). Cedarberg, Enco and Jeton carry them.

I was aware of Loc-Line, Jeton, and Wiha (not sure who actually makes theirs, but it's COO = Switzerland), so thanks for the additional brands/trade names. 

[Junction Runner]

I want to make one using some of that flexible tubing that has sort of ball joints in it, unsure of the actual name but it's getting more popular to do.

Here's some various links to give you ideas using segmented flexible coolant lines for a DIY helping hands (pulled this from another post I made today).
Gorilla Pod
Desk Squid
Third Hand++
Helpful Helping Hands
DIY 4-arm Helping Hands Soldering Tool
Soldering "helping hands" made with Loc-Line coolant hose
Loc-Line, I Love This Stuff (camera mount)
Examples of Solutions Made with Loc-Line from Modularhose.com (.pdf)

Coolant hose (brad names: Loc-Line, SnapFlow and Snap Loc). Cedarberg, Enco and Jeton carry them.

I was aware of Loc-Line, Jeton, and Wiha (not sure who actually makes theirs, but it's COO = Switzerland), so thanks for the additional brands/trade names. 

loc line, that's the one I've heard!

Thanks for the links, I'll be sure to check them out.

[ajb]

price, availability, and the fact that the right one is never around when you need it.

+1  Add to that you can't find the right one when you need it so you go buy another.  Naturally, that is when you find the one you couldn't find.

I should start a pool for how many 5/32" hex drivers and #2 Phillips drivers we'll find during our upcoming shop reorganization.  Every couple months I have to buy a couple more because there are none to be found in the tool cabinet. Then somebody cleans up a messy work area and all the sudden we have more than will fit into the drawer.  Then we get busy again and they wind up scattered around the building and there are none in the drawer, so. . .