Worst tool you've ever bought?

lynall said:

Any oil filter pliers that are not channellock, I was so convinced the cheapies would do the job I ended up with at least half a dozen pairs of useless pliers, then bought the channellocks, the same chanenllocks I still use 10 years later at work with zero issues, their parrot nose/nut buster pliers are also very good.

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This thread is clearly going to get expensive for me.

MattYorke said:

This thread is clearly going to get expensive for me.

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Sadly that is the way of tools, cheap crap will do most jobs, but some stuff you do need the decent gear, otherwise life is just one long struggle.
All my driveway work on our cars is done with cheapo tools, there are some halfords spanners, but most is no name stuff.

MattYorke said:

This thread is clearly going to get expensive for me.

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We’re all thinking the same!

Aldi digital Vernier, gives a different measurement on the same thing by 1mm +.
Performance power(I think they were called) 125mm angle grinders from b&q, was around 18 yrs ago though. First one lasted 1/2hr before dying in a puff of smoke, took it back, replacement started smoking straight away, let it run for fun and it blew itself to bits.
Got me money back and got a DeWalt one for 3 times the price. That has just terminally died needing only 2 sets of brushes and one on/off switch in those 18yrs, lots of use too. Replaced it with a Makita, seems smoother and lighter than the DeWalt.

Oh, and a cheap Chinese chainsaw off eBay, stilh copy, never got it to run longer than a couple of mins, it would just stop for no reason. Fuel and spark still, it just wouldn't go again, put my shoulder out endlessly pulling the cord.new carb, coil, filter, plug, made no difference, got a husky now that starts everytime and runs faultless all day.

On the subject of engines, about twenty years ago l bought a little AL-KO petrol mower with a Tecumseh two stroke motor.

Every time l used it, the thing was a battle to get it going, with copious amounts of carburettor teat squeezing and messing about.

l eventually gave up and bought a Honda. Starts second pull even after six months sat in the garage over winter, now had it eighteen years and no issues at all, oil change every year is all it needs.

Cheap tdv6 timing set flywheel locking tool from evilbay too big for hole

Cheap hacksaw blades that were made of cheese, teeth were gone after a few strokes and there was I thinking this a good easy cutting blade to use before realising it was going nowhere.

lightning said:

On the subject of engines, about twenty years ago l bought a little AL-KO petrol mower with a Tecumseh two stroke motor.

Every time l used it, the thing was a battle to get it going, with copious amounts of carburettor teat squeezing and messing about.

l eventually gave up and bought a Honda. Starts second pull even after six months sat in the garage over winter, now had it eighteen years and no issues at all, oil change every year is all it needs.

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I bought an al-ko lawnmower. I've had it 13 years without a fault. The deck has started to rot now but that's down to my non end of season cleaning ritual.

mick the builder said:

I bought an al-ko lawnmower. I've had it 13 years without a fault. The deck has started to rot now but that's down to my non end of season cleaning ritual.

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Amazing all this Al-ko talk. I've got one of these arriving tomorrow...have wanted a manual push cylinder mower for years and this should be fun for the upper lawn. They've come on in leaps and bounds over the past years. No more excessively heavy cylinder crates...

My moms best desert spoons were great tyre levers for my old push bike but terrible when I tried them on the tyres of my first bsa bantam
Col

lf my wife knew the fluids that had been measured out in the kitchen glass measuring jug l doubt she'd use it again

lightning said:

lf my wife knew the fluids that had been measured out in the kitchen glass measuring jug l doubt she'd use it again

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My sister had a turkey baster. I told the nephews that’s how they were conceived,of course this was said during Christmas dinner.(said quietly so they had to check with their mom)

lynall said:

Sadly that is the way of tools, cheap crap will do most jobs, but some stuff you do need the decent gear, otherwise life is just one long struggle.
All my driveway work on our cars is done with cheapo tools, there are some halfords spanners, but most is no name stuff.

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Same here. All the 3/4 drive Britool sockets and such stuff is stored at my unit, or in NBs shed to use on her Land Rover.

What I actually carry on the boat is all pretty crap, Rolson, Draper, and old spanners I bought for 50p on market tool stalls. Plus a few big Stilsons for undoing stuck stuff.

It is adequate for basic servicing, and I am not worried if I drop them in the cut, or someone nicks them off the boat.

Yea, rubbish tools for boats unless out of the water. I once watched my new adjustable head down to the bottom of the harbour. Went back at low tide but I recon the shiny spanner had attracted some ones attention.

tottot said:

Yea, rubbish tools for boats unless out of the water. I once watched my new adjustable head down to the bottom of the harbour. Went back at low tide but I recon the shiny spanner had attracted some ones attention.

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There is a Snap-On 3/8” Flexi Ratchet with a 14mm socket attached to it, attracting fish somewhere on the Solent seabed off Browndown Battery - have the exact GPS mark but have never managed to snag it with a magnet! Cursed outboard chose a choppy sea to shake loose !

Worst tool I ever bought was a set of Rolson ‘Ezy Out’ bolt extractors - utterly useless and made from Play-Doh….

slomofo said:

There is a Snap-On 3/4” Flexi Ratchet with a 14mm socket attached to it, attracting fish somewhere on the Solent seabed off Browndown Battery - have the exact GPS mark but have never managed to snag it with a magnet! Cursed outboard chose a choppy sea to shake loose !
.

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That would have made me weep!

slomofo said:

There is a Snap-On 3/4” Flexi Ratchet with a 14mm socket attached to it, attracting fish somewhere on the Solent seabed off Browndown Battery - have the exact GPS mark but have never managed to snag it with a magnet! Cursed outboard chose a choppy sea to shake loose !

Worst tool I ever bought was a set of Rolson ‘Ezy Out’ bolt extractors - utterly useless and made from Play-Doh….

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Yes, there's nothing "Easy" about them is there. Guaranteed to make the job harder.

A soldering iron from wickes that bent due to its own heat. On the first use.

Rivet gun made out of Chinesium. That was fun.