# What's the best tool you've ever owned? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 27, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161 "2005-10-27T15:44:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/1 "2005-10-27T15:44:25Z")
Over in [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=341631) **enipla** makes a comment about getting the best tools you can. As usual, the tread was full of advice about different tools for different jobs. So…tell me about a couple of the best tools you ever owned, and why they were so damn good. Superior saws, dynamite drills, hardy hammers, step on up. ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/2 "2005-10-27T16:00:07Z")
My Leatherman Pulse. I use it far more than any other tool I own. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/3 "2005-10-27T16:00:55Z")
My Makita Cordless Drill lasted 12 years and was the handiest tool I have ever owned. It has been replaced with a cheap little B&D cordless. This works great. My Craftsman Bandsaw is the best bench tool I have. I is useful in dozens of ways, way more then my Craftsman Radial Arm saw. ---
**Author:** ![chaparralv8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@chaparralv8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaparralv8)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/4 "2005-10-27T16:01:28Z")
Snap-On 1/2" drive ratchet wrench. Made during the Roosevelt Administration. It still works and feels better than a brand-new off-the-shelf Craftsman ratchet. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/5 "2005-10-27T16:03:20Z")
I bought one of those 237-piece tool kits about 10 years ago; screwdrivers, pliers, box wrenches, sockets, etc. Shortly thereafter, my uncle saw it, became instantly smitten, and started hinting around to my grandmother to get him one for XMas (Gee, Ma, you should see the tool kit Winston’s got. Sure is dandy. Yes, siree. Sure would like one of my own. Oh, and speaking of Cristmas…" You get the picture. Anyways, she bought a bunch of them and gave them as gifts to all the men (and older boys) in the family. This one is a “Home Repair Tool Kit”, has a hammer, and is more oriented towards, well, home repair. The original one I’ve got is (I guess) more oriented towards auto repair. But I use both of them. A lot. The real advantage is the carrying case they come in. I’d say it’s a must-have. It’s certainly not the end-all be-all, I’ve still got a ton of other tools, but these kits are great. Wait, I take it all back. Swiss Army Knife. Definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/6 "2005-10-27T16:21:58Z")
**Pipe Wrench** : Whoever invented the pipe wrench was a genius. **Dremel Tool** : A thousand-and-one uses. **Reciprocating Saw** : I love my Milwaukee SawZall. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/7 "2005-10-27T16:26:10Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > My Makita Cordless Drill lasted 12 years. Mine too. I have a 1/2" 14 volt. I run holesaws in it and everything. Also, Skil wormdrive saws. I have a magnesium one since they’re so darn heavy. But. It’s one tough saw. I’ll never buy a different kind. I really doubt I’ll every need to either. And as I stated in the other thread. Stihl chainsaws. Just used mine to clear some trees off the road so a power company truck could get through to fix some downed lines. It was snowing and cold. The power company guys saw would not start, so I went and got my Stihl. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/8 "2005-10-27T16:35:19Z")
I’m with the **Giant\_Spongess** on the Leatherman Pulse, but when I was a seaman it was a close race between that and a good ol’ marlinspike. You can do damn near anything with one of those. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/9 "2005-10-27T16:40:21Z")
My Ford E-350 van. It’s done everything I’ve ever asked it to do. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/10 "2005-10-27T16:53:55Z")
Just my prefercences here… Leatherman “pocket” tools. DeWalt cordless tools. Their 18 volt recipro saw (aka Sawzall) is quite useful, and the drill has gobs of torque. I managed to shear off a 5/16" diameter shank of a lag bolt with the thing, once. Durable suckers too. DeWalt has become the defacto one-and-only tool maker at our Ren Faire. Three years ago during build month, there’d be a smorgasboard of chargers from about five different brands. This year, we were down to a gaggle of DeWalt and one lonely Makita charger. Hand tools - If someone else is buying, MAC or Snap-On. If I’m buying, it’s Sears Craftsman. Do note that it’s got to be “Craftsman” as Sears sells “Sears” branded tools as well, but they’re not of the Craftsman “Guaranteed Forever” quality. A friend swears by his titanium framing hammer. The thing weighs something like 10 ounces, but packs the wallop of a 24-ounce head. Set him back about $100, but it’s a joy to use as it’s not so dang heavy to swing all day long. As far as the best tool I’ve ever owned? That’s a toughie! For all-around usefulness and being with me wherever and able to get me out of a jam, it’s probably going to go to the various Leathermans I’ve had over the years. Sentimental favorite would be my grandfather’s Craftsman hammer. I still use it now, and it still has the original handle. ---
**Author:** ![GKW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@GKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GKW)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/11 "2005-10-27T17:22:04Z")
This query made me remember an old screwdriver from my dad’s tool chest. It had a yellow handle with a changeable blade. One end had a flat tip and the other end was a Phillips so you could insert either one you needed into the shaft. It was pretty handy but the reason for its popularity within the family was its smell. We called it poo-driver because it reeked like metallic dog shit. It was an excellent tool for sibling torture. My brothers used to chase me around waving the poo-driver, threatening to tackle me and hold it under my nose. My favorite tool used to be my swiss army knife because I could take it anywhere but nowadays it’s no longer possible. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/12 "2005-10-27T17:53:32Z")
I have a Craftsman table saw that I bought used for $100. It’s about 30 years old. It’s supposed to be a contractor grade saw, not a wood-worker’s grade, but it’s accurate enough (after a major adjusting session I did when I first got it) to do cabinet-making work. I have lots of shop tools, but I get more use out of the old table saw than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/13 "2005-10-27T18:15:31Z")
I love our Dremel. We bought it before they got real popular. So, we didn’t know that much about them and couldn’t find any info. Plus it costs twice as much as they do now. It was love at first sight for my husband, but I couldn’t see spending the money on something that looked like a motorized nail file. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/14 "2005-10-27T19:04:03Z")
The cordless circular saw is awesome. My router and table saw are invaluable. My Drill Doctor is a very well made, if limited use tool. But I think the one “tool” I use more than any other is my diamond coated blade sharpening kit. I’m always sharpening something, be it knives, chisels, heck, I even put a razor edge on my lawn mower blade once just to see if I could. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/15 "2005-10-27T19:06:26Z")
I have a mess o’ tools, but a few stand out. **Workmate** folding worksurface and vise. Without sacrificing the space for a real workbench, I can pop this thing open and secure something to safely work on it. Then it folds up to about 5 inches thick and it hides away until I need it again. **Screwball** ratcheting screwdriver. It has interchangable magnetic bits that store in the handle. I bought the optional 1/4" drive socket . It has a handle about the size of a tennis ball for greater torque. Hey, I love my **Leatherman,** too. However, does it do any of its many functions extremely well? I don’t think so. **Duckfoot scuffle hoe**. It looks like a wee B-2 bomber on a long handle. Large scale weeding is a pain in the back. This tool does it faster and easier than any manual tool. The Hula-Hoe is a near second, but you can turn the ducky on its edge for a very small area. Two peppermills: The **Chef’n** and the **Unicorn Magnum Plus**. The Chef’n is a one-handed mill that looks like a pair of pliers jammed into a baseball. The Magnum is a black plastic cylinder, 9" x 2 1/4". It looks like Darth Vader’s peppermill, but it grinds faster than any non-electric mill on earth. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/16 "2005-10-27T19:37:56Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > **Workmate** folding worksurface and vise. A friend told me about these some years ago. He said be sure to get the original kind, made with castings; he claimed they’re easy to find at garage sales. I looked for a long time, and despaired of success. Then, about 3 months ago, I finally scored one - for $1. The wooden worksurface was in sad shape, but it’s easy to replace. Turns out my friend was right - a fine tool. I think my vote for best tool would go to a Delta Unisaw (table saw). I bought this used about a year ago, and it has lived up to its reputation (and justified its rather steep cost). Simply excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/17 "2005-10-27T19:40:45Z")
My Husband. He is more reliable than a Craftsman. ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/18 "2005-10-27T20:00:59Z")
> [@Batsinma Belfry](#): > > I love our Dremel… Thats my second favorite tool, my most favorite is the one I was born with. 😃 It’s well made and fits in my hand nicely… What? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/19 "2005-10-27T20:04:34Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I have a Craftsman table saw that I bought used for $100. It’s about 30 years old. It’s supposed to be a contractor grade saw, not a wood-worker’s grade, but it’s accurate enough (after a major adjusting session I did when I first got it) to do cabinet-making work. I have lots of shop tools, but I get more use out of the old table saw than anything else. Old Craftsman power tools are made well; quality components were used throughout (good bearings, etc.). The power tools Craftsman makes today are junk, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161/20 "2005-10-27T20:14:01Z")
My Leatherman Wave is pretty darned handy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-tool-youve-ever-owned/328161.md?page=2)