Hot Rods What is the best $100 you ever spent on a good tool

Ridgid cordless tools and batteries have a lifetime warranty as long as you register your purchase. Never had to use it so I don't know if you'll get the run around if you have a problem.

 

25 or so years ago I bought a cherry picker at one of those fly by night tool sales that used to come around and set up and sell cheap tools for 100 bucks. I've used that thing everything over the years and even lifted an engine or two with it.

Here I used it to hold up the Back of the 31 Vicky body I had when I took it off the trailer. That was a bit tricky while using the gantry and chain hoist at the front that I also have about 100 in. The frame work for that is a military surplus aluminum I beam and some tubing braces that I snagged out of a scrap pile and a 60 buck chain hoist that I bought in Texas in the early 70's.
The cherry picker has pulled wood fence posts out of the ground, been hauled to Tacoma to put flathead sixes in the back of my pickup truck, lifted Blaze king wood stoves up on the back of my flatbed and anything else I could think of.


Close to 40 years ago this Forney welder was for sale in the local Thrifty Nickle paper. A semi truck repair shop had used it for years until they got a bit wire feed welder. I bought 60 ft of new cable for it using 20 ft for the ground lead and 40 for the lead for the weld handle. I've built a lot of stuff with it including the frame for the gantry. My son learned to weld with it with the help of his buddy who now has been a pipeline welder in Alaska for close to 20 years. That helped my son get an upgrade at work that was the beginning of many upgrades in the past 20 years. If you can get the amps to it it will weld anything. I've got a mig that I use most of the time and a Tig that I am learning to use but that old beast will always be around.


I've also got a drill press that I paid around 100 bucks for on an online auction and then spent way more than that when my dog and I took a road trip to go get it. That thing gets used on almost every project that I do. The one piece of equipment that I didn't realize that I really needed until I had it.

 

In 1957,I payed for a used set of tanks n gages,with hoses n 3 size welding tips,plus a small cutter head. Was $70.
About a year later I found a good deal on a used bandsaw. Those two things super helped on stuff,both my own an helping out some buddys. My Grandad gave my a benchgrinder.

 

This Aro angle drill was listed for $60 and I told the guy that I was on my way, I couldn't get there fast enough. The best part was it had about $250 worth of drill bits.

 

Since I raved about the Kobalt tools and their prices and warranty, I felt that some clarification was in order. The batteries are warrantied for 3 years. I think that is a big plus since most others are only 2 years and I personally had many batteries fail immediately after the 2 year warranty period. That is why I looked elsewhere for a decent product.
When someone decides to make the "switch", they need to make all their tools one brand so batteries interchange. Battery life is just as important as tool quality, in my opinion. When you have various brands and a battery goes bad, many times the tool ends up in a drawer. So thats an important consideration.

The tool itself has a five year warranty. I would expect that the Ridgids "lifetime" warranty is similar in that they really only cover factory defects, not failure from use or abuse. The caveat there is that its hard to say it was defective from the factory after using it for several years. I think thats pretty much true for all tool warranties but haven't verified that.

Again, there are many quality tool brands out there, but battery life is where they get you later on. I have some Kobalts that are 6 years old and still working fine. I also got a Kobalt battery charger with 2 batteries from my son last Christmas. One of the batteries was defective. I returned it to Lowes to get a replacement and was told that they had sold out of the "kit" I had and could not replace it with another one............nor could they just give me one replacement battery. They insisted on refunding my money. I said I didn't bring the whole kit with me, just the defective battery. They said they would refund anyway and I should just keep the rest of the kit. I argued that I just wanted one battery..........but they insisted again. So I took the refund and gave it back to my son and kept the other battery and charger...........

Here is another current thread I just stumbled onto....www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/dewalt-batteries.1301237/

Don't want to redirect the thread so lets let this die and get back to your best $100 tool. Just wanted to explain why my choice of "best $100 tool" is that first Kobalt drill.

 

Way back in the early 80's I bought a complete 1939 Ford engine (not stuck), the complete drive train including the transmission, drive shaft and rear for $100. The seller just wanted to get rid of it.

 

A power probe-love being able to send 12 volts to something and see if it works.

It turns on? Now we know the problem is elsewhere.

Or a sanity check on the wiring before I hook it up.

 

The socket wrenches I bought at age 15 didn't cost $100 but served me well-until almost 60 years later when I gave them to my mechanic granddaughter when she turned 15.

The Chinese 3/4" socket set I bought for $35 30 years ago is still going string

Cost over $100 and not quite HAMB friendly , but my Echo 16" electric chain saw is SO much easier and reliable than my big Stihl gas saw.

 

In the spring of 1969, I bought this 3/4 ton come along, and these Oxy Acetylene regulators with 60' of hose for 75 bucks. Been in constant use since.

 

Under a $100. Couldn’t do without this tool for replacing valve springs without removing the cylinder heads.

 

How does it keep the valves from dropping? I’d assume you pressurize the cylinder while using it.
I’ve done valve seals on SBCs that way with a similar tool.

 

I just bring the piston up TDC and then go through the process. The valve will only drop down 1/16” or so. Trouble I had with using air is it would start rolling the the engine around and that could be disastrous.

 

Beverly Shear

 

Those are the best test light one could buy, takes out all the guess work.

 

Chicago Pnuematic 734, early 1968. First of the new 734s sold in town. $110 + a Black & Decker rocker trigger trade-in. In constant use professionally for 45 years. Gutted out the regulator, making it capable of breaking 9/16'' bolts off. I change the ATF lube inside every couple years.

 

take the plug out remove the rocker arms bring the piston half way up and feed about five or six feet of clothes line into th cylinder and then move the piston up as high as it will go it will hold the valves in place

 

I'm a huge tool guy (as I'm sure many of us are) and I can't think of one particular tool either!

 

sorry, the title says best 100 bucks ever spent on a tool.

150 is not 100

tell you what i'll do, i'll give a hunnert for it and it will become my best 100 i've ever spent on a tool and we'll forget the whole thing. do you deliver?

 

This was actually less than 100 bucks. However I had bid it up over 100 at an auction. It was in a box and disassembled with a bunch of other stuff and a carburetor that the other bidder wanted. So I confronted him and ask if he was interested in it and he wasn't, I offered 35 bucks and he agreed. Had to buy new bearings for it and assemble it. It is a work horse.

 

Martin dinging hammer, Martin anvil dolly, a vixen file. Got them before I started doing bodywork so I could fix a shitbox Caddy. Still have them 25 years later and they helped me build a career.

 

I just went out to the shop to take pics of some of my best buys. Montgomery Wards Powr-Kraft tap and die set bought at a garage sale for $25. An old 2-ton Walker floor jack from my neighbor for $10. I had to put new seals in the pump and cylinder. And a couple weeks ago I picked up this five gallon bucket half full of brand new split point drill bits for $50. The guy selling them was a government contractor. I didn't ask any questions and just consider it a tax refund.

 

For anyone interested in the Kobalt tools I mentioned earlier. I went to Lowes yesterday to get some electrical supplies. While walking thru the tool section, they had a "kit" with a 1/2 inch drill AND a 1/4" drill driver AND a battery AND a charger...........discounted to $139. So if you want to give them a try, you ain't gonna beat that price.
I grabbed another of the one hand saws for $99 .......just couldn't pass it up.
I'm done now.........

 

These two. Craftsman tap and die set and an early eighties Workmate......which I consider a tool and use daily.

 

No pictures, but probably my old Craftsman dial-back timing light. Used so many times over the years, and was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to learning how to tune an engine. Now I have numerous people calling me every spring to get their cars running right.

Devin

 

The way I weld my grinder was probably my best purchase around that price.

 

One month afer my last employer (ATA Airline) layed me, my old boss called to offered to sell me the shop Miller mig welder for $100. Seventeen years later it still wirks grreat.

 

Your old employer layed you, I hope he was gentle!

 

Not realy.

 

This has saved a lot of finger injuries

 

Nice switch^ !!