Technical Best non-essential tool purchase

It presses in a “dimple” that a counter sunk oval head screw fits into on flat sheet metal

 

My non-essential tool purchase was an HF spot welder. I used it when reassembling the cab on my Dodge PU just to keep the panels in place before welding up.
Was an easy way out. Don’t recall ever using it again.

 

Neat. Is it a hammer/anvil set up, or squeezed together with a clamp of some sort?

I really should use the Google machine

 

Nut and bolt through the center

 

I couldn’t agree more. I have never regretted buying any tool. I hate spending time looking for a tool the shop provides, so I just buy it for myself and certainly do not loan it out.

 

'bought a CNC plasma table a few months ago,
played with it for a bit then got distracted by more important projects.
yesterday I drew up patterns for some Hurst style motor mounts for the early Olds engines,
using a thrashed pair for reference.
today I fired the table back up and cut one (two parts) out.
not that I need any more right now.
but now I need a press brake..
I survived without either
and now I want both to make stuff I don't even need..

 

Not as expensive as others have written about here, but I bought this on a whim and I use it constantly. It fits and reaches where nothing else will.

 

Harbor Freight 20-ton press. Swap out the ram for an air-over-hydraulic one.

Get a SWAG Offroad press brake kit.

Easy.

 

I have a press, just ordered a press brake kit

 

I agree with the others that all tools are essential or we would not buy them. But I guess the closest I can think of is my portable air compressor. I have a large one permanently in my garage out back but I bought a small used one for 50 bucks that I can use for pumping up tires or other small tasks in other locations.

 

Definitely my 2hp Bridgeport Mill. Not crazy expensive considering I now use it at least once a week! Never thought I'd end up with one, but now life seems crazy without it.

 

You don't know what you can't do without until you get one.

 

I just use sticks and rocks.

 

As far as non essential, I would have to say my rotisserie. In a 2018 issue of Canadian Hot Rods, there was an article on building a small, rotisserie for working on parts, not the whole car. I made one out of 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" square tubing. Not too much money involved. I mounted both my T coupe body and chassis on it. I definitely wouldn't put a normal size car on it so I deem it non essential. Now I have my Austin Ruby body on it.

 

DAyyum! It figures that when I finally decide to get rid of all the tools I know I'm never going to use again that the "got to have" guy lives all the way across the country.

 

Have any photos?

 

The tool I will not call it non essential any more is a 18 volt cordless impact, great for junkyarding, driveway work. Also works great in the garage ( no hose to get in the way) and did I say 1400 foot lbs of torque, according to Milwaukee.

 

This is one I can think of:
Never thought I'd need it...until I did. Over the years, it's saved me from some serious struggling. Removing those long winded, super rusty, bed bolts (nestled snugly between frame rails), comes to mind.
If you don't have one, do yourself a favor and get one.

 

Since I got my M18 Milwaukee 1/2" impact, life has gotten so much better. Hate the hoses and always having to remember to walk over and turn on the compressor. Great recommendation!

 

My Logan lathe, I could do without it but it's one of those when you need it, you need it.

My #1 want is a distributor machine and #2 a metal brake. Not really needed but neither is the planishing hammer and English wheel I want too....

...

 

Honestly?

Based on how much stuff I have actually worked on the last 4 years, nearly everything in my tool box qualifies as non-essential.

But I'm going to hang onto all of it, just in case I should decide to do something constructive soon.

 

I came Up with a tool that is non essential that I bought.
Here is is: (WARNING NOT HAMB FRIENDLY).
My 1999 Saturn station Wagon fuel economy car...
I bought a Saturn station wagon so I can haul parts and hit estate sales, it get 25 miles a gallon city driving and probably about 32 on the highway.
Up until this car purchase 2 years ago I had never had something that got even remotely good fuel mileage. My cruisers have all gotten terrible mileage, My work truck gets terrible mileage So I have to say it is pretty nice living here in California throwing 50 bucks in the car and it fills the tank and goes twice as far as my pickup lol.
It was definitely non-essential but I would imagine in fuel savings it has paid for its self already.
This car has changed my opinion so much about the economy cars I want to replace it with a hamb friendly late 30s pick up with a modern banger so it acts like a mini truck.

 

Paul, they turned out nice !

 

Those are Metric, what are you going to use them on ?

 

Different tools are essential or non-essential to different people and different circumstances.

I buy a lot of Harbor Freight tools, and when available, I buy the best version of it they have, which typically ends up being a pretty high quality tool that lasts me a long time. I very rarely have to warranty something.

I bought a $99 hydraulic punch press kit of the hell of it one day. Almost immediately, I used it to punch a hole in the dash of my 55 Ford to put in a new fuel gauge. Then I sold the car to my Father in Law.

He recently brought the same car back over to use my shop and lift for a complete front end rebuild in advance of a 1200 mile Lemons rally. I dropped the lower control arms out and quickly realized that due to the shape of the arms and the orientation of the bushings, I couldn't fit the control arm in my HF 20 ton shop press to press the new bushings in. However, I was able to take the hydraulic punch press, flip the dies over so they were on the flat side, and used it to press in the lower bushings. It worked flawlessly.

 

I bought a wheel dolly thinking it would help me to put these damn heavy wheels back on but it doesn't work well for the=at use and just sits there .

 

1400 INCH pounds ...

 

i hear ya. i bought one from jc whitney decades ago and it's never failed me!

 

A true non essential tool is one that does the same job as one you already have but makes it simpler and easier to do and quite possibly does a better job. My Eastwood tube flare tool is one of those. I still have the SnapOn flare tool that I bought when I was in trade school between 1965/67 and it still works but the Eastwood just flat does a nicer flare every time.
I've got an old Dayton electric impact that I used a lot that I bought at at a yard sale or swap meet for 25.00 several years ago. that made life easier and the 18 Volt electric impact that I carry in the trunk of the car makes fast work of changing a tire on the side of the road or pulling parts at a wrecking yard.
My plasma cutter is probably the most non essential tool I have bought in the last few years but it gets used a bit more as time goes by and I think about dragging it out.