Tools that are junk, IMO

[Dave Sabo]

1. It’s a poor craftsman that blames his tools !

2. If you would use tools for their INTENDED purpose instead of cowboying it - you’d have better luck and results.

3. Perhaps you should buy better quality tools and and consumables. Especially when it comes to sanding !

[mike stenson]

Yea, cheap tools bad (banned word removed). So do good tools when you use them wrong.

I really try to not pull nails with a hammer that are fully sunk. They all are bad for that.

[Edward Weber]

Apologies to the OP but it sounds like someone with very little patience or tool proficiency.
All of what you said CAN be true but many of us have much different experiences with the items in your list.

My experience relating to the items on your list.

- 4 in one screwdrivers. Wrong tool for the job you described

- Quick grip clamps. They're rated at about the same as a light duty F-clamp but they're not as good, one hand operation is their best quality.

- Random orbit sanders. No such problem

- Contour gauge. No suh problem

- Electronic stud finder. They are better these days

- Straight cutting aviator snips. Making straight cuts

- Bent claw hammer. Access and leverage

- Pocket screws. Ancient idea, modernized

Tools can be frustrating at times, IMO you either need to repair them, replace them, update them or practice with them but you can't let them win.

JMHO

[Richard Coers]

Using a screwdriver as a pry bar is actually dangerous. They can be very brittle, snap in half, and throw shrapnel. I love 4 in 1 screwdrivers. One in the house junk drawer and one in my go bag to fix stuff at our daughters. Much better than carrying 4 drivers. In fact, there is a purpose for everything you cut down. The reason your random orbit throws paper is that you muscle it and burn up the velcro hooks. Let the sander do the work and don't press down, and it's an invaluable tool.

[Rod Sheridan]

- 4 in one screwdrivers. Probably 1/2 of use of screwdrivers is prying, wedging, poking, etc., and these fail miserably at this. Add the bits getting stuck and lost- junk.

- Quick grip clamps. Almost every one I have used did not hold, and at best had miserable clamping pressure.
- Random orbit sanders. Expensive paper that comes off and spins across the room, exposing the even more expensive backing pad to wear and

- Contour gauge. Nothing to reference it against makes this worthless.

- Electronic stud finder. Maybe newer ones are better, but the older ones were the most un-ergonomic tool ever.

- Straight cutting aviator snips. No point at all

- Bent claw hammer. Less likely to gouge your face if you're a klutz, that's about it.

- Pocket screws. Not so much junk, as just wrong. An insult

<rant

Hi, here are my comments

- screwdrivers are for screws, other tools are for other tasks

- I have some Bessey quick clamps, they work great for what they’re for.

- I have a couple Festool sanders, never had a problem

- new stud finders are much better

- I’ve never had an application that needed pocket screws so I can’t comment

Regards, Rod

[Mark Wooden]

I have to agree with most; get good tools and learn to use them in the right application. I have all the tools mentioned- with the exception of a stud finder, I still use a knuckle- and havent had any of the issues mentioned. An I swing a curved claw hammer, 12 through 20 oz Stanley 100 Plus model with a wood haft ( no longer made) and have for 40 years.
You can keep your Stilettos

[Zachary Hoyt]

I love 4 in 1 screwdrivers. The ones that Stanley sells are the best for my particular use. They have a 5/16" hex socket if you take out the big tip, and 1/4" on the other side. When someone buys a case for one of my banjos I include a free 4 in 1 screwdriver because they can use it to tighten the head with the 5/16", adjust the tailpiece with the 1/4", and the small Phillips tip and both large tips also have applications on the banjo hardware I use. I bought 70 of them for $1 each at my formerly local surplus/salvage dollar store and still have about half left, I think.

[Warren Lake]

you will never take my dynabrades away from me they are awesome

you will never take my stroke sander away from me as its an awesome machine and its 12 feet long so it wont fit in your car

My Stilletto hammer has a side nail puller that is so good its dangerous, ive launched nails across a lawn by accident it works so well, not cabinet size but carpenter land.

never used a screwdriver as a pry bar, have a number of them different sizes

have six or seven aviator snips, had Wiss then tried Midwest and dont use Wiss anymore

no pocket screws here

and ive never had a disc fly off a dynabrade I use 3M stick it for the most part, if anything I sand too long heat it and its harder to remove. If I want to make it easier i do what car builders do and they drag it across their pant leg which leaves some lint and you end up with less stick. Still its no issue. Dont use hook and loop and so far no reason to. I think stick on is flatter from the nature of how it works.

[Cary Falk]

- 4 in one screwdrivers. I have a couple. Great for taking somewhere. The only thing don't like is the shaft is wider and it doesn't fit in a lot of places. I mostly use battery power drill/impact(12V,18v,20v). I have a draw full of screwdrivers

- Quick grip clamps. Work great for holding things while I get more clamps.

- Random orbit sanders. How does one sand without a ROS? Those awful 1/2 and 1/4 sheet vibrating sanders? A ROS was a game changer for me.

- Contour gauge. Don't have a need for one but could see where it could be useful in certain situations.

- Electronic stud finder. A good one is a life saver.

- Straight cutting aviator snips. I hated them as a kid because they rubbed my thumb joint the wrong way. I have a modern set of right, left, and straight snips.

- Bent claw hammer. Hardly ever use a hammer unless it is a rubber one. Air nailers are more efficient.

- Pocket screws. Been around forever. I only use then for face frames on cabinets.


My list:

Block planes are the devil incarnate. LOL, I have seen some cool videos though.

[Patty Hann]

4 in 1... stop using it as a pry bar/chisel. ....

Yes, stop that... a standard table knife works so much better for prying.

[Mark Wedel]

I tend not to use my 4 in 1 screwdriver very often in my shop, when the full array of screwdrivers is easily at hand. But elsewhere when I might need a few bits, the 4 in 1 will usually cover me and save me another trip to get the right screwdriver. I actually had a screwdriver (flat blade) which had the opposite problem of being hard and potential for breaking if used for prying - rather it was too soft and would bend - that one ended up in the trash pile at some point, as a screwdriver with a bent drive shaft is really worthless.
ROS I use all the time. I did have to replace the backing pad at one point - one has to think of those as a consumable, just like the sandpaper itself. I bought a pack of 3 replacement backing pads for not a lot of money - first replacement hasn't worn out yet.
Pocket screws - I use these for a lot of projects - but it depends on the project. They are fast - no waiting for glue to dry up. It also lets me disassemble things in the future if I need to - more than once, I built something, and decided that wasn't quite what I wanted or I could otherwise make it better - I could disassemble and re-use most of the materials, vs it ending up as firewood.

[Bill Howatt]

ROS? I sanded my entire cedar house siding 2 or 3 times with my Bosch (hook and loop) with no trouble until a wire burned off a motor brush. Immediately bought another to do the job this summer.
Pocket screws? Maybe not in the class of elegant joinery but they do work and are comparatively quick and easy. They aren't a new invention; have been used for years in furniture fastening such as table tops, braces and chairs.
No real argument against the wisdom of buying quality tools but I temper it with - how much use do I expect to need from the tool. I needed to drill about 8 holes in concrete and didn't see the need for doing more. No way I wanted to spend for a quality one so I bought a Chinese $25 cheapie. Drilled my 8 holes. Lent it to a couple of friends who have drilled who knows how many holes, drilled some unexpected ones for myself and a neighbor across the street. Still works fine!

[Pat Germain]

1. It’s a poor craftsman that blames his tools !

I've always had an issue with that statement. When I was young, the only mechanic's tools I had access to were cheap, Taiwan tools. The sockets didn't fit well and tended to strip bolts. Then the sockets would completely split. I never had access to a torque wrench, although I really needed one. Sorry, I just don't agree. No craftsman can adequately practice his trade with lousy tools.

Same with woodworking tools. Try to make clean, accurate cuts with dull blades or cheap, low-quality blades. Or try to produce quality work when you simply don't have access to the right tools. Reminds me of when I was in the Navy and we were expected to get everything hospital-grade clean with no cleaning supplies whatsoever. Only so much you can do with underwear and old uniforms.

[Pat Germain]

Yes, stop that... a standard table knife works so much better for prying.

Especially when you're trying to get the bread out of a hot toaster.

[mreza Salav]

Every single one of them I have a good use for and wouldn't call any of them junk.
The most surprising in your list was ROS: that's the one sander I use the most.