How Many of You Guys Have Multiple Same Tools? Also, I Need Your Opinion

I too hate to throw away anything and that was a major reason I ended up being a mechanic. That and being terminally cheap. I often do get rid of stuff but keep the good parts for later use so I do have bins of odds and ends. Call them my "shiny stuff".

But I have never let my hoarder tendency get away from me because dealing with so many in my family. Having to clean up a house, garage and shop full to the gills with non redeemable junk will do that to you. My dad has never been able to toss anything. Some of it I credit to being born in 1929, and being the son of a farmer. But also was the go to handyman for 20yrs in a 55+ mobile home park. So whenever some old guy would pass the widow would give him all the guys tools. Talk about hoarder heaven. He has 3-5+ of everything and all in garden sheds. His being close to the ocean and leaving stuff out has made for a real mess. He had an outside bench that was heaped with tools and stuff for 25yrs and it had to get cleaned up because they were replacing the mobile. The junk tools were easy to toss but every once in a while there would be something that was nice or rare and it would just break my heart but into the trash it would have to go.

My dad has slipped beyond his tool using and the remaining hoard overflowing the sheds awaits his passing. I wish I could save it up and give it to my son who badly needs tools but we live on opposite coasts and for the cost of shipping he could probably get just as nice stuff back there. So it will probably get sold to some flea market scammer, much as I hate that idea.

In the midst of all this contemplation of duplicates I have run into the wall several times now of thinking I could make a part for my lathe, but it's out of commission. More than once I've heard guys say that's why they have two lathes. So TAS beckons.....
 
Obviously not adding anything, but I have multiples of lots of stuff. Made an organizer for my combo wrenches a few years ago and counted out something like 14 Craftsman 1/2" wrenches. I recall buying 3 or 4 sets, no idea when I picked up the others. Maybe Sears had a sale and I blacked out. Multiple sets of sockets, pliers, screwdrivers, etc. etc. Have HF tool boxes at my 2 lathes. Pretty much the same stuff in each box: 0 - 3" digital mics, 4"/6"/8"/12" calipers, 0.2"-1.2"/1"-2" digital inside mics, 0 - 2" screw pitch micrometers, DTI's, etc. Yup, got it as bad as everyone else . . .

Bruce
 
Susan, et. al., I am running out of space too. I have multiple of the same tool, mainly because I couldn't find the first one when I needed it. Bet nobody here has had that happen.

The most embarassing cases of wretched excess:
4 Makita power drills
3 finishing nail guns
2 woodworkers benches, two vises each.
2 full sets of carbide boring bars
2 power tapping heads
3 mill t-nut hold-down kits
3 drill presses...new Powermatic, old Craftsman, little bench Craftsman
1 drawer full of digital calipers, most without batteries

And this is the stuff I can find. :)
 
Actually because she's working presently out of a garage if she added a shed it would be Single Shed Susan........has a nice ring to it, eh?
 
C-Bag said:
Actually because she's working presently out of a garage if she added a shed it would be Single Shed Susan........has a nice ring to it, eh?
Click to expand...
Sounds like a name for an old time western cowgirl or sidekick to Billy the Kid, lol
 
I am adding to my duplicates on purpose. Each machine has a variety of wrenches or allen keys, etc used to change things. I find it easier to purchase the respective wrench, allen key etc. so I can keep this with the machine. A lot easier to make setting changes than go and find the appropriate item in another room.
 
Multiples? Guilty. A couple years ago I sold my Taiwanese mini knee mill which served me well enough for 20 years or so to upgrade. Now I have Brown and Sharpe and a Bridgeport verticals, and am jonesing for a horizontal which I have no space for. Thankfully I only have one drill press, a Silver and Deming camelback under restoration, but I have a seat and guide machine which looks suspiciously like a large drill press, even more so with a giant milling vise mounted in it. A week ago I could have said that I only have one hand saw, but that oversight has been rectified with a Milwaukee portaband. My 15x54 Cincinnati Tray top is my only lathe, and I will keep it that way. Unless I trip over a nice lathe with a tracer.....

Btw, I would have gone ahead with the vise swap. Tabletop drill presses are quite common, but that vise doesn't look too common to me, and I really like vises. Don't get me started on all my vises...
 
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