An immutable law of the universe

BobJudy

The location of a tool needed to complete a task is inversely proportional to its needed location.
I have tools in the basement, attached garage, detached garage, both vehicles etc...
When a 5 minute job comes up the proper tools are never nearest the location where they are needed. 
Never mind that I have so many tools that some have not seen the light of day in a long time, I have decided on a quest to buy more tools. It doesn't matter I have 3 or 4 of something if I see a good deal I am snapping it up.  Bob

Bubba Jr.

I have tools in the barn, in the garage, in the basement, and even in the kitchen. My problem is that I go to get a tool and halfway there I've already forgotten what I went after.

pulsarnc

screw drivers are the worst. If I need a flat head the only thing I can locate will be a Phillips head . If in need of a Phillips then of course the nearest thing st hand will be flat . This requires multiple trips out to the shop to correct . The shop being several hundred feet from the garage/house

Toolman286

Bubba, I make notes of what I need to take with me. Even though I try to plan what I might need & gather them up first, it never fails that something else is needed. Then there's the problem of remembering where you put it. I've also started using the free-bee screwdriver from HF that has 4 interchangeable blades.

Bubba Jr.

Toolman286 said:

Bubba, I make notes of what I need to take with me. Even though I try to plan what I might need & gather them up first, it never fails that something else is needed. Then there's the problem of remembering where you put it. I've also started using the free-bee screwdriver from HF that has 4 interchangeable blades.

I would do that too if I could remember where the paper and pencil was. 

nononsense

I used to be able to drive myself crazy and exhausted trying to locate the tool(s) I needed for a 'quick fix' or repair. I couldn't bring myself to duplicate tools for various locations.

No more! I have tool boxes for the house, garage, work vehicle, shops. The absolute frustration and wasted time trying to locate the right tool or remembering to take it with me is stupid so I made sets of tools. When I was teaching I had 3 sets of GS tools; home, shop and school. Never need to look for the tool I wanted.

Best.

pulsarnc

Multiple sets of tools work great . My problem is with a son in law and a son who “ borrow “ my tools , nothing is every where it is supposed to be

Smitty500mag

If I lived in a Snap On Tool warehouse I'd still have to drive some where to buy a tool for what ever it is that's broken that I'm working on.

Nanuq907

Yeah yeah yeah ... I don't want to hear this entry-level complaining.  I need tools for metric, SAE and British (Whitworth, BSC and BSF).  I have so many tools my house is a geomagnetic anomaly on the maps.  

varian

my  philosophy is if i need to remove one phillips head screw to do the job i might as well bring the whole tool box with me because im going to need everything in it to completed the job.

bustedknee

Bustedknee's rule of repair:  All simple repairs will require every tool I own +1.

4205raymond

Tools in house and shed in Virginia and house and garage in New York. Sometimes tool I need is nine hours away. Can never have enough tools or be close enough to job. Worst part is three times longer to put tools away as to do job.--------------Ray

Nanuq907

This of course leads us to the Inaccessibility Centricity Corollary: “Any fastener or tool that falls beneath the vehicle will roll to the exact geometric center beneath said vehicle, regardless of size”.

Toolman286

Sounds like you're talking about a "Jesus Clip." For those that aren't familiar with the term, it's a cer-clip. Cause the first words said after it goes flying are, "Jesus Christ, wher'd it go?"

4205raymond

The tool that gave me the most trouble in my whole life, I could not purchase. Bolt was located at top of transmission to engine block on 1971  164 Volvo right next to firewall. I heated up a metric box wrench and bent to precisely the exact angle and re-hardened. I often wondered how the heck the guys in Sweden got it out but was too embarrassed to ask.-----Ray

mohawk600

Nanuq907 said:

This of course leads us to the Inaccessibility Centricity Corollary: “Any fastener or tool that falls beneath the vehicle will roll to the exact geometric center beneath said vehicle, regardless of size”.

Or if it falls in the engine compartment it will be completely inaccessible.

pulsarnc

I had to custom fabricate a spark plug socket got a 1970 corvette stingray 350 engine with hooker header sidepipes . Had to jack car up , unbolt motor mount on left side and jack motor up 4 inches or so to access plug . Still have the custom one of a kind wrench but sadly not the car

nononsense

The weirdest tool experience I ever had was when I needed to replace the bulb in my CR-V headlight. My big hands were carved up by the metal surrounding the back of the headlight. So I called the dealership, asking if they could help. Yes, of course, so I drove down there. On arriving I asked about a tool to use to grasp the bulb for removal. The parts manager said 'sure', I'll be right back.

On his return he was accompanied by a slight young man in mechanics garb. The young man popped the hood, slid his slender hand into the opening and retrieved the bulb. Humans are the ultimate tool users!