Worst tool you ever bought

[Mikey D]

Worst tool , anything in the forge steel range from screwfix , its one of their own brand ranges (made in china of cource).
was using (not abusing) a pair of long nose pliers . one of the handles snapped clean off
perhaps i just dont know my own strength

cheers mike

 

[brightspark]

Worst tool , anything in the forge steel range from screwfix , its one of their own brand ranges (made in china of cource).
was using (not abusing) a pair of long nose pliers . one of the handles snapped clean off
perhaps i just dont know my own strength

cheers mike

screwdrivers errrrrrrrrrrrrr 30 years ago came from honkong .hard plastic handles soft sh,.,.,.t steel with an end that didnt fit anything cos it was 2 big .out came the grinder fits perectly nowusing the driver when suddenly the tip turned into a figure s .trying to turn a screw out handle snaps u can guess the rest quick trip to hossie then feet up with bandaged hand anyone remember them .4got the price 2shillings and sixpence for 5 in a set

 

[..DAZ..]

Bought a set of Magnusson screwdrivers from B+Q recently, I have used some of their other tools and for the price they seemed ok. I am always loosing tools at work so I don't buy expensive stuff anymore unless it is for myself. Think it was a set of twelve, they were more brittle than a brittle thing and I snapped the heads off 4 of them in 2 days. Absolute pants in my opinion!!!

 

[chunkolini]

Anything with the 'silverline' label on it.
We used to have a great tool shop in Ross, now we have a shop ful lof garbage. If I am lucky one of the older guys is on and will root through cupboards for me to find old stock.

Chunko'.

 

[Ratty]

The flip up gas welding goggles from fleabay (not strictly a tool I know) they only fitted where they touched (bridge of nose and errr...that was it!) and the first time I tried to use them the RH lenses all fell out . Did get a refund tho' and "don't bother to return" so I used them once more (when all my other goggles were hiding) and this time all the LH lenses fell out. Still haven't thrown them out...even a bad fit is better then none at all..and anyway maybe one day.....a sculpture

Broken tools anyone? send them to me and I'll give them a new life

Glad I kept them! I dug out my old ones the other day (a perfect fit), lenses all scratched so I took the new ones from the useless goggles and Voila! (don't know why I didn't think of that before)

 

[daviddb]

De Deitrich dishwasher,(well how do you keep your tools clean?), it's never ever worked properly although it is quiet enough to nap through. Going back to Bosch next time.

regards

David

(cold and damp in the Pyrenees, cat asleep in her hutch)

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Nilfisk ALTO P150 1-10 B X-tra Pressure Washer 150bar 2.9kW 230V ..it cost nearly £400 and died pumping high pressure type water from somewhere inside the case after about one hours work . Got it online from Screwfix

45 mile round trip to my nearest screwfix , they arrange for a new one within 5 working days .

New one stood unopened in box for 1 year whilst we were in temp accom ( bungalow internal flood from original plumbing that was boxed in years before we came her 4 yrs ago but that is another £60 K story )

A few days ago I opened the replacement washer and set it up use it for 20 or so minutes it leaks slightly from inside the case when the lance is being used in powerwash mode .

I will have to see what Screwfix say on Friday

 

[Chipper]

S'against my religion to buy anything with "Silverline" written on it, but bought a wire knot wheel a bit ago, had to have one, no choice. Fecking thing was almost entirely hairless within 10 mins, my jacket was doing a fine porcupine impression though.

 

[Wallace]

Nilfisk ALTO P150 1-10 B X-tra Pressure Washer 150bar 2.9kW 230V

That's a worry, I have one of those I bought about 2 years ago to replace a slightly smaller Nilfisk unit that still works but needs a new hose. I went for another Nilfisk as the original had been so reliable and it was more cost effective to buy a new one than invest best part of £100 in a new hose on an old machine.

One poor feature on both machines is some of the hose fittings are plated steel and corrode so you get rust particles stuck in the nozzle, it was a rusty hose barb that let the original machine down otherwise I would still be using it.

Just as an aside, I have one of their motorcycles made when the company was Fisker & Nilson!

Mike

 

[daviddb]

Nilfisk vacuum cleaners are quite good......

daviddb

(warmer and wet in the Pyrenees; cat supervising unloading of dishwasher)

 

[brightspark]

Nilfisk vacuum cleaners are quite good......

daviddb

(warmer and wet in the Pyrenees; cat supervising unloading of dishwasher)

there verry good industrial vacs. must b just the power washers that are crap ?

 

[RedOrZed]

there verry good industrial vacs. must b just the power washers that are crap ?

I was going to say, I remember using a Nilfisk vacuum cleaner years ago to hoover the big ol' band printers (and the server room floor - no cleaners allowed in, make the tape monkeys do it...). Anyway it was an ace bit of kit!

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

That's a worry, I have one of those I bought about 2 years ago to replace a slightly smaller Nilfisk unit that still works but needs a new hose. I went for another Nilfisk as the original had been so reliable and it was more cost effective to buy a new one than invest best part of £100 in a new hose on an old machine.

One poor feature on both machines is some of the hose fittings are plated steel and corrode so you get rust particles stuck in the nozzle, it was a rusty hose barb that let the original machine down otherwise I would still be using it.

Just as an aside, I have one of their motorcycles made when the company was Fisker & Nilson!

Mike

It was past personal experience that took me back to Nilfisk for my fifth washer . Never had any probs before, it seems like now the production of my latest model is China and low cost pump bodies with poor fastenings holding the pump chamber face plate / inlet flange on is going to lose them customers

The tap supply inlet pipe flange on this model is cast ally where as I think all my others were brass . The water inlet is still in the silly position at the front about five inches up from the floor.

I have made up a short link hose pipe with a top end connector made of brass and taped the hose to the machine body & the top handle so that I can connect/disconnet the supply hose at a sensible height at the top of the machines handle. ( I have a bust up spine etc so bending is a tad difficult. )

When I locate a decent right angle bend I will fit that to the low inlet or make up ca copper pipe with flanges and bring the connecting link pipe /hose up the machine at right angles thus reducing the posibilities of damage to the lower flange .. might even make a simple metal & plastic guard to protect it at the lower level as well .

If this machine follows the same route as the previous one I think I'll save up for an industrial 110 volt brass bodied one with five pumping elements or more & has a soap intake , set on a wheeled chassis made of tube.

Has anybody got one or know much about them???

As the replacement machine is now 380 days old ,Screwfix say there is longer a warrantee in place .. will check the actual paper work On Monday for I think it is shown as a 2 year one.

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

I was going to say, I remember using a Nilfisk vacuum cleaner years ago to hoover the big ol' band printers (and the server room floor - no cleaners allowed in, make the tape monkeys do it...). Anyway it was an ace bit of kit!

Yep the commercial /industrial vacuums are good ,especially the three and four motor automatic / semi auto filter cleaning ones .

The first one I worked on was in 1980 and a double 110 volt motor one ,the trash can was like a bath tub I could sit inside it . The filter was something like a king sized doubled over thick Whitney woollen blanket.

 

[Ian X]

Bored at work I googled worst tool ever and found this old thread. Had me splitting my sides so even though its years old I could not resist my own shot. Allen keys, Chinese ones from the late seventies. They came in two types. One type was bright nickel plated and was mainly good for making miniature ornamental scroll work as the temper was at leadloy level. The other type was to be feared, oil black or phosphate finish. Some of those where tempered in a way that would invite shattering if the thing was dropped on the workshop floor. I still have a small scar near the base of my right thumb, shards of poorly tempered steel (?) in your flesh induces much screaming. The 11 year old that made my keys is probably still alive and much older, I would gladly wish him harm.
One of my friends had a calamity with a tap and die set (Chinese made of course) that caused me side splitting mirth. He tried to clean up the exhaust collet M8 threads on his Honda 500 before fitting new studs. The tap sheared off in one of the awkward inboard stud holes so he got out his £5 for set of 6 broken tap removers. He took to the Black and Decker two speed and vented spleen with various drill bits. By the time I got to see the job his cylinder head was a good bit lighter but the tap and broken tap extractor was still hanging in there. Spark eroder operator nearly fell on the floor laughing when he saw it.
A colleague swears by those 200 piece drill bit kits, swears even more when he uses the metal cutting bits.
Just anything Chinese made and dirt cheap is my worst tool, includes any electronic service tools from Maplins.
I hope this thread gets a short revival, there must be many new nightmares purchased from Machine Mart worthy of derision.

 

[Rig Pig]

I will second the cheap Alan keys, I forgot mine when I went over to help a mate, so I bought some CK keys from his local car shop, I think they were made from high tensile toffee! The first and last offering from CK that I will ever buy!

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Black and Decker 1/2 sheet orbital sander, the sheet would stay still while you hand vibrated till you dropped the thing from White Finger!

 

[ajlelectronics]

Silverline and Neilsen air grease guns. The former didn't work at all, the latter worked once. Now it just moves the piston housing even though it is tight and blows grease out of the mating flange in a fine mist. Piggin crap.

 

[wheresmejumper]

I broke a timber handled chisel cleaning out a chase in aeroboard insulation. First use.

 

[Ian X]

Black and Decker 1/2 sheet orbital sander, the sheet would stay still while you hand vibrated till you dropped the thing from White Finger!

Yes! A mate loaned me one and though my electric meter was spinning and my palms went numb the paint only went matte!