What tools do you wish you bought sooner?
Shown above is an older photo of some of my favorite hand tools. Here’s what they are:
- Grip-on locking pliers (Channellock branded)
- Craftsman Professional wire strippers (likely made by Stride)
- Channellock adjustable wrench (made by Irega)
- Wiha anti-camout screwdriver
- Irazola (Bahco) ball hex screwdriver
- PB Swiss SwissGrip “household” slotted screwdriver
- Wera Zyklop swivel-head ratchet
The black phosphate Channellock adjustable wrench was one of my first “I should have bought this sooner!” hand tools.
They also make wide-capacity cushion-grip adjustable wrenches, and if I could go back in time, this would have been my first Channellock adjustable. I bought the black phosphate-finished wrench first because of its lower price.
While I’m thinking back… Years ago, I bought a corded Bosch hammer drill. I bought it because needed a drill for use with drill bits, but also for use with 1/4″ shank-mounted polishing and cleaning wheels, and that drill operated at much higher RPMs than other corded drills. After that, our first apartment had masonry walls, and I made good use of the drill to mount shelves and other stuff. I have also used that drill on woodworking projects when my Bosch 18V cordless drill lacked enough power for larger holes in tougher materials.
I still have that drill, although I very rarely use it, and it’s one of the power tools I wish I bought a little earlier too.
While not exactly true to the post topic, I wish I had bought a Bosch 1590 jig saw back when it was available. Instead, I bought a 1587 on sale. It was lower priced than the Bosch 1590, and while it has a tool-free blade change mechanism, it is a very early and clunky design that can be slow to use. But then again, at the time I hadn’t regretted sacrificing some convenience for the much lower price.
I’m sure I can think of more examples, but the Channellock adjustable wrench was the first to come to mind, and the tool I feel most strongly about. I wish I had bought it sooner.
The Knipex Pliers Wrench might also be fitting, but it was a pricey upgrade, and one I couldn’t have rushed to buy despite wanting to. But the Channellock? I could have bought at least the black phosphate version with the money I spent on a set of 6″ and 10″ Crescent adjustable wrenches.
Buy Now: Channellock Adjustable Wrenches via Amazon
Had I bought my Channellock adjustables sooner, they would have saved me a lot of the earlier frustrations experienced with some lesser quality wrenches.
Which tools do you wish you bought sooner?
