A hypothetical (actual) tool dilemma.

Imagine if you will that you've got an old craftsman 18" tool box. You must go through all the tools you own and may only keep what you can fit inside that tool box. Everything else you must sell at a substantial loss. These will be your only tools for a good while. What would you keep and why?

This is the actual situation I am facing right now, and I'm pulling my hair out trying to prioritize my tool collection. i'm just looking for outside input.

This sounds like a bad zen riddle...

What is your current tool collection like?

Did that once already. Regret it deeply. Though I know keeping the tools wouldn't have worked.

Mostly hand tools left. Air tools and power tools are sold already. I have pretty much everything.

I've been thinking about it all day and i'm really more curious what you guys would choose out of your own collections.

My collection is tailored to my victim...er, I mean car. The Miata is JIS, so 10,12,14,17,19,21 will take it apart pretty thoroughly. I'd keep my good ratchets, my torque wrenches, my best sockets in the above sizes (at least two per size), plus my best combination wrenches. I have four particularly fine screwdrivers, definitely keep those. A pair of diagonal cutters, a pair of needlenose pliers. And a crow-foot wrench for the brake fittings.

I pretty much had that all in the sort of box you're describing for several years, it wasn't pleasant, but was sufficient. Anything else you need can be cheap crap you pick up when you can't make do without.

i have no helpful input. i have never sold, loaned, discarded or in any way voluntarily lost possession of a single tool. my tools are the barrier between me and minimum wage, and i can only seek to make that barrier thicker and more versatile.

i can't imagine the panic and stress the situation you are in must be causing you. there simply MUST be a way to keep the majority of the basic hand tools. i can kind of understand downsizing the air tools and large stuff in a pinch, but even boxing them up and giving them to a trusted neighbor with a $100 bill, and a note that says, "ill be back in x months with another $100. please don't lose this box!" has got to be better than selling them for pennies on the dollar.

-J0N

Moving? Fill USPS flat rate boxes to the 70lb limit, gaining tools cheap is a lot harder than losing them. If you've got a good story and nowhere to send them I'm sure somebody here will be willing to hold them.

Staying in the rules, full sets of sockets, ratchets, wrenches, choice screwdrivers, bit kits and drivers, at least one hammer, then whatever else fits.

Your a day's drive from me. Bring up what you don't think you can keep and I'll throw them in the attic for safe keeping. I'll help get them delivered when you are in a place to need them again.

I'm sure any GRMer would offer the same service

+1 to Tuna.

There is no way I would dump tools unless there were no other options. I've spent 20 years collecting them. I'd get pissed every time I needed something I used to have. Any of us with some space would be willing to store them for you. Myself included.

Moving costs, no storage at destination, need of cash flow...? Which is it?

Looks like you work on clocks too. Guessing that's pretty specialized for tools. Is clock work remaining a part of your future? And do those tools count as box space?

I went through this when I was laid off and was transitioning into a new job that requires me to move every 8 months for two+ years( an exec training program at a large multinational). I did the math and figured that the cost to store the tools over two years wasn't worth the price of the tools. I regret selling them though it was the right choice. I have done well since moving. So it will be worth it in the long run but man. What a horrible decision.

peter wrote: My collection is tailored to my victim...er, I mean car. The Miata is JIS, so 10,12,14,17,19,21 will take it apart pretty thoroughly. I'd keep my good ratchets, my torque wrenches, my best sockets in the above sizes (at least two per size), plus my best combination wrenches. I have four particularly fine screwdrivers, definitely keep those. A pair of diagonal cutters, a pair of needlenose pliers. And a crow-foot wrench for the brake fittings.

I do this when taking a tool bag to an event- try to be very specific for the car I'm taking.

First, you need to make some life decisions. Like "I shall never own a domestic car again". That will allow you to discard all of the SAE tools in your box. (Or choose domestic and sell off the metric tools.) Then decide "I will not fix small appliances anymore" then you can get rid of a lot of the little stuff. Or "I hate electronics and refuse to work on them" and sell off the meters and such. Being ready for ANYTHING is what stocks you up on tools. If you are only going to work on a 1990 Civic, all you need a 9mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 21mm and spark plug socket, phillips and straight screwdriver and a test probe.

tuna55 wrote: Your a day's drive from me. Bring up what you don't think you can keep and I'll throw them in the attic for safe keeping. I'll help get them delivered when you are in a place to need them again. I'm sure any GRMer would offer the same service

+2 for Tuna. This is the answer.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Moving? Fill USPS flat rate boxes to the 70lb limit, gaining tools cheap is a lot harder than losing them. If you've got a good story and nowhere to send them I'm sure somebody here will be willing to hold them.

There are a few of us on the board living in the Seattle area. Use the flat rate boxes or just cheapo ground shipping and I'm sure someone would hold them for you.

Keeping the tools or shipping the tools is a non-option. I need the money to get where I'm going and I'm never coming back. It's not just my tools, I'm selling everything I own. (anybody need... anything?)

A person I know will be moving from Ormond beach to Seattle in a few months and has offered me 1 car seat worth of moving space to transport whatever I need. This is actually the best option.

As others have said it all depends on what you are going to be working on. When I go to school I pack up a little kit to get me through since I'm 6 hours from home. I have a newer VW I so take up a lot of space to include my torx/hex/tripple-square bit kit since they are needed to do almost everything on the car. I also have a 1/4" ratchet, 2 3/8" ratchets, and a decent selection of metric shallow and deep sockets. To that I add as many extensions as I can fit, a multi meter, some assorted screwdrivers, various pliers, a set of metric gear wrenches, and some basic electrical repair stuff. From there I just add anything else I find that I think me be useful at some point. Thats pretty much the same basic stuff I take if if going to a junkyard to pull some parts.

In reply to AClockworkGarage:

I might be tempted to keep any expensive specialty tools and dump the basics. A 3/8 socket set can be had for $25 at Lowes. A screwdriver set is pretty cheap too.

No need for SAE sockets. There is always a metric one that will work, but I agree, replacing them is cheap and easy.

What are you going to do first when you get to the other corner of the country? I'd start there.

Also, if you are going down to zero stuff - an idea that intrigues me greatly (not sure I want to do it, but I want to think about wanting to do it) - then I say go all the way. Get rid of all of your tools, anything you can put in a toolbox is easily replaceable.

Put your butt in the available seat, wear jeans, shoes, a tshirt and hoodie, and bring 3 more tshirts, a pair of sandals, and a toothbrush. In a small plastic bag. Keep a leatherman in your pocket.

In reply to rcutclif: I'm flying. 2 suitcases 50 lbs each. one of them is full of diving gear, the other, clothing.

Also: I'm a man. I don't even own sandals.

If it's the money you need, I'd sell off things in order of value vs how often you use it.

So the pricier stuff you rarely use over a more often used cheaper tool.
I'd also factor in size a bit too since that's at a premium. Dump any cheaper tool that takes a lot of space.

I'm sure you've already got rid of any cases and stuff? I've got drawers with only a few tools in them but full because the blow moulded cases take up so much space.

I was going to start having the first of two kids about now.

I am currently a father of four.

I also live about 1,000 miles away from where I would have guessed ten years ago.

Things change. How much money are you going to get from selling off some tools? Is that really enough to make or break this trip?

Depending on the quality just sell them all. Easier to sell as a full set anyway. There are guys who make their living buying boxes of mismatched tools if they see just one item (snap on hard handles usually) that they are interested in. If you have an extended collection of craftsman you can replace that easily anywhere in the country at a black friday sale in the store or on CList. If you have a lot of tool truck brands you could make a LOT of money in the classifieds at garage journal or on ebay. If you have a bunch of HF or other low end import stuff there just isn't any money in it, take what you can get, replace inexpensively with a 20% coupon.

Then when you are in a situation that you need tools again consider your budget and needs and buy what you need and the quality you can afford. Be it heading to a HF, Sears or a tool truck.

It doesn't sound like you will even have a car to tinker with for a while.