Road tools!

Not the ones you carry, the ones you pick up in the street.

A few days ago I found a 4 inch extension for a 3/8 inch drive socket, Craftsman of course. A couple of months ago it was a Craftsman flat blade screwdriver.

I'm good at picking up ice chests, including a 200 quart marine chest/commercial fish box.

What are some of the tools you've found in the street or picked up at the junkyard? Has anyone ever found a 10 mm socket?

I picked up a long stanley crow bar on the road once.  Also a 3/4” drive impact socket set that was out with the trash at the end of someone’s driveway 

Dewalt 20v Hammer Drill/Driver. It was in the case, with a spare battery, charger, and some bits.  It clearly fell off of a work truck and was laying in the middle of the intersection.  I looked around, but no work sites anywhere to be found. 

Snap-On slip joint pliers. I have two knives I’ve found as well.

Years ago I found a basic Craftsman 1/2" drive SAE socket set in the blow-molded case, minus the ratchet and one socket, lying in the street. I still have it.

Tools I've found in JY runs: 10mm ratcheting wrench, 17mm wrench, 2 foot long pry bar, 3/8ths 14mm socket, multiple wire cutters and pliers, a really nice locking adjustable wrench, 5lb sledge hammer, and one of those reversible flathead/phillips scredrivers from a newer VW.

File. Punch (drift).  There's a $1 screwdriver embedded in my driveway from the paving company.  I'm leaving that one there.

Tool boxes, dewalt power tools, many pliers and screw drivers ratchets, pry bars, ladders, wheel barrows ect. 

Found a sweet copper hammer on the road in front of my work a few years ago. I use it regularly. 

All of the knives I have in my junkyard tool bag were found in the junkyard. Very handy for cutting belts. 

Floating Doc said:

Has anyone ever found a 10 mm socket?

Yes. I once found a 10 mm socket at the side of a road. Was an off-brand.

Have found some other tools but most not really usable. Rusty, bent or broken usually.

I found an immaculate Swiss Army knife that still rides around in my console.  On a somewhat different level, I once found some rebar and a length of nylon rope at the side of a major highway; these items enabled me to change a tire when there was a jack in the car but nothing to make it go up and down.  (Long story.)  The rope disintegrated long ago, but I think I still have the rebar somewhere.  Don't want to get Fate mad at me.

Probably the best tool I've found on the road while getting exercise.

In reply to Grtechguy :

I've got those on my Amazon wish list, and now I find out they're just lying around in the street?! Glad I haven't spent any money yet....

I found an almost brand new tin snip, with about 12 inch aluminum handles and steel cutting inserts.  The scissor type, for doing flashing and gutters and such.  The most involved retrieval was a pair of wire strippers that I noticed as I drove past on the freeway, went to the next exit, turned around and drove back on the other side of the road, took that exit, and picked them up...They were an off brand, hardly worth the extra gasoline.

My brother found a bolt bin in the ditch near our farm 45 years ago.  And not just any old bolt bin.  Six feet square, double sided, made out of 3/4 inch plywood.  How on earth they didn't notice losing that, I have no idea.

It hurts my soul to drive past a bungee cord on the street.  Must be some scavenger genes in me.

A friend of mines father lives near a stop sign and found a metal bodied, electric impact wrench, which he gave to me.  Super useful.  (I should probably note the brand).

In reply to 02Pilot :

Oh, you want them.    They are pretty berkeleying amazing.

In reply to Grtechguy :

I've got the 10" Knipex Alligator, which is great, and I'm sure the Cobra is as well (I'm planning on getting the 7" and the 12"). I have yet to be disappointed with set of Knipex pliers.

I found a hole punch set in a case. It had a phone number written on it but one of the numbers were partially rubbed off so I couldn’t call to return it.

 A coworker found a large tow behind generator that had been sitting on the side of the road.  Every day on his way to work he would still see it sitting there.  After a week of this he called the authorities who told him if he can tow it out of there it is his.  I forget how much he  got for it but I know it was a nice chunk of money when he sold it .

Have grabbed over a dozen different 5gal and smaller gas cans from side of the road. Beat up worm-drive power saw once. Best was a gently used 4cycle Honda weedwhacker that someone was throwing out.

Also found 2 nice Stanley screwdrivers that were left in my parent's van by the people that smashed the drivers window and steering column in a mall parking lot, but they couldn't get it started to steal the van so they traded the screwdrivers for the contents of the vehicle. Fine, upstanding citizens they were ;{ 

I think I saw the guy who got a nice fiberglass handle Craftsman 5# sledge that I accidentally left at a car for a couple minutes. 
Funny, after that incident (at the time I *really* could not afford to replace it -- we're talking picking up used brake pads at the junk yard) I just drive on past stuff like that on the off-chance that dude may come back looking for it. No shade on anyone who does otherwise, I fully recognize that my conscience is overactive. 

I'll stop and sift thru piles on big item pick-up day, nothing ground breakingly awesome but I do have a free 9 horse snowblower in the shed and gifted someone a free radial arm saw, watered my lawn and coiled it back onto the free hose reel. Probably the most exciting thing for me about driving the old minivan sometimes is the thrill that I can fit THINGS back there! Specifically FREE things - things I FIND! 
 

Meanwhile that no-name 2' prybar I found along a busy busy road has come in handy over and over, despite even getting a set of Tektons for Christmas.

I always miss the good stuff.