Father's Day is coming up and some SWMBOs may need suggestions

 

What is your favorite tool, and why?  Where did you get it and how long have you had it?

What is your most used tool, if it's not that one, and what do you use it for?

Edited December 5, 20178 yr by Ron Dudelston
tags added

Not sure I have a favorite "tool" but my lathe gives me the most enjoyment.

 

I started out with a Sears "single tube" lathe, a starter set of turning gouges and a book by Ernie Conover. I found that I enjoyed turning so much, I sold that lathe and bought a Delta Iron Bed. I have been contemplating a new lathe but can't justify the price, at this time. Prices have tripled/quadrupled since I bought the Delta.

That's a pretty generalized question. The two tools I use most in my shop are my lathe and my band saw. The band saw in a supporting role for the lathe. 

 

Steve

I would have top say my PM3520B lathe and my Thompson 5/8 bowl gouge. Lew go on and get that new lathe. I said the same thing you did and finally said just what am I going to do with money ....enjoy while you can.

The Shopsmith table saw get the most use, with the DeWalt planer second. 

The cordless drills are in the mix, too.

But, my favorite tool is the Skil 77 worm drive with the shop made trac attachment. 

There's a set of Stanley 12" and 6" combination squares that I really couldn't do without.

 

they all are...

Hands down, my favorite tool is a little Stanley square that belonged to my Great Grandfather Edward Kaub. He was a builder, carpenter, woodworker and farmer. I have a number of his tools and have made a display case with some of his tools in my family room. This little square dates back to about 1900 and is well used. You can see the rounded bottom edge of the blade from being taken out of his tool belt and putting it back into his tool belt over and over again on the job. I keep it in my shop apron and use it all the time. It is still perfectly square at 90 degrees.

My Bailey plane gets alot of use but the most used tool is a tablesaw.

 

Beside my old Craftsman table saw my Kreg Jig and Leigh dovetail jig are favorites.

My hand planes (pick one, I guess) are my favorite, but not the most used. In power tools, I enjoy using the router table probably more than anything.

What a loaded question!

 

Look at the variety of answers here. All the reply's are based upon what the individual likes to do the most; turning, hand tool builds (planes), etc.

 

This is a really personalized question that only you can really answer. What do you like to do most and what tool(s) do you need to make it easier or more enjoyable to do? Answer that, and you will not regret the choice that you make. Remember, there is always just one more tool that you would like to have, and there are more, birthdays, Christmas's, anniversary's...

...the next one I get...

My favorite it the Delta 46-460 Midi Lathe and of course all the gouges, skews and etc. that go with it.  I had to use the long bed lathe recently and it does not have the smooth quiet ride I get from the midi.

I was hesitant to identify one tool as my favorite and thereby make the others jealous. You don't want a shop full of jealous tools. 

4 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

I was hesitant to identify one tool as my favorite and thereby make the others jealous. You don't want a shop full of jealous tools. 

ROFLMAO!!!!!! i HAVE THAT SAME PROBLEM!!!!!!

A WAY HUGE GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM MASTERCARD OR VISA SPENDABLE ANYWHERE!!!!!!

 

I'll have to say my most used tool is my table saw.  I use it for cutting boards to length and width and most joinery.  It would be the one tool I'd be lost without.   I went to a seminar years ago by Roger Cliffe.  He mentioned that he'd refinanced a Ford Pinto to go buy a Unisaw and never looked back.  It didn't take me long to realized I should get a cabinet saw, too.  That was over 30 years ago and I've never looked back.

 

I tried turning and really didn't like it.  Maybe if I practiced, I'd get better at it.   But I can only use so many spindles and bowls.   I'm more into functional furniture.   I've said that I'm a freezer hunter, not a trophy hunter.   I want to build stuff that I need and is useful.

Routers, There is a ton of stuff you can do with one.  Joinery, shaping, surfacing and profiling.  Mount one in a table and it will do many things that would otherwise take a dedicated machine. Need it to do something new?  Build a jig and it can get the job done. I cant think of one project I have built that has not been impacted by a router.

I wouldn't get anything done without any of my tools. 

So I would have say all of them also!!

And I really miss the ones that have broke, stopped working and especially the tools that I or the kids have lost . All of them were so good to me.  

11 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

I was hesitant to identify one tool as my favorite and thereby make the others jealous. You don't want a shop full of jealous tools. 

 

same here...

that's why I said ''all of them''..