Conversation topic, tool traits you really hate

[Eigenvector]

This isn't a question, more of a starter.

What traits do you find most annoying in your tools?

For me, its ladder walking, that tendency for step ladders to march across the ground because one leg is sligthly up in the air, so the ladder flexes putting the other leg in the air. Before you know it the ladder is marching all over the place with you trying to get off it without tipping it over.

The other one - getting the metal tang of the tape measure stuck between boards you're measuring. It seems to happen to me about every time I have the tang high overhead and I end up using a claw hammer to extract the tang - probably breaking it the next time it happens and I need it most. I'm just waiting for it to bend, kink, fall off or any number of things that will cause all my measurements to be off by about 1/4" - rendering it useless.

I could go on and on about crescent wrench creep

[DanG]

I cannot blame the tools. I am the operator, I am the root cause of the problems. Age and experience do tend to reduce some life's tool frustrations.

If I had a nickel for every time I've picked up the end of the extensi> This isn't a question, more of a starter.

[Oren]

I won't take long to stop hitting that thumb with a hammer..

I hate a nail with the head on the wrong end \\ :-)

-- Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

[Stormin Mormon]

I'd have to say I don't like screw drivers that jump out of the screw slots.

I really didn't like that Wel Bilt electric impact wrench that broke, two lugs into a front brake job, when I was three hours drive from home.

I'm not very fond of Dollar Tree screw driver that snap, nor Walmart screw drivers that spiral on the end.

Wasn't impressed iwth the shiny faced hammer from Harbor Freight that throws staples across the room when I'm trying to tack a wire to the ceiling of a cellar. Oh, the waffle faced ripping hammer doesn't have this problem.

And I wasn't pleased with the T-wrench that I bought for the van. Has two 13/16 sockets, and no 3/4. Doesn't do a very good job removing 3/4 lugs.

The propane torch with the leaky valve.

And the list goes on.... and on....

[Eigenvector]

Oh man I know exactly what you mean there.

Sometimes it can turn into a comic affairs where I drop the extension cord, so then I drop the new cord and plug the old tool into the extension cord. Realize my mistake, drop the extension cord, drop the new tool's cord, pick up the extension .....

[Robert Allison]

This reminds me of my sister. She bought a new computer desk and had to disconnect everything to get the computer, monitor, keyboard, etc. into the desk. She called me to say that nothing would come on and would I come over to see what was wrong.

Checked everything out and everything was fine with one exception. She had the surge protector plugged into itself instead of the wall outlet.

[Anonymous]

No Standards for battery operated power tools.

Voltages have crept up, having started at 3.0 v, then 4.5, 6, 7.5, 9, 12, 14, 18.......

Every time I've looked for a replacement battery, it's cheaper to buy a new tool ! I feel bad "tossing" a perfectly good power tool head.

And, of course, no battery will fit any other brand tool.

Grrrrr.......