The why are expensive hand tools better than cheap tools thread got me thinking about my favorite cheap (under $20) tools.
1. Paper clips. I use them to back probe wires. I touch them to the grinder and heat the tip when I want to pierce wires. I use them as short jumper wires. I slide them over wires and put tape on them to label wires. Occasionally I even use them to hold papers.
2. Ratchet straps. I'd be dead without these. These are my strong, 3rd 4th and 5th hands and they never have to stop and rest unlike me. I use them for temporary crossmembers, leveling engines on the cherry picker, holding up driveshafts and any place where I need help.
3. Magnetic spark plug socket. I kind of thought that this was a gimmick. I only bought it because I was a few dollars short of free shipping from Summit and I found this for under $10. I love, love, love it! No more screwing around with those stupid rubber inserts that are too darn tight so I rip them out and throw the rubber away. This uses a magnet right above the hex of the spark plug and it just freaking works.
4. Zip lock bags and a sharpie. I have too many things going on at the same time and sometimes it is months before I can get back to a project. I label the bags with what the bolts go to and toss them in the vehicle.
5. Harbor Freight hammers. I suck with a hammer so I just use big ones most of the time. I have a 4lb short handle sledge and a 3ish lb dead blow. I have others but I rarely use them.
6. Harbor Freight hose pliers. I can't believe how good these really are. The intent is to use the curved jaws to wrap around a hose, squeeze and twist the hose off. I bet that they would do a good job of that but I've never used them that way. I do use the for 99% of the time that I would normally use needle nose pliers. I used them for all kinds of pinching clips (fuel lines, heater quick connections, oil coolers), picking up non-magnetic items, pulling on tubes/fuel lines/wire harnesses, hose clamps and so much more.
7. Pencil and paper. This is pretty obvious but taking notes, making plans and drawing schematics are the easy ones. How about making patterns for welding, shimming something up, stopping rattles or taking a piece of paper over a socket or wrench and then shoving the fastener into the paper to keep the fastener in place?
Electrical tape and peel and stick aluminum tape.
Whenever you have a situation where your socket pops off or gets stuck?
Wrap it tight too the extension with electrical tape.
Reaching into a spot in the frame and the socket drops off and rolls down?
Tape the whole thing top to bottom.
Loose fit on a bolt or too sloppy or you need to hang a socket or wrench in place
Peel and stick aluminum tape.
Takes up the slack.
Using an 12 mm 6 point wrench stuffed upside down into a 21 mm impact socket while trying to pull the knock sensor out of a 2003 nissan sentra?
Put the wrench in the impact socket and pack the voids with tin foil.
Smash the tin foil in with a punch untill it holds the wrench in place.
Turns a ten hour job into a ten minute job
Some times ya just gotta make it up as you go.
Expensive tools are great to have.
They can make life easier.
But making something from the junk you have laying around and cobbling it together and having it work is very satisfying.
It may be wrong, it may be half assed, The experts may pee themselves,
But it works.