What's your best "worst" investment as far as tools?

[Sigarms]

I was thinking about this the other day.

Years ago spent some big dollars on a leaf blower for 8 acres around the house due to the leaves that kept piling up.

Last 6 years haven't used that leaf blower one time for leafs (mulching kit on one mower works great or I just "let em go" LOL).

However, that leaf blower has been invaluable (instead of using my compressor) for cleaning off my mowers from debris and getting some burn piles going strong.

Made me think that leaf blower was the best darn "worst" buy I've ever made

Anyone else spend money on a tool and end up using it for something completely different than you'd thought you'd use it for?

 

[Deere Dude]

I made a weight box for X740 garden tractor and worked great and even had a PVC pipe in it for a shovel or rake. Then I got a bigger tractor so the weight box sat around until I started using it for a clothesline umbrella. That worked better for that than a weight for the tractor.

 

[LD1]

Did something similar with a tractor counterweight. Made one about 400# Out of concrete. Really too small for my tractor and I always have the blade or bushhog on anyway. So I use it for the basket ball hoop instead of filling the base with sand or water:thumbsup:

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Not exactly on point, but it gives me an opportunity to tell this story on myself. I recently needed a short piece of heavy duty electric cord for my electric leaf blower. When I got to Lowe's, I had to ask for help; the lady in turn had to page this guy to drop what he was doing and come help me. I was a bit embarrassed to ask him to cut 18 inches of electric cord, so I sheepishly asked for 10' foot. I got home, fixed my leaf blower and had about 8 or so feet of heavy duty electric cord left. After thinking about it, next time at Lowe's I bought both a female and a male plug-in and made an extension cord out of it. Darned if it isn't the most useful cord I have; I use it all of the time. It's just the right length for my shop when I use my hand held tools and some of the bench tools or shop vac. I had to go buy a similar cord for my wife, who had confiscated it and was using it on her sewing machine!

 

[lilranch2001]

I was thinking about this the other day.

Years ago spent some big dollars on a leaf blower for 8 acres around the house due to the leaves that kept piling up.

Last 6 years haven't used that leaf blower one time for leafs (mulching kit on one mower works great or I just "let em go" LOL).

However, that leaf blower has been invaluable (instead of using my compressor) for cleaning off my mowers from debris and getting some burn piles going strong.

Made me think that leaf blower was the best darn "worst" buy I've ever made

Anyone else spend money on a tool and end up using it for something completely different than you'd thought you'd use it for?

I actually started using my back pack blower more often this spring to blow off my mower than I ever have.
It works much better than my air compressor!

 

[Walkin Horse]

Once I bought a big lick Walkin horse for $2500. Cost me a lot to have it shod and upkeep on him. We showed him some and wound up selling him for $80,000. But that just put me deeper in horse debt somehow.

 

[k0ua]

Not exactly on point, but it gives me an opportunity to tell this story on myself. I recently needed a short piece of heavy duty electric cord for my electric leaf blower. When I got to Lowe's, I had to ask for help; the lady in turn had to page this guy to drop what he was doing and come help me. I was a bit embarrassed to ask him to cut 18 inches of electric cord, so I sheepishly asked for 10' foot. I got home, fixed my leaf blower and had about 8 or so feet of heavy duty electric cord left. After thinking about it, next time at Lowe's I bought both a female and a male plug-in and made an extension cord out of it. Darned if it isn't the most useful cord I have; I use it all of the time. It's just the right length for my shop when I use my hand held tools and some of the bench tools or shop vac. I had to go buy a similar cord for my wife, who had confiscated it and was using it on her sewing machine!

That story got a smile out of me.

 

[super55]

My big mishap was buying a single bottom plow for my food plots. It's takes forever to plow a food plot with single bottom. I have ended up using it quite a bit though for burying wire for my outbuildings and invisible fence and for irrigation lines. Also works really good for removing smaller trees with the stump. Cut the roots with the plow and the tree goes over quite easily with the bucket afterwards.

 

[forgeblast]

I would have to say its a bandsaw. It takes up a decent amount of room and I just don't use it. I thought I would use it for cutting out spoon blanks but I use an ax instead.

 

[vulcancowboy]

Once I bought a big lick Walkin horse for $2500. Cost me a lot to have it shod and upkeep on him. We showed him some and wound up selling him for $80,000. But that just put me deeper in horse debt somehow.

Of course, you know how to make a million dollars in the horse business don't you??? You start out with 2 million!