Do you have a failed tool/wrench/socket story I can learn from?

[Birdhunter1]

When working with a pair of electric hedge trimmers always know where the cord is, and constantly be moving the cord out of the way of where you are cutting.

Luckily it only jammed on the bare wires of the nuetral and ground and not the hot and anything else! <<lost 1' of my 100' cord that day>>

 

[slowzuki]

Never use impact wrenches on chrome sockets. The chrome shoots a long ways when it flakes off. I have also done this using a cheater or snipe on a deep chrome socket.

I have a collection of broken deep sockets to trade in. I've broken 3 17 mm deep ones so far with a 2 ft powerbar only. A bunch of 14 mm shorty's broken too. All quality lifetime warrantee stuff.

Never broken a combination wrench yet knock on wood.

 

[firemanpat2910]

I've (stupidly) used one of those cheap terminal crimpers with the small threaded bolt cutter to cut a bolt and should have stopped when it required more force. I used both hands and squeezed real hard. The bolt cut, the cutter jambed on the cut piece, and a part of my hand was caught in the wire cutter that is behind the joint in the tool. I had a heck of a time removing the tool from my hand and yelled loud enough, that I'm suprised all of you didn't hear me.

been there done that, probably still have the scar. Its hard to remember wich scar is wich. Allen wreches will shatter and send scrapnel every where when you slip a box end wrench half way down its "leg" trippleing its length. or so I have been told.

 

[PineRidge]

Don't use an ordinary socket for an impact wrench they kinda explode. I didn't do it myself, no, I saw it done by a little old lady, really.....

 

[czechsonofagun]

When the handle falls of a chisel and you try to get it back on, be careful not to catch the skin of your hand between the chisel and the handle.

Happened to me long time ago - didnt hurt much, but it is hard to remove a chisel pinched on the skin between the thumb and index finger

 

[Taylortractornut]

I learnd a valuable lesson ontime about sockets and impacts. Ive got a 1inch drive Ingersoll Rand impact and was taking off the wheels on one of dads roll off trucks back when we owned a few. He got the wrench new and some common sized IR sockets. I had picked up a cheapy set at the importer to use on other thing but it had a 1 1/2 in it I tried it on a lug nut and set out on changing the tires. I had a bad habit about lwttin my hand steady the socket and also ue it to quickly adjust the socket to fit the nut. it allowed me to zip aroun the rim in a few seconds. On the next rim the socket exploded split wown the middle. It gave me a few cuts throu my glove but could have been worse, on chunk of socket stuck in a fiberglass boat hull. A co worker on time found out if he hammered my 1 7/16 box end down over a larger metric bolt head instead of picking up the right size I can be dangerous lol.

 

[Dargo]

Don't use an ordinary socket for an impact wrench they kinda explode. I didn't do it myself, no, I saw it done by a little old lady, really.....

I may add, Don't ever use an impact socket from Harbor Freight on anything. The cheap azz crap impact Pittsburgh sockets explode like mini hand grenades nearly every time!

Also, under no circumstances, ever use a spring compressor from Harbor Freight! Not once, but twice (shame on me) I had a Harbor Freight spring compressor explode in my hands with a spring compressed in it. I was extremely lucky I was not seriously injured or even killed!

Oh, oh, also, never use one of the cheap 14" abrasive cutting wheels from Harbor Freight! Again, shame on me, but twice in a row I had a brand new wheel from HF explode when I was using the cutter to cut angle.

How about this, other than maybe a measuring tape or bottle of Slime, don't ever use any tool from Harbor Freight! For the life of me, I can't believe that they are still in business after selling tools that are not only cheap and defective, but flat out dangerous!

 

[5030]

I just love "unexpected tool events"....here's one.

Many years ago when I owned my own tractor trailers and did my own maintenance, I broke a front leaf spring on a Freightliner. Got the tractor in front of the garage, torched off the old "U" bolts and the shackle pivots. Went to install the new spring and found the axle had slid back about 6". I hooked my old trusty Farmall to the spring via a snatch block and pulled it forward. No problem. Slipped in the new pivots and dropped the new "U" bolts on. Tightening the pivots wasn't a problem, only 250 foot pounds there. The "U" bolts were another matter. I needed 450 foot pounds on those so I had my trusty wife lay down under the truck while I applied the torque with a 3/4" breaker bar and a 1.5" regular socket. The breaker bar had a "snipe" 10 foot long on the end. I got three tightened but the fourth, well the fourth was almost tight and the socket let go like a gun. Half of the socket went right across my wife's forehead and the other half went into the drywall in the shop about 10 feet away. My wife still has a scar on her forehead (took 15 stitches to close). Trusty wife will never let me forget it.

This whole scenario happened 2 days before Christmas years ago and we were working outside. If I remember it was about 15 degrees.

Needless to say, I always use air wrenches now but then I could never justify a big compressor like the 30 cfm unit I have now.

 

[Paddy]

Hard lession I learned was the time I was the top of a ladder drilling under some eve. The trigger hold button some how was pressed and when the drill began to bind...it was yanked out of my hand windinding the cord in. I didn't fall off the ladder, lucky for me.

I have never seen a good reason for those triger locks. When using power tools my index finger is the last place where I need asssitance. be carefull or cut them off!

 

[Bedlam]

Paddy your right about the switch, I can only think of it used on a drill press adapter, Then you'd need the lock. But otherwise I don't see why they put them on.Thank god for reverse though. I was drilling some metal , and also holding it. the drill bit 1/4 inch went through, and into my arm. It twisted the skin around the shaft. I felt it, but also say that if I reversed I could get it out easier. So reverse it went. Still have that scar today. 28 years later.
Allan