Where do tools go ?

GBCMAN

Member
Hi
I find myself almost 60 years old and realizing that I've accumulated a large amount of tools and continue purchasing tools that I need/want.
But I also find myself less able to fix a lot of the modern things we have due to the electronics controlling them.
This got me to thinking of what happens to my tools when I die, I have no children and no other younger family members seem to have any interest in mechanics and working with tools.
Are you seeing the younger generation in your families enjoying what we do, working with tools?
 
I understand your question about what to do with tools when we die. I have THOUSANDS of dollars worth of Snap On tools. My son has NO interest in turning wrench. On the right sale when I am dead & gone they will bring 2-3 times what I paid for them. But I just can't bring myself to sell them as they have been part of my life even before I was married & had kids. I don't use them much anymore but I couldn't stand to be without them.
 
I was thinking last week, about what I used to get done as kid with a pair of vise grips, hammer, adjustable wrench, channel locks, and screwdrivers. today I now have a tool box just for different sizes of ratchets and sockets alone. Things were made much more simple then.
 
Your right. When I was growing up, with a few basic tools and some common sense you could fix almost anything.
My brother who has always been able to do any needed repairs on his vehicles just paid the dealer to put in a transmission.
The car which is a 2006 would almost have to be totally disassembled and at his age it just wasn't
worth all the aggravation.
 
My wife"s great fear is that I"ll croak and leave her to deal with my stuff. She could do worse, it"ll be a great auction. I continue to buy tools, as needed to keep modern machines running. Learned a long time ago it was far cheaper to buy the tool than to rely on questionable "experts", including those working for dealerships.

The best tool for me has been the internet, enabling me to tap experience far beyond mine.

None of the young people I know show any interest. That"s OK, considering my mother just turned 102 and still lives independently, I figure I"ve got at least another 25 yrs of productivity. Reason enough to keep adding needed tools.

Will shortly be moving a circular saw mill here. Band would be nice, but I"ll do fine with a circular, which was a gift (nobody in his family wanted it). A chainsaw mill has worked very well for extremely long timbers.
 
Well, I"m not ready to cash in my tools yet. Son recently moved away, and he"s scrambling to get a bunch of tools for himself. That said, if he borrows any of mine, I"m gonna get them back as soon as the job"s done.

I have a number of tools in my collection that came from the estates of several relatives. Every time I use one of them, I remember the donor - with fondness. They have left a legacy through me.
 
One of my nephews is a farmer; when he took over the family farm his Dad has very few tools so I started giving him tools many years ago. When I closed up my shop a few years ago, I sent him a whole pickup load of tools.

However, I kept quite a few tools and have added more. I told my brother that when I'm gone, load up all my tools and take them to our nephew.

Son lives in Australia; it is too expensive to ship tools there. Daughter doesn't want them, so nephew will get them even though he has more tools now than any other farmer in his neighborhood.

Just in case, start talking to other people as they may know some young person that would be happy to get them. A high school shop teacher might know some deserving young person or maybe contact the nearest vo-tech school for a name.
 
My father-in-law ran a service station for many years. Even after he retired, he insisted he might need them some day. After he died, my mother-in-law asked me to sort them and give her a close price for them. We were having a yard sale so she would set up with what I had to sell. I priced everything for less than 1/2 what current Snap-On price is. I still have them ready for the next yard sale too. I don't think we sold more than 3 pieces. I told my wife when I die, set up for 1 yard sale, list everything on CL for 30 days, edit the CL post and say she is and hauling them to the scrap yard. If you can find someone even slightly interested, they want you to give it to them.
 
Well,

Two neighboring kids, one copper-topped, they got the tools of my (passed on)Mother-in-law. She was thrifty, and it took a while for the misses to part with the tools, bbut those two fellas have a very nice set of tools, with some history.

They still show themselves around here with a tractor, so I guess my answer keeps things tractor related.

You may never know where your tools go, but hedge your bets and give them to a deserving youngster, I seen it change a young man into something worthwhile.

D.
 
There are still some young people out there that enjoy working on things. I pull wrenches for a living and somehow got appointed the shop trainer. Some of the young guys we get don't really care about it, but there are a few that get interested in the job. You need to look for the ones that are into dirt bikes sleds or car racing, they are the kids that like to tinker. I tell my wife her job is to call the auctioneer when I die.
 
I"m younger than many on here, but I"m becoming ever more aware I"m no longer young. But I have this to add.

Asked at 17 if I liked tools, I"d have said no, not really. But, see, my father worked in an office all his life. I had nothing to spark my interest.

In my mid-20"s my wife and I bought our house and soon after a TO30 to mow the meadow and do other tractor jobs around. Since we were broke, when it needed repaired I tried my best. And, with that, I fell in love with tools and old machines. I still have very much to learn, but then again I missed over 15 good years of learning opportunities.

Perhaps a few of those young guys around who show no interest in tools may simply have never had a chance to fall in love yet. Find some, mentor them, pass the love on.
 
The last dozen farm sales I have been to had very few tools on the bill. Not sure if they just didn't have many or if they got scattered before the sale. I always buy odds and ends. I'd rather get a bucket with a 40 year old crescent wrench in it than buy some Kobalt piece of junk.
 
Just want to add: if you plan on leaving them to multiple heirs, Try to have some plan worked out IN WRITING about them.

One of my relatives married late in life (50) and after being diagnosed with cancer. He"s gone now. (Killed by a falling tree-so you never know whats going to get you.)

His wife and his nephew just had a big arguement
over who gets his tools. Promised to nephew before wife was in the picture and nephew has been earning a living with them for several years on cars and lawnmowers.

Now wife decides they are hers and wants him to give them up.
 
Not a lawyer, but tell him that the tools have no title, etc to show proof of ownership. That being the case, possession is 9/10......In other words if the tools were given to him there"s not a lot she can do because there is no way for her to PROVE that they aren"t his to begin with.
 
(quoted from post at 16:00:59 11/09/13) Hi
I find myself almost 60 years old and realizing that I've accumulated a large amount of tools and continue purchasing tools that I need/want.
But I also find myself less able to fix a lot of the modern things we have due to the electronics controlling them.
This got me to thinking of what happens to my tools when I die, I have no children and no other younger family members seem to have any interest in mechanics and working with tools.
Are you seeing the younger generation in your families enjoying what we do, working with tools?

Don't have any youngsters to leave your tools to? Leave them to me! :wink:
Hmm, I'm only a few years behind you so that plan might not work out so well.

Seriously though, I've thought of this myself. My oldest son passed away, and my youngest, now in his late 20's has a pretty good tool selection himself. I expect he'll want some of my mechanic tools and a few carpentry and electrical tools. I'm a tool junkie. He is not, but there may be some hope.... He seemed quite interested when I told him I bought a slip roll, bead roller, stake plate and some stakes at an auction today.
 
gmccool:

I know the feeling, I'm in the same boat as you & several of the other posters. I have outlived 2 wives and all of my children; and I only have 2 nephews, one who is a Teacher, and the other who is interested in movie-making; neither of whom has the slightest interest in tools & mechanics.

Doc
 
I've had the same wondering.... usually late in the night when sleep wasn't around...

here's my thinking

http://jniolon.classicpickup.com/articles/whattodowithyourstuffboth.htm

john
 
I think my wife and son would be selling my tools off right after they put me in the ground. My son would take tools and it would weeks before I got them back. I worked on Jets and fam machinery for years so I have alot of tools. I have over 100 pairs of vise grips and have tools a my house and my parents place too. I don't know what I will do with them when I go but I wouldn't be happy
 
I am clearing out the estate of a good friend who had no children or close relatives. He was an aircraft machinist and tinkerer with a huge collection of tools. Some I have taken and my sons are going through the rest. What ever is left over will mostly be common hand tools so they will get sold at the swap meets. The tools we have will live on to be used and enjoyed.
 
Even in a community property state like the one I live in, a person's property which is owned outright before marriage does not become community property. I'd guess that all the nephew would have to do would be to say that his uncle gave him the tools. Not intended to, but did. The wife would have a hard time proving that that was not the case.

Stan
 
Glad to see the Copper top kid has done OK. You tried pretty hard to help him and show him the way, despite his not so great family life.

You are to be commended for your efforts.

Charles
 
Ive got a son that already thinks there are his. :?
By the time I get ready to give them up he will have borrowed most of them and just not returned them yet.
 
My dad sold his at auction when he moved into town. Several wagon loads of stuff. I had to buy the stuff I wanted.
Bought several wire loops with full sets of 1/2"sockets on them and jars full of 1/4" sets for pennies on the dollar of what he had paid for them.
All quality tools Snap On, Proto, SK. Went for horribly cheap prices.
 
While my son will get all my tools,
if you don't have anyone who wrenches to pass them on to,
don't despair.
My most used hand tools all came from yard sales from that situation.
Quality of these old ones can not be matched today, with new, at any price.
So even though the previous owner obviously doesn't know,
his/her tools are still being used every day, and have my thanks.
 

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