Earlier this month, I posted about how I keep too much stuff, and I how I had started working to remedy this.
For years, I have accumulated tools and supploes, and I am finally putting everything to order. Many of you have and do the same, and so I figured I would share another update to potentially inspire or motivate you. At the least, it’s helping me keep motivated.
Shown above is a Craftsman 4-in-1 laser lever and laser-guided measuring tool kit. It came with a laser level and an assortment of wall mounts, plus a distance measuring tool.
Advertisement
This isn’t a laser distance measuring tool, it’s a laser-guided distance measuring tool. I bought this at a time when laser distance measuring tools were much more pricier than the inexpensive models that are readily available today.
It’s an ultrasonic measuring tool with a laser pointer for aiming. Not to mince words, but this is no longer useful to me.
I donated it last week. If there are no takers, it will be recycled.
Goodbye Craftsman 4-in-1 LaserTrac kit! This is one less thing cluttering up my storage area.
I have unused wire shelving parts – shelves and poles.
I’ll bring them to the public works recycling event tomorrow, where they will be taken for use, or scrapped.
Advertisement
Here’s where I want to put something down on digital paper to ensure I go through with it. I have 2 garage-style wall cabinets that I will be parting with. I installed 3 cabinets in my garage, and 3 more in the basement. If I could use the other 2, wouldn’t I have installed them by now?
I hate the idea of giving away something I might want or leave later. I have a Gladiator wall cabinet that I used for several years. When I moved, it went into storage. I moved again, and there was one spot between a window and door where the Gladiator cabinet fit in perfectly.
I held onto the Gladiator cabinet, and it worked out perfectly. So of course my natural tendency is to want to hold onto the 2 other cabinets.
But no – they don’t do anyone good sitting on the floor. So, I’ll bring them to the public works yard tomorrow, and I’m sure one of the workers there will be able to put them to good use.
I gave away two flashlights today – Olight S2R Baton II lights, new-in-box. These were part of the titanium collection released for the 2020 Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales event. I purchased these with gift certificate funds provided by Olight. How many flashlights do I really need?
On the personal side, I’m working on decades of bad habits. This week I recycled sheet music from junior high school and magazines from 5+ years ago. I donated DVDs and box sets to the library. I gave away an unopened Milwaukee Fastback utility knives and blades bundle.
On the professional side, I’m making changes to my mentality. I don’t need to keep an archive of test samples. It’s okay if I cannot answer very specific questions long after a review. If a tool is important enough to future content, I can request another copy or buy one off the shelf.
Clearing tools (and all manners of personal clutter) is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. But, it’s giving me the breathing space, clarity, and motivation to make long-term changes.
If you’re thinking “this is something I need to do,” there’s no time like the present. “When I have the time” is partially how I got into this mess.
Seriously – the Craftsman 4-in-1 kit shown above lost is usefulness a long time ago. I was aware of this, but kept it, thinking maybe it would be useful for a comparison or other type of post one day. But when would that day come?
Robert
The Halo-Themed Master Chief boots should be the first thing to go. Other than the stand at Thermopylae, when you dig into Sparta’s history you find they really weren’t’ t that admirable.
Stuart
lol. I’m not about to live a minimalist lifestyle. Halo-themed work boots are something I’m okay admiring from afar.
Fyrfytr998
If there are any V20 batteries and chargers you want to give away. I’m here for you brother, lol. Let me ease your burden.
Derek
With how quickly tools are replaced with new models these days why keep anything that isn’t the best from a test?
I’m starting to get pretty picky about keeping things. Just did baseboards on the first two levels of our house and I have a 12’ piece leftover that I’ll probably get rid of. No reason to trip over it for over a year before I maybe get around to replacing it in our bedroom.
Stuart
Power tools actually have a pretty long life cycle. And then, when new models come out, everyone asks how they compare.
I have leftover kitchen trim as well that I need to get rid of or at least cut down to smaller size. There are a bunch of other spare materials, such as tile, but this is the least of my woes.
G. Greene
I’ve spent this past winter, several hours a day, cleaning up/out my large basement workshop. It no longer looks like the aftermath of a tornado following by an asteroid strike. I really dug in and eliminated a bunch of tools I either never used or have rarely used (pocketing >$1k using CraigsList) and also performed multiple tool upgrades I’d never gotten around to, despite having accumulated all the necc. parts, supplies (assembled mobile bases for a number of pieces, converted the SawStop to 220v, upgraded the Laguna dust collector to 220 volts, replaced the cutterhead in the DW735 with a Shellix head, etc., etc.) Labeled all the tool cab drawers (cheap Dymo label maker) and even sorted and discarded endless screws, nuts, bolts, and nails. Installed a ceiling-mounted Grizzly dust filter bought years ago, upgraded all the lighting to LED, and eliminated dark spots. For now, at least, it’s clean, organized, and spacious, I can find the tools I need and I have space to work. Well worth the effort, and extremely satisfying in the end, if very intimidating at the beginning. Making a real effort to clean up after every project right now to keep it in it’s current state.
ToolGuyDan
So, uh, are you free next Friday? What’s your hourly? Nevermind; whatever it is, it’s worth it. I’ll send you my address. 🤣
Jim Felt
Sadly I’m several time zones west and your idea didn’t occur to me. Criminy.
Brandon
So how do you go about donating your excess tools? I am a mechanic and dyi stuff at home. And am on an extremely tight budget with 4 kids and a terminally ill fiance at home… Please email me.
Stuart
Sometimes I’ll run giveaways, but I will usually give to:
Habitat for Humanity
Local High School
Local Department of Public Works
Friends, Family, Local Contractors when I want a greater chance of long-term feedback.
Readers who are educators that run STEM clubs.
Franco Calcagni
I am a hoarder by nature, but at the same time, I give things away to friends and neighbors when I know I will not use it..
Especially items that are “bonus” items and I already have better ones or just too many, I give them away. I forget what the primary item was, but there was a buy X ITEM and get a free circ saw promotion. it was 15 amp and had a laser line. But I have an old B&D Sawcat, which is awesome and I love, as well as a Flexvolt circ saw, so I gave the free one to a good buddy who did not have a saw…new, still sealed in the box.
I got a free Dewalt grinder, gave it away. As well as I get newer, better tools, items that no longer get used I give away.
If the item is over $200, then I met sell it.
Stuart, I had one of those Craftsman laser-guided distance measuring tool; it wasn’t very accurate. It could be off by an inch up to 7-8 inches at times. The way it worked was cool, but if it isn’t accurate, no good. And I, like you, got it when there were fancy more sophisticated (and I am guessing more accurate), but cost hundreds, while this was on special for maybe $80. I now have a recent Bosch which is super accurate, lots of functions and I paid less than the Craftsman…just the technology has advanced and you get an excellent laser measuring tape for a decent price.
Jim Felt
In that era I needed a more accurate one and bought a German made Stabila laser. Which is still working and as accurate as my later (waaay cheaper and smaller) Bosch models.
But Marty and Doc weren’t available to me at that moment. Darnitall.
John Blair
I recently moved and I had multiples versions of tools. I ended up giving many of them away and I felt much better about it. You pretty quickly figure out who wants something to resell it and who will really appreciate it.
For me, family and friends come first then I would list things on Craigslist and give them related tools for free if they really seamed like they would use it. My favorite was giving away my 2nd table saw: Gone to a cute couple who just got married who were picking up a beat up work bench. Their joy far exceeded the convenience I found one time a year I used it so I wouldn’t have to switch between saw blade and dado stack.
The other thing I found was I was keeping lots of baseboard, etc. I don’t know that I’ve ever used it. What I do now instead is cut a 6 inch section and throw the rest away. If I ever need any, I can take that sample to the big box store. If they don’t have it, most hardwood dealers have gigantic catalogs of moldings they can make from the wood of your choice.
Have a million paint cans? I take a picture of the label and put it in a folder on my hard drive with the name of the room it was for. I try to throw all paint away after a year. After that long, the effort of taking it to get remixed, etc. makes them mostly useless anyway.
For nephews and nieces, when they get their first house or get married, I like to make them toolboxes. I know what tools they actually need and can put together a pretty good set of tools and things like nails, drywall hangers, etc. for putting up pictures and shelves. That helps me get rid of the branded tool bags that I never uses. My kids got the hand me down cordless tools when I upgraded.