What's in your tool box? What do you actually use?

[Bob_Skurka]

What\'s in your tool box? What do you actually use?

I was out this afternoon pruning some trees and realized that I have a lot of stuff in my tractor's tool box, but there are only a few things I actually use frequently.

I've got assorted tools:
- Several large screwdrivers
- Hex Key set
- Wrench set
- Large pliers
Of all the things above, I don't think I've actually used any of them while I was in the field. I've needed them when the tractor was in the garage or the driveway, but I have a bigger selection of tools in the garage and just use those. So I guess I don't need these, but I'd hate to find out one day when I am 400 yards away and need a simple wrench.


I've got some extra small parts
- washers for Pat's Easy Change
- assorted lynch pins
- cotter pins
- some rubber bungie cords
I think there have only been a few times when I've needed to dig into the tool box out in the field for one of these things. Usually when I need these I'm in or near the garage, but occasionally I might need one.


Then I have things I use almost all the time, or at least very frequently:
- 2 pairs of work gloves
- 16" bypass pruners
- 16" anvil pruners
- small hatchet


I'm just curious, what's in your tool box and what do you actually use?

 

[Henro]

Re: What\'s in your tool box? What do you actually use?

Mine is so small it is not worth putting anything in it...

So I use everything that is in there... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

With less than four acres, I just walk back to the shed and get what I need... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Soundguy]

Re: What\'s in your tool box? What do you actually use?

I keep a couple extra lynch and hair pins, a small ball of bailing wire.. an extra spark plug wire, a screwdriver, pliers and ford wrench. feeler gauges, a single hex key for my 3pt spreader adjustment, a can of ether, a spark plug, and a jumper wire aligator clip to aligator clip.

I think I've pretty much used every piece at one time or another.

The jumper wire is like my spare key... In thee last month I've hotwired the tractor more times than I've used the key.
( the keys stay in the house and I get too laze to come in from the barn to grab the key... so a quick jumper around the ignition and I'm off. )

Soundguy

 

[aardvark]

Re: What\'s in your tool box? What do you actually use?

Bob, I read your post and thought "gosh, how can he survive with so few tools", and then I realized you meant your tractor toolbox, not the garage box. I should have read the first sentence instead of skipping to the list. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I don't have a tractor toolbox yet, need to make one. I'm undecided if I want to fold one up out of aluminum, TIG the corners, making a custom fit box for the top of left rear fender, or if I just want to buy a waterproof plastic box and make a mount somewhere. I'm leaning towards the custom box, just based on the "neat" factor.

I have been carrying my chainsaw, safety glasses, gloves, and a couple rags on the backhoe foot platform though. That BX23 backhoe platform seems as if it was designed to carry an 18" chainsaw. I've also been carrying a large chain in the backhoe bucket. I've been using all of the tools except the rags. I could probably leave them in the garage.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: What\'s in your tool box? What do you actually use?

<font color="green"> Bob, I read your post and thought "gosh, how can he survive with so few tools", and then I realized you meant your tractor toolbox, not the garage box. I should have read the first sentence instead of skipping to the list.
</font>

I mounted a "Craftsman" pick up truck tool box on the back. It measures 8" front to back, 16" wide and 18" tall. I took a 2" piece of 1/4 steel bent it a bit and bolted it in using the bolts that hold the ROPS in place.

 

[MMM]

Re: What\'s in your tool box? What do you actually use?

Seems no matter what's in there, I need something else.

 

[Barnee]

Re: What\'s in your tool box? What do you actually use?

I use an old toolbelt/pouch so theres not much room. My inventory includes:
safety glasses
lynch pins
channel locks
wd40
screwdriver

i have 10 acres so it's not a terribly long trip back to the garage.

 

[MicroPilot]

Re: What\'s in your tool box? What do you actually use?

Let's see:

Lynch pins
Vise Grips
Crescent Wrench
Needle nose pliers
a rag
Hydraulic dustcovers
a screw driver
sometimes a hammer

What do I use most?

The wrench
the rag

I always have my Leatherman on my hip, and that seems to be used the most, but I use it even off the tractor! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Bob, we need to see a pic of your tractor's tool CHEST! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Egon]

Re: What\'s in your tool box? What do you actually use?

The tool box on my tractor is small but just large enough to accommodate a roll of soft paper for those occasions when the alimentary tract acts up.

Egon

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: What\'s in your tool box? What do you actually use?

<font color="red"> Bob, we need to see a pic of your tractor's tool CHEST!
</font>

Micropilot:
Here is a picture of the mounting bracket I made. It uses the orginal ROPS bolts to hold it in place so I didn't have to drill anywhere into the tractor. On the right side the factory utility lights still mounts in its original location on the ROPS bolt as well, but that is not shown in this picture.

Here is a mounted picture of the truck box, it also shows the Aux light in place. I mounted the box slightly off the center line of the tractor to allow me to fit the Aux light in its original location. The box sits in a position that prevented me from using the factory supplied SMV sign, so I eventally picked up an extra sign and glued it to the tool box. The basically worthless tiny little inadequate factory tool box is still accessable by tipping the seat forward.

Basically I am a very lazy person, I hate being in the middle of something and then having to go back to the house to get it so I want something big enough to carry things with me all the time.