# Most Useless Tool



## rrich

What is the most useless tool that you have ever purchased?

I bought a digital read out for my table saw fence ruler. Absolutely useless! Today I zeroed the device, moved it out to 18" and made an accurate cut. Then I moved the fence to 17" (Biesemeyer Scale) and the digital read 17 3/16". I re-zeroed the digital and moved it out to 17" and it read 17" this time.

What the heck good is a  digital read out if you can't trust it's operation?


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## eccentrictinkerer

I'd have to vote the Bosch Flush-cut saw and the Porter-Cable profile sander as the worst purchases I've made.










The Bosch saw gave the worst cut I've ever seen and the P-C sander was just dreck.

Two of my favorite brands are P-C and Bosch so it hurt double.:furious:


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## cabinetman

I wouldn't trust tools that are laser equipped. Deduct the cost of equipping the tool that way and it might be worthwhile to buy.


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## phinds

I once bought an oscillating spindle sander on sale 'cause it seemed like a good idea at the time, but I ended up never using it so I gave it away.

Paul


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## Leo G

Scroll saw. I needed it for one job and haven't used it in years.


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## Rob

> Scroll saw. I needed it for one job and haven't used it in years.


Ditto. Takes up space, but as soon as I get rid of it, I'll need it.


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## Juniperlampguy

I once bought a set of long drill bits from Harbor freight. Figgerd I couldn't go wrong with 6 long bits for $8.00. Well I did go wrong. I think they made them out of some kind of soft metal like baling wire. Every one of them unraveled the first time I used them. Would not drill a hole thru a piece of medium hard wood.


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## joesdad

eccentrictinkerer said:


> I'd have to vote the Bosch Flush-cut saw and the Porter-Cable profile sander as the worst purchases I've made.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Bosch saw gave the worst cut I've ever seen and the P-C sander was just dreck.
> 
> Two of my favorite brands are P-C and Bosch so it hurt double.:furious:


 
Amazing...those are _exactly_ my two most useless purchases over a hundred bucks. When I scrolled down and saw your post I cracked up. 

The sander gets taken out every once in a great while, but the paper wears out and loads up much too fast, and the flush saw has been easily replaced with one of those ten dollar 12" pull saws from Home Depot. I never bought the little miter box for the Bosch.


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## chubbyhubby

I've been called a tool... And the wife has called me useless...:jester: CH


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## wrc.six.eight

Years ago I needed to do some sanding in tight corners, and I bought that Ryobi triangular detail sander. As far as I was able to tell, it was just a noise maker. I was able to put the roughest grit paper on it and put it on my forehead and it wouldn't even turn red. It was returned within the hour.

When asked why I was returning it, I declared it to be the single most useless POS I ever had the misfortune to think might work. I somehow managed to forget to put the adhesive backed sanding pads in the box, and have put those to use as non slip feet on certain items.


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## woodnthings

*Does this fit?*

I may not be the "sharpest tool" in the box but I am the most useless?
Don't answer that! :laughing: bill
I'll never forget the time I framed for sliding windows in my son's playhouse only to find out the windows I bought on sale were double hungs and they won't work horizontally.... I had to custom order windows at 4X the sale price.:furious: Did I ever feel useless.:yes:




chubbyhubby said:


> I've been called a tool... And the wife has called me useless...:jester: CH


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## TexasTimbers

Rob said:


> Ditto. Takes up space, but as soon as I get rid of it, I'll need it.


Yup. Never git rid of stuff you don't need. Because the next day your wife will say: 

"Honey where did you put the bell-housing stretcher?" :huh:

"Right next to the sky hook." :shifty:


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## Juniperlampguy

Ditto, I forgot about the Ryobi detail sander. Definately worthless.:thumbdown:


wrc.six.eight said:


> Years ago I needed to do some sanding in tight corners, and I bought that Ryobi triangular detail sander. As far as I was able to tell, it was just a noise maker. I was able to put the roughest grit paper on it and put it on my forehead and it wouldn't even turn red. It was returned within the hour.
> 
> When asked why I was returning it, I declared it to be the single most useless POS I ever had the misfortune to think might work. I somehow managed to forget to put the adhesive backed sanding pads in the box, and have put those to use as non slip feet on certain items.


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## Skwerly

I bought a great big air impact gun in order to remove a hitch from a Jeep Cherokee, only to get it home and find out that my wimpy compressor doesn't have what it takes to run it. $90.00 paper weight now, until I can get a bigger, nicer compressor.


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## chubbyhubby

*Somebody's gettin' a new toy....*

Skwerly- now you're thinking like a ww'er. Anyone else would have just returned the impact. Nah, guys like us look at this as an upgrade justification opportunity.:w00t: CH


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## Ghidrah

Funny I own the PC profile sander too, even though I might only take it out a couple times a yr. I couldn't do my job proficiently without it.

I've made and or replicated some pretty convoluted moldings, and casings in the past, It's too bad they don't have more profile options, I've had to hack and slash a few profiles to suit the job. It might be one thing to sand a small item but 30 to 60 feet of molding or trim yeesh. 

The last couple times I pulled it out was for rosettes, my cutter punishes clear pine on the cross grain.


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## rrich

I had forgotten about the PC biscuit jointer and PC detail sander. I sold both of them for about half what I paid for them and considered myself better for the cheap education.


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## sweensdv

No question about it, my Roto-Zip.:thumbdown:


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## dsm

sweensdv said:


> No question about it, my Roto-Zip.:thumbdown:


+1
The only thing it's good for is breaking bits.


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## Martin Roy

rrich said:


> What is the most useless tool that you have ever purchased?



I don't think any tool is useless, it increase the strength and efficiency of human being. Yes, if any tool is not function properly it is useless and just go to vendor if he gives replacement, it's okay, other wise never purchase any stuff of that brand.


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## woodnthings

*There is useless and unused*

I have a Porter Cable profile sander that is unused and useless.
I wouldn't lump all Porter Cable tools into a "never buy that brand again" group because of one bad experience with one of their tools. 
Buyer beware, and I wasn't. The quality of the sander is good, it just doesn't sand very good. It was a bad design. Their other tools portable circular saws, belt sanders and jig saws work great. :thumbsup: JMO bill


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## cabinetman

woodnthings said:


> I have a Porter Cable profile sander that is unused and useless.
> bill



I never considered buying one of those. It seemed like a "novelty" type tool for the guy that has everything. Detail sanders may work for some hard to reach areas, but whether the use it would get justifies the cost is the question. 

Those areas that a round ROS can't get to, there's always a finishing sander. If it's closer than that, a scraper will do a better job anyway, IMO.


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## woodnthings

cabinetman said:


> I never considered buying one of those. It seemed like a "novelty" type tool for the guy that has everything. Detail sanders may work for some hard to reach areas, but whether the use it would get justifies the cost is the question.


You don't have to "buy" this one, I'll just give it to you. :laughing:
Ain't I a great friend? Just pay for shipping..................:blink: bill


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## Lola Ranch

*Roto zip*

I install a lot of kitchen cabinets and use a Rotozip frequently for cutting electrical and plumbing holes in the backs of cabinets. With the correct bit there is nothing faster and with practice cuts very neatly. Also for cutting drywall for remodeling.

If my Rotozip quit working I would immediatly get another.

I once bought a Ryobi combo disk/edge sander, plugged it in, turned it on and it caught fire. It actually had flames comming out of it. Now that was a bonified POS.

Bret


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## amiturewoodbutcher

rrich said:


> I had forgotten about the PC biscuit jointer and PC detail sander. I sold both of them for about half what I paid for them and considered myself better for the cheap education.


I have the PC biscuit jointer and love it. I bought a cheep one off ebay. tried to use it one time, threw it away. That PC profile sander? Don't waste your money. I have a PC 505 half sheet sander and just love it. I do 90% of sanding with it.:thumbup


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## woodnthings

Lola Ranch said:


> .......
> 
> I once bought a Ryobi combo disk/edge sander, plugged it in, turned it on and it caught fire. It actually had flames comming out of it. Now that was a bonified POS....Bret


Correction: * bonifired* POS :laughing: bill


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## Pdwight

Mine is a Sears band saw purchased around 1993. A floor model that will not cut a straight line. I have adjusted and squared every thing on it and you cannot cut a slice out of a 2X4 without the blade cupping out and making the inside edge curved. it has been relegated to cutting very thin stock into when necessary.


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## woodnthings

Pdwight said:


> Mine is a Sears band saw purchased around 1993. A floor model that will not cut a straight line. I have adjusted and squared every thing on it and you cannot cut a slice out of a 2X4 without the blade cupping out and making the inside edge curved. it has been relegated to cutting very thin stock into when necessary.


Try a new blade and proper (enough) tension. Sounds like you have both of those issues. A 3/8th" blade with 6 teeth per inch or a 1/2" blade with 3 to 4 TPI should do fine. For finer/smoother surfaces you can use more teeth per inch but the feed will be much slower. :thumbsup: bill


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## rrich

Martin Roy said:


> I don't think any tool is useless, it increase the strength and efficiency of human being. Yes, if any tool is not function properly it is useless and just go to vendor if he gives replacement, it's okay, other wise never purchase any stuff of that brand.


Yes, the latter.


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## cheese9988

rrich said:


> What is the most useless tool that you have ever purchased?
> 
> I bought a digital read out for my table saw fence ruler. Absolutely useless! Today I zeroed the device, moved it out to 18" and made an accurate cut. Then I moved the fence to 17" (Biesemeyer Scale) and the digital read 17 3/16". I re-zeroed the digital and moved it out to 17" and it read 17" this time.
> 
> What the heck good is a  digital read out if you can't trust it's operation?


Show me some pictures on how this thing is mounted, how you zero it etc. Do you have a make/model# of the instrument? I may be able to help you make more accurate measurements with it.


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## gregL

Ryobi detail sander...My vote also as useless..Seems to top the list.


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## mwhals

The most useless tool I can think of is my Sears 12" compound miter saw. Why? I soon decided to upgrade to a DeWalt sliding compount miter saw so I could cut wider stock. Since the DeWalt purchase, I haven't used the other one. I have just recently put it in the local ad bulletin.


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## BikerRick

Another vote for the PC profile sander. I think I used it for all of 5 minutes and went back to sanding by hand. I have had it 8 or 9 years and have used it once. I also bought a Skil biscuit joiner that may be even more useless than the profile sander. I bought the Skil before I realized you get what you pay for.


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## rrich

cheese9988 said:


> Show me some pictures on how this thing is mounted, how you zero it etc. Do you have a make/model# of the instrument? I may be able to help you make more accurate measurements with it.


Sorry, We've been out of town and Monday I got the Revenge of Montezuma. Just now, Thursday afternoon, I ate some soup. I feel almost mediocre. 

It is an Accurate Technologies (I think) brand and I'll try to get some pictures for you.


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## cheese9988

rrich said:


> Sorry, We've been out of town and Monday I got the Revenge of Montezuma. Just now, Thursday afternoon, I ate some soup. I feel almost mediocre.
> 
> It is an Accurate Technologies (I think) brand and I'll try to get some pictures for you.


I found a few of the digital readouts similar to this:
http://www.woodcraft.com/Articles/Articles.aspx?articleid=681

Most say they are accurate to 0.002 to 0.005 inch per foot. Now here is the killer with accuracy. It is almost always under perfect condition. Ie clamped to a surface plate and being checked with gage blocks. There is a term we use called uncertainty which includes the accuracy of the instrument along with all outside influences on the instrument. Since the company has no way of knowing the machine it will be used on, environmental conditions, etc, etc, they never use the latter.

A number of companies sell encoders such as these, they are similar to what a digital caliper would use. I have checked some higher end Mitutoyo encoders by themselves, which are essentially the same thing.

By far, the big problem with the encoders is side to side movement. I would first check to see if every bolt holding it down is secure, but not over tight. If you can wobble any part of the encoder or magnetic stripe, you will have bad readings. I would bet at that point, just turning the motor on would be enough to change your reading. The encoder or the stripe should not be cocked when they are mounted.

Also, how are you zeroing the encoder, to the rule on the table saw, to the blade? The fence on many table saws also also get cocked when they are set, getting them *perfectly* strait can be tough on cheaper saws. You may not be able to see it, but again, we are talking small numbers. If you are setting the zero to the blade, does the blade remain at 90 deg after every use. Do you put pressure on the fence when you butt it up against the blade? I would probably use a *light* amount of force if you do it that way.

Hope that helps you in any way.


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## WoodMark

An electric clothes iron. My wife never uses it. At least now that I am older my wrinkled clothes match my wrinkled body


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## Howard Ferstler

Rob said:


> Ditto. Takes up space, but as soon as I get rid of it, I'll need it.


A lot of tools are that way. I started my collection years ago after I told my wife that I would purchase a few that would make it easier to do chores, repairs, and modifications around the house. I bought a few, but there was always another job down the line that required another eoteric tool or two, and so the collection grew. I use them for what I told her I would, but also have expanded outward into more interesting work, as well.

Still, many sit there, almost unused, but you can be sure that if I sold off the ones that are sitting I would need one or more of them the next day.

So goes a man's world.

Howard Ferstler


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## Colt W. Knight

WoodMark said:


> An electric clothes iron. My wife never uses it. At least now that I am older my wrinkled clothes match my wrinkled body


Those things work great to remove dents from scratched or dented projects. Especially if they are already finished sanded.


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## Colt W. Knight

My craftsman dovetail jig is the biggest POS, its my number one regret in tool purchases. 120$ Ill never see again. 
Next would be the craftsman 19.2 volt handheld planer.


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## mwhals

Colt W. Knight said:


> My craftsman dovetail jig is the biggest POS, its my number one regret in tool purchases. 120$ Ill never see again.
> Next would be the craftsman 19.2 volt handheld planer.


I have a Craftsman corded drill and a router that are both fine (they are of their professional line). With that said, I do not buy Craftsman power tools anymore. I buy Dewalt for portable items and will buy Grizzly or similar for floor standing power tools.


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## Colt W. Knight

I have almost all the Craftsman 19.2 V cordless tools, and they are all great except the portable planer. 

I have a ton of Craftsman tools, here is what I don't like. 

1. Jointer
2. Older router
3. Craftsman pliers
4. Craftsman adjustable wrenches. 
5. Craftsman Dovetail jig


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## dbhost

Not woodworking tool, but the most useless tool I own is a Stant Cooling System pressure tester, bought it at HiLo Auto parts (before they became Oreilly Auto) and the stupid NEVER has built up pressure, HiLo wouldn't take a return on the thing, and Stant insisted I take it back through the retailer... It's been in my toolbox since 1992. I probably ought to just pitch it...

Most useless woodworking tool I currently own? Rotozip. Sure looked good in those old infomercials, but boy this thing is just pointless... 

Most useless woodworking tool that has since gone on to pasture. Early 90's vintage Makita quarter sheet sander. The dumb thing would shake your hand to death, and chuck the pad that the paper mounts to across the room with the sander still in your hand...


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## hawglet

Currently it's the Dewalt Random Orbital that my Dad ave me. Well now being out of replacement pads it's nonfunctional. Turned it on, pad exploded, new pad, exploded, new pad, exploded, now top of cabinet until I get the new pads ordered. Not really it's fault though, they've been in Dad's garage for at least 8 years, maybe 10, without any use. Just dry rotted, but it pissed me off since I had fired on using it and getting the big sanding done quickly!


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## rrich

dbhost said:


> Rotozip.


I guess you're not putting up any wall board soon. :yes:

The only place that I've seen where the Rotozip might be useful...


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## Trimcannon

*Pos*

I was about an hour from my shop at a customer's house to install 8 new doors in existing openings. I set up everything, and realize, I never put my Trusty Porter Cable circular saw in the truck. I didn't charge a lot for the job, so I bought the cheapest one I could find at the HD around the corner, a Ryobi. Total POS, this thing outta the box was cutting circles!!


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## rrich

Trimcannon said:


> I bought the cheapest one I could find at the HD around the corner, a Ryobi. Total POS, this thing outta the box was cutting circles!!


Similar but Ace hardware. I gave it away and after about a week it came back. :thumbdown: AND the guy that I gave it to didn't have a saw.


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## mchuray

joesdad said:


> Amazing...those are _exactly_ my two most useless purchases over a hundred bucks. When I scrolled down and saw your post I cracked up.
> 
> The sander gets taken out every once in a great while, but the paper wears out and loads up much too fast, and the flush saw has been easily replaced with one of those ten dollar 12" pull saws from Home Depot. I never bought the little miter box for the Bosch.


That's spookie. I totally agree. The sander is marginal at best and I only use it for very specialized jobs. Got the saw to trim off the door casings bottoms for the flooring. Would have been better off buying a Fein Tool.
Mark


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## Howard Ferstler

I posted a general comment on this thread earlier about how if you get rid of a tool you will find you need it shortly afterwards. Now, I suddenly remember an example to prove my point.

Sears sells a small sanding tool that has three little rotating discs on it (each a bit less than two inches in diameter, as I recall) that can each tilt a bit as they rotate, and are driven together by a small motor. Disc pads come with velcro backings that attach them, three at a time, to the rotating discs. The thing supposedly allows you to sand weirdly shaped things. Say, for example, a wooden replica of a bowling ball that needs to be sanded smooth.

OK, that is weird, and who would want to do that? In any case, the tool had a list price of $25 for a long time, but then, one day, I saw it on sale for $15. I said, "What the heck, how bad can it be for that amount."

It then sat for a year, with no use from it at all, until one day my wife was complaining about how her laundry sink had a lime build up on the bottom interior that even Comet Cleanser would not remove. The bottom had an irregular contour to it that defied being sanded clean by a palm or random-orbit sander, and doing the job by hand would have taken more time than I cared to spend. So, I grabbed the little Sears three-ring rotation sander (I cannot remember its exact name), and went at it, and, zounds, it did a great job.

Sometimes you just have to wait for the right time and place to work with that supposedly useless tool you are thinking of trashing or giving to your next-door neighbor. 

Howard Ferstler


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## rrbrown

Molding head for my table saw. I never use them I have 2 of them and can never find a reason or a bit that I need.


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## Toolman2

Martin Roy said:


> I don't think any tool is useless, it increase the strength and efficiency of human being. Yes, if any tool is not function properly it is useless and just go to vendor if he gives replacement, it's okay, other wise never purchase any stuff of that brand.


I agree :thumbsup: There might be tools that I don't use that often, but when I need them, they're there. For example, I've got 8 drills and use each for a different purpose. Plus, if something breaks, I've got a backup.

I also have one of those Craftsman sanders with the 3 rotating heads. I don't use it very often, but when I need to sand irregular shaped objects, etc. it comes in handy.


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## Hhanger

hmmmm. I guess my Mastercrafter router circle cutter. won't fit my Festool OF1400 so it collects dust in my storage shed. Speaking of Festool, a close second is their guiderail angle unit. No positive detents so you can't trust it. Sit's on the wall.


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## dcarter636

My worst ever tool was a tailed electric brad nailer, likely made by Bleak & Darker. It wouldn't even drive a 1/2" brad into soft hemlock. 
I decided that dragging an air hose is better than carrying a hammer to finish driving the brads.


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## Ghidrah

The only reason I haven't used my Roto Zips is I haven't had a tiling job in well over a yr.

I have 2 Rotozips, originally I bought the 1st for drywall I bought the 2nd one for tiling. With a carbide cutter attached the thing can cut tight circles. No more chip nibbling with cutters and near zero grinding. I did 4 BRs in a motel.The only prob I can see with them is that they don't handle dust well considering they were marketed for drywall. 

My TS molding cutter doesn't see much work anymore, It seems Craftsman decided to discontinue many of the knife sets. For a while I had most of the sets offered but only used maybe 1/2. They came in handy when a one-of-a-kind trim/casing molding was requested


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## Bubba1962

Leo G said:


> Scroll saw. I needed it for one job and haven't used it in years.



Oh come on guys, a scroll saw, (decent one that is), is a fantastic tool.
(let's see if I can post a pic or a link)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=282249&l=01e088091b&id=100000098026584


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## Leo G

Yep, it was fantastic when I needed it. Haven't used it since.


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## rrbrown

dsm said:


> +1
> The only thing it's good for is breaking bits.


It's good for cutting holes in sheet rock or drywall depending on where you live. But useless for woodworking.


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## woody woodturner

hands up who has never made a mistake ........................................
I did not see any hands :no::no:


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## bondfan

*Ditto on the scroll saw!*

But I'm keeping it, because as soon as I get rid of it...


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## Itchy Brother

This is why Craigslist was invented.You can get good deals there but buyer beware!I laugh at some of the rusty old tablesaws and the price they want for them.Some of it is just junk.Then some want to sell some little thing like,three sockets or a pair of needle nose pliers.I shouldnt laugh cause there are some really hard up people out there but it makes me wonder how much of it is stolen and their selling it to get that dime bag.The deals are there tho and ya got to do your homework.Just my thoughts! Itchy


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## peerawit

Scroll saw.. I have no idea... :thumbdown:


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## tooljack

woodnthings said:


> Try a new blade and proper (enough) tension. Sounds like you have both of those issues. A 3/8th" blade with 6 teeth per inch or a 1/2" blade with 3 to 4 TPI should do fine. For finer/smoother surfaces you can use more teeth per inch but the feed will be much slower. :thumbsup: bill


 
:yes: If the teeth set of a bandsaw blade is not equal on both sides of the blade it will not cut a straight kerf. The blade will drift to the side with the widest set. In use a blade set will wear, visually check the set and you will probally notice that one side of the blade has the points of the teeth worn off therefore the blade will move into the wider space on the other side of the kerf.


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## tooljack

Pdwight said:


> Mine is a Sears band saw purchased around 1993. A floor model that will not cut a straight line. I have adjusted and squared every thing on it and you cannot cut a slice out of a 2X4 without the blade cupping out and making the inside edge curved. it has been relegated to cutting very thin stock into when necessary.


:yes: Try a new blade. You have a tooth set defect on the old blade. If the set is not equal on both sides of the blade it will do exactly as you describe. The side of the blade with the highest set will drift into it's wider side of the kerf. The other side of the blade will push itself away form the straight line, the thicker the material is the more the bottom of the kerf is distorted (curved) away form vertical. Look at the set on the old blade you will see that the tooth points are worn off on one side. This can be caued by hitting an obsatcal or by making alot of circle cuts in the same direction, misalignment of the blade guides can also cause unequal side ware (set) on the blade. A quick fix can be had by lightly running the high side against a fine stone. But this is a short range fix. Use a new blade. :yes::yes::yes: tooljack


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## Old61

Itchy Brother said:


> wonder how much of it is stolen and their selling it to get that dime bag.


Emailed a guy thru CL today about a lathe. He said to come pick it up and leave the money under the tarp. Um, yea be right over.:no:


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## bhelms100

*Here's my list*

1).Woodmaster 5 n 1 machine (Shopsmith Clone) no matter how you would align it, would never cut straight and pot metal parts kept breaking.

2). The P C profile sander. Still have it maybe used for 5 minutes if that.

Now my RotorZip, yes I'd buy another one handy little machine.
Have done a few bathrooms and cutting holes and irregular shapes are easy. When putting in new duct runs circle cutter lets me make clean cuts to install takeoffs. Just got to have the correct cutting bit for what ever job you're doing with it.


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## fromthehills

A hinge jig, I think it was Porter Cable. I think it was over a hundred dollars. I set it up once, it took about fifteen, twenty minutes. I cut the hinge mortise, then I moved it to the next hinge and took about ten minutes to set it up. I looked at the last mortise and cleaned it up with a chisel. I cut the second mortise, and cleaned that up with a chisel, and it had tear out. The third, I scored with a chisel, free handed it with the router, then cleaned it up in about two minutes. I piled the jig back into the box, and put it on the shelf and haven't touched it since.


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## glh17

My 2 Dremel tools, one corded the other cordless. In 5-6 years they've gotten about 2 minutes of shop time. About the only thing I've really accomplished is cutting a nail.


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## qgranfor

Can I nominate some of my co-workers for the worthless tools? :thumbdown:


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## bondfan

*Dremel?*

Wow! I've had my original Dremel tool for 33 years, still works, still use it quite a bit!


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## T H Huxley

I vote for the scroll saw. Also, I bought a cheap combination square that was bowed and wasn't square. Completely useless. I eventually bought a Starrett.


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## jack warner

anything by ryobi


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## MattS

My useless tool has turned out to be my Delta Radial Arm Saw - but by no fault of it's own. I turn to my table saw and compound miter saw regularly, but the RAS sits there with all of it's glorious power and a brand new 10" Freud blade (the nice red epoxy coated one). If I took the time to level and adjust the benches that have it pinned between them, and zeroed it in, maybe I'd get some use out of it!


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## dbhost

jack warner said:


> anything by ryobi


Funny, I've had excellent results with Ryobi. Delta on the other hand... Except for the 50-760 dust collector, or a Unisaw... you would be hard pressed to give me new Delta equipment. Not that they don't have decent stuff, but their quality control is so hit or miss these days it's not even funny...


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## T H Huxley

I noticed that lots of Delta equipment gets mixed reviews at Amazon. I was wondering if it was quality control.


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## Sarelp

*Dremel*

My Dremel is probably the one tool that I dont ever use (nothing against the tool)its one of those tools you buy for one job and then you realize you did'nt need it after all, its doing a good job collecting dust on the shelf!:thumbsup:


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## thehunter

dbhost said:


> Funny, I've had excellent results with Ryobi. Delta on the other hand... Except for the 50-760 dust collector, or a Unisaw... you would be hard pressed to give me new Delta equipment. Not that they don't have decent stuff, but their quality control is so hit or miss these days it's not even funny...


 same here i would not hesitate at all to buy ryobi its chrap but it works good


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## Howard Ferstler

*Most useless tool*



jack warner said:


> anything by ryobi


Actually, since Ryobi tools are made to different standards right there in China by companies that make many other tools (both Ridgid and Milwaukee are in the same group), it is quite possible for some of their stuff to be quite good.

I have two impact wrenches by them that have worked quite well over the years, and they also make a good biscuit saw (also sold in a Sears version), decent battery-powered hand drills, good routers, and their earlier thickness planer was also pretty good, as was an earlier scroll saw they offered (and which is also sold in a Sears version). They now have some very good lithium batteries for their hand tools, too, and those even include an on-board charge-level gauge. (They even offer an outboard battery gauge that is more finely calibrated.) And while their earlier jobsite saw was anything but a cabinet maker's dream come true, it does work well as, well, a jobsite saw. Heck, even Consumer Reports gave it a thumb's up review some time back, as did a few woodworking journals.

A couple of years back, I noticed that a highly competent carpenter who was working on a project to enlarge my house was using a very cheap (a hundred bucks at Home Depot) Ryobi chop saw for a lot of his cutting work. (He also had a big DeWalt slider version out in his truck, unused.) I asked him about it and he indicated that he loved the thing, because he could kick it around without worrying about breaking an expensive tool and that in spite of rough treatment over several years (including being accidentally left out in the rain once) it was still working fine.

While it is true that you often get what you pay for, sometimes what you get when you pay a lot is a tool that is overkill for what you need. Ryobi fills the bill, sometimes.


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## LarryS

Anything from Princess Auto, don't even know if Power Fist tools are good for boat anchors?


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## jlhaslip

LarryS said:


> Anything from Princess Auto, don't even know if Power Fist tools are good for boat anchors?


They work okay for my dinghy. :laughing:


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## kg7il

wrc.six.eight said:


> that Ryobi triangular detail sander. .


Yep, this is a worthless tool. Too bad I bought lot's of extra sanding pad's.

I now own the Fein MultiMaster QD and it works like triangle detail sander should.


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## slicksqueegie

The Craftsman 3-in-1 Sanding Center...
I should have sent it back right away... It is junk..
and the "New Yankee Workshop" Sharpening Center. Although after the lengthy "painfully tedious set-up" works very well....


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## Woodworkingkid

The most useles tool I have is a tie between my two dremals and a belt sander that I can't find any sanding belts for


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## TexasTimbers

Woodworkingkid said:


> . . . and a belt sander that I can't find any sanding belts for


Is it a metric machine? What size belts does it use?







.


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## Woodworkingkid

The belt sander uses 4 wide and 21.75 long belts 
I know that the sander is at least 30 years old


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