When did you start buying tools

[Shipfittin]

Around the age of 15 I received my first set from Craftsman, probably around a 200 pc for Christmas that year. I've been buying tools ever since. I don't have the set anymore, it was stolen out of my truck one day.

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I started when I was 16 and had to do the ball joints on my old beater 77 Dodge truck. Dad had tons of stuff around and familly had allready given me a decent CM starter setup for birthday / Christmas, etc, but I had to go track down a SO man to find that Chrysler ball joint socket when I needed it and buy that myself. It still resides in my toolbox and has been used a few times in the 25 years since.

[Outlawmws]

First real tools I can remember buying myself was a Weller soldering gun, a pair of Crescent needle nose pliers, and a pair of Crescent dykes for making slot car frames. about 5th grade. So 10 or so?

Craftsman wrenches came not long after.

I still have and use all three.

[Toolfool]

I was the neighborhood bicycle repair/ mod kid. Dad didn't have squat for tools at home (he repaired cameras for a living), so I went to sears at about 13 - 14 years old and bought screwdrivers,pliers, and an adjustable wrench. At 15, I told Mom I wanted to remodel my room, so she bought me a B&D drill, circular saw, and jigsaw for my birthday and Christmas (both in December). In high school I wasn't allowed to take shop classes, I was on the "academic" track, had to take all the college-oriented classes. Look where I ended up. Dropped out of pre-med after two years, repaired cameras for 15 years, then residential construction for 27 years.

[Steevo]

Originally Posted by Outlawmws

First real tools I can remember buying myself was a Weller soldering gun, a pair of Crescent needle nose pliers, and a pair of Crescent dykes for making slot car frames. about 5th grade. So 10 or so?

Craftsman wrenches came not long after.

I still have and use all three.

I made a lot of brass tube slot car frames back in the days when we had slot car tracks to go race them on.
Fried a lot of 3volt motors running them at 6v, too!

[RYS]

I have some SK wrenchs from when I was 12 or 13.

[e30bradley]

when I raced R/C cars from age 11-13? and then 15 for automotive tools.

[crewchief888]

back in the late 60's, dad bought me some, to fix my bicycles.
i started buying tools when i started my machinist apprenticeship in '76,
started buying more when i started riding dirt bikes, and bought a toyota in '81

[4Tigers]

Bought a 9/16 1/2 dog bone wrench at local auto store in New City, NY when I 15 they gave me a sliding plug gap tool Still have both 40 plus years later!

Love tools -- Wife bought me a power max 45 plasma cutter Friday can't wait to try it this weekend

[ricleh]

The first tool I can remember buying was a screwdriver at Sears in 1958.

[bacpacker]

I got my first CMan screwdrivers, must have been 10 or so. I grew up on a farm and we fixed/repaired EVERYTHING. So I learned early on the value of a good tool. My parents got me a nice CMan set with top and bottom box for my 12th Christmas. I was like a kid in a candy store. I've been buying tools ever since. Picked up a Dewalt 18v cordless drill last week. Sweet!

[jhn9840]

Parents Gave me set of JC Penney sockets,wrenches,and screwdrivers for my 16th birthday in 1975. Shortly there after I bought my own Craftsman set. Can't remember how many pieces. Still have and use both sets along with many additions. Seems to be a pretty popular occurence growing up for many of us. Shame what Sears is doing to the Craftsman name. Like someone mentioned earlier the thought of trading in one of my good old Craftsman tools for the new junk just makes me sick.

jhn9840
John

[dittle fart around]

Started working in a hardware store straight out of high school. Made my first purchases there with a discount. After moving to California, I was managing a hardware store and made power tool buys of Makita brand tools.

[lodemia]

I started mowing lawns when I was 10 or 11. I've been buying tools and repairing things since then.

[larry_g]

Originally Posted by Outlawmws

First real tools I can remember buying myself was a Weller soldering gun, a pair of Crescent needle nose pliers,...for making slot car frames .

Same story here, as well as some files and an exacto knife kit. Not sure I still have the pliers but the weller and exacto are still around. First set of hand tools was when I started tech school.

lg
no neat sig line

[Strouty]

I probably did not start buying tools until 15 but I had tons of gifts or hand me downs before that. I do remember buying one of those hammer with the screw drivers in the handle things when I was like 10, but I don't consider it a real tool.

[KermitFrog]

Given tools so young I can't remember.

Around 9 my dad's store carried SK, Great Neck & TaT so I bought that.

At 12 I bought my first all out set. Paid around $450 in 1983 for a Craftsman set. During the summer I made about $600 a week detailing cars, I had my own business then. All the tools belong to my dad now as I left it when I joined the military. Still a disorganized mess despite him buying several roll arounds.

[TAftw]

I used my dad's tools forever. First tool purchase was a Cman set when I was 17. It was Black Friday and drizzling rain, I remember lugging that whole set through the parking lot lol.

[TurboCup87]

I bought a socket and wrench kit from Montgomery Ward in 1969 when I was 16. Still have much of it including the 3/8 ratchet. Use it all the time!