My old man's pipe wrench still works better than my fancy new one

I was helping my buddy fix a frozen valve under his sink last weekend, and he handed me this brand new plumber's wrench with a rubber grip and some kind of coating on the jaws. It kept slipping on the nut, no matter how tight I cranked it. So I went out to my truck and grabbed my dad's old 14 inch pipe wrench from the 70s, the one with the chipped paint and the worn down handle. That thing bit into the nut like it was butter and I had the valve off in two minutes. It got me thinking about how newer tools sometimes try to be too fancy, all that extra grip and cushioning just makes them worse for actual work. I still use a hand me down hammer my grandpa had, and it drives nails better than any of the new ones with anti-vibration handles my coworkers swear by. Has anyone else noticed that older tools just seem to grab better, or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo_coleman2818d agoMost Upvoted

Are we really getting worked up about a pipe wrench now? It's just a tool, man. Old ones work fine for some jobs, new ones work fine for others. I've got a mix in my garage and I grab whatever fits the situation. If your buddy's fancy wrench was slipping maybe it was just a cheap one or the nut was rounded off. Not everything from the past is automatically better. People talk like every new tool is a scam and every old one was magic, but I've had plenty of old junk break on me too.

drew_thomas918d ago

Exactly this man. I grabbed my grandpas old wrench the other day to tighten a gas line and it slipped like crazy because the jaws were all worn down. Meanwhile my 30 dollar husky from home depot held perfect. Some old tools are gems but not every single one is a miracle worker. Had a vintage hammer with a head fly off cause the handle was dried out, nearly took out my window. Old stuff has its place but so does new stuff.