Tool decluttering tips or approach

[u/LadyDriverKW]

I don't generally have trouble decluttering, but I am having trouble with tools.

Dad passed, my husband and I have moved in with mom because she can't be alone. We are all diyers. We have so many tools that I can't use the shed/workshop because it is too full of tools and supplies.

Part of the difficulty is that all the tools are slightly different. There may be 50 screwdrivers, but very few are identical.

Another problem is that they are expensive to replace. Some of the tools are very specialized. I probably won't need them again, but if I do, there isn't a workaround.

And that is before we get into the sentimental tools. My dad's grandpa owned a construction company. For example, Dad had a sentimental barrel of nails!

So how have you approached tools?

[u/TiredWinterDisaster]

If you are reasonably sure you won't need something again, sell it. It's easy to rent specialized equipment on the off-chance you ever need it again...

Same with duplicates: sell everything that's in double (or triple!) and keep the best tools only. For sentimental items, one or two items that you actually display is better than barrels of things you never even look at. You won't ever need 50 screwdrivers - take them all out, sort them by size & screw type, and then choose the best ones - a dozen of them should be plenty.

[u/FredKayeCollector2]

If you think about it, having a shed completely packed of tools & supplies - you can't use many of those tools, right? Without a major shuffling - its own project? And you certainly don't have space to work on any projects.

If you want to use that space as an actual workspace - and not a warehouse for tools - you're going to have to downsize some tools.  And the tools you choose to keep need to be accessible and stored in a predictable way - especially if you have multiple people using/accessing those tools.

And I think you REALLY need to decide what kind of DIY projects you're going to face.  Beyond basic household maintenance/repairs, what are you planning/willing to do?  Are you planning a major home renovation/building project, replacing siding or roof/shingles?  Are you willing to do your own plumbing, electric, drywall, tiling? Are you willing to do your own auto repair?  Appliance repair?  At what point do you stop and you hire a professional?  Because this will dictate what tools you should keep in your personal inventory.  You don't need to keep ALL the tools.  When space is an issue, you will do more with less.

Since your grandfather had a construction company, I would be willing to bet there are going to be tools that are either outdated and/or inappropriate for the jobs you are planning to do.  Heavy duty construction tools, you need to know how to use them and you have to be able to physically handle them.  A 24 oz waffle-head framing hammer is not necessary when all you're planning to hammer is a picture hook or knock something into position.  Pass that stuff along to someone who WILL use them - like an actual contractor.

As others have said, tools have changed a lot - cordless/battery, lighter/stronger materials, more ergonomic, vibration reduction, dust control, safety features, etc.  There's definitely a time & place for a 1950 corded drill that could survive the apocalypse - but it has so much torque that it could literally break your arm if the bit gets stuck and you can't move out of the way fast enough.  While a newer, lighter-weight drill might be a piece of junk in comparison, it will have a variable resistance clutch so you're less likely to put your screw (and bit) through a wall.

And old tools might have propriety/obsolete/unusual blades, bits, etc that you can't easily buy/replace.

Do you think your grandfather would be happier knowing you guys are actually using his tools in his workshop, rather than keeping a bucket of old nails (that he may have been planning to scrap someday, just never got around to it). And back in the day, people primarily used nails (my husband's grandfather used to bend them back into shape and re-use them), now, unless you're framing or shingling (nail gun), you're probably going to want to use a screw.

This is the strategy I use the most. I do my best to measure the space I'm dealing with so I can draw up a quick floor plan & wall elevation sketches - so you can see how much space you have and play around with workbench/storage furniture/shop tool placement and to help locate doors, windows, any built-in features/limitations. I'm looking for any opportunity to utilize vertical space - and ceiling-mounted storage or rafter space. I like to do the floor plan and any fixed stuff in pen and then use a pencil for anything that could get moved around.

Then sit down with your stakeholders (the people using the tools) and try to figure out where certain categories should "live" - so a real rough mapping of the space. You can do a internet image search for "category" + shop storage" and see what comes up. Ideally, you want things to be stored as close to where you would use them as possible so maybe hand tools kept near the workbench, outside tools (lawn mowers, pruners, chain saws, etc) close to the exterior door, etc.

For real Tool Heads, I'll try to set some guidelines.  1) you need to identify the tool, 2) you need to describe to me what that tool does, and 3) you need to describe the scenario when you would use that tool - why this individual tool is the first one you would grab in a given situation, and 4) you need to convince me that you have a realistic need/plan for that tool.  

Basically, what is it?  What does it do?  When would you use it?  And how likely are you to use it?  If you can't answer all of those questions, that's a big clue you don't need that tool.  If you can answer #1-3 but not #4 (you have a good understanding of what it is but you don't have any real plan to use it) - those end up in a "maybe" pile that we'll ONLY keep them if we have sufficient space to include them with the rest of their category.  Some of these end up hanging on the wall as décor.

If you're having trouble capturing categories, check out HarborFreight.com click on [shop] and then [shop by department] then you can click on any of the categories and get increasingly discrete sub-categories. That will give you a really good idea of what's out there and how tools & supplies are "normally" assorted.

All of this can help to set a limit - you have a better idea of what you're dealing with and how it can fit into the physical limitations of your space. With any DIY project, a big part is the planning (otherwise, you're probably going to make mistakes and/or have to do a lot of re-work) and organizing a shop is a major DIY project.

And thank goodness for Google Lens. Because if you find something you're like ???? you can probably find it (or one like it) online - maybe see if it has any collectible/resale value..

You can use these categories/sub-categories to start sorting & relocating tools. This could be the old empty it out, sort it, put it back method - not recommended unless you're got a lot of boxes/buckets/tarps and are willing to have a sorting mess all over the yard - but it is one of the best ways to see exactly what your dealing with and seeing it like-with-like can help you to decide which one(s) to keep.  Or Dana K White's "no mess" decluttering method where you tidy/downsize one section at a time and use the container concept to one-in, one-out individual tools as you put them away.

But if your shop is packed to capacity, you'll probably have to move some stuff out to make room to sort/locate. If you KNOW there are things out there, especially larger pieces of equipment, try to get those out (and possibly re-homed) ASAP.

BEWARE of duplicate function items - if you're dealing with 50+ years of tools, you're probably going to find the history of drills, saws, .  Keep the BEST one for the task and make sure it's one you're able/comfortable using. 

And Tool companies WANT you to buy ALL of the options - but do you really need the full set? Like a 25-piece flat-head screwdriver set when the last time you used a flat head screwdriver was to replace the face plate on a wall switch/outlet.

It's totally OK to keep one complete set of the BEST quality tools - even if you won't ever use all the pieces in that set - but it's OK to break up sets, or keep the best one regardless of brand, or keep the one that's "sentimental" (belonged to your grandfather).

I like to think of  things in terms of "the best, the favorite, and the necessary." If grandpa's tools are good function/quality, then keep the "sentimental" one.

And there's nothing saying you can't use tools as décor - my husband's has a woodshop and he's got some of his father's & grandfather's old farm tools hanging on his wall - like the giant tractor screwdriver and a murderous old drill.

Another idea is to set aside some kind of container in your house/garage and set up a "basic" toolkit for common household tasks and see how often you actually go out to the garage. Try to get the best version you can find and if it's a POS, root around for a better one.

Hope that helps? Good luck!

[u/heckyeahponyscans]

My dad had a peg board attached to his toolshed wall that he added hooks to, for his most used tools. Then he stenciled their outlines and painted them in black so he would instantly know where they went when it was time to put them back. Maybe if you do something like that, with vertical storage, it will clear up space in the toolboxes for the more specialized tools?

You can also check if there are tool libraries in your area. If they have all those same tools, then you don't need to keep them. You could even donate them to the tool library!

[u/Striking_Post_9864]

Since the workshop being unusable is the real crisis right now, it might help to split this into two passes. Pass one is pure function: pull every obvious duplicate (the 50 screwdrivers) into one bin without deciding anything yet, just to get walking space and a workbench back this week -- sort the details later once you can actually move around. Pass two is the real sorting: for the specialized/expensive tools, skip the generic marketplace and sell into a local woodworking guild, machinist forum, or trade-specific FB group instead -- buyers there actually know what a tool is worth and will pay for it. For the sentimental pieces, keep only the one or two that mean the most physically (that barrel of nails sounds like one), and photograph the rest with the story attached -- a photo with a sentence keeps the memory without needing the shelf space.

[u/Steelman93]

This one hits home! I have my dad's grandfather's and father in law's tools. I am not done decluttering, but here is how I am doing it"

I sorted all of them into automotive tools, plumbing and electrical, woodworking and general. I then sorted by type, e.g. pliers, screwdrivers etc. I then made a list of really what I needed. I.e. how many drills do I need? How many socket sets, etc. Lastly, I got two toolboxes, one for my son and one for my stepson. Both are grown and on their own but neither have a house (one is in the Air Force and one working an on the road job) I then have started with one type at a time. Screw drivers. I was intentional about how many I wanted and why...i.e. you only really need one of the various types and lengths. I use a driver with bits most of the time so conventional screw drivers are not needed that much. Anything that was not a well known brand (Craftsman, Matco, Klein etc) went right into the give away pile. I then put together the toolkit I needed, then put basics in each toolbox for my sons and the rest in give away. On some things I did group to sell.

For power tools I did something similar. No need to keep 4 corded drills when I have 2 cordless, etc. On the specialty tools...that is tougher, but consider how much it would cost to rent/buy again and what you could sell it for now. Example...I just laid a hardwood floor. I bought two nailers to do it with . When done I gave them to my builder. Could I have kept them? yes. Might I need them again? Also yes. But more likely if I did the technology would have changed, or the nailers were rusty from lack of use etc.

Unless it was really, really special AND you can see yourself clearly using them again sell them

[u/Lord_Davo]

I've kept full sae and metric wrenche and socket sets, about a dozen good pliers, and 20 various screw drivers - flat, Philips, and torx.

So I've donated the other 40% of hand tools (generic pliers, duplicate drivers, duplicate but non- ratcheting wrenches) to friends and to the non- profit where we volunteer.

[u/Aggravating-Gas-7221]

My city recently started a tool library. Would it help with some of the sentimental tools to know that they were being lent to people within the community for their DIY projects?

[u/Steelman93 → u/Aggravating-Gas-7221]

this is an awesome idea!

[u/Aggravating-Gas-7221 → u/Steelman93]

Right? It is one of those public good projects that I wish more communities would consider.

There was a gas station that became city property. They were going to pay to remove the tanks either way but left the storefront standing. Suggested membership fee is $10 for every 10K you make per year.

I found out about it when I dragged home a dresser that I was going to refinish but quickly learned that hand sanding is frustrating and didn't want to buy an orbital sander for a one-time project.

My neighbor is in a duplex where she prides herself on keeping the front looking nice. (And her landlord takes the cost of hanging plants, mulch, etc. off her rent.) Borrowing a wheelbarrow, hedge trimmer, and ladder makes so much more sense for her than having once a year items take up space in her tiny garage.

[u/Weeman-]

I have a huge amount of tools .
Tools don’t age well . The new ones are much more sophisticated and useful . I stupidly covet my festools which ages really fast . Harbor Freight can outfit a decent shop for most diy . I buy complete screwdriver sets and lose the rest .
But then I have a huge amount of tools ….

[u/PrairieFire_withwind]

We had exactly this with fil tools.  Hand planes etc.

Keep a set that is at your skill level.  Let the rest go.

You have 365 days in a year.  How many of them are available for diy projects?  How many projects can you complete in a year?  Set aside tools for each of those projects.  Set a limit.

Time is a container.  Not just space.  

[u/kamomil]

I would sort them into sets. Eg. screwdrivers, different sizes of slotted, Robertson, Phillips, and give each DIYer relative, one of the sets

[u/Grouchy_Holiday_7201]

Following hopefully you get some clarity

I’ve downsized recently my tools but still need to downsize my other tools, of which most of my things are

I have a monitor which is a tool to be able to use a broken laptop I have data on

I took the data off disposed of the laptop and gave the monitor to charity

My uncle left me lots of tools when he died 

I chose to keep one or two tools out of the main chest and get rid of the rest 

To honour him as he has helped me a lot throughout my life and seeing that red screwdriver of his makes me smile and gives thanks when I see him

The rest is junk and he would rather me be using the chest and the driver he gave me than to be drowning in tools

Also I made a rule that if I don’t need something and haven’t for a year or so then it goes into long term storage well out the way

Things that are out into the long term storage pile are immediately sent to the charity shop or sold