I keep them all in the hope that some day I can have someone forge a lifetime of Allen wrenches into a Damascus steel battle-axe
As long as it has a massive IKEA logo embossed (or with filigree) on there somewhere, you have my vote.
I have even more than that. We regularly replace furniture at work and I end up with so many cheap tools. Once a year I put them in a box, hang a free take one sign and place it out front. It takes a day or two but they leave. Most likely it in their glove box in the car. They are not however in my office anymore.
The absolute best thing any adult can do is buy a GOOD set of allen wrenches. Good hand feel and solid construction combined with MUCH longer levers and it makes building furniture/whatever a joy.
Bonus points if you also buy a set of cheap hex head blades for your ratcheting driver of choice.
These days? The ikea/whatever allen keys get tossed in the recycling bin faster than I can remember if those are actually recyclable.
I worked as a bike tech for a sporting goods store and replaced most of the store tools with my own. The ones they had were all the cheapest crap from ebay or Amazon or something. One of the wrenches snapped on the first group of bikes we built when the store opened.
A nice tool that feels good in the hand will pay for itself with the comfort it provides.
I had to threaten to sue them because when they fired a bunch of us and barred us from the store, they tried to say those tools belong to them even after sending them the receipts for everything. And informing them where the box of original tools went. And having to call someone still in the store to bring me out the most expensive tool there and they had the audacity to tell me that me taking it would make their jobs harder because there was no replacement for it and if I could just be reasonable they’ll have a replacement in a month so I can come back then.
Oh a good ratcheting hex set will make you question everything you thought you knew for sure.
I have so many high quality hex wrenches now from work. I do not want the cheap ones, but I still feel bad throwing them away.
Put it, along with the documentation for whatever the thing is, and tape (packing tape works well) to the back of the thing. When it comes time to move or do something that requires the manual and/or tools, you have both the tools and documentation easily at hand and not lost in some junk drawer somewhere.
Every 10th one you add to the drawer you get a prize.
I did this with my new daybed: tucked/taped the instructions, key and extra screwthingies under the mattress, so if it’s ever moved or sold they’ll be visible as soon as you take off the mattress to start.
I like to put it all in a zipper sandwich bag together and tape that to the thing
I have a couple of them saved, but I have sets of actual tools that include Allen wrenches. So, I don’t keep most of them. I do keep the instructions with the item, though.
They’re all the same, until they’re not. Some are extra long or specialized for the item being assembled. Sometimes they come with brothers.
I don’t know where they all go, but they’re here, somewhere.
I have a drawer specifically for things that tighten or loosen fasteners.
I have one of those.
It’s labeled “screw it.”
Invest in good quality tools. Any tool that comes in a ziplock bag usual sucks
i love my collection. no one will take my precioussss
I just have an Allen key bit set that I use with an electronic screwdriver or ratchet now. Saves a decent amount of time.
Aren’t you a smartie.
bro, they should be sending me metric drill bits instead. Those fucking drywall anchors they send are always in metric and I can never find my metric drill set.
It feels wrong to throw an apparently pristine tool in the trash.
Put it in the recycle bin?
I bought a set of Allen sockets years ago as well as an adapter so I can use a drill/impact with them too.
The hell with spinning that crappy little piece of metal. Right into the bin they go.
Also get either a 90 degree attachment or a right angle drill. Good for those spots when even an impact, or even sub compact impact, drill is just too big.
I can’t recycle just any metal thing in my bin.
Made we collect them and melt them down to make a super tool. Because I have ton of these things.
$20 and you will never need those pieces of soft metal trash again.
Until you take out the most-common size, set it down somewhere, lose it, and have to buy another set, at which point you find the lost one.
Oh heavens! Can relate!
Or buy Bondhus and never need another set. Seriously.
I have a more comprehensive set than that, and I still keep all of the freebies
Just purged about ten of these a couple of weeks ago.
Were we supposed to give it back?
