Serious question, has a new tool ever completely backfired on you?

I dropped $400 on a fancy new suction head for the old dredge, and the thing clogged solid with river clay in under an hour. What's the most useless gear you've ever bought?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamiesingh3mo ago

My buddy in construction got talked into a laser level that was supposed to be waterproof. First drizzle on the site fried the circuit board! Total paperweight. Your suction head story sounds just as frustrating. Sometimes the shiny new gear just can't handle real world muck.

the_olivia1mo ago

That laser level story hits too close to home. I dropped $400 on a "waterproof" GPS unit for mapping out property lines, first time I used it in a steady rain the screen fogged up and then just went black. Took it back to the store and the guy basically shrugged, told me most of those ratings are tested in a lab with clean water, not construction site mud and grit. Had a buddy who bought one of those fancy Bosch laser levels with the green beam, claimed it was IP54 rated. Took it out on a damp morning to set some fence posts and the thing wouldn't even turn on by lunch. Seems like the only truly waterproof gear is the stuff that costs twice as much and weighs a ton. You ever get burned by a supposed "rugged" tool that couldn't handle a little bit of actual work?

derek_dixon783mo ago

Used to think that waterproof rating was just marketing fluff. Hearing stories like your buddy's and living through my own gear failures changed my mind completely. Now I just assume everything will get wet and muddy eventually.