TIL a $20 tool I almost skipped saved a whole job

Had a 2017 Civic with a dent right on the body line... the kind that makes you groan. I was looking at it, thinking I could maybe work it out with my regular dollies and a lot of time. My buddy at the shop said to try a dedicated body line dolly, but I almost said no because it felt like a one-trick pony for twenty bucks. I got it anyway, and man, it popped that line back straight in like ten minutes flat. Anyone have a go-to tool they thought was silly but ended up being a lifesaver?

3 comments

3 Comments

henderson.eva2mo agoMost Upvoted

Totally get that. My old man had a special wrench for hose clamps I used to make fun of, until I tried it. What's the weirdest tool in your box?

lee6272mo ago

A special wrench for hose clamps is a normal tool. My weirdest is a 1970s avocado green plastic spoon I use to scoop grease out of bearing races. It's the perfect shape and doesn't scratch anything. I found it in a kitchen drawer during a remodel. It lives in my main toolbox now and I guard it with my life.

emery_craig1mo agoMost Upvoted

Man that avocado spoon is PURE gold. My weirdest tool is a broken-off piece of a 1950s ice cream scoop I use for prying apart frozen brake calipers. It's got this perfect curve that wedges in there without damaging anything. Found it in my grandfathers old tackle box after he passed. It gets the job done and nobody ever asks to borrow it because it looks like a piece of junk.