Originally Posted by
dsbrantjr
Hex drive tools (any drivers, actually) should be considered consumables which will need to be replaced when they become worn; a worn tool is more likely to strip out a drive recess. Hex drivers can be ground back (carefully, to avoid drawing their temper) to fresh, sharp edges to get more life out of them.
All tools are consumable, the only ones which are not are merely those which see less use. I like to repair my tools, if possible, and I also like to keep old tools and cheap ones around for those times when something like grinding or welding is required to deal with some awkward situation. I am in the process at the moment of filing down and out a really rusty old spanner I found on our farm to make a spare cone spanner, for example. I find continually cleaning and servicing my tools is a good way of increasing awareness of how the tools are wearing and judging what might be a good next buy - and so cheap and expensive tools live side by side in my toolboxes.
I also keep my collection of other accumulated and worn tools in another barn for use by the kind of people who like to wave hammers at things
