Thank you from those of us in the "don't care" camp. If Koken ratchets were universally loved, they'd probably be even more expensive!
Tools of Japan
- Thread starter Frankstools
- Start date
HenryAZ
MEMBER EMERITUS
I like Koken ratchets. The "reversed" switch has never bothered me, because I can do not try to remember which way is which on a regular ratchet. I just give any ratchet a bit of a turn the way it is set when I pick it up, and if necessary, "reverse" it.
Tsunoda make an 11" ones in straight & 45° bent nose. Pretty basic with machined teeth for grip, not as many features as say the Knipex ones, they have a 30° bend in the bent nose from memory. The Tsunoda's have yellow dip style handles.
Fair enough. But for many who get used to a particular tool it's an extension of their arm so I get their concern. Wera just changed their direction switch direction on their latest ratcheting screwdriver for this reason. To keep the 'majority' of users or new customers happy. Koken has made some socket sets with no or less skipped sized focused on the US market....which I like. The US consumer hates skipped sizes no matter how infrequently they are required.
And yet, we still don't have z-series sockets in SAE.
Madjik Man
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- Dec 3, 2015
- Messages
- 1,531
Same.
When I grab a ratchet I go through a routine like an MLB player stepping into the batter’s box.
Turn the anvil, flip the switch, turn the anvil then flip the switch (or leave it) into the direction I need.
Qualitytools
Well-known member
Got a link for this?We all love our Toyo steel toolboxes, but did you know they make rulers made from toolbox scraps?
It was a promotion run by Toyo themselves, which I think has now ended, unless anybody knows different?
Spend x amount at the Toyo website and receive one free - the US got an inch scale rule and rest of world received a metric scale rule.
BmwTechZiggy
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- May 31, 2021
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Mind linking the one you bought?
Reed Prince
Well-known member
Yen still falling...
Haul from Amazon.jp
Vessel long metric hex bits, long ball end hex bits and long Torx bits
Vessel mid length metric hex and Torx bits
Vessel micro precision bit set
Vessel bit extensions
Koken 21mm lug nut socket
IPS soft jaw pliers
FUJIYA needle nose pliers(made in Vietnam)
Vessel long metric hex bits, long ball end hex bits and long Torx bits
Vessel mid length metric hex and Torx bits
Vessel micro precision bit set
Vessel bit extensions
Koken 21mm lug nut socket
IPS soft jaw pliers
FUJIYA needle nose pliers(made in Vietnam)
genog
Well-known member
Found out my cable cutter is from Japan
HKP
HKP
rick carpenter
Well-known member
Nice. As soon as you have any experience with the bit holders please let us know how you like them. ThanksHaul from Amazon.jp
Vessel long metric hex bits, long ball end hex bits and long Torx bits
Vessel mid length metric hex and Torx bits
Vessel micro precision bit set
Vessel bit extensions
Koken 21mm lug nut socket
IPS soft jaw pliers
FUJIYA needle nose pliers(made in Vietnam)
rick carpenter
Well-known member
Anyone have experience with these Tsunoda PUN-225ATG nippers?
They are rated cut up to 5mm copper (= between 4-5 awg). I have always read that Victor or Marvel are the top dogs in Japanese electrical tools though. FWIW, I'm very pleased with my smaller King TTC tools.
They are rated cut up to 5mm copper (= between 4-5 awg). I have always read that Victor or Marvel are the top dogs in Japanese electrical tools though. FWIW, I'm very pleased with my smaller King TTC tools.
Not a review of that specific model, but of others in the same series:
Tsunoda Pliers - Concord Carpenter
Tsunoda pliers perform as well as the top-tier American and European pliers, have superior fit and finish, and are priced at mid-tier prices.
www.aconcordcarpenter.com
Got the same ones in yesterday. They seem nice.
IPS bent nose
Ya they seem ok, fantastic for the price but I think they get a little too overhyped on here.
Like I said thou, for the price they are amazing, I’m just a bit of a pliers snob lol.
I wouldn't go as far as overhyped, but I think folks (myself included) appreciate the design beyond what a
typical long-nose plier set offers. It does have a somewhat generic finish, but on par with the cost.
If SO made it, it would have a rabid following, cynical detractors, an Icon clone and a 6x pricetag
I wanted to give them a try because they are different than my other pliers and the price was good. They were about 25% larger than I was expecting them to be though. Not a negative, I just thought they were a little smaller from the picture
I wouldn't go as far as overhyped, but I think folks (myself included) appreciate the design beyond what a
typical long-nose plier set offers. It does have a somewhat generic finish, but on par with the cost.
If SO made it, it would have a rabid following, cynical detractors, an Icon clone and a 6x pricetag
Nothing really wrong with them and the design seems good as well(I also quite like the finish).
My "gripe" was that it didn't really seems like the users force applied was being transmitted into the jaws but I haven't used them in a real world scenario, just messing around a bit with random things on my bench. Seemed like the handles flexed a lot.
I'm not upset with the purchase in anyway and I think they will come in handy on some particular job.
I would buy them again today at $14USD for sure( I think they might have even been $12 when I ordered them).
HannibalLecter
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- Aug 26, 2023
- Messages
- 402
Jewellery for men
Koken 2725z 1/4 72t ratchet
Koken 2725z 1/4 72t ratchet
oldschoolcraft
Well-known member
and for the longest time, that prevented me from buying any of them... until last week when I came across the Hot Deals Amazon thread that showed a 50% discount on 3/8 metric z-series sockets and I couldn't not buy them.And yet, we still don't have z-series sockets in SAE.
Same. I finally relented and picked some up recently when the yen took a nosedive. Maybe with all the attention Koken is getting in the US now, they'll make some.
oldschoolcraft
Well-known member
You know the tool addiction monster is bad when even central banks like the Bank of Japan are enabling you.
aquinob
Well-known member
Not sure if this qualifies since it looks like most of the discussion is about hand tools, but this is most definitely a Japanese oddity in the states. I picked it up about 16 years ago and didn't have it well strapped down or even low down in my Tundra and it took a tumble out of the bed and put a nice dent in the side that I lived with till that truck moved on. It's a Makita 2030 jointer/planer and they are as rare as hens teeth. 6" jointer and 12" planer driven by a common universal motor, so it's a screamer when running. But it works very well and the beds are as long as an 8" machine. The common flaw with these was the original feed rollers would all get gummy but I had them recovered by a company out west that makes industrial rollers.
mattstevens
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- Jun 3, 2023
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- 44
I don't think there's a way to get free international shipping when buying directly on Amazon Japan. Prime only applies to domestic shipping charges as far as I know.
Some Amazon Japan items can be bought on the Amazon US site with free shipping. Sometimes the shipping charges are baked into the price, but sometimes they aren't and it's substantially cheaper this way. It's worth checking the "other sellers" option for items, they seem to prioritize higher-priced sellers that will deliver faster.
You can also search the Amazon Japan storefront on the US site to see what's available through them. I tried to link to it but the forum ate it - if you find an item that has Amazon Japan as a seller option click on the seller link, there should be another link on that page to the storefront, then you will get a search field that will filter results to Amazon Japan items.
Some Amazon Japan items can be bought on the Amazon US site with free shipping. Sometimes the shipping charges are baked into the price, but sometimes they aren't and it's substantially cheaper this way. It's worth checking the "other sellers" option for items, they seem to prioritize higher-priced sellers that will deliver faster.
You can also search the Amazon Japan storefront on the US site to see what's available through them. I tried to link to it but the forum ate it - if you find an item that has Amazon Japan as a seller option click on the seller link, there should be another link on that page to the storefront, then you will get a search field that will filter results to Amazon Japan items.
Spongebob89
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PICUS Carabiner Platform, Cutter Iron Handle x Titanium Coat Blade THC – 8TI (00398)
Attachments
Vise_Squad
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- Sep 30, 2022
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Very nice, they later went to two or three post design IIRC. I had a Hitachi F1000A which was a very similar machine. Did lots of great work for me.Not sure if this qualifies since it looks like most of the discussion is about hand tools, but this is most definitely a Japanese oddity in the states. I picked it up about 16 years ago and didn't have it well strapped down or even low down in my Tundra and it took a tumble out of the bed and put a nice dent in the side that I lived with till that truck moved on. It's a Makita 2030 jointer/planer and they are as rare as hens teeth. 6" jointer and 12" planer driven by a common universal motor, so it's a screamer when running. But it works very well and the beds are as long as an 8" machine. The common flaw with these was the original feed rollers would all get gummy but I had them recovered by a company out west that makes industrial rollers.
oldschoolcraft
Well-known member
It will be too time consuming and dangerous for my wallet for me to go through all 253 pages of this thread. Can anyone recommend me some good stuff to buy off Amazon Japan since I'm planning to put together a specific order for some Koken stuff, and at least with Amazon German, the additional shipping cost to add more items is relatively small. One big up front shipping charge and then everything extra is cheap.
What kinds of things do I want to buy? I dont know, this is GJ I guess I need everything. I tend to not care too much about screwdrivers, unless they are bit drivers. I love pliers. Though I did just drop $500 on Knipex at Amazon . DE so I might be plier-ed out for a while. Unless it's something that a Japanese brand does much better than Knipex.
Kind of interested in wrenches, socket/ratchets/extensions, plumbing-specific tools, maybe some mechanics picks. Anything else in general that Japan is top tier for these days.
What kinds of things do I want to buy? I dont know, this is GJ I guess I need everything. I tend to not care too much about screwdrivers, unless they are bit drivers. I love pliers. Though I did just drop $500 on Knipex at Amazon . DE so I might be plier-ed out for a while. Unless it's something that a Japanese brand does much better than Knipex.
Kind of interested in wrenches, socket/ratchets/extensions, plumbing-specific tools, maybe some mechanics picks. Anything else in general that Japan is top tier for these days.
Stuff that I can remember purchasing from Amazon.jp, but most was 5+ years ago before most were available in the US:
Tone long 0* DBE wrenches
IPS specialty pliers- the long ones with the red grips shown on the last few pages of the thread, and several of the plastic covered jaw styles
Koken zeal sockets, spark plug sockets with the clips, pinless universal joints, nut grip sockets
Engineer and 3 peaks screw pliers
Tsunoda/King/TTC miniature pliers
Most of this is available on Amazon US these days, and from other US sources, so shop around. With the current exchange rate, buying from Japan might be a great deal.
AceofSpad3s
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- Oct 1, 2014
- Messages
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Is there an optimum method for using the Impacta? Hold it loosely, hold it tightly, slightly turn it in the direction it is rotating when you are striking? I have hit some horrific rotor screws and despite heat cycling, spraying lubricant and hammering a lot, I still have one left to go and my hand is killing me.
Those were pretty common in the mid 1980's, the Makita 2030 planer Jointer and the 2040 15" planer. Hitachi had comparable tools. They were very popular with woodworking hobbyists, they were far less expensive than other alternatives and planed an excellent surface. They seem to show up for resale a couple times a year around here and go for pretty low prices now.
Where did you find to repair/replace the polyurethane roller cover? Mine needs to be done and have not found anyplace reasonable to do it. Some people have replaced them with rubber rollers DIY.
aquinob
Well-known member
I had them recovered by Western Roller https://westernroller.com/ It's been quite a long time so you would have to contact them directly to see if they still will do that kind of job. This is what the new rollers looked like:
genog
Well-known member
A friend gave me this Big 4x24 belt sander
Heavy and very well built.
I believe it to be a Kawasaki
Heavy and very well built.
I believe it to be a Kawasaki