Show your new tool arrivals
- Thread starter sarel.wagner
- Start date
four.cycle
Well-known member
Finally had to break down and try out some Evaporust, so I went up to Harbor Freight:
I would not have bothered to take the photo, but that "Braun" work light is on a close-out right now for $2.19, and it comes with batteries in it. I should have grabbed a couple of them.
I would not have bothered to take the photo, but that "Braun" work light is on a close-out right now for $2.19, and it comes with batteries in it. I should have grabbed a couple of them.
No pics, but at the suggestion of some on this forum I picked up some Ko-ken clip type spark plug sockets. I used them for the first time today and wow, they are really, really nice. The spring is WAY easier to use than the rubber insert, no magnet to collect debris, and the knurling on the end of the extended ones is super nice for turning them in or out with your fingers. Workmanship is flawless. I'm a fan.
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ Both the Japanese and Taiwanese are light years ahead of American tool designers currently. It's not even close.
And I was one of those hard-core, card-carrying "U.S.A. only" guys when I joined here.
And I was one of those hard-core, card-carrying "U.S.A. only" guys when I joined here.
RichRiddle
Well-known member
This was the weekend to purchase vises. Starting with the smaller ones, both Reed models....here is the pair, a Reed 204R on the left, and the 1C on the right...side views and back views....
The Front and Right Side of the Reed 1C...
The jaws open on the Reed 204R....both Reed vises have good jaws...
The Reed 204R tips the scales a little more than the Reed 1C, but both together pale in weight/size comparison to the Wilton C3. When going to pick it up, the seller asked how I was going to load it. I said lift it in the back and he said, "I want to see that." After seeing the vise and stand, it was easy to understand....
I am not looking for vises for a while.....though a Reed 2C might be tempting.
The Front and Right Side of the Reed 1C...
The jaws open on the Reed 204R....both Reed vises have good jaws...
The Reed 204R tips the scales a little more than the Reed 1C, but both together pale in weight/size comparison to the Wilton C3. When going to pick it up, the seller asked how I was going to load it. I said lift it in the back and he said, "I want to see that." After seeing the vise and stand, it was easy to understand....
I am not looking for vises for a while.....though a Reed 2C might be tempting.
The selling point of Japanese tools is typically their functionality/craftsmanship/innovation first with national pride a closely linked second. Their tools look forward to the future, constantly trying to improve or find niches that make work easier.
Taiwanese tools are 99% export, so they have to be focused on price point and innovation to compete with everything else. Which one comes first depends upon the manufacturer.
Current USA tools are generally about national pride first, quality second, innovation third. They can't compete with Taiwan on price point, so the options are innovate or just market nationalism, most choosing the later. There are nice US tools but most are legacy patterns.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
Advance Auto Parts currently has some red tag clearance on misc tools.
The reduced prices don’t show online and the in-store prices were lower after scanned than what the shelf tag stated. It was pretty bizarre.
There was a bunch more I missed out on and some I just didnt need and left for others. Some of the Slime compressors were also heavily discounted including the heavy duty version.
Diehard w/rail 10pc: $7.46
Titan 1/4 bits 9pc: $2.66
Titan impact 13pc: $3.11
Diehard 5/16 bits 16pc: $7.76
PT magnetic 11pc: $5.81
PT knife: $2.21
Century stubby bits: $11.36
After some Speed Perks coupons, I have about $2 in all this stuff.
The reduced prices don’t show online and the in-store prices were lower after scanned than what the shelf tag stated. It was pretty bizarre.
There was a bunch more I missed out on and some I just didnt need and left for others. Some of the Slime compressors were also heavily discounted including the heavy duty version.
Diehard w/rail 10pc: $7.46
Titan 1/4 bits 9pc: $2.66
Titan impact 13pc: $3.11
Diehard 5/16 bits 16pc: $7.76
PT magnetic 11pc: $5.81
PT knife: $2.21
Century stubby bits: $11.36
After some Speed Perks coupons, I have about $2 in all this stuff.
Last edited:
shoggoth80
Well-known member
Picked these up for under $9. Another can't say no to sale prices. Only five pieces, but it's less than two bucks per piece
They skipped 12mm?Picked these up for under $9. Another can't say no to sale prices. Only five pieces, but it's less than two bucks per piece
Can't complain for the price, but that's certainly an odd assortment.
shoggoth80
Well-known member
Yeah a little odd. I would have rather had an 8 or a 12 vs an 11. But the 10, 13, 14, and 15 are sizes I run across often... And while yes, I have stubby ratcheting wrenches from 8-19... Having a few with a little more leverage... For less than the cost of a sandwich these days... I call it a win.They skipped 12mm?
Can't complain for the price, but that's certainly an odd assortment.
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ I do not think I could have managed to so accurately describe all that as succinctly as you did there.
How much innovation do we really want in hand tools?
When I look at innovative Japanese and Taiwanese tools, 95% of the time I think the innovation is along a misguided axis (mainly fashion, frankly). The overwhelming majority of new designs will not stand the test of time and become common. In ten years they’ll have been replaced by other ‘innovative’ patterns.
Admittedly, occasionally a new pattern will stick. And if you never try new patterns, you won’t lead the charge when a good new design is found. So some innovation is needed.
And when you get into speciality tools, obviously new designs are needed for new problems on an ongoing basis.
But overall, I’m sceptical of innovation in turning things, hitting things, cutting things, grabbing things, etc.
I’m a European and don’t have good access to American tools (because American tool companies are terrible at exporting, which is probably its own problem. With a few exceptions, trying to buy American tools in Europe is hard and expensive). But I like a lot of American tool designs. I like them exactly because they are usually not fad-driven, which is surprising to me given that American companies are often highly motivated to find new ways to sell old things. Look at the American car industry or the more extreme example of Silicon Valley where basically all products are principally hype, cloud-this, AI-that, software as a service, blah blah, rather than any important innovation in what they do.
MWEric
Well-known member
Picked up a couple things from the dealer. Socket set was a repo, got it for half off. 
Innovation doesn't have to be crazy or space age all the time, the point is that Japan tries. And yes, of course legacy patterns are still useful.
Here are just a couple examples of Japanese innovation that created practical and useful products:
Anex wanidora
TOP Kogyo hyper monkey zero
Vessel wood compo
Koken extension spark plug sockets
Asahi lighttool
Engineer extraction pliers
In the US, we have got maybe some new 90/100 tooth ratchet designs playing catch up with the rest of the market and some toothy chew 'em up open end wrenches that were updated a decade ago?
four.cycle
Well-known member
As much as the budgets of the pitifully-funded R&D departments of these tool manufacturers will allow, and then some more.
AS with the American automobile industry that you mentioned - since you opened that door - Detroit would still be cranking out the same old **** had it not been for the "gas shortage" in the early 1970s which ran concurrently with the small Japanese cars that started flooding the market at that time.
You couldn't give those gas-hogs away. I paid a guy $50 bucks to haul off a RUNNING 1974 Dodge Polara 440 just to get rid of a car nobody could afford to drive.
American tool manufacturers are, just as the auto makers were, cranking out the same stuff they've been cranking out for years:
^ this. right here.
16again
Well-known member
Darn it! Just cost me a few hundred bucks! I have the monster 1st gen 1/2" M18. Darn thing as I get older is harder to want to use. Only use it for tire rotation once or twice a year. Do I need this new fancy dancy powerful tool? No, I want it. So, it shall be. FREE Delivery sometime today from Home Depot.
shoggoth80
Well-known member
Does improvising something count? Unlock tool I cobbled up this morning. It worked; I'm keeping it
I finally broke down and bought a fancy French hammer. Amazon US, shipped from England for free, $21.85 plus tax.
345 grams/12 oz. Graphite handle, they say. I can say the handle is contoured nicely.
345 grams/12 oz. Graphite handle, they say. I can say the handle is contoured nicely.
IRQVET
Well-known member
New 20 volt Black & Yellow!
Got tired of wrecking my shoulder trying to pull start my gas stuff. Getting older, lol.
Blower actually surprised me, it did very well with a 6ah battery. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is.
Got tired of wrecking my shoulder trying to pull start my gas stuff. Getting older, lol.
Blower actually surprised me, it did very well with a 6ah battery. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is.
Honestly, they don't make it that easy here, either. With the exception of Bondhus, Eklind, and Klein, you can't find them in stores. I think most US tool companies are only concerned about government contracts and Grainger.
I still go out of my way to buy them, but it's annoying how much extra work it is.
New 20 volt Black & Yellow!
Got tired of wrecking my shoulder trying to pull start my gas stuff. Getting older, lol.
Blower actually surprised me, it did very well with a 6ah battery. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is.
Same here! I bought a DeWalt cordless blower a few years ago, felt guilty about it, I mean, I have a corded one that's perfectly fine, am I being lazy? (several minutes after using it) NO REGRETS!!
IRQVET
Well-known member
My Husky gas powered one gave me 13 years of good service, but it's been in the shop 3 times this year with starting issues. So I decided to move on a try this electric stuff.
16again
Well-known member
Home Depot strikes again! Ordered this morning online. 2:00 phone rings, we are sending a battery, can't find the driver. I laughed and cancelled the order. Went back online and selected from a different store 7 miles away. Guess what? Can't fill the order. WTH Home Depot have you really gotten this bad? Now I have to wait 3-5 business days for the $600.00 refund.
It's not just HD. I don't want to derail the thread, but I had problems with online order / local pick-up this weekend at both Best Buy and Advance Auto Parts. (Actually, it's Strike 2 for Advance, two different locations over the past year.)
And these companies wonder why Amazon is eating their lunch...
Mike
Madjik Man
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2015
- Messages
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Not sure if that is a requirement by the EU. Maybe the US, maybe also UK, but for sure it was never a legal requirement in my country.
LeeG
Well-known member
I’ve seen a few videos on these Milwaukee long reach needle nose pliers and decided I needed them.
They seem pretty nice from first look. I’ve got a project next weekend where I might get to try them out.
Lee
They seem pretty nice from first look. I’ve got a project next weekend where I might get to try them out.
Lee
PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
BobsYourUncle69
Well-known member
Picked up this tool box for $15 , it's upside down as I've stared treating the rust at the bottom which so far has shown that the metals integrity is still in check.
It'll get a sanding once I've finished treating it and some paint. I might go red to match the drawers or I might go blue and then paint the drawers aswell , option 3 is gloss black but I had a pair of Monitor audio GS20s in gloss black and absolutely hated the upkeep but this isnt a pair of speakers so still undecided.
It'll get a sanding once I've finished treating it and some paint. I might go red to match the drawers or I might go blue and then paint the drawers aswell , option 3 is gloss black but I had a pair of Monitor audio GS20s in gloss black and absolutely hated the upkeep but this isnt a pair of speakers so still undecided.
Attachments
Picked up a couple things from the dealer. Socket set was a repo, got it for half off.
Hard times, when the repo man comes to take your Snap On socket.
PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Never give up the 10mm
Meursault74
Well-known member
post that one over here and and restore with orig. colors.
Let's Hear it for the Old Gray/Red Sears Craftsman Tool Chests and Cabinets (60s/70s)
Here is one of mine found in 2002-2003 while out for a walk. This is a '68 model six drawer. The logo and tray are wrong and those are copies of the original Sears catalog ads in the top lid.. It sits in my garage with some vintage Craftsman tools my next door neighbor was going to toss. Also...
www.garagejournal.com
Taiwanese hammer you mean rebranded as Facom.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
BobsYourUncle69
Well-known member
post that one over here and and restore with orig. colors.
Let's Hear it for the Old Gray/Red Sears Craftsman Tool Chests and Cabinets (60s/70s)
Here is one of mine found in 2002-2003 while out for a walk. This is a '68 model six drawer. The logo and tray are wrong and those are copies of the original Sears catalog ads in the top lid.. It sits in my garage with some vintage Craftsman tools my next door neighbor was going to toss. Also...
That's actually the exact opposite of what I was thinking of doing ,might get shunned in that thread
MWEric
Well-known member
Purchased, thanks to GJ.