I was at my mom's house recently replacing an electrical outlet. There I was, turning seemingly endless screws by hand like a common peasant.
Then I remembered I had a 20% off Zoro coupon in my inbox and here we are.
Show your new tool arrivals
- Thread starter sarel.wagner
- Start date
Then I remembered I had a 20% off Zoro coupon in my inbox and here we are.
Sorry for you loss, or was it never there?
Fly Fishing Rick
Well-known member
A couple Jorgensen holders arrived today!
A couple Jorgensen holders arrived today!
You can't beat the traditional ways! Works well on chowderheads.
YesIHaveAHammer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2025
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- 800
Felo Tack Claw 494
A little sturdier than I was expecting, it would also make a fine general use small pry bar. Shaft is 6mm thick, angle is 20 degrees, tip is not thin or fragile. The handle shape is ideal for the typical working position, and is shared with a couple of other tools like the 498 Awl where I expect it's also great for the pushing/turning movement.
Felo T-Handle 1/4" Square Drive 397
Feels great in the hand. Good length for with or without an adapter. They also do 3/8" and 1/2" although I imagine those are successively less popular. There's a hex bit holder variant too, but this one with an adapter will do me for those. I think non-ratcheting is fine for "spin then tighten" stuff, but ratcheting has more of a benefit for things that need high torque all the way (e.g. wood screws).
A little sturdier than I was expecting, it would also make a fine general use small pry bar. Shaft is 6mm thick, angle is 20 degrees, tip is not thin or fragile. The handle shape is ideal for the typical working position, and is shared with a couple of other tools like the 498 Awl where I expect it's also great for the pushing/turning movement.
Felo T-Handle 1/4" Square Drive 397
Feels great in the hand. Good length for with or without an adapter. They also do 3/8" and 1/2" although I imagine those are successively less popular. There's a hex bit holder variant too, but this one with an adapter will do me for those. I think non-ratcheting is fine for "spin then tighten" stuff, but ratcheting has more of a benefit for things that need high torque all the way (e.g. wood screws).
Markoos
Well-known member
Todays delivery, 
Knipex CoBolt 71 32 200 Compact Bolt Cutter (200mm
Knipex CoBolt 71 32 200 Compact Bolt Cutter (200mmLowlevel2021
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2021
- Messages
- 185
Already have a full set of milwaukee wrenches for the garage. But picked a smaller set to carry in the truck since they are on sale.
I kept hearing good things about the DieHard ratchets, despite the stupid name. Advance Auto has them on sale, $75 for all three. The Capri's are a new addition as well!
The DieHards seem like pretty decent 90T flex-head ratchets, kind of a steal at that price.
The DieHards seem like pretty decent 90T flex-head ratchets, kind of a steal at that price.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Wasn't DieHard a Sears brand of auto electricals--batteries, chargers, etc--back in the day?I kept hearing good things about the DieHard ratchets, despite the stupid name. Advance Auto has them on sale, $75 for all three. The Capri's are a new addition as well!
The DieHards seem like pretty decent 90T flex-head ratchets, kind of a steal at that price.
I still have and use a DieHard charger from the '90s.
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ it was. one of the best-selling automotive batteries on the market. used to get all kinds of them back for cores.
Qualitytools
Well-known member
That Felo 494 appears to be useful for pulling expanding rivets on cars. You say it’s not thin at the tip so I wonder if that will work for my need as a thin tip helps to get under the center portion of the rivet to pull it up. Please share a link when you can. ThanksFelo Tack Claw 494
A little sturdier than I was expecting, it would also make a fine general use small pry bar. Shaft is 6mm thick, angle is 20 degrees, tip is not thin or fragile. The handle shape is ideal for the typical working position, and is shared with a couple of other tools like the 498 Awl where I expect it's also great for the pushing/turning movement.
Felo T-Handle 1/4" Square Drive 397
Feels great in the hand. Good length for with or without an adapter. They also do 3/8" and 1/2" although I imagine those are successively less popular. There's a hex bit holder variant too, but this one with an adapter will do me for those. I think non-ratcheting is fine for "spin then tighten" stuff, but ratcheting has more of a benefit for things that need high torque all the way (e.g. wood screws).
Yup, it was a Sears brand... Primarily batteries. The name was sold to Advance Auto for $200 million in 2019. Fast forward to 2025 and we have $25 DieHard ratchets.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Well, thanks for confirming that I'm not hallucinating all the time. Just some of it.
I was mostly replying to the "stupid name" in @pfbz 's comment.
DieHard batteries are also sold at Advance Auto. I have one in my RV. Don't know if they are made by the same company, or if they just rebranded something else.
Mike
Pretty sure there wasn't a Sears battery factory! There are several battery companies in the world, when it comes to this sort of thing, and after that, it's decals and warranties. (That's the impression that I get.)
I'm not the English hammer bargler, but I have that Felo tool, got it from Harry Epstein's last Fourth of July. For some reason, the HJE page for it is dead!
Felo 4" Tack Claw (24022)
Felo 4" Tack Claw (24022) ///brand_for_product_detail=East German Military,close_out=Yes,companydescription=East German Military - Made in Germany,condition=New,condition_google=new,cost=1.500000,countrymade=Made in Germany,featured=0,identifier_exists=0,instock=in...
www.harryepstein.com
I'd give them a call.
A similarly cheap price from a Crawford Tool down in GA:
Felo 24022 Tack Claw 4" Mini Pry Bar
Felo 24022 Tack Claw, Tacklifter, Mini Pry Bar, Upholstery Tool A very handy tool with many uses. High quality Chrome Vanadium Tool Steel. Handle has unique texture for maximum non-slip grip. Blade Width: 1/2" Blade Length: 4" (100mm) Overall Length" 7-1/4" Made in Germany Felo 24022...
crawfordtool.com
I like mine. I forget if I've gone after center push pins on plastic fasteners, but I'm sure I recently lifted similar fasteners out of their holes with it. Also one of the cheapest things I've ever bought that was made in Germany.
Qualitytools
Well-known member
Thanks.I'm not the English hammer bargler, but I have that Felo tool, got it from Harry Epstein's last Fourth of July. For some reason, the HJE page for it is dead!
Felo 4" Tack Claw (24022)
Felo 4" Tack Claw (24022) ///brand_for_product_detail=East German Military,close_out=Yes,companydescription=East German Military - Made in Germany,condition=New,condition_google=new,cost=1.500000,countrymade=Made in Germany,featured=0,identifier_exists=0,instock=in...www.harryepstein.com
I'd give them a call.
A similarly cheap price from a Crawford Tool down in GA:
Felo 24022 Tack Claw 4" Mini Pry Bar
Felo 24022 Tack Claw, Tacklifter, Mini Pry Bar, Upholstery Tool A very handy tool with many uses. High quality Chrome Vanadium Tool Steel. Handle has unique texture for maximum non-slip grip. Blade Width: 1/2" Blade Length: 4" (100mm) Overall Length" 7-1/4" Made in Germany Felo 24022...
I like mine. I forget if I've gone after center push pins on plastic fasteners, but I'm sure I recently lifted similar fasteners out of their holes with it. Also one of the cheapest things I've ever bought that was made in Germany.
landrover bodger
Well-known member
Had a bit of an expensive day 
Our local Advance locations have been blowing out random Diehard socket and wrench sets for 90% off. Are they changing suppliers or something? Not everything, but quite a lot.I kept hearing good things about the DieHard ratchets, despite the stupid name. Advance Auto has them on sale, $75 for all three. The Capri's are a new addition as well!
The DieHards seem like pretty decent 90T flex-head ratchets, kind of a steal at that price.
That's pretty affordable pricing.Our local Advance locations have been blowing out random Diehard socket and wrench sets for 90% off. Are they changing suppliers or something? Not everything, but quite a lot.
I never said anything about a Sears battery factory. Sears never made anything themselves (as far as I know).
What I meant was: Advance Auto had their own house brand (also manufactured by someone else) before buying the DieHard brand from Sears. I'm wondering if that came with the same contracts, designs, etc. that Sears had, or if they just slapped Die Hard stickers on the batteries previously being produced for Advance Auto.
Mike
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ When I got out of the parts business in 1988, there were only a handful of automotive battery manufacturers. (I believe the number was FOUR.)
it looks to be not much different in the current day
a "2cool" on "bobtheoilguy's" site says it's down to TWO
We were selling our own house brand starting about 1980.
If you can move 200-300 batteries a week you can have your own brand.
it looks to be not much different in the current day
a "2cool" on "bobtheoilguy's" site says it's down to TWO
We were selling our own house brand starting about 1980.
If you can move 200-300 batteries a week you can have your own brand.
Bulldog13
Well-known member
I've got a couple more rivets to put in and decided not to do it by hand.
Meursault74
Well-known member
movie of all time....... 
The battery connotation is *why* it's a stupid name to me...
I'm old enough that DieHard means batteries, as well as endless (back in the day) DieHard battery commercials, not ratchets or other hand tools. For me, if they simply used "Advance" as the brand, it would have been as strong or stronger than the DieHard name (for ratchets).
SouthernIllinois
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- Jan 14, 2024
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- 1,664
Snap-On Thursday
18” pry bar
1/2” ratcheting wrench
18” pry bar
1/2” ratcheting wrench
Ditto to all of that, especially the ads. I have no idea if more Sears DieHard batteries were sold than any other brand, but I certainly remember being relentlessly inundated with their commercials.
Mike
Motorman55
Well-known member
I just opened the box of the HD Buaer sliding miter saw I purchased last week. It looks twice the size of the one on display in the store. I'm definitely going to need a bigger table. 
Did Delco actually have a battery factory at that time?
I can tell you that in the mid to late 80’s they didn’t. I was a millwright for Johnson control at a lead acid battery plant and we private labeled for a bunch of names including die hard.
I've got a couple more rivets to put in and decided not to do it by hand.
You may have had doubts that crept in as you stood in line to pay for this. "Do I really need this? Should I be spending money on what some might say is a luxury?"
Those doubts are about to be squashed forever. Congrats! Air riveters are wunnerful, wunnerful.
I believe you. You worked there. I can tell you whatever supplier made the Delco battery(factory battery) in my 87 S-10 4WD(My first new car) lasted 5 years. The replacement I bought at Sears was a Diehard gold. It was identical case wise as well as the stamped numbers on the case.
AFAIK there have only been 3-4 auto battery mfrs in the US for the last 40 years. As confirmed, Delco wasn't one of them. JCI, Exide? and two other minor ones that I can't recall is what I know of. But the two biggest brands make >90%.
I have a Die Hard battery in
a car currently. It has an easy life but is 5 years old and tests at >90% of spec. Of course it might die tomorrow LOL. I want to say it was made in Korea, but won't bet on it. I know that one of the parts store batteries I've installed in the last 5 years was marked as made in Korea. Which surprised me as that was the first import I'd seen.
I have a Die Hard battery in
a car currently. It has an easy life but is 5 years old and tests at >90% of spec. Of course it might die tomorrow LOL. I want to say it was made in Korea, but won't bet on it. I know that one of the parts store batteries I've installed in the last 5 years was marked as made in Korea. Which surprised me as that was the first import I'd seen.