Show your new tool arrivals

[Fly Fishing Rick]

Got some new lights today! I've been using the 1st gen of the Nitecore NU25 headlamp since 2018-2019 and it's finally starting to let me down. Mostly battery performance and it still does ok, it just doesn't last nearly as long on a charge anymore. Today I received gen 3 of the NU25, the NU25 MCT UL and am mostly happy with it. There's a couple small changes I'd make but nothing is ever going to suit everyone's needs/wants equally. I ordered a spare headband bracket for it to bump me up to free shipping and received the Nitecore Tube v2.0 free. It's just a small keychain light but it seems well made and has a rechargeable lithium cell built in. I already added it to my key ring.
The light that really surprised me is the Olight Baton 4. It's well made, extremely bright for edc tasks and any close-up work, is ipx8 rated, clips on the brim of my hat, and just looks nice lol. It comes with a proprietary magnetic charging system so I 3d printed a couple charging docks for it last weekend so I can keep one place to charge it. I also ordered an extra charger with it to carry in my work bag or toss in my car if needed. B&H were offering a promotion where they give a free Olight i3E EOS keychain light with the Baton 4 and it's every bit as well made as the baton, just with less bells and whistles and a dimmer light. No buttons, switches, or modes. Just a simple single brightness twist on/off keychain light. It also has an ipx8 rating, runs on a single replaceable AAA cell, and is just a bit larger than a AA cell in total. I decided to order a spare battery for the Baton 4 to have on hand and Olight was having a promo where all new users get a free i3E light as well, so I have another one of those on the way as well as a lithium cell this week for $6.50 total.



I don't care for their headband design, so I already made my own from some lighter shock cord that is just more comfortable to wear. It's the same style I've used for years on my 2017 gen 1 version.

 

[mikeinri]

A follow up to this.

The Milwaukee pliers set was item number 48-22-6330, $19.97 at HD. Here's what you get if you search that item number at Amazon:


The first two appear to be genuine Milwaukee, but the others are varying degrees of sneaky. "For Milwaukee. Compatible with Milwaukee." I'm used to seeing cheap knockoffs, but not usually knockoffs at three times the price.

Some more details. This has the same style of packaging shown, but with the Milwaukee branding deleted:


My guess is that this is just a photoshop of the actual Milwaukee package, and the knockoffs wouldn't come packed that way.

The genuine ones have the Milwaukee logo on the handle, whereas the knockoffs just have the lightning bolt or nothing:



But looking closer at the photos, they appear to be the same photo, just edited to remove the word Milwaukee:


Look at the casting patterns. Almost every speck and grain is the same between the photos. The peen marks on the rivets are also identical.

The knockoff photo was flipped vertically in the listing, likely to throw you off; I flipped it back.

Interesting?

I saw some equally sketchy listings while searching for a Honda snowblower carburetor.

No new Milwaukee can be sold on Amazon I believe. They are not an authorized reseller.

People buy them for $20 at Home Depot and sell them for $50 on Amazon. It's all third party sellers.

Reselling is normal, but why make the effort to change the logos? This seems VERY suspect.


Mike

 

[d.mcfarland]

Reselling is normal, but why make the effort to change the logos? This seems VERY suspect.

I meant to say sold by Amazon.

The thrid party sellers steal the images of products from authorized resellers. They have to change the logo because it's unauthorized to be used by them.

 

[dwasifar]

I meant to say sold by Amazon.

The thrid party sellers steal the images of products from authorized resellers. They have to change the logo because it's unauthorized to be used by them.

You think they're not knockoffs, then?

 

[Beerhippie]

Tape case is 3 1/2" long.

Accessories that came with the jack:



The wrench is nice. The 1/4" dr. X 19mm driver... questionable.

Anyhow, it does say drill only, no impact. I have an M18 drill--but will probably use a 3/8 or 1/2" drive 19mm socket. Always uses for a drill when camping.

 

[CoThG]

Koken 3/8 flex head ratchet on 1/4 body. 160mm total length.

9mm and 11mm 1/4 Nut Grip sockets to fully complete my set. Apparently the Japanese have no need for those sizes as they don't come in most of their sets.

10mm stubby hex that I need to more easily access transfer case drain plug on my Toyota.

 

[shoggoth80]

 

[LanceMc]

It was about $1,995 for the set including tax.
If you want to see pictures, have a look here.
Not quite filled with tools just yet but there are a few V-Series I've bought in this post.

VERY nice. How much did that run you? I love the domestic manufacturing and the 10 year warranty. Be sure to post some photos when you have it set up and filled with tools

 

[rharman]

I haven't seen one of those or thought about them in many many years.

 

[tyyost]

I haven't seen one of those or thought about them in many many years.

I had an exhausting time a while back getting my e-brake set on my Silverado, saw these in one of Mike‘s threads and quested after a snap-on one from ebay. Still have yet to need it…

 

[shoggoth80]

I haven't seen one of those or thought about them in many many years.

It's mostly for convenience. I've got drum rears on most my stuff. That said, I get it.

 

[steed]

Just got an order from my bud in York, PA that runs a page called “toolswapper”- you gotta check it out. All the good stuff, and used so I can justify the expense since it’s not 10x. He’s a solid guy and the package always gets here faster than expected. Me and my buddy Jeff went up there the year before last and he’s the NICEST guy!!

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

One of the household shops we frequently shop with had an end of year sale. They had this 2kg / 70.5oz mini sledge on sale, with all discounts applied it came at 11,- EUR/ 12.33 USD. They also had an incredible low price of a few bucks for that charging cable with fabric mantle and magnetic properties for keeping it rolled up. I really like fabric mantled cables for frequently used cables, so I couldn’t pass on another one.





Kind regards,
Olli

 

[Outahere]

I drove to Lowes this morning with a $50 gift card in my wallet, and got this Craftsman 250ft-lb torque wrench. Made in Taiwan. My out-of-pocket cost was $24.




The Craftsman is 6" longer than my old 200ft-lb Snap-on. The Craftsman has a 54-tooth mechanism, versus 32-tooth in the Snap-on.

 

[LXCam]

A while back I saw this on Milwaukee’s site and mentioned it to a buddy of mine who’s an electrical contractor. I can’t begin to remember how many thousands of trapeze I’ve hung thru the decades and I’d have give my left nut for something like this. Now here I am at retirement age and my bud buys me one for Christmas

SHOCKWAVE™ Impact Duty 3/8" Threaded Rod Nut Runner | Milwaukee Tool

Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE™ 3/8" Threaded Rod Nut Runner delivers up to 9X faster nut running with impact drivers, optimized for assembly, installation, and adjustments.

www.milwaukeetool.com

 

[Beerhippie]

A while back I saw this on Milwaukee’s site and mentioned it to a buddy of mine who’s an electrical contractor. I can’t begin to remember how many thousands of trapeze I’ve hung thru the decades and I’d have give my left nut for something like this. Now here I am at retirement age and my bud buys me one for Christmas

SHOCKWAVE™ Impact Duty 3/8" Threaded Rod Nut Runner | Milwaukee Tool

Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE™ 3/8" Threaded Rod Nut Runner delivers up to 9X faster nut running with impact drivers, optimized for assembly, installation, and adjustments.

www.milwaukeetool.com

I never knew such a thing existed!

I used to put a nut in the vise and the all-thread in a drill to run nuts. That would get them close and then fine-tune in place.

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

The impact only is so that it won’t kill your wrist when distracted while using, I guess?

Kind regards,
Olli

 

[LXCam]

I never knew such a thing existed!

I used to put a nut in the vise and the all-thread in a drill to run nuts. That would get them close and then fine-tune in place.

Ya, I've done a ton of different things in the past when we needed multiples of horizontals on a rack.

The impact only is so that it won’t kill your wrist when distracted while using, I guess?

Kind regards,
Olli

I guess, ain't used it yet and the reality is I probably never will get the chance.

 

[Outahere]

From Tekton, a 1/2"-drive wobble extension and a pair of 3/8"-drive crowfeet.

 

[Dig Doug]

A tool and some things that will require tools:



A full set of T3 Techniques high-angle CV joints and tire plug kit.

I hope to hell I don't have to be that burly to use the tire plug kit! The kit came free with this:



It's not your father's scissors jack:



Compared to a Toyota jack.

Thats a Great Jack it should last a life time and AGM is an excellent company to do business with !!

I have their bigger jack and it works awesome!

The owners and Staff are all great people

 

[Beerhippie]

Thats a Great Jack it should last a life time and AGM is an excellent company to do business with !!

I have their bigger jack and it works awesome!

The owners and Staff are all great people

Thanks for the encouragement!

The reason I bought it--other than a beer, a credit card and reading a thread here--is that this is what the stock jack for a Vanagon looks like:



It's actually much flimsier--looking in use. The foot is about 4 square inches. While I've never had one fail on me (VW vans and busses have had this same jack with minor variations since they were introduced), it just feels sketchy as hell to use--and there's no practical way to use a power tool to speed things up.

 

[Dig Doug]

Thanks for the encouragement!

The reason I bought it--other than a beer, a credit card and reading a thread here--is that this is what the stock jack for a Vanagon looks like:



It's actually much flimsier--looking in use. The foot is about 4 square inches. While I've never had one fail on me, it just feels sketchy as hell to use--and there's no practical way to use a power tool to speed things up.

A bunch of my friends have that same AGM jack

we use them off road on our SXS cars
the suspension drops out big time and that’s one reason it goes up so high!

this is my can am it rides on 35 in tires.

 

[Beerhippie]

^So it should handle a Vanagon with two inches of lift and 28" tires just fine!

 

[mikeinri]

From Tekton, a 1/2"-drive wobble extension and a pair of 3/8"-drive crowfeet.

Just curious, why 2 of the same sized crowfeet?

Mike

 

[Beerhippie]

Just curious, why 2 of the same sized crowfeet?

Mike

Through the miracle of reading, I see that there is one 11/32th and one 5/16th. I'm sure it's a special purpose need.

 

[four.cycle]

 

[mikeinri]

Through the miracle of reading, I see that there is one 11/32th and one 5/16th. I'm sure it's a special purpose need.

I'm an idiot...

...Also, I was multi-tasking at karaoke with the boys when I read (or DIDN'T read) that...

Mike

 

[four.cycle]

no, you're not an idiot, but that was pretty funny.

 

[rharman]

< snip >

A while back I saw this on Milwaukee’s site and mentioned it to a buddy of mine who’s an electrical contractor. I can’t begin to remember how many thousands of trapeze I’ve hung thru the decades and I’d have give my left nut for something like this. Now here I am at retirement age and my bud buys me one for Christmas

< /snip >

Ya, I've done a ton of different things in the past when we needed multiples of horizontals on a rack.

I guess, ain't used it yet and the reality is I probably never will get the chance.

Just remember... There's a price to pay when you do use it.

 

[Squankum]

Thanks for the encouragement!

The reason I bought it--other than a beer, a credit card and reading a thread here--is that this is what the stock jack for a Vanagon looks like:



It's actually much flimsier--looking in use. The foot is about 4 square inches. While I've never had one fail on me (VW vans and busses have had this same jack with minor variations since they were introduced), it just feels sketchy as hell to use--and there's no practical way to use a power tool to speed things up.

But that crank handle has a spinny knob! Luggshury! Over here in Mk2 VW land we do the "180 degree armwrestle" motion again and again with a stick slightly thicker than a pencil! You get to go around and around with a knob?

 

[Beerhippie]

But that crank handle has a spinny knob! Luggshury! Over here in Mk2 VW land we do the "180 degree armwrestle" motion again and again with a stick slightly thicker than a pencil! You get to go round and around with a knob?

Hmm... been a long, long time, but I believe that even my '56 had a knob--or maybe the driver was a knob....

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

Picked these guys up to give them a whirl. I’ve got the Knipex forged strippers and they work great but the lack of crosshatching on the plier ends kinda makes grabbing and twisting stuff a pain. Plus I figured why not try something ‘Murican. My other Klein stuff is just ok but these had rave reviews online so I bought them. My initial reaction upon getting them was just eh. I don’t like the handle because it’s too rectangular and grippy so it’s uncomfortable in my hands and it holds dirt and gunk easily. Also the stripper part doesn’t seem that great. I keep leaving nicks on stranded wire. After some use I am still kinda eh on them. They cut just ok and the stripping still *****. I did get them to open and close silky smooth though. I dunno, I wish the Germans would add crosshatching to their pliers because everything they do is great except for their working ends. The parallel lines ****. I’ve yet to find Mi-USA pliers that I absolutely adore as much as my German/Austrian/French ones.

 

[d42jeep]

I found an AC Delco seal puller only to be used on GM cars
-Don

 

[moemc]

Picked these guys up to give them a whirl. I’ve got the Knipex forged strippers and they work great but the lack of crosshatching on the plier ends kinda makes grabbing and twisting stuff a pain. Plus I figured why not try something ‘Murican. My other Klein stuff is just ok but these had rave reviews online so I bought them. My initial reaction upon getting them was just eh. I don’t like the handle because it’s too rectangular and grippy so it’s uncomfortable in my hands and it holds dirt and gunk easily. Also the stripper part doesn’t seem that great. I keep leaving nicks on stranded wire. After some use I am still kinda eh on them. They cut just ok and the stripping still *****. I did get them to open and close silky smooth though. I dunno, I wish the Germans would add crosshatching to their pliers because everything they do is great except for their working ends. The parallel lines ****. I’ve yet to find Mi-USA pliers that I absolutely adore as much as my German/Austrian/French ones.

I have the same meh feelings about that one. I do use them though. I want to try the Ideal 45-110. But I also like how the Klein K12075 switched to a shear style cutter, but not sure that one is from the USA.

 

[Squankum]

I dunno, I wish the Germans would add crosshatching to their pliers because everything they do is great except for their working ends. The parallel lines ****.

Yeah, I'm a Knipex fan, and I haven't have any problems in my life caused by those parallel lines -- but I believe those who do have issues. I've got one pair of (used) Snap On Talon Grip needle noses and that cross-hatching is impressive.

 

[Fly Fishing Rick]

Ordered this cord for $30 ish about 2 weeks ago and it finally arrived and is an amazing cord for the price. The i3E EOS light came as a free gift when I purchased the rechargeable lithium battery from Olight for $6.50 shipped.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I have the same meh feelings about that one. I do use them though. I want to try the Ideal 45-110. But I also like how the Klein K12075 switched to a shear style cutter, but not sure that one is from the USA.

Yeah it’s not bad but not great either. I do like how smooth they are now that I have them oiled up. I’m just really not digging the handles. I thought they’d be a bit more rounded.

Yeah, I'm a Knipex fan, and I haven't have any problems in my life caused by those parallel lines -- but I believe those who do have issues. I've got one pair of (used) Snap On Talon Grip needle noses and that cross-hatching is impressive.

A light cross-hatch would be great. It doesn’t have to be super aggressive just enough to help pull sleeves and lines.

 

[mreisner]

Not the old Square hard handle but the new design hard handle, but it is dual 80 and 250 USA Edition. The 5.5 I'm going to find real handy for actuator motors.

 

[shakenfake]

I drove to Lowes this morning with a $50 gift card in my wallet, and got this Craftsman 250ft-lb torque wrench. Made in Taiwan. My out-of-pocket cost was $24.




The Craftsman is 6" longer than my old 200ft-lb Snap-on. The Craftsman has a 54-tooth mechanism, versus 32-tooth in the Snap-on.

I had one of those. Don’t remember what I was torquing but suddenly the teeth just got extremely loud. Decided I didn’t trust it anymore and bought a package deal for a 1/2” and 3/8” Snap-On set.
Maybe if I greased it up but

 

[rword]

Warrantied my g1 icon for another g2. Was $16.