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rword

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 27, 2025
Messages
426
Thank you UPS/Fedex...

Today's front porch goodies:

The Gedore screwdriver deal posted earlier on this thread... $25 shipped, they are ridiculously nice of that price!

The new Klein mini-1/4"-hex ratchet 65200Mag

VIM Nora 150 (already have the bigger sizes)

1769900169853.jpeg
Those gedore same as matco?
 

Motorman55

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Joined
Apr 10, 2016
Messages
2,631
Location
South Jersey
Finally bit the bullet and purchased a HF Yukon Woodworking Bench but this one is not just for woodworking. Instead it will serve as my new modelling bench in our newly dedicated Hobby/Craft room (our spare bedroom that I'm currently remodelling.) I missed the big 30% sale they had a week or so ago, but no matter I'll save money on some other tool down the road I'm sure.

Also picked up the new Bauer 5 speed 20v Battery caulk gun. Looking forward to using this since I have a lot of projects coming up requiring finish caulking and adhesive applications.

Add to that a Quinn 10" Magnetic Backed Contour Gauge, some AA & C batteries, a drain snake and a Bi-Folding Door Kit, The last two items from Home Depot.

Tomorrow I'll assemble the bench. 1769918994397.jpeg1769918947395.jpeg
 
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rharman

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Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
8,818
Location
SoCal
$21 worth of HF doo-dads from the 30% off sale today.

2 safety reflector vests - 1 to keep in each car. Hope I never use.
3-pack of scissors to stash in various places around the house.
12" ruler for my wife's desk.
Paint stirrer-upperer.

1769919488537.jpeg
 
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Gangly

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Joined
Jun 9, 2025
Messages
277
Location
The Woodlands, Texas
Ive been looking at the SnapOn and Matco swivels, but I really didnt want to invest that kind of money into sockets that I'm not going to use every day. After researching and finding good reviews online, and good testing results on the Torque Test Channel, I decided to go with the Astro versions. I haven't had a chance to use them just yet, but once I've broken them in I'll try to write something up.

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moemc

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Joined
Mar 12, 2025
Messages
356
Those gedore same as matco?
I believe they are made in Slovenia by Oplast. I believe Hazet are made there as well. The finish and label marking on the shafts seem identical. This would make sense, as they both have Rolgear ratcheting bit drivers supplied by Oplast as well.

here is the link again if anyone is interested: https://www.ebay.com/itm/256990115729

Mine arrived a few days ago. They are very nice. Larger on the handle diameter for big hands or higher torque, sorta like the Witte Maxx profile.

You can’t regret them at this price.
 
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moemc

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Joined
Mar 12, 2025
Messages
356
I scored another Rennsteig PEW12 crimping frame, the TE connectivity flavor.

This private label version retails for 2-3x more than the OG Rennsteig green ones. If you watch for them on eBay, you occasionally see someone who doesn’t want it to sit there for eternity, thus they price to match the garden-variety. Which is how I got these NIB. I have 8 PEW12s now in 4 colorations. Not pictured is my Knipex branded red/blue one.

This is a niche tool, but if you have any light production crimping to do, this is the system to look into. These blow universal crimpers out of the water. Feel free to HMU if you need any pointers. I am not a retailer, but figuring out what you need in this system isn't always immediately intuitive.
 

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lund

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Nov 2, 2019
Messages
788
Location
Michigan
Stanley tools is a component of the S&P 500 as well, and while the “Stanley” brand isn’t necessarily “automotive” “MAC” is, and maybe “Proto”, and “Facom” and maybe dome other Stanley Black & Decker components like Dewalt, and even the hardware divisions.
Yes, Stanley is multi-threaded. Mostly rebranded stuff made abroad. That fits the model of usual contemporary USA business: low cost imports rebranded for high profit. However, as another guy pointed out, contrary to what I thought, Snap On is not making most of it's profit from tools, but rather other directions with abroad production companies they own, financial services, etc. I should have looked more before commenting that it is good to see a USA tool company with lower tech production making enough profit to be in the S&P 500. But even with the exceptionally high prices Snap On charges on it's line of USA domestic-made tools, most of the profit is not from those tools. That is sobering on how things work today and the expectation of big money in USA business these days. There is not room for smaller stuff any more to be worth significant $ from Wall Street's perspective.
 
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Rickster

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Joined
Jun 26, 2005
Messages
6,218
Location
SE PA
3/8 dr bit adapter for my M12 ratchet. 3/8 dr to 1/2 dr adapter for my M12 stubby. I wanted the adapter where the 3/8 dr anvil fits into the 1/2dr anvil, I think it'll be stronger. Also got a cheapie roll pin punch set. Being snowed in with nothing to do I'll bet Amazon is busy....
 

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BobsYourUncle69

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Dec 21, 2023
Messages
422
Location
Westchester New York
My wife came to me and said " there is something scraping under the car when I reverse "

Off to Autozone and HF to get a trolley jack. I was about to choose the Daytona 3ton over the Duralast jack when I found out that for the Daytona , one has to pay between $40-75 for a 1 or 2 year warranty and that the $2-300 Daytona jacks come with only a 90 day warranty. I expected this from the Pittsburgh jacks but thought the Daytona would actually have a warranty.
The Duralast gold seemed like the better deal all of a sudden.

Walked back to Autozone and got this little guy instead and figured it would be nice to have a small trolley jack in the car anyways and this would tide me over today until I find a Trolley jack I like for decent money. I was leaning towards the Duralast gold but I don't know now.

I hate being held ransom on a Sunday afternoon to auto parts store &HD tools because I don't have them and I should have had one already I've been here for 2 years now , should already have one.

I did pick up this Coaxial compression tool from HF , found it in the discount isle next to the nits and bolts I was looking at.

Oh, and Napa had nothing.

•Duralast jack -COO assume it's China CORRECTION , Cambodia
•Coax compression tool - Taiwan
 

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lund

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Nov 2, 2019
Messages
788
Location
Michigan
....
Off to Autozone and HF to get a trolley jack. I was about to choose the Daytona 3ton over the Duralast jack when I found out that for the Daytona , one has to pay between $40-75 for a 1 or 2 year warranty and that the $2-300 Daytona jacks come with only a 90 day warranty. I expected this from the Pittsburgh jacks but thought the Daytona would actually have a warranty.
The Duralast gold seemed like the better deal all of a sudden.

Walked back to Autozone and got this little guy instead and figured it would be nice to have a small trolley jack in the car anyways and this would tide me over today until I find a Trolley jack I like for decent money. I was leaning towards the Duralast gold but I don't know now.

•Duralast jack -COO assume it's China CORRECTION , Cambodia
When you see a country of origin like Cambodia for a jack, chances are it is Chinese made shipped to Cambodia from China for export to the USA. There has been a LOT of that in trying to position around the every changing tariffs by the current administration. Businesses try to game tariffs. But they are changing so much and so fast, at least a few months ago, many do not know what to do and it has been mass chaos. The tariffs are driving up prices though (most everywhere at least 10%), but the effect has been slower due to the daily shifts, orders rushed before implementation, and reduction shifts by reexporting transit shipping (with maybe some repackaging and labeling).

I would be intrigued if this all led to more USA domestic production of basic stuff. But sofar, that appears not to be happening on a significant scale. I believe USA jobs (value rising a little bit though due to semiconductors and those being mostly exempt from the tariff issues) have even been going down further since January, 2025 :(
 
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BobsYourUncle69

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Joined
Dec 21, 2023
Messages
422
Location
Westchester New York
When you see a country of origin like Cambodia for a jack, chances are it is Chinese made shipped to Cambodia from China for export to the USA. There has been a LOT of that in trying to position around the every changing tariffs by the current administration. Businesses try to game tariffs. But they are changing so much and so fast, at least a few months ago, many do not know what to do and it has been mass chaos. The tariffs are driving up prices though (most everywhere at least 10%), but the effect has been slower due to the daily shifts, orders rushed before implementation, and reduction shifts by reexporting transit shipping (with maybe some repackaging and labeling).

I would be intrigued if this all led to more USA domestic production of basic stuff. But sofar, that appears not to be happening on a significant scale. I believe USA manufacturing value has even been going down further since January, 2025 :(
I'm pretty sure it's China hence my assumption before I read the label and then corrected to what was on the label.
It's identical in every way to some generic ones I had in South Africa under different names to complement my larger one. I forget the name of that larger one I had but it was a trooper and trooped on for years without any issues while one of the generics just started sagging after the 2nd or 3rd use, the other generic was ok.

I want one like the larger one I had again, wish I could remember what it was. It was red , had a 4 metric tonn load rating with a long handle that you'd twist to ease off pressure , that's all I can remember about it.
 

dscheidt

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2017
Messages
2,893
When you see a country of origin like Cambodia for a jack, chances are it is Chinese made shipped to Cambodia from China for export to the USA. There has been a LOT of that in trying to position around the every changing tariffs by the current administration. Businesses try to game tariffs. But they are changing so much and so fast, at least a few months ago, many do not know what to do and it has been mass chaos. The tariffs are driving up prices though (most everywhere at least 10%), but the effect has been slower due to the daily shifts, orders rushed before implementation, and reduction shifts by reexporting transit shipping (with maybe some repackaging and labeling).

I would be intrigued if this all led to more USA domestic production of basic stuff. But sofar, that appears not to be happening on a significant scale. I believe USA manufacturing value has even been going down further since January, 2025 :(
There’s a lot of Chinese manufacturers moving assembly operations to Cambodia and Vietnam, because it’s too expensive to do it in china. I expect all the parts are Chinese, of course.
 
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Squankum

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Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
7,719
Location
Southeast
I left my old Wiha screw driver set behind when I moved not realizing how hard finding replacements was going to be. They're hard plastic red see through handles. Were the most comfortable screw drivers to use and just fitted right.

This kind?


I've been using this kind of handle Wiha for 25 years and they're my standard/fave.

 

neophyte

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Joined
Apr 23, 2012
Messages
9,677
Location
Pennsylvannia
Interesting. You use a wooden mallet for sheet steel?
We were using forged steel hammers - kinda-sorta like auto body hammers - to form sheet copper with sandbags.
I would assume you'd want more hammer for steel. :headscrat
Rawhide mallets are routinely used for working softer metals like those used for jewelry, but also copper and bronze alloys.
Wood forms are also routinely used for forming metal as well.
 

neophyte

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Apr 23, 2012
Messages
9,677
Location
Pennsylvannia
Yes, Stanley is multi-threaded. Mostly rebranded stuff made abroad. That fits the model of usual contemporary USA business: low cost imports rebranded for high profit. However, as another guy pointed out, contrary to what I thought, Snap On is not making most of it's profit from tools, but rather other directions with abroad production companies they own, financial services, etc. I should have looked more before commenting that it is good to see a USA tool company with lower tech production making enough profit to be in the S&P 500. But even with the exceptionally high prices Snap On charges on it's line of USA domestic-made tools, most of the profit is not from those tools. That is sobering on how things work today and the expectation of big money in USA business these days. There is not room for smaller stuff any more to be worth significant $ from Wall Street's perspective.
The “Stanley” brand, at least in the USA is in many cases import tools, but the tools may come from a number of countries, from England, to Italy, to Germany, to Taiwan, and of course China.
There are also the Stanley tools that are “Assembled in the USA”, from “US and imported components”, which doesn’t actually tell a person what components are made in the USA or imported.
Stanley hot fined millions of dollars on a couple of occasions for falsely labelling tools as “USA made”, and nowadays Stanley seems reluctant to label anything as “US Made” if there could be any possibly infringement of the US regulations concerning “USA Made” regulations.
Other Stanley divisions such as Proto and MAC still have a number of USA made tools, although not the complete tool lines.

As for Snap-On, they also have a number of foreign made items that are branded as Snap-On or Blue-Point, and they took the Bahco brand, and first shifted most production out of Sweden to Spain, and now seem to be shifting production again to who knows where.
 

BobsYourUncle69

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Joined
Dec 21, 2023
Messages
422
Location
Westchester New York
This kind?


I've been using this kind of handle Wiha for 25 years and they're my standard/fave.

Those are the ones , yes. Can't find them anywhere. I should have brought them with me.
After decades of use , they didn't look nearly that clean though
 
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neophyte

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Apr 23, 2012
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Pennsylvannia
Those are the ones , yes. Can't find them anywhere. I should have brought them with me.
After decades of use , they didn't look nearly that clean though
SAM Outillage and Facom both make similarly handled screwdrivers, although maybe a bit more rounded.
Heyco also manufactures a clear handles screwdriver with a squarish shape, although with some curves added.
CK Tools of the UK, which mostly has their tools made in Germany, (I think), also does a squarish clear handle.

 

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BobsYourUncle69

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Dec 21, 2023
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422
Location
Westchester New York
SAM Outillage and Facom both make similarly handled screwdrivers, although maybe a bit more rounded.
Heyco also manufactures a clear handles screwdriver with a squarish shape, although with some curves added.
CK Tools of the UK, which mostly has their tools made in Germany, (I think), also does a squarish clear handle.

Thanks , I'll have a look.
The only experience I have with Heyco is the double sided screw drivers I used to take out of our BMWs in the past and then keep them when the car moved along. I had so many of them at one point
They were nice enough to use and often came in handy.

I'll have a look at these as well as the Wiha soft grips suggested earlier.
 

Squankum

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Mar 28, 2011
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”Wasserpumpenzange” on the other side is common name used for decades. Some claim the name goes back to how these pliers are typically used, in a motion that resembles using a manual water pump. Others claim it goes back to their use to tighten the stuffing box/ gland package on water pumps found in motor vehicles.

I found the answer! Well, I found a guy who probably knows, and I sure wish I could read page 2!

 

dwasifar

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Joined
May 28, 2017
Messages
2,096
I also got a two pack of 40 tooth general purpose 10" saw blades at Lowe's:

1000000900.jpg

I've reached the conclusion that as long as I keep working with jatoba, I'm gonna keep going through saw blades, so I'm just going to try something disposable like these and see how that goes.

I tried one of these out today. Ripped halfway through a jatoba board with the Makita blade that was on the saw, then switched to one of these Irwin blades and cut it the rest of the way. It cut almost as smooth as the Makita, but much faster and easier. Though I suppose that's just new vs old blade, still, these are fine, I'll use 'em.
 

Steve_P

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Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
5,185
Those are the ones , yes. Can't find them anywhere. I should have brought them with me.
After decades of use , they didn't look nearly that clean though

Those are in the 2008 catalog in phillips and cabinet slotted. The soft grip style was dominating the selection by then and the hard handles were almost non-existent as far as overall product selection.

I really like the Wiha soft finish. I have a few basic Williams hard handles I can use if my hands are filthy.
 

Beerhippie

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Joined
Oct 13, 2023
Messages
9,806
Location
Far NE Oregon
SAM Outillage and Facom both make similarly handled screwdrivers, although maybe a bit more rounded.
Heyco also manufactures a clear handles screwdriver with a squarish shape, although with some curves added.
CK Tools of the UK, which mostly has their tools made in Germany, (I think), also does a squarish clear handle.

I have the set of translucent green Heycos. The handles stay amazingly clean, but that's likely because they so closely resemble a Lime lolly-pop that I'm always licking them. They taste much more like auto grease and grime, but....
 

lund

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Nov 2, 2019
Messages
788
Location
Michigan
There’s a lot of Chinese manufacturers moving assembly operations to Cambodia and Vietnam, because it’s too expensive to do it in china. I expect all the parts are Chinese, of course.
Maybe some. But I think most of it recently is just relabeling for tariff manipulations that are shifting with too much rapidity for businesses to respond. Parts gets shipped from China (maybe even mostly assembled) then boxed and labeled in places like Cambodia and Vietnam for shipping to the USA. It is probably difficult to break down fully what is done where and there may be no duties paid between China and the front companies. China has rising wages, but they have been remarkably proficient at compensating for that with automation. So they may still remain king of production of lower value stuff made in mass in spite of increasing wages.

Economics looks more like a life form to me with the intricate coupling to people trying to gain advantages in whatever direction possible. It is certainly complex. There are also a lot of regulations that only get part followed and/or capricious changes which alter what is viable or not through no fault of the business people. That may be a big reason why USA businesses are so fixated at making profit at expense of the future. Who knows what the future brings.
 
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