Show your new tool arrivals

[NightSky]

I will say the chrome is nice n shiny which adds a new dimension to the rainbow coloring.

They came in a nice box



With high security packing. The screws were a wonderful touch



And now you too can gaze upon the glory that is a set of toolant rainbow wrenches
You’re welcome since I’m now saving all of you the embarrassment I must endure pulling these out some day on a project. 🥹

Looks like raw material for that wind chime project you've been planning.

 

[jade97]

Bought, but not yet received....(2) USG 72" bottom boxes in black.

 

[wire]

Well ya’ll, I’ll say it because ya’ll are thinking it anyways…

Are you a “little light in the loafers” @LXCam ?

Awww come on...lol. Who among us has not bought the same tool twice because we forgot we already had one? It's happened to me

 

[Steel_Rain]

Looks like raw material for that wind chime project you've been planning.

Hey, if this wrenching thing doesn’t work out, there is always hairdressing.

 

[Beerhippie]

Drum brake spring tool?

 

[wire]

Picked up this little gem off of marketplace, told the guy I didn't want the stuff that was in it but he left it in anyways and this interesting tool was in it.

90˚ head lamp spring adjuster

 

[Pinne]

Picked up this Icon creeper seat. For $70, it's very solid. Frame is rigid, wheels roll nicely, even the cover is burly.

Don't worry, bought a bunch of small stuff that was on sale to make myself feel better about paying full price for anything at HF.

 

[Squankum]

C'mon, get serious. They'll be perfect for the next time he's wrenchin' on a float at the local Pride Parade.

Please, the tools to make friends there are from:



I have a friend who has these and likes them. Says they're faster. Sure, I distrust the break from tradition and the flashiness, but really, I don't know that I'll remember the color/size code.

 

[moemc]

Picked up this Icon creeper seat. For $70, it's very solid. Frame is rigid, wheels roll nicely, even the cover is burly.

Don't worry, bought a bunch of small stuff that was on sale to make myself feel better about paying full price for anything at HF.

I bought one of these a few months ago for washing cars. I designed TPU bumpers to 3D print that cover the 180 degree arcs of the frame. I was absolutely paranoid of those running into the car or wheel face. I remember you bought a 3D printer a few weeks back or whatever, maybe you'll want to print these! I need to host them up on makersworld. I also have rough drafts of bumper skirts for the casters, but have not prototyped it yet.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

/me bows his head in shame

I um…well um…I’m not sure how to say this but

I bought these. I paid like $44 delivered. It um seemed like a good buy but I’d also just got done working 74hrs in five days and as much as it pains me to add….im fn old and wasn’t paying much attention

What did I buy, well I got a set of rainbow wrenches.

What are rainbow wrenches you ask…or not

Well the sizes are all colored in with all the colors under the rainbow.

They also have some feeble attempt at being a grip open end. If the notching were more consistent I’m almost tell you it was intentional. But I have my doubts

I will say the chrome is nice n shiny which adds a new dimension to the rainbow coloring.

They came in a nice box



With high security packing. The screws were a wonderful touch



And now you too can gaze upon the glory that is a set of toolant rainbow wrenches




You’re welcome since I’m now saving all of you the embarrassment I must endure pulling these out some day on a project. 🥹

Maybe throw them in the Subaru?

 

[mreisner]

90˚ head lamp spring adjuster

Correct, I hadn't seen one of these in decades either.

 

[NUTTSGT]

/me bows his head in shame

What did I buy, well I got a set of rainbow wrenches.


You’re welcome since I’m now saving all of you the embarrassment I must endure pulling these out some day on a project. 🥹

First question. Do they work ?


Look like perfect loaner wrenches to me.

 

[LXCam]

First question. Do they work ?


Look like perfect loaner wrenches to me.

Haven’t a clue if they’ll do what they’re advertised to do. They went in a zippered bag and in the truck.

Loaners?, ya could be. Long long ago I was having issues with good extension cords going missing on projects. So I ordered a bunch of pink ones and they stopped growing legs.

It’s rare anything finds a new home nowadays by itself but this could be the solution.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Haven’t a clue if they’ll do what they’re advertised to do. They went in a zippered bag and in the truck.

Loaners?, ya could be. Long long ago I was having issues with good extension cords going missing on projects. So I ordered a bunch of pink ones and they stopped growing legs.

It’s rare anything finds a new home nowadays by itself but this could be the solution.

You're supposed to tape up a spot near the middle of cord and another near the male end of the plug on extension cords.

Makes people think they have been repaired and they don't want a junk cord.

 

[ecotec]

Please, the tools to make friends there are from:



I have a friend who has these and likes them. Says they're faster. Sure, I distrust the break from tradition and the flashiness, but really, I don't know that I'll remember the color/size code.

If those had a more standard color scheme (1/4” and 1/2” red, 3/8” blue, 5/16” yellow, 7/16” brown…), I would buy those so fast.

Basically, if the color scheme was the same as my Klein nut drivers… I would buy them. That is the color scheme that I know.

I would love for Klein to make a SAE socket set (with an 11/32”) with color over the whole of each socket.

 

[lund]

Please, the tools to make friends there are from:



I have a friend who has these and likes them. Says they're faster. Sure, I distrust the break from tradition and the flashiness, but really, I don't know that I'll remember the color/size code.

Tool pride day. From all walks of sockets

In all seriousness, I doubt I could ever remember the color coding unless I were using them very heavily.

 

[Pinne]

I bought one of these a few months ago for washing cars. I designed TPU bumpers to 3D print that cover the 180 degree arcs of the frame. I was absolutely paranoid of those running into the car or wheel face. I remember you bought a 3D printer a few weeks back or whatever, maybe you'll want to print these! I need to host them up on makersworld. I also have rough drafts of bumper skirts for the casters, but have not prototyped it yet.

That's a great idea - I'd definitely check those out if you put the design up.

I was originally thinking I'd buy the Grant's "Compact" Detail Seat but it really isn't very compact. I liked the trays on it though and may see about adding some holders for spray bottles and brushes to this Icon seat.

 

[four.cycle]

In all seriousness, I doubt I could every remember the color coding unless I were using them very heavily.

If you used the same tools every day, you'd have the colors memorized in fairly short order.
But I only pull out a socket and ratchet when needed - and weeks or months might go by in the meantime. I doubt I'd be able to remember which color was which size.
Other than that, I fail to see why this is an issue.

 

[Squankum]

Recent purchases of a few weeks ago:

1) Prothane brand jack pad. $18.51 Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00387A6TC?tag=atomicindus08-20

Had trouble finding it on Amazon this time around, but figured it out. Really wasn't finding it on the Prothane website, they're busy selling suspension bushings to the kids who .... like that sort of thing. Appeared to be in stock at Summit Racing, too.

Bought one of these about a decade ago and it's almost indestructible.




2) HF "BADLANDS" 3 ton jack. I bought it for the wheels! Seriously, working in a gravel lot sometimes lately. Not until I got it home did I discover it's a giant aluminum jack! Handle, too. Neat. The other reason I was buying it was that lifting my normal 3-ton jack into the car was a bit of hernia risk at 100 lbs and I was going to keep this in a shed at the remote location.

Not cheap, but there was a 25% off sale that weekend. I don't think I could have pulled the trigger otherwise.

I am not an member of the Inside Track cabal, but I see this today:

3 Ton Off-Road Jack

Amazing deals on this 3 Ton Off-Road Jack at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Also comes with a pedestal you can bolt to the normal jack pad, for vehicles with lots of ground clearance. A hex key for its bolts has a hiding spot on the jack, too. I'll be leaving all of that at home. The pedestal base/tube is steel.



A stamped metal 19mm wrench is included for the wheel nuts. Who buys a 3-ton jack and doesn't have wrenches? Just for that I installed the wheel nuts with a Snap On Dual 80 ratchet. (And I'll be re-doing the job, noticing the washers too late, distracted by the other stuff I don't care about which I think straps the pedestal in another spot on the jack when not in use.) Instructions about some of this are vague or absent.

Shown in the pic above but not at all visible is the plastic block preventing the pump-handle yoke from rising. Boy, did I feel like a caveman. Read the instructions and heard the tale of a mysterious plastic block to be removed, but only with goggles on. Ah, it's black plastic. Jerks.


Jack also has a fabric lifting handle loop. I've not hoisted this thing yet, so I don't have an opinion about it. It also has the side handles like the baby aluminum race jack. Also -- pretty neat -- there's a skid plate. I don't foresee using it, but I don't work in the... BADLANDS.

3) HUNH!

I have now hoisted the jack, without handle, into the back of the SUV. Sweet relief! Not hard at all.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Today's instalment of my Japan haul.

KTC M27 double box end angle offset wrench 8,10mm
Each end is at a different rotational offset, for the engagement options of a 12 point box. No chamfer - I got the 10mm for a silly recessed nut on a bicycle that protruded only 1mm. The only other sizes available are 12 and 14mm, which I’d be unlikely to need.


Koken Zeal 2300XZ 1/4" Drive Socket 6-Point semi-deep 7,8,10,12,13mm
I wanted something thin wall, having had to abuse a Felo nut driver recently to get at a nut down a threaded plug hole. These are the thinnest around - 13.5mm diameter in size 10mm. I only got semi-deep because the shallow ones are so shallow and there isn’t a normal height option.

Koken Zeal 2400MZ 1/4" Drive Socket 6-Point shallow 8,10mm
These have the tiniest amount of chamfer. Bought in case I couldn’t get the above wrench in position. Very shallow internally.


Anex AHC-1511 Coin driver bit 110mm (4.3”)
Anex AHF-1511 Faucet driver bit 110mm (4.3”)
I’m sure they’ll come in useful one day. The faucet one is also available in 150mm (6”).


Engineer DR-54 Petit thumb ratchet spinner bit holder
Kind of thing that’d get you out of a pinch. To reverse it, you just insert the bit on the opposite side. There is a newer DR-154 version with a direction switch instead, and a higher tooth count.

 

[ChefRex]

If you used the same tools every day, you'd have the colors memorized in fairly short order.
But I only pull out a socket and ratchet when needed - and weeks or months might go by in the meantime. I doubt I'd be able to remember which color was which size.
Other than that, I fail to see why this is an issue.

I use my tools daily, color really wouldn't make a difference, I barely look down to grab a socket, it all in my head.

 

[terrific]

Keiba FCC-118 High Grade High Leverage side cutting [linesman] pliers 200mm (8”)
This has a brass sleeved joint for smoothness. The grabbing area at the front has serration lines, whereas the standard leverage FCC-108 has cross hatching which I would prefer.

The sleeve looks really cool, but is it functional? I think it's static friction we care about for pliers, because the bad pairs usually stick and then let go suddenly. A quick google search says the coefficient for steel on steel with grease is 0.16 and steel on brass with grease is 0.19.

Maybe it's easier to make sure the brass is perfectly smooth?

 

[pfbz]

Picked up the Icon 1/2" Digital Angle Torque wrench yesterday... Still pricey at $275 on sale but 1/3 the price of a Snappy. I still prefer split beams for most things, but wanted a digital angle torque for the box as well.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

The sleeve looks really cool, but is it functional? I think it's static friction we care about for pliers, because the bad pairs usually stick and then let go suddenly. A quick google search says the coefficient for steel on steel with grease is 0.16 and steel on brass with grease is 0.19.

Maybe it's easier to make sure the brass is perfectly smooth?

They're as smooth as a good steel joint that's in new/good condition. I can't tell that they're any better. They do point out that it'll be smooth even if the rest of the plier gets rusty.

I think the main purpose of the "high grade" series though is just to be the brand flagship.

 

[lund]

The sleeve looks really cool, but is it functional? I think it's static friction we care about for pliers, because the bad pairs usually stick and then let go suddenly. A quick google search says the coefficient for steel on steel with grease is 0.16 and steel on brass with grease is 0.19.

Maybe it's easier to make sure the brass is perfectly smooth?

I think the sleeve may be bronze. That makes it self-lubricating and it being softer there should be less binding.

Japan makes some very high quality production pliers. If you can get things shipped for reasonable cost without triggering tariffs (no idea how that works now and who pays what), prices also can be super low in part due to the US Dollar being so inflated now relative to the Japanese Yen.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

I think the sleeve may be bronze. That makes it self-lubricating and it being softer there should be less binding.

It appears you're right, and that would make sense.

Their English page says "gunmetal sandwich". Their Japanese page when fed through Google Translate does say "bronze". Looks like the brass misconception is pretty common in English everywhere online.

 

[Stridercondor]

I got got for this set of snap on 1/4 drive impact swivel sockets. It was 50% off and was hard to pass up.

 

[terrific]

I think the sleeve may be bronze. That makes it self-lubricating and it being softer there should be less binding.

Self-lubricating bronze is formed through sintering and then tiny pores in the structure are filled with grease. It's not an inherent property of bronze. But if that's the case, it would retain the grease better. That's starting to make sense. I wonder if you could squeeze the pliers hard enough to deform the sleeve.

 

[Lowlevel2021]

Been waiting for these to go on sale so figured why not. A little less than the special that comes with the storage rack if u buy all 4.

 

[OccupantRJ]

See also: ten pounds in a five-pound bag....

A Blivet.

 

[lund]

Self-lubricating bronze is formed through sintering and then tiny pores in the structure are filled with grease. It's not an inherent property of bronze. But if that's the case, it would retain the grease better. That's starting to make sense. I wonder if you could squeeze the pliers hard enough to deform the sleeve.

Yes on the materials choices. I suspect they also know what they are doing in terms of materials, methods, and tolerances.

I have a friend with some of these series of pliers and cutters and he swears by them and uses them very heavily. No hint of wear or degradation of surfaces or alignment on reasonable, non-abusive use. The Japanese manufacturer is high end and this is their top of the line model. It is not surprising that it is other level in quality. They may not warranty as easily as USA manufacturers in Japan though. Part because they inspect products and they know that if it fails it is much more likely misuse. So the reason would need to be very good for them to believe a failure claim: like an obvious material problem. But that is all unlikely if they are used reasonably.

I suspect if these were made/sold by a USA tool truck brand they would be beyond ridiculous in price.

 

[KnurledNut]

Self-lubricating bronze is formed through sintering and then tiny pores in the structure are filled with grease. It's not an inherent property of bronze. But if that's the case, it would retain the grease better. That's starting to make sense. I wonder if you could squeeze the pliers hard enough to deform the sleeve.

Commonly known as Oilite bushings in the USA.
oilite.com

In Japan, they may source from Oiles Corporation.
https://oiles.co.jp/en/

 

[four.cycle]

^ starter and generator bushings were made out of that stuff.
(back when you could go into a parts store and buy new sintered bronze bushings for your generator.)

 

[ETJ]

This pile of styrofoam and metal is my new Cowley english wheel.

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

You're supposed to tape up a spot near the middle of cord and another near the male end of the plug on extension cords.

Makes people think they have been repaired and they don't want a junk cord.

Nobody was ever going to steal my dad’s heavy extension cord from the ‘60s that he used on the farm to run his electric grain auger. It had been run over with the mower and taped back together. In the ‘90s I was helping him trim his shrubs with his old Black and Decker metal framed hedge clippers and hole standing on an 8’ step ladder. We’d gone in for lunch and when we came back out and I hit the trigger I got a pretty good jolt. Dad chases down the cord unwraps the black tape and fixes it again then says “Try it now” and got irritated with me when I told him to try it because I didn’t want to get shocked again. I threw that cord away when my brother and I cleaned out his garage after he died. I looked at my older brother and asked him if he needed a heavy cord. “Not that piece of sh…Do you know how many times he fixed that?”

 

[Squankum]

Self-lubricating bronze is formed through sintering and then tiny pores in the structure are filled with grease. It's not an inherent property of bronze. But if that's the case, it would retain the grease better. That's starting to make sense. I wonder if you could squeeze the pliers hard enough to deform the sleeve.

Project Farm could!

 

[lund]

Project Farm could!

Many of Project Farm tool failure tests represent tool abuse on uses well outside the design range. They should have little bearing on proper use. He also tests to failure in groups of one not leaving any clue on statistical significance. It is effectively more click bait. Some of the Project Farm guy's tests are clever and useful. But it is mixed in with wild and strange stuff. Ergonomics, balance, and long cycle wear also matter in terms of work performance.

 

[ecotec]

If you used the same tools every day, you'd have the colors memorized in fairly short order.
But I only pull out a socket and ratchet when needed - and weeks or months might go by in the meantime. I doubt I'd be able to remember which color was which size.
Other than that, I fail to see why this is an issue.

The standardized ANSI/ASME color scheme is used pretty broadly. When Klein and Snap-on use them, they look like more obvious colors (brown is brown…). The Harbor Freight ANSI/ASME colors are weird dull shades.

I like to carry the most common sockets for my job (3/8”, 7/16” shallow and deep, 1/2”, 9/16” shallow and deep, 10mm, 13mm, and 17mm). It is few enough that I don’t need color coding. If I was going to spend the money on it, they would have to be more obvious colors.

I also carry an 11/32” socket for ballasts in ceiling lights. This is, probably, not a common size for any other job.

There is really no store bought solution for my needs. I just grab what I need for work out of my spares.

 

[Beerhippie]

I also carry an 11/32” socket for ballasts in ceiling lights. This is, probably, not a common size for any other job.

11/32" is a common size for the stem packing nuts on common ball valve sizes, like 1/2"-1".

 

[a6hux]

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