Wiha or Wera

[Mr Ratchet]

I don't have either Wera or Wiha in a torx driver. My torx drivers are SK and 20 plus years old and have worn well.

I do have Wera screwdrivers and Whia ball hex drivers. I like the handles on the Wera the best, but everyone is different. The Whia's feel pretty good as do the SK's though.

 

[BQuicksilver]

I Like the tips on the Wera and the handles on the Wiha. The Wiha softfinish grips are the most comfortable drivers I've ever held and Weras have outstanding tips, wish I could combine the two. (Wiha tips aren't bad by any standard though.)

Exactly how I feel.

 

[Zrexxer]

I decided to give the Wihas a try, although it was pretty much a flip of the coin. I got the 12 pc T5-T40 set for $42 on Amazon, and I had some rewards points that ended up making my final cost about $15 with free shipping. I figure for that, it's a no brainer. They should be here Saturday, I'll follow up once I receive them.

 

[shanker]

my Father-in-law who is a bodyman has a set of Facom screwdrivers he got as a gift from an independent tool truck operator and they are NICE...I've tried to talk him out of them, but he's VERY proud of them.

I've looked online but cant really find an affordable source for them..they're really comfortable and the tips seems to be very strong as well

the Facom screwdrivers he has have Black handles with a grey stripe and red accents, I havnt found a source for the particular ones that he has, they also have a hex mount at the base of the handle for the ability to put a wrench on them for a little more torque

 

[shanker]

this is the most similar I've been able to find:

but his have the hex bosses at the base of the handle for a wrench and the base of the handle is slightly different

 

[Jononon]

I second the Wera tips, Wiha handles idea. As it is, Wiha wins, I don't find the Wera *** toy handle comfortable. They're both good quality and relatively reasonably priced, so there isn't a wrong choice on this one, IMHO.

I havnt found a source for the particular ones that he has

I'm afraid you never will, that style is no longer in production. The new Facoms are very nice, too, though.

 

[cosmik binturong]

I'm afraid you never will, that style is no longer in production. The new Facoms are very nice, too, though.

still available at Ultgar' site and sometime cheaper than here in France , but those are pretty lame compared to the black handled series, those are the best ever produced by Facom. ever.

nor will i clean it up, it's kept here as a warning for the future generations!

 

[Jononon]

still available at Ultgar' site and sometime cheaper than here in France

NOS, someone on here who ordered some got items so ancient the red bit had shrunk!

 

[Monte]

hmmm those black series look nice

 

[cosmik binturong]

hmmm those black series look nice

too bad for you they don't make them as 13mm combination wrenches!


here's another view of the four i have in the box:

and a comparison with a longer Snap-on:

and, no, the differences in length have nothing to do with that feeling: weight, shaft and handle material are worlds appart...

 

[AutomatiquE]

@Cosmik : It's the first time i see those black handle Facom's. Never heard about them before you've posted these pics, they do look strong with nicely chromed shafts. What do you think, when Facom discontinued them ?

 

[cosmik binturong]

@Cosmik : It's the first time i see those black handle Facom's.

really? they were in the catalogs when i bought them in the '90s, tried the small T6 and was sold on them!

but it's true they're not very well known: too expensive, i know of only a friend that has a whole collection in his (professional) garage... but he's a real Facom black handles nutcase!

Never heard about them before you've posted these pics, they do look strong with nicely chromed shafts. What do you think, when Facom stoped their production ?

one of those, the PZ3 on the bottom, is black "industrial": finish, not chrome...

i don't know when they stopped production but that should have been in the early '00s or earlier... i feel too that they never ever ever produced a better screwdriver and should be ashamed(it won't happen, they're Stanley's french minions now) to have ceased production and for having replaced them with ****** products(Ergotwist, Ergopro...

), even the famed and infamous Isoryls are not that sturdy nor good lookin'!

and i never had to warranty one of those too!

if you see one, get it, you won't regret it! they're pretty awesome...

(that comes from a guy that does not like Facom and the french "Facom or nothing else" mentality that much* )




* except, of course, when they produce some beautiful and useful stuff...

 

[Monte]

too bad for you they don't make them as 13mm combination wrenches!

i collect screwdrivers too

 

[cosmik binturong]

ok, next one i found is for your collection, if i already have one like it!



nice collection

 

[AutomatiquE]

Cosmik, i started to buy some Facom's stuff in 2005-2006. My first drivers were from the Enduro series, those with a red ring on black matt handle. Before that the only drivers i knew were my Father's old Facom's with the famous orange translucide handle. I presume he bought them in early 80's. So, the "Black Handles" you've posted are in the 00's period, right in the gap between my father's collection and mine That would explain my ignorance about their existence.

Little off topic : Stanley is not the only one to blame for the quality collapse of Facom, but rather more a bad French management started in 90's and driven by some well paid morons who had nothing to do with the tool industry (the nephew of Liliane Betencourt was one of them...). Stanley took over the company much more later, in 2005 i think.

PS : Btw, one of the morons i mentioned, who drove Facom to the bankrupt, now lives in a nice resitential area in the south of Spain. He refuses any kind of interview...

 

[Monte]

The mistake was to sell Facom to Fimalac

 

[AutomatiquE]

Monte, you know many-many things... Fimalac was one of the numerous Facom's mistakes. Actually, Facom started to mess long time before Fimalac : around in the middle of 80's with the low coast chinese tools irruption in the West. They haven't been able to react to this new competitor. The proper reaction will have been to keep producing high end and innovatives tools, just like the German did. There will always be a market for quality tools or quality food, shoes, furnitures, etc.
On the contrary, Facom's managers choose the wrong path...the one wich leads to overseas Taiwanese facories.

 

[Monte]

and the main mistake...: stock exchange
If you bring your company to the stock exchange everything will go downhill.
Only owner operated companies will survive on the long run...


How was the saying again ?:

How you can make a "small fortune" at the stock exchange ?
If you invest a "big fortune"...

 

[cosmik binturong]

Little off topic : Stanley is not the only one to blame for the quality collapse of Facom, but rather more a bad French management started in 90's and driven by some well paid morons who had nothing to do with the tool industry (the nephew of Liliane Betencourt was one of them...). Stanley took over the company much more later, in 2005 i think.

yes, the "New Management Era" of the "Professional Managers"... how many good, profitable while making quality products, companies have i seen disappear because those kind of know-it-all-f*cktards-with-an-Excel-spreadsheet-sorry-excuse-for-a-brain took the reins...

then you have Stanley a-comin' : RIP Facom of old...

PS : Btw, one of the morons i mentioned, who drove Facom to the bankrupt, now lives in a nice resitential area in the south of Spain. He refuses any kind of interview...

reminds me of the "professional poker players" that got hold of Sturmey-Archer when Raleigh decided to focus on "profitability" and ended in insolvency or whatever it's called...

 

[AutomatiquE]

and the main mistake...: stock exchange
If you bring your company to the stock exchange everything will go downhill.
Only owner operated companies will survive on the long run...


How was the saying again ?:

How you can make a "small fortune" at the stock exchange ?
If you invest a "big fortune"...

+1 Monte ! Banks, stock exchange, the big money : it's hell. It kills everything, quality, craftmanship, no more passion, no more dreams I'm really starting to belong to those people who believe it was better "before", "back to the days". Fortunatly we still have some strong fortresses just like Stahlwille, Gedore, Racodon...but you know them better than me

 

[Monte]

ok, next one i found is for your collection, if i already have one like it!

thx
I´ll find one here, just a matter of time !

nice collection

thanks

There will always be a market for quality tools or quality food, shoes, furnitures, etc.

But the market is rather small... and if you want to be a market leader...

On the contrary, Facom's managers choose the wrong path...the one wich leads to overseas Taiwanese facories.

but the Facom prices are still high...made in EU prices...

yes, the "New Management Era" of the "Professional Managers"... how many good, profitable while making quality products, companies have i seen disappear because those kind of know-it-all-f*cktards-with-an-Excel-spreadsheet-sorry-excuse-for-a-brain took the reins...

then you have Stanley a-comin' : RIP Facom of old...

calm down

+1 Monte ! Banks, stock exchange, the big money : it's hell. It kills everything, quality, craftmanship, no more passion, no more dreams I'm really starting to belong to those people who believe it was better "before", "back to the days". Fortunatly we still have some strong fortresses just like Stahlwille, Gedore, Racodon...but you know them better than me

we will see how long these companies can remain to be "quality leaders" instead of "quantity leaders"... hopefully long enough.... at least until I´m dead

 

[AutomatiquE]

@Zrexxer : Sorry for hijacking your Thread You did well by buying this Wiha set. Wiha are very good tools, i've got many.

 

[cosmik binturong]

@Zrexxer : Sorry for hijacking your Thread You did well by buying this Wiha set. Wiha are very good tools, i've got many.

oh... that was Zrexxer thread? oops... sorry!


as AutomatiquE so aptly said: nice choice!

 

[AutomatiquE]

Monte :

- You're right about Facom's silly prices. That's probably the main part of their strategy : keeping high prices to make people confident about the "quality" of the tools they're buying...what an irony

- The tool market is small, i know that, but who said Stahlwille, Hazet and other whant to be market leader ? To be market leader can be risky, maybe they just want to produce nice and quality tools and hope their grandsons will run the company later

 

[Jononon]

the Facom prices are still high...made in EU prices...

Facom screwdrivers are made in the EU

 

[rocco]

i got these Wiha torx drivers a while back and i love the handle, such a nice hard handle, very comfortable to use.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Ooooooooh.. those are nice. I have a Wiha trim tool with that handle, it's very nice to use and very comfortable.

 

[AutomatiquE]

I've got a Wiha scraper with same handle :

 

[Monte]

 

[tankboy_taylor]

Do you want tools from a german brand or also german made ?

my 25 dollar set of Wiha pozigrip screwdrivers all made in germany stamped right on them. on the package it says assembled in the US very nicely made drivers I love German made products especially cooking knives

 

[Zrexxer]

I love German made products especially cooking knives

I agree on that one; my kitchen knives are Wüsthof.

The Wihas came today ahead of schedule... Impressions and photos tomorrow.

 

[meank20]

I agree on that one; my kitchen knives are Wüsthof.

The Wihas came today ahead of schedule... Impressions and photos tomorrow.

Which ones did you get and from where?

 

[Sodder]

Just got a stack of wiha t handle hexes and about 12 screwdrivers from them... Love they way they feel in my hand.

 

[Zrexxer]

Which ones did you get and from where?

Wüsthof Trident Classic... can't remember where I got them, I've had them for years.

 

[Zrexxer]

Well obviously I can't comment on usage yet since they just came last night, but overall impressions are good. The handles are comfortable even though they have a little too much bulge for my taste, and the tips seems to be well formed. I'm happy, especially at $15 for the whole set. Oh, and they are definitely made in Germany.

 

[metalgodlb]

Well obviously I can't comment on usage yet since they just came last night, but overall impressions are good. The handles are comfortable even though they have a little too much bulge for my taste, and the tips seems to be well formed. I'm happy, especially at $15 for the whole set. Oh, and they are definitely made in Germany.

forgive if i missed a post but, 15.00? ebay or do you have a deal that i dont? I want some!

 

[balane]

forgive if i missed a post but, 15.00? ebay or do you have a deal that i dont? I want some!

He had some Amazon Reward Points to spend. Those would run you in the $45-$50 range typically and imho they are very much worth that price.

Your set looks fantastic! Enjoy them.

 

[Zrexxer]

Yep, they were $42 and change, but I have an Amazon Visa card and I had enough points to buy them down to $15 out of pocket.

 

[tankboy_taylor]

I agree on that one; my kitchen knives are Wüsthof.

off topic but I use only Wüsthof in the kitchen stuff is top notch still saving for an Ikon Series

I like those hard plastic Wiha also top quality stuff will probally end up getting the ones with striking caps on them.

 

[3 at 8]

i got these Wiha torx drivers a while back and i love the handle, such a nice hard handle, very comfortable to use.

I don't see this handle style offered on the Wiha site. Any reference to a suplier or product availibilty for this torx set would be appreciated. Also; did they make slotted and philips in this handle style as well? Thanks