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C

CR888

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 19, 2017
Messages
1,198
Those Koken wobble drivers look great. They appear to have the locking feature where if you push the socket on a click further they function as normal & not wobble. Clever versatile design! As for Japanese ratchets and back drag....no one gets it like they do.
 
K

Kasal

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 21, 2017
Messages
738
Location
Galicia, España
I think it was a good deal I got them for 20 $ US with shipping, in an auction on ebay.
 

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Reed Prince

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Joined
May 30, 2017
Messages
588
Location
Northern Virginia USA
Kasal said:
I think it was a good deal I got them for 20 $ US with shipping, in an auction on ebay.
Click to expand...
People have certainly paid more than that recently. :)

qpJ0OT7.png
 
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superautobacs

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 31, 2008
Messages
3,997
Location
Vancouver, BC
FastJ and BigBoreFan,

Thanks! I got another video coming, hopefully later today. It might entice your wallet to open up, ....again. :p;):D






Kasal,

That's a limited edition, anniversary model! Last time I checked, I didn't find them available for sale in Japan.




Tanukiboy,

I got one of those wobble-fix drivers as well in 1/4 drive. I bought it for one task in mind, and sits on the top lid of my trolley:

IMG_20180507_173623.jpg




BaMaDuDe87,

Just did a quick google search for the 1/4 drive short version (Part# 2769nwf-150) and Frankstools was the first hit:
http://www.frankstools.com/ko1wodr27.html
 
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ngk22r

Well-known member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
1,589
Location
AZ
tanukiboy said:
More Ko-ken love!

Just got a pair of Ko-ken Z-EAL ratchets: 3/8" and 1/4". The Z-EAL series ratchets are only 36 teeth, but the backdrag is amazingly light (Ko-ken claims the backdrag is 1/4 to 1/3 that of other ratchets).

View media item 83182
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When the 1/4" ratchet arrived, I was surprised at how tiny it was, especially since it actually cost more than the 3/8". But I figure the small size is a good design choice, since 1/4" drive tends to be used in cramped spaces.

Stamped "MADE IN JAPAN".

View media item 83185
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Click to expand...

:thumbup:

I have both of those and they are awesome!

The 1/4 can be appreciated where tight places and the very low backdrag save you a lot of time and headache!
 
A

AceofSpad3s

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 1, 2014
Messages
1,808
Where is the best place to find this stuff without my wallet getting raped by scalpers or fees?
amazon.jp I figure?
the koken low back drag ratchets interest me, how long is the rubberized portion on the handle? 7" inches is a bit of a short handle for me but so are most of the ratchets I got.

what's the back drag compared to a proto 5249, I think that's about the lightest one I got.
 
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ngk22r

Well-known member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
1,589
Location
AZ
AceofSpad3s said:
Where is the best place to find this stuff without my wallet getting raped by scalpers or fees?
amazon.jp I figure?
the koken low back drag ratchets interest me, how long is the rubberized portion on the handle? 7" inches is a bit of a short handle for me but so are most of the ratchets I got.

what's the back drag compared to a proto 5249, I think that's about the lightest one I got.
Click to expand...

One kit I got from Rakuten

Also the black handle is polymer.
 
S

superautobacs

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Joined
Oct 31, 2008
Messages
3,997
Location
Vancouver, BC
Some Ko-ken love in here:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x0Y32kdWJeE" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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sweet victory

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2016
Messages
1,263
Location
USA
superautobacs said:
I got the extra tips just sitting in the drawer. ....in other words, I've never swapped them. Save your money, and get the original Merry ones. The grips are way better in my opinion anyway.

You won't bend the tips....rather they are designed to flex when squeezed hard enough (at least that's the case with the Merry ones; not sure with the KTC). You can grasp a peanut bulb and not have to worry about breaking it.

This is illustrated in their (low quality) video. It's narrated in Japanese but you'll get the gist of it:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BSG84KGvdWQ" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Click to expand...

I need these in my life! I can't be the only one who struggles to remove stubborn electrical connects while cursing at it to come off. :lol_hitti
 
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AceofSpad3s

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Joined
Oct 1, 2014
Messages
1,808
boy going on amazon.jp is going to get me into some trouble

on a side note, why do these companies have a US website when they don't sell anything here? sure it's convenient for me but I don't think proto or SK is going and making japanese websites
 
S

superautobacs

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Joined
Oct 31, 2008
Messages
3,997
Location
Vancouver, BC
AceofSpad3s said:
Where is the best place to find this stuff without my wallet getting raped by scalpers or fees?
amazon.jp I figure?
the koken low back drag ratchets interest me, how long is the rubberized portion on the handle? 7" inches is a bit of a short handle for me but so are most of the ratchets I got.

what's the back drag compared to a proto 5249, I think that's about the lightest one I got.
Click to expand...

Probably similar to the Proto you have since Ko-ken's standard ratchets have been based on the Proto dual-pawl mechanism.






sweet victory said:
I need these in my life! I can't be the only one who struggles to remove stubborn electrical connects while cursing at it to come off. :lol_hitti
Click to expand...

My finger tips have been at ease for a few years now, and I curse a lot less. :D





AceofSpad3s said:
boy going on amazon.jp is going to get me into some trouble

on a side note, why do these companies have a US website when they don't sell anything here? sure it's convenient for me but I don't think proto or SK is going and making japanese websites
Click to expand...

They may not have distributors in North America, but they have the rest of the world market to cover, in English.

Snap-on and MAC have Japanese websites:
http://www.snapon.co.jp/

https://mactools.jp/
 
P

Prowagen

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
59
Location
Pocono Lake, PA
FastJ said:
View new items from amazon japan.
-Ko-ken 3/8 roto/swivel ratchet. Was a bit expensive, but so far I am very happy with Ko-ken quality in general so why not :). I usually prefer comfort etc. handles but the knurling with this one is really agressive and nice. 45 teeth and zero back drag or so little that makes no difference. 28cm long.
Click to expand...

What did the Ko-Ken Roto set you back?
 
B

bmwerkezhp

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2018
Messages
9
Location
Seattle, WA area
superautobacs said:
Some Ko-ken love in here:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x0Y32kdWJeE" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Great video! I have enjoyed watching your other videos on youtube as well. It appears that Nepros quick spinners are a bit hard to track down right now. The Nepros website is not taking orders, frankstools does not show any available, and amazon.com only shows the 1/2" size when I checked. Does that only really leave Rakuten??
 
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AceofSpad3s

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Joined
Oct 1, 2014
Messages
1,808
What is recommended for multi use tools under $35? Multi use as in drive tools like ratchets, drive handles, socket spinners, magnetic bit holders etc that isn't for only one specific use like a socket or regular screwdriver. If I spend the money to get some stuff here, I would like to have some stuff I can use a lot.
 
G

gbh

Well-known member
Joined
May 2, 2012
Messages
611
Nice awl Tanukiboy, I’ll have to keep my eyes open for one.
It’ll go nicely with my Sunflag and Anex scrapers.
PS: you’re going to love your Koken wobblehead drivers.
 

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T

tanukiboy

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
314
Location
Japan
Hey gbh.

The awl would certainly be a nice match with your Sunflag scraper. (In fact, looking at your scraper, I want to pick up one of those too.) I hadn't really paid much attention to the Sunflag brand before, but it seems that they offer a lot of interesting and well made tools for very reasonable prices.

Oh yeah, if you would prefer a round awl to a square one, here's a picture of Sunflag's offering:

View media item 83382
PS. Thanks again for recommending those great Koken wobble drivers. I already love them!
 
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J

Jeff

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2009
Messages
2,706
Location
Sonova Beach
I love Japanese tools. Sadly my go to US retailer closed.

Where's a decent site to get tools w/o getting raped on shipping?
 
2

225

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Messages
346
Location
Lafayette, La.
tanukiboy said:
Even more Ko-ken love!

Ko-ken wobble drivers: 3/8" long and short and 1/4" short. (Thanks to member "gbh" for posting about these a while ago.)

View media item 83219
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Click to expand...

Just ordered a set, and the 3/8" and 1/4" wobble and regular extensions. I already have a set of the 3/8" wobble extensions, but lost the tray. So they will go in the van tool set.
 
S

SRSemenza

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2017
Messages
616
tanukiboy said:
Even more Ko-ken love!

Ko-ken wobble drivers: 3/8" long and short and 1/4" short. (Thanks to member "gbh" for posting about these a while ago.)

View media item 83219
View media item 83220
Click to expand...

Does anyone know if any other company makes these? The Koken handles look like ones I would hate. I know I could put one together using a wobble extension and one type of handle or another but the one piece "screwdriver " design looks handy.

Seth
 
T

tanukiboy

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
314
Location
Japan
SRSemenza said:
Does anyone know if any other company makes these? The Koken handles look like ones I would hate. I know I could put one together using a wobble extension and one type of handle or another but the one piece "screwdriver " design looks handy.

Seth
Click to expand...

A company called Straight makes this one. The tip also has the push-lock feature for when you don't need the wobble. It also folds in the middle if you need more torque.

Straight 10-860 (3/8" drive)

View media item 83419
 
S

shemazar

Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2017
Messages
15
I wonder how come Koken doesn’t have a 1/4 version of their 3715SLK Sliding QuickSpinner T-Handle. Why just 3/8? Seems so arbitrary!

I want one in 1/4!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
B

bmwerkezhp

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2018
Messages
9
Location
Seattle, WA area
AceofSpad3s said:
What is the difference besides 36 vs 24 and the handle on the z-eal vs regular koken ratchet?
Click to expand...

The Zeal ratchet, sockets, etc are dimensionally smaller than the regular tools. Zeal is marketed towards auto repair and design to fit in the tight spaces of modern automobiles. I believe they also have tighter tolerances for a more snug fit on the ratchet square drive for example. If you download the Koken catalog you can see the actual size differences.
 
O

outdated

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Messages
102
Location
Australia
American Locomotive said:
E-Bay, Franks Tools, i-Tools
Click to expand...

In case you don't know what's meant by i-tools:
https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/i-tools/
Rakuten is a site with various vendors, I-tools is one of them. Rakuten site seems a bit dodgy but I signed up earlier this year and bought some Koken / IPS stuff successfully. Even asking questions of the seller in english went fine, quick response.

Also worth looking at Amazon.co.jp. I have so far stuck to "Shipped from and sold by Amazon.co.jp", things have gone out within a day or two, received in < 1 week to Oz. Better shipping rates than Rakuten, might even be free if you subscribe to Prime (which I don't)?
 
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