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Ordered my first JH Williams tools - Hard Handles at that!

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rocco

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Feb 12, 2007
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Moncton N.B
Just ordered these off Ebay a few minutes ago - can't wait to get my first hard handle screwdriver set. How do these compare to the Snap-On units. Anybody use these or have positive/negative imput about them?

ordered from here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280443484712&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

332761584_o.jpg


if anybody has pics of their sets, or closeups - post em up. i'm excited!
 
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ourkid2000

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I have the same set.......they are identical to the Snap On and very nice. I compared them many times to the snap on ones the guys have at work and there is almost no difference. You will be very happy with them.
 
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rocco

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Moncton N.B
now i can truly compare the big brands that i've already bought with what Hard handles are like. i've already got Fullers, Craftsmen(made in Canada), Kleins, Westward, Wiha.
 
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justinmc

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I've been thinking about buying a set just for "use".. I kinda hate grabbing my yellow and orange S/O hard handles and getting them dirty. Hahaha.. sad I know.
 
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rocco

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justinmc said:
I've been thinking about buying a set just for "use".. I kinda hate grabbing my yellow and orange S/O hard handles and getting them dirty. Hahaha.. sad I know.
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can't blame you. i've been scouring Ebay for minty hard handles, any color and the prices are either ridiculous or they are worn out. thats the reason i got these, at least they are new.
 
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justinmc

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rocco said:
can't blame you. i've been scouring Ebay for minty hard handles, any color and the prices are either ridiculous or they are worn out. thats the reason i got these, at least they are new.
Click to expand...

Yeah seems silly to me to be such a "tool polisher" but unlike stuff like my wrenches, etc you nick one of these handles or break it and its over. No replacements. So I guess its not too insane. Currently I have two sets of orange, a set of yellow (including all the long cabinet styles) and a set of blue. One of the orange sets acts as a "working" set and the others get random useage. It kinda irks me because they are great screwdrivers but I can't bring myself to use them too often.
 
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kwhitelaw

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Feb 24, 2008
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rocco said:
can't blame you. i've been scouring Ebay for minty hard handles, any color and the prices are either ridiculous or they are worn out. thats the reason i got these, at least they are new.
Click to expand...

check the classifieds here. there's a big lot of hard handles for sale. good price per piece.
 
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kwhitelaw

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justinmc said:
Yeah seems silly to me to be such a "tool polisher" but unlike stuff like my wrenches, etc you nick one of these handles or break it and its over. No replacements. So I guess its not too insane. Currently I have two sets of orange, a set of yellow (including all the long cabinet styles) and a set of blue. One of the orange sets acts as a "working" set and the others get random useage. It kinda irks me because they are great screwdrivers but I can't bring myself to use them too often.
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sadly, im the same way...i've been grabbing my beat up ssd... handles more and more.
 
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X1 Mike

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Flagler, Fl
Thanks for the heads up, I just added that seller to my favorites. I like that he has the 6 piece standard and a 6 piece phillips sets available. I may have to look at buying them because I hate using my orange handled Snappy's because like other posters said, if they break they are gone for good. :lol_hitti
 
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wendell

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Boston
X1 Mike said:
Thanks for the heads up, I just added that seller to my favorites. I like that he has the 6 piece standard and a 6 piece phillips sets available. I may have to look at buying them because I hate using my orange handled Snappy's because like other posters said, if they break they are gone for good. :lol_hitti
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If they aren't used, they don't break but they're also no longer tools.
 
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TireTracks

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Yakima,Washington.
The Muffin Man said:
I believe so, especially considering the recent degradation the newer Craftsman Pro's shanks and tips exhibit. Though the ergonomics of each brand is user dependent.
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I like the Pro's i've felt ok, but they are too small for my hands, I actualy like the normal ones handles better because they are bigger!
 
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superautobacs

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Vancouver, BC
Here's a few observations I've made with my set:

The ACR tip profile for the #2 is horrible on mine. I haven't found a screw that has a profile meant for it. The first time I tried using it it cam'ed out pretty easily. I haven't had the chance to use the #1 so I'm not sure if that also has a corresponding tip profile.

I don't know how often this occurs in the plant, but one of the flat blade shanks wasn't inserted into the handle true.

The square handle profile isn't the best, but not the worst in terms of ergonomics and torque application.
 
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stricht8

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This place is evil. I ended up ordering the 5 piece set today from amazon.
 
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rocco

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Moncton N.B
i just received them. i give them a 8.5/10 (the shafts aren't strait into the handle and the chrome is not perfect) for Fit and Finish and 9/10 for comfort of the grip. I think the Wiha product is much nicer looking and feeling.

here are some pics:

Hardhandle2.jpg


Hardhandle3.jpg


Hardhandle1.jpg


Hardhandle4.jpg


Hardhandle5.jpg


Rocco
 
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superautobacs

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rocco said:
i just received them. i give them a 8.5/10 (the shafts aren't strait into the handle and the chrome is not perfect) for Fit and Finish and 9/10 for comfort of the grip. I think the Wiha product is much nicer looking and feeling.

Rocco
Click to expand...

Yup, same with one of mine, and it's known to happen with SO as well.

Care to comment on the Phillips tips having poor geometry?
 
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hammlm

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Jun 21, 2005
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677
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SE PA
Got mine today. From powertoolbox.net. Don't believe the hype, they don't have them in stock.

So, what do I think? They are the nicest screwdrivers I own. That being said, I'm not overly impressed. The chrome has some serious flaws in it. I'm not the biggest fan of the handle --- it's a very stratified plastic. Not sure if that makes sense, but all of the "old" Snap On hard handle stuff I have is smooth.

The tip on my SDR 24 is bad news. The other seem really good. The alignment of the shafts into the handles seems spot on, so that's a good thing. The "finish" is not the same as my old SO hard handles. Example -- on the bottom of the handle where the shaft is inserted -- there are oversized recesses that just look bad.

Maybe I'm being too picky. When I read a bunch of posts saying these are the same as the old snap-on hard handles, I immediately wanted them.

Merk, not to mention many others, would be having ****-fits if they bought Snap-On tools that were finished to these standards.

All in all, I'm happy. They were a (guided) birthday present and are a good addition to my tooling. They didn't meet my expectations, but I suspect I might have set my bar too high.
 
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Andy Griffith

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Western WA
superautobacs said:
The ACR tip profile for the #2 is horrible on mine. I haven't found a screw that has a profile meant for it. The first time I tried using it it cam'ed out pretty easily.
Click to expand...
That would be a deal breaker for me as the #2 Phillips is one of the most used tools in the shop.
 
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rocco

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Feb 12, 2007
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Moncton N.B
I fixed the tips not lining up with the handle with the aid of a brass bunch and a vise. to remove the handle and put it back on the proper way. I tried them last night on various things around the shop and i'm quite pleased with their performance, however i will continue to buy Wiha screwdrivers over these.
 
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