Tools of Japan

[MetricTech]

The second picture looks like you're operating on an overjoyed robot.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[emoji23] that’s my blue kindergarten mat I was using to lay up on all the pokey bits over the pump on that loader. I haven’t had that Merry barrier wrench long but there are so many times it’s gonna save my arm from being contorted in awkward positions.


Metric Tech

 

[jmhinkle]

Never knew there was such a thing as the Merry Barrier Wrench. Going to have to add that to the collection now. Good thing a new tool box is on order.

 

[Mecha]

The second picture looks like you're operating on an overjoyed robot.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[mr.lemons]

ANEX 1903 1/4" impact driver.

This is a 1903-N set comprising of a 1903 driver, PH2 bit and an AK–22N screw bit designed to remove damaged M3–6 screws. There is another screw bit available for smaller screws and a range for damaged hex (allen) screws. They can be purchased separate or as a set.

Direction can be changed by pushing in the tip and turning to align the arrow to L or R.

Under the removable hex bit holder is a 1/4" square drive that can be used with impact sockets.

The hex bit holder is plastic with a metal core. The bit holder is marked 'Pat.P Japan.' (No COO on the driver).

The included 'NO.2' (PH2) bit is longer than standard bits. Standard bits can be used but are not ideal. Power bits can also be used.

The damaged screw removing bit AK–22N is marked 'Made in Japan.'

The bit is initially used separately. Hammer bit onto damaged screw to form a makeshift slot and then use the bit inside the driver to remove the screw.

Size comparison to a standard 1/2" impact driver.

The driver has a knurled collar that rotates. I have no idea what it's function is.

Edit. I should note that reviews on Amazon JP for the Anex bits for removing damaged screws like the orange one here are very mixed, good and bad so people are getting mixed results with them. The reviews for bits for removing allen screws are mostly positive. I think most damaged screw remover tools get mixed reviews but it's worth a read before purchasing.

 

[mr.lemons]

I've got a small Koken order coming up and was thinking about adding a quick spinner to it. I've seen that some people here have them and was wondering if they get used much or if they are just a fun extra to have? Thanks.

 

[M6erfan]

Those spinners are useful if you are using your fingers to start the threads.

 

[Kaane]

my new nepros ratchet. Just perfect!

 

[J.C.]

I've got a small Koken order coming up and was thinking about adding a quick spinner to it. I've seen that some people here have them and was wondering if they get used much or if they are just a fun extra to have? Thanks.

I have used mine way more than I expected.

Video:

 

[Handyandy23]

I'm sure it's been asked here before, maybe even by myself, but which Koken ratchet would people recommend to someone who has never had one before?

I've basically narrowed it down to the standard 3/8" knurled handle 24T, or the 3/8 Zeal 36T with the black (rubber?) handle.

The knurled one is interesting to me as I don't really have anything knurled right now, so it would let me experience both the Koken mechanism and knurling. But then the Zeal is their top of the line, and right now the price difference is very little. So also seems like a no brainer to upgrade to Zeal.

What's everyone's preference? Does one have lower backdrag than the other?

 

[Vicks]

I'm sure it's been asked here before, maybe even by myself, but which Koken ratchet would people recommend to someone who has never had one before?

I've basically narrowed it down to the standard 3/8" knurled handle 24T, or the 3/8 Zeal 36T with the black (rubber?) handle.

The knurled one is interesting to me as I don't really have anything knurled right now, so it would let me experience both the Koken mechanism and knurling. But then the Zeal is their top of the line, and right now the price difference is very little. So also seems like a no brainer to upgrade to Zeal.

What's everyone's preference? Does one have lower backdrag than the other?

I havent used the regular one but from reading this thread a couple of times over, i think the Z-eal is shorter/smaller than regular, doesnt have the magic button, lighter backdrag. There is a comparison somewhere in this thread, let me see if my searching skills are upto any good ...

edit : found the comparison made by Tanukiboy

Koken 1/4" ratchet handles compared. Tooth count: how low can you go?

When I first started buying ratchets, I was like most folks and thought that tooth count was the be all and end all of quality. So I got a 72-tooth Tone ratchet and was quite happy with it.

But then after reading all the positive reviews of Koken ratchets here, I decided to try one, so I got the Koken 1/4" Z-EAL 2725Z 36-tooth ratchet. After playing around with the Z-EAL a bit, I understood why people love them so much. The Koken had about 1/3 the backdrag of the Tone. WIN!

The only thing I didn't like about the Z-EAL was the selector lever, which always seemed to get hung up, not switch unless you fiddled around with it, and then fail to engage positively. Frankly, it felt really cheap. So I checked out the Japanese reviews at Amazon Japan, and of the three reviewers, one gave the 1/4" Z-EAL 5 stars due to the lighter action than the KTC ratchet it replaced, but the other two gave it 1 star due the the sloppy and balky selector lever. One guy said he had many other Koken tools, but thought that this particular model was not up to Koken standards. (BTW, this only applies to the 1/4" Z-EAL, the 3/8" Z-EAL [which I also have] is absolutely great.) I also personally don't particularly care for plastic handles.

So I decided to try out the Koken 2753NB 20-tooth ratchet, even though it was inexplicably more expensive than the 36-tooth Z-EAL. The main things I like about the 2753NB are the quick release button and the knurled steel handle. The backdrag is just as low as (or maybe even lower than) the Z-EAL. In addition, the selector lever switches easily and positively and has a high quality feel.

So I guess I'm perfectly happy with a 20-tooth [!!!] ratchet. Admittedly, I might feel differently about the low tooth count if I were an auto mechanic and had to work in crowded engine bays on a daily basis, but I'm only a home handyman, so access is almost never an issue for me.

Here are some pictures. (The Z-EAL is the one with the black handle.)

View media item 84530
View media item 84531
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View media item 84533

 

[Vicks]

Trying to tighten a 32mm or 1-1/4” hydraulic union on a skid loader at work. These IPS pliers are thin and light weight and they would fit into places my cobras wouldn’t. I tried wrenches first but the union was turned in a position where nothing else I had would engage on it. The IPS water pump pliers also have a longer jaw then other brands. My own fault, I was holding onto the loader with my hands and pushing my boot on the backside of the handle putting more then my 170lbs on it. I got a few turns out of it but the last time they just went PLINK! I don’t usually break my tools but I usually don’t have to do something as stupid as that


Metric Tech

They died an honorable death

+1, that was an honourable death

 

[Vicks]

My latest acquisitions - I'm very carefully and cautiously selecting only those tools that are actually "made" in Japan and this thread has been helpful in not only identifying such items because there are some manufacturers who make items in JP as well as TW and then there are resellers who are Japanese but most of their tools are made in TW. I am willing to spend the money and time into researching tool manufacturers who have a heritage of making tools in Japan and buy only from them so that it contributes towards sales and eventually keep the skills alive, within Japan.

 

[Dave455]

I'm sure it's been asked here before, maybe even by myself, but which Koken ratchet would people recommend to someone who has never had one before?

I've basically narrowed it down to the standard 3/8" knurled handle 24T, or the 3/8 Zeal 36T with the black (rubber?) handle.

The knurled one is interesting to me as I don't really have anything knurled right now, so it would let me experience both the Koken mechanism and knurling. But then the Zeal is their top of the line, and right now the price difference is very little. So also seems like a no brainer to upgrade to Zeal.

What's everyone's preference? Does one have lower backdrag than the other?

They’re both good, but if you are new to KoKen I’d go with the regular!

The Z Series / Zeal tools are a separate range of tools, designed for working on modern vehicles. The sockets are lower profile, all the ratchets and handles are slightly smaller than the regular, but critically, the manufacturing tolerances and clearances have all been reduced. So, if you’re using Zeal sockets, it should probably be with a Zeal ratchet, and vice versa. If you’re buying just a ratchet, stick with the regular!

While the Zeal tools are good, the range offered is but a fraction of the regular lineup. There are no SAE sockets for a start. Once you have a regular ratchet you can start to add accessories from the same range, which is probably the most comprehensive offered by any manufacturer anywhere, so if you have a sudden need for a set of universal sockets in Whitworth sizes, you’re away! All sensibly priced too! The Zeal ratchet has a hard plastic handle. It’s much better than the impractical soft handles from some manufacturers, but will pick up nicks and scuffs eventually!

Personally, I prefer a metal handled ratchet anyway, so that’s another reason to go with the regular. The standard 3/8 is a good tool. I have one in my road box and it sees a lot of use, though I opted for the smooth handle. The star of the 3/8 range for me is the ‘roto head’ ratchet. Superb tool, heftier than anything else and one of my favourites!

Here are the standard and roto head together. Old picture, the standard has seen a lot of use since then, but it’s taking it well! I own some Zeal tools as well, but the regular see most use!

 

[M6erfan]

Dave455 summed it up well. If you go with Zeal, you really should get the Zeal sockets too, to get the most benefit from the close fit tolerances.

 

[Handyandy23]

Thanks everyone for the input! I was thinking of getting the Zeal 1/4" socket set at some point because I thought it would be a good low profile compliment to the Astro Nano socket sets I have in the other drive sizes. Maybe I should look at the 1/4" Zeal ratchet to pair with that and try out the regular 3/8" ratchet for now.

The ratchets seem to be on some kind of sale on amazon.jp right now so I'm thinking it's a good time to try them out.

Edit: like Vicks pointed out, the few reviews on Amazon of the 1/4" Zeal ratchet are negative in regards to the forward / reverse selector. Think I might skip this one after all and just go for the regular versions for now.

 

[PiperCub49]

Thanks everyone for the input! I was thinking of getting the Zeal 1/4" socket set at some point because I thought it would be a good low profile compliment to the Astro Nano socket sets I have in the other drive sizes. Maybe I should look at the 1/4" Zeal ratchet to pair with that and try out the regular 3/8" ratchet for now.

The ratchets seem to be on some kind of sale on amazon.jp right now so I'm thinking it's a good time to try them out.

Edit: like Vicks pointed out, the few reviews on Amazon of the 1/4" Zeal ratchet are negative in regards to the forward / reverse selector. Think I might skip this one after all and just go for the regular versions for now.

Could you provide a link to the sale? I'm thinking along the same lines you are and you've piqued my interest.

 

[jmhinkle]

I'm just trying to find a good deal on Koken 6 pt 1/2" drive deep sockets. If anyone knows of a deal somewhere, let me know. Found on good deal on the short ones if the place would ever respond to my emails.

 

[BarryWells]

I'm just trying to find a good deal on Koken 6 pt 1/2" drive deep sockets. If anyone knows of a deal somewhere, let me know. Found on good deal on the short ones if the place would ever respond to my emails.

Forget emails. I never had much luck with those or those idiotic contact forms. Try and locate a phone number

 

[Handyandy23]

Could you provide a link to the sale? I'm thinking along the same lines you are and you've piqued my interest.

It's literally just Amazon.jp:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/aw/d/B002P919PO/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?smid=AN1VRQENFRJN5&psc=1

I'm not sure though if it's a ploy and is always "on sale" or if it's actually a good price. I haven't really tracked the pricing.

I also found that they charge for shipping and duties (at least in Canada) that kind of adds up. The $30 ratchet quickly becomes a $45-$50 ratchet by the time you get to checkout.

 

[jmhinkle]

Forget emails. I never had much luck with those or those idiotic contact forms. Try and locate a phone number

I learned 20+ years ago that working nights is always hard to play the phone contact game. Emails have been a wonderful thing for me. Only struggle is when you have a limited source of vendors and they don't reply quickly or at all.

 

[Mr. Tool]

Received my Koken 3715SLK Spinning T-Handle 3/8” in this mornings mail!

 

[Vicks]

Received my Koken 3715SLK Spinning T-Handle 3/8” in this mornings mail!

Nice ! i'd love to add one to my collection but am currently unable to justify the price over a regular T-handle.

but i did splurge a bit on some other acquisitions from Japan. 3.8" drive Torx bits, 250mm TOP locking pliers, Anex Hose pick, Anex 3775 combo screw driver, a set of Anex precision tweezers (for workin on those microscopic RC heli parts),

the long vessel flat screw driver has "product of Japan" instead of a more authoritative "Made in Japan" but having read thru this forum, i understand that coming from a manufacture like Vessel i'm willing to accept it as an equivalent.

 

[toddmorr]

I'm sure it's been asked here before, maybe even by myself, but which Koken ratchet would people recommend to someone who has never had one before?

I've basically narrowed it down to the standard 3/8" knurled handle 24T, or the 3/8 Zeal 36T with the black (rubber?) handle.

The knurled one is interesting to me as I don't really have anything knurled right now, so it would let me experience both the Koken mechanism and knurling. But then the Zeal is their top of the line, and right now the price difference is very little. So also seems like a no brainer to upgrade to Zeal.

What's everyone's preference? Does one have lower backdrag than the other?

i have both those ratchets and enjoy them both, but actually use the 24t more often, because i like the knurling feel, and it has even less backdrag than the Zeal. Plus, you can get the 24t with QR, not available on Zeal.

Having said that, if i'm working in a tight space I grab the Zeal in *combination* with my Zeal sockets and I find the 36t count completely disappears as an issue. Why? Because both ratchet and sockets are built to such tight tolerances that slop is basically gone from the *entire system*. Add in the shorter handle of Zeal and I've never found a tight spot I couldn't work in. Not news I know, because Koken's literature claims as much. But you have to give them credit though, for thinking of all the components of a tools system and designing them to work well together for a specific desirable result. As opposed to just doing 90 teeth and calling it a day like most guys.

 

[J.C.]

Picked up some extensions with some verrrry nice knurling:



Pics and thoughts here:

https://motofaction.org/tool-review...eview-pk3760-6-3-8-inch-9-5-mm-made-in-japan/

Leaves my Taiwanese-made ones for dead. Such a remarkable difference in how loosely they fit to a ratchet wrench.

 

[mr.lemons]

^ I've got another order of these extensions coming up. Once you've used them you wonder how you ever managed without that knurling.

Completed the set of damaged screw removing impact bits from Anex. This was my first order from Amazon.jp. Shipping took seven days to the UK and there was no extra customs charges.

Hex bit. May also work in torx.

Google translate = 'Good/high quality made in Japan.'

 

[Vicks]

Google translate = 'Good/high quality made in Japan.'

is the "made in Japan" designated by the three Kanji (?) characters (2 drawer cabinet, tent and the third one) enclosed in the rectangle ?

Some of the products i look on Amazon.jp donot have the English equivalent "made in Japan" on the packaging but just the Kanji characters so i'd like to know.

 

[J.C.]

is the "made in Japan" designated by the three Kanji (?) characters (2 drawer cabinet, tent and the third one) enclosed in the rectangle ?

Some of the products i look on Amazon.jp donot have the English equivalent "made in Japan" on the packaging but just the Kanji characters so i'd like to know.

Google Translate says that the characters within the rectangle are Made In Japan... for what that's worth!

 

[mr.lemons]

^ I was just going off Google translate. I don't know if strictly translates verbatim.

 

[Dave455]

Wow, those damaged screw removing bits look seriously useful, and rated for impact drivers too!

I can think of quite a few occasions when I could have used those!

Let us know how they perform.

 

[transam81]

The screw removal tools does look nice.

Came across a Koken 3/8 x 275mm extension at flea market for $1. Barely looks used. Only grabbed it from seeing this topic.

 

[Reed Prince]

is the "made in Japan" designated by the three Kanji (?) characters (2 drawer cabinet, tent and the third one) enclosed in the rectangle ?

Some of the products i look on Amazon.jp donot have the English equivalent "made in Japan" on the packaging but just the Kanji characters so i'd like to know.

高品質 = high quality
日本製 = made in Japan

 

[Vicks]

Google Translate says that the characters within the rectangle are Made In Japan... for what that's worth!

^ I was just going off Google translate. I don't know if strictly translates verbatim.

高品質 = high quality
日本製 = made in Japan

Thanks guys !!

 

[mr.lemons]

More Ko-ken extensions.

RS3010M/7-L38 3/8" hex bits
RS3025/8-L38 3/8" torx bits
2760-150 150mm 1/4" extension
3760-250 250mm 3/8" extension
3760-75 75mm 3/8" extension

The torx and hex bits are stubby compared to my Halfords sets which I think are normal length. Hoping the lower offset angles will make them less prone to slipping out of fastrers.

The hex tips have different profiles. 7mm and smaller have straight cut tips. 8mm and larger have a more rounded profile. Same with the torx where T10 and T15 are straight cut and the larger sizes have rounded profiles. The straight cut tips do have very small bevels. Is this normal for Ko-ken?

For anyone in the UK. I ordered from UKtools who are listed on the Ko-ken website as an official distributor. Ordered yesterday morning and received the tools the today. Prices were comparable to buying from Japan with shipping costs. They were good at answering my pre purchase questions via email and though they don't officially have counter service said that I could pick up tools directly from them if arranged first. They are only two miles from my Mum's house so I may pay them a visit some time. Will be handy for any warranty issues.

 

[measuredtwice]

You take nice photos, Mr.Lemons. How is the fit of the torx bits in torx fasteners compared to other quality brands?

 

[mr.lemons]

Thanks. Just got them today so not used yet. Will report back if they are notably good or bad.

 

[Van Steele]

Anex long and stubby clip removers.

 

[Dave455]

You take nice photos, Mr.Lemons. How is the fit of the torx bits in torx fasteners compared to other quality brands?

I have those exact same Torx bits and hex bits. Koken offer, I think, four different lengths but I thought the shortest would be the most useful in the first instance.

The fit of the Torx bits is comparable to other quality brands. I have some Snap On, some Stahlwille and some Hazet (though not all in 3/8 drive) and as far as I can tell the KoKen are up there with the others.

I took the precaution of ordering spare inserts for these (KoKen are very good about supplying these - some makers (such as Stahlwille) won’t supply the inserts - but despite regular use I havn’t needed to replace any yet.

So, good fit, and very durable! If you have only ever used the Taiwanese bits, these are a step up! Reasonably priced too!

 

[mr.lemons]

Good to hear. Thanks Dave.

 

[RKA]

Quick question for you guys. Have any of you had issues logging into Amazon's Japan site using your Amazon credentials? I have used Amazon UK and Germany over the years and never had an issue using my USA credentials. But recently I tried Japan for the first time and I can't log in there? Google turns up a bunch of suggestions, but before I go resetting my password, I wanted to check here since you guys may have stumbled upon this issue?

 

[mr.lemons]

I had to create a new account for JP. Was able to use the same email and info used on UK and de.

Edit.. apparently Amazon Japan and China are the only Amazon sites that require a separate account. (info from reddit)