uncwstudent
Well-known member
Awesome! Thank you!
Tools of Japan
- Thread starter Frankstools
- Start date
Dave455
Well-known member
Koken offer such a huge range it’s sometimes difficult to work out what’s best for what. In most cases the regular tools are probably optimum, and also probably best value.
If you’re ordering a set, why not consider getting one of each type (surface drive, nut grip, Z series etc) in say 10mm and try ‘em out?
In my place the little imp who lives under the bench steals half the 10mm’s anyway. At least that’s the only explanation I’ve got!
Madjik Man
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I second this
Hey Dave455, I just bought the two long pliers a few months ago at the same time and one was yellow while the other was neon. I assumed when I got them that they would be the same mild yellow (not that I care all that much). Included is the latest duckbill version, also in yellow, that I ordered last week. Not sure which color would be the “new” one or if they just offer both colors.Just bought a small pair of Tsunoda “King TTC” long nose pliers. Very nice, but they seem to have changed the colour of the vinyl grips. When I saw Zjenji’s post above I wondered if they had changed.
The older ones, as seen on the upper pliers, are a sort of lime green. The new ones are a plain yellow. Shame, I really liked the colour of the older ones!
Dave455
Well-known member
Interesting! Thanks.Hey Dave455, I just bought the two long pliers a few months ago at the same time and one was yellow while the other was neon. I assumed when I got them that they would be the same mild yellow (not that I care all that much). Included is the latest duckbill version, also in yellow, that I ordered last week. Not sure which color would be the “new” one or if they just offer both colors.
Those long reach pliers look very nice.
The yellow is definitely the newer version.
I have some Tsunoda cable cutters dating back probably 15 years and they have the neon / lime grips, as do all my other Tsunoda “King TTC”.
I notice they have changed the packaging too. Used to have a black backing card, now a yellow. They’ve also added the “Tsunoda” name to the pliers. They originally just said “King TTC”
I also acquired these “King TTC” slip joint pliers. Solves the grip colour issue, as they don’t have any! Nice pliers.
Madjik Man
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Brian Puccio
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Palmac is having a 10% off sale with code LABORDAYSALE and an order minimum of $50.
uncwstudent
Well-known member
I just ordered my Koken sockets and universal joints from DRPD. FYI, the prices at DRPD are still better than Kokenusa.com, even after the Labor Day coupon codes. Or at least, they were for me.
Does anyone know if you can warranty Koken stuff purchased through DRPD like you would from Kokenusa.com?
Does anyone know if you can warranty Koken stuff purchased through DRPD like you would from Kokenusa.com?
Madjik Man
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Well no more having to tape the socket to the end of the extension when doing spark plugs.
This thing is beautifully made.
This thing is beautifully made.
GrantCee
Well-known member
Just placed my first order at DRPD. When I used the coupon during checkout, it dropped my order total to just under $100 and they charged me shipping. Unfortunately I didn't notice it until after I'd hit the OK button, and the order ended up costing me about $5 more than it would have at kokenusa.com
I get why they did it, but would have appreciated them making it clear up front that the total for free shipping is calculated AFTER any coupons or discounts are applied.
Odd-job
Well-known member
I really have come to appreciate Koken's knurling at the drive end. Maybe some additional knurling in the middle and they would be perfect although I guess there would be risk the extension would unintentionally mar something?Well no more having to tape the socket to the end of the extension when doing spark plugs.
This thing is beautifully made.
Madjik Man
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The deep kneeling at the drive end is typical amazing Koken.
The majority of the extension is a beautiful matte/textured finish giving it a great grip compared to polished chrome.
superautobacs
Well-known member
I can't remember what I said in the past, but SEK was probably one of many possible sources for Oxwall. I was able to confirm that SEK, at some point in time, supplied Oxwall with their round-head ratchets. As for those pliers, it could be from another OEM.Here's a pair of Oxwall 1858 pliers made in Japan, maybe in the '80s. @superautobacs said SEK was a mfr for Oxwall, so maybe they made these. These are not mine, they belong to my work. They feel tight for being ~40 years(?) old and line up perfectly. Also a pair of Sears 30724 adjustable pliers that I own. I suspected they were made in Japan and a quick web search pulled up some *bay ads which confirmed it. One seller thought maybe Daido or Hozan.
The seller suggested Daido or Hozan. AFAIK, Daido was never a manufacturer, but an importer/exporter. Hozan, AFAIK, only produced bicycle tools in its early days. In recent times, Hozan outsources hand tools, including pliers.
Brian Puccio
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Odd-job
Well-known member
am definitely developing an affection for satin. Is it me or is polished finishes more a US manufacturer type of thing?
Madjik Man
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I agree. It seems like the "pretty" factor is more of a US thing. Admittedly the polished it super simple to clean but that's not much of a priority for me.
Anyone familiar with Engineer screwdrivers? Are they "JIS" compatible similar to Vessel?
Was looking at these https://www.engineertools-jp.com/dp-03-64
Was looking at these https://www.engineertools-jp.com/dp-03-64
I haven't used those specifically but I think just about any screwdriver actually designed and produced in Japan will be JIS styled. Vessel is just one of the older companies and has very solid designs.
Might want to double check that those ones are made by Engineer or Japanese though, I think they rebrand some of their stuff too. I didn't look that closely at the page closely myself.
Btw Vessel also has some acetate/crystaline/hard handle designs.
Just a bit of a rant or warning, but just received an order from amazon.co.jp and they shipped (via international priority) a Tohnichi torque wrench in a brown paper envelope without any packing material whatsoever. The wrench is okay and held its calibration, but I'm very, very surprised to say the least.
It shows how confident they are in the quality of the product
Qualitytools
Well-known member
Interesting as shipment from Amazon Japan have come to me very well packaged, surprised to hear otherwise.
Lol. Joking aside, I've heard Tohnichi makes the best torque wrenches out there. Not sure what it is about them, do they hold their accuracy longer or what?It shows how confident they are in the quality of the product
I know this Kiwi moto suspension engineer who raves about them.
Dave455
Well-known member
I’ve seen a few of these. Bit rare in the U.K. but I know a guy who works on bikes and has a few.
To be honest, unless I’m missing something, they’re nothing special. Compare one side by side with a Snap On, or even a Proto, and they’re nowhere close.
Best I’ve ever found are the Torqueleader. Bit rare in the automotive world, but common in aerospace and industrial. They also manufacture for Gedore and Wiha.
I once had a chance to buy pretty much any torque screwdrivers I wanted, and charge them to one job. It was the Torqueleader I chose. I have 4 of these covering different ranges. I’ve seen nothing else close for quality.
They do look like a quality tool. The knurling, anodized handle and torque markings all look top notch - are they made in the UK?I once had a chance to buy pretty much any torque screwdrivers I wanted, and charge them to one job. It was the Torqueleader I chose. I have 4 of these covering different ranges. I’ve seen nothing else close for quality.
Last place I worked at we had an assembly going where I spec'd these pre-set torque wrenches with a slip release. Not a fan of the mechanism as it just busts loose once you hit the correct torque, but they got the job done. Seekonk I believe was the manufacturer.
I do tend to trust Japanese engineering and manufacturing though. I'll have to ask him why he was so into those Tohnichi's
Dave455
Well-known member
Yes, I’ve found them to be the best torque screwdrivers by far. The anodised aluminium handles come in different colours according to the range.
Yes, made in the U.K. They were recently bought out by Gedore, but I think to ensure continuity of supply. Factory remains the same.
I was given an old 3/4 drive torque wrench of theirs some years back. I cleaned it up, and when I tested it was amazed to find it was still accurate.
I generally prefer click type torque wrenches though. Half of what I do I’m working at odd angles and they are easier than dials! Here are my “mid range” ones, ready for use! These are old British made Britool, all bought used, but checked for accuracy!
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This is surprising to me as well. All orders I received from Amazon Japan was nicely packages in a box, every single time. Was this purchased from 3rd party seller on Amazon Japan site?
Yeah, I still can't believe it. This was actually a second order because the Tohnichi wrench and a Nepros socket holder was missing from the original box; there was a deliberate cut in the box, and FedEx delivered the box with the huge cut. Upon emailing amazon.co.jp, they offered to refund and basically asked me to reorder, which I did, only this time using global priority shipping to expedite, hoping to reduce the chance of another bad shipment experience.
That first shipment wasn't as bad because it was shipped in a box but with only a few crumpled up pieces of paper, but to be fair, some of the packing material could have fell out through the cut I mentioned.
The last time I ordered from Amazon Japan before all this, maybe a year or so ago, they would use shrink wrap and use pieces of cardboard to protect the contents. Something like that.
Anyway, I was in such disbelief that I even began to think that this was intentional, that the shipping employee did this out of spite since I gave them feedback about not having enough packing the first time around. But that would be reaching...
Anyhow, yeah, very uncharacteristic of a Japan-shipped package.
Oh, and it was sold by shipped from amazon.co.jp.
That first shipment wasn't as bad because it was shipped in a box but with only a few crumpled up pieces of paper, but to be fair, some of the packing material could have fell out through the cut I mentioned.
The last time I ordered from Amazon Japan before all this, maybe a year or so ago, they would use shrink wrap and use pieces of cardboard to protect the contents. Something like that.
Anyway, I was in such disbelief that I even began to think that this was intentional, that the shipping employee did this out of spite since I gave them feedback about not having enough packing the first time around. But that would be reaching...
Anyhow, yeah, very uncharacteristic of a Japan-shipped package.
Oh, and it was sold by shipped from amazon.co.jp.
johnson_n
Member
Can anyone recommend a thin shaft #00 screwdriver? We've been using Wiha precision screwdrivers for years but the quality has gone down and this particular bit from Japan has praises from other techs being that it fits very tight and they don't worry about stripping the small screws. I tracked it down to a company called OHMI SEIKI but can't find this particular bit in their catalog.
It's 100mm long with a 2mm shaft diameter. Fitment is the most important priority so I'm thinking it must be a JIS type driver.
It's 100mm long with a 2mm shaft diameter. Fitment is the most important priority so I'm thinking it must be a JIS type driver.
Attachments
Vessel 9900E maybe? I think it's a PH/JIS hybrid.
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
Not sure if this counts but I bought a Harrington 1000lb hoist, made in Japan, lasted a week. I was very disappointed, was hoping made in Japan meant quality. Thankfully Zoro replaced it right away and I’m hoping the new one lasts a little longer.
johnson_n
Member
GrantCee
Well-known member
All of the 1,000lb Harrington hoists I see on Zoro are made in Thailand.
I'll second the Vessel 9900E.
I've been using them on old Japanese film cameras lately, and they have been great. The fitment is fantastic.
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
This one says made in Japan, and in more than one place, even the tube of lube was made in Japan. Hopefully this one good, maybe I got the one bad one.
Attachments
Reed Prince
Well-known member
Didn't find any irresistible deals during last weekend's sales, and instead I took advantage of the exchange rate and bought a few things from Amazon Japan on Monday. They arrived today.
Love the new NBR390A.
I've been eyeing the Vessel powered screwdrivers for a while, but have never been completely convinced that they are not cheaply made, underpowered, gimmicky gadgets. But I was able to get both the low and high speed versions for less than one would cost from a US supplier, so I decided to take the risk. Time will tell if they can take the place of my Makitas when I'm doing bench work. Would be nice to use something smaller. The Makitas were also bought from Japan, but were made in China. I guessed that the Vessels would be Chinese, but they are made in Japan.
One thing I don't like immediately is the sliding switch. It is hard to grip well with your thumb and feels cheap. I imagine that they were trying to make sure that you could shove the tool into your pocket without it turning on and also had to make some design compromises in order to pack things inside of the handle, but it's flimsy when compared to the Makitas.
The few negative reviews I saw for these said that they were severely underpowered. I didn't find that to be the case.
Love the new NBR390A.
I've been eyeing the Vessel powered screwdrivers for a while, but have never been completely convinced that they are not cheaply made, underpowered, gimmicky gadgets. But I was able to get both the low and high speed versions for less than one would cost from a US supplier, so I decided to take the risk. Time will tell if they can take the place of my Makitas when I'm doing bench work. Would be nice to use something smaller. The Makitas were also bought from Japan, but were made in China. I guessed that the Vessels would be Chinese, but they are made in Japan.
One thing I don't like immediately is the sliding switch. It is hard to grip well with your thumb and feels cheap. I imagine that they were trying to make sure that you could shove the tool into your pocket without it turning on and also had to make some design compromises in order to pack things inside of the handle, but it's flimsy when compared to the Makitas.
The few negative reviews I saw for these said that they were severely underpowered. I didn't find that to be the case.
pizza
Well-known member
depends on the tool, but...
azus
azjp
palmac.net (same owner as koken usa but cheaper. also, use code mrsubaru5)
drpd.cc
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