The Facom Tools Thread.

[Wrench-Polisher]

Smells like Croissants up in this thread

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

New OGV Grip hex and Torx released:

NSH.GRP.J8 8 Piece OGV Grip Hexagon Bit Socket Set 6-17mm 1/2" drive

EH.GRP.J9 9 Piece OGV Grip Hexagon Screwdriver Bit Set 2-8mm
EXR.GRP.J8 8 Piece OGV Grip Tamperproof Torx Screwdriver Bit Set T10-T40

There's more.

They do say they're fine for undamaged heads too. But if buying only for use on damaged stuff, I think I'd stick to the bits and bit sockets.

L keys with ball long end 83HGRP.JP9PB


P handles hex 84HGRP.J6
P handles Torx 89X.GRP.J6

 

[oled]

This is my "four post lift". They extend to 0,5 meters.
I bought two second hand ones, liked them, and ordered two new ones. The feet are changed on the newest ones, with the triangle shape. Shortly after they were discontinued, replaced by some really crappy looking ones.

 

[JeeperAz]

Does anyone know how to contact Facom support for warranty purposes? Their website has no option for USA customers. I have a pair of their Needle Nose pliers where the grips are falling apart. Apparently the material doesn't do well with the constant summer temperatures found in a non-insulated Phoenix workshop. They have been kept in a drawer of a large rolling toolbox their entire life (other than to use on rare occasion). Not sure if they were an ebay or ultimategarage purchase.

 

[neophyte]

Does anyone know how to contact Facom support for warranty purposes? Their website has no option for USA customers. I have a pair of their Needle Nose pliers where the grips are falling apart. Apparently the material doesn't do well with the constant summer temperatures found in a non-insulated Phoenix workshop. They have been kept in a drawer of a large rolling toolbox their entire life (other than to use on rare occasion). Not sure if they were an ebay or ultimategarage purchase.

Back when those were being sold, SK was part of the same tool company, usually branded as SK-Facom, but then SK became an independent tool company, before going bankrupt, and being sold to Ideal Tools, which has since sold SK to Great Star Tools,so I doubt there would be any warranty avenue there.
Facom meanwhile, was sold to Stanley Tools, which still owns the brand, do that might be your best chance.
That series of pliers has since been discontinued, and replaced by a different handle type.

 

[JeeperAz]

...
Facom meanwhile, was sold to Stanley Tools, which still owns the brand, do that might be your best chance.
That series of pliers has since been discontinued, and replaced by a different handle type.

Thank you for the information!

 

[Etchase]

How is this made? This France made Facom adjustable wrench has no access to the size adjustment pin. Although the finish is in tough shape, the adjustment mechanism is still smooth. I’ve never seen one like this from any manufacturer.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

How is this made? This France made Facom adjustable wrench has no access to the size adjustment pin.

Spring loaded telescopic pin, I expect. Sort of like what holds a watch strap in place.

Drill pocket holes from the square hole outwards. Compress the pin, push it into the square, when it aligns with the pocket holes it spring expands into them.

If that's how, the next question is why go to all that trouble? I appreciate the effort, but I'm sure SBD's "value engineers" would be mad seeing that.

 

[Etchase]

And getting the holes into the handle for the pin to telescope into wouldn’t be easy. Speaking of Stanley, the Proto adjustable wrenches went back to having a screw, after using a press fit pin since 1958.

 

[sashik3]

Been lurking this thread for a while — love seeing the Facom love here. Finally have something worth sharing.

I picked up a Facom Cantilever (BT-11A) — the Ferrari Teams Schumacher edition. French-made steel, fold-out trays, classic mechanic's toolbox. The build quality is exactly what you'd expect from Facom. But out of the box it had two issues that drove me nuts: the trays were bare metal so tools rattled and stacked on each other, and the loaded box was genuinely heavy to drag across the garage.

Fixed both for under $40 and a Saturday afternoon.

Upgrade 1 — Custom foam inserts

Cut high-density foam sheet (20–30mm thick) to fit each tray. Traced every tool with a thin marker, cut along the lines, test-fit, trim tight spots. Every tool now has a dedicated home — pull it out, drop it back, nothing rattles, nothing buries another tool. One glance tells you what's missing.

A few things I learned doing mine:
— Use a thin-tip marker. A fat Sharpie bleeds and ruins the line.
— Put the foam on a backer board. Plywood underneath lets the blade pass fully through without skipping.
— Long-blade utility knife, not snap-off blades. Snap-offs break mid-cut every single time in 30mm foam.
— For deep tools (tall ratchets, long pliers): cut all the way through the foam and lay a strip of non-slip drawer liner mat on the tray bottom. Tool sits on the soft mat, surrounded by foam walls. No rattle, no metal-on-metal scratching.

Upgrade 2 — Caster wheels

Four heavy-duty casters — two locking at the front, two non-locking at the rear. Flipped the box upside down on a soft towel, marked four corner holes, drilled pilots, mounted with included screws and washers. Now it rolls smooth on concrete, epoxy, whatever. Locks solid when I'm working.

What's inside: Snap-on ratchets, Wera Zyklop metric set, Knipex pliers, Carlyle ratcheting wrenches, Wera and Wiha insulated drivers. Covers 90% of small household and shop jobs without pulling the full rolling chest out.

Anyone else done foam inserts on their Facom trays? Curious what foam source others have found, and whether anyone's gone with magnetic strips on the inner walls instead.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

the trays were bare metal

My BT.9 came with pre-cut foam in all compartments (bottom only).

Upgrade 2 — Caster wheels

Would love to see how this looks.

edit: just remembered a Ferrari post, turns out it was you, and I can just catch a glimpse of the casters https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/show-your-mini-tool-box.540556/post-11643849

Here's what I did for feet on mine to avoid the paint getting scratched off the bottom https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...-toolbox-recommendations.547267/post-11220809

 

[Ohio Andy]

Upgrade 1 — Custom foam inserts

Cut high-density foam sheet (20–30mm thick) to fit each tray. Traced every tool with a thin marker, cut along the lines, test-fit, trim tight spots. Every tool now has a dedicated home — pull it out, drop it back, nothing rattles, nothing buries another tool. One glance tells you what's missing.

A few things I learned doing mine:
— Use a thin-tip marker. A fat Sharpie bleeds and ruins the line.
— Put the foam on a backer board. Plywood underneath lets the blade pass fully through without skipping.
— Long-blade utility knife, not snap-off blades. Snap-offs break mid-cut every single time in 30mm foam.
— For deep tools (tall ratchets, long pliers): cut all the way through the foam and lay a strip of non-slip drawer liner mat on the tray bottom. Tool sits on the soft mat, surrounded by foam walls. No rattle, no metal-on-metal scratching.

Nice tips, I purchased some FOAM for some tools that I intend to store in custom made wooden boxes (Chisels), I just need to find the time to make the boxes. I want to make them fancy with wood hinges (never done wood hinges) so that will take some time... Oh, and hand cut dovetails. But I have another project in front of it. I made a r4ather large shoe rack out of figured Walnut and now i need to build the drawers.

Anyone else done foam inserts on their Facom trays? Curious what foam source others have found, and whether anyone's gone with magnetic strips on the inner walls instead.

I bought some foam from

Shadow Foam Official Store | Ultimate Toolbox Organiser | Foam Inserts

Shadow Foam, the ultimate Tool Foam Inserts used to organise & protect your hand tools, power tools, cameras, gear & more. Buy the best Custom Tool Box Foam Inserts online!

shadowfoam.com

And yes, it is international shipping. Have not even had time to open the box, however.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Thinking about which ratchet suits the Nano boxes.

I already have the RL.171 push release on its own. It's fine, but naturally I always look for something slightly different that might come in handy one day. First thought was rotator but perhaps something so bulky isn't the best choice in a set I'll typically use when I have nothing else to hand.

R.360 rotator

• Twist handle
• Quite fat throughout

R.181 high precision

• 80 teeth (vs. 72) for 4.5 degree (vs.5) increments
• Twist collar reverser
• Compact head

	R.161B	RL.171	R.181	R.360
Head thickness	24	23	24	29
Head width, length	24.5	22, 22	17.5, 20	27
Handle diameter	17.2, 19.5	17, 19		21

The only Torx bits in these sets being security ones catch my eye too. Could be a good idea to replace with solid ones.

 

[Dave455]

Thinking about which ratchet suits the Nano boxes.

I already have the RL.171 push release on its own. It's fine, but naturally I always look for something slightly different that might come in handy one day. First thought was rotator but perhaps something so bulky isn't the best choice in a set I'll typically use when I have nothing else to hand.

R.360 rotator

• Twist handle
• Quite fat throughout

R.181 high precision

• 80 teeth (vs. 72) for 4.5 degree (vs.5) increments
• Twist collar reverser
• Compact head

	RL.171	R.181	R.360
Head thickness	23	24	29
Head width, length	22, 22	17.5, 20	27
Handle diameter	17, 19		21

The only Torx bits in these sets being security ones catch my eye too. Could be a good idea to replace with solid ones.

Of all the Facom 1/4 ratchets, I would prefer the classic R.161

Or the R.161B


Another contender is the RL.161, which is neat, but I slightly prefer the round head.


The rotator ratchets are useful tools, and I think worth owning (the bit ratchet too) but I think you’re right and they are a bit bulky for general use.

The R.181 dustproof ratchet is a lovely tool, very high quality. The only thing I find is that the collar you twist to change direction is a bit difficult to grip, particularly if you have greasy fingers. So for automotive jobs, I’d probably prefer one of the others.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

I would prefer the classic R.161

I'm too late for that unfortunately.

Or the R.161B

I'd seen but overlooked this one actually, thinking it was just the most basic one for the cheapest sets. The head diameter is a rather big 24.5mm, so perhaps its only advantage is ergonomic preference for the reverser switch.

Another contender is the RL.161

Yes, this is just the RL.171 without the release button, so while good, it doesn't bring anything different to the table (which might be just fine).

The R.181 dustproof ratchet is a lovely tool, very high quality. The only thing I find is that the collar you twist to change direction is a bit difficult to grip, particularly if you have greasy fingers. So for automotive jobs, I’d probably prefer one of the others.

I see it does have an indented section for traction, and I think I could manage the very occasional slight difficulty. What I notice from the photo however is that the middle section of the handle (between the grip and the head) is quite fat.

Trust this chap to have all of them and all the bit ratchets too

 

[lu787a]

If you're partial to the older R.161 style, SBD still makes it in Italy and brands it as a Proto. Knurled handle however.

1/4 in. Drive Round Head Ratchet | PROTO

www.protoindustrial.com

 

[four.cycle]

Knurled handle however

Yes. Knurled handle.
But the other end: Sooooo nice.

 

[Dave455]

I'm too late for that unfortunately.

Depending on where you are, there are still a few about, but generally not at the cheapest prices.

I'd seen but overlooked this one actually, thinking it was just the most basic one for the cheapest sets. The head diameter is a rather big 24.5mm, so perhaps its only advantage is ergonomic preference for the reverser switch.

I think it's basically the replacement for the R.161. It would be better if they had retained the free wheeling plate, but I think I might prefer the handle.

Yes, this is just the RL.171 without the release button, so while good, it doesn't bring anything different to the table (which might be just fine).

Yes, exactly. The head and the change lever might be preferable (or not) to the R.161B, but I definitely prefer the handle on the R.161B. It feels more durable and I prefer the shape.

I see it does have an indented section for traction, and I think I could manage the very occasional slight difficulty. What I notice from the photo however is that the middle section of the handle (between the grip and the head) is quite fat.

Yes, it does. It's not too bad, but the indented section doesn't give much grip.

Trust this chap to have all of them and all the bit ratchets too

With the exception of the R.171, so have I!

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

The Nano sets do get a lot of things right that others fall down on:

1. Compact case
2. Secure case closure - not a magnet, or simple plastic tab
3. Full range of suitable socket sizes 5.5-14mm
4. Not skipping mid-importance sizes (e.g. 12mm) in favour of less important (!) sizes (e.g. 11mm). No skips at all, in fact.
5. Full range of suitable standard hex bit sizes 3-6mm, and a bonus 7mm
6. Not skipping the smaller sizes (3, 4mm), or only including two sizes (3, 5mm) with a gap in between (!)
7. Full range of suitable Torx sizes T10-T40
8. Two extension lengths

If you're looking for alternatives, be prepared to compromise on at least 2-3 of the above. I looked, saved you some time.

The only choice I don't agree with is the Torx bits being security / tamper resistant ones. While more versatile, I think most users would likely be better served by the full strength of solid ones. Facom aren't the only brand to make this choice however.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

A good deal swayed me to the R2NANO set, which includes the R.161B round head.

It has a certain elegance to it (if that counts for anything), that my RL.171 doesn't. The head is slightly bigger, but the rest of it is slimmer especially the midsection, and the handle grip is better shaped and nicer material. No "Italy" on the midsection, unlike others I've seen.

It would be better if they had retained the free wheeling plate

Agreed.

Another small disadvantage of a rotating plate reverser over a switch, is that it doesn't indicate at a glance which way it's currently set.

It doesn't sit as well as the RL.171 in the Nano box. There's a removable bridge insert in there which is presumably removed or exchanged for the bulkier ratchets. It's perfect for the RL.171, but the R.161B sits one end up a bit with it there, and is a bit loose with it removed. Not a problem though.

 

[lu787a]

A good deal swayed me to the R2NANO set, which includes the R.161B round head.

It has a certain elegance to it (if that counts for anything), that my RL.171 doesn't. The head is slightly bigger, but the rest of it is slimmer especially the midsection, and the handle grip is better shaped and nicer material. No "Italy" on the midsection, unlike others I've seen.


Agreed.

Another small disadvantage of a rotating plate reverser over a switch, is that it doesn't indicate at a glance which way it's currently set.

It doesn't sit as well as the RL.171 in the Nano box. There's a removable bridge insert in there which is presumably removed or exchanged for the bulkier ratchets. It's perfect for the RL.171, but the R.161B sits one end up a bit with it there, and is a bit loose with it removed. Not a problem though.

Is the direction change disc on the R161B plastic? I can't tell from photos.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Is the direction change disc on the R161B plastic?

Metal.

 

[cbracer]

I have the RL.171 in 1/4" and I love the handle on it. The only reason it's not a favorite of mine is the heavy back drag
Is the back drag on the R.161B 1/4" less? The head is much larger. I have the R.161B in 3/8" and its back drag is good.

 

[Dave455]

A good deal swayed me to the R2NANO set, which includes the R.161B round head.

It has a certain elegance to it (if that counts for anything), that my RL.171 doesn't. The head is slightly bigger, but the rest of it is slimmer especially the midsection, and the handle grip is better shaped and nicer material. No "Italy" on the midsection, unlike others I've seen.

Although they may not say “Italy”, I am satisfied that’s where they are made. Some of the U.K. dealers (Radio Spares / Farnell) have to include the country of origin on the documentation for compliance with some contracts, and it’s definitely Italy.

All the ratchets with that handle originate there, in the USAG plant.

I have the RL.171 in 1/4" and I love the handle on it. The only reason it's not a favorite of mine is the heavy back drag
Is the back drag on the R.161B 1/4" less? The head is much larger. I have the R.161B in 3/8" and its back drag is good.

Yes, the backdrag on the R.161B is less.

I think, overall, I prefer it. I prefer the handle too.

But if you want quick release, the RL.171 is the only option.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Between the 1/4" models, R.161B has higher backdrag than RL.171.

I just put mine face to face connected with suitable attachments, direction switches set suitably, and it's always the RL.171 that turns.

 

[CGarage]

The latest Facom ratchet designs are sealed. Though in the recent past ratchets came out of Italy, I wouldn’t be surprised if the latest designs are Taiwan made. Be that as it may, the quality is excellent, and I would argue even better finishing than France made.

I bought some of the new ratchets with sealed heads on sale for under $50 US (I paid euro equivalent €) a few years ago.

No complaints.

I have the old French made ratchets. The fact they are rebuildable by the user and can be cleaned and lubricated is a really great feature and hard to find.

 

[Dave455]

The latest Facom ratchet designs are sealed. Though in the recent past ratchets came out of Italy, I wouldn’t be surprised if the latest designs are Taiwan made. Be that as it may, the quality is excellent, and I would argue even better finishing than France made.

I bought some of the new ratchets with sealed heads on sale for under $50 US (I paid euro equivalent €) a few years ago.

No complaints.

I have the old French made ratchets. The fact they are rebuildable by the user and can be cleaned and lubricated is a really great feature and hard to find.

The R.161B (round head) and the R.181 (dustproof) are made in Italy.

The RL.161 and RL.171 are made in Taiwan

Not sure about the “rotator” ratchets.

All the bit ratchets are made in Taiwan.

I don’t have a problem with either, so long as the quality is good.

I only wish, with all the variations, they would include a long option, and a steel handle.

 

[CGarage]

@Dave455 , I agree. They need a long handle 1/4” ratchet. I keep a 1/4” rotator ratchet in my road kit when on extended car drives. Handy tool.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

“Facom Start” is a new lower priced range of popular products, which still carry the Facom lifetime Warranty, but offer great value for money. (Eventually this range will replace the “Expert by Facom” range of products).

I'm seeing more of these "Start" products show up at retailers. That they are "Start" products is often omitted, and even in the official 2026 catalog there's no distinction. There doesn't seem to have been an official announcement of the Start brand, outside of what some retailers state.

For example, search for the 40B wrenches or the E.100 hex bit set. There are other new "innovations" in the catalog such as the TwinBox plastic hollow moulded socket sets (clearly inferior to the DBox), and unsurprisingly these turn out to be "Start" products too if you look at the right retailers.

In the back of that same catalog (page 186 onwards), "Expert by Facom" tools are presented separately, just as there has always been a clear distinction.

Seems to me they're going to blend the standard and value brands together, so only customers who do their homework actually know what they're paying for.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Spotted these model 48 double open end wrenches appearing as "new" in some stores.

Turns out it's a "Start" product, according to some retailers.

Also even if a retailer correctly labels some "Start" products, it's no guarantee that they do all of them.