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Obviously the best bet is a cordless impact wrench, but a considerably lower cost option is a 24" breaker bar with the proper size socket. I carry one in every car and have yet to be stranded, especially when going from the typical 18 inch length to a 24 incher.

That's definitely correct. 30-40 years ago B&D had an "Industrial" line of power tools that weren't sold in "discount" stores(KMart, Walmart) but in hardware stores and actual tool stores. I still have a 3/8 drill and a recip saw from the 80's still going strong. A young hire at B&D with a...

70's era is correct. We used to have one of those in the cabinet of our alignment rack at the dealership. It was the preferred tool to get to the upper control arm bolts on the rear wheel drive GM cars of the 60's to 80's. I used to borrow it when I'd head to an Autocross with my Camaro or...

I have two 3/8" used on a regular basis. First is a round head S-K that's just a shorter version of the classic 45170. Second one, my absolute favorite, is the Snap-On 3/8" in a 1/4" body. Don't know the tooth count of either one at the moment, but I don't really care. Bill

I've had an M12 for a couple years and use it often in a home garage setting. My preferred battery is the 2.0 version, as it's no larger in diameter than the ratchet handle. I have the larger batteries (3.0 and 4.0), but those are reserved for use with my 3/8" impact wrench, where the extra...

Thanks for the feedback, folks. I see most of the opinions mirror my thoughts. Nowadays, I'm an aged home gamer, not a pro, so "beating the book time" is not critical. As I mentioned in my original post, I also have a stubby impact that's strong enough to break loose lug nuts, torqued to 100...

Thanks to opinions of the members here, I finally broke down and bought an M12 3/8" ratchet last year, after not owning any kind of power ratchet for 50 years of car work. I've tried a couple lame cordless models over the years, gave them away and went back to full-manual mode with Snap On and...

I'm not a pro detailer, just a weekender, but I've been a participant in a few detailing forums for well over a decade so I've learned a few things over the years. The El Camino in my avatar still wears its 1987 paint job and has earned a shelf full of trophies in judged shows, so I've picked up...

My Snap-On 3/8 Bent/ Flex was the best tool buy I ever made. I bought it off the truck in 1979 for about $45 to do the plugs on my '77 Corvette. Almost every time I tried it for other things, such as brake caliper bolts, I'd wind up with skinned knuckles when it would flex in places there was no...

I hear ya with the Mustang situation. I've got an '87 El Camino that's the same deal- assorted fractional & metrics with no real discernible pattern as to which sizes are where. Being an old car, there's a "road box" behind the seat that's twice as heavy as need be, with 2 sets of 1/4" & 3/8"...

The Sears labels indicate lighter, cheaper boxes that Sears used to offer as a less expensive alternative to the Craftsman stuff. You're likely right on the 70's time frame, but I can't confirm. Bill

There's some valuable tips in all these posts. Back in the late 80's, we bought a used Winged Sprint Car and went dirt track racing. All three of us had well-stocked Snap On stacks in our shops but needed a dedicated kit for the race car. We started out with all HF Pittsburgh stuff and replaced...

For a powerful but portable vacuum, look into the Vacmaster Beast series. They are proud to publish their specs like CFM and waterlift and their specs are better than just about anything else comparable. I ordered mine through Home Depot, even though they were not in stock there and if it broke...

I'm not a pro, just a weekender, so my tools get cleaned after every job. I keep a spray bottle of mineral spirits paint thinner on the bench. All the tools both hand and power tools get wiped down with a dampened cloth after every job. I've been doing it for years and have never seen any...

I dealt with a similar situation in the past, albeit with lesser weight capacity shelves. First lower the bottom shelf so that the shelf rim is even with the posts at the bottom. Cut or grind the posts, as necessary to assure they're even. Using plate-mounted casters of suitable capacity, fab...

This may sound ridiculous, coming from a guy that's got cabinets stuffed with power tools like most of us, but if I had to choose a favorite, my little cordless screwdrivers would likely top the list. For every one time I fire up the circ saw, sawzall, drill press, one of my drills or impacts...

Are there any other lights on the same circuit? I had a similar problem with my El Camino and after diagnosis, wound up replacing the standard flasher with an electronic timed one, 'cause I couldn't find anything wrong. Months later, while doing an overall light check for PA State Inspection, I...

Do yourself a favor and visit the Autogeek Online forum. Top quality products from their store and lots of good info from other pro detailers, including the forum moderator, Mike Phillips. Bill

Spent Saturday night checking over one of my cars for upcoming PA inspection, so I was able to use my new M12 Stubby Impact for the first time. With alloy wheels, I finish 'em with a torque wrench at 100 ft.lbs. At first, it seemed a little weak and slow in breaking nuts loose, but got the job...

Picked up mine today. If it lasts as long as my previous ones, I'm truly set for life. Thanks again tslabaugh ! Bill