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I bought some sockets from Matco and they sucked so I wanted to return them. I was within the 30day return window so I figured I’d be all good, right? Nope. Apparently using an item renders it ineligible for return. Nevermind the fact that their website doesn’t mention this anywhere, the...

I was looking for an all-steel ball pein hammer and was planning on grabbing an Estwing. Time tested, locally made, can’t go wrong, right? However I noticed that the Proto Anti Vibe was available for the same price. Outwardly they both look similar. Are the Anti Vibes noticeably better than...

Woke up today to the furnace not working. The inducer motor spools up fine and the igniter glows but the gas valve never seems to open (no audible “click”). I checked the voltage across the wires to the valve and it’s not getting any power. The control board isn’t flashing any error signs...

Sold!!!

Ive been accumulating some tool truck stuff as I can afford it, and in some cases it makes sense as their products are clearly superior than the alternatives and/or likely to be warrantied over time. Flare nut wrenches and ratchets are two such examples. The sockets are just so freaking...

I have a few rental properties and maintain a few more for another landlord and I’ve been paying an HVAC tech to come by in the winter and “service” them. I came with last time and it basically amounted to changing the filters, vacuuming the interior out, and cleaning everything with WD40. For...

Pretty much as the title says. These look like regular strippers that a bunch of companies make but I’ve never seen the 3/8, 5/16, 1/4 “stud sizes“ before. Anyone have a clue as to their intended function?

Recently worked on a semi where the driver reported 1-2 of the batteries emitting steam. Immediately my first thought was an overcharging issue. For those who are unfamiliar, most semi trucks use 4 12volt batteries wired in parallel to provide 12volts and a whole lot of amperage. I put a...

I am looking to “invest” in the strongest extra long 1/2” ratchet with lifetime warranty. My decision basically comes down to Snapon or Matco, although I can be persuaded to consider others. I am the beneficiary of the student discount for these, so the price difference between these and less...

Call me a Luddite but I’m not interested in seeing someone copy & paste something that some AI program generated. I understand people are posting it in good faith but I want to hear what the human members here have to say. Making matters worse - people don’t always point out that it’s AI...

Share what you do, what you carry, and why. Open to all, not just mechanics/tradespeople: I’m a truck/trailer mechanic for a tow & transport company. New to the field but loving every minute of it. Compact Milwaukee fastback: I like razor blade utility knives over “real” knives. Much...

context: I recently inherited a few thousand dollars from a long-deceased grandpa (long story). Most of its going into savings but I wanted to splurge on a 2-3 “lifetime” tools to remember him by. I figured a Starret tap handle would be perfect. Pricey, unsurpassed in quality, worthy of...

https://www.eastwood.com/yost-4-austempered-ductile-iron-vise-model-adi-4.html Bought this vise from Eastwood on EBay for $80 shipped and was pretty pleased with my purchase, until I found that they are selling them for $44 with free shipping on the Eastwood website. MSRP is ~$120 or so. Hope...

I work as fleet mechanic for a heavy duty tow and transport shop, so I spend a lot of time dealing with simple wiring issues. These trucks all have dozens of lights, so it seems like there’s always some lighting that isn’t working, 15ft+ away from the battery. I do ok with a DMM and a test...

Dielectric grease seems like awfully useful stuff but I only ever hear of folks putting it on spark plug boots and trailer plugs. I do know not to put it on any metals about to be crimped, as well as keeping it away from painted surfaces as it is silicon-based. Otherwise - it’s pretty harmless...

Let’s say I’m running led lights to a body panel of a truck and I need to energize the lights off the two conductors running to that area. So I’d need to splice 4 wires from the four lights to power, and 4 wires to ground. In a residential setting, this would be super easy to splice with a...

We installed some running lights on a flatbed truck at work and i used tar tape to secure the wiring but it wasn’t very effective. Admittedly that may well have been due to user error. Regardless - i was considering using construction adhesive, eg Liquid Nails, to glue the wire to the frame...

I had always thought these were a waste of money but since I’ve been working on trucks and having to deal with a lot of stubborn square drain/fill plugs, I’ve found mine to be indispensable. This is a crude, inexpensive wrench extender I got for $11.99 but damn If it doesn’t get the job done...

This is a smoking hot deal for SAE RBRT-clone wrenches: 1/4 to 1-1/4 for $70!! https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/1571963-dewalt-17-piece-toughseries-sae-combination-wrench-set.html They have the 8 piece set for $30, too. Looks to be the same thing as the Craftsman Overdrive set which I...

Borrowed it from my boss to loosen an unusually recalcitrant oil filter and I found it very effective. When I asked him where he got it, he shrugged and said “I dunno” No branding or anything like that. It’s a little well-made for a DIY tool but I’m not ruling it out. Hell, if I can’t find...