Anyone got these?

[Bennylava]

Anybody here have this set? If so, how do you like it? Need a new set and I've zero'd on this one.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bondhus-205...453341?hash=item36004fa41d:g:QGMAAOSwgtJXTxYv

 

[rlitman]

I got that pair of key sets in 1995. I've been quite happy with them and still use them regularly.

 

[Bennylava]

Wow 1995 eh? Looks like they're good enough for me then

 

[matt_i]

We have them in our plant. Never a complaint other than individual keys get missing sometimes!

 

[PJNJ]

Bondhus makes top quality hex keys.
A few years ago I picked up one of their metric t-handle hex drivers. Was surprised with the weight and quality.

 

[notlob]

Bondhus ball-end hex keys are great - been using them for years. Unless you need the stubby style, you may want to consider this set instead:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bondhus-22-Piece-Inch-Metric-Hex-Ball-End-L-Wrenches-Double-Pack-/292002032354?hash=item43fcad6ae2:g:SW4AAOSwjDZYfR3n


If I was going to buy a new set, I would likely get these. Much better corrosion resistance, easy to tell SAE from metric, and extra bling :
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bondhus-20399-Ball-End-L-Wrench-Double-Pack-with-BriteGuard-and-GoldGuard-Fin-/322399467665?hash=item4b10817891:g:EVAAAOSw5cNYhUCi

 

[woody 73]

I have never heard of that name before...I wonder if they are any good?

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=300579

 

[Bennylava]

Just bought a set 5 minutes ago. Looking forward to owning them for many years.

Are there any other american brands like that, which fly under the radar a bit? I also found Montana brand for drill bits, and Klien for pliers. Knew Klein was good, just didn't know they were american. What others are out there, that I might not know about?

 

[woody 73]

Word of the wise not all klein are American made...

 

[woody 73]

If you go to the section for all American made you can enjoy some more information.
The bad part for me that hurts the most is wanting to write about companies only to find that now (key word) they now have some ,not all of their products being made in China.

I am sad not to be able to write some blurb (like klein), and it is getting tougher by the day to find all American made. Sigh these times are a changing I guess...

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

Should probably glance at this thread also: My new Bondhus hex / Allen wrenches are pathetic

 

[Strouty]

I would probably be mad if my new ones looked like that, but a bit of work with a file would make them look decent enough.

 

[fatfillup]

They are good tools for sure.

 

[rlitman]

Wow 1995 eh? Looks like they're good enough for me then

Yep. IIRC, they were around $15 each (metric / SAE), though at the time they were expensed by the company I was working for (they'd pay for any tools I needed, pretty much no questions asked).

What impressed me was that if you use a magnifying glass to look at the smallest ball end, it looks exactly like a smaller version of the largest one. As opposed to the small ball end keys from HF, which look like the product of child labor.

...
If I was going to buy a new set, I would likely get these. Much better corrosion resistance, easy to tell SAE from metric, and extra bling :...[\QUOTE]

I've seen those. Yeah, the color coded plating might be worth a few extra bucks. They weren't in the Manhattan hardware store I walked into when I got mine at the time, and I'm not currently in need of more allen keys.

 

[PelicanPines]

I have that exact double set. Same color... they are perfect ... no issues. I used several of the smallest ones several times with no issues. I needed the stubby...

I got my set from Amazon Warehouse Deal. "Repackaged"...

I did read that other thread and took a double take look at mine... which don't show any symptoms of poor manufacturing.

 

[AA/FC]

I thought these were interesting when I bought them a while back....

Ball end on both ends, stubby, and NOT exactly 90 degrees.

 

[matt_i]

Those are interesting variants, but use them with caution...the ball end used with a lot of leverage is very prone to machining either the socket of the bolt or burnishing the hex end's contact edges. Not a lot of contact area in the ball-end. Worst case on T-handles is the ball breaks off and becomes a flat end again.

 

[driftpin]

I agree with matt_i in using the ball-end pieces should be for difficult positioning and that in most cases, I look to use square-end cut allen wrenches. My son gave me some good ball-end wrenches, but I save them for limited-access use.

Have you looked at Eklind? Not color-coded, but made in the USA, at least the ones I have are. The ones I have are not ball-end, but I suspect that w/o googling it, they probably offer that style too.

 

[pi_guy]

I have a set of 1/4 inch MAC hex driver set, uses a allen key to hold in place.
Have a set of ball drivers that I want to cut off and put in the MAC hex driver set.
They are sitting in the to do pile.

 

[arbormatt]

I have the pb swiss. They come only in metric I believe. They work great when you actually need them which is fairly rare for me. The offset of mine can make them a little tricky to engage in a tight spot.

 

[T45]

Wow 1995 eh? Looks like they're good enough for me then

You're not buying 1995 tools anymore in (((curent year))),

... let's hope you get some old stock.

 

[Bennylava]

If you go to the section for all American made you can enjoy some more information.
The bad part for me that hurts the most is wanting to write about companies only to find that now (key word) they now have some ,not all of their products being made in China.

I am sad not to be able to write some blurb (like klein), and it is getting tougher by the day to find all American made. Sigh these times are a changing I guess...

Hopefully that's coming to an end....

It may just be a new day for american tools.

 

[leg17]

I have the pb swiss. They come only in metric I believe. ......

I bought some inch sizes about 15 years ago.
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST.

 

[Coach James]

I second the Eklind. I have two sets and have been happy with them, plus I was able to buy them from a locally owned hardware store.

Coach

 

[dutchgray]

I bought some inch sizes about 15 years ago.
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST.

I agree with that PB is the best, I only have metric, if I used inch sizes more than a handful of times a year I would upgrade.

 

[Bennylava]

You're not buying 1995 tools anymore in (((curent year))),

... let's hope you get some old stock.

Any evidence they're no longer american made, or that their process has taken a turn for the worse?

 

[turfgnome]

Any evidence they're no longer american made, or that their process has taken a turn for the worse?

I just got a brand new set and am happy with them, I hope they hold up to the set from the 80s to early 90s we have.