Garage Gloves

[MattRMagnum]

What's everyone using for hand protection? I've historically used Venom rip-resistant gloves, but it's currently impossible to buy nitrile gloves, where I am.

While I still have a supply, I'm thinking this is a good time to switch towards reusable gloves for 90% of my garage work, and keep the disposables for that 10% of the time when I'm doing work that's going to pour gasoline/oil/etc on me.

Anyone have gloves that they like? Biggest criteria is that they need to be tight fitting: I need something that'll let me turn small bolts/nuts by hand, for spots where I can't get a wrench in easily.

Second biggest criteria (though a distant second) would be ones that will still let me interact with my phone, since I use that for playing music, and changing the station or skipping songs is nice without having to hassle to peel gloves off.

 

[will335i]

I have some mechanics leather gloves. They fit my hands really well and I use to get them by the pack for free from BP. I think I am down to like 6 pairs.

Otherwise its the SAS Ravens in large but also impossible to find. I almost bought a bulf pack in Feb. Little did i know what was about to happen.

 

[setfocus]

I have a pair of hobart mechanic gloves that came with welding gloves. I only uses them outdoors when it's cold. But you can't use a phone with them or deal with little stuff.

As an auto tech I normally use Microflex Supreno SE nitrile gloves, off the tool truck, at work. I'm cheap, so I rewear them until they tear, can't be wiped clean, get really sweaty. But now I'm using the crappy shop supplied nitrile gloves that are really thin, because I have to toss them after getting in someones car, with the covid going on. I'm hording my other gloves, avoid getting inside a car with them, because I can't get more with the shortage. I don't like latex

 

[Bogie1632]

Garage gloves? You mean b!tc# mittens?

Got a variety of gloves... Mechanix (original & impact), a pair Stanley leather gloves (thin, comfortable, and great working with metal), some heavy leather gloves, some chem gloves, nitrile gloves (almost out...dang Covid). All get pretty regular use. Work gloves I prefer thin like the original Mechanix so I keep some dexterity. They tend to stay pretty snug on my hands with no excess material getting in the way. I also keep usually keep 2 sizes of nitrile on hand. One for just my hands, the other up a size to fit over my gloves. Makes grabbing something hot and oily a bit easier.

I found my Mechanix gloves seem to last a little longer if I wash them regularly so if they start to get greasy/oily I wash them with my gritty hand soap and rinse out good. Once dry they look new. As for touch screens, Mechanix also make some that work. Bought some for my guys at my last shop to use on our touchscreen laptops for diagnostics and such and seemed to hold up just as well as their normal gloves. I tend to take my gloves off and clean my hands before I touch screens. Even with protective screens I'd hate to run grit or metal across my screens so off come the gloves. YMMV.

When I first started wrenching full time in the USAF I rarely used gloves. Fouled up my hands pretty good over the years until I started wearing them regularly. Hot engine oil and the fire resistant hydraulic oils we used really messed up my hands. Now I b!tc@ less about my hands drying out or cracking open...go figure.

V/R
Bogie

 

[Copymutt]

I probably have 20 pair of gloves, not counting disposable. Invariably the first thing I do when approaching a task that involves dexterity is throw off the stinkin gloves. There great when you shovel holes for bodies. They **** doing dissections.

 

[PhysicsDude]

I use Mechanix gloves pretty exclusively. Their winter gloves are touch screen compatible, but they don't advertise any of their other gloves as being designed to work with touch screens. I do find that if I press the phone screen hard and flatly, that it does work somewhat with the regular Mechanix gloves. Enough that I can make phone calls or change the song,but not well enough to type text.

 

[Lassen Forge]

I use a pair of Mechanix branded grip gloves with the plastic knuckles... they seem to take the most abuse before they give up totally...

 

[LeeG]

I have been using these Maxiflex for most of my garage related work for the past 2 years. They are thin enough that I can pick up a 1/4” long 6-32 set screw off concrete and still protect my hands from most abrasions.

I still use straight nitrile gloves for solvent work, and leather gloves for shovel/chainsaw work, but I use these 90% of the time. They are popular with the electricians out here also.

 

[Fedwrench]

Since nitrile gloves are a little scarce, and overpriced these days, I've been using Grease Monkey, or the Hardy Polyurethane coated nylon gloves from Harbor Freight. Dexterity is pretty good and you can reuse them for quite awhile. The only drawback is that the back of the hand isn't coated.

 

[Bighead38]

I don’t wear gloves very often working in the garage. For certain tasks where I need them I have the impact mechanix gloves. I go through a pair every couple years. I have one regular pair and one cold weather pair.

 

[jkesselr]

I think I use the same thing as Fedwrench. I use the HF gloves that are some kind of grayish knit material, but the fingers and palm are dipped in some kind of yellow rubbery ****. They are like $1.49 on sale. They last a long time and when they turn sticky (as in they start sticking to themselves), I pitch them. Generally, I can get several days if not weeks out of them.

 

[az45]

Mechanix Wear has High Dexterity Gloves that work well, I have a pair along with several pair of their chap Fast Fits that come on and off easily.

Fast Fit - https://bre.is/2UVrj5WA

 

[NUTTSGT]

Depends on what I am doing. Nitrile gloves from HF for oil changes. A picked up some Mechanix gloves at Menards when they went on sale for $8/ pr to replace the Rugged Wear gloves I was using.

I also have some nitrile coated knit gloves. I think I bought 20 pairs when I saw them for 98¢/pr.

Different gloves for different jobs.

 

[todd_fuller]

I really prefer the Ansell Hyflex gloves. In particular, the 11-818, which is a super light that's as near as bare handed as I've used while still giving decent protection.

They also have a bunch of cut-resistant versions using Dyneema, etc. Surprisingly, these aren't always as durable and I usually blow out the finger tips.

Gloves are reasonably priced and come sized, so you may want to get a variety at first to find what you like. I get singles from Zoro for a a few bucks and 12-packs are $30+.

 

[Muttly]

If you are used to disposable nitrile try these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SHOWA-ATLAS-FIT-370-BLACK-NITRILE-GARDENING-WORK-GLOVES-SM-M-L-XL/283549123513?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item4204d843b9:m:mZeUgJVDWEj6O_ZdTQP8glw&enc=AQAEAAACcIQvEcHUrT7nmUC3yY5qbPyaBN1nJEDYW8MyypsJPgXKVlA44ZLASBNW4fVOteB5XwUMprFhLG3HLcjXpatQRwojp1z5avlDc%2BDj6dgY9FOrjrgbBEUkdy2uPszhUMLh%2BWyXYthceR6Gwjf3suYRmpO%2FWRtGz9MFE80EoNrKQeIJEKfXblKKK03r2rGb8PUxxhrxAFAyZEfR2XCr7BN4od9PyYrtkzZ6RaZ3tCg%2Fdzn91fYEI9Bj%2B%2F8AFfuBdWUPxK3ZIrbdmufzM%2FJzvlmYUFKPkGYLVKa4YpLnbHUSHPJcVHYbJkaqjCaZXUrRWgBjf4WbQjc1scOgEiVaiOMrCBRzBQEf1UBWq3gpOf82h058PueR4eWnLbTq0uVpVsP8xZB1WY6FM%2Faa4ZdqUy9V2UtOo4lrydHxHHchr0yTTdiCVHtROAglEVnivZe%2F8q8%2FvC82hwHh10CPaeaBYWtDj1RTreAOYIRDKcWh36nhUUuj6npyYyDSYtjVIsVhiwTubuzsytGk4pZgvt8p4zPLmJdgEsHS71rfidbxWbuBwShJvTLOYg2uCU6DoiegRt7oPTvTF9owAp73M5Doe2JqvTdoiXEJ4c8ixpeV%2B6Xh%2BsUVFDuwA9i%2BtCCk3YPBXf5N5r3TPBs%2F0Giz9k2%2B6wE8eUyTF03dsus36DTsfHGdxggxCRezfv%2F2V1jRJf1uYZ3Wx9CJyu3SmV%2BbZCpS9ZNsK3avET8HXi87kuYe2vraHYjdLDj8IYT3numJHDlTpRXMRytJuJb58JBd%2FA6ThgWATknOSvG88l1L6Et7aUWpHoD0nVPT3QsPwujss9gdlbPJmg%3D%3D&checksum=283549123513a426107867614a4db6e46b42db804901

I've tried other brands but Showa are quality, and under $3 a pair they last a long time.

Added bonus you don't need to take them off for a touch screen phone

 

[HenryAZ]

I prefer to not wear gloves, probably comes from working 25 years in a millwork shop, where gloves are a no-no around woodworking machinery. Now retired, in my garage/shop, I wear no gloves most of the time, as this provides a better feel for the work. And I always wash my hands when done, anyway. Nitrile when solvents or messy stuff is involved. I also have a pair of "no cut" gloves that see occasional use.

 

[Kriesel]

I use Pug gloves, look them up on amazon.

model: pug17xl

 

[brtsvg]

I have been using these Maxiflex for most of my garage related work for the past 2 years. They are thin enough that I can pick up a 1/4” long 6-32 set screw off concrete and still protect my hands from most abrasions.
e these 90% of the time./QUOTE]

I’m completely sold on Maxiflex gloves. Much better than any gloves sold in big box stores, they are terrific quality and are not expensive.

 

[Made in USA]

If you have medium/large size hands, these are a great deal. Not the very best quality, but surprisingly nice for 66 cents per pair:


EDIT: ****! Out of stock. Glad I recently ordered a couple 15 packs.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/15pk-nitrile-dipped-grease-monkey/prod22041017?xid=plp_product_1_2

 

[danielbuck]

Other than welding and occasionally when working with sharp objects or stacking firewood, I generally only wear gloves when I'm doing something particularly greasy, like packing bearings or disassembling hubs, or doing anything with fiberglass or ceramic insulation (like packing mufflers). I wear the 8 mil thick nitrile "Gloveworks" orange gloves for grease and insulation.

Otherwise, I generally don't like wearing gloves, I'd rather just wash my hands afterwords, working with gloves on seems to make things take longer, for me anyway.

 

[humpty]

I have been using these Maxiflex for most of my garage related work for the past 2 years. They are thin enough that I can pick up a 1/4” long 6-32 set screw off concrete and still protect my hands from most abrasions.

I still use straight nitrile gloves for solvent work, and leather gloves for shovel/chainsaw work, but I use these 90% of the time. They are popular with the electricians out here also.

I do the same, I found this Ninja gloves and have loved them so far. They have many variants available for different uses.

humpty

 

[jonshonda]

My hands are big and sweaty (that is the line I used to pick up girls in highschool) and I really like the Mechanix Vent gloves. They give just enough protection for normal tasks, but aren't so bulky that they interfere with detailed work. I looked locally for them, but only found them on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Mechanix-Specialty-Covert-Gloves-2X-Large/dp/B075P6HWTV/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mechanix+vent&qid=1586977901&s=hi&sr=1-2

 

[zmotorsports]

I very, very seldom wear gloves in the shop other than for welding and for welding I like Tillman gloves. Other than welding the only other time I'm consistent in wearing gloves is when I'm cleaning parts in the solvent tank and for that I wear a gauntlet style reusable glove.

If moving metal or things around the shop or yard work I will wear some decent leather gloves like a driving glove that I get from my local welding supply store.

On occasion if I'm doing exhaust work or around hot parts on a car I will wear a pair of Mechanix gloves but again, very seldom.

If I am doing a really grimy job such as brakes or clutch then I will slip on a pair of nitrile or latex gloves that I get from my local NAPA store but that is rare.

I have co-workers that can't seem to do anything without their latex gloves on. They will go through multiple pairs a day and put them on before even logging on to their first job and/or paperwork. I don't understand that. IF they don't want to get their hands dirty I think they're in the wrong profession.

 

[MattRMagnum]

I generally don't like wearing gloves, I'd rather just wash my hands afterwords, working with gloves on seems to make things take longer, for me anyway.

I agree, honestly. I don't mind getting my hands covered in grease and grime. A lavabar is much cheaper than disposable gloves.

That said, all my automotive projects for the next ~6 months are fuel system related (F100 is getting a new fuel pump, and then a tune up, and hopefully not a carb rebuild, and one of my 6.9's is running really rich, and is going to also need tuning. A lot of likelihood of spilling gasoline on myself, and/or working on parts that leak gas). I cannot stand the smell of gasoline on my hands, and it always seems to linger, even through a few washes.

As for what I bought: I wound up skimming everyone's recommendations, and buying 3 different styles of gloves. When the pandemic clears I'm going to open my garage up for friends to use, so I figure having some extra gloves around for people to wear wouldn't be a bad thing.

 

[Danglerb]

Restaurant grade kitchen gloves from Smart and Final. Some kind of black rubber, comes in a true XL size which my hands like, downside about $6 a pair, but I get a few months out them. Work great so far when cleaning lot of parts in hot solvent, much less likely to tear than typical nitrile gloves.

I have old much oil coated leather gloves for the really messy as in dirty or greasy jobs.

I don't wear gloves around rotating machinery, or to protect my hands from accidents, reduces my paranoia too much.

 

[pelletman]

I really like Gorilla Grease Monkey. I also use nitrile and fast fit Mechanixwear depending on what I am doing

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HB1Z7T8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[jeepinerdeep]

The hybrid gloves like Atlas, Maxiflex and maybe as noted the Grease Monkey are now my go to. I think it actually saves money to use them most of the time and only use traditional nitrile for uber oily or paint work. Gotta have a little of each kind around.