The Gedore 7 and 7XL Combination wrenches have "UD profile" "off corner” engagement. The 7 is very short and the 7XL size is somewhere between the Hazet 600N and the 600LG. I think the 7 and 7XL feel nicer in your hand then the old 1 B Combination wrenches but don't have the offset box end.
Howdy from DRPD!
- Thread starter billspreston
- Start date
Dave455
Well-known member
The No.7 and No.7 XL are the only Gedore wrenches I come close to liking. A friend has a comprehensive set and loves them.
While they’re “O.K.” I still find them a bit agricultural compared to the Stahlwille and Hazet.
Most of the other Gedore wrenches I put in the “dog rough” category, and if I ever found myself using them it would be a reminder I should have worked harder at school, got a better job, and not had to!
If I wanted the offset box end, and didn’t want Hazet, I’d consider the Elora 205. These have off corner engagement too.
Or alternatively, the Heyco Maxline, which are polished chrome.
I didn't think the Elora 205 had the deeper offset, I know the Heyco Maxline do. KC tools say that they are made in Ireland but the one I have said Germany.The No.7 and No.7 XL are the only Gedore wrenches I come close to liking. A friend has a comprehensive set and loves them.
While they’re “O.K.” I still find them a bit agricultural compared to the Stahlwille and Hazet.
Most of the other Gedore wrenches I put in the “dog rough” category, and if I ever found myself using them it would be a reminder I should have worked harder at school, got a better job, and not had to!
If I wanted the offset box end, and didn’t want Hazet, I’d consider the Elora 205. These have off corner engagement too.
Or alternatively, the Heyco Maxline, which are polished chrome.
Dave455
Well-known member
It’s not as deep as some, but they definitely have an offset. I see quite a lot of these as the local agricultural suppliers carry them.
Compare the 205
With the zero offset 203
Here’s another view of the 205
Elora clearly state “Made in Germany” against the 205 on their website.
If we are talking great wrenches at a fantastic value, you may want to try Toptul and see if they will play ball.
If you could include common US sizes in your sets, like you were able to with some other brands, I feel this would be a winning situation.
If you could include common US sizes in your sets, like you were able to with some other brands, I feel this would be a winning situation.
Actually TopTul is a tool brand in general I'd be interested in checking out. Their availability in the US doesn't seem very good. I think it's all Taiwan, but maybe the exclusivity of it would make it an option to consider carrying.
It’s not as deep as some, but they definitely have an offset. I see quite a lot of these as the local agricultural suppliers carry them.
Compare the 205
With the zero offset 203
Here’s another view of the 205
Elora clearly state “Made in Germany” against the 205 on their website.
Offset Combination Wrenches
Offset Combination Wrenches with lifetime warranty. German tools from Heyco is made of the highest quality steel and fit perfectly.
www.kctool.com
If you look at the Maxline the photo of the wrench has Germany on it. But it says
Country of Origin:
Made in IrelandDave455
Well-known member
Ahh, can’t help with the Heyco, I don’t have much experience of these.Offset Combination Wrenches
Offset Combination Wrenches with lifetime warranty. German tools from Heyco is made of the highest quality steel and fit perfectly.
If you look at the Maxline the photo of the wrench has Germany on it. But it says
Country of Origin:
The Heyco tools I do have (mostly screwdrivers) are all first class though. Another under rated manufacturer I think.
Ohio Andy
Well-known member
After trying wright grip 2, I went all in...The No.7 and No.7 XL are the only Gedore wrenches I come close to liking. A friend has a comprehensive set and loves them.
While they’re “O.K.” I still find them a bit agricultural compared to the Stahlwille and Hazet.
Most of the other Gedore wrenches I put in the “dog rough” category, and if I ever found myself using them it would be a reminder I should have worked harder at school, got a better job, and not had to!
If I wanted the offset box end, and didn’t want Hazet, I’d consider the Elora 205. These have off corner engagement too.
Or alternatively, the Heyco Maxline, which are polished chrome.
CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
Heyco’s regular wrenches are very soft. I tossed mine in the bin. The chrome flakes way too easily and the steel deforms when anything whacks it. Can’t say anything about the MaxLine wrenches. Their sockets, screwdrivers, and hex t-handles are all top notch in my experience.
OP
billspreston
Well-known member
CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
Anything Japanese would be ideal due to the lack of vendors here selling Japanese brands. Hazet would be cool too because of how limited the US distribution is. What would be cool is trying to find a brand that caters towards the biking and two wheel communities.
Dave455
Well-known member
My pleasure!
Asahi manufacture some very nice things for sure.
I’ve been fortunate to encounter some of it through Japanese car enthusiasts I know, but I think that their primary distribution in Japan is through physical shops, so like many Japanese companies they don’t have a huge online presence.
Some other tools of theirs I quite like -
Offset box ends. A unique tool. I’ve seen these and they’re good. I think that if you need a wrench to fit round an obstruction, you’re better off with a single box end and a slim handle rather than another box end offset the other way.
Flare nut wrench’s. I’ve seen these also.
Reinforced thin wrenches. Haven’t seen these for real but they’re already on my wish list.
And their latest ion plated tools.
I’m not normally into fancy colours, but….
Available in black or blue.
Sockets available to match.
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OP
billspreston
Well-known member
Early access time for our Memorial Day sale!
- 10% Off Sitewide (no restrictions)
- 15% Off $250+
- Ends Tuesday, May 27th @ 11:59 PM PT
- Coupon code GJMEMORIAL25 active now
Retroman
Well-known member
Got my order in.
What happened to Nepros don't see much.
What happened to Nepros don't see much.
OP
billspreston
Well-known member
We made an official announcement on this a couple months back, but I can be a bit more candid now.
We suspended our partnership with KTC (nepros) earlier this year. KTC does not have a US-based distributor so we (DRPD) had always imported those tools directly from KTC in Japan. When we started working with them in 2020 the exchange rate between the JPY and USD was nearly equal, but this has declined significantly in favor of the USD over the last 3-4 years. As a direct importer from Japan, we always paid KTC in their domestic currency JPY and passed these currency "savings" on to our customers through low competitive pricing.
KTC operates a direct-to-consumer store for nepros targeted to US Customers (neprostools.com) where they take payment in USD. Due to the exchange rate, they make a lot more profit on these USD transactions.
At the beginning of 2025, KTC informed us that we would be required to pay invoices in USD (wired to a Japanese bank) along with a new increased pricing sheet specific to the US market, while still being required to import the tools directly from Japan. The end result of these changes meant that our costs on KTC/nepros would increase by at least 50% making it impossible for us to compete against domestic Japanese retailers who are offering these tools on Amazon USA and Amazon.jp.
IMO, KTC enjoys transacting in USD and their experience with neprostools.com gave them an appetite for expanding that practice to their few US retailers without fully understanding the impacts that might have. We love the tools, but the numbers simply no longer made sense and we were unsuccessful in convincing them otherwise.
Odd-job
Well-known member
Thanks for the transparency. It is too bad KTC made this business decision. Doesn't make much commercial sense to me unless they somehow could shut down all the other avenues we are acquiring Japanese tools. They seem to be trading off potentially lower volume for some small (?) currency upside/profit margin off their "direct to consumer" website. Has anyone here ordered from neprostool.com? Doesn't sound like the price is going to be right.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
@billspreston
Congrats on becoming an Ebisu (Japan) distributor. I got your announcement email and checked out the offerings. Nice selection and pricing. Its good to now have a domestic source to acquire these quality levels.
https://drpd.cc/brands/ebisu/?page=1
P.S. Appreciate the short and sweet email format. Kudos.
Congrats on becoming an Ebisu (Japan) distributor. I got your announcement email and checked out the offerings. Nice selection and pricing. Its good to now have a domestic source to acquire these quality levels.
https://drpd.cc/brands/ebisu/?page=1
P.S. Appreciate the short and sweet email format. Kudos.
CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
Those levels look quite interesting. Anyone have an idea of how they compare to Stabila?@billspreston
Congrats on becoming an Ebisu (Japan) distributor. I got your announcement email and checked out the offerings. Nice selection and pricing. Its good to now have a domestic source to acquire these quality levels.
https://drpd.cc/brands/ebisu/?page=1
P.S. Appreciate the short and sweet email format. Kudos.
Dave455
Well-known member
I don’t own any, but a carpenter friend does, I’ve used them, and my gut feeling is that they are at least as good. Might even be as good as Stabila used to be…..
Personally, I don’t really view them as a direct alternative (although they could be) simply because Ebisu offer so many unique products.
If you’re building or doing property maintenance, tools like the practical box levels shown below are worthwhile accessories even if you’ve already got several levels.
Ebisu do these better than most, they’re really well thought out and seem to be rugged. They’re not even that costly.
I don’t think DRPD offer them (yet!) but the illuminated levels are the best by far. I occasionally do electrical work and have had one of these on my wish list for ages.
Like so many Japanese tools, you’re getting good quality, and quality control, at a very reasonable price. I don’t think there will ever be any “buyers remorse”!
If in doubt, I think that my advice would be to just buy an inexpensive one and try it. These lovely little 9 inch levels are less than $25 and that’s not much money for a professional instrument.
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The levels look very nice. I've been looking for a good general purpose level for a little while. Any chance of a small July 4th sale? You're getting my money either way, but I'd likely grab a few more things in that case.
@billspreston Any plans to carry Wera sockets now that you're selling Wera?
OP
billspreston
Well-known member
Thanks @KnurledNut! We are pretty excited to have a premium level offering on board.
The construction and craftsmanship on the Ebisu stuff is consistently fantastic as all the components and vials are made in-house to an excellent quality standard. Being geared to the Japanese market, the levels fully prioritize accuracy and precision above all else. For this reason, I think Ebisu really excels in the smaller sized offerings (12" and below) of which there is a wide variety of different styles.
As @Dave455 says I view them as more of a professional instrument than just a general tool.
Stabila and Sola users working in a demanding western construction environment might find the larger sized Ebisu offerings "underbuilt".
The construction and craftsmanship on the Ebisu stuff is consistently fantastic as all the components and vials are made in-house to an excellent quality standard. Being geared to the Japanese market, the levels fully prioritize accuracy and precision above all else. For this reason, I think Ebisu really excels in the smaller sized offerings (12" and below) of which there is a wide variety of different styles.
As @Dave455 says I view them as more of a professional instrument than just a general tool.
Stabila and Sola users working in a demanding western construction environment might find the larger sized Ebisu offerings "underbuilt".
Yes, we will have a summer sale kicking off soon. I will post a notice here.
Most likely not, at least in the near term. We are currently only carrying Wera items that are Made in Czechia and the majority of the socketry is produced in Taiwan.
Ohio Andy
Well-known member
Some might be perfect for when I need a small level to make certain that I've aligned things properly while trying to do marking for things such as hand cut dovetails where my Stabilia are two large to be useful.
Yes I do have smaller things I use, but it's mostly cheap garbage. To be fair. It's probably sufficient for what I'm using them for but bothers me every time I use them.
OP
billspreston
Well-known member
Hey all, we've kicked off a Summer Sale event with over 600 products listed at 5-20% off (no coupon needed).
DRPD Summer Sale
In addition to the Summer Sale, we'll also be running a sitewide coupon code active through Sunday, July 6th. The sitewide coupon code can be applied in addition to the summer sale without restrictions, so there are some really nice savings to be had this week!
DRPD Summer Sale
In addition to the Summer Sale, we'll also be running a sitewide coupon code active through Sunday, July 6th. The sitewide coupon code can be applied in addition to the summer sale without restrictions, so there are some really nice savings to be had this week!
- 7% off Sitewide (no restrictions, also applies to sale items)
- 10% off $250+ (threshold applies to order sub-total)
- Coupon expires Sunday, July 6th @ 11:59 PM PT
- Coupon code SUMMER25 active now
Ohio Andy
Well-known member
I am not a fan of Wera Screwdrivers because I do not like the handles.... With the exception of these:
drpd.cc
How can you say no?
Of course, for my order I forgot to enter the "SUMMER25" code, I was so excited to be ordering some more Wera and a few Levels.
Update: and it looks like someone manually applied it after the fact.... I have no words. Thanks guys.
Wera Kraftform Micro Precision Screwdriver Set, Assorted, 12 pcs w/ Storage Case (K Micro 12 Universal 1)
Shop the world's finest tools from elite brands like PB Swiss, Wera, KNIPEX, Ko-ken, Ebisu, KEIBA and more..
drpd.cc
How can you say no?
Of course, for my order I forgot to enter the "SUMMER25" code, I was so excited to be ordering some more Wera and a few Levels.
Update: and it looks like someone manually applied it after the fact.... I have no words. Thanks guys.
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CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
@billspreston, if I were looking at a basic mini plier set for general home use would you recommend the three piece Keiba set or piecing a set together with the pro-hobby line?
OP
billspreston
Well-known member
Pro-hobby line for sure.
The 3 piece set is extremely small sized and kind of a novelty item.
CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
Thanks! That helps a lot!
CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
Just got my order in. I figured I would try a couple of the Pro-hobby pliers and see where it takes me. Also snagged some PB Swiss stuff for work and home. Thanks again!
ChevyEFI
Well-known member
Is there a PB Swiss single 2,5 x 0,4 flat blade Swiss grip non-insulated with longer blade length than 80mm and the 80x15mm regular (not precision) handle? Or a set with one?
OP
billspreston
Well-known member
Yes, there is PB 140.0-125 (Classic: 2.5 x 0.4 x 125) and PB 8140.0-100 (SwissGrip: 2.5 x 0.4 x 100). Surprisingly, we don't stock either of those SKUs at the moment, but that can certainly be changed if there is demand.
OP
billspreston
Well-known member
BIG news for PB Swiss Tools fans!
We are currently in the process of rolling out their completely new screwdriver line called SwissGrip EVO. When they first told us about a new handle design in the works, we were caught off guard because the current SwissGrip handle is so good, we had a hard time envisioning much room from improvement. But PB Swiss Tools is always innovating and SwissGrip EVO represents their latest vision for the ultimate screwdriver handle. As the name implies, the new handle builds upon 24 years of data and user feedback from the original SwissGrip handle that was first released in 2001. After 3 years of active development and a 4 million+ CHF investment into new state of the art production equipment, we believe they have yet again delivered the finest screwdrivers available worldwide with SwissGrip EVO.
The handle shape has been revised to a new rounded-triangular profile that significantly improves ergonomics and how the handle locks into the hand during use. This new handle shape allows for at least 25% more torque transfer vs. the "old" SwissGrip handle which is significantly noticeable in the field.
The construction has been changed from a 2-component design to a more advanced 3-component design to improve both performance and sustainability.
1 – The core layer features shock-absorbing microspheres molded from recycled #tide ocean material. This core layer improves performance while also making the line significantly more sustainable with over 60% of the handle now being made from recycled material.
2 – The hard internal layer perfectly meshes with the core layer through a series of interlocking ribs and channels to provide improved power transfer and a longer service life.
3 - The soft-touch outer layer consists of a new material that provides improved grip, durability, resistance to chemicals and mineral oils, and is also easier to clean.
Now for some negative news – as some of you may have seen in the news recently, Switzerland has been hit with a new 39% tariff starting yesterday, August 7th. We quickly expedited an emergency shipment when these tariffs were announced a week prior, but our SwissGrip EVO selection is currently limited and likely will remain so for the remainder of August. We are closely monitoring the changing tariff situation and are working with our friends at PB Swiss HQ to bring this full line amazing new screwdrivers to you as quickly as possible at a fair price.
Let the questions begin!
We are currently in the process of rolling out their completely new screwdriver line called SwissGrip EVO. When they first told us about a new handle design in the works, we were caught off guard because the current SwissGrip handle is so good, we had a hard time envisioning much room from improvement. But PB Swiss Tools is always innovating and SwissGrip EVO represents their latest vision for the ultimate screwdriver handle. As the name implies, the new handle builds upon 24 years of data and user feedback from the original SwissGrip handle that was first released in 2001. After 3 years of active development and a 4 million+ CHF investment into new state of the art production equipment, we believe they have yet again delivered the finest screwdrivers available worldwide with SwissGrip EVO.
The handle shape has been revised to a new rounded-triangular profile that significantly improves ergonomics and how the handle locks into the hand during use. This new handle shape allows for at least 25% more torque transfer vs. the "old" SwissGrip handle which is significantly noticeable in the field.
The construction has been changed from a 2-component design to a more advanced 3-component design to improve both performance and sustainability.
1 – The core layer features shock-absorbing microspheres molded from recycled #tide ocean material. This core layer improves performance while also making the line significantly more sustainable with over 60% of the handle now being made from recycled material.
2 – The hard internal layer perfectly meshes with the core layer through a series of interlocking ribs and channels to provide improved power transfer and a longer service life.
3 - The soft-touch outer layer consists of a new material that provides improved grip, durability, resistance to chemicals and mineral oils, and is also easier to clean.
Now for some negative news – as some of you may have seen in the news recently, Switzerland has been hit with a new 39% tariff starting yesterday, August 7th. We quickly expedited an emergency shipment when these tariffs were announced a week prior, but our SwissGrip EVO selection is currently limited and likely will remain so for the remainder of August. We are closely monitoring the changing tariff situation and are working with our friends at PB Swiss HQ to bring this full line amazing new screwdrivers to you as quickly as possible at a fair price.
Let the questions begin!
KnurledNut
Well-known member
@billspreston
Is an Evo handle available for the 215 interchangeable blades yet?
Is an Evo handle available for the 215 interchangeable blades yet?
merkyworks
Well-known member
Does the new SwissGrip EVO grips have the same texture feel as original SwissGrips?
So does this mean the original SwissGrip stuff is being phased out?
So does this mean the original SwissGrip stuff is being phased out?