noob here (i'm da big poster on bladeforums nm). for a week I've been researching the best (available) bit ratchet sets with the same flexible head bit ratchet. in my country, apart from FACOM (?), the most available isn't ICON (trading brand) and whatnot but KS TOOLS (trading company) and TOPTUL (manufacturer). Either company sells
various(!) sets of the ratchet+extension combo, and also the parts alone, which i find intriguing.
FYI Just to give you some perspective, the ratchet alone costs
16$ only, the extension
3$, and that's all we really need, no? The ks tools boxed set has been retailing at 26$ (France II/2022, gemani I/2022), and if you're okay with ICON charging +19$ for the <bits set w/ nice plastic box>, then fine. I'd be fine too i guess. Note that the corresponding toptul
GADW3401 still costs a same 26$, hard to find, temporarily out of stock at my local dealer's.
Currently, due to the global economic situation, prices have been hiking and availability has gone down, so I'm still empty-handed because I'm not willing to pay 52$ (for a toptul or a ks tool equivalent set): that's basically +100%
of what the stuff went for, only 4 months ago. Crazy i'm not a *ucker.
( the sellers not even the manufacturers can be blamed for the price hikes .. imho we consumers should simply hold still, stop playing go-along, but wait for the situation to settle to sane fair levels )
Anyway, I
am going to end up with either the toptul or the ks tool
918.3015 or just the ratchet parts, it's just a matter of time: which stuff becomes available (=in stock) at a fair prewar price (26-36$) first, where i live.
All in all the ICON price (40-45$) is fair enough imho and hopefully i'll get my hands on the equivalent set soon too. You guys just plz doht think that the ICON set is really worth that price level.
In summary: The honest retail value of the 'ICON set' is around ~26$ (16+3+7) because that's what my week's research has been pointing to. Sorry for all those who forked out 126$ to greedy sellers of overpriced brandname products (hats off to the French marketing geniuses!). Go figure, i almost paid 42$ for a discounted Lacoste basecap (retail 75$ LMAO
), now i've got a box of 4 basecaps from H&M which have similar impeccable quality and look even better! price: 5.99$ each (II/2022)
facom lacoste capitalism at its finest!
www.primetools.co.uk
here! 1€ = 1$ (parity)
) is retailing at a same 26€. Currently, due to the global economic situation, prices have been hiking and availability has gone down, so I'm still empty-handed because I'm undecided between 55€ for the ks tools or for the toptul GADW4501 shipped.
www.garagejournal.com
