heelsroll
Well-known member
Initially saw this set at Sears.com, but some comparison shopping found it on eBay for a pretty darn good price, so I jumped on it.
The kit includes a blow-mold case filled with a pair of stainless steel, ratcheting pliers made in Taiwan, and 14 attachment heads for the pliers.
The main pliers are about 8 inches long, weigh 15 ounces, and have locking sockets for the attachments. There is a ratchet on/off switch on the side of the plier body.
The kit includes 2 sets of spark plug grabbers, hog ring tips, brake spring tips, A valve stem puller tip, 2 piston ring compressor tips, 3 pair of hose clamp tips, a fuse/relay tip, push pin and hose clamp tips, and an extended hose clamp tip that allows you to get into some very remote places.
The pliers show a pretty good fit and finish, there is just a little torsional play in them, more anyway than a new set of craftsman needlenose pliers I had on hand, but less than any of the slip-joints from the same drawer.
I know there will be interest in the hose-clamp extension, but my target vehicle for today, a 1970 International Harvester Scout 800B, is all screw clamps, so that review will have to wait!
I did use the angle long spark-plug grips to pull several plugs and they did a very good job of grabbing the boot, and holding tight against the pulling force. I can think of a number of engines on which this would be worth the cost of the set alone. See also a pic of the pliers hanging from a power cord by their own ratchet clamping.
The hose-pinch attachments also worked well, as did the others that I have had an opportunity to try.
As for the ratcheting action itself, it takes a bit of getting used to, just because it's different. If you've used a ratcheting crimper, it will be an easier transition. One challenge is remembering to squeeze a little to release the ratchet when you're done.
Changing out the heads is easy and fast, and I believe the locking mechanism should hold up to some use.
Since purchasing the kit, of course, I haven't really needed it, so I can't speak to it's durability, but it doesn't feel cheap or shoddy.
It's not made in the US but I have had good experience with Taiwanese tools, have visited the country, and don't have a problem with our WWII allies building tools for us. I buy US whenever I can but I'm not aware of a rival ratcheting plier set, let alone one made here, so make your own decision there.
Please let me know if you'd like me to try out anything else in the kit, or try any tests, etc. I'll be glad to help as time allows.
Best,
Joel
The kit includes a blow-mold case filled with a pair of stainless steel, ratcheting pliers made in Taiwan, and 14 attachment heads for the pliers.
The main pliers are about 8 inches long, weigh 15 ounces, and have locking sockets for the attachments. There is a ratchet on/off switch on the side of the plier body.
The kit includes 2 sets of spark plug grabbers, hog ring tips, brake spring tips, A valve stem puller tip, 2 piston ring compressor tips, 3 pair of hose clamp tips, a fuse/relay tip, push pin and hose clamp tips, and an extended hose clamp tip that allows you to get into some very remote places.
The pliers show a pretty good fit and finish, there is just a little torsional play in them, more anyway than a new set of craftsman needlenose pliers I had on hand, but less than any of the slip-joints from the same drawer.
I know there will be interest in the hose-clamp extension, but my target vehicle for today, a 1970 International Harvester Scout 800B, is all screw clamps, so that review will have to wait!
I did use the angle long spark-plug grips to pull several plugs and they did a very good job of grabbing the boot, and holding tight against the pulling force. I can think of a number of engines on which this would be worth the cost of the set alone. See also a pic of the pliers hanging from a power cord by their own ratchet clamping.
The hose-pinch attachments also worked well, as did the others that I have had an opportunity to try.
As for the ratcheting action itself, it takes a bit of getting used to, just because it's different. If you've used a ratcheting crimper, it will be an easier transition. One challenge is remembering to squeeze a little to release the ratchet when you're done.
Changing out the heads is easy and fast, and I believe the locking mechanism should hold up to some use.
Since purchasing the kit, of course, I haven't really needed it, so I can't speak to it's durability, but it doesn't feel cheap or shoddy.
It's not made in the US but I have had good experience with Taiwanese tools, have visited the country, and don't have a problem with our WWII allies building tools for us. I buy US whenever I can but I'm not aware of a rival ratcheting plier set, let alone one made here, so make your own decision there.
Please let me know if you'd like me to try out anything else in the kit, or try any tests, etc. I'll be glad to help as time allows.
Best,
Joel
