Show your new tool arrivals

[mikeinri]

Ms. Squankum is very good at locking herself out of her car. She's a big fan of the Hide A Key. My paranoia about crime and vandalism, from having grown up in the semi-urban Northeast, is scared at the idea of having a key to your car... under your car. But I make sure all of her cars have one.

I kind of had the "it can't happen to me" mentality, having driven German cars for decades where you can't lock the driver's door from the inside then slam it shut, you must close it then lock it with a key, and that was a very good way to learn to not lose your key, and also made odds of locking your key inside much lower. But then we left a trailhead and rode our bikes up a mountain and my keys fell out of the saddle bag of my MTB. Amazingly, we went back and found them.

I hate locking my vehicles. Back in the 90s, I had a car broken into by a hoodlum who stole a few loose items inside (portable CD player, two cases of my favorite CDs, leather jacket, etc.). This was downtown Providence, RI, in a parking lot near a nightclub (ironically, later torn down and is now the site of the Providence Police HQ)...

Of COURSE that should have all been in the trunk. But, the only thing worse than having to replace all of that stuff was having to also deal with the broken window (fortunately, it was a rear side window, and I was able to get a replacement at a junkyard, but that STILL sucked).

Mike

 

[Jarhead0408]

Germans over complicating things? That has never happened before...

Herr Beerhippie never claimed "we" invented those.

Auf wiedersehen der cousin,
Herr Jarhead

 

[mikeinri]

the perfect shot glass.

Genius! That's a great idea for one of my favorite karaoke places. For bar snacks, they serve goldfish in old-school ash trays...

Mike

 

[mikeinri]

Ordered these Lisle hose spoons from Amazon the other day, 22% off...

Prime shipping, but it was 2-day, not next day...

Wait, why can't I upload pics?

Mike

OK, pics seem to be working now, let me try again...

Ordered these Lisle hose spoons from Amazon the other day, 22% off...



Prime shipping, but it was 2-day, not next day (and they showed up just as I was about to close the hood, AFTER replacing the heater control valve)...



Those hoses popped right off without a fight, so no big deal.

As for the tools, they're Vietnam, not USA, and were possibly way too big for those heater hoses.

Mike

 

[M.Jay]

Ace is getting on the mini bucket trend so I picked up a couple

What do you guys do with these? Are they actual useful or just for the giggles?

 

[Beerhippie]

Actually, “we” invented those. -> https://www.wackerneuson.com/us/products/vibratory-rammers

And “we” even make them “emission free”. -> https://www.wackerneuson.com/us/zero-emission/electric-rammers

Kind regards,
Olli

I always thought it was Joe Bob's great-grandfather who stuck a mower engine with a bent crankshaft on a plate to compact his drive.

 

[Beerhippie]

OK, pics seem to be working now, let me try again...

Ordered these Lisle hose spoons from Amazon the other day, 22% off...



Prime shipping, but it was 2-day, not next day (and they showed up just as I was about to close the hood, AFTER replacing the heater control valve)...



Those hoses popped right off without a fight, so no big deal.

As for the tools, they're Vietnam, not USA, and were possibly way too big for those heater hoses.

Mike

I see you carefully oriented the hose clamps where you can't reach them.

 

[shoggoth80]

Black Friday BS. But at 40% off something I had been eyeballing for a long time, I'll bite. My last long 1/4 broke at the anvil, and was a quick release PT from the parts store. Could I have warrantied it? Yeah. Is this better? I think so. Lol.

 

[mikeinri]

I see you carefully oriented the hose clamps where you can't reach them.

Trust me, that's the first thing I thought when I saw it. Turns out, Ford FUBAR-ed the mounting design of the valve so horribly, this is actually better...

The valve is mounted to a bracket, unfortunately by using two screws from the backside (against the valve cover)! So, you have to first reach down and remove a bolt holding the bracket to the engine. If those hose clamps were mounted for easy removal, you'd slice your arm open just trying to reach that bolt.

These guys attack that bolt through the tire well. I wasn't about to remove the tire and fender well just to reach one bracket bolt...

2005 Ford Explorer, 4.6L V-8, BTW...

Mike

 

[Shitbox]

Craigslist new to me:

Looks like someone dumped it at one point in its life and was missing a 2” finger, but 4’ and able to do a full sheet of 16 gauge for $300 I didn’t mind straightening the leg and making a finger. Any ideas what brand it may be? Was green originally and at some point, bought/sold through Universal Metals & Machinery(industrial resale co. from all the info I could find).

 

[Beerhippie]

The new adapter kit for the vacuum bleeder came in earlier this week:



Now I guess I gotta use it....

 

[Beerhippie]

I hate locking my vehicles. Back in the 90s, I had a car broken into by a hoodlum who stole a few loose items inside (portable CD player, two cases of my favorite CDs, leather jacket, etc.). This was downtown Providence, RI, in a parking lot near a nightclub (ironically, later torn down and is now the site of the Providence Police HQ)...

Of COURSE that should have all been in the trunk. But, the only thing worse than having to replace all of that stuff was having to also deal with the broken window (fortunately, it was a rear side window, and I was able to get a replacement at a junkyard, but that STILL sucked).

Mike

I've twice had windows broken so some douchebag could steal the worthless AM radios. Neither time were the doors locked. I caught the second guy with his *** hanging out of the front window prying the AC Delco radio out with a screwdriver. I got some satisfaction from him. Police were not involved.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I could not begin to count the number of times I have locked myself out of my vehicle. It's nutty. Some people never do it in their entire lifetime. Me - at least half a dozen times a year, if not more. Just did it again a few weeks ago.
Maybe this should be "Garage Sale" stuff, but maybe... not:

Saw a CL ad for the compressor so I went over and picked it up. Works fine. $40 bucks. So then I had to drive over to HF to buy some doo-dads so I can use the thing. Feel free to make me wrong - I have no clue what I'm doing with air. Intention is to use it for cleaning stuff. I don't believe I've ever used an air tool in my life, other than a blow nozzle for cleaning carburetors. Figured this would be good enough to start. That yellow hose looks appropriate for my trash can, but the kit was on a close-out deal nutty cheap.

In other news:
Today started out with a trip over to the east side, where I got this way-cool work cart so I'm not bent over working on that sawhorse.
They also had some other treasures I just couldn't pass up.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Liked the top handle saw so much decided to also get this one.

I don't have Red stuff but yellow. Granted I have a couple of Stihls for wood cutting but the battery DeWalt is handy as heck for the big limbs that come down in the yard....that and a few pallets that get turned into kindling.

Never thought I would have a battery chainsaw but yeah, I think they have their place... congrats on the purchase.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Saw these on Menards BF ad.... figured for $17 each I could drop a few bucks... luckily, these lead to another purchase.

Chrome...

Impact....

and....after buying a few other Icon at 40% off... what the heck, why not one more.... along with a couple of 60 grit discs

 

[pfbz]

Picked up this cool Ko-ken set recently.... 12 pt 3/8" drive, 9-22 no skips, cool little metal box.

I bought it on Zoro, but Ko-ken is having a 30% off Black Friday sale right now if anyone is interested..

https://kokenusa.com/discount/ToolsAndTwisties

 

[Hakeem]

This one is really special to me, as it came from one of our own, Mr @Steve_P :

The Belle of the ball is the Japanese IR impacting air ratchet on the left but the others are very nice to have as well. The other ratchet is HF, made in japan, and it screams—the perfect tool to pick up when a customer won’t stop talking to me (no issue for me as I wear hearing protection ). They are vintage HF from 30-40 years ago, so the cool factor is off the charts. All are new or barely used. He packed all five up very nicely and sent them to me for a great price. Even included some of his vintage sticker stash!

Thanks again Steve — you are the man!!!

 

[rockinacummins]

A cheap oil filter strap wrench, my SO started to move the over tightened filter but was too bulky to finish the job.
One of the other guys had this modified with a different strap that fit and ended my aggravation,
For less than $10 it was a no brainer

Went straight to Amazon and ordered one when I saw this. I’ve been making do with a piece of 3/4” round stock I slotted and stuffed a piece of 1” ratchet strap through. For the price this was worth the upgrade!

 

[mikeinri]

I've twice had windows broken so some douchebag could steal the worthless AM radios. Neither time were the doors locked. I caught the second guy with his *** hanging out of the front window prying the AC Delco radio out with a screwdriver. I got some satisfaction from him. Police were not involved.

You just reminded me of my other car-break-in story...

A few years after my incident, in a different area of downtown Providence (a block or two away from City Hall and the old Police HQ, which was still active at the time)...

I parallel parked my car along a steet, and was walking to a different nightclub. As I'm walking along, I see a dude beating the daylights out of someone in the front seat of a car, through the front passenger door...

...as I'm walking by, between punches landing, I hear the "victim" of the beating screaming, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't know this was YOUR car, officer!"

NO, it shouldn't have mattered that it happened to be a police officer's personal vehicle for it to be WRONG for the perp to break into, and NO, the police officer shouldn't have abused his power, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being torn between disgust (for both parties) and indirect vindication for the a-hole who'd broken into my car a few years earlier, less than a mile away...

Mike

 

[Skyman]

You just reminded me of my other car-break-in story...

A few years after my incident, in a different area of downtown Providence (a block or two away from City Hall and the old Police HQ, which was still active at the time)...

I parallel parked my car along a steet, and was walking to a different nightclub. As I'm walking along, I see a dude beating the daylights out of someone in the front seat of a car, through the front passenger door...

...as I'm walking by, between punches landing, I hear the "victim" of the beating screaming, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't know this was YOUR car, officer!"

NO, it shouldn't have mattered that it happened to be a police officer's personal vehicle for it to be WRONG for the perp to break into, and NO, the police officer shouldn't have abused his power, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being torn between disgust (for both parties) and indirect vindication for the a-hole who'd broken into my car a few years earlier, less than a mile away...

Mike

Perp might have been the same dirtbag that hit your car.

 

[Skyman]

Replacement for the one that broke along the headband. Some assembly required. I'll get to that tomorrow:




And I got GJ'ed, leading to the arrival of these two:

 

[Fly Fishing Rick]

Got a new/replacement non contact voltage detector today. I almost went with a Klein but there's a few things I like much better about this one. For starts, there's no button/switch. It's just always on and ready to go. It's also way more/less sensitive, depending on how you look at it. My old Klein would beep if I got it anywhere near a cord/box with power, but this new one only beeps when it comes in contact with the hot side of the cord, and nothing on the neutral or ground. This makes troubleshooting much simpler if you have several lines in one box. The last thing it has going for it is that it's made in the USA. Their claim that it won't react to static electricity is false, but I actually look at it as a feature. The tip lights up red for a half second from the friction of pulling it out of my tool bag pocket, confirming it has power before use.
Edit to add: They clarify on the packaging that it will light up when static charge is detected, but will give no audible alert.

 

[Beerhippie]

Got a new/replacement non contact voltage detector today. I almost went with a Klein but there's a few things I like much better about this one. For starts, there's no button/switch. It's just always on and ready to go. It's also way more/less sensitive, depending on how you look at it. My old Klein would beep if I got it anywhere near a cord/box with power, but this new one only beeps when it comes in contact with the hot side of the cord, and nothing on the neutral or ground. This makes troubleshooting much simpler if you have several lines in one box. The last thing it has going for it is that it's made in the USA. Their claim that it won't react to static electricity is false, but I actually look at it as a feature. The tip lights up red for a half second from the friction of pulling it out of my tool bag pocket, confirming it has power before use.

I kind of hate my Klein for all the reasons you mention. It's also bulky and just plain inconvenient to use.

 

[Fly Fishing Rick]

I kind of hate my Klein for all the reasons you mention. It's also bulky and just plain inconvenient to use.

They make a lot of great tools but they make some real duds too lol. The last Fluke I used acted exactly the same as the Kleins btw. The only nice part about that one was you could turn the audible function on/off. It wasn't mine though, and I wouldn't pay $30+ for one after using it.

 

[zimman]

Retired the Matco quarter inch duo. (quarter inch impact not shown) Time to move on after 12 years. It was a great tool. Constant use and held up well. Hope the Milwaukee does the same.
Zim

 

[mikeinri]

Perp might have been the same dirtbag that hit your car.

Trust me, that thought crossed my mind...

Mike

 

[mikeinri]

Got a new/replacement non contact voltage detector today. I almost went with a Klein but there's a few things I like much better about this one. For starts, there's no button/switch. It's just always on and ready to go. It's also way more/less sensitive, depending on how you look at it. My old Klein would beep if I got it anywhere near a cord/box with power, but this new one only beeps when it comes in contact with the hot side of the cord, and nothing on the neutral or ground. This makes troubleshooting much simpler if you have several lines in one box. The last thing it has going for it is that it's made in the USA. Their claim that it won't react to static electricity is false, but I actually look at it as a feature. The tip lights up red for a half second from the friction of pulling it out of my tool bag pocket, confirming it has power before use.

VERY cool, great review!

Mike

 

[Meursault74]

Craigslist new to me:

Looks like someone dumped it at one point in its life and was missing a 2” finger, but 4’ and able to do a full sheet of 16 gauge for $300 I didn’t mind straightening the leg and making a finger. Any ideas what brand it may be? Was green originally and at some point, bought/sold through Universal Metals & Machinery(industrial resale co. from all the info I could find).

Curious about the truing stand. Did you make it?

Would be well received here.............

The Bicycle (Specialty) Tools Thread

Hey all! Long time lurker, recent poster, and lifelong bicycle/bicycle tool enthusiast. There's not a long-running thread on tools for use on bicycles or bicycle specialty tools, so let's make one! To start things off, I'm going to use this thread to list manufacturers of quality specialty...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Ohio Andy]

So there is a Black Friday sale on the Fluke TC01A 25Hz - iSee Mobile Thermal Camera for Android Smartphones, Temperature Range up to 1022°F

https://a.co/d/ezfbfZI

And mine arrived today. I have a long list of things I want to look at. my daughter and I spent quite a bit of time looking at a lot of things already. My daughter noticed that a few position it so you're looking up your nostril. You can see the difference in the air temperature as you breathe in and out... We were immediately able to find the ductworks in the wall and by ductwork I mean air ducts for heating and cooling....

 

[moemc]

$21 find. Reviews were pretty bad. Rightfully so. The backdrag was horrendous and I could barely turn the 1/4 anvil with the fingers. Polished out the inside and it’s acceptable now. I tried it with 1 of the pawls removed and it feels way better. But I put it back in for now and will use it as a novelty. The actual annoying thing about it is that the anvil wants to stick into sockets rather than the ratchet. Handle has a great feel to it. Might search for a better ratchet with the same handle from them.

 

[david3921]

OK, pics seem to be working now, let me try again...

Ordered these Lisle hose spoons from Amazon the other day, 22% off...



Prime shipping, but it was 2-day, not next day (and they showed up just as I was about to close the hood, AFTER replacing the heater control valve)...



Those hoses popped right off without a fight, so no big deal.

As for the tools, they're Vietnam, not USA, and were possibly way too big for those heater hoses.

Mike

You might want to check out those sensor wires, lower, right in the last photo.

 

[Squankum]

(Please delete)

(My question got answered by another post)

 

[66HertzClone]

What do you guys do with these? Are they actual useful or just for the giggles?

Mine are for giggles, I want to add the Ace Hardware, Home Depot, and Tractor Supply versions to my collection, I'll put them on a shelf in my office.

 

[mikeinri]

You might want to check out those sensor wires, lower, right in the last photo.

Thanks, completely missed that!

Forgot to mention, I (and you) also completely missed that I didn't plug the sensor wire back into the air inlet tube. See the red plug at the right side of the first pic?

The truck sputtered while starting, then eventually sort of smoothed out. My first thought: "What did I forget?" Then turned the engine off, looked under the hood and saw that plug staring at me. Plugged it in, restarted, ran perfectly.

Mike

 

[four.cycle]

$21 find. Reviews were pretty bad. Rightfully so.

Can't figure why anyone would buy that unit after reading half a dozen of the reviews that were on that page.

You could have had a V8 nice little Titan and enough change left to buy a small can of V8.

 

[Skyman]

I actually bought this a couple of months ago. Its quality was so bad that I just put it in a cabinet and forgot about it until rediscovering it this morning. It wasn’t worth returning, as it would have cost me more in fuel than the few $ I left at the cash register at HF when I acquired it.

I got after it today with some 80-grit and a couple of drops of Tri-Flow. It’s much improved, but still not worth the six or eight frogskins I paid for it. The ragged edges are gone, but the action is still stiff and notchy. It will be used only when I have no other tool handy that will accomplish the task.

 

[M.Jay]

$21 find. Reviews were pretty bad. Rightfully so. The backdrag was horrendous and I could barely turn the 1/4 anvil with the fingers. Polished out the inside and it’s acceptable now. I tried it with 1 of the pawls removed and it feels way better. But I put it back in for now and will use it as a novelty. The actual annoying thing about it is that the anvil wants to stick into sockets rather than the ratchet. Handle has a great feel to it. Might search for a better ratchet with the same handle from them.

If you want a good Gedore 1/4" ratchet, look for the 2093 U-20. It has the classic batwing-style pawl and 40 teeth. Still has some backdrag, but that's the case with most German made ratchets. All of them are significant stiffer compared to the Japanese ones.

 

[BobsYourUncle69]

Some $149 Bosch 12v brushless goodness
5in 1 drill /driver -Malaysia
Osculating tool -Hungary

I actually wanted the IXO 4V screw driver with the attachments as that 4V does what I need it to do but the price for the IXO no longer makes sense if I can get this for a little more

 

[Kasal]

Gearwrench, 3/8 locking extension set

 

[moemc]

Can't figure why anyone would buy that unit after reading half a dozen of the reviews that were on that page.

You could have had a V8 nice little Titan and enough change left to buy a small can of V8.

Just to check it out. I could have returned it. But I was confident by looking at its simple nature that it was probably not a big deal to dial in. I still can even now, it’s not like they would know I polished the insides. But it works well enough at this point. I have ideas for correcting the anvil retention too.

It’s just interesting to me! I have 100 other ratchets that work fine.