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AJHD

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Messages
3,035
Location
AZ
I think the Klein multis are Taiwanese. I have the both the magnetic and non 11-1
and there's no markings. All my American Klein stuff has USA all over them. I wouldn't part with them but I'm interested in that Channellock too!

If you like Klein, though, get the Klein! I bought a #32500 11-in-1 just to keep in The Shabby Above-Ground Dwelling (aka upstairs) and it, of course, has the grippiest handle, and is a tidy little size, just a little bit shorter than Channellock.

Looks like the Klein is made on a small, capitalist island off the coast of China, one the United States has maybe been devoted to protecting since the dawn of the Cold War (or maybe not, I only recently learned we never said it clearly)... aka, Taiwan. Harumph. Mine seems like Klein quality to me.

My 11-in-1 is devoid of markings, too.


I stopped at Lowes earlier while I was out and checked out their new Klein stuff (all of it by the pro desk).

I've owned Klein before and I may go that route again. But yes, every single screwdriver I looked at said made in Taiwan on the package.

Except one, which said "assembled in the USA". No idea what the **** that means or how you "assemble" a multi-bit screwdriver, but who am I?...
 

bpwoodworking

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Joined
Jul 6, 2023
Messages
254
^Really cool!

Building out the top box near the Bridgeport. I've had a hodgepodge of tools near this machine forever, so nice to finally start to have a decent setup. I've snagged a few Mitutoyo Japan combination square sets over the years. They moved production to Brazil and then Mexico. The quality appears identical but I prefer my Japanese tools made in Japan, so...

That said I have a made in China Mitutoyo set of calipers :LOL: that has been going strong for 20 years. When they finally stop working I'll replace them with an Absolute.

IMG_1472.jpeg

IMG_1471.jpeg
 

lund

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Joined
Nov 2, 2019
Messages
806
Location
Michigan
Put the bit in the bit holder?

And packaging. The state of the art in USA "manufacturing" today.

The really annoying ones are "Made in China to (company name) specifications." or "Designed in the USA". Like these business nimrods think anything contracted out is made exactly as their plans. I bet often that none of their engineers even visit the plant or speak Chinese.
 

AJHD

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Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Messages
3,035
Location
AZ
@LWB Do you happen to have standard Snap On combination wrenches? Or does anyone know if a standard style combination wrench will fit into those MAC wrench holders?

I'm looking for a portable way to organize and secure loose wrenches.
 

LWB

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Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
1,247
Location
ON, Canada
@LWB Do you happen to have standard Snap On combination wrenches? Or does anyone know if a standard style combination wrench will fit into those MAC wrench holders?

I'm looking for a portable way to organize and secure loose wrenches.

Sorry, no Snap-On here.
 

LWB

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Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
1,247
Location
ON, Canada
@LWB Do you happen to have standard Snap On combination wrenches? Or does anyone know if a standard style combination wrench will fit into those MAC wrench holders?

I'm looking for a portable way to organize and secure loose wrenches.

I would look at a tool/wrench roll instead.
 

carmantl

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 19, 2015
Messages
237
Mr Roboto know this: fiberglass tapes are not as accurate as steel tapes. My grandfather was an Army Air Corp surveyor and they relied exclusively on steel "chains". They even had a small 4 inch piece of the same tape out of the same batch graduated in degrees F with variable spacing according to the ambient temperature. Accuracy may not be necessary for your application but there are more accurate devices.
 

Mr. Roboto

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Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
2,160
Location
New Hampshire
Mr Roboto know this: fiberglass tapes are not as accurate as steel tapes. My grandfather was an Army Air Corp surveyor and they relied exclusively on steel "chains". They even had a small 4 inch piece of the same tape out of the same batch graduated in degrees F with variable spacing according to the ambient temperature. Accuracy may not be necessary for your application but there are more accurate devices.

Good to know thank you! This won’t affect me for my uses. I do have a 35’ Milwaukee steel tape, so this will just be used for gross measurement over that length
 
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Buckgnarly

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Joined
Oct 8, 2010
Messages
7,654
Location
VT
How confident are you in the ball joint hammer nuts? I haven't had great luck with mine. It seems if the joint has a cotter key hole it can still collapse. That and I work on lots of rusty junk to the point I have difficulty even threading on the tool itself.
I'll find out...there have been a few cases where my front end tool kit did not have enough space to pop ball joints or tie rod ends. I figure the Ole Thor might be useful with the nuts in those cases.
I've also wised up and quote new parts on the real rusty **** boxes that come my way, you know, the 8 to 10 year old cars....hahaha!
 

Buckgnarly

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Joined
Oct 8, 2010
Messages
7,654
Location
VT
If you wrench as a pro, let me know how you like that matco press. Interesting design but looks like it wouldn't fit in alot of places. I've been curious since it came out
School shop and home side business. I got that kit for an old Ram 3500 dually front end we are rebuilding, plus I got it on sale. Hard to say no to student discount on lots of tools, one of the perks of the job I guess!
 

mikeinri

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Joined
Nov 29, 2019
Messages
8,248
Location
MA
Except one, which said "assembled in the USA". No idea what the **** that means or how you "assemble" a multi-bit screwdriver, but who am I?...

Put the bit in the bit holder?

And packaging. The state of the art in USA "manufacturing" today.

The really annoying ones are "Made in China to (company name) specifications." or "Designed in the USA". Like these business nimrods think anything contracted out is made exactly as their plans. I bet often that none of their engineers even visit the plant or speak Chinese.

At the risk of furthering the tangent...

I've been wondering if there's any "standard" behind being able to use that phrase. Especially after looking at socket sets or other groups of tools, I'm starting to believe that it simply means sticking the tools into the case, or worse, just the final retail packaging.

Mike
 

AJHD

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Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Messages
3,035
Location
AZ
On the topic of multi-bit screwdrivers, I stopped at another Lowes earlier this morning and ended up buying a Wiha "11-in-1" screwdriver to see if it works for my needs (also picked up a few Wiha 1/4" bits to test).

I want something simple to throw in a bag. I don't use a ton of screwdrivers doing automotive work, and I'd like to avoid carrying 6 different screwdrivers or only using 1/4" bits.

Anyway... what got my attention was it's on sale for like $16 and surprisingly made in the USA. Says USA on the package and on the handle. The Klein equivalent is $21 and made in Taiwan.

Obviously wish it had more bits, I'm not an electrician and literally have never seen a square bit fastener in real life. I do however like that the bits are larger and have the ball detent.

The handle is also a little large. But it's still comfortable and reminds me of a more rounded Snap On soft grip handle. The black and red color too.

 

boom_bap

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Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
614
Location
Idaho
Get the new Klein 11-1 impact. Yes its MiT but its so handy for poping in a impact driver and working around stuff around the house. Wouldn't use a multi-screwdriver for automotive personally, I like the dedicated wera yellow beater flat heads for that.
 

AJHD

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Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Messages
3,035
Location
AZ
Get the new Klein 11-1 impact. Yes its MiT but its so handy for poping in a impact driver and working around stuff around the house. Wouldn't use a multi-screwdriver for automotive personally, I like the dedicated wera yellow beater flat heads for that.

Is this the one you're talking about?
It looks interesting, I saw it looking at the new Klein displays at Lowes.



For the record, I'm not using only a multi-bit screwdriver, I'm also only exploring possible options for downsizing, especially for a quick "grab and go" bag. In addition, I don't use screwdrivers for prying or bashing, I have dedicated pry bars and punches for that.

Most common screws in automotive are some sensors, air boxes, trim, light assemblies and interior stuff (all of it mostly plastic). They don't require a ton of force and should not break if you use them correctly. I'm more concerned with stripping screws than breaking tips/bits.
 

f121

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Joined
Dec 8, 2018
Messages
2,078
Location
UK
Is this the one you're talking about?
It looks interesting, I saw it looking at the new Klein displays at Lowes.



For the record, I'm not using only a multi-bit screwdriver, I'm also only exploring possible options for downsizing, especially for a quick "grab and go" bag. In addition, I don't use screwdrivers for prying or bashing, I have dedicated pry bars and punches for that.

Most common screws in automotive are some sensors, air boxes, trim, light assemblies and interior stuff (all of it mostly plastic). They don't require a ton of force and should not break if you use them correctly. I'm more concerned with stripping screws than breaking tips/bits.

The issue with multi bit screwdrivers for automotive is the bit holder is usually too wide to fit if the screw is recessed. I keep a multi bit and Philips #1 and #2 in my road box, very rarely reach for the multi.
 

boom_bap

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Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
614
Location
Idaho
Yep that is the one. What makes it sweet is that you can put any 1/4 bits in it (not just Klein proprietary bits), and you can customize it yourself. The flip socket thing in the handle is a double sided hex input so you can put anything you want. I happen to have Milwaukee bits but here are examples. That impact adapter is in the handle in the second photo. The handle is a 1/2 hex so anything smaller will fit up to 3 or 4 inches. The Klein handle is also not a behemoth which is nice. Similar to their normal #2.

Of course it also make for a handy grab and go with a 1/4 hex impact, just grab both and you've got options.
 

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M635_Guy

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 5, 2019
Messages
4,335
Location
NC
I spread money all over the place today across NAPA, HF and HD:

Can't find much on this generation, but every loves to previous gen. It's overkill for me, but I had a credit that covered more than half of it. Ease-of-use (hopefully) and onboard records for the history of the six cars it will regularly see use on will be extremely handy.
j2BKZE.jpg

Icon was 25% off today for ITC, and the hook bill was ten bucks:
wlAByF.jpg

Got this on a wild hair when they had a "special buy" sale, but it took forever to arrive. I'd kinda forgotten about it:
dZLI8x.jpg
 

AJHD

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Messages
3,035
Location
AZ
Yep that is the one. What makes it sweet is that you can put any 1/4 bits in it (not just Klein proprietary bits), and you can customize it yourself. The flip socket thing in the handle is a double sided hex input so you can put anything you want. I happen to have Milwaukee bits but here are examples. That impact adapter is in the handle in the second photo. The handle is a 1/2 hex so anything smaller will fit up to 3 or 4 inches. The Klein handle is also not a behemoth which is nice. Similar to their normal #2.

Of course it also make for a handy grab and go with a 1/4 hex impact, just grab both and you've got options.

Interesting idea. That could be useful. Thanks for the tip.
 

afazz

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 25, 2007
Messages
862
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
@LWB Do you happen to have standard Snap On combination wrenches? Or does anyone know if a standard style combination wrench will fit into those MAC wrench holders?

I'm looking for a portable way to organize and secure loose wrenches.

I tested this out with Snap-on wrenches in a Craftsman V-Series holder, and it does work! The Snap-on wrench beams are thinner so they aren’t held as secure, but they’re captured so they can’t fall out. Also note the Snap-on are fractional in a metric holder, so I’m using 3/4” in the 19mm slot, 5/8 in 16, and 9/16 in 14.
IMG_1078.jpeg

IMG_1077.jpeg
 

WWheeler

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Joined
Jun 23, 2015
Messages
4,105
Location
Middleofnowhere USA
Scanic adjustable box wrench from Sweden. Very solid and smooth operation.
IMG_0282.jpeg

I suspect if Sears still had the Craftsman name they would right now be furiously working out how to reverse engineer this to get all that smoothness out of it so they can market their knock-off version for $29.99 before this year's Christmas sales push. At least Stanley hasn't followed them so far down that hole. (yet).
 

AJHD

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Messages
3,035
Location
AZ
I tested this out with Snap-on wrenches in a Craftsman V-Series holder, and it does work! The Snap-on wrench beams are thinner so they aren’t held as secure, but they’re captured so they can’t fall out. Also note the Snap-on are fractional in a metric holder, so I’m using 3/4” in the 19mm slot, 5/8 in 16, and 9/16 in 14.

Thanks for letting me know if they work or not.
 
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