Show your new tool arrivals

[Fly Fishing Rick]

I finally found a multimeter that does everything I want it to for a reasonable price. I've been wanting a clamp meter for a while now but didn't want to be stuck carrying a separate multimeter for certain things. This one does ac and dc amps with the clamp, has LoZ, an inrush current function, and the ability to test capacitance up to 6,000µF. My old multimeter only does 400µF, making it kinda useless unless you're only working on small electronics. This one has a couple other fluff features I've never seen in a meter before that I'm sure will come in handy as well, like a backlit dial and a 6k count Transflective Reverse-Contrast LCD display.
I grabbed a 12" 12-3 extension cord for $5 to convert into a line splitter since it was cheaper and easier than making one, and a lot cheaper than paying $15+ for some cheap dedicated line splitter plug. I've tried those before and often find them awkward and cumbersome depending on the receptacle location.

 

[wkndwarrior29]

I have been thinking of acquiring a low profile jack so that I can lift my vehicles without having to first drive them up on a 2x6 to get enough ground clearance to get my trusty 30 year old Sears (China) 1-1/2T jack under any lift point. Also wanted something that would reach far under the car so I wouldn't be hitting the front bumper cover with every stroke of a handle. I just couldn't bring myself to buy a HF low profile jack, I wanted something to last a long time without leaking. I have been looking at an AC Hydraulics low profile jack for a couple of years, expensive but built like a tank. Few places sold them but not many actually had them in stock, most just have them drop shipped which may take months. Summit had them at the lower end of the price range and I saved the $130 shipping charges (the beast has a 100# shipping weight) by picking it up at their main store. The guy at their pickup counter offered to load it for me, a 200+lb,6'+, 25 year old struggled to get it up into the car's trunk so I figured that being 75 years old I would have a hard time getting it back out but I didn't. Apparently gravity worked in my favor.

I've also admired these for a while. My Daytona 3T jack gets stuck under the front bumper of my vehicle about 3" away from reaching the center jack point so I usually drive it up on boards first. I've wondered if one of these would do the trick.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Tekton 1/4 MM sockets and more Torx bits

Flexible-soldering-wire-holder-things from Amazon. I think they were $2.

 

[LanceMc]

Wave two of my Craftsman V Series project (the new series) is arriving from eBay. This is a slick little set in a handy case.
1/2 drive 21 piece SAE 3/8 to 1 and a quarter for $95. I've never used a "comfort grip" ratchet, so we'll see how it feels.
I've read most, if not all, of the V series threads. The new V series seems to get a lot of hate. It seems like very high quality stuff to me. I think it is much better quality than the very first Sears Craftsman 1/4" ratchet and socket set I bought in 1995 or so from a Gov Contractor that was selling all his tools because he just got a DUI in Germany and he had only a few days to leave Germany because his SOFA stamp was rescinded. I like it and sure do wish I'd have been looking for it when Lowe's was almost giving it away. I'm going to buy as much of it as I can. Maybe even buy the V series tool boxes too.

 

[Ohio Andy]

Wave two of my Craftsman V Series project (the new series) is arriving from eBay. This is a slick little set in a handy case.
1/2 drive 21 piece SAE 3/8 to 1 and a quarter for $95. I've never used a "comfort grip" ratchet, so we'll see how it feels.
I've read most, if not all, of the V series threads. The new V series seems to get a lot of hate. It seems like very high quality stuff to me. I think it is much better quality than the very first Sears Craftsman 1/4" ratchet and socket set I bought in 1995 or so from a Gov Contractor that was selling all his tools because he just got a DUI in Germany and he had only a few days to leave Germany because his SOFA stamp was rescinded. I like it and sure do wish I'd have been looking for it when Lowe's was almost giving it away. I'm going to buy as much of it as I can. Maybe even buy the V series tool boxes too.

How do you like the ratchet so far? If I remember correctly, you cannot open them for repair or lubrication.

How do you like the feel and backdrag?

Have you tried their screwdrivers?

 

[Skyman]

Today's arrival. I ordered it partly out of curiosity because it's made in USA. It's better than the similar form factor Quinn POS that I'd bought a while back. But, it falls short of being impressive.

 

[shoggoth80]

Some more low profile sockets. Closer to filling out the rail.

 

[2001ZR2]

Is this a tool? Years in the making. Replaces my 25 year old POS 22" Kobalt top/bottom.

The Masterforce is a great toolbox, with one horrifically moronic design flaw on the plug. Anywho. I'm excited. Now I just need to buy an insane amount of tool organization.

Is that a 72 inch box? I have the 56 with side cabinet. Works great for me.

 

[Steve_P]

Wave two of my Craftsman V Series project (the new series) is arriving from eBay. This is a slick little set in a handy case.
1/2 drive 21 piece SAE 3/8 to 1 and a quarter for $95. I've never used a "comfort grip" ratchet, so we'll see how it feels.
I've read most, if not all, of the V series threads. The new V series seems to get a lot of hate. It seems like very high quality stuff to me. I think it is much better quality than the very first Sears Craftsman 1/4" ratchet and socket set I bought in 1995 or so from a Gov Contractor that was selling all his tools because he just got a DUI in Germany and he had only a few days to leave Germany because his SOFA stamp was rescinded. I like it and sure do wish I'd have been looking for it when Lowe's was almost giving it away. I'm going to buy as much of it as I can. Maybe even buy the V series tool boxes too.

I don't think any brand here gets more hate than the "new" Craftsman. And it's all from the Cranky Boomer COO Committee that are pissed because Cman offshored their hand tool production. Same with Gearwrench and SK. But those same guys aren't screaming that Milwaukee used to make 120V power tools in the US and now makes all of their beloved Milwaukee cordless tools in China and Vietnam; somehow, that's different. No, it's not. But it is to them. Same folks will say that China can't make a quality vise but then trust their lives to HF Chinese jackstands. Again, that's different. Anyway.......

The recent import Craftsman stuff actually gets pretty good to very good test results online-I haven't seen any that was junk. Ratchets have a big head and a lot of backdrag in comparison to most new stuff; but IMO, Craftsman never sold very good ratchets, even 40 years ago. And the similar Williams USA ratchets they currently sell have a ton of backdrag and ~32 teeth.

I have a set of the V series metric wrenches and they're fantastic. I recommend them if you can still find them. If not the 6 point Overdrive sets are on sale at Lowes.

 

[moemc]

I don’t know if anything was ever particularly impressive about the craftsman ratchet and sockets from the 80s and 90s. I think it’s the nostalgia that people like about them. Everyone had that stuff. I just rebuilt one a couple months ago to get it back into usable shape, even though it’s pretty **** compared to what I have now. Imagine if the next mustang was a FWD made by Kia. Even if was a decent car in its own right, every mustang fanatic will hate it 3x worse than the Mach-E. Nobody really likes it when a name is recycled for a product that has nothing in common with the original

 

[Ohio Andy]

I don’t know if anything was ever particularly impressive about the craftsman ratchet and sockets from the 80s and 90s. I think it’s the nostalgia that people like about them. Everyone had that stuff. I just rebuilt one a couple months ago to get it back into usable shape, even though it’s pretty **** compared to what I have now. Imagine if the next mustang was a FWD made by Kia. Even if was a decent car in its own right, every mustang fanatic will hate it 3x worse than the Mach-E. Nobody really likes it when a name is recycled for a product that has nothing in common with the original

Yeah, it was my first set that was reliable and always worked. So yeah, lots of nostalgia there. They served me well for many years.

I gave all of them away to friends who needed them and replaced them mostly with made in Taiwan, but I do have a large set of USA Proto (Metric) and Wright Tools (SAE) ratchets and sockets. All the others came in cases and are Taiwan. Craftsman Overdrive, SK, Tekton, and Milwaukee. I gave away the drivers, sockets, ratchets.

 

[2001ZR2]

I hit an estate sale yesterday and picked this up:
Been wanting a gray and red Craftsman for while. Decent shape and had the keys.

 

[Jarhead0408]

I got frustrated the other day needing a Torx I didn't have.

In a temper tantrum I decided to remedy that situation.

1/4 (long and short) and 3/8 drive Tekton Torx socket sets, Pittsburg impact Torx sockets and I warrantied some of my worn, small Snap-On Torx bits.

Plus a Quinn Master Bit set

You're my hero haha.

 

[Meursault74]

I hit an estate sale yesterday and picked this up:
Been wanting a gray and red Craftsman for while. Decent shape and had the keys.

You know, that belongs here

Let's Hear it for the Old Gray/Red Sears Craftsman Tool Chests and Cabinets (60s/70s)

Here is one of mine found in 2002-2003 while out for a walk. This is a '68 model six drawer. The logo and tray are wrong and those are copies of the original Sears catalog ads in the top lid.. It sits in my garage with some vintage Craftsman tools my next door neighbor was going to toss. Also...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[SteadyC]

Brake clean

 

[Squankum]

Would you believe Lowe's had absolutely zero decent-sized packs of sandpaper in stock?!!

Whenever I get frustrated hunting for such simple things I just go to Amazon.

Example:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004Z4BE?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Squankum]

Had to make a quick trip to Ace for a set of Craftsman Torx bits as the existing were not large enough. A quick $60 for the best of made in taiwan. When I mentioned the trip to the bursar, she thought I already had every tool available. Little does she know!

Business bursar or household bursar?

 

[Squankum]

Brake clean

Planning a Lloyd Bridges Christmas?

 

[SteadyC]

Planning a Lloyd Bridges Christmas?

love that movie

 

[Squankum]

Will the tool even fit? I guess I figured when you ream it out you're sizing the hole (per say).

I don't know! Since I bought the fancy aluminum handle kit and two kinds of worms I haven't had to use them!

 

[Squankum]

This surprises me unless something was lost in translation. I speak some Russian and worked there before (including the winter) and generally speaking, it seems Russians are more phobic on cold exposure -- particularly on the head. In fact, they look at pics on American midwesterners in T-shifts and even shirtless out in the cold and regard it as a sign of insanity like the people are going to die for sure. There is a reason for all of this though since the Russians have serious winter cold in many regions where our arctic cold snaps are pretty much normal winter days. I used to get lectured for going out without sufficient coat + hat + gloves in minus 25 ish C => -13 F. I saw no shortage of ear flaps down. But for sure, Russian guys do tend to like to act macho outside of being adverse to cold exposure! Insults can be frequent and very unenlightened by sensitive western standards.

I defer to your first-hand experience! I shall link you to a Russian woman with all of the warm clothing and a job to get done:

Underground Lair of the Squankum

Siberian drydock! A 12 minute profile of a woman who digs those holes in the ice:

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Squankum]

Today's arrival. I ordered it partly out of curiosity because it's made in USA. It's better than the similar form factor Quinn POS that I'd bought a while back. But, it falls short of being impressive.

I'll cheer you up and remind you that the German equivalent is $47 on a good day. Also, I got a pair, thinking it would have to come in handy, and, well, haven't used it much at all.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000X4MP1A?tag=atomicindus08-20

The 40-degree needle noses with comfort grip, however I love and use plenty:

KNIPEX Long Nose 40 Angled Pliers w/out Cut - Needle Nose Pliers - Amazon.com

KNIPEX Long Nose 40 Angled Pliers w/out Cut - Needle Nose Pliers - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

(They cost more lately.)

 

[Squankum]

I don’t know if anything was ever particularly impressive about the craftsman ratchet and sockets from the 80s and 90s. I think it’s the nostalgia that people like about them. Everyone had that stuff. I just rebuilt one a couple months ago to get it back into usable shape, even though it’s pretty **** compared to what I have now. Imagine if the next mustang was a FWD made by Kia. Even if was a decent car in its own right, every mustang fanatic will hate it 3x worse than the Mach-E. Nobody really likes it when a name is recycled for a product that has nothing in common with the original

I still have and used my '80's Cman chrome sockets and they seem fine for me! But occasionally I pick up one of the raised panel ratchets and... wow... ignorance was bliss. We survived, though.

Some of the nostalgia is that it was pretty good quality, for a fair price, made in the USA. It wasn't Snap On, but the price was right. And there wasn't another store in town with a hand tool section like that.

 

[bugnut]

Business bursar or household bursar?

YES

 

[Madjik Man]

Is that a 72 inch box? I have the 56 with side cabinet. Works great for me.

It is the 72”

 

[LanceMc]

I like how it feels in my hand. It feels very high quality. It is a sealed head. I've never really concerned myself with the back drag that much. I don't wrench all day every day for a living either. This feels good, much better than the Made in Taiwan 1/2" round head ratchet it replaces. I haven't bought any of the screwdrivers yet but they look very nice.

How do you like the ratchet so far? If I remember correctly, you cannot open them for repair or lubrication.

How do you like the feel and backdrag?

Have you tried their screwdrivers?

 

[Qualitytools]

I have been thinking of acquiring a low profile jack so that I can lift my vehicles without having to first drive them up on a 2x6 to get enough ground clearance to get my trusty 30 year old Sears (China) 1-1/2T jack under any lift point. Also wanted something that would reach far under the car so I wouldn't be hitting the front bumper cover with every stroke of a handle. I just couldn't bring myself to buy a HF low profile jack, I wanted something to last a long time without leaking. I have been looking at an AC Hydraulics low profile jack for a couple of years, expensive but built like a tank. Few places sold them but not many actually had them in stock, most just have them drop shipped which may take months. Summit had them at the lower end of the price range and I saved the $130 shipping charges (the beast has a 100# shipping weight) by picking it up at their main store. The guy at their pickup counter offered to load it for me, a 200+lb,6'+, 25 year old struggled to get it up into the car's trunk so I figured that being 75 years old I would have a hard time getting it back out but I didn't. Apparently gravity worked in my favor.

That’s Great to hear. I have the shorter/smaller DK20 model and have been looking to get the long reach. But most places want about $700 for them. Please post a link. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Steel_Rain]

I like it and sure do wish I'd have been looking for it when Lowe's was almost giving it away. I'm going to buy as much of it as I can. Maybe even buy the V series tool boxes too.

My Local Lowes still has a few 1/4" V-Series SAE sets in the clearance aisle from a year ago! Down to $25. I already have 4 sets of these.

I have a set of the V series metric wrenches and they're fantastic. I recommend them if you can still find them. If not the 6 point Overdrive sets are on sale at Lowes.

I have all the V-series ratcheting wrenches in standard/long pattern and these have been great. The XL's could have more sizes, but for the money, these have been excellent.

like how it feels in my hand. It feels very high quality. It is a sealed head. I've never really concerned myself with the back drag that much. I don't wrench all day every day for a living either. This feels good, much better than the Made in Taiwan 1/2" round head ratchet it replaces. I haven't bought any of the screwdrivers yet but they look very nice.

They get better if you dunk them in ATF, spin them with a drill and then dunk them again. Even after that, I feel like the 1/4" ratchets have unacceptable backdrag, but the 3/8" and 1/2" stuff has gotten decent. The flexhead long 3/8" is my favorite of the bunch. If you have a chance to pickup the Facom made (made in France) drivers, get them. I think I paid $19 for the set of flat/PH and $15 for the TORX back then.

I bought tons of V-Series stuff last year when it was on major clearance @ Lowes. I had never even heard of the V-Series line, but as soon as I saw the pricing and the quality, I was 100% committed. I think I bought this entire setup for $400 bucks, (maybe less?):



My local Lowes store was absolutely stocked with the stuff in Oct/Nov/Dec 2024, and the prices kept falling every week:







Say what you want about the ratchets, they aren't that great, I get it. But the socket fitment/broaching , the locking extensions, the screwdrivers socket bits, the ratcheting wrenches (standard and long) and even the 1/4" nut drivers are excellent quality, all made in Taiwan. I bought these for my 9 y/o son just like my Dad bought me Craftsman in the 90's (he had Mac and SO) to start off with. I just wish they were made in USA, but for the price, he has a great starter set.

He can use them this coming summer to work on his TRX90 (that he doesn't know he is getting for the holidays):

 

[lund]

I don’t know if anything was ever particularly impressive about the craftsman ratchet and sockets from the 80s and 90s. I think it’s the nostalgia that people like about them. Everyone had that stuff. I just rebuilt one a couple months ago to get it back into usable shape, even though it’s pretty **** compared to what I have now. Imagine if the next mustang was a FWD made by Kia. Even if was a decent car in its own right, every mustang fanatic will hate it 3x worse than the Mach-E. Nobody really likes it when a name is recycled for a product that has nothing in common with the original

Craftsman had a lot of different manufacturers over the years. I thought their base series was pretty low grade for raised panel wrenches and ratchets, but at least some of the wrenches went through phases where they were much better. I had the luck of rounding out much of my mechanic collection in the late 90s when there was the Craftsman pro line. I am pretty sure those were mostly the same line as Matco at the time at much lower $. Those were very high quality tools for economical prices that probably rivaled or surpassed what you can get from offshore Taiwan today (probably better materials and about the same level of finish). Those have all really held up well over the years with pretty heavy DIY use. The ratchets have low backdrag, are compact heads, comfortable handles, and strong. I have never had to do more than lube them over the years.

I thought raised panel wrenches Craftsman wrenches were junk, but I inherited a larger set of them from the 70s and earlier from my father and I was surprised the earlier lines of them (think "V" series) looked much better: less bulky, better finished, strong, etc.

All that being said, other than nostalgia, I do not get the fixation with those collecting Craftsman tools. They are basic tools, not jewelry!

For those commenting on offshore with old guys preaching domestic: You may want to think about your future. I am pretty well traveled around the world. We are not so exceptional as Americans sometimes like to think. There are a lot of good workers who are well trained and will work for less. AI and automation are both changing a lot too. But to live well, you do have to support your community and workers else there will not be much excess to support more than corporate banker types. American workers should not buy everything as cheap as possible offshore regardless of quality and then complain about their low rates of pay and lack of opportunities. Try buying less with a bit better quality while seeking domestic and support your community. Else you will not have a community in time and find your future beholden to internationals who only care for your financial assets. They will show no pity when you have no more assets to spend on their products as wages ratchet down to global average.

 

[Skyman]

The 40-degree needle noses with comfort grip, however I love and use plenty:

KNIPEX Long Nose 40 Angled Pliers w/out Cut - Needle Nose Pliers - Amazon.com

KNIPEX Long Nose 40 Angled Pliers w/out Cut - Needle Nose Pliers - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

(They cost more lately.)

I can foresee a day when I'll drop one or two of these into my shopping cart at the Jungle. Possibly as stocking-stuffers from me to myself. Thanks for the link.

 

[four.cycle]

Would you believe Lowe's had absolutely zero decent-sized packs of sandpaper in stock?

Not sure when sandpaper got to be worth more than a dollar a sheet, but I stopped buying it at retail outlets long ago.
This is the outfit that makes the 3" x 27" belts for my 1939 Porter-Cable, and from whom I buy full sleeves of sandpaper crazy cheap.

I ordered it partly out of curiosity because it's made in USA

I own two pairs of those ProAmerica angle-tip miniature pliers, and I don't believe I've ever used them! I ordered them so I had the "full set", but I've yet to find an application for them!

 

[mikegt4]

That’s Great to hear. I have the shorter/smaller DK20 model and have been looking to get the long reach. But most places want about $700 for them. Please post a link. Thanks for sharing.

Summit Racing, Turner Motorsports and ECS Tuning have them in stock. Pelican Parts is currently out of stock but usually has them, a better source for SoCal as shipping is the killer. They are in the Long Beach area. Summit has a store in Sparks NV which also serves CA.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/TOL13HLQ.htm?pn=TOL-13HLQ

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ac-hydraulic-parts/ac-hydraulic-dk13hlq-2800lb-floor-jack-with-quicklift-pedal/tol-13hlq~acz/

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-558012-ac-hydraulic-dk13hlq-2800lb-floor-jack-with-quicklift-pedal/

AC Hydraulic 3602000 AC Hydraulic DK13HLQ Floor Jacks | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - AC Hydraulic DK13HLQ Floor Jacks with qualifying orders of $125. Shop Jacks at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[Skyman]

Not sure when sandpaper got to be worth more than a dollar a sheet, but I stopped buying it at retail outlets long ago.
This is the outfit that makes the 3" x 27" belts for my 1939 Porter-Cable, and from whom I buy full sleeves of sandpaper crazy cheap.

I own two pairs of those ProAmerica angle-tip miniature pliers, and I don't believe I've ever used them! I ordered them so I had the "full set", but I've yet to find an application for them!

This one (and the POS Quinn that I have) are roughly 6", so I don't classify them as minis, but that's just a trivial difference in personal perspective.

If I were to confess with total honesty, I'd have to admit that I'm just a tool junkie, with a special affinity for pliers. I have dozens that I seldom use, and probably at least one that I've never used. But, now and then, there's one that just does the job better, or is uniquely able to do the job. I used a vintage, bent-nose Crescent slip-joint just yesterday to pull fuses out of the panel on my Blazer, when I could only open the vehicle door part-way because of its proximity to an adjacent vehicle in the garage. It just worked better than any of the other options.

So my life-long Tool Jones has once again been vindicated! At least, that's the story that I'm sticking with.

 

[SC Fly Guy]

My Local Lowes still has a few 1/4" V-Series SAE sets in the clearance aisle from a year ago! Down to $25. I already have 4 sets of these.



I have all the V-series ratcheting wrenches in standard/long pattern and these have been great. The XL's could have more sizes, but for the money, these have been excellent.



They get better if you dunk them in ATF, spin them with a drill and then dunk them again. Even after that, I feel like the 1/4" ratchets have unacceptable backdrag, but the 3/8" and 1/2" stuff has gotten decent. The flexhead long 3/8" is my favorite of the bunch. If you have a chance to pickup the Facom made (made in France) drivers, get them. I think I paid $19 for the set of flat/PH and $15 for the TORX back then.

I bought tons of V-Series stuff last year when it was on major clearance @ Lowes. I had never even heard of the V-Series line, but as soon as I saw the pricing and the quality, I was 100% committed. I think I bought this entire setup for $400 bucks, (maybe less?):



My local Lowes store was absolutely stocked with the stuff in Oct/Nov/Dec 2024, and the prices kept falling every week:






Say what you want about the ratchets, they aren't that great, I get it. But the socket fitment/broaching , the locking extensions, the screwdrivers socket bits, the ratcheting wrenches (standard and long) and even the 1/4" nut drivers are excellent quality, all made in Taiwan. I bought these for my 9 y/o son just like my Dad bought me Craftsman in the 90's (he had Mac and SO) to start off with. I just wish they were made in USA, but for the price, he has a great starter set.

He can use them this coming summer to work on his TRX90 (that he doesn't know he is getting for the holidays):

Wow!! They’ll be one happy 9-year old on Christmas morning!!

 

[Steel_Rain]

Wow!! They’ll be one happy 9-year old on Christmas morning!!

He has earned it, he is a hard working kid around our house and helping his older, aging grandparents around there larger property. Never asked for an allowance and is the first one to help. We are trying to raise him by putting both hands on handlebars and a set of wrench’s instead of an iPad.

 

[Skyman]

He has earned it, he is a hard working kid around our house and helping his older, aging grandparents around there larger property. Never asked for an allowance and is the first one to help. We are trying to raise him by putting both hands on handlebars and a set of wrench’s instead of an iPad.

Gotta admire this. We could use a lot more of this sort of parenting, and the results it tends to produce. Good on ya. He sounds like a great kid, and y'all sound like the kind of folks I'd like to have living nearby.

 

[lund]

He has earned it, he is a hard working kid around our house and helping his older, aging grandparents around there larger property. Never asked for an allowance and is the first one to help. We are trying to raise him by putting both hands on handlebars and a set of wrench’s instead of an iPad.

Great. It is a great sign that he wants to work even with no compensation. I have a 15 and 12 year old boys. I do my best to get them involved working on projects, repairs, etc. But screen time and video games are such a strong draw with boys these days that it is a struggle to combat. After school, trips, and organized sports there is often not a lot of time. Given how centric we are on online stuff and computer skills, I do not think it is healthy or practical to prohibit online, but getting a balance with sneaky teens with games kept to a reasonable balance can be a challenge. I try to give my sons tools too and have them take care of them. That was very effective for me when I was young (less distractions then though) since I could not generally use my father's (he was not so good about that). So I slowly was gifted or bought with my own dollars what I needed. I still use the same stuff many years later and most of what I have paid off enormously over time. I also am starting my sons on investing, and I point out the amplification you can get on money saved by working on stuff vs paying others and then investing what you save.

 

[Squankum]

I can foresee a day when I'll drop one or two of these into my shopping cart at the Jungle. Possibly as stocking-stuffers from me to myself. Thanks for the link.

If you are large handed, then the comfort grips are awesome -- and, alas, add about $10 to the price of any given pliers.

If you don't have the 10" Cobra, start there! That's the gateway drug, followed by the pliers wrench. I do love my needle noses and bent needle noses, but have also learned here that their tips are a little delicate, don't go trying to reel a cotter pin out of an axle stub by rotating the tips. Or as pry bars. I can live with it, I have other, burly pliers, etc etc.

Their cutting tools (dykes) are great, too.

 

[Squankum]

My Local Lowes still has a few 1/4" V-Series SAE sets in the clearance aisle from a year ago! Down to $25. I already have 4 sets of these.



I have all the V-series ratcheting wrenches in standard/long pattern and these have been great. The XL's could have more sizes, but for the money, these have been excellent.



They get better if you dunk them in ATF, spin them with a drill and then dunk them again. Even after that, I feel like the 1/4" ratchets have unacceptable backdrag, but the 3/8" and 1/2" stuff has gotten decent. The flexhead long 3/8" is my favorite of the bunch. If you have a chance to pickup the Facom made (made in France) drivers, get them. I think I paid $19 for the set of flat/PH and $15 for the TORX back then.

I bought tons of V-Series stuff last year when it was on major clearance @ Lowes. I had never even heard of the V-Series line, but as soon as I saw the pricing and the quality, I was 100% committed. I think I bought this entire setup for $400 bucks, (maybe less?):



My local Lowes store was absolutely stocked with the stuff in Oct/Nov/Dec 2024, and the prices kept falling every week:





Say what you want about the ratchets, they aren't that great, I get it. But the socket fitment/broaching , the locking extensions, the screwdrivers socket bits, the ratcheting wrenches (standard and long) and even the 1/4" nut drivers are excellent quality, all made in Taiwan. I bought these for my 9 y/o son just like my Dad bought me Craftsman in the 90's (he had Mac and SO) to start off with. I just wish they were made in USA, but for the price, he has a great starter set.

I've had some positive FACOM tool experiences in the past so this V-series era caught my attention at the last minute. I didn't need most of things, but I did ****** up a set of Torxdrivers for a song. Made in France, obvious FACOM handles, I like them.

In the past year I've bought the wee 1/4" toolbox as made (in Taiwant) by for FACOM and well, that's too much money. But the ratchet is very nice. I've since learned that the HF version of that has both SAE and metric sockets, and an extension bar for the ratchet, so that's pretty hard to ignore, and for less money. But the biggest lesson I learned was "these little 1/4" drive/hex tool kids are really handy things to have around when you're on the road."

HF ICON:

 

[Skyman]

If you are large handed, then the comfort grips are awesome -- and, alas, add about $10 to the price of any given pliers.

If you don't have the 10" Cobra, start there! That's the gateway drug, followed by the pliers wrench. I do love my needle noses and bent needle noses, but have also learned here that their tips are a little delicate, don't go trying to reel a cotter pin out of an axle stub by rotating the tips. Or as pry bars. I can live with it, I have other, burly pliers, etc etc.

Their cutting tools (dykes) are great, too.

I don’t recall which of them was the gateway drug for me, but I ingested one of them a few years ago. A number of them live among others of different manufacture in my basement workshop and there are more out in the garage. Yeah, it’s an illness. My name is Skyman, and I am a pliers addict.