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Stainless tools

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Bielio

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Going to purchase the Hazet Hinox 1/4" set.
All stainless.

Already own 2 Victorinox swisstools.

Any recommendations for all stainless screwdrivers or pliers? Wrenches?

I'm not looking to spend an arm and a leg but I'm looking for high quality.

Thanks
 
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hautpot

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Tone and Steritool are full stainless. Wera or Wiha doesn't have full stainless. Schmitz has some pliers.

I have some Witte stainless hex bits and Used to use Steritool sockets. Both are really high quality, but negatively high priced.
 
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Alfisti

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Beta make some great stainless tools, don't have any myself, but a friend who works on boats and spend most of his days in salt water swears by them.
 
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theoldwizard1

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I would not buy stainless wrenches or sockets larger than about 1/2". Knife "purist" don't like stainless because it is hard to sharpen, although it keeps its edge better than other alloys.

Most stainless alloys are more "brittle" than the typical chrome vanadium or chrome moly alloys that are typically used.
 
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Bielio

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Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
I'll go against the grain and say I don't like wera too much because of their chroming and the fact that their laser cut tips scratch fasteners.
Sure they may grip a lot better, but damaging a fastener isn't something I'm interested in.

I thought Hazet heat treated their Hinox line of sockets, etc to be 30% stronger than conventional chrome vanadium sockets?

I checked out steritool.
Looks great, but 150mm pliers for $86.00 is steep (like you mentioned).

I'll check out Schmitz and beta.
 
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Bielio

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Schmitz looks great.
I just wish they had larger pairs of pliers.
I might pick up a few pairs of their smaller pliers.
 
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Packard V8

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Boats and salt water I can understand, but specifically what are your operational conditions which necessitate stainless?

jack vines
 
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M6erfan

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Packard V8 said:
Boats and salt water I can understand, but specifically what are your operational conditions which necessitate stainless?

jack vines
Click to expand...

Lots of other industries use SS hardware, wash-down food/beverage plant equipment for example...
 
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Bielio

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Packard V8 said:
specifically what are your operational conditions which necessitate stainless?
Click to expand...


I enjoy using clean tools in a clean environment.
Some times I may require the tools to be washed and sterilized.
Other concerns are rust prevention.
Other occasions require work around food-prep materials.
This is why I also use superLube greases and oils as occasional or rare contact with food is non-toxic.
 
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Gmonkee

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Not all stainless is non magnetic so if it's medical like MRI machines you have to be VERY specific on what you bring in. Food services can be less selective.

I have three stainless SOE wrenches each about a foot long with thick hollow tubes as handles. Still haven't figured out the intended purpose.. The''re non-magnetic so it opens possibility to anything. I got them in a horse trade but new it's $$$q
 
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T45

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you cannot (actualy) sterilize plastic, eg softgrip handle drivers.

Med stuff is all metal as far as I know.

SS toolsteel is magnetic, generally speaking as non mag is poor tool qualities

hazet is good but limited options larger than 1/4 drive

there was a recent thread on stainless, try search for more options/opinions
 
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Bielio

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I wouldn't be sterilizing plastics or rubbers.

I've checked the forums.
A lot of threads about boat owners looking for stainless. Vast majority of members responded with "purchase wera"
 
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rsanter

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Look for used or surplus medical tools. A few years back I bought a medical card from a guy that worked at a hospital. He used to take all the medical tools home that the hospital was getting rid of. Several of them looked and worked just like the non medical version.
I sold a bunch of them off and kept a few. I may have some spare pliers that I could part with.

Bob
 
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Pantsfall_McFixit

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I keep a file, tools.txt, here's the section on stainless tools:

Wera - Screwdrivers
Wiha - Screwdrivers
KS Tools - Inox Plus
Aven - Screwdrivers, etc.
Athlet - Screwdrivers, Hex and Torx keys
HaFu - hex keys
Elora - Screwdrivers
Witte - Screwdrivers
Asahi (Japan) - hex keys
Tone (Japan) - various

I have Wera's stainless screwdrivers and hex keys, Wiha stainless drivers, an Elora driver, and an Athlet driver. Wera's hex keys are amazing for a tool polisher like me, however others use them daily and have no complaints. Wiha's stainless drivers are excellent as well. I have not used any of them very much they're so nice, however others say that modern German stainless tool steel is up to daily use.
 
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Bielio

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rsanter said:
Look for used or surplus medical tools. A few years back I bought a medical card from a guy that worked at a hospital. He used to take all the medical tools home that the hospital was getting rid of. Several of them looked and worked just like the non medical version.
I sold a bunch of them off and kept a few. I may have some spare pliers that I could part with.

Bob
Click to expand...

This is a good idea also.



Pantsfall_McFixit said:
I keep a file, tools.txt, here's the section on stainless tools:

Wera - Screwdrivers
Wiha - Screwdrivers
KS Tools - Inox Plus
Aven - Screwdrivers, etc.
Athlet - Screwdrivers, Hex and Torx keys
HaFu - hex keys
Elora - Screwdrivers
Witte - Screwdrivers
Asahi (Japan) - hex keys
Tone (Japan) - various

I have Wera's stainless screwdrivers and hex keys, Wiha stainless drivers, an Elora driver, and an Athlet driver. Wera's hex keys are amazing for a tool polisher like me, however others use them daily and have no complaints. Wiha's stainless drivers are excellent as well. I have not used any of them very much they're so nice, however others say that modern German stainless tool steel is up to daily use.
Click to expand...

I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.
 
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t100

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we use Steriltool, majority of the sockets and T-handles are made of 316L and 17-4 stainless.

Pretty pricey, ~$100 for a single piece of socket.
 
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hautpot

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Those Genius Spanners are really nice, but why in the workd would they make Ratcheting with non stainless components???? That literally defeats the purpose of Stainless!
 
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Leon67

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I have some stainless-inox tools as I work on yachts. Here is the list:
Sockets: 1/4 Hazet, 3/8 Teng Tools. In 1/2 there are sets from Teng and KS Tools
Wrenches: Beta set plus Elora in bigger sizes
Screwdrivers: Beta set plus Wera for some bigger sizes, Witte and Facom. KS has some too.
Hex Keys: Facom for allen, KS for torx (tamperprof)
Pliers: KS, Tone. Aven pliers (locking too) look good but difficult to get here in Europe.
I will try to post a picture later....
 
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rlitman

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Leon67 said:
I have some stainless-inox tools as I work on yachts...
Click to expand...

If corrosion is the only concern, BeCu would be at least as good as Stainless (as as tool metals go, a little superior as well).

I've got a set of Berylco groove joint pliers, and it's nice to know I can put them away wet and not have to worry about rust.
 
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Bielio

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Leon67 said:
I have some stainless-inox tools as I work on yachts. Here is the list:
Sockets: 1/4 Hazet, 3/8 Teng Tools. In 1/2 there are sets from Teng and KS Tools
Wrenches: Beta set plus Elora in bigger sizes
Screwdrivers: Beta set plus Wera for some bigger sizes, Witte and Facom. KS has some too.
Hex Keys: Facom for allen, KS for torx (tamperprof)
Pliers: KS, Tone. Aven pliers (locking too) look good but difficult to get here in Europe.
I will try to post a picture later....
Click to expand...

Interesting. thanks.
 
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ultgar

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As was previously indicated, CuBe and Titanium are alternatives to stainless and used for heavy duty applications.
nonmag-1000.jpg
 
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Bielio

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Fcvapor05 said:
That's a marketing statement, and nothing more.
Click to expand...

understood; if that's the case, would you believe the strength is:

greater, less, or equal to conventional Hazet sockets?
If equal, then the only benefit it seems is rust resistance / appearance.
 
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