themechanicstoolbox.com?

[Can I try?]

Does anyone know - is http://www.themechanicstoolbox.com defunct?

Their homepage now reroutes to an out-of-date "down for maintenance" page that does not offer a means to contact them. I was hoping to place an order. Can anyone here offer some insight?

 

[Can I try?]

They offered a master set of the Hozan JIS Phillips/slotted screwdrivers. I seem to recall it being 10 pieces. IIRC, it was 5 Phillips and 5 slotted, of which one of each was stubby. It was considerably cheaper than piecing together a 10-piece set from elsewhere. I've yet to see this set advertised anywhere else. If someone could offer a line on an alternative source, that would also be much appreciated.

 

[lightning02]

never heard of the place myself.

 

[6PTsocket]

Hozan is a Japanese manufacturer. JIS is Japanese Industrial Standard not unlike German DIN and American quality standards. I googled Hozan and got a lot of hits, one of which yielded a long list of American distributors. I assume you can take it from there. Why you you would go to so much trouble for a set of screw drivers is beyond me. There are plenty of decent ones out there and they are not that expensive. While I have many better ones, I have a couple of sets of the cheap Harbor Freight sets that they often give away free with a purchase. I am amazed that they have stood up quite well and show no wear or bending. Worth every cent I paid. ZERO!!


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[M6erfan]

Never heard of that website but if you're set on Hozan, a 3sec. Google search showed these...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003F63WI8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[6PTsocket]

I just discovered an important fact. The geometry of JIS phillips screw drivers differs from standard phillips. The ribs are thicker and the tip comes to a sharper point. You will find JIS hardware on Japanese and Korean cars. Apparantly Hozan and one other company are the primary US sources for these JIS tools. I have worked on my Honda and Hyundai for years and never knew the difference. My screw drivers always seemed to fit just fine. Then again, both of those cars are mainly assembled here so who knows what they used

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[6PTsocket]

Never heard of that website but if you're set on Hozan, a 3sec. Google search showed these...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003F63WI8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Good find.

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[M6erfan]

...Apparantly Hozan and one other company are the primary US sources for these JIS tools. I have worked on my Honda and Hyundai for years and never knew the difference. My screw drivers always seemed to fit just fine.

Depending on the brand of screwdriver, it may be JIS "compatable". Current DIN6250 standard includes JIS. There is no such thing today as the original JIS standard from years ago...

 

[Can I try?]

Well, I found a third-party website that lists the set and provides a contact link to themechanicstoolbox.com. Unfortunately, the price is not as good as I remember. It actually looks like I could piece together a complete set for less money on Amazon.

Here's the product listing for the Hozan master set on the third-party site that I found:

http://www.jzsupplies.com/hozan-12-piece-flat-and-i3477817/

As far as themechanicstoolbox.com is concerned, I hope they are still in business. They also carried the complete line of Vessel Megadora screwdrivers. Vesseltools.com, the authorised North American wholesale distributor of Vessel, only sells select sets and singles to retail customers. They offer great service, it's just that they don't sell the complete Vessel line up at retail.

I will try contacting themechanicstoolbox.com through the link I found. Hopefully I'll get a reply.

 

[6PTsocket]

Thanks for the info. That JIS screw driver shape sounds a lot like Reed and Prince, with the pointy tip. Most of my stuff predates any concern with foreign standards. If you deal with old British stuff there is also Whitworth. Wrenches are measured across the points of the nut instead of the flats. Weird.

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[Can I try?]

And, FWIW, I think themechanicstoolbox.com was building this master set themselves, that's why it's difficult to find. They must've been buying singles at wholesale, and assembling a set to sell at retail. I'm led to believe this because no one else seems to sell this set and the Hozan website makes no mention of it.

 

[M6erfan]

Personally, I would skip the slotted drivers in that set anyway. Any good slotted screwdriver will do, I don't think there is such a thing as JIS for slotted screws...

 

[Can I try?]

Personally, I would skip the slotted drivers in that set anyway. Any good slotted screwdriver will do, I don't think there is such a thing as JIS for slotted screws...

I hope you didn't think I thought there was such a thing as JIS slotted...

That sounds like a practical joke the older Japanese mechanics would play on the new guy..."Hey, go get me a JIS slotted driver."