Tools from the old world

[Cynical huckster]

A little bit of Dino Paoli impact wrenches.

 

[Reed Prince]

Detroit Metalworking Supply, who I bought a couple of Felo screwdrivers from recently, sent me a promotional email today detailing a Felo sale that, when you include the free shipping, looks like a good deal for USA tool buyers. "List prices", not surprisingly, are more that you would pay at Amazon.de. Email excerpt below. https://detroitmetalworkingsupply.com/

 

[ticci]

Have you tried opening it up? I'm curious if it has the dual 80 internals with the dual spring loaded pawls and 72 tooth gear. Seems like those would be expensive to reproduce, so it seems like something that wasn't genuine would be more likely to have standard ratchet internals with a single pawl.

Okay, yesterday I used the ratchet and realized it was slipping. Tought it would be time to pull it apart and see what it looks like. It seems the ratchet has been assembled poorly and moisture has gotten into it. The drive gear has been loose and was causing the slipping and wobling. Managed to put it together and lubed it, now it seems to work ok but the threads for screws are slightly damaged (bad machining, assembly or the fact I used the ratchet in this condition).

Now the ratchet feels good. It feels like quality control isn't bahcos priority. My impact is bahco BPM915 wich is basically mg725, and I needed to change it twice before I got one that wasn't leaking air.

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[JBH]

Detroit Metalworking Supply, who I bought a couple of Felo screwdrivers from recently, sent me a promotional email today detailing a Felo sale that, when you include the free shipping, looks like a good deal for USA tool buyers.

I've bought Felo and Bondhus tools from Detroit Metalworking Supply, and no complaints.

This is an especially good deal for Americans: ~$80 for a top-tier carrying case filled with complete AF and metric 1/4" socket sets, a good-not-great ratchet (mechanism only a little better than Snapper Dual 80, great handle), universal joint, two nicely-knurled wobble fix extensions, and a spinner handle that only lacks a female square on the handle cap. I've owned this set for a while and have gotten good use out of it.

https://detroitmetalworkingsupply.c...ox-sockets-ergonic-ratchet-inch-metric-62371/

Imagine how much such a complete set would cost from one of the delivery van franchises!

It feels like quality control isn't bahcos priority.

Yeah...it's not just Bahco though. It seems to be a group-wide issue.

 

[Fedwrench]

I have the Felo 1/4 drive R-Go set above in metric. It's a nice set.
However, the only tool in the kit that has Germany on it is the 1/4 drive spinner handle. The knurled wobble plus type extensions have no brand name stamped on them, only "chrom vanadium". All of the sockets are stamped "CR-V Stahl". I think everything in the kit aside from the spinner handle, is Taiwan made.
Although the ratchet's head is on the thick side, it's nice to have the full size cushy screwdriver handle.

 

[JBH]

I have the Felo 1/4 drive R-Go set above in metric. It's a nice set.

However, the only tool in the kit that has Germany on it is the 1/4 drive spinner handle. The knurled wobble plus type extensions have no brand name stamped on them, only "chrom vanadium". All of the sockets are stamped "CR-V Stahl". I think everything in the kit aside from the spinner handle, is Taiwan made.

Although the ratchet's head is on the thick side, it's nice to have the full size cushy screwdriver handle.

I don’t really care because they’re all functional and well-finished tools...but if you look up the ratchet, extensions, and sockets individually at KC Tool, all come up MiG.

The Smart Mtec nutsetters have the same “CR-V Stahl” stamp.

Agreed that the ratchet head is thick, though.

 

[Vicks]

with enough caution, these can be used to crimp the hose clamps on a fuel line quick disconnect

a last remaining 1/2" Hex drive from Matador

a US made square shank screw driver from Landmark, i've used this one to pry supension bushings, adjust preload when i lost the tool and many other rough jobs and only managed to slightly bend it once !

I love CoCaCo tools ! apart from 4 sets of circlip pliers, i also have their analogue vernier calipers. I have tried to find out more about CoCaCo but found nothing on the internet except for a trading company name and a (on google map) location in Germany which seems to be permanently closed. So, it looks like this form has shut shop ? If so, thats a pity because i love the quality and feel of their Vernier calipers.

for larger circlips, i use these Elliott pliers (UK made, i think ?) very smooth and absolutely no lateral play..

a good quality hammer is a must have, i had a few other cheaper (chinesium) ones which i ruthlessly threw away

I also love Knipex pliers, these parallel jaw ones are so good, i have them in 3 sizes.

and a good quality line tester too... i don't even remember when/where i bought these..

 

[mrspeed]

Decided to add some PB Swiss screwdrivers to the lot for my big screwdriver comparison. To mix it up a bit, I decided to go with the multi colored drivers. Got a couple of the Multicraft handles in the middle, the rest are the Swiss Grip.

Also filled out the bottle opener rack with the PB Swiss bottle opener.



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[Skin]

 

[mr.lemons]

I love CoCaCo tools !

I haven't seen 'Cocaco' before. Wonder if they were a manufacturer or rebrander. All I could find about them is a couple of Cocaco measuring tools on UK ebay.

Decided to add some PB Swiss screwdrivers to the lot for my big screwdriver comparison.

You can throw all the other screwdrivers away now you have PB.


Stahlwille promo vid.

Meet the STAHLWILLE Tool Experts - Episode 1

https://www.stahlwille.de/de/aktuelles/news-detail/news/wrench-kings-bauen-traeume-mit-stahlwille/

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p3rrBOBVMTk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[SAA44-40]

JBH- I am appointing you my German tool leader. I have been lusting after the large Wurth bit set. If you have time I would appreciate your thoughts on it
Thanks

 

[mrspeed]

Couldn't pass up the deal on this huge Bahco set. Given how all over the map Bahco is these days, with tools made all over the place, I wasn't exactly sure what the quality would be like. I'm pretty happy with these. A bunch of the sockets have "Made in USA" stamped right on them, and the quality of everything feels pretty high. It contains decently complete sets of everything in all three drive sizes, and fills in some gaps in my current tool selection.

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[mr.lemons]

^ Are they polished chrome sockets rather than the normal satin finish? Do you know who makes them?

 

[Dave455]

Mr Lemons - Bahco seem to offer two very different ranges of sockets and accessories.

Those offered in the U.S. appear to be of relatively high quality. All the tools are nicely chromed and the ratchets seem to be a clone of the Snap On Dual 80 internally. Spanish and U.S. made I believe!

The tools offerred in the U.K. are totally different. Not sure if they are made in Taiwan or China, but the finish is the awful grey ‘satin’ (not sure satin is the right word) and the quality is nothing special. Generally sold through hardware shops and DIY shops where the mark up is high!

Be wary of buying Bahco based on advice from the U.S. and being very disappointed!

Bahco obviously feel that they have to produce a high quality product to compete in the U.S. but the Brits will buy ****. They appear to be correct, although the products sell to a different sector of the market here!

 

[JBH]

JBH- I am appointing you my German tool leader. I have been lusting after the large Wurth bit set. If you have time I would appreciate your thoughts on it
Thanks

With the caveat that I've only used a few of the bits, no complaints so far. I bought the set to replace a Felo set and a Dewalt security set, which both went to a vacation home. The PH, PZ, and SQ seem to fit about as well as Felo/Wiha/Wera/PB Swiss. The security bits are way better than the Dewalt set, which had many misaligned security holes. In fairness, the Dewalt set was also under $15 for a 30+ bit set and came in a pretty nice (though not Felo or Würth nice) case at that price, and for all I know the misaligned ones will still work fine (I haven't needed them as of yet).

COO supremacists should be aware that the Würth bits are not marked for COO; my assumption is they're Taiwanese.

Couldn't pass up the deal on this huge Bahco set. Given how all over the map Bahco is these days, with tools made all over the place, I wasn't exactly sure what the quality would be like. I'm pretty happy with these. A bunch of the sockets have "Made in USA" stamped right on them, and the quality of everything feels pretty high. It contains decently complete sets of everything in all three drive sizes, and fills in some gaps in my current tool selection.

Interesting. Nice find! I didn't know they had American-made metric sets. I thought their American-made stuff was AF only. Are the ratchets snapper dual 80 or are they an upgrade from that?

 

[scubadoober]

mrspeed where did you find that kit? I have never seen a dual 80 QR Bahco.

 

[mrspeed]

^ Are they polished chrome sockets rather than the normal satin finish? Do you know who makes them?

Everything in the set with the exception of the two impact sockets are polished chrome. With them being made in the USA, I had assumed it was Snap On or one of the other Snap On Industrial brands, like Williams or Blue Point. I'm really not sure though.

I tried looking through pictures of sockets from the other brands in the Snap On family to see if I could find any with similar finish and knurling, but couldn't find anything that looked exactly the same. I've attached some close-up pictures if anyone else recognizes them. The sockets on the left have "Made in USA" stamped on them, while the ones on the right have no COO at all. For each set within the set, either all of the sockets have the COO or none of them do, so there are no mixes of COO stamps.

Mr Lemons - Bahco seem to offer two very different ranges of sockets and accessories.

Those offered in the U.S. appear to be of relatively high quality. All the tools are nicely chromed and the ratchets seem to be a clone of the Snap On Dual 80 internally. Spanish and U.S. made I believe!

The tools offerred in the U.K. are totally different. Not sure if they are made in Taiwan or China, but the finish is the awful grey ‘satin’ (not sure satin is the right word) and the quality is nothing special. Generally sold through hardware shops and DIY shops where the mark up is high!

Be wary of buying Bahco based on advice from the U.S. and being very disappointed!

Bahco obviously feel that they have to produce a high quality product to compete in the U.S. but the Brits will buy ****. They appear to be correct, although the products sell to a different sector of the market here!

The funny thing is, I actually bought these from Amazon.de here. So, they were made in the US, distributed to Germany, then shipped back to the US. Even though the Amazon page says it's a 138-piece set with model number 42, I had figured out and taken the chance from the picture that it was really the 168-piece set with model number FF1A08, and thankfully that's what I received.

Interesting. Nice find! I didn't know they had American-made metric sets. I thought their American-made stuff was AF only. Are the ratchets snapper dual 80 or are they an upgrade from that?

Yeah, I had no idea until I received it. It's entirely metric, and at least half of it is made in the US. I can't tell for the other half. I thought I remembered one site saying the COO for this set was Spain, but I can't find it now.

The ratchets are not the same as the dual 80 Bahco ratchets I posted in previous pictures. The head on these is smaller, so I don't think the mechanism would fit inside. They also aren't sealed the same way as the dual 80 ratches with screws, because these use a retaining ring and no screws.

They look a bit harder to take apart, but I'll give it a shot this weekend anyway, for science! I'll post some comparison pictures between these and the dual 80s when I get a chance.

The part numbers on the ratchets are 6950SL, 7750SL, and 8150SL, and apart from having smaller heads than the dual 80s, they're also listed as having only 72 teeth, while the 7750 and 8150-1/2 dual 80 ratchets both have 80 teeth.

mrspeed where did you find that kit? I have never seen a dual 80 QR Bahco.

Just posted the link above from Amazon.de. I'm fairly sure these quick-release ratchets aren't dual 80. Even though they have the same handles, the heads are a completely different size and shape. I'll post some side-by-side pictures this weekend between these and the actual Bahco dual 80 ratchets.

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[mr.lemons]

Mr Lemons - Bahco seem to offer two very different ranges of sockets and accessories.

Those offered in the U.S. appear to be of relatively high quality. All the tools are nicely chromed and the ratchets seem to be a clone of the Snap On Dual 80 internally. Spanish and U.S. made I believe!

The tools offerred in the U.K. are totally different. Not sure if they are made in Taiwan or China, but the finish is the awful grey ‘satin’ (not sure satin is the right word) and the quality is nothing special. Generally sold through hardware shops and DIY shops where the mark up is high!

Be wary of buying Bahco based on advice from the U.S. and being very disappointed!

Bahco obviously feel that they have to produce a high quality product to compete in the U.S. but the Brits will buy ****. They appear to be correct, although the products sell to a different sector of the market here!

I have two sets of the satin Bahco sockets and actually like the finish. Rougher than Stahlwille but not as matte as Gedore. Each to their own I guess. The sockets are made in Taiwan.

 

[Dakkyz]

Okay, yesterday I used the ratchet and realized it was slipping. Tought it would be time to pull it apart and see what it looks like. It seems the ratchet has been assembled poorly and moisture has gotten into it. The drive gear has been loose and was causing the slipping and wobling. Managed to put it together and lubed it, now it seems to work ok but the threads for screws are slightly damaged (bad machining, assembly or the fact I used the ratchet in this condition).

Now the ratchet feels good. It feels like quality control isn't bahcos priority. My impact is bahco BPM915 wich is basically mg725, and I needed to change it twice before I got one that wasn't leaking air.

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My 80 tooth 1/2 is garbage theirs like metal from machining the in side the ratchet its ruff as hell in reverse, dirty oil I dont get why they let these leave the factory floor.

 

[Dakkyz]

Mr Lemons - Bahco seem to offer two very different ranges of sockets and accessories.

Those offered in the U.S. appear to be of relatively high quality. All the tools are nicely chromed and the ratchets seem to be a clone of the Snap On Dual 80 internally. Spanish and U.S. made I believe!

The tools offerred in the U.K. are totally different. Not sure if they are made in Taiwan or China, but the finish is the awful grey ‘satin’ (not sure satin is the right word) and the quality is nothing special. Generally sold through hardware shops and DIY shops where the mark up is high!

Be wary of buying Bahco based on advice from the U.S. and being very disappointed!

Bahco obviously feel that they have to produce a high quality product to compete in the U.S. but the Brits will buy ****. They appear to be correct, although the products sell to a different sector of the market here!

Bahco 7400SR/S12 - I mean these are polished chrome, probably Taiwan, as they pretty much look and feel and weigh the same as my bluepoint sockets.

Also all the 'good polished stuff' is offered people just dont know the Product code numbers.

All my Bahco stuff is polished chrome and is either Spain, USA or Taiwan, the Spanish chromed stuff is terrible compared to Taiwan or the US.

 

[Vidar Wulff]

Everything in the set with the exception of the two impact sockets are polished chrome. With them being made in the USA, I had assumed it was Snap On or one of the other Snap On Industrial brands, like Williams or Blue Point. I'm really not sure though.

I tried looking through pictures of sockets from the other brands in the Snap On family to see if I could find any with similar finish and knurling, but couldn't find anything that looked exactly the same. I've attached some close-up pictures if anyone else recognizes them. The sockets on the left have "Made in USA" stamped on them, while the ones on the right have no COO at all. For each set within the set, either all of the sockets have the COO or none of them do, so there are no mixes of COO stamps.



The funny thing is, I actually bought these from Amazon.de here. So, they were made in the US, distributed to Germany, then shipped back to the US. Even though the Amazon page says it's a 138-piece set with model number 42, I had figured out and taken the chance from the picture that it was really the 168-piece set with model number FF1A08, and thankfully that's what I received.



Yeah, I had no idea until I received it. It's entirely metric, and at least half of it is made in the US. I can't tell for the other half. I thought I remembered one site saying the COO for this set was Spain, but I can't find it now.

The ratchets are not the same as the dual 80 Bahco ratchets I posted in previous pictures. The head on these is smaller, so I don't think the mechanism would fit inside. They also aren't sealed the same way as the dual 80 ratches with screws, because these use a retaining ring and no screws.

They look a bit harder to take apart, but I'll give it a shot this weekend anyway, for science! I'll post some comparison pictures between these and the dual 80s when I get a chance.

The part numbers on the ratchets are 6950SL, 7750SL, and 8150SL, and apart from having smaller heads than the dual 80s, they're also listed as having only 72 teeth, while the 7750 and 8150-1/2 dual 80 ratchets both have 80 teeth.




Just posted the link above from Amazon.de. I'm fairly sure these quick-release ratchets aren't dual 80. Even though they have the same handles, the heads are a completely different size and shape. I'll post some side-by-side pictures this weekend between these and the actual Bahco dual 80 ratchets.

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Hi.These sockets are clearly belzer type sockets,after sandvik bought belzer-dowidat and renamed it sandvik-belzer they produced these type of sockets in germany for a while,then production continued in argentina in the old bahco factory. Im surprised they make them in the us now. Alot of the bahco tools still uses the product codes from belzer and dowidat era

 

[mr.lemons]

From the Stahlwille catalogue. Anyone know it the tooth count is a mistake on the 435QR? I thought the 435QR was 30-40 tooth and the 435QR 'N' was 80 tooth.

 

[PureLeaf]

From the Stahlwille catalogue. Anyone know it the tooth count is a mistake on the 435QR? I thought the 435QR was 30-40 tooth and the 435QR 'N' was 80 tooth.

I have the Stahlwille 512QR N and its 80 tooth.... I realize that doesn't answer your question other than reaffirming the N is fine toothed.

 

[mr.lemons]

Purchased a lightly used Gedore 2093-20 1/4" ratchet from Ebay.

I'm selling on the ratchet so do not want to mark the screws taking it apart. I assume the mechanism looks similar to the 1/2" version I posted previously but with less teeth. I think the 2093-20 is 40 tooth.

Sorry to continue with my recent obsession with Gedore ball retention but I also have an issue with this ratchet. I find the release button difficult to operate as it needs to be pushed down deep into the small recess to release a socket. Not an issue with the larger versions. On the bright side it seems unlikely that you could drop a socket during use by accidentally knocking the button.

Next to a Gedore 1993 U-20 1/2 ratchet. The Gedore 1993 U-20 quickly became my go to 1/2" ratchet after purchasing it recently. For me the handle shape and clucky design works well in 1/2" but does not translate so well to the smaller 1/4" size.

Compared to Stahlwille 415QR N (80 tooth) and Bahco SBS61S (60 tooth). The Gedore feels like it has the least back drag and the smoothest mechanism though it does feel more clunky with the lower tooth count.

On a side note, I had a quick look inside the Stahlwille 415QR N. It opens up via a split ring that is simple to remove. There is another split ring on the other side around the release button that comes off to remove the main gear. The mechanism came well greased. The plastic plate was difficult to remove without leaving small pry marks around the edge. I would prefer a metal plate with screws but understand the need for 'foreign object damage' safe tools.

I made a 3 min vid comparing the ratchets.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n_I2aNU7ecY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[mrspeed]

Hi.These sockets are clearly belzer type sockets,after sandvik bought belzer-dowidat and renamed it sandvik-belzer they produced these type of sockets in germany for a while,then production continued in argentina in the old bahco factory. Im surprised they make them in the us now. Alot of the bahco tools still uses the product codes from belzer and dowidat era

Belzer! Thanks. I have several Bahco/Belzer tools, mostly pliers, so you'd think I could have guessed that, but I never knew any Belzer tools to be made in the US. Surprising.

As further evidence, I ordered a small SAE socket driver set listed and pictured on Amazon as Belzer, but received this Bahco set with the exact same driver and socket style as was in the larger set. Not mad though, since I now have some SAE sockets matching the metric set.

No COO anywhere on these or the cheap packaging. The provided socket rail is going to be a throwaway given how mis-sized, cheap and broken it came.

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[mrspeed]

As promised, here are some comparison pictures between the Bahco quick release SL ratchets next to the dual 80 Bahco ratchets and Snap On dial 80 quick release ratchets. You can see here how much smaller around the heads are on the SL ratchets, though they are identical thickness. You can also see on the reverse side how they are differently assembled.

I took apart the SL ratchets to verify they are not the dual 80 pawl design. See my post from a month ago to compare to the insides of the dual 80 ratchets.

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[Dakkyz]

Hi.These sockets are clearly belzer type sockets,after sandvik bought belzer-dowidat and renamed it sandvik-belzer they produced these type of sockets in germany for a while,then production continued in argentina in the old bahco factory. Im surprised they make them in the us now. Alot of the bahco tools still uses the product codes from belzer and dowidat era

Yes. but all the Belzer-Dowidat and Sandvik stuff is old stock and just old photo's most of the socket's that are new not old stock are Taiwan made.

Like I have personally bought Bahco stuff hoping it was Belzer but no Taiwan with the Vanadium Extra markings.

 

[Vidar Wulff]

Yes. but all the Belzer-Dowidat and Sandvik stuff is old stock and just old photo's most of the socket's that are new not old stock are Taiwan made.

Like I have personally bought Bahco stuff hoping it was Belzer but no Taiwan with the Vanadium Extra markings.

Mr speed asked what kind of type the sockets are,and that is what i answered. Where the different tools have been made since snap on bougth the tools division from sandvik,i have no idea about,since it seems they have factories all over this planet,and therefore i was surprised to see "belzer type sockets" made in the usa. Sandvik moved production to argentina in the nineties,1994 if my memory is correct,but you can still see the belzer heritage on the sockets,product numbers and so on.

 

[mekk]

From the Stahlwille catalogue. Anyone know it the tooth count is a mistake on the 435QR? I thought the 435QR was 30-40 tooth and the 435QR 'N' was 80 tooth.

You are right the 435QR have 30 teeth.

 

[Hyster Gareth]

Bahco are now producing much of their 1/2 range in USA. Part numbers start with 8 and sockets 7800 or SB7800.

I have 6 point sockets 8-32 mm, extensions, and breaker bars all with 2016/7 date codes. The quality is very nice. It is available in Europe UK etc.

 

[Reed Prince]

Jokari wire strippers arrived from Amazon.de recently. They perform slightly better than the inexpensive Taiwanese Capri strippers I bought a little while ago, and have the advantage of featuring replaceable cutting elements.

But are they as nice a tool as my 20 year old Weidmüller Mini Stripax? No. The build quality of the Stripax is better and the action much smoother. But they are also twice as expensive.

The Jokari will be good enough for the occasional applications I currently have for this type of tool, but if I need to strip a lot of wires in the future, I'm going to buy one of these.

 

[mr.lemons]

Anyone tried any Matador tools recently? Kind of like the look of their Z90 ratchet.

Also Screw it!

 

[mrspeed]

How about some interesting flex handle and sliding handle breaker bars? On the left, we have three Elora flex handles in 15" and 10" long 1/2" drive and 10" long 3/8" drive. These are my favorite breaker bars due to the comfortable handles and how solid they feel overall. However I don't have many opportunities to use them, especially not the 10" long 1/2" drive bar, because they're usually just too short to get enough leverage with, and the longer versions are a bit pricey for me.

Next to those are the Bahco flex handles in 3/8" and 1/4" drives that came with the large Bahco tool set I posted previously. Neither have any COO anywhere on them.

Next to those is a small Heyco 1/4" drive flex handle. With it's nicely polished finish and knurled handle, this is the one I reach for the few times I need it, even more than my small Snap On 1/4" flex handle, though the Snap On version is a bit thinner, the Heyco version feels nicer.

On the right hand side, we have the sliding flex handles in 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4" drive sizes from Heyco and Bahco. The 1/2" drive Bahco has Made in USA stamped on the head, but the other two sizes from Bahco have no COO anywhere. All of the Heyco handles have Germany stamped on them.

The Heyco sliding handles are slightly longer than their Bahco counterparts with the exception of the 1/4" drive size. Despite being longer, the Bahco handles are better designed. They have a spring loaded ball inside the head which locks them into place in the grooves at either edge of the handle. The Heyco's have a fixed ball at either handle end to keep the heads from sliding off the edge, but the heads slide freely across the entire length of the handle.

At the bottom, we have the large 1/2" drive Bahco flex handles in 24" and 36" lengths. They both have Made in USA stamped on the handles, and they are identical to the Snap On versions as far as I know. These are my go-to breaker bars for breaking loose wheel lug nuts.



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[theamcguy]

Anybody have a source for the Matador ScrewIt above.

 

[Skin]

Anybody have a source for the Matador ScrewIt above.

Its not really a new product. There have been bit forms of that around for a long time. If you want a nice kit check out the Anex 1903-NS1.

 

[target]

Anybody have a source for the Matador ScrewIt above.

Is made in germany by https://www.athlet-online.de/homepage.html

 

[Dakkyz]

Anyone tried any Matador tools recently? Kind of like the look of their Z90 ratchet.

Also Screw it!

Yes, their new 90 tooth ratchets, are way tool small to be comfortable in my opinion, they also came with cube box of sockets which are nice and just nice to have a compact socket set I can carry around, 6mm to 22mm (noskips) 3/8.

I also got a mini air ratchet and air hammer set both were £20 and pretty decent.

The ratchets are a unique design though but too small to be useful in my opinion.

 

[Dakkyz]

The Bahco 1/2 stuff im sure it's just old stock the newer stuff is made in Taiwan socket wise and ratchets and Argentina/spain for the breaker bars and sliding T bars.

Best part is the Taiwan stuff cost more than USA made stuff?

 

[mr.lemons]

Its not really a new product. There have been bit forms of that around for a long time. If you want a nice kit check out the Anex 1903-NS1.

No not new but hopefully a bit interesting. That Anex mini impact driver looks good. Quite cheap when bought with just one bit (1903-N). Very tempting if it also takes standard 1/4" bits.

Yes, their new 90 tooth ratchets, are way too small to be comfortable in my opinion,

Just checked the length of the 3/8" is 200mm which is close enough to what I'm used too. Don't seem to be able to find one in the UK so I'll probably not get a chance to try one anyway.

 

[mrspeed]

Got this Stahwille long reach needle nose pliers. Very comfortable, well made and nicely finished.

One thing I like to look at with long nose pliers is how fine a point the tip jaw tips come to. You can see here that the Stahwille have pretty large tips. Sometimes this can be good as it can give a little more stiffness for stronger grip. Usually the better made pliers come to a finer point. Out of the bunch, I think the Knipex have the best fitting and finest jaws, probably the Orbis after that.




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