Toptul Reviews

[Joelfke]

Wow I live about 100 miles from spokane, ill remember next time I need tools

im all the way in NJ and im ordering loads of toptul...i suggest you get it now before it gets expensive

 

[r0meyrome]

The best I could do since my camera totally *****. Wrenches pictures.

 

[supraman1990]

I'll post up some pics of a few of my sets sometime this week. I didn't buy most of my stuff from Mike, but it still speaks to the tool quality, and I WILL be buying from mike from now on.

 

[Old Donn]

I really like the satin finish. Wish I was younger & just starting to build my tool collection. Hell, I wish I was younger, period.

 

[wrenhandtools]

Old Donn,

Maybe if you gave your current set away.........and then started to purchase a certain brand that makes this satin finish......................you might feel ????????
Nah I won't say it.

Obviously I was kidding.

Very nice ride sir....very nice!

Sincerely,

 

[spoolin spec v]

just got myCJHM1645 in today. its the longer flex head 1/2 ratchet.

Feels SUPER smooth, and fits good in my hands. I have big hands, so thats a plus.

ill post up in a month or so how well its held up, but it feels VERY VERY VERY solid.

 

[john w]

Glad to hear to like your 1645 - I'm waiting on UPS to bring mine. I bought the long-handled cjck-1640 last fall - used it a lot in suspension and steering class and all of us really liked using it.

 

[r0meyrome]

Has anyone tried the CJCK series Im thinking of getting more ratchets but havent read any reviews on the 42 teeth ones.

 

[supraman1990]

Here are some photos of the newest stuff I got in just today. Going to break most of it in tomorrow and see how I like it. I have some strange obsession with screw drivers, I think I have nearly 100 now. I'll post up the other stuff I own sometime soon, have to get everything organized again anyway.

 

[beelsr]

Nice pics...

Funny, I have the same obsession; for pliers....

I had to move the majority of them to a gatemouth bag as the toolbox is overflowing...

I have some strange obsession with screw drivers, I think I have nearly 100 now.

 

[The Muffin Man]

Has anyone tried the CJCK series Im thinking of getting more ratchets but havent read any reviews on the 42 teeth ones.

Posted right before yours Romey

Glad to hear to like your 1645 - I'm waiting on UPS to bring mine. I bought the long-handled cjck-1640 last fall - used it a lot in suspension and steering class and all of us really liked using it.

 

[Joelfke]

UPDATE!

I just wanted people to know the quality of the stuff theyre buying.....

I was taking out control arms out of a 87 corvette. they were stubborn 24mm nuts. I took out my craftsman wrench and pulled on it to no avail so i took a ballpein hammer and whacked the wrench on the nut to loosen the nut. nothing happened except my cman wrench started to dent and so i stopped and got my toptul 24mm combo wrench and did the same beating on it.

The toptul wrench not only stood up to the pounding i gave it but there wasnt even a noticeable scratch on the wrench itself...AND it broke the nut free, which is what i was really after, but i was just quite surprised at the toughness of the wrench...

now obviously you shouldnt go whacking your wrenches with hammers but im just pointing out the quality factor for those in doubt.

 

[r0meyrome]

Posted right before yours Romey

Haha man i gotta start paying attention! THANKS!! Definitely looking to break the bank next month..

 

[posaune]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37269

 

[Joelfke]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37350

my newest order! impact sockets and swivel ratchets

 

[PCW]

So I received my order today, lots of tools I am also getting my Maxjax Lift tomorrow and my new 56" Extreme Toolchest as well. I will snap some pics when I get it all set up and working and put away. Thanks Mike for the great service. The 72 tooth ratchets are so smooth, it's amazing!!!

PCW

 

[66HertzClone]

I am a little confused by the description and specifications for two of these 3/8 drive ratchets. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and look at the super long flex head and the flex reversible ratchet. The first one (CJKN1224) is described as super long, the handle length is listed as 240mm. The Flex head reversible ratchet (CJHM1228) has a handle length of 277mm, that is longer than the other ratchet. Just the manufacturer having some fum with us?

 

[Joelfke]

i noticed that too...figured i was missing something

wasnt gonna ***** about it until i got some money to buy it

 

[supraman1990]

Got a huge order in today guys, and also got some pictures of my other Toptul stuff that I own. Going to inventory everything I got today in just a few minutes. You all should expect some more photos by the weeks end.

 

[The Muffin Man]

Mike, will you be getting any of the AAEW wrench series or the reversible ratcheting screwdriver?

Also do you know if Toptul plans to make the AAEW wrenches in a long/extra long pattern?

They look allot like the Facom 440 series

 

[jeffhay]

I placed a small, tryout order of screwdrivers and metric gear wrenches. Mike was a pleasure to deal with and we chatted about things other than tools as well as the details of my order. I wanted a 7 piece set but he didn't have one with the tray so I opted for the full metal box set. I don't like blowmold cases. I really like the satin finish. The ratchets are very smooth with no play in them. I had him add a full green box SAE set to his reup order for me, which he says is about 60 days out.

That's also a bit of Wolverine floor that I finished a couple weeks ago.

The tray fits in my Rally box nicely. But with these tools at these prices, I think I'm going to need a bigger box.

As mentioned by someone else further back in the thread, Mike includes a hand written note and catalog. No pen though! Maybe next time on the SAE order...

 

[john w]

Very nice pics - thanx for sharing them.

 

[FuriousGeorge]

Mike, will you be getting any of the AAEW wrench series or the reversible ratcheting screwdriver?

Also do you know if Toptul plans to make the AAEW wrenches in a long/extra long pattern?

They look allot like the Facom 440 series

+1. I just got the long wrenches in satin and love them, but I was looking at the AAEW series in the catalog and wouldn't mind giving a couple of them a try too. They look quite nice.

 

[jnoble]

Pictures and full impressions to follow, but I also received my "test" order today and am pleasantly surprised. These are NOT Craftsman level tools. I don't know if they are quite Snap-on durability-wise (and only time will tell), but fit and finish is close to the same level. I wouldn't hide them behind the "nice stuff" if they were in my tool box, that's for sure.

I was leery of the satin finish, but let me assure everyone that none of the pictures posted here do justice to how nice it looks in person. Tastes vary, of course, but I've always preferred super polished chrome so if I'm impressed there's a good chance you will be too.

I went out and broke loose the seat bolts in my Scion with the 1/4" 72 tooth flex ratchet. Tool abuse? Maybe, but I used to do stuff like that all day long with my long handle 1/4" Snap-on sealed head ratchet and it still works fine. The Toptul didn't break, and these were some of the tightest seat bolts of their size that I've ever run across. (I used to be a car audio installer, so I know a thing or two about these particular fasteners.)

The 1/4" drive shallow sockets seem kind of thin-walled, but they feel and look well-made. One of them stood up to the seat bolt abuse with only a little galling in the drive end of the socket from a wobble extension, so maybe they're stronger than they look.

Other tools in the order include a 6" adjustable wrench and a set of Phillips and flat blade screwdrivers, all of which feel like quality tools.

I'll give everything a workout and report back, but my early opinion of Mike and the tools he sells is very positive.

 

[vette-kid]

Got my order in yesterday! Not a huge order, as I wanted to give them a test run first...but there will be more! First, as everyone else has said, doing business with Mike is truly a pleasure. Its refreshing to see someone with a customer service oriented business model!

As for the tools, i cant get over how nice the finish is on these. The sockets have a nice even finish, including the inside. I guess Im getting used to seeing CMan sockets with thin/missing chrome inside. Steel doesn't last long in Florida humidity if it isnt protected well. And the satin just looks cool!
I havnt used any of them yet, but everything seems to be high quality. The ratchets are great. The swivel heads arent too loose but arent too stiff either.

Im pretty happy with the crimper. The ratchet action works great on this, and the handles are nice and comfortable, and stay put! I love the ability to change dies without having tiny set screws to lose! My only minor complaint is that the release is still in a bad spot...when crimping smaller items it is difficult to get to the release. But it seems like all companies make them like this Or maybe Im the only one that has issue with it...I dunno.

Overall I am VERY pleased and will for sure be placing more orders in the future!

 

[Vinko]

Put that breaker bar to the test a report back please

 

[vette-kid]

Put that breaker bar to the test a report back please

Ya know, I bought that because my last project I had to take my foot to the HF bar I was using! It actually started to bend a little in the process But I got the project done, so right now I have nothing to test it on and no money to start more projects... But Ill report back when I put it to use

 

[supraman1990]

Here are the photos of the other stuff I own, with photos of the new order I got from Mike to come.

An overall view of the stuff I previously had

One of the now 3 sets of hex's I own.

Mini screwdriver. shaft pulls out and turns in to a phillips as well. I have a long version too, as they came in a set. Not even sure Toptul still makes them.

My 4 ratchets

Dual headed ratchet. 3/8 and 1/2. Again, not sure if Toptul still makes it.

My other dual head, this one is 1/4 and 1/2 I think. Don't think Toptul makes it any more either.

1/4 inch stubby. This thing is extremely tiny, but works great.

3/8 stubby. Same story, small, but I don't have any complaint

The first screwdriver set I bought. This thing has every size imaginable, and can you ever have enough screwdrivers?

1/4 inch set with both standard and metric sockets. It's nice, and works really well, extremely cheap too as best as I remember.

Think I have enough wrenches?

Standard stubbys. Will be joined by metrics on my next order

Long metric chromes, to go along with my long metric satins.

Standards, in case for some reason I decide to work on something other than metric.

The previously mentioned long metrics. These things are great quality, and I like the box so much that I don't even want to put them on a wrench rack.
This is all the stuff I had previously. I'll make a new post tomorrow with the new stuff I just got from Mike, as it's long, with nearly 50 pictures.

 

[fordracing200]

how much for the ratchet wrench set and the crimper set? if the buyers could jus pm me it'd be great.
thanks

 

[Joelfke]

what set is that with the screwdriver handle and long bits?

 

[FNFS2000]

The gear wrenches seem to be really meaty in a bad way... They seem to have little clearance/large distance from the inner side that touches the fastener to the outer edge.

 

[superautobacs]

The gear wrenches seem to be really meaty in a bad way... They seem to have little clearance/large distance from the inner side that touches the fastener to the outer edge.

Someone had to say it...
I totally agree. They resemble the earliest production of ratcheting wrenches.
Those surely will never see any daylight; it'll just sit in my box forever.

 

[vette-kid]

how much for the ratchet wrench set and the crimper set? if the buyers could jus pm me it'd be great.
thanks

Just PM Mike, or email him. He will get you a price.

 

[DashEight]

I receieved my 2nd order from Toptul today. I just wanted to add a product to the post that hasn't been posted yet.

Flat Type Extra-Long Double Ring Wrench Set.

I ordered up this set to avoid double wrenching on the front pulley bolts on east-west mounted motors that are tight up against the frame rails.

I put them straight to work and am impressed with reach and grip. The finish is very nice. I prefer the satin finish but it was/is not available. There is a tiny amount of flex on the smallest (8mm-10mm) wrench if you pull it across your knee face side to the bone, meaning thin side. I would say if you are working the wrench hard enough to have it flex you are using it wrong and/or you would have already sheered off the bolts head. I didn't detect any flex on the other sizes. One thing that would be nice is if the set contained a 16mm. The tool roll is very nice. This is a great buy in my opinion. I'm already enjoying their feel in my hand. I've included pictures with them next to the Craftsman Professional Offset wrenches so folks could get a better understanding of their size. You'll have to forgive the crappyness of the photos. Thanks again Mike for getting my stuff out to me. I'm looking forward to the next shippment.

 

[Taylor J.]

Recieved my second Toptul order yesterday. The UPS man pulled up as I was starting to replace the radiator in an '01 Honda Accord. I was able to put the plier set to work along side my Snap-on set. The toptul performed as good as the s-o for a fraction of the cost. Mike Wren is a pleasure to work with and is 100% about customer service. The stubby dynamic wrenches also came in handy. I just got the 1/4 dr metric socket set as well, haven't used them yet, but the satin finish is killer. If anyone is skeptical about toptul or Mike Wren it is because you haven't tried it.

 

[Joelfke]

Recieved my second Toptul order yesterday. The UPS man pulled up as I was starting to replace the radiator in an '01 Honda Accord. I was able to put the plier set to work along side my Snap-on set. The toptul performed as good as the s-o for a fraction of the cost. Mike Wren is a pleasure to work with and is 100% about customer service. The stubby dynamic wrenches also came in handy. I just got the 1/4 dr metric socket set as well, haven't used them yet, but the satin finish is killer. If anyone is skeptical about toptul or Mike Wren it is because you haven't tried it.

let us know how those torx bits hold up (if thats what im seeing) even the snapon ones break so id love to know how well they hold up

 

[Taylor J.]

let us know how those torx bits hold up (if thats what im seeing) even the snapon ones break so id love to know how well they hold up

Joel,

That is the 3/8 torx rail set.
I'll let you know how they last.



Taylor J.

 

[Vinko]

I was able to put the plier set to work along side my Snap-on set. The toptul performed as good as the s-o for a fraction of the cost.

If you can, keep us updated on your impressions on the plier set as you continue to work with it. Just as an extreme measure: Have you used Knipex? How does it compare to that make?

I've got a 2 sets of the mini pliers on order, so whenever those come in, I'd like to get that, a socket or two to try, and maybe a set of screwdrivers, but I still can't make up my mind: I don't care for the hex blade on the drivers I've seen.

 

[Taylor J.]

If you can, keep us updated on your impressions on the plier set as you continue to work with it. Just as an extreme measure: Have you used Knipex? How does it compare to that make?

I've got a 2 sets of the mini pliers on order, so whenever those come in, I'd like to get that, a socket or two to try, and maybe a set of screwdrivers, but I still can't make up my mind: I don't care for the hex blade on the drivers I've seen.

I've never tried Knipex. I have had a snap-on set for a while and so far this Toptul set is just as good. It's part number GBAT0402. The plastic case is a little on the bulky side, but I don't mind. I'll have the chance to use them later next week and will let you know.

Do you know the part number of the mini set you ordered? I would like to try those out as well.


Thanks,
Taylor J.

 

[Vinko]

I've never tried Knipex. I have had a snap-on set for a while and so far this Toptul set is just as good. It's part number GBAT0402. The plastic case is a little on the bulky side, but I don't mind. I'll have the chance to use them later next week and will let you know.

Do you know the part number of the mini set you ordered? I would like to try those out as well.


Thanks,
Taylor J.

I don't know the part no. I just ordered the four or five pliers that they had listed. I think as mini-pliers, electrician. Apparently, it's a new item or items, and I don't know if it constitutes an actual set or not. It's in the paper catalog, which is for me, a lot easier to use than Mike's website, which I think is too cumbersome.