earlthegoat2
Well-known member
As I noted in another post, my job changed again and I now need to provide my own tools. I got real used to having a full set at home and did not want to break into that as much as I could by bringing them to work.
A little background about my job. It is a supervisory role in a light diesel equipment shop. Lots of skid steers, mini exes, telehandlers, small farm tractors, and some landscape equipment. However, there is a healthy mix of Komatsu construction equipment as well as some diesel trucks from 3/4-1 1/2 ton and some dumpers.
Now, I am the shop foreman and as such I will not be wrenching most of the time. Lots of purchasing, record keeping, one on one training and teaching, and general fleet management. The tools are mostly for show. The general manager of the company wanted me to have tools so I have tools.
Here is what I got. I did manage to get the majority of their USA made line. I really wanted to get the socket sets just to see what they were all about but the GW deal through Tool Exchange is just too good to pass up and plus I have a great deal of experience with GW sockets and trust them. That is a 16 pc screwdriver set. Probably could have gotten away with the 12 pc but oh well. The torx driver set. The 6 pc pliers set. 4 pc snap ring plier set which will need to be supplemented with other sizes. Non Tekton magnetic pickup tool and Channellock brand picks which I got because they were USA and I wanted the extruded screwdriver handle. These seem to be excellent middle of the road quality and cost a whole 11 dollars.
I'm probably not going to use the lineman pliers or the small slip joints but you never know. Ive never had slip joints that small before so maybe I will find them to be handy.
Here is where they will live. Top drawer of my older model KRA some number 36" wide.
Here is the box.
I think all the tools combined in the entire box will equal the price I paid for the box PLUS the matching top chest used on CL last year for $900. Went with the Snap On box instead of my NAPA roll cart mostly for security reasons but you know...I'm the boss....I have to look the part right.....right.....
Hopefully I can give these Tektons a good enough workout to draw some conclusions about them. First impressions are that the pliers look and feel a lot like Channellocks. The screwdriver handles are nice because they are triangular. I find the stubby handle and the next size down from the biggest to actually feel the best.
A little background about my job. It is a supervisory role in a light diesel equipment shop. Lots of skid steers, mini exes, telehandlers, small farm tractors, and some landscape equipment. However, there is a healthy mix of Komatsu construction equipment as well as some diesel trucks from 3/4-1 1/2 ton and some dumpers.
Now, I am the shop foreman and as such I will not be wrenching most of the time. Lots of purchasing, record keeping, one on one training and teaching, and general fleet management. The tools are mostly for show. The general manager of the company wanted me to have tools so I have tools.
Here is what I got. I did manage to get the majority of their USA made line. I really wanted to get the socket sets just to see what they were all about but the GW deal through Tool Exchange is just too good to pass up and plus I have a great deal of experience with GW sockets and trust them. That is a 16 pc screwdriver set. Probably could have gotten away with the 12 pc but oh well. The torx driver set. The 6 pc pliers set. 4 pc snap ring plier set which will need to be supplemented with other sizes. Non Tekton magnetic pickup tool and Channellock brand picks which I got because they were USA and I wanted the extruded screwdriver handle. These seem to be excellent middle of the road quality and cost a whole 11 dollars.
I'm probably not going to use the lineman pliers or the small slip joints but you never know. Ive never had slip joints that small before so maybe I will find them to be handy.
Here is where they will live. Top drawer of my older model KRA some number 36" wide.
Here is the box.
I think all the tools combined in the entire box will equal the price I paid for the box PLUS the matching top chest used on CL last year for $900. Went with the Snap On box instead of my NAPA roll cart mostly for security reasons but you know...I'm the boss....I have to look the part right.....right.....

Hopefully I can give these Tektons a good enough workout to draw some conclusions about them. First impressions are that the pliers look and feel a lot like Channellocks. The screwdriver handles are nice because they are triangular. I find the stubby handle and the next size down from the biggest to actually feel the best.
Last edited: