Tool Thread - Post up your new tools!

[Kershaw]

Where are you getting them so cheap? They're like $65-80.

[AndrewBird]

^^^I picked up one of those the first time I saw them. They are awesome! Mine is the slightly smaller, $20 one.

[LateFan]

This handy gadget was maybe $30, and is unbelievably accurate for measuring old buildings by yourself, and without a tape measure helper who might not be as interested in accuracy as you are. I think it's accurate to within 1/8" at over 100'. You can shoot the height of a tall wall and it does the trig to give you a number. Handy.

[MrBurgundy]

I have that same torque wrench and its big brother. Both are awesome.

[LateFan]

OK, pics!

RED saber saw (not that new)


Cheapy HF on sale, for wheel bearings etc. Haven't opened it yet.


The stuff that gets used constantly.
I love that big NAPA breaker bar - tough and well made. I've put bigass pipes on the end with no breakage. I have one with a deep lug nut socket in all the cars.
Next one is a 1/2" from Wards (remember them?) - from my high school tool box circa 1977!
Then my favorite Craftsman 3/8" - well-made, smooth chrome, and a great shape in your hand. None of them look like this now I don't think - more like an old Snap-On shape.
Then that little Carlyle 1/4" is so handy, so comfortable. Amazing how much stuff on a smaller car doesn't need a 3/8" ratchet or that much torque.



The sweet Snap-On clicker torqksx - probably the most expensive thing in the box, but I couldn't resist it. DON'T go into the Snap-On truck if you don't plan on spending something - it's just too hard. I think it's 20 - 100, which handles most everything I do.


And this very recent gadget holds the back of the camshafts on a white block Volvo 5 cyl aligned at TDC , so you can pull the VVT cam wheels on the front of the engine and replace the oil seals etc. Lots of double checking and marking rotation with a paint pen.

[TheRob]

Those locking extensions are awesome, I've had them for a while and they work really great, haven't lost a 10mm since. I also have a very long, 36 inches I think, 3/8 locking that was great for getting to bell housing bolts.

[MrBurgundy]

Got the locking 1/4" extensions after I lost a swivel and a 10mm in the depths of an engine bay.










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[mitchlikesbikes]

Well, you posted a pic of a tool box, sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

it's literally the only photo on the entire page lol

[MrBurgundy]

soooo does anybody actually post pictures of cool tools in here or is it just a wall of text?

Well, you posted a pic of a tool box, sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[mitchlikesbikes]

soooo does anybody actually post pictures of cool tools in here or is it just a wall of text?

[flyboyx]

I have 3 and a half sets of tools. The smallest is a fairly complete set of old metric craftsman’s that I keep in a tool bag in the trunk of the mtech II. It goes up to 3/8” drive and includes lots of pliers and screw drivers, etc. The second is a very comprehensive set of mostly vintage craftsman that I keep on the floor in a metal box forward of the back seat in my f350. This one goes to 1/2” and includes sae as well as metric. My third set is in a metal roller in my garage. This one is almost exclusively metric used snap on purchased from craigslist and pawn shops. This way, I almost never have to go searching for something when I need it. If I do, I have three easy chances of finding it.

Last but not least, I have a random box in my garage that is full of random craftsman sockets and such from a life time of buying odds and ends at garage sales and flea markets. This pile is separated out in ziplock bags and serves 2 purposes. First, if I lose a tool, I go there first to see if I have a replacement instead of driving to sears to buy the new China wonderchrome. Second, if I need to modify something to get the job done, it comes from there. Oh, and when my son needs something, I usually can get it from here too.

When I do buy a random lot of tools, all of those that say made in taiwan or some other cheap company, I usually give them to my neighbor, donate them, or chuck them in the trash.

[LateFan]

... it'd be nice if the products there weren't all cheap shit. I could really go on about this, this trend is one that really pisses me off.

I know - exactly - how you feel.

As for custom tools, if I needed to modify a tool, I'd go get some cheap chinese piece to modify and leave my nice, USA made pieces alone.

I was surprised to learn my buddy's mechanics buy Snap-On duplicates every week and cut them up as needed. But then they're getting paid to use them.

this is my new work box.

Nice.


That's interesting info on Milwaukee - I had no idea it's been 10 years. But it sounds from your links that some are produced at those US plants?

[mrsleeve]

Yeah, you end up having half a drawer of custom tools that do one job on one specific long gone car, but I keep them forever. Somebody will ask me sometime, how in the hell do I do this?!....and I'll just give it to them.

Where can you buy Wrights and Hazets? Are Wrights for industry, or do they make metric small tools?

My wife's brother got me on a Milwaukee kick for woodworking tools years ago because he won't touch anything that isn't Milwaukee red! I hated to point out to him that a couple of tags I read on tools recently said Made in China.

So what's happening with Milwaukee lately? Did they get purchased by someone? Are they still mostly US-made?

Yup I have a box of modded tools, those cut down or notched sockets come in handy from time to time, as do tweaked wrenches.......

Atlas Copco sold Milwaukee electric to Techtronic industries of Hong Kong a little over a decade ago. I think around 2010ish that they opend a new plant in china and almost all production of everything with Milwaukee branding on it is made there now. As far as power tools goes, being made in china or not the Red ones are still pushing top of the heap for me....... I know I know, but I have a bunch of red tools we have used and abused and then some that have held up as well as the ones that once came from brookfield WI. I guess they are expanding thier US production in Mississippi this year and adding some 660 us based jobs

http://fox6now.com/2015/06/24/brookfield-based-milwaukee-tool-to-open-new-plant-in-mississippi-add-126-jobs/

https://www.tradeandindustrydev.com/industry/manufacturing/news/ms-milwaukee-tool-invest-334m-expand-add-660-jobs-13616

You have an American welding & gas down there??? They are the Wright tool guys up here, that and Applied Tech shows as a dealer for both our areas. Yes they have metric tools down to small sizes, and yes they are primarily know in the industrial markets. Amazon has been a good source for Wright stuff for me. Hazets your on your own I have no idea other than I think "Fasteners" used to carry some of their screwdrivers and drive tools, but Fasnters was bought up by fastenal, and I have not been into my local store in a while. I dont even know if they are still operating their rigging shop in Spokane now after they got bought out, I used to get my winch cables, blocks and other rigging from them.

[mitchlikesbikes]

this is my new work box. krl1022 in near perfect shape, i got it for about 1/3 of retail used so not a bad deal. so nice to have extra space for stuff again. i haven't had extra space since i started as a mechanic like 3 years ago

[rturbo 930]

As for custom tools, if I needed to modify a tool, I'd go get some cheap chinese piece to modify and leave my nice, USA made pieces alone. Especially since most of them are Craftsman, and a made-in-USA replacement would have to be bought used.