Best Tools for Hobby and Work

[amirm]

Hello everyone. I thought I create a thread to discuss tools that you find to perform superbly. Nothing ruins a project more than not having the right tools to do the job. I used to live a frugal life, making do with a set of tools I had for years and years. But in the last few years, I decided to get the tools that I need to get the job done. This has helped immensely in making jobs more pleasurable to do.

So let's chime in with tools that delight and put a smile on your face. It can be any tool from hand to power.

 

[amirm]

What prompted me to create this thread is a video I watched last night. It is about "Harbor Freight." For those of you who don't know them, they are a large retailer in US where they source tools directly from China and sell them in their stores. Some of their tools are complete junk. But some are actually well built and as with all of their products, very low priced. I own their toolboxes and jacks mentioned in this video and they leave nothing behind quality wise:

 

[amirm]

There is no better way to fall in love with tools than to get some German Wiha tools! They are very expensive but I have just gotten tired of dealing with other screwdrivers and am upgrading all of mine with Wiha. For the longest time I only used their precision tools but now I am getting their larger tools.

One of the challenges with Wiha is that they have so many tools in each category. Here is a nice video that tries to sort through all the different screwdrivers that I watched a while back.

 

[RayDunzl]

I bought a gear puller set from them, that was made in India.

What a pile of junk! Too bad you can't see how coarse and unfinished the threads are on those things.

But it got the job (not gear pulling) for which I purchased it done, so, I was happy enough. I forget exactly what it was I used it for, probably sucking the bearings out of the hubs on my front end during an axle replacement two years ago.

(If you need an axle call Raxles)

And they do have a tremendous range of things to look at in the store, at prices low enough to throw some in the cart under the idea of "I could use this someday!".

I like them for those "I'll only use this once" disposable tool purchases.

Some things are good there, some aren't, buyer beware, as ever.

Be sure to take a coupon with you.

 

[amirm]

It is paramount to look at their online reviews before buying anything pricey there. For others, I am like you, buying one-of-a-kind tools to solve specific problems. They have saved me a ton of work at times.

And yes, I only buy stuff there with coupons or on clearance (yellow tag).

 

[RayDunzl]

Whenever I see people trying to work on something without even a cheap "tool for the job" I have to wonder how they get through other portions of their lives...

 

[Don Hills]

Xcelite. Diamalloy. Stahl-Wille. Unbrako. Snap-on. Belzer. I better stop before I have a wee accident...

(Names from a quick rummage through my tool kits.)

 

[iridium]

How about a $3 million dihedral synchro-helix actuation door.

http://www.motor1.com/news/100564/jay-leno-koenigsegg-drive/

Serious tooling for this guy's hobby.

iridium

 

[Sal1950]

Another place that does a lot of importing of Chinese tooling is Enco Machine. Like Harbor they sell a lot of complete junk but if you know what you want/need they do have decent stuff for the machinist. They used to be based in Chicago and I did a LOT of business with them back then. I had one of their vertical mills in my shop and used it for years doing excellent close tolerance machining. Grew to love this mill and broke my heart to sell it when I moved.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=100-1527&PMPXNO=954143&PARTPG=INLMK3

 

[RayDunzl]

http://www.grizzly.com/

Their hard-copy catalog is about the size of a phone book. 773 pages

http://www.grizzly.com/catalogs

 

[Sal1950]

http://www.grizzly.com/

Their hard-copy catalog is about the size of a phone book. 773 pages

http://www.grizzly.com/catalogs

Oh yea, forgot about the Grizz, great place for just about anything.

 

[Sal1950]

Another great supplier for stuff is Grainger, if they don't have it your in trouble. LOL
https://www.grainger.com/

 

[RayDunzl]

I helped my Audio Buddy a bit on his project for the week, replacing a leaky rear main seal on his Honda Civic.

We got the transaxle off and saw these bolts on the end of the crank that had to come out to get to the seal:

Whoa, I'd never seen bolt heads like that before, neither had he, and he works at NAPA.

Gotta have the right tool for the job, so we went to Honda. "4-6 weeks delivery time and very expensive" said the helpful parts desk guy.

Ok, so on to NAPA just to see if they might have that socket.

He's talking at the desk, I wander over to the tools rack.

I dig around and find something like this:

Hmm... that looks like it!


Now, what's the catch to this story of finding the right tool for the job?

 

[Sal1950]

Whoa, I'd never seen bolt heads like that before, neither had he, and he works at NAPA.

Yea, I was just gonna type to try a 12 point socket on it.
12 point bolts aren't that unusual. Look at the hollow brake line fitting bolts on many motorcycles inc HD.
They give you better load distribution, harder to strip.
But in a app like this the standard 12 point socket is normally a weak thin wall, hence there is probably that "special' heavy socket for the job.

 

[RayDunzl]

Hey, no fair! You're a pro...

 

[Sal1950]

Now, what's the catch to this story of finding the right tool for the job?

Got a local Sears close by, check with them for this,
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-15-p...lerId=Sears&prdNo=11&blockNo=11&blockType=G11
1. Do you know the size, I'm sure it's metric. Check there's a big enough one in the kit.
2. I won't guarantee the socket won't crack trying to get them loose or torqued back to spec. Heavy wall hardened 12 point sockets are unusual but the worst
that can happen with a thin wall is a broken socket and/or knuckles. LOL

 

[Sal1950]

Sears will sell the sockets separately I see, you just still gotta know the correct size. Then a google might locate what you need from other sources.
http://www.sears.com/gearwrench-3-8...gclid=CPXT5qbB788CFctbhgod5Z8AXQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[RayDunzl]

Well, he had plenty of 12-point tools. The job is done.

We were just intimidated by that unusual (to us) looking bolt head, and didn't even try a handy tool. He had to buy an o-ring anyway, so it wasn't an entirely wasted trip to the store.

Also, he inherited a '92 318-i for which he did have to go to the store for tools, so, special tool was on his brain...

 

[Sal1950]

Well, he had plenty of 12-point tools. The job is done.

Kool, Glad it worked out.

 

[amirm]

I have to remember not to mess with sal on car tools.