Tool Review Time

[FastDriver]

I was just wondering what any of you might be using for a bore scope. I borrowed a friends Snap-on:


I actually really liked it and discovered a cracked/missing piece of a ringland in my blue '93 GT. After using it, I decided that I needed one. However, the resolution on it is like 600x400 (or whatever). Also, it doesn't allow the use of an SD card or provide any way to transfer a pic to a computer. I consider both points major set-backs, because that little 2.5" LCD screen is enough to work off of, but if I want to closely examine an image, it shouldn't be any issue.

Some of these newer ones have 1080 or 1200p. But pixels aren't everything if the camera still sucks.

Caveat: I do not want one that requires a cell phone. Don't wanna break out the phone or download a new app every time I work or when I pull it out 15 years from now, and we all have cell phone chips in our brains or whatever... Just want one I can pull outta the drawer and it works. Thanks.

 

[FastDriver]

That Schumer...
I expect a full review!

I think I might buy that 75 amp version is the one you get looks good.

The Schumer I bought is an old discontinued model. When I ordered the one above, they didn't have it in stock and refunded my money. I bought the old model used off of ebay. It has a 2/10/40 amp setting switch. So far. I've used it to charge a battery that my ctek thought was bad. It works perfectly well and does charge when its plugged in period. However, the settings are inaccurate. My ammeter indicates 4.2 amps on the 2 amp setting. Close to 10 amps on that setting, and only 17 on the 40 amp setting. This honestly doesn't bother me. I have a jump starter when I need to move serious amps. The lighter 2/4 amp setting that works how and when I tell it to is why I bought it.

 

[Adieu]

I was just wondering what any of you might be using for a bore scope. I borrowed a friends Snap-on:


I actually really liked it and discovered a cracked/missing piece of a ringland in my blue '93 GT. After using it, I decided that I needed one. However, the resolution on it is like 600x400 (or whatever). Also, it doesn't allow the use of an SD card or provide any way to transfer a pic to a computer. I consider both points major set-backs, because that little 2.5" LCD screen is enough to work off of, but if I want to closely examine an image, it shouldn't be any issue.

Some of these newer ones have 1080 or 1200p. But pixels aren't everything if the camera still sucks.

Caveat: I do not want one that requires a cell phone. Don't wanna break out the phone or download a new app every time I work or when I pull it out 15 years from now, and we all have cell phone chips in our brains or whatever... Just want one I can pull outta the drawer and it works. Thanks.

Digital Inspection Camera

Amazing deals on this Digital Inspection Camera at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I don't own this one, but my neighbor in the shop does. It's great for looking into almost everything, and has incredibly good image quality. It can be a bit clunky to use due to the camera tube being so stiff, but we've successfully looked into some engines (camera is too big to get past the spark plug hole on some), inside the frame rails of some vehicles, inside intake manifolds and exhaust pipes, and inside the HVAC systems under the dash of some cars.

It's really not bad for the price.

Wish - Shopping Made Fun

Shopping Made Fun. Join over 500 million others that have made their shopping more smart, fun, and rewarding.

www.wish.com

Now, I know you don't want one that you use with your phone, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this magnificent bastard.

$5 and an Android phone has you looking inside of cylinders using a free app. The cable is a litle too flexible, but that's my only complaint. It's fantastic. $5 on Wish.com for a camera so small I can stick it in my ear. It takes crystal clear pictures I can send via SMS straight to my boss to show him what he needs to see. What's not to like?

39 in. x 5.5mm Inspection Camera Cable

Amazing deals on this 39In X 5.5Mm Inspection Camera Cable at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

This is probably going to be what you want though, the marriage of the two. I haven't used it yet, but if it's as good as their larger one, it'll do great.

Snap-On is just too damned proud of their imaging equipment. I'm a Snap-On fanboy, to the point that I have Snap-On and Bluepoint (Snap-on's budget brand) tools for HOME use as well as at the shop, and also own my own SnapOn Solus Edge scan tool, and even I won't pay what they're asking for their inspection cameras, thermal imagers, and other stuff in this family. If you can find it used for a good price, by all means, jump on it, I've used a couple and the quality and features are excellent, but for what they charge new, you could buy 5-15 of Harbor Freight's, or a few hundred of the ones from Wish. https://shop.snapon.com/search?q=scope

 

[FastDriver]

Wow, thanks! is 640x480 resolution good enough?

 

[Adieu]

Wow, thanks! is 640x480 resolution good enough?

I've found it to be adequate or better most of the time.






These were taken with that $5 wish scope. The top is a Subaru with bad valve guide seals, and the lower is the intake of a Chrysler 3.6 with excessive blowby.

 

[RaggedGT]

I have the older version HF camera, it has worked well for my needs (other than the time I broke it.) lol

 

[Noobz347]

The Schumer I bought is an old discontinued model. When I ordered the one above, they didn't have it in stock and refunded my money. I bought the old model used off of ebay. It has a 2/10/40 amp setting switch. So far. I've used it to charge a battery that my ctek thought was bad. It works perfectly well and does charge when its plugged in period. However, the settings are inaccurate. My ammeter indicates 4.2 amps on the 2 amp setting. Close to 10 amps on that setting, and only 17 on the 40 amp setting. This honestly doesn't bother me. I have a jump starter when I need to move serious amps. The lighter 2/4 amp setting that works how and when I tell it to is why I bought it.

We should talk about why that is. It's not a flaw in the machine. It has more to do with the condition of the battery. You really can't measure the capability of the power supply in that way.

 

[Noobz347]

Digital Inspection Camera

Amazing deals on this Digital Inspection Camera at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I don't own this one, but my neighbor in the shop does. It's great for looking into almost everything, and has incredibly good image quality. It can be a bit clunky to use due to the camera tube being so stiff, but we've successfully looked into some engines (camera is too big to get past the spark plug hole on some), inside the frame rails of some vehicles, inside intake manifolds and exhaust pipes, and inside the HVAC systems under the dash of some cars.

It's really not bad for the price.

Wish - Shopping Made Fun

Shopping Made Fun. Join over 500 million others that have made their shopping more smart, fun, and rewarding.

www.wish.com

Now, I know you don't want one that you use with your phone, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this magnificent bastard.

$5 and an Android phone has you looking inside of cylinders using a free app. The cable is a litle too flexible, but that's my only complaint. It's fantastic. $5 on Wish.com for a camera so small I can stick it in my ear. It takes crystal clear pictures I can send via SMS straight to my boss to show him what he needs to see. What's not to like?

39 in. x 5.5mm Inspection Camera Cable

Amazing deals on this 39In X 5.5Mm Inspection Camera Cable at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

This is probably going to be what you want though, the marriage of the two. I haven't used it yet, but if it's as good as their larger one, it'll do great.

Snap-On is just too damned proud of their imaging equipment. I'm a Snap-On fanboy, to the point that I have Snap-On and Bluepoint (Snap-on's budget brand) tools for HOME use as well as at the shop, and also own my own SnapOn Solus Edge scan tool, and even I won't pay what they're asking for their inspection cameras, thermal imagers, and other stuff in this family. If you can find it used for a good price, by all means, jump on it, I've used a couple and the quality and features are excellent, but for what they charge new, you could buy 5-15 of Harbor Freight's, or a few hundred of the ones from Wish. https://shop.snapon.com/search?q=scope

Let's skip all these middle men and their crappy image sensors stacked on-top of moderately built fiber cable and just make something new that makes sense:

A phone camera case with a fiber cable and light. It should fit directly over your camera lens and let you pinch, zoom, and use whatever other features your phone cam is capable of. The same fiber optic cable can make use of the light emitter on the phone to carry light to the top of the probe.

Exactly same idea as this cable: https://www.harborfreight.com/autom...-in-x-55mm-inspection-camera-cable-64125.html

I can guarantee that any phone on the market today will have a better image sensor than every consumer level fiber cam on the market today.

I have one that is similar to this one: https://www.harborfreight.com/autom...scanning/digital-inspection-camera-61839.html

My complaints are that the fore mentioned image sensor is junk. The other is that the probe end is too large in diameter for many things that I would need a fiber optic probe for. I guess it's just a little bit smaller than the face of a nickel but larger than a penny. Something to look at when buying one of these.

@FastDriver - It shouldn't be hard to find what you're looking for if you're willing to spend a little. Even Snap-On has much newer units with more features than the one you showed.

Just a brief search: Amazon product ASIN B07KF2LNN8View: https://www.amazon.com/Industrial-ROTEK-Professional-Waterproof-Inspection/dp/B07KF2LNN8/ref=sxin_2_ac_d_pm?ac_md=4-2-QWJvdmUgJDUw-ac_d_pm&keywords=endoscope&pd_rd_i=B07KF2LNN8&pd_rd_r=0445b5f5-06c7-4ea3-877c-2972ebbea427&pd_rd_w=g4kWu&pd_rd_wg=Gk62U&pf_rd_p=eeff02d5-070a-45ea-a79e-d591974b877e&pf_rd_r=T2TX07CT3PC3PHQH5XCF&psc=1&qid=1568032815&s=gateway


I might get that one. lol

 

[FastDriver]

We should talk about why that is. It's not a flaw in the machine. It has more to do with the condition of the battery. You really can't measure the capability of the power supply in that way.

Well I did! How bout them apples?

j/k. I only pretend to know what I'm doing with electricity.

 

[FastDriver]

I like the looks of that one Noobz. I wonder about a battery replacement down the road but maybe this is one of those things you just have to buy every 5 years or so. Like a phone.

 

[Noobz347]

I like the looks of that one Noobz. I wonder about a battery replacement down the road but maybe this is one of those things you just have to buy every 5 years or so. Like a phone.

Mine is still on the first battery. I've never replaced it in the 5 or so years I've owned it but it's a tool that only gets brought out once in a blue moon.

 

[Adieu]

Let's skip all these middle men and their crappy image sensors stacked on-top of moderately built fiber cable and just make something new that makes sense:

A phone camera case with a fiber cable and light. It should fit directly over your camera lens and let you pinch, zoom, and use whatever other features your phone cam is capable of. The same fiber optic cable can make use of the light emitter on the phone to carry light to the top of the probe.

Exactly same idea as this cable: https://www.harborfreight.com/autom...-in-x-55mm-inspection-camera-cable-64125.html

I can guarantee that any phone on the market today will have a better image sensor than every consumer level fiber cam on the market today.

I have one that is similar to this one: https://www.harborfreight.com/autom...scanning/digital-inspection-camera-61839.html

My complaints are that the fore mentioned image sensor is junk. The other is that the probe end is too large in diameter for many things that I would need a fiber optic probe for. I guess it's just a little bit smaller than the face of a nickel but larger than a penny. Something to look at when buying one of these.

@FastDriver - It shouldn't be hard to find what you're looking for if you're willing to spend a little. Even Snap-On has much newer units with more features than the one you showed.

Just a brief search: Amazon product ASIN B07KF2LNN8View: https://www.amazon.com/Industrial-ROTEK-Professional-Waterproof-Inspection/dp/B07KF2LNN8/ref=sxin_2_ac_d_pm?ac_md=4-2-QWJvdmUgJDUw-ac_d_pm&keywords=endoscope&pd_rd_i=B07KF2LNN8&pd_rd_r=0445b5f5-06c7-4ea3-877c-2972ebbea427&pd_rd_w=g4kWu&pd_rd_wg=Gk62U&pf_rd_p=eeff02d5-070a-45ea-a79e-d591974b877e&pf_rd_r=T2TX07CT3PC3PHQH5XCF&psc=1&qid=1568032815&s=gateway


I might get that one. lol

The second HF one has a 5mm camera like the super cheap USB Wish camera.

As far as the image sensor being junk in the HF scopes, you're right, there are better out there. In the scheme of things for working on cars though, I do find them more than adequate, and like the pistol-style design for manuevering them into awkward positions to get to what I need an image of.

I'm intrigued by that yellow one you linked from Bezos-Mart though, it's an interesting design, and has me wondering if it might not come in handy for some video work I'll be doing of engine internals.

 

[Noobz347]

it might not come in handy for some video work I'll be doing of engine internals.

You are a sick, sick basterd

 

[revhead347]

The Motive Products bleeder is more than convenient for bleeding brakes, but essential for bleeding clutches. I haven't figured out which adapter to use on my Mustang, since it now has a 2 cap Chrysler master cylinder. If anyone knows, I'd appreciate the heads up.

Tools are becoming tougher to buy as they continue to contain more and more Chinesium. You used to be able to go to the store and just buy a better brand. Now there are $350 Snap-On torque wrenches made with Chinesium. For the time being, I have been switching over to Sonic Tools. I just bought a $50 1/4" ratchet from them. So far, so good.

Kurt

 

[General karthief]

My tools are:
Big hammer, channel lock pliers, chisel and a couple vise grips.
Oh, and about 50 wore out screw drivers!

 

[Adieu]

The Motive Products bleeder is more than convenient for bleeding brakes, but essential for bleeding clutches. I haven't figured out which adapter to use on my Mustang, since it now has a 2 cap Chrysler master cylinder. If anyone knows, I'd appreciate the heads up.

Tools are becoming tougher to buy as they continue to contain more and more Chinesium. You used to be able to go to the store and just buy a better brand. Now there are $350 Snap-On torque wrenches made with Chinesium. For the time being, I have been switching over to Sonic Tools. I just bought a $50 1/4" ratchet from them. So far, so good.

Kurt

I haven't tried Sonic yet, though I have seen both HumbleMechanic and ChrisFix rep them on their Youtube channels.

The brands that really seem to kick the most ass for the dollar right now are Tekton, Klutch, Sunex, and Lang.

I'll review some Klutch, Tekton, and some more Sunex this weekend.

 

[revhead347]

I haven't tried Sonic yet, though I have seen both HumbleMechanic and ChrisFix rep them on their Youtube channels.

The brands that really seem to kick the most ass for the dollar right now are Tekton, Klutch, Sunex, and Lang.

I'll review some Klutch, Tekton, and some more Sunex this weekend.

More brands I have never heard of. Keep us posted.

Kurt

 

[Olivethefet]

I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for. I just don't use my stuff enough to justify the cost of Snap-On and the like. I used to buy all Craftsman hand tools. Never was a fan of their power equipment. The quality of the new Craftsman stuff just doesn't seem to be there any more. I'm leery of the stuff at Lowes and Home Depot, so not sure what to buy any more as a quality tool that wont break the bank.

 

[revhead347]

I am replacing my Craftsman stuff slowly. Their hand tools went downhill years ago.

Kurt

 

[02 281 GT]

I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for. I just don't use my stuff enough to justify the cost of Snap-On and the like. I used to buy all Craftsman hand tools. Never was a fan of their power equipment. The quality of the new Craftsman stuff just doesn't seem to be there any more. I'm leery of the stuff at Lowes and Home Depot, so not sure what to buy any more as a quality tool that wont break the bank.

I have a set of Craftsman tools that I acquired in early-2012. I agree that the quality just isn't really there. The sockets are fine, but the ratcheting mechanism in the wrenches likes to stick and start going the other way or get into a position where it locks the wrench.

I have a set of KD tools that I acquired around 2002 or so. They were still made in the USA then and these wrenches are of awesome quality. They were acquired by GearWrench in 2014 and now they're made in Taiwan. Not sure of the quality now.

These days I just try to snatch up used tools that are in good shape when I get the chance. I bought a bunch of high quality made-in-Germany stuff when I lived there, but it's all metric.