Tool Review Time

#381
2000xp8 said:
F150 will likely be as much vehicle as i ever own.
Remember, as i suggested, i'm not a professional mechanic that needs to be prepared for every situation, i also don't own a 10ft wide by 5ft tall tool box (nor do i want to).
I like my things neat and organized. Matching is nice too.
I've almost never broken a 1/2 socket.
I've gotten by the last 25 years with a random collection of misfits, i've just over digging through them.
Click to expand...
IMG_20240116_173301947.jpg

Organization fixes that. That front organizer has SnapOn, Kobalt, Klutch, Craftsman, Gearwrench, and Duralast on it.

Hansen and Westling Machine make the best trays out there.

If you go back in this thread, I linked and reviewed the Sunex set I mentioned. It has 7mm-22mm impact sockets in short, deep, and flex, as well as a 3" extension and a 3/8-hex bit adapter. I've had that set 10 years without a single failure.
 
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#382
I have DeWalt tools at home. 1/2" impact driver. 3/8" drill, angle grinder, leaf blower, jig saw.
I use Milwaukee 1/4 drive and 3/8 drive ratchets at work.
Cordless has eliminated the need for air powered tools. Which is great for at home work. No need for an air compressor nor the noise they make.
I still use a lot of air powered tools at work.
 
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#384
Matt, that's nice and i can appreciate the neatness and organization, but still, it's in a rolling cart in an actual shop correct?
The top also opens, my tool box is like 54 or so wide and the top is a work bench. And i'm also willing to bet that cart isn't your only box.
My shed is also about 300ft from my house, sometimes i need to do a little work out there and other places in the yard, possibly the street if i think i'll make a mess. Now and then i need to take some with me in my work van, not enough so to buy a second set though.
I guess my point is, that what works in a contained environment like an actual auto shop, isn't always the best at a home.
This isn't a career for me, it's a hobby.

Oddly enough, looks like the set in the clear packout is on sale for $169 with a free 120 set of bits (these are always useful).
That's cheaper than ebay pricing which is always about $20 less than an online store.
I may just buy it and then add a 32mm socket for my wife's srx that i know i need.
I'm also a fan of the clear cover to see what set i'm grabbing.
 
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#386
2000xp8 said:
Matt, that's nice and i can appreciate the neatness and organization, but still, it's in a rolling cart in an actual shop correct?
The top also opens, my tool box is like 54 or so wide and the top is a work bench. And i'm also willing to bet that cart isn't your only box.
My shed is also about 300ft from my house, sometimes i need to do a little work out there and other places in the yard, possibly the street if i think i'll make a mess. Now and then i need to take some with me in my work van, not enough so to buy a second set though.
I guess my point is, that what works in a contained environment like an actual auto shop, isn't always the best at a home.
This isn't a career for me, it's a hobby.

Oddly enough, looks like the set in the clear packout is on sale for $169 with a free 120 set of bits (these are always useful).
That's cheaper than ebay pricing which is always about $20 less than an online store.
I may just buy it and then add a 32mm socket for my wife's srx that i know i need.
I'm also a fan of the clear cover to see what set i'm grabbing.
Click to expand...
I know it's a hobby for you, that's why I'm saying don't worry about matching shiny crap. Spend the money on other stuff.

If I can turn and burn 3-4 cars through my bay on a slow day with a motley assortment (though in complete sets), any home-gamer can do the same. My box in my parents' garage is a 44" Kobalt from Lowe's that I bought used. My box in my shed at my duplex is an antique Craftsman stack that is specifically labeled "For The Home Garage" that was my grandfather's, both have their sockets organized. (Ironically, the 1/4 and 3/8 at my duplex are all Bluepoint in a matched set.)

Organize what you have nicely in the storage available to you. Buy what you need to fill in gaps (honestly, Husky, Kobalt, and even Pittsburgh sockets are good enough these days), and just be happy to have a complete set, even if it doesn't all match... Unless a matching set is the only thing that will make you happy, in which case the Milwaukee set you're looking at is probably pretty good, 99% of the Milwaukee tools I have purchased have been fantastic. Even though the Chinese ended up owning them, they, for once, didn't destroy the brand equity after acquiring them, quite the opposite in fact.

Project Farm on YouTube also recently did a video where he tested a huge variety of "mechanics" tool sets for the home gamer, you might take a look at that before you make up your mind.
 
#387
I pretty much live out of a Milwaukee Pack-Out setup.

It's a pain in the ass to "organize" but it's coming along slowly. I mean, there are [some] boxes than can't accommodate everything you'd like to have in that box etc...

It's coming along tho... I've had to take all of something and completely switch and re-organize boxes due to overflow etc.

It's def not a one-and-done kind of thing.

Something I intend to do this year is pick up that Milwaukee socket set. That will allow me to remove [most] of the duplicates from my ratchet and socket box. The one that has become heavier than all others though it's not the largest.
 
#388
Just wondering if anyone has a recommendation on a smoke machine. I came across this ad and I like the idea of an all-in-one, but kinda looks like it might be cheap chinese BS:
www.facebook.com

Understanding the use of your tools is key! Our smoke machines are the future. #autolinepro #smokemachines #automotivetechnician #diagnosingcars... | By AutolineProFacebook

Understanding the use of your tools is key! Our smoke machines are the future. #autolinepro #smokemachines #automotivetechnician #diagnosingcars...
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
Thoughts?
 
#395
#396
Nope, I don't have that one. Mine is a much older version and doesn't have the compound slide.

Like you, I use it when I need it. Most recently, I used it cut all the lumber for a feral cat hotel. It fired up like it always does.

If yours is 5 years old or older, then the new one will be an upgrade. The motor technology alone has leaped in that time.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Also and otherwise: Digital Camera Microscope


These are damned handy to have around. The stand that I got mine was garbage and already broken/useless.
 
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