r/Tools 4h ago

I bought these because they are USA made. Paid 3x what China stuff is. Am I right to be irritated?

Thumbnail
gallery
199 Upvotes

Edit 2:
PEC responded to the email from my original Edit below. Noted that this is within manufacturing tolerances. So, I guess it is what it is and I will return and purchase something else.

First off the mounting holes were obviously drilled by a 6 year old with how much they are off. Secondly, the body is squeezed down by the retaining fastener making it seem like they use this same body for different sets and just squeeze it down to fit. To me, if I wanted lack of attention to detail that bad, I would just buy Chinesium šŸ’©. Am I being overly critical? They just arrived from Amazon and I am really close to returning them.

Edit; sent this email to PEC. Awaiting a response.

I recently purchased one of your feeler gauge sets through Amazon. When it arrived, I immediately noticed that the individual leaves are significantly misaligned because the pivot holes appear to have been drilled in slightly different locations on each blade.
I occasionally need to measure very shallow areas, and the amount of misalignment makes that more difficult.
My question is simply this: Is what I’m seeing within PEC’s normal manufacturing tolerances, or is it possible that I received a counterfeit product through Amazon?
I’m not looking to complain—I just need to know the best course of action. If this is not representative of your quality standards, I’ll return this set and purchase another one directly from PEC. If, however, this is considered acceptable within your manufacturing tolerances, I’ll simply return it and purchase a different brand that better suits my needs.


r/Tools 3h ago

Disappointed to learn Gearwrench's warranty isn't what I thought it was

67 Upvotes

Have a ton of gearwrench tools. The warranty sold me on many of them.

Recently the locking mechanism on a locking flex head wrench stopped working. Reached out for warranty replacement. Was offered a standard flex head, which confused me as a locking flex head with a broken locking mechanism is, in essence, a flex head. And if that was sufficient, I wouldn't have reached out to replace the one with a broken locking mechanism.

After some back and forth I was told they cannot replace the locking flex head because they only sell them in sets. Only tools they sell individually can be sent as replacements. This means any items only sold in sets are not really warrantied as they're not eligible for replacement. Once an item in your set breaks, it'll never be a complete set again.

After looking through my box and the gearwrench website, it appears the following are not eligible for replacement under warranty due to gearwrench not selling them individually:

-bolt biter wrenchserts -spline drive wrenches -reversible wrenches -locking flex head wrenches -passthrough ratchet and sockets -tap and die kit -XL Gearbox double box end wrenches -crowsfeet wrenches

I'm sure there are more--the list only includes what I own.

I'm very disappointed to learn this and won't be buying gearwrench anymore. Just wanted to let anyone who may not know the gearwrench warranty works this way know so you don't waste your money like I have. It seems icon is a better choice these days since harbor freight is willing to break open kits to replace a broken tool that was sold with a lifetime warranty.


r/Tools 5h ago

Mini Tool Kit for work on ships

Thumbnail
gallery
50 Upvotes

I've been going to sea for about 8 years, and I jad enough of having to prowl the entire ship every time I needed a tool, especially in the smaller sizes, so I built out my tool kit again. I have been getting by with the Irwin water pump pliers, the 11/1 screwdriver, and a good adjustable for a long time but it was time for a revamp. This is all the stuff I reach for all the time, only to find it missing or broken or just scattered to hell and back. Love to hear your thoughts on it

Maxpedition Beefy case, Spyderco Native Salt, Milwaukee Inkzall, ballpoint pen, knipex plier wrench, work pro mini cobras, Irwin 8 inch water pump plier, fujiya 32mm adjustable wrench, Klein 27/1 precision screwdriver, Klein 11/1 screwdriver, mini bit driver, Railer bit rail with torx/hex/phillips/flatheads, Quinn 1/4" socket set standard and metric , Icon G2 6" fixed head ratchet with short/long extensions and wobble joint, mini 1/4 ratchet from larger icon meme tool kit, 2 small Crescent picks, and Pittsburgh short set of metric and standard allen keys (in a pocket behind the sockets).


r/Tools 15h ago

I gave in to the premium hype, but came out disappointed

Thumbnail
gallery
173 Upvotes

Heard all the hype about Woodpeckers for years. ā€œPremium tools,ā€ ā€œbuy once cry once,ā€ ā€œdon’t knock it until you try it,ā€ etc.

So I tried it.

The tool works. It does exactly what it says it does. No issue there.

But honestly, after shipping/import fees, I’m about $500 CAD into a hand tool and a Systainer, and the whole thing feels kind of underwhelming.

The packaging is basically paper cut-outs. No molded insert, nothing really holding or separating the parts properly. All the assembly hardware was loose in the box and ended up hiding in the little gaps of the packaging.

And the finish on the tool itself? It just doesn’t look like a $500 tool. It looks functional, but not especially refined or finished. I was expecting something that made me go ā€œokay, now I understand the price.ā€ Instead, it felt more like paying extra for the red anodizing and the name.

I’m not against paying premium prices. If the machining, materials, finish, packaging, and little details are all there, fine. But this doesn’t feel that far above plenty of cheaper tools that will do the same job.

Maybe I’m missing the appeal, or maybe this is just one of those brands where you pay a lot for the brand and the niche factor.


r/Tools 10h ago

NTD

Post image
58 Upvotes

r/Tools 8h ago

Which compressor to get?

Thumbnail
gallery
33 Upvotes

I need to get a compressor for my mobile mechanic business. For now I’m carrying around 6 gallon pancake Ridgid that I borrowed from family member and I have no complaints about it other than size. I wanted to size down to like 2-3 gallon hot dog style because it would fit a lot better it my truck and easier to carry around. I don’t use air tools. Only need it for tires, blowing off air and vacuum filling the cooling system . Any reason why I should stay with 6 gallon and not get a smaller unit? 6 gallon craftsman is going for $99 right now which is pretty sweet given that smaller units go for almost double that. Noise is also a consideration. Not the main factor but would be nice to keep it quieter. What are your thoughts on this? Are smaller ones usually louder? I would buy smaller due to compact size as it will fit in my vehicle a lot better and just in general I like the look more but double the price for the smaller size and less power is kind of hard to understand. Would I miss out on anything if I get the smaller given my use cases? Any one of you had experience with both? And also what is your recommendation on brand? Be it 6 or 2/3 gallon, what would you get? Thank you


r/Tools 17h ago

When I need to hand pack a pile of bearings with the good stuff and I tell myself this time I'm gonna be surgical about it.

Post image
195 Upvotes

Yeah yeah I know Ivan Ooze is supposedly purple and Litho HT is supposedly blue.

This is why I own a large number of purple shirts and I can't get a pilots license.


r/Tools 1d ago

No F’ing Way

Post image
950 Upvotes

Had this set for 16 years kept it complete get back from the junkyard and open up my box to clean up. Cheapest replacement on eBay is $22 for one socket

UPDATE: Found it!!! Somehow I dropped it when I opened the case to clean it stuck to the lid and got flung down the drive way. Little bastard tried to run away!


r/Tools 33m ago

Wearing my CƩline Dion t-shirt because I love old Canadian beaver. Think this 1940s-50s Beaver 8" TS2200 is worth taking a jab at restoring?

Post image
• Upvotes

The fence and such is present which is a good sign.


r/Tools 2h ago

This is an Ekstrom Carlson company tool. What kind of tool is it and what can it be used for? Thanks

Thumbnail
gallery
4 Upvotes

r/Tools 4h ago

Basic tool kit for Home

7 Upvotes

Hello,
My spouse and I recently moved into our own house and were slowly learning what it’s like to take care of a home and its maintenance needs.

What are some basic tools one might recommend to keep in a typical, household toolbox? I’m not planning on buying much—I have access to a lot of hand-me-down tools so if you have any recommendations, I’ll just compare to what my family members are willing to spare.

Any direction would be helpful. Thank you.

Edit: thanks for the feedback! Turns out I have some of the more basic recommended stuff and I can always borrow/gank from my parents since they’re took old to use theirs anyways. I’ll try to be smart abt adding needed tools over the years so I (hopefully) don’t start impulse buying. Thanks again!


r/Tools 42m ago

Which Delta drill press? I want to drill things.

• Upvotes

Big Ol' Delta Rockwell, asking $145

Same seller has a smaller, and older Delta for $125, he says both of these are working well

Last, and possibly least, is a Taiwanese made Delta for $50, some surface rust, but looks lightly used


r/Tools 50m ago

Torque wrenches

• Upvotes

Looking for budget friendly Torque Wrenches.

Don't do major car work. Basic stuff, like lugs, brake work, cv axles etc.

Thanks in advance


r/Tools 1h ago

Looking for info about this hand plane I use as my main one

Thumbnail gallery
• Upvotes

r/Tools 1d ago

What is the functional difference between these two 1/4-20 taps?

Post image
511 Upvotes

Our shop stocks both styles and no one in my specific area seems to know why we have two different types or what their specific uses are intended to be.


r/Tools 20h ago

In case you needed a reason

Post image
51 Upvotes

I got these two sets within a year of eachother back in 2011/2012. These are a compact version the released around then. I build and install cabinets and have for since these drills natural life. Im talking thousands of shelf peg holes. Probably more lol. I still run them today. New batteries of course, but still.

Not every tool they make is great, but the ones that are, are fuckin great. If you needed a reason to look into makita for their drill/driver combos, here it is.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.


r/Tools 3h ago

NTD

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

Found in a house we're remodeling. This was in a pile of trash. It was bolted to a workbench. Stamped:

Made in Poland

No2047 Hi-Test

Anyone have information on brand and era?


r/Tools 0m ago

SDS overkill or necessary?

• Upvotes

Right quick summary, I'm a property maintenance/ handyman and have been using my DeWalt combi drill on hammer mode when drilling Into masonry for ages. I am working in Ireland so the vast majority of construction is done with concrete cavity blocks.

My drill is fine and gets the job done for the most part. But I'm tough on it and find that for especially tough blocks the bit can wander etc. Usual shit.

You think an SDS is overkill for this type of stuff or am I better off just getting one and saving my Combi drill. I don't really do any demo so was thinking of getting the DeWalt DCH172N-XJ or getting a shit cordless parkside one to see how much use I get our of it.

What yous think?


r/Tools 11m ago

Can someone tell me if this valve plate assembly is correct?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

• Upvotes

This is a bostich CAP2000P-OF. The valve plate assembly is new as well as the gaskets. Compression ring is new and check valve is in working order as far as I can tell. There’s no blockage in the air tube either. It want build pressure over 40 psi and the head gets very hot. Which is the same problem I had before I spent 50 dollars in parts and took the thing apart 30 times. I’m pulling my hair out here.


r/Tools 14m ago

How to remove

Post image
• Upvotes

Hi,
Anyone know how to remove this hinge. Hex key won’t fit. Should I just try to hammer them off or is there a specific tool I can use for these screws??
Any suggestions appreciated!


r/Tools 15m ago

Need help looking for a recent post. It was about an Amazon order for some tekton not showing up, but they were able to resolve with customer service.

• Upvotes

Tried searching and scrolling, but having trouble finding it.


r/Tools 31m ago

Only Three

• Upvotes

So it's not a zombie apocalypse or a desert island, just life as it is now, but you can only own three tools, what would they be?


r/Tools 23h ago

New hammer for my collection!

Post image
63 Upvotes

Pawn shop had this hammer for $2, so I had to buy it.


r/Tools 1h ago

Lidls Parkside moddle isle, Streatham Vale Mitcham/Streatham 22nd/07/2026

Thumbnail
youtube.com
• Upvotes

r/Tools 21h ago

Couldn’t resist for $32.

Post image
31 Upvotes