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 💩. 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.

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.

Heard all the hype about Woodpeckers for years. “Premium tools,” “buy once cry once,” “don’t knock it until you try it,” 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 “okay, now I understand the price.” 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.

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.

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

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).

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.

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

It's a model 743. I looked it up using google's AI but that thing likes to exaggerate sometimes.

I just like to do small projects around the house, I wouldn't need it for my job.

Hi! I saw this for $40. We’ve been talking about getting one but I have minimal knowledge... is this a good deal or wait for the next one?

Edit to add, I reached out and he said there’s 5 people ahead of me 😅 so on the look out for the next one. Thank you guys!!

Stuff is heavy. Heavy stuff (bulky furniture, stacks of plywood) is hard to get in/out of a truck bed when you're a one man show.

What are the best tools for managing this? Ramp and dolly? Scissor jack table? Hoist? Would love to see what others have done.

It’s solid, with a notch in the bottom, small cylinder on top, no obvious ways to attach to something.

I’m a Toyota dealership technician, so my 3/8” impact sockets are going to get used every single day. I’m looking to buy a quality metric set and I’m torn between Koken, Tekton, and Snap-on.
I know Snap-on is the premium option, but it’s also a lot more expensive. Koken gets a ton of praise from professional techs, and Tekton seems to offer a lot of value for the money.
For those of you who use your tools professionally, which would you buy and why? If you’ve owned more than one of these brands, I’d especially like to hear your experience with durability, fit on fasteners, and long-term use in a dealership environment.
Since this is what I do for a living as a Toyota tech, I’m looking for something that’ll last me for years, not just the cheapest option.

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!

I don't want to start a war, but I am thinking about settling into a tool brand ecosystem.

I mainly want a mid or high torque, drill, electric ratchet.

I want to work on my car mostly. I want something that can reliably take off lug nuts, undo brake hardware, work underneath the hood.

I think I would use my kit up to four to five times a year.

I am sensitive to price. I don't want to spring for something very expensive. I also don't want something to crap out with moderate use.

There are just so many options that it is daunting and paralyzing. I would appreciate some advice.

Edit:

Thank you all for your answers. I am settling on the Ridgid ecosystem. I really appreciate everyone's advice.

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

I have an older dump trailer with a 12V Monarch hydraulic power unit (single-acting cylinder, power up / gravity down). The blue ID tag is faded, so I can’t determine the model number.
Here’s what happened:
The trailer would raise normally every time.
When I pressed DOWN, I only heard a click from the pump. The motor did not run (which I believe is normal for a gravity-down system).
The bed would not lower at all.
I removed the lowering solenoid coil and then removed the entire lowering valve cartridge from the manifold, expecting the bed to come down. It still wouldn’t move.
I eventually put a ratchet strap over the bed and applied some downward force. As soon as I did, something “released” and the bed came down normally.
Since then, it appears to be working again.
I’m trying to figure out:
Can anyone identify the exact Monarch pump model from the attached photos?
Has anyone experienced a sticking lowering valve/spool that required additional force to break free?
Is there anything else on these older Monarch units that commonly causes this symptom?
While I have it apart, are there any maintenance items or replacement parts you’d recommend (lowering valve, seals, suction screen, etc.)?
I’m planning to clean the reservoir, replace the hydraulic fluid, inspect the valves, and service the pump while it’s apart. Any advice or experience with these older Monarch units would be appreciated.
Thanks!

Would a 20v dewalt oscillating tool cut 1/2” copper pipe?

I have a 90 degree shower elbow that must be replaced and it is soldered on. My soldering skills are basically nonexistent. Add to it the wood behind it that I would rather not start on fire.
I want to cut it off and use a shark bite for the new shower connector.
Thoughts?

I call this, the culvert cleaner 3000

Hi everyone,

I'm doing some market research for a new laser level brand and would love to hear your opinions.

What kind of laser level do you usually prefer?

• Cross-line laser or 360° laser?
• Green laser or red laser?
• Compact or professional models?
• What features are most important to you when choosing one?
• What do you mainly use it for (DIY, home improvement, construction, etc.)?

Any feedback about what makes a good laser level would be really helpful. Thanks!

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

Looking for budget friendly Torque Wrenches.

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

Thanks in advance