aluminumfoilcurtain

I'm mentally challenged (not really) but I'm still having a hard time really understanding and picturing it. Would really love to see a video of it in action sometime.

I don't understand what this tool does or what it's for. Is there a YouTube video or a picture of it in action?

I got both 7-piece Gearwrench flex-head ratcheting wrenches SAE & MM on sale at Napa for $40 each. My old shop was a Napa Auto Care center as well and at a private tool show they had them on sale for $30. Broke my heart, lol, but still very cheap. I really wanted to get the locking flex-heads, but I've heard some mixed reviews on them, like they don't stay locking or something. But nevermind them, since I got these Mountain wrenches, I barely touch my Gearwrenches anymore. 5 piece extra long double flex-head spline/universal ratcheting wrenches. Check them out here: http://thecoolesttools.com/my-favorite-wrenches-mountain-mtnrm6-5-piece-metric-double-box-universal-spline-reversible-ratcheting-wrench-set/ The best part about them is the added edge/length on the spline that makes them great for getting into nooks and crannies and drive belt situations. And the length is fantastic and the spline/universal aspect is amazing. Everyone around me falls in love with these, and I know at least 3 other mechanics that have them. I use them everyday and couldn't live without them.

Check out the thread on the Knipex Pliers Wrench. Check out these Crescent Clench Wrenches as well. Good for brake and fuel lines and things like that. But the Knipex Pliers Wrench is definitely the new gold standard. And check this out: http://www.xforcetools.com/products/hexforce I haven't tried them and haven't read any reviews, but on paper and in theory it is absolutely. 100%. Genius. Some ideas work great on paper and not on execution though. Someone ought to buy a set of these and tell us how they are. Absolutely brilliant design in theory. It completely wraps around the nut.

Yeah these pliers are the real deal. Over 50 5-star reviews on Amazon and only 1 2-star review. These should be in every toolbox. I love em. I'll post a picture but it is just the stock picture: Man that's beautiful.

I saw a Husky toolbox with a wood table for sale for $275 or something at Home Depot today. Oh if I needed a box I would have bought it. But man that metal is so thin compared to Harbor Freight boxes. Feels like I could drop a hammer on a drawer and it would dent. But for 1/50 the price of a Snap-On Box? Oh forget about it! I'll buy ten of these before I buy one of those overpriced boxes. I've seen a Harbor Freight toolbox with the US General decal taken off and a Snap On one put on. Just made a $169 box cost $1,000! Hey, it's the exact same thing Snap-On Does! Hey-oh!

By the way, I know 4 mechanics, including myself that have that $169 red tool cart. It is fantastic. Our master tech has had it for 3 years and has no complaints. He's a Snap/Mac/Matco guy but his wife bought it for him. He was skeptical of the quality but it's lasted him this long and it's changed his mind. I know 1 mechanic that has the $369 tool cabinet. Loves it and it's been great. I'd say it's definitely on par with Craftsman/Kobalt/Husky boxes, if not better.

DON'T EVER BUY ANYTHING AT HARBOR FREIGHT FULL PRICE. ANYTHING. EVER. Especially on the $169 red tool cart or the $369 tool cabinet. There are always always coupons for it. The coupon and sale and parking lot sale thing is all just hype and a gimmick. You can get all those items at their sale price almost any day of the year so long as you have the coupon. Just sign up for the coupons or get the coupon numbers online. You can read off coupon numbers to them at the register or show them a picture of the coupon off your phone.

Those Matco Pro-Nonslip sockets look just like spline/universal sockets. But I don't think I've ever seen spline sockets as impacts. They look nice. And I think you've changed my mind on Tekton. Customer service is one of the most important things with me, and if it's true they even go out of their way to help customers on Amazon, well they sound like an alright company. Which reminds me, does Sears and Craftsman have the worst customer service in the world? First of all, they won't warranty Gearwrench tools, that they have in stock in droves, and even warrantying Craftsman tools is a hassle. Maybe this is one of the reasons they're closing stores right and left and losing money, who knows. I've got those ratcheting double flex-head long Mountain wrenches (also branded with E-Z Red) and they're spline/universal. Never rounded off a bolt with them and they're one of my favorite tools period. Rumor from the tool truck is that they're going to make them locking in the future. Only thing is sometimes they get stuck and you have to jiggle it to get it off a bolt, but that's a minor complaint, better than not staying on a bolt. I like Sunex and Genius, and maybe I'll give Tekton another chance.

The 301 piece Harbor Freight set I hear is just the best bang for your buck out there period. So help you if you buy anything full price at Harbor Freight. They'll accept numbers off a coupon from your smart phone. Fine folks I've dealt with. I wait for the 20% off your entire purchase of $100 or more, making a list of tools I'm going to buy. And man, when you go into HF with $100, you leave with a cart-full my friend. And so much of their stuff has lifetime warranties. I've gotten things that didn't have a warranty warrantied! Absolutely no hassle whatsoever. I've warrantied things over and over, so many things. Mostly the 22pc screwdriver set, which isn't the best. But they've just come out with new screwdrivers and man, they are leaps and bounds better. But I personally wouldn't buy the 301 piece, though there's a lot of reasons a lot of people would and should. But I would take that same amount of money, and buy the items separately. I love their color-coded sockets. I'm a mechanic and I use them everyday. They don't make 6-point shallow 3/8" and 1/2" color coded sockets though, though ONE TIME I SAW ONE. It was one socket out of the set and it was a six-point baby. Must have been a mistake. I did take a picture, and its in my folders somewhere. So then I bought Tekton sockets because I'm cheap. Man they look terrible, like the cheapest lowest quality sockets you could imagine. And when I put that thing on an exhaust bolt - melted off like hot butter. Utter junk. That was just my experience, but since then, I've sworn off everything and anything Tekton. So disappointing. So then I tried buying 6-point 3/8" and 1/2" Genius sockets (because HF doesn't have 6-point color coded sockets). And they've been wonderful. They seem thicker and more robust than your normal socket, and I even use an impact on them (though you should never do this of course!). They just seem strong and they've been holding up for about a year. And Genius is really affordable and priced right for a cheap old bugger like me. The 1/4" HF color coded sockets, the color coded deep sockets, they've all been marvelous and I have no complaints. The screwdriver set and other things that come with the 301 piece I just think are terrible. For $10 you can get their new screwdrivers with those beautiful red comfort grips. The wrenches that come with it make me sad and so do the ratchets and extensions and pliers. HF makes great ratchets, extensions, and pliers. Oh their $30 super thin ratchet is a masterpiece, but don't you go torquing like crazy on it. Nonetheless, I've warrantied one without a hassle, though they're usually not in stock, and I think that's because they're misused and break a lot and that whole thing. I like their extra long wrenches, I do, I use them as a mechanic and they're good. Their quick release extensions are absolutely amazing and you'll spend so much more at other places for the same thing. They've got a great selection of pliers and man I just love HF it's just so wrong and yet so so right. Their impact sockets are approved, get the more expensive kinds with the clear labeling, they're only a few dollars more and made of better metal. Garage Journal has a thread about good and bad, approved and unapproved tools at HF. Oh they've got some junk, but from what I've seen, they've got mostly good stuff. But you gotta know the difference. Their red toolboxes are absolutely 100% certified and approved. I know many mechanic friends, (including myself) who have their red tool cart or their red tool cabinet ($360 or so) and they are just fantastic. I hate teardrop ratchets man, they don't flex or extend or rotate or bend or anything. But they are what they are. Oh I hate Tekton, but someone change my mind. If someone's used their tools, abused them, are a mechanic, or whatever, I'm really curious and want to know how your Tekton experience has been, because mine has been terrible. What horrible horrible quality sockets I had from them. But anyway, that's what I would do. If you're looking for a good mechanic's tool set, HF is the way to go. I hear great things about their 301 piece set but... I would buy the tools separately, I don't know. I like Genius alright but stay away from their ratchets. Gearwrench makes good wrenches, you've got to have ratcheting wrenches, you cannot live or breathe without them. Etc, etc. Tell us what you end up with and choose! And maybe some pictures. Good luck.