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BMack37

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Posts posted by BMack37

  1. Lowe's is far from Sears. In watching what Sears/Kmart has done since the merger was the most epic and disgusting blood letting of a business ever. I've yet to see one KMart or Sears sell their property, they just remain empty and when they have to pay Eddie back for his loans, guess what happens to the land. Happily, the value of the land has dropped significantly because of the demise of the mall. Ironic that the mail-order pioneer could have had the foresight to do what Amazon did (when they saw Amazon start to grow) and could have been the pioneer to online retail. Sadly a blood sucker bought the company. 

     

    Lowe's looks to be fine BUT HD is leaning on them hard with the new Stanley deal taking it out of Lowe's. They'll be devoting a huge area to Craftsman and a lot of their success will be with how the new Craftsman is received. I think most "in the know" don't really care right now...but SBD seems to be leaning hard on tool reviewers and reality show builders to sing their praises.

  2. On 11/3/2018 at 6:55 AM, ChrisK said:

    I’m not sure if they are available in your neck of the woods but I use imperial and metric and my favorite metric tapes are made by fastcap. Really great tapes in the shop.

     

    Same. Have a pencil sharpener and a spot to write on it. Metric/standard, all metric, all standard, lefty/righty, storyboard. I have the regular, the auto-lock and Mr Floppy in metric/standard.

     

    https://www.fastcap.com/product/procarpenter-tape-measure

     

    This is a link to their whole line of measures, not just the pro carpenter: https://www.fastcap.com/products/tape-measures

     

    412GC3WZJ2L._SX425_.jpg

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    Keep in mind, these aren't what I'd call jobsite tape measures, it probably wouldn't survive a two-story drop but I don't think most Komelons would either...that is not my main concern with a tape measure is...Komelon's little self-lock 12' tape is my second favorite to use. The clips on the Fastcaps are the best clips I've ever seen on a tape measure. 

     

    • Like 2
  3. 3 hours ago, Jronman said:

    I have heard rumors that Best Buy and JCPenny aren't looking too good either not near as bad as Sears/Kmart though. I wouldn't be surprised if Walmart kills off Target too. Walmart is basically becoming a monopoly of sorts. Killing off the stores who can't compete. Successful stores are getting less and less with behemoths like Walmart and Amazon around.

     

    I find it hard to believe Target will close. There's a rather large group of people that practically worship Target. Target is a bit more expensive but it's a MUCH nicer environment. KMart's problem was that it was exactly like Walmart but worse in every way...well that and they've been owned by a guy making money off of selling high interest loans to KMart/Sears to bleed money out of them.

     

    What Target needs to do is expand their wine selection and add free 2-day shipping while using a marketplace like Walmart/Amazon(third-party sellers, expanded selection). They're killing it with their app and by having Starbucks in their stores.

  4. 22 hours ago, Mycrossover said:

    Japanese steel. While the technology in power tools has increased in recent years, it is nothing approaching what is going on in a computer. Pulse width speed control can be found in a 10 year old treadmill. There are US companies that can make control boards but most of the components will be inported. Even US chip manufacturers have plants all over the World, often in smaller countries like El Salvador

     


    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
     

     

     

    Electronics are all Lego components outside of some really high-end break-out technology. At the shop, we worked on a McIntosh MC2KW Monoblock Power Amplifier a $75,000 mono amp...Amazing piece of equipment, off the shelf components on the boards. Damn good off the shelf parts but they're off the shelf. Japan and Korea makes some amazing electronic components, China...meh. They're getting better but the good stuff comes from Japan and Korea. Very little components made in the US and I don't blame them. Mesa Boogie claim a lot of their components are coming from the US but I highly doubt their claims.

     

    The thing about USA-made is a lot of blind pride over practicality. US steel and Japanese steel are damn good, Chinese steel has proven to be pretty bad but it seems they're starting to import better steel(for select brands). The only REAL benefit is QC and speed of fulfilling orders...but that can be had if they build in Mexico. It's too damn expensive to pay for labor in the US and, I'm sorry, but an American is no better at pushing a button or screwing two pieces of plastic together.

     

    The Chinese are getting better on all fronts but as long as they build cheap crap we (Americans) love to buy they're going to have the bad reputation. It amazes me when people buy a $300 50" TV and they're mad that it only lasted a year. 

  5. 8 hours ago, ToolBane said:

    I think we’re roughly a decade away, but that’s random speculation

     

    It could be anywhere from 10 to 50 years. We know Lithium ion as-is needs to be eliminated, it's too dangerous in this World where everything has become safety conscience. Hopefully these early models are actually working as opposed to all the Tech we heard about 20 years ago in battery tech...remember the little nuclear cells everyone was going to have in their cell phones?

    Hopefully the cell industry doesn't keep up this path of thinner is better if/when these become standard. I wish they doubled the size of the battery to make the phone thicker...it might fit better in skinny jeans or a girl's back pocket but it does not fit well in my hand. Even with a case they feel too thin.

  6. On 9/30/2018 at 9:46 PM, fm2176 said:

    In addition to the above advice, I'd urge a potential buyer to confirm model numbers before making a purchase.  A lot of their products have multiple item numbers.  A couple of years ago I was considering buying a wooden work bench (I never did, though).  It had extremely mixed reviews, then I found a few reviews that stated there are two model numbers, one with mostly positive experiences and one with mostly negative ones. 

     

    The "free" tools are usually worth the price.  The exception to this is if you end up being lured into buying that expensive tool you realized you can't live without that is now 50% of the "regular" price.  Walk in for a free flashlight, walk out $100 poorer.

     

    As for me, I generally buy nitrile gloves there and pick up the free batteries when I do.  That way I have a constant supply of cheap batteries for toys and remotes as well as decent disposable gloves that they sell in a few different thicknesses.  Also, notice the two different tiers of tools: the mostly garbage Pittsburgh and the mixed bag Pittsburgh Pro stuff.  A $5 Pittsburgh socket set will be noticeably less refined than its costlier Professional counterpart. 

     

    Look at coupons and do your research before buying. I ONLY buy three items at a time, even if it means walking out then walking back in and buying three more. One is the item you wanted with a 20/25% off coupon, one filler (something cheap you need like a paint brush or zip ties) and one freebie. For the freebie, microfiber towels, magnetic strip, magnetic bowl, grabber tool, tarp or moving blanket. I use the magnetic strip to make shelves or something to stick to a tool box, etc. Magnets are expensive, I honestly don't know how they can give those away.

     

    Avoid cheap screwdrivers and their tape measures are not accurate.

     

    The Pittsburgh Pro stuff is pretty darn good, IMO. I load up on their gloves when there's a coupon, they're cheap for gloves and work just as well IMO.

    • Like 2
  7. 1 hour ago, ToolBane said:

    Red is the longest wavelength we can see actually. Not necessarily refuting anything else you’re suggesting though. That said, personally I’d think it’s less anything to do with manufacturing difficulty and more a conscious marketing decision so they visually pop out more.

     

    You're right about the wavelength, I don't know why I typed shortest.

     

    I don't think its a conscious decision(though not saying you're wrong), I think it''s just a different company making those shells. You see this a lot where companies have trouble meeting colors in plastics and dyed materials like leather. Milwaukee seems rather lax with their colors, you see variations from their tool bags to their power tools to their hand tools. Some companies are extremely strict with their colors, Milwaukee seems to let little variations slide...maybe a result of the speed they bring products to market?

     

    Example(Don't have any Milwaukee pliers to compare side by side):

    milwaukee+m12+hammer+drill+gen+1+vs+gen+

     

    Milwaukee-Mini-Flush-Cutters.jpg

     

    Different lighting but it looks (to my eye and computer monitor) what they look like in-store.

     

    • Like 1
  8. 23 hours ago, Bremon said:

    Pretty odd that one of his major complaints was the colour of the plastic not being the “correct red”. Must be a decent chainsaw if all you can complain about is the shade of the dye and that you can rip a tiny wire apart if you tear the thing down for your drooling fans.

     

    Also, red is one of the hardest colors to get right in pretty much any material...hence why "Trueview" exists. Red is the longest (light) wavelength of any color which effects how our eyes and a camera sees it.

  9. 11 hours ago, steelrfan85 said:

    I went ahead and bought the Rigid brushless 18v lithium battery drill. Heard great things about them and can’t beat lifetime warranty.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

     

    I highly recommend an impact driver if driving longer screws, they're quick and powerful. The only real problem is they're loud. Am impact driver is at least twice as fast as a drill and the hex is pretty nice.

     

    I keep both M12 brushed on the shelf above my bench. Drill with the drill and drive screws in with the impact...it's a lot faster to not have to drill and change bits to drive.

     

    At Lowe's during this markdown spree they have at one of my stores the four piece Bosch kit. One drill/driver, on impact driver, one one-handed recip saw, a light and I think two batteries for $150. That deal is pretty darn good IMO.

  10. If the NiCad batteries were sitting on the shelf for a while they'll have a much shorter life than if they were new. No one noticed back when they were in use because they always sold quick. Now you have year old batteries that are discharging immediately when they're put on the shelf, after several years sitting they're nearly fully drained. Then you charge them up and start using them...its like letting a car sit for a few years without moving, old gas still in the tank. You're not going to get very far. Those cells are shot man. I'd contact Dewalt with your receipt in-hand. 

    • Like 1
  11. 13 hours ago, Marino98 said:

    Hey, I am just looking for some feed back for some questions I have about buying tools. I have a limited amount of money to buy the tools I need for the automotive program I am doing and I am unsure about the quality of the Pittsburgh Pro hand tools. I need basically everything, Ratchets, socket sets, hammers, screwdriver sets, pick and hook, pry bars, plier sets, combo wrenches, etc... I am trying to find cost effective brands without sacrificing quality because I am trying to save as much as I can. Any experiences or tips would be great thanks.  

     

    You'll eventually want to move on from most of those but I say go for all of them except screwdrivers and cutters. Good screwdrivers aren't that expensive, cutters can be but you only need one really. The small flush cutters are ok. The HF screwdrivers are soft and will start stripping screws. The sockets and ratchets are where you're going to save the most money followed by combination wrenches and shockingly they're pretty good. The HF security bit set is pretty good so you can get that for torx and hex BUT do NOT use the regular hex bits in this set, they are not the right size and you will strip your fasteners...use the security hex or the hex keys linked below.

     

    Here's what I suggest for good tools:

    $20 Felo screwdriver set: https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/felo-6-pc-slotted-phillips-screwdriver-set/0000000078685?Ntt=felo

    You''ll need a PH3 and larger slotted, they also have those but they're pricer. PH3: https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/felo-phillips-2-component-handle-screwdriver/0000000078120?Ntt=felo

     

    Slotted: https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/felo-slotted-2-component-handle-screwdriver/0000000078115?Ntt=felo

     

    Precision set: https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/felo-6-pc-precision-slotted-phillips-screwdriver-set-w-carrying-case/0000000075024?Ntt=felo

     

    Hex key set $15: https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-Wrench-Metric-30-Piece-25253/dp/B00I5TH074/

     

    For cutters, a decent pair of Channellocks are $20 so you might as well get a really good cutter and treat them well. $20 Knipex https://www.amazon.com/70-02-180-SB-Packaging/dp/B06W527TKT/

    • Like 1
  12. 23 hours ago, Toolyz said:

    any updates on this?

     

    Josh hasn't been on the site a lot recently. I do know like a month ago he got the brainbox for it but I don't recall any other updates. He's mainly on instagram lately, a lot of us are following each other on there.

  13. 2 hours ago, The.Handyman said:

    Direct from my Milwaukee contact...

    We continuously monitor our production operations to ensure we are making tools that meet our standards for the highest quality. We recently identified a small subset of D-Handle Jig Saws that had an out-of-spec accuracy tolerance. Immediately after discovering this, we removed the products. Out of an abundance of caution, we reached out to distribution to return any product that could have possibly been affected so we could best ensure customers get the best product experience, as we intended. Again, this issue was localized to a small subset of product and we’ve returned to shipping normally.

    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
     

     

    That makes more sense because I've already seen positive reviews on it claiming it's cutting dead straight. That's why nearly every company monitor's their manufacturing in batches.

    • Like 1
  14. 9 hours ago, Daniel Julian said:

    i'd love to pack away the 1/2" stubby M12 and the new M12 inflator for trips in the car. 250 ft/lb should be plenty for lugs, right?

     

    I agree with Steve, in theory, it should be fine for cars but if you ever have anyone not torque it right or have slightly marred threads from over-tightening at the tire shop, it will struggle. If you're going to help someone in a parking lot, forget it, guaranteed those aren't torqued to spec. The mid-torque is the way to go in that case. Also come up with something for the jack, my jack will work with a 1" hex socket.

  15. 10 minutes ago, Mycrossover said:

    Wiss is Apex these days, with a corresponding drop in quality. Malco or Midwest is the way to go if you want a good tool.

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
     

     

    I've never been impressed with Wiss...I think it's just one of those things that everyone used it so they recommend it because they haven't used better, like anything from Craftsman, ever.

  16. 13 hours ago, sgand2010 said:

    I have the gen 2 impact and hammer combo, and loving them so far. Do they make a bit holder attachment to screw on the side like my Dewalts have? I'm constantly switch between between Phillips and 5/16, would be nice to keep it close by. 

     

    Nope. What I did was modify a magnetic 1/4" square to 1/4" hex and screwed it to the belt clip nut. I also ground the underside so it grips the overmold and limits it's want to spin when bumped.

     

    Here's the socket: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040UBLO0/

     

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    • Like 2
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