PutnamEco

What I'm really dreading is the lame tool gifts by well meaning friends and relatives. I'm wondering what tool du jour their local merchants will entice them with this year. I usually end up some thing like a battery operated adjustable wrench or some other type of foolishness that I have to keep around the shop forever so no feelings get hurt. Care to guess what it might be this year?

It seriously does provide a noticable difference over regular grease.

If it is not one thing it's six others, just spent the last few days home in bed with the flu, now I get to play catch up.....

I can't really see the use for this as a cordless tool, although I'm sure someone will find a use for it. Makitas 18v multi tool would be much more appropriate as a detail sander for the work that I end up with. Both companies started out with first rate products and then hopped on the "value engineering" bandwagon and ended up poorly. This is what happens when people get greedy.

I'm looking at the Bosch, with their new impact driver with that fancy 1/2" drive combo chuck has certainly got my attention, and I do like their radio. I'm only really going to look at the drill and driver as I don't put to much stock in 18v sawzalls and circular saws although if the price for the set was right. If only the manufacturers would upgrade their 28v/36v tools......

I have had fair luck with my Makita batteries, they do seem to have a date of failure built in, as my batteries that I purchase at the same time all tend to die within a month of each other. Still worlds better than Nicad. I find Milwaukee batteries don't fail in the same way, the seem to fade out over time rather than than just up and quit with a charging failure like the Makitas do.

I'm a big fan of Hondas moly grease for use in my ratchets, bit pricey but it makes them so much smoother. Krytox is a true super lube and they do have a grease that works well in ratchets but is is very hard to come by and has a pretty steep price tag, and in my opinion is not noticably better than Hondas grease in a hand tool application, that is unless you plan on using your tools in an extreme environment like outer space, or under water where the Krytoxs thermal stability and solvent resistance will have a distinct advantage.

Protool also has this function with the IWC 18-2 TEC LI but if you didn't like the Makitas price.....

I'll have to give it some thought, but I'm about due for a new cordless set. None of the new sets really grab me with that gotta have it bug though.

Well, I no longer have an internet connection at home and am forced to our local libraries public computers, and one of our local haunted houses failed their fire safety inspection so our haunt was called in to bail them out, so I've been a bit out of it lately....

They are heavy, consider a set of oxi lights.

Is that a female torx fitting inline and opposed to the male 1/4" drive side?

I used to do some work in Putnam county NY

You could try Fastenal, I have had pretty good service from them, they don't normally have a lot of tools in stock, but they do get orders in pretty quickly.

From Woodshopnews.com I wonder what the big boxes will sell now? My locals are filled with Stanley hardware.

Putnam county, Florida

It would appear so, ever time I post a picture it says I have that much smaller size limit. I find this a real bummer. I enjoy sharing pictures and looking at pictures that others have posted.

Had an event over the weekend, Artoberfest, set up a haunted house maze and sold over 100 smoked pork butts, fund raising for our local Keep America Beautiful affiliate.

Carhartts and Dickies for me as well, although I have some Wranglers pants called Riggs I get the linked ranger pants as I like the cargo pockets for work.They hold up really well being ripstop and all. I also apreciate the double knees. These pants are not very good for hot weather as they are rather heavy.

Looks like a nice couple of tools, I also find myself lacking any 1/4" flex heads. Have you ever tried a 1/4" swivel head? I really like the ones I have used, and this is the ideal size for this style of drive. For 1/4" fine tooth is really good as it is not really going to be exposed to any real high torque applications. I tend to strip out any of the larger sizes with fine teeth unless I take the time to put them aside when the going gets tough. I tend not to keep mine real handy for this reason. I have had Snap-on rebuild a a few of my ratchets and they have been really good about it. How is Proto on getting warranty repairs? I have never tried to get any repaired.

The swivel heads are better for me because they can be used like a screwdriver unlike the plain flex heads which don't work that way. Works best in 1/4" drive, although 3/8" drive makes a passable screwdriver like tool, 1/2" is kind of clumsy but still can be done. With the bigger tools I don't always feel comfortable really bearing down on this style of tool but for lighter work I do like them.

I don't care for the over mold much either, my main gripe is that they just about always end up getting shewed up and they hold grease really well, not to mention what happens when you get them near any srtong solvents. I think it is impossible to find a swivel head without one these day though. Even Snap-on went that way. I really like the old version with the black plastic handle like they used to put on their screwdrivers. I find swivel heads to be very handy for assembly work. start off like a screwdriver and swing it down to finish tightening it up.

Speaking of ratchets, does anyone have an opinion on Wera's offering? I have been dreaming of a one of their Zyklop swivel heads

I like Snap-ons for fine work and S-K for when the going gets greasy. Snap-on for the fit and finish, they feel good in the hand. S-K because the knurled handles are easy to hold onto even when everthing is absolutely covered in grease. I have to admit that this is not always the case, as I often end up grabing whatever ratchet is close at hand. I have a Belzer in the tool box on my bench that sees fairly frequent use, along with a few vintage Craftsmans that I have scattered about and a Stanley set that ends up on some jobsites when they might end up walking off.

GIYF.... you tube in this case...