Author Topic: Semi-Decent Starter 105-Piece Tool Kit with 4-Drawer Chest for $36.99  (Read 21156 times)

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Bilgemaster

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Just a quick "heads up": This weekend only (2/2/18 through 2/4/18) the Harbor Freight website homepage at https://www.harborfreight.com/ is displaying a 20% Off coupon along with a range of other freebies with any order.  If your tool collection doesn't include a handy multimeter to measure stuff like battery charge state (at least about 12.8 volts is "doing just fine"), run down random electrical gremlins, and so forth, one that'll actually tuck nicely into that side toolbox, well now's your chance to snag one for bupkis. I rewired the electrics of two sailboats and installed a solar array using one of these things, so yeah, they work perfectly fine. If you're all set with multimeters, then surely one can never have enough little Magnetic Parts Trays, right?
« Last Edit: February 03, 2018, 03:15:04 pm by Bilgemaster »
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.

 


Guaire

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I got the 105 piece kit to keep in the house. I got the 5" vise. My 3 1/2 didn't fit the soft jaws. Now the soft jaws fit.
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Bilgemaster

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Its been mentioned before in other places - a means of reinflating a repaired tire is needed.

Like I said, for me I'll just wait for the AAA guy to get there. Sure, I've got a couple-few 12V pumps, a foot pump, even a couple of little battery-operated guys for inflating dinghies or air mattresses on the boats, but I doubt any of them will be taking up precious space in my panniers. My old Norton N15CS "Desert Sled" still has the little doodads braised onto one of the frame tubes to hold a little bicycle style hand pump, but I doubt there's been one there since the Beatles broke up. Still, that might be a workable, if rather tedious, option for those who really want something on hand. I imagine a nice Zéfal or similar quality bicycle handpump from eBay with mounting clips might fit inobtrusively along an Enfield's frame member somewhere. For example, even one of these little 9" fellows for less than ten bucks held with a couple of hose clamps might do the trick in a pinch yet otherwise stay put and well out of the way. Just make sure you are getting one for a Schrader style valve instead of a Presta type, or when the time comes you may as well have been driving around with an Oscar Meyer Wiener strapped to your ride...And nobody wants to be an Oscar Meyer Wiener guy.

[snip!...]

Well, it turns out I went ahead and ordered one of those little little 9" pumps for less than ten bucks that I had mentioned. I mean, having so thoroughly dismissed "hpwaco's" perfectly sensible idea of having some sort of pump on hand, I then realized whatta Dorcus I would feel like way out there with none at all and no bars on the phone if I happened to need one.  It turns out that the pump I just happened to link to on eBay is absolutely ideal for my 2005 Military, or perhaps most any other motorcycle, though it would probably not be one's first choice for a very light touring bicycle, where ounces really matter, owing to its rugged but rather heavy steel construction compared to aluminum or other lighter options. Although it came with a pair of some handy plastic screwed-ziptie-style mounts, I opted instead for some good sturdy hose clamps with cut-to-size rubber strips laid in.  Here it is mounted under the pillion (passenger) saddle. It ain't going nowhere unless I want it to:

« Last Edit: February 12, 2018, 03:46:38 am by Bilgemaster »
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.

 


Arizoni

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Looks like a good thing to have when your out in the boonies.

I am surprised you didn't paint it a nice flat black or olive drab though.

Somehow, chrome glittering in the sunlight doesn't quite fit on a military motorcycle. ???
Jim
2011 G5 Deluxe
1999 Miata 10th Anniversary


Bilgemaster

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Looks like a good thing to have when your out in the boonies.

I am surprised you didn't paint it a nice flat black or olive drab though.

Somehow, chrome glittering in the sunlight doesn't quite fit on a military motorcycle. ???

Well, there's already way too much chrome on her right from the factory for me to make any pretentions of McQueening it. In fact, although it's still hanging on there pretty well, if the green stuff on the engine casings starts flaking off and looking rough, as it is apparently wont to do, I may commence going back to that lovely alloy in stages. It ain't easy bein' green.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2018, 04:38:47 pm by Bilgemaster »
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.

 


Arizoni

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  • "But it's a dry heat here in Arizona
 "It ain't easy bein' green."

That's what Kermit said but to end it on a cheery note he also said,

"Times fun when your having fly's."   ;D
Jim
2011 G5 Deluxe
1999 Miata 10th Anniversary


tooseevee

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I'm done with Craftsman tools.  Between busting my knuckles open from sockets, wrenches and ratchets failing, to every "customer service" department and store giving me the runaround trying to get a month old 1/2" impact wrench that I paid extra for the extended warranty.  Sears will never get my money again.  Absolute horrible customer service.  Ended up having to throw that impact wrench in the garbage, even tho I had warranty and receipts.

My current brands of choice are Pittsburg and Gearwrench.  Both have lifetime warranties on all their hand tools and are much easier to warranty out than waiting on the Snap On guy.  I still have a few odd and end Snap On tools, but honestly, I sold a lot of them and replaced them with the Pittsburg equivalent.  I have a set of Pittsburg 3/8" deep metric sockets that are 7 years old, been beating the crap out of them all with my cordless DeWalt for the last 4, and never broke a one.  ;)

            Anybody remember Hazet tools  ??? :) I still have and use a few surviving open end/box Hazet wrenches I bought when I worked in a VW dealership in 1963/'64 (Speedcraft in Wakefield RI). They were excellent tools.

             "The Hazet Guy" showed up on skedjull in those days just like "The Proto Guy" did.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2018, 06:05:32 pm by tooseevee »
RI USA '08 Black AVL Classic.9.8:1 ACEhead/manifold/canister. TM32/Open bottle/hot tube removed. Pertronix Coil. Fed mandates removed. Gr.TCI. Bobber seat. Battery in right side case. Decomp&all doodads removed. '30s Lucas taillight/7" visored headlight. Much blackout & wire/electrical upgrades.


Bilgemaster

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Sure. I know Hazet. German-made and crazy-expensive. They make the SnapOn truck guy seem like Meals On Wheels. They're still a going concern in case tossing dollar bills on the grill just isn't quick enough for you. Somehow I got my hands on a big old pair of Hazet plier/tin shearers while living in Germany that I still have somewhere.  They may arguably be the pinnacle of the Toolmakers' Craft, but I'm pretty sure I'm never going to lay down more than half what I paid for my Royal Enfield for a little 33-piece 1/4" Drive Socket Set. But maybe that's just me. I imagine oil-rich Sheik Yerbouti might have at least two sets of everything Hazet's ever churned out--one for his different-for-each-day-of-the-week collection of Lamborghinis held in his Astrodome-sized garage complex and another just to look at in his harem and keep those tents from flapping, but he hasn't been by the back yard lately.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2018, 09:42:11 pm by Bilgemaster »
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.

 


tooseevee

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Sure. I know Hazet. German-made and crazy-expensive. They make the SnapOn truck guy seem like Meals On Wheels. They're still a going concern in case tossing dollar bills on the grill just isn't quick enough for you. Somehow I got my hands on a big old pair of Hazet plier/tin shearers while living in Germany that I still have somewhere.  They may arguably be the pinnacle of the Toolmakers' Craft, but I'm pretty sure I'm never going to lay down more than half what I paid for my Royal Enfield for a little 33-piece 1/4" Drive Socket Set. But maybe that's just me. I imagine oil-rich Sheik Yerbouti might have at least two sets of everything Hazet's ever churned out--one for his different-for-each-day-of-the-week collection of Lamborghinis held in his Astrodome-sized garage complex and another just to look at in his harem and keep those tents from flapping, but he hasn't been by the back yard lately.

             Well, jeez, man. Thanks for making me sound like a frat-boy, rich-guy asshole. Believe me, I'm not.

              And my 14mm open/box wasn't really too expensive. Whatever it cost is divided by 54 years. I still have my '60's Brown & Sharpe micrometers, too. Worked there on precision grinders for two years making parts for the machines that made the parts to make B&S precision tools.

                But I get what you mean. I got Griot's Garage catalog for some reason for a few years. I never knew what I bought that triggered it. Maybe it was because I bought a lotta car parts in 80 years. Quien sabe'? I could NOT get them to stop no matter how nasty I got with them  :) :) :) It was not my kind of car catalog and I cringed at it just being in my mail box  >:( >:( ;D ;D

             
RI USA '08 Black AVL Classic.9.8:1 ACEhead/manifold/canister. TM32/Open bottle/hot tube removed. Pertronix Coil. Fed mandates removed. Gr.TCI. Bobber seat. Battery in right side case. Decomp&all doodads removed. '30s Lucas taillight/7" visored headlight. Much blackout & wire/electrical upgrades.


REpozer

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I’ve never heard of Hazet tools. Forget about Snap-On ,only the best for my baby Bullet.
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Arizoni

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Hazet says its torque wrench accuracy is +/- 2%

Snap On says its torque wrench accuracy is +/- 4%

Harbor Freight says its torque wrench accuracy is +/- 4%

I wonder if a gain of +/- 2% is worth the additional $190 for the Hazet wrench?  :o

Not to me.  8)
Jim
2011 G5 Deluxe
1999 Miata 10th Anniversary


Bilgemaster

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             Well, jeez, man. Thanks for making me sound like a frat-boy, rich-guy asshole. Believe me, I'm not.                   

Rest assured, I intended no such thing. Still, I feel I owe you a beerski or three if you're ever down this way in Virginia, not too far from DC.
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.

 


tooseevee

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Rest assured, I intended no such thing. Still, I feel I owe you a beerski or three if you're ever down this way in Virginia, not too far from DC.

           I just object to being compared to the Pebble Beach Bunch just because I bought some Hazet tools (that most people never heard of), that are quite expensive NOW, back in the '60s when they were no more expensive than any of the other good tools that you could buy then. I (like you, I imagine) still have tools I (and my mom) started buying when my mother was driving a '36 Chevy coupe back in 1948 (I was 10) and I worked on her and my cars from then on and have probably given more tools away since then than most people own in their life. And I still have too many now since I don't do cars any longer and gave my last harley (and tools and parts) to my best old best friend who watched me (and helped a little) build it over a two year period.   
« Last Edit: March 02, 2018, 06:22:28 pm by tooseevee »
RI USA '08 Black AVL Classic.9.8:1 ACEhead/manifold/canister. TM32/Open bottle/hot tube removed. Pertronix Coil. Fed mandates removed. Gr.TCI. Bobber seat. Battery in right side case. Decomp&all doodads removed. '30s Lucas taillight/7" visored headlight. Much blackout & wire/electrical upgrades.


Bilgemaster

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I snuck by the Harbor Freight just to see what they were still flogging on the last best day of their sidewalk sale and found a useful item I'd not seen before (which is pretty rare, since I probably know their stock at least as well as some of the clerks). At $13.99 (or just about 11 bucks with a 20% Off coupon), it might also be a buy for you other Bulleteers:



It's what they call a "1/4 in. x 3/8 in. Dual Drive Extendable Ratchet".  It extends and locks with a satisfying click at four lengths from 9-1/2 in. to 13-1/2 in., which makes it like a collapsible breaker bar--just the thing for giving an easy heave-ho to those beefy 24mm and 30mm rear wheel castle and stub axle nuts. It might squeeze into my 2005 Military's side toolbox--diagonally and with copious slatherings of Vaseline--but I kinda doubt it.  Still, I expect it may find a spot along with a few select sockets and an extension or two in one of my panniers on any really long trips as my regular ratchet that can also handily attend to chain tensioning or wheel removal. As you'd expect, it's pretty hefty at just shy of a pound (that's about half a kilo or 1/24th of a sihr or seer for any elderly Chennai or rather "Madras" residents tuning in), but it'll stow a hell of a lot handier than a full-on breaker bar, still get that wheel job done, and with useful dual-size 1/4" and 3/8" drive ratchets to boot. It seems to be made well enough, though I'd have preferred a metal instead of a plastic drive direction switch (helpfully, if rather oddly, labeled "On" and "Off" for clockwise and counter-clockwise). Still, I don't plan on using it as a hammer...though I might just keep it handy near my sleeping bag in dicey campsites to bash the brains right out of any intruders, furry or otherwise. Besides, it does have a lifetime warranty. So, interlopers beware!

Anyhow, just thought I'd toss this big Honduro out there for your consideration...
« Last Edit: March 12, 2018, 02:01:05 pm by Bilgemaster »
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.

 


Richard230

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I have had one of those wrenches in my tool box for about the past 10 years.  I can't recall where I bought it or how much it cost, but knowing me, probably not much.  ;)  I have found it handy at times, but I do worry about trying to put too much torque on the wrench in its extended position. 
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