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Surprising to see how little love there is for the euro tools despite some fellow British and European goons around. Taken me a while to get it all together but it's pretty much everything required for the job, plus some work on the car. Mostly Facom, Hazet, Knipex, PB Swiss, plus some others   Was going to ramble on  about all of it but accidentally pressed the back key so will try again tomorrow  Just added today - replaced the Facom 1/4" bits with some PB Swiss ones, and some new fabulous PB Swiss drift punches because...ordering anyway...soooo  Left on the 'to be obtained' list - - Abnox Wanner single-hand pump grease gun, long flexible line with a rotating coupling and heavy duty head  e: durr
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Apr 13, 2016 22:58
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MRC48B posted:Uh. We Americans love european tool brands. we just can't loving afford them. Completely agree, no doubt, they're expensive. Very expensive. But... Frank Dillinger posted:on average, I'd say Snap-on, Mac, Matco, etc are much more expensive than the euro stuff, even factoring in freight. I'm with him on this one. code: The US's euro tool 'tax' doesn't seem significant - the 905 set can be had for 470 USD [jensputzier.com] Obviously there's arguments to be made regarding tool truck service, warranty cover, quality and the like (all of which can vary for every brand depending on how the tool truck guy feels about you, for example); yet, when my Facom ratchet broke a replacement was shipped - no-questions-asked, without even having to return it. Just sent an e-mail to my supplier saying 'it's broke'. I would be sincerely surprised if Hazet's retailers wouldn't replace a broken item. Other factors aside, I'd suggest that Snap-On and the other major US brand's pricing is at least in part what they are because you get it on a weekly, cash-in-hand plan. e: Haven't had a look at other types of tools, so there might be huge variation in that, but thought socket sets would be the most useful immediate comparison. Tawd fucked around with this message at 05:17 on Apr 14, 2016 |
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Apr 14, 2016 03:23
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sharkytm posted:I'm a huge Knipex fan, and own about 20 of their pliers. I adore my S-K Tuff-1 ratchets, which used FACOM 72-tooth guts. Warning - Large, spergy, effortpost, subjective, personal tool opinions of limited breadth and value ahead  This is all in the context of my experiences in the last couple of years, using my own tools in a medium-duty industrial setting with some domestic automotive and DIY use. Intensity-wise, it's not on the level of an assembly line, marine or automotive tech duty but we're more generally working on fittings that suit 1/2" drive and above. The workplace is a food waste anaerobic digestion plant, so there's some risk of exposure to (mildly) acidic slurries etc. Generally, I'll always try to clean the worst off and oil stuff up afterward to compensate for this if it happens. Figuring that it was a) my birthday quite soon and b) if I can't afford it now, I'll never be able to, I decided to put my time struggling with b-grade tools behind me and get some proper gear for my new job. Facom - the majority of my kit is Facom. The quality is generally solid-good to excellent. They seem to have some slightly more progressive/integrated ideas with design and storage compared to the other big Euro (German) manufuacturers such as Gedore or Stahwille, which appear to be a bit more conservative - the Facom fabric tool bag is a pleasure to use (and I have the hacksaw that slides in the front pocket there), as is the tiny but extremely handy RL.NANO1 1/4" socket/driver/bit set.   The 440.JP14 spanner set comes in a very handy plastic carrier. These are genuinely beautiful, well designed with regard to sizing, angles, offsets and raise a smile every time they are used...(Sad, I know).  And this hacksaw is solid, has a range of position settings for the blade and is auto-tensioning.  A benefit is that the range is generally extremely comprehensive; while there is a price tag attached what you get will generally be good. The downside is that finish and solidarity can be variable; one of the metal supports in the bag has collapsed, admittedly because I carry far too much around in it. One Day the plan is to replace it with a nice thick slice of spring steel. One Day. As mentioned before, I have had a ratchet fail on me, (admittedly, when someone else was doing...something...with it) which was replaced without quibble. Having had to replace the 13mm spanner in the set above, (after it went walkies, unsurprisingly) the new one arrived in due course and it looked...different. I'm sure the metal is fine but the casting looked slightly (very slightly) off; it also had a different foundry mark so that might account for it. It's as good at spannering as the others. The paint finish on a few items has chipped here and there (i.e. the pipe wrench/Stiltons pictured before). Having seen the wear on the blackened/phosphate part some hardly-used Facom hex sockets, I went to Hazet for them (when my Volkswagen needed a 14mm hex socket, god bless it.) Also, oddly, the wobble bar in the 1/2" set has the logo and part number engraved backwards  Don't get the wrong idea, though, it is solid and I don't regret my purchases. Hazet I only own a few Hazet bits, but I've been really impressed with the quality of them. The TiN coating on the hex sockets is tough (even when hammered in to a difficult bolt) and the extendable 1/2" ratchet is...effective. If I was to start over, I'd consider replacing Hazet for my Facom stuff. They're also good for German car stuff (i.e. XZN drives, special widgets etc.)  PB Swiss One thing I can say for PB Swiss is that the quality of the metal they use appears to be genuinely excellent, having once witnessed one of my chisel/heavy duty screwdrivers being used in place of a 24mm bolt to support a section of KeeKlamp stair handrail. At the apex it must have been bowed out by about an inch. When removed, it popped back into shape no trubba.  Much like Facom, though, the quality of the finish/coatings seem to not be holding up very well on my hex key set, which is a shame because the colours are not only fun and downright fruity  but genuinely useful - we'll have to see how the bits and drift punches hold up, but there's not much point in each item having an individual serial number if it wears off.The PB 830 breaker bar is an understated work of art and is one of my favourite tools.  Knipex Unlike Sharkytm's array, I only have the 3-pc standard pliers set, which are good in the hand, and the Cobra 3-pc water pump plier set; all holding up very well. Wira a set of the heavy duty screwdrivers I've had before, very good. Not super expensive compared to other Euro brands. Wiha I haven't tried. Bahco seems solid, but I don't like the adjustable spanners. They're a pain in the arse and don't seem to hold on to bolts correctly, which is pretty fundamental. Maybe I'm doing it wrong though? Can't be faffed with any more  as it's ... oh god, 05h00 
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Apr 14, 2016 05:06
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MRC48B posted:I have the 12" adjustable, the one that you can flip the jaw and its a pipe wrench. Works great on pipe and fittings. I'll have to clean ours down, re-lube the mechanisms and give them another try. The pipe grip bit is handy.
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Apr 15, 2016 07:06
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