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Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
My HF tester worked up to 175 without any trouble.

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Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
I used one of those to muscle off the fuel filter from a Mercedes 167 only to realize that there is a set screw that I could have backed off and removed the filter with my hands.

Later it came in handy to remove the filter housing cover on my MS3 because some idiot at the dealership tightened the piss out of it.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

Bagarthach posted:

Has anyone actually used these in the store? It says right on the coupon that duplicates (computer printouts) aren't valid. I want a new jack... :(

I have. Duplicates are a no-no, but printing it out from your computer is just fine.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
I gotta get one of those for my truck. Awesome.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
Speaking of which, free 6-pc screwdriver set for going in and getting on the mailing list.*












*You should do this anyway.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

Drunk Pledge Driver posted:

I got a Harbor Freight flyer with a coupon for $160 off 499.99 for this roller chest. If I can find a 20% off coupon to use along with it this weekend, I think I'll pick it up.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=90320

I just picked one of those up.


In an MS3.


I forgot to bring the truck. I was able to close the hatch too.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

Valkyn posted:

Does anyone know of any good deals on a tool chest kinda like this one?


I need something to put in my service truck, but the largest I can fit is 25" wide, 16" tall and 12" deep. There are ones like in my pic on ebay, but they want $150 for it. Ball bearing slides are a must.

Try Craigslist yet?

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

AnnoyBot posted:

I got a pack of 3 cheap snap off razors at Sears a while back. One of them had a small shard of razor cast into the outside of the handle, so it looked like a bit of casting mold residue. Nope, it was ~1.5mm of razor that cut the poo poo out of my finger the first time I used it.

Good job, China.

I would have raised HELL over that.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
NPR has an awesome photo gallery up featuring some of the tools they've developed for servicing the Hubble. Cool poo poo.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
Yeah, I have the HF version of that jack and it's pretty crappy. To properly jack up an MS3 in the front you have to do it by the crossmember and there is very little mechanical advantage with the tiny handle. The travel of the handles starts about 20 degrees above horizontal so if you're in cramped quarters you're screwed.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

IOwnCalculus posted:

Those tiny hydraulic floor jacks are borderline useless, IMO; they're almost a glorified version of a screw jack you get in the trunk.


Does that crossmember work well for jacking the MS3? I did an oil change on ramps but since I need to lay out wood in front of the ramps to clear the airdam, and I would have liked some more space, I think I'll jack it next time. Do you use a 2x4 or anything to spread the load?

Assuming you have a decent jack it's pretty easy. I wanted to use my steel ramps but they don't clear the front air dam as you say. I think it would be a good idea to use a 2x4 since at least in my case the cup of the jack is only about 2" wide. Once you have it on jackstands you have room galore. I think for my next oil change I'll probably upgrade the rear motor mount. I want to teach my son to drive stick and I'm afraid the Clutch From Hell will scare him off. Supposedly the improved motor mount makes engagement smoother.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

destructo posted:

/\/\/\/\
thanks!!

Anyone have any experience with the cordless drills at HF?

They're worth every penny. Get the warranty, you'll need it.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

Doctor Zero posted:

I got a 3.5 ton jack at Costco last weekend for $94. The thing is heavy-loving-duty. I swear that's not the rating, it's how much it weighs. It's really low profile and lifts to nearly 23". Highly recommended.

Any idea how it compares to the AI standard jack (the Harbor Freight aluminum racing jack)?

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

Sterndotstern posted:

I have both, this is the "shop" jack -- too heavy for easy lugging to the track, but low enough to get under the racecar. Nice smooth lifting motion and easy release, plus it's beefy enough to jack up the truck if I put a wood block on it.

It's the optimal home shop jack, but LOOKY WHAT I GOT HERE!


H-F jack, $60. 8-gal air tank, $80. 20% off any item, all good through 11/29/09.

Holy poo poo. I am buying this tomorrow.

I have that compressor. It's medium-useful. I would recommend something better used.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

FormulaXFD posted:

Getting completely fed up with my 4th Craftsman 3/8" ratchet breaking in the last 2 years, I bought myself an early birthday present. Here's hoping BluePoints can last me a little longer.



Isn't Blue-Point the Snap-On budget brand?

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

blankooie posted:

Tool storage like that really makes me appreciate that my dad works for MAC Tools. Makes me want to go clean up all of my tools now :(

ps: you haven't lived until you've gotten tons of nice tools for free.

I hate you.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
Too true. For inflating tires and running a nailer the 8 gal HF compressor is more than adequate. For anything else, it's woefully underpowered. Impact guns, die grinders, air ratchets? Forget it, the drat thing runs almost continuously.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
Just picked up a "black-friday special" 14-gallon 4.5HP Shop Vac for 30 bucks at Lowe's.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
That's a cool set. It cracks me up that a bit for wing nuts is included in a security bit set.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
Even cheaper, Harbor Freight's hand tools are pretty goddamn good for the money and the warranty is as good as Craftsman.
Here's what I'd get:
3/8" drive ratchet, SAE set, metric set, a set of either metric or SAE deep drive sockets depending on which will get used in your car.
A couple of extensions to get you at least 18". A u-joint is a good idea as well.
A 1/2" torque wrench and a set of flip-sockets for wheel nuts.
A 1/2" breaker bar, at least 24" long. A torque wrench is not a breaker bar.
Traditional Combination wrenches, no gimmicks like the strange notched ones you can get at HF that allow you to do a strange ratcheting action with them. Just a normal combination wrench with a box and open end.
A couple of adjustable Crescent-style wrenches.
A pair of pump (Channel-lock) pliers.
Needle-nose, slip joint, locking (vise-grip) pliers.
Dead-blow hammer and/or 2-5 pound sledge.
Wire stripper/crimpers. Try to get one that will make a dent in the connector instead of just smashing it into an oval.
A simple Volt/Ohm meter. Something with a continuity beeper is handy. Test lights can sometimes be the wrong tool for the job.
A 1/2" drill (you don't need to spend a whole lot on a corded drill to get something good), a decent drill index and an oil can if you'll be drilling metal. I prefer the titanium-nitride bits myself, opinions will vary. Learn how to drill steel the right way before you ruin your bits.

Fancy extras:
Electric impact gun. HF has one that seems pretty decent.
Ratcheting box-end wrenches.
1/2 and 1/4 inch-drive socket sets for the added size range.
An assortment of extensions, with wobble ends.
Flare-nut wrenches.
A decent floor jack AND 2-4 jack stands. You WILL NOT get a jack and skip the jack stands. This is not negotiable. Wheel chocks are recommended as well, but you can cobble something together with 2x4s if need be.
A creeper. HF has nice plastic one that's pretty comfy.

Honestly, there is no upper limit on tool buying, get whatever suits you. If you prefer, Cobalt tools from Lowe's are pretty good. I don't think the extra money gets you much more quality. HF is awesome for simple hand tools, stay away for power tools unless you really can't afford better, then get the warranty. Because of the lovely economy, Craigslist is really good right now. You can get decent tool sets for embarrassingly cheap. Avoid pawn shops, unless you manage to find that rare good deal. IMO, pawn shops want more for used stuff than it is new. The few times I've gotten a good deal it was because they had no idea what the had on their hands and I felt QUITE justified in screwing them over.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
Holy poo poo that's cool. How did you break yours Rhyno?

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

RealKyleH posted:

gauges of wire up to 0000. Its really an awesome company to work for.

Huh, I've never seen that. I have to work with pretty big cabling, and the stuff we use makes a measurement unit change past 4/0 (is that the same as 0000?) We start measuring in MCM (Million Circular Mils) and it pretty much starts at 350 and goes up to 800.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

RealKyleH posted:

yea 4/0 = 0000 = 4 "aught"

It'll probably do thicker, this was for testing the crimps and I only had up to 4/0 available. I was using the HH80C. Based on the tonnage it'll probably crimp up to 750MCM like the HC134 but I am not aware of MIL SPEC dies for it past the 4/0.

http://www.crimptech.au.com/hydraulic_crimp_tools.htm

Those are some cool-rear end crimpers.
We use battery operated Huskie (not to be confused with Husky) crimping tools in the 15+ ton range. Crimping lugs onto 750 MCM is pretty easy for these things. The real challenge is crimping an H-Tap of the type you see on this page: http://www-public.tnb.com/ps/util/index.cgi?a=cg_compression

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

Chauncey posted:

Since we were talking about crimp connectors I thought I'd share this cool one. It's a connector for a 50k volt line for a power plant. It is of aluminum and the wires are aluminum except for 10 stainless steel wires in the center of the bundle.


Click here for the full 1200x1600 image.


That's pretty similar to what I work with, except what we use is tinned copper. I imagine the tools are the same.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

fatman1683 posted:

What's the general opinion on HF's compressors? I'm thinking about getting one of the small oil-lubricated uprights with my 25% off coupon tomorrow.

I've got one... You're better off going used.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

MATLAB 1988 posted:

If anyone is interested in the big red HF toolbox, it is $340 this weekend (Sale price, not a coupon) and you can use a 20% off coupon (At least my HF lets me) and get it for $272 before tax.

I have this cabinet and it's really good. Fun fact: You can squeeze it into the back of a Mazdaspeed 3 if you take off the casters.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
I use the Thomas and Betts version of that same crimper at work. I really, really like them:


http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/search.shtml?searchQuery=wt2000&op=search&Ntt=wt2000&N=0&sst=All

I also have a set of much better ratcheting crimpers with replaceable dies that I use if I've got my whole crash cart full of tools:


http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/3KF66?Pid=search

Between the two, I'd rather go with the one above. It strips, it's smaller and lighter (a big plus when your Kennedy tool box weighs 35 lbs empty) and doesn't require die changes. The second one is marginally better, but I'm not working on the Space Shuttle where that kind of precision is necessary.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
If Dymo labels are wrong (I use P-Touch) I don't want to be right.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

CornHolio posted:

In my experience, Harbor Freight tools are built cheap, but in most cases are still 'good enough' for the shadetree mechanic.

Actually my shop gets a lot of our tools from Harbor Freight, too, though I have seen a number get broken. I wouldn't get sockets or spanners from HF but for a lot of other things you really can't go wrong with their prices.

Huh, must be really variable. I've had REALLY good luck with their hand tools.


Aaanyway, I think a lot of people go and drill steel with the drill motor set to the highest speed and without any oil. Best way to dull a bit and blue the work.
I've had decent luck with Black and Decker titanium nitride coated bits as long as I use oil. On a 1/2" hole I'll start with 1/8" or 1/4" and work my way up progressively. If I get impatient I'll let the bit bite off a little too much steel and snap, but that result is due more to my own stupidity.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
gently caress, you guys are awesome. Good stuff.

Drilling is actually kind of a last resort. If I can get my hands on one I prefer using our 50-ton hydraulic punch. 1" hole in 3/4" mild steel? No problem. Hope you don't like being able to hear things though.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
Vermont American any good? I use their taps a fair amount.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
You should have. Were you using the hammer setting on your drill?

I drill concrete all the time with the big Hilti roto-hammers and the trick with a hammer setting is to NOT apply a lot of force. You let the inertia of the tool do the work. All you have to do is control it.
Whenever I train a newbie, I really hammer that point home (hah) because leaning into a masonry bit absorbs the hammering force and keeps the tip of the bit against the work where it overheats and loses its temper. Combine the increased friction with the extra time it takes because you're fighting the tool and it's easy to wreck the bit. If we're careful, a good Hilti or Hitachi bit will last years.
The tip of the bit you pictured looks pretty much identical in shape to the big SDS bits we use, so if you're leaning into it and not using the hammer setting you need to change your technique.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

sharkytm posted:

bitch that you have a broken tap stuck in something, how to you go about removing that...

Needle-nose pliers.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

sharkytm posted:

HURRRR.... if the tap is sticking out, fine.
They usually break down in the hole, since you have cleared the threads in the beginning, then they bind and snap off either flush or down in the hole a bit.

Hey mister crabby-pants... Needle-nose pliers work for retrieving taps that are flush or below the surface just fine. The reason I said "needle-nose" is because you can jam the tips of the jaws into the channels of the tap and use them as an ad-hoc spanner. I've rescued a couple this way quite a few times.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

dv6speed posted:

Personally, I like the oil filter wrenches that have the 3 grippers, hook up to a ratchet, and its grip on the filter gets tighter as you try to turn it.

Yeah, so did the dickhole at a Ford dealership that stole mine out of my wife's escort. It was a Snap-On too. Fucker.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
If you do use a grinder, buy a bunch of wheels because aluminum will foul a grinder in a big hurry. You must really hate yourself. This will be the messiest job you will ever do.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

Splizwarf posted:

Harbor Freight posted:


Creates 30 times more torque than a standard lug wrench, making it easy to shear off wheel studs.


If I had to shear off a lug or stud in order to get back on the road when I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere, sign me up.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

MATLAB 1988 posted:

A 3/8' extendable ratchet is my favorite and only newfangled tool I own. Any time I have a rusty bolt or tight drain plug I adjust the length of the ratchet for more torque.

I have a set of tools that were my grandfathers and his fathers. It included a set of three "monkey wrenches" from the late 1800s, I use the smallest of those when I need to keep a nut or bolt from moving while loosening the other end. And there's less "screw slop" than crescent wrenches, although the locking jaw on the one above this post takes care of that.



That is an awesomely glorious tool. If it were mine, I'd put the sucker in a nice case and hang it on the wall.

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.

Splizwarf posted:

If your rear jack point is the diff (which is fine for jacking, and you won't be working under a jack with no stands, right?) why can't you put stands under your rear axles?

I don't think a 240SX is a solid axle. Sounds dicey to me.

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Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
A lead mallet? What do you have against a deadblow? I have one that is at least 10 years old, so I know they last if you don't hit pointy poo poo with them.

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