New tool thread

[Trav]

What do you think of the $27 Astro Subaru puller?

https://www.amazon.com/Astro-Pneumatic-Tool-78620-Subaru/dp/B01JBJFK3C/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2XH4GP66ZRHI1&keywords=CTA+Subaru+ball+joint+puller&qid=1667872398&sprefix=cta+subaru+ball+joint+puller%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-3

I use the Asto a lot and have no trouble with it, I do use an impact gun. If you are doing it on the ground use an angled impact, the one from Astro works fine. I took this one out with the Astro impact in less than 5 seconds with no broken pins. Pictures are worth a thousand words.

 

[JWC86]

Took me forever to decide on a Bearing puller for motorcycle work. Seemed like all I could find was either really cheap Chinese kits with really bad reviews, mid priced stuff that was just the same kits as the cheap Chinese stuff with equally bad reviews or really expensive kits that were actually very well made but usually very small range and again, very expense.

Finally I came across this mid priced mad in Taiwan kit that has very good reviews and seems to be made OK. I really like how it has a bridge setup as well as the slide hammer.

ALPHA MOTO Motorcycle Blind Bearing & Bridge Puller Remover Removal Tool​

Next up is a leak down tester from OTC

And finally a metric thread chaser kit from Lang.

I tried out the M8 right away on a bung that was packed full of old lock tight and it worked great. This set will get a lot of use.

 

[Creekside]

New filter cutter finally came in yesterday. It had been back ordered since July. I wanted one big enough to do semi oil filters. Cat can order all of the wheels, cutters, etc for this as replacement parts too.

 

[SubLGT]

I recently bought 3 Knipex pliers from Amazon Global Store UK.

On top is a 10" Cobra "water pump pliers". $34.28
In the middle is a 7.75" angled (40deg) needle nose "mechanic's pliers". $36.23
At the bottom is a 8" needle nose "mechanic's pliers". $31.52

So why does Knipex label the needle nose pliers as "mechanic's pliers" instead of just "pliers"? I'm not sure, but maybe it has something to do with the unusual pivot joint on both pliers that makes it easy to open the pliers to about 3/4", but going beyond that requires much more effort. (Or is the pivot joint defective on both pliers?).

 

[The Critic]

Snap-On ATECH2CS240 (4-20 ft lbs) Torque Wrench

https://www.tirereview.com/snap-releases-new-flex-head-electronic-torque-wrench/ This torque wrench seems to have the perfect range for valve cover bolts, intake manifolds and manifolds, spark plugs and other small engine parts. Snap-On advertises 1-20 ft-lbs, but it is only accurate (to 2%)...

bobistheoilguy.com

I have been wanting one for a while. The Snap-On guy made the price more palatable.

 

[SubLGT]

What low torque (under 20 ft-lb) fasteners have you encountered that require torque angle tightening? Just curious.

 

[The Critic]

What low torque (under 20 ft-lb) fasteners have you encountered that require torque angle tightening? Just curious.

Ea888 cam cover/girdle bolts, 722.9 trans oil pan bolts, some intake plenums.

 

[EspressoJunky]

These days I don't buy much in the way of tools unless it's something I know I can use on a regular basis to justify the cost as quality isn't cheap. Had been wanting a small metric set from Wera for some time now as it will definitely come in handy quite often, but held off awhile on buying. Have been searching for a quality T handle ratcheting driver for several yrs, but wasn't impressed with pretty much everything on the market for what I was looking for. Did recently spot one made by PB Swiss, but apparently is now out of production and not available anywhere I searched. Saw that Wera has had a fixed T handle driver and 1 week ago did another search for ratcheting options and saw that Wera now has that base covered and one look at it and I had to get one. First seller that popped up was new to me, ChadsToolBox and at first looked a bit odd as he is a good bit cheaper than others and of course some less than great reviews posted on various sites. TBH I rarely pay attention to reviews as we all have varying levels of experience, expectation, etc. I messaged him on a Sunday just to confirm he accepts PayPal and got a reply within an hour. Placed the order that day and think it was shipped out Tuesday. I asked about shipping info and got a reply rather quick once again letting me know when it would ship. The pkg went from Palmer, Alaska to my state (NC) in just 4 days, including it being Veteran's Day. That was with the standard 'free with $99' shipping, no sales tax and was packed nicely and arrived 100% flawless. Will also mention I got the usual 5% discount with the 1st order and 5% balance that can be used for future orders. I know many places are doing that sort of thing these days, but it's still impressive regardless. I have no doubt that any future tool orders I have will go to him 1st. The tool kit, bit extension and T handle ratchet driver are outstanding in form/function...

 

[D60]

Milwaukee bit set with small Packout organizer. A great deal at $50 shipped.

I actually think Milwaukee's shockwave bits suck but lately my wife has been SOMEHOW destroying my good bits so I'll give her the Shockwaves to break.

I'm a Milwaukee guy 100% but I call it as I see it and in years past the Shockwaves wanted to cam out or wear down almost immediately. Maybe they've improved but I doubt it.

Still, for some kinda-useful bits and the organizer it was worth $50

 

[SubLGT]

Bought an intermediate tool box at Zoro, for $199 + tax. It is around 17" deep and 26 3/8" wide. A similar box from Craftsman, but only 12" deep, sells for $100. I believe Westward is a Grainger brand. Box is made in Taiwan, and the quality appears to be very good. The full extension ball bearing slides are rated at 80lb. Drawer liners and a thick top mat are included. Like a Husky roller cabinet I bought a few years ago, this box has a drawer retention mechanism that slams the drawers shut. Not a fan of this mechanism.

Westward 26-5/16"W Intermediate Chest 3 Drawers, Red, 16-15/16"D x 10-5/8"H (32H848) | Zoro

Order Westward Red, Light Duty, Intermediate Chest, 32H848 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

 

[RyanY]

New Capri 1/4 flex head ratchet.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Snap-on battery for one of my lights. First tool buy or Snap-on buy in awhile lol. Been buying license plates for my collection and just trying to save money instead of spending it all. I ordered this when I got the flashlight so I didn’t mind getting it. The bill is under $1000 now as of a week ago and today too. Tomorrow it will be roughly like $690ish. It was almost double that last week before I made a payment. I’m happy I got it down and come to realize that spending all my money is crazy. Now to get Matco down and I will be doing good.

 

[SubLGT]

I bought a made-in-Taiwan Mityvac 200mL syringe at Amazon for $29.50 + tax. Much cheaper made-in-China clones are also available at Amazon. Replacement seals and hose are available. Mityvac says it is compatible with brake fluid, in addition to power steering fluid, etc. But some reviewers say the seals will swell if the syringe is not cleaned after use with brake fluid.

https://www.amazon.com/Mityvac-MVA6851-Automotive-Accessories/dp/B00MPQ8RBG?th=1

 

[wtd]

I bought a made-in-Taiwan Mityvac 200mL syringe at Amazon for $29.50 + tax. Much cheaper made-in-China clones are also available at Amazon. Replacement seals and hose are available. Mityvac says it is compatible with brake fluid, in addition to power steering fluid, etc. But some reviewers say the seals will swell if the syringe is not cleaned after use with brake fluid.View attachment 126757

https://www.amazon.com/Mityvac-MVA6851-Automotive-Accessories/dp/B00MPQ8RBG?th=1

I just bought this one from Amazon but have not used it yet.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z1CN3R5?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[SubLGT]

Today I ordered a pair of seals for the Mityvac syringe that are compatible with brake fluid.

https://www.amazon.com/CTA-Tools-7075x01-7075-Seal/dp/B00JNVB434

 

[RyanY]

I just bought two Craftsman sawhorses today (Lowes). This set will take up half the storage space of my current set, and was a great deal at $15 each.

 

[clinebarger]

Ordered a new parts washer today & also sold my old trusty '98 model ATEC as the steel in the water reservoir was starting to get thin. The previous owner neglected it pretty bad from not running the correct detergent to protect the steel.
It sold within 2 hours of my wife posting it on Facebook, Got back what I have in the machine ($2,000) along with 3 years of hard constant use which more than paid for the machine.

New one is a Insta-Clean model# IC-7, It can allegedly wash a heavily soiled transmission case in 15 minutes @ 150°. With my old washer sometimes over 2 hours was normal with periodic touch-ups with a wire brush & sctochbite pad @ 160°-175°.
If this machine can thoroughly clean one in 45 minutes I would be ecstatic!!

This was a tough decision to make & spent a couple months researching different parts washers. It came down to a Stainless Steel Ranger/Bendpak RS-500DS or the Insta-Clean IC-7. The Ranger is a carbon copy of my old ATEC except for being stainless.....I know how they clean & I can't justify $10,000 for that kind of performance.

Unfortunately......It's gong to take @10 weeks for it to get built. Didn't expect my old machine to sell that fast if at all as I disclosed the rust issue, I have a colleague that'll let me use his IF he's not using it.

This video help me make the decision.....


Here's my old ATEC (When I first got it)......

 

[clinebarger]

At the 2:34 mark he says "It even gets the corners good".....That's a big deal to me & what I spent a lot of time on manually cleaning, Even then there are times where you just can't get the corners & crevasses clean in a timely manner.

I spent too much time on this 4R70W & still had a couple black corners.

 

[HangFire]

Took me forever to decide on a Bearing puller for motorcycle work. Seemed like all I could find was either really cheap Chinese kits with really bad reviews, mid priced stuff that was just the same kits as the cheap Chinese stuff with equally bad reviews or really expensive kits that were actually very well made but usually very small range and again, very expense.

Finally I came across this mid priced mad in Taiwan kit that has very good reviews and seems to be made OK. I really like how it has a bridge setup as well as the slide hammer.

ALPHA MOTO Motorcycle Blind Bearing & Bridge Puller Remover Removal Tool​

Next up is a leak down tester from OTC


And finally a metric thread chaser kit from Lang.


I tried out the M8 right away on a bung that was packed full of old lock tight and it worked great. This set will get a lot of use.

Great choices, I have the OTC, there's nothing like the feeling of KNOWING your cylinders are OK, or tearing in KNOWING it really needs a tear-down.

I also have the old Craftsman version of the thread chasers (US made by Lang), their biggest set at the time. It started out by saving a Cub Cadet's Kohler engine (electric PTO came loose and buggered up the inside threaded crank end), and went on from there to be useful in many car and m/c jobs.

Please tell us how the Alpha blind bearing & bridge puller goes, I'm considering getting one like that.

 

[SubLGT]

I bought this ServiceGrade Molex crimper at DigiKey.com for $75. It is made specifically for Molex InsulKrimp and AviKrimp insulted terminals and splices, and might work OK with other brands. It simultaneously does the wire crimp and the insulation support crimp.
There is also a Molex PremiumGrade hand crimper that sells for a around $490.

• ServiceGrade™ is a lower quality hand tool used in the aftermarket for limited crimping and the tool frames have been tested to approx.1,000 cycles
  • ServiceGrade™ hand tools have no warranty, have a limited quality life, and can NOT be used in the OEM or manufacturing markets
• PremiumGrade™ hand tools are high quality hand tools used at OEM's and the tool frames have been tested to a minimum of 50,000 cycles
  • PremiumGrade™ tools will maintain their quality over time provided they are cared for properly, will meet the crimping specification over the life of the tool, are required by Molex for OEM crimping, and cost more due to their high quality