Hand tools

Amazing!

Come to think of it, one of the replacements is bent too, but in a way I can't understand. The jack stand is like a teepee with only

Oh yeah, I still have one other jackstand from a previous set. Looks weaker, no fancy lever to release height, just a metal pin to hold the center part up, and I used that too. That had thinner metal and it would sink into the blacktop a little bit**, leaving dents where the legs were, but I think the dents went away. The local middle-aged busy-body wanted to know why I was using so much.

I researched user reviews on that one and most reviews I read said it was a good product. The first time I used it the chipper didn't skip a beat chopping up everything I fed it. I had a pretty large pile of tree branches and garden stuff, including trimmed grape vines, and it only took about an hour to chop it all into a small trash bag size pile of mulch which I put onto my flower bed.

I have a few 12" x 12" x 1/4" steel plates left over from a project. I put one under each jack stand before setting the vehicle down on them. This prevents the driveway dents and provides a nice solid base. I'll bet I could use the jack stands on grass/gravel/dirt with the steel plates underneath them. I use the plates regardless of the weather. It can't hurt.

When I used the PT wood cribbing to hold up the rear end during my recent brake job, I put a plate on top of the cribbing so that the jack point flange on my Ody didn't sink into the wood.

I've never trusted jack stands. I have some pieces of railroad ties about 3' long that I put under the tires, and if needed, a few blocks of

What do you do if the wheels have to come off?

I have older Craftsman, S-K, and one very old Snap-On ratchet for hand-tool s. These were either inherited, gifts, or garage sale finds. Most of my pow er tools were close-out sale, Craftsman (they would regularly sell an older

-style for $29.99). My shop grinder, orbit-sander, and circ-saw were all th at price...all-metal, and can run all day and just get warm! 45-50 yrs old.

I have 2 tie-rod tools from HF...I've never had a chance to use them.

ols. These were either inherited, gifts, or garage sale finds. Most of my p ower tools were close-out sale, Craftsman (they would regularly sell an old er-style for $29.99). My shop grinder, orbit-sander, and circ-saw were all that price...all-metal, and can run all day and just get warm! 45-50 yrs ol d.

I used to buy the Craftsman close-outs and other sale items in the $29.99 class. Then I had the opportunity to try some *real* power tools and realized that price really, really matters.

I owned a $29.99 Craftsman circular saw when I had the opportunity to spend a day with a Porter Cable#743K 7 ¼" Blade-Left Circular Saw. Sure, it was at least $100 more than the Craftsman, but Holy Crap! what a difference.

Left blade for easy sight lines, blade brake for safety, directional dust p ort, case, power, low-noise, etc. I never looked back and eventually upgraded all of my power tools. The Craftsman stuff may still *work*, but not at the quality level of the more expensive tools.

ols. These were either inherited, gifts, or garage sale finds. Most of my p ower tools were close-out sale, Craftsman (they would regularly sell an old er-style for $29.99). My shop grinder, orbit-sander, and circ-saw were all that price...all-metal, and can run all day and just get warm! 45-50 yrs ol d.

Snap-on 12 drawer roll chest with $10+K worth of tools, 90% of 'em Snap-on

I've not found a single circular saw to be "universally appropriate". "Blade left" puts the sight line in a convenient location for a right handed operator -- but, puts the weight of the saw over the "scrap piece" with normal cutting patterns; i.e., you have to learn to put the scrap end to the *left* when cutting with these saws.

Both tend to put the operator's hand *above* the blade.

I've found a worm drive often is easier at "getting the job done" as I can usually rely on its extra weight (they are probably twice as heavy as a sidewinder) and you can *push* from behind instead of leaning over the saw. It's also the only sort of saw with which I would even CONSIDER attempting a plunge cut!

As to your other comments re: tools, in general, I have found a noticeable difference in life expectancy from tools that were "inexpensive" (and CHEAP!) vs. "better investments".

One trivial way of deciding how much effort the manufacturer puts into his product is to look at a tool and see just how symmetric a tool that *should* be symmetric (by design) actually is, in practice.

E.g., common (flat) screwdrivers are often cold-formed (swaged). As such, their tips should be *perfectly* symmetrical -- unless the manufacturer didn't care where the raw stock was placed in the die!

So, a tip should look like ------+ / |

-----/ |

-----\ | \ | ------+

and not

-----+ / |

------/ |

-----\ | \ | ------+

You'd see a similar pattern in a "cabinet tip" screwdriver; the flats meeting the cylindrical shaft at the same point, not offset by some amount.

And, of course, there are lots of not-visible characteristics that you will only discover from good/bad experiences: how hard is the steel? How robust is the finish? Why does this scredriver have a round shaft while this other is *square*? etc.

I have no idea what you're attempting to convey here??? I, and I think most, use Philips-head so you can power-drive them. Try using less words, and get to the point. Please!

If you can't read WORDS, then look at the PICTURES. If you can't see the difference, then, by all means, buy your tools (and health care!) at HF!

There *IS* a difference, but your meaning is *NOT* apparent. (I commend you for getting to the point though!)

Get a (typical) slotted screwdriver -- AS INDICATED IN THE TEXT OF MY POST.

Hold it up to the screen with the handle off to the left. Considering the limitations of ASCII art, can you see a resemblance between the shape of the screwdriver tip and the image on the screen:

------+ / |

-----/ |

-----\ | \ | ------+

Now, dig out a dictionary and look up the word "symmetry" -- also indicated in my TEXT. Study the above illustration and see if you can identify the SYMMETRY present in THAT image.

Now, consult the OTHER image in my post:

-----+ / |

------/ |

-----\ | \ | ------+

With the SYMMETRY concept fresh in your mind, see if you can identify how this second image differs from the first.

Then, imagine how that would relate to the physical screwdriver in your hand!

Next, imagine how a machine would *intend* to produce a screwdriver having the original image's shape and why it might, instead, produce the shape of the second image.

Finally, imagine why a company would opt for #2 instead of #1 -- or, conversely, why a BETTER company would strive for #1 and consider #2 to be *scrap*.

Another way of thinking about it: there are lots of ways to put paint on a house. How would you decide on the quality of painter A's work vs. that of painter B?

The only thing I notice is a straight edge perpendicular to the shaft? Most flat-blades need to be "tuned" anyway on fine grinder...so it makes little difference.

________ ______/ | | ______ | Would it be more like this? \________|

A *sloppy* product looks like:

_________ _____/ | | ______ | \________|

The spacing changes...it looks good on this reply! You're saying cheap-s*it is not ground to a precise shape like old Stanley, wood handle drivers used to.

Look at the original post and the difference should be just as obvious (count '-' characters if you must)

They aren't ground (well, the cabinet tip ones ARE ground) but, rather, are *swaged*. A round (assuming the shaft is round cross section) bar is put in a machine that *smashes* the bar to deform it to the shape that you eventually see.

If you put the raw bar stock in the center and the "die" in the machine is correctly positioned, an identical amount of material will smoosh out to each side. If you don't care about these "little details", then you'll get more on one side than the other, etc. and your QC folks will just shrug and let the items through.

Just like the house painting analogy: you can slop paint on a house any number of ways! But a *good* house painter doesn't slop it all over the window glass in the process! If you want to save a few dollars and hire a "less expensive" painter, then you're implicitly indicating your willingness to accept paint on your windows! Maybe even windows that are painted *shut*!

This doesn't significantly impact the strength of the screwdriver, etc. But, it's a detail that you can easily *see*.

Then, ask yourself, if a manufacturer isn't willing to worry about these little details, how do you know he's hardened the steel correctly? (can you verify the hardness of the steel in your tools at home? in the store??) Or, that the plating is heavy enough and the underlying metal prepared so that it doesn't flake off 5 minutes after you start using it? Will the handle *shatter* when you strike it with a hammer (because you don't happen to have a chisel handy)? Will the markings/lettering come off after a few minutes of twisting the handle in your palm? Can you verify the proper taper (how "unparallel" the faces are) of the screwdriver's blade?

Etc.

I could put a R&P screwdriver in your hand and, a moment later, a genuine Philips. Would you be able to tell the difference (without seeing them side by side)? Would you know the consequences of such a substitution? Would you notice it in the store if the set were marked "Special - $1.99!"

Uncle Monster posted for all of us...

as to who they are. o_O

Don't forget Kalifornication which is giving them ids. You know what will follow from there. It just won't be the people down to the south...