Miscellaneous Tools Discussion – August 9, 2024

It’s time to have a general discussion on many minor tool related topics.

This article is brought to you by… any reader who buys the Mora Chisel Knife (~$16 on Amazon), the Craftsman V-Series Metric Wrench Set, which is out of stock on Amazon but still a fantastic buy at $39.98, and anything else at Home Depot.

We caught a Harbor Freight crook

I posted an article about Harbor Freight’s new Icon Pro mechanical wrenches and thought my news or preliminary discussion article was factual and fairly neutral.

While the new Harbor Freight Icon screwdrivers don’t look amazing, there’s not much to criticize in terms of design.

Reader comments were also fairly mild. No one seemed surprised by the new Icon tools, but there were no comments virulently decrying them as garbage, either.

Fast forward two months, and here’s the comment someone at Harbor Freight left, probably thinking I wouldn’t know exactly who they were:

It’s just interesting to see all the comments coming from a visit to the HFT store and a test drive of the Icon Precision kit. It’s all on paper, every judgement is on the lips. Sad.

I tend to take quack comments a little personally, but this one struck a chord with me.

If this person had said, “I work for Harbor Freight and we put a lot of effort into designing these screwdrivers, especially (feature or strengths),” that would have been tolerable, if not greatly appreciated.

I didn’t mind a Harbor Freight member leaving comments. There are actually a few Harbor Freight members who comment from time to time, and so far they’ve been fair, friendly, and helpful. I don’t mind.

What bothers me is that they went out of their way to leave a comment like that, and they didn’t add any value to the conversation.

Many thanks to Reekon Tools

Reekon makes some interesting digital tools (check out their Amazon store here).

I hear about many tool brands, many inventors and… so many people.

Christian Reed, the boss of Reekon Tools, is a unique character. He seems genuinely interested in the needs and desires of tool users. He’s not alone in this – Mark Martinez is another name that immediately comes to mind – but it’s a rare trait.

@Christain – sorry, I know I owe you a reply to the last email, I hope to catch up on emails this weekend.

Who sent me a little ladder of giants?

Can anyone who sent me a 6 foot Little Giant MightLite ladder please let me know? I received the 6 foot Mightylite 2 fiberglass ladder with type 1A, similar to the one available at Lowe’s.

This ladder showed up on my doorstep earlier this week, and I have no idea who sent it. It appears to have been shipped directly from Little Giant, but I haven’t spoken to them and I’m pretty sure they don’t have my address.

I’m not complaining, it looks like a good ladder and I can’t wait to try it. I just don’t know who to thank or who to ask my questions to.

Don’t trust strangers

There has been an increase in manipulative content, propaganda and bot activity.

If you see comments or posts from someone you don’t know, don’t trust their motives until you do.

Dewalt Tstak

Dewalt’s Tstak toolbox (currently $23 on Amazon) remains a great value for tool users who don’t have super-demanding needs. If you need something different or want to build a larger system, it stacks and interlocks with other Tstak (and Versastack) toolboxes and accessories.

Medium Desktop Calculator

My son asked me for a calculator, so I bought him this Casio for less than $11 on Amazon. Its build quality is poor, with the screen fading when touched.

I have a feeling it won’t last as long as my favorite TI scientific calculators. (See Scientific Calculators for Lab Use?)

These toolkits are $5 again

Amazon has dropped the price of this compact toolbox from $6 to $4.98 today.

I ordered 4 more. The maximum order size is 4, and then it stops you from ordering more. It resets every x days. So I collected a lot of these storage boxes, 4 at a time.

It’s useful for many random storage needs, and I now have enough to start labeling.

I wish the ArtBin ones were this price, but the Logix ones are very decent for the price.

Every two or three orders I have to pay the “kid tax.” Dad, can I have one? Sure.

I love the test templates

I have always found tool testing devices and setups interesting. Perhaps because they are often underestimated at media events and tool demonstrations.

No politics

The presidential election is coming up. This is not the place to share your political opinions.

I need small woodworking projects

I have a few major projects that I haven’t been able to find the time or space to work on.

So maybe I need some small projects. Any ideas?

Tool brand “Ask me anything?”

What brands? What types of tools are used?

Don’t be a coward, wear your safety gear

Wear proper PPE. No one will think less of you. And if they do, they will laugh even harder when you are hurt, injured or maimed.

Few people have ever said, “Oh man, I wish I had worn proper protective gear.”

Your favorite and least favorite cordless power tool brand?

Answer the question from the top of your mind, without thinking!

What happened to CAT cordless power tools?

I haven’t heard from CAT cordless power tools in years. Goodbye?

Bosch L-Boxx Contractor Tool Boxes!?

A couple of readers told me about a new series of L-Boxx Contractor toolboxes that was introduced in Europe. I then found this image on a Reddit post.

YES PLEASE!!!

Dear Lowe’s…call Bosch and MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

Halloween and Christmas Season News

Dear Retailers,

I appreciate you continuing to send out press releases and affiliate promotional opportunities. I’m happy to hear about your Halloween and Christmas decorating projects. But maybe tell me about your new tools too?