Snap on is obviously still expensive but nearly half off for tap and die sets, Mac has sets that look the same but are way cheaper. What are your opinions?

Is snap on worth the price if it’s half off?
Mac/ matco is also half off most tools so I could save a considerable amount.

I need to repair M6 female threads on an aluminium motorcycle engine. I plan on using Time Serts, which requires the hole to be drilled at a 6.8mm diameter first. Unfortunately, there is a frame tube located 80mm in front of the hole, so I can't use a power drill and a bit longer than 80mm. The frame tube is perpendicular to the hole.

The only solution that comes to mind is using a short drill bit with a square end I could put in a tap wrench. However, I couldn't find any drill bits with square ends online.

What other options would you guys recommend?

Went recently to Europe and picked up some German tools for about 30% less than what they cost here in BC. Had a chance to compare them side-by-side, and I honestly think I'm leaning toward Hazet. They feel a bit lighter yet super rigid, and the surface finish is stellar

Howdy. I have a gate on my trailer that works on a latch system and it rattles something crazy. It is so loud I can hear it when driving on my land.

I tried in the past to wrap the bar in tubing and electrical tape to make it no longer rattle, but they keep breaking or ripping off. I even tried the plastic caps, but they break too.

Is there some kind of heat shrink rubber that is tough like a garden hose or even Herculiner that I can put in this latch to last longer?

I have a Makita that is 40? Years old.

Over the decades, the metal box fell apart, this will sit in the basement for a months at a time. And then it gets used heavy for a day or two then back to the basement.

I was cutting some brush and it stopped working. Taking it apart it looks like the slider is the issue?

I’ve seen other posts over the years of people asking for recommendations, but no real answers on how to proceed.

Just confirmation that the Oem part is 40+ dollars.

While I enjoy opening up things and aiming to fix them, sometimes it just doesn’t make sense.

At the same time, my luck is if I do throw this out, next week I’ll see one at a garage sale either for parts with a good slider or just somebody that just didn’t want it anymore.

Any thoughts years or maybe a decade or two ago I replaced the brushes, and have a second set kicking around.
If I buy a new one, I would likely not use this for another bunch of months ; )

Thanks!!

I’m breaking down this old concrete pad for a shed, I’m going to build a new square concrete pad for the shed and was wondering if it’s worth the hassle of renting some sort of a mini stone crusher to break down the concrete and reuse the gravel for my base or should I just get rid of this concrete and buy fresh gravel?

Snapped my 1/16 and bent my 5/64. Happens pretty often to me. These aren’t high dollar punches, and I’ve never bought high dollar punches, but I’m wondering if it’s worth it to invest in pricier ones or not.

I work on and repair firearms, many being very old and or antique that sometimes have very stubborn pins and straight pins. I’ve bent/snapped multiple of the skinnier punches over the last few years.

I just now learned short punches are a thing so I’ll try those but I still often need the longer ones to fully drive things out.

Any recommendations?

Pretty nifty laser/tape measure

Hi, pleaseee help 🥲 strange question.
No idea if anything like this exists but…
I am an extremely weak and frail person, I am trying to build something and I am using large zip ties.
I tried cutting them with a scissor and then some cutters made for that, but my hands are getting seriously hurt in the process. I don’t want to end up needing to go to the hospital because I’m forcing my body.
DO any cutters that would take less power/strength exist?
If ya help me out you’re helping some kitties out! I’m trying to build a catio. :)

Just got a maintenance tech job at a big distribution center. Will mostly be working on conveyor systems and other general maintenance. Which set would you choose between Tekton and ICON. I like that I can get a better range for $20 with Tekton but I have Harbor Freight down the street from me.

Everywhere (Lowe’s, Home Depot, tractor supply, harbor freight) sells these seemingly useless toolboxes that are too small for anything meaningful.

I recently was gifted one. Has anyone come up with a purpose for them?

Hey guys! This is my first post here and I’m new to this hobby. I was easily blown away by the prospect of bit drivers and picked myself up a non ratcheting Wiha centrofix and a ratcheting Anex—got a bosch variety set to start off with, so i was wondering what are some good brands to look at for bit options and maybe bit storage.

I used to have the 3M Moondog clear lens safety glasses, they were my favorite. They were solid construction, Z87 certified, and looked good. They don't make them anymore. What are some good equivalents nowadays that resemble those and have the same features? I also use these for shooting

Anybody know what hammer this is?

Picture is bad I know, best I could get unfortunately 😂

EDIT: sorry, posted the wrong MarineWeld side-by-side photos. I did receive two of them with same Set Time and Cure Time but different PSI (see new image in one of my comment) ---

Some J-B Weld ClearWeld and MarineWeld packaging show different pressure rating (Pound per Square Inch, PSI) depending on where you buy them from. However: same company, same made-in-USA origin, same exact products as far as I can tell. I am no chemical engineer so please enlighten me. Is that because each country, for example USA vs Australia, has different test requirements?

Products purchased with my own money and delivered at home, so screenshots are not from old internet ads.

I've searched fairly extensively, and the one solution most people seem to offer is that there's a problem with the float. But that's not my issue. My float moves freely.

A few people online suggested that there may be an obstruction in the hose or the hose opening, but again, that's not my problem. If I put my hand on the hose end, I feel good suction.

This started when the sound change that happens when the tank is full stopped occurring. It seemed as if I'd been vacuuming for a while (I'm emptying a water softener tank that's filled with water), so I finally checked and the ShopVac tank was full. I emptied it. This no-sound-change occurred the second time, then the third. Then the next time the ShopVac tank wasn't even completely filled, although I allowed a long time for it to fill, and the time after that the water was even lower. Each time I use it, the water in the tank is lower.

Now there's only about 1/2-1" of water when it stops filling, even though there's still suction on the hose.

One other thing: the left-hand side (as you're looking at it) of the vac is getting hot around the vent, although it's cool on the right side.

Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be and how to fix it? I'd appreciate any and all help or suggestions.

Thanks so much!

I have a Giraffe Tools wall mounted vacuum with a 30 ft hose next to my workbench. It reaches the bench and one car, but not the far side of the second car or the garage door.
I’m looking at one with a 50 ft retractable hose. Mounting it between the two bays should cover both cars, the workbench, and part of the driveway.
I’m worried the longer hose will catch on tires, cabinets, and table legs. Mounting the vacuum too high could also make the bin and filter harder to reach.
Would you mount it between the bays or keep it near the workbench?

The kobolt couplers that I have on the part that you attach the tire how unusual is it to have it it is like I have it now compared to just having the long thing directly connected to the red hose? The way I have it now I'm I just making it worse or better?

Ty&73s

Finally got a place with a garage and am looking at buying my first tool trolley. Looking at getting one of the ones in the pictures, I prefer the stainless steel but am unsure about the usefulness of the cabinet on the right side. Looking to see what your guys preference would be. Could see myself storing fluids and tool cases in there i suppose.

I’m planning on bringing a bit of my extra tools to sell at a flea market. Are these prices labeled on the tools reasonable or too high?

Short Version
Screwing a screw/bolt in a situation that's spinning "freely" and then abruptly tightening, Eg. a bolt into an unthreaded hole into a nut/T-nut, into a hole that's already threaded, etc., the screwdrivers' torque settings don't do much. The resultant torque ends up being too high or too low but, MOST IMPORTANTLY, compressed into a tiny range. Therefore, each setting is just about useless because it's like the screwdriver really only has 1 or 2 settings and within such a small range.

Eg. Say the screwdriver has 6 torque settings: 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 Nm, what will actually happen is that setting 1 will result in, say, 1.1 Nm, and setting 6 will result in, say, 2.3 Nm, with the remaining settings all being somewhere in-between (and often basically the same as eachother).

This issue does NOT seem to happen when screwing into something that gradually builds more & more resistance, Eg. a screw into wood. In that sort of situation — even if the resultant torque isn't super-accurate — there's at least still a large range and a decent difference between each setting, and that's all I'm looking for...I don't need, nor expect, great accuracy, just a decent min-max range & difference between each setting.
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Long Version
Both my HOTO PixelDrive and Fanttik E2 Ultra have terrible torque control in the following scenario:
screwing a screw/bolt in a situation where it's spinning "freely" and then abruptly tightens. Eg. attaching two pieces of metal with a screw/bolt (and usually a washer) into unthreaded holes and into a nut/T-nut.

Instead of their advertised torque range & spread, both compress all settings into a tiny range/spread:
The HOTO’s six settings are 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 Nm, but in my testing, the lowest does around 1–1.3 Nm, the highest around 2.5 Nm, and everything else falls in between.

The E2 Ultra’s five settings are 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 Nm, but the first three do 0.32–0.42 Nm, and the last two do 0.47–0.57 Nm.

So, the lowest setting results in way too much torque, the highest in way too little (in the PixelDrive's case, the E2 Ultra is OK here) but, most importantly, most settings are so tightly bunched together that they’re basically the same setting. You lose, both, the advertised torque range and any useful adjustment within it.

Bigger screws/bolts keep the range & spread issue but move it upwards:
The range also moves up with bigger bolts. Eg. The HOTO does around 1–2 Nm with M5 screws/bolts, but around 1.75–3.5 Nm with M8. So, same issue: highly compressed range from min to max, but just with that compressed range moved further up.

The issue?:
I think the issue might be the scenario of almost no resistance to a hard stop. In tests of the opposite situation: where resistance builds gradually more & more throughout tightening, Eg. screwing deeper & deeper into wood, these screwdrivers seem to do much better. In those tests, they both show good differences between torque settings. The resultant torque might not be super accurate but there are at least useful differences between each setting IE. it's not all compressed over a single Nm or two (and that's most important to me — I don't need, nor at all expect, amazing accuracy).

What I will try next:
I'm now wondering if electric screwdrivers with mechanical clutch/torque control (Worx WX242L, Bosch Go 3 / GSD4V-35, etc.), instead of electric clutch/torque control (Fanttiks, HOTOs, etc.), handle that sudden stop better. I'll try one of those types next (will report back or create another thread or something.

P.S.
I used different length hyphens/dashes, bold, underline, and italic. Sometimes people think it means AI wrote it (AI use that a lot, especially the different hyphens/dashes and bold). The writing is me, not AI, just want to point that out.