ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Best linesmans

Wiha screwdrivers last much longer than Kleins, I can buy the Wiha insulated drivers for less money than regular Klein drivers. I have just over a year on two Wiha screwdrivers, still grabs screws.

I prefer Knipex linemans over the Kleins, great ergonomics, they don't rust nearly as fast as Klein and usually you can get them for less money.

Who knows what they make now but I still have several Execlite screwdrivers that are as good as new after years of abuse. The worst were the snap on with the hardened tip. We called them snap offs.

I have to agree with you there, mate.
I once bought a set of Irazola insulated screwdrivers that were made in Spain, the flat bladed ones I still have, but I don't think the Pozi-drive screw driver tips were tempered properly, most of the tips were eaten up in a matter of months

However, one advantage these screw-drivers do have is the fact that they have a hole through the end of the handle.
This means that you can slip another screwdriver through this hole and use it like a T-Bar when tightening Circuit-Breaker screws.

Personally, though, I swear by Wiha screw-drivers, well made German quality, I've yet to break one of these drivers.

Valve grinding or lapping paste like is used in an automotive machine shop works well for breaking in tight pliers. The grit is fine enough to fit into the joint. Once the pliers are loosened up, wash out the paste with a spray lubricant.

Homer,
I use Res-Q-Steel on my pliers and other working parts of my other tools, I've never had tools seize up since, even though they do get wet quite frequently.
Res-Q-Steel is used on Stainless nuts and bolts, it stops them from seizing after they are done up.
No complaints here.

I swear by Dollar Tree tools. Sure, the selection is limited, but you can loan/lose/destroy a dozen or more for the price of a name-brand tool, and they work just as well. Sadly, they don't carry linesman pliars

Steve,

You've got to be kidding

I suppose that everyone is entitled to more than one opinion .... but for the same person to (first) post some math-heavy engineering blather ... then go on to extol cheap third-world imports ... and omit any consideration of metlalurgy or handle ergonomics ..... that person must be using the tools as paperweights

Ditto for the guy who carefully modified the handles of his pliers .... to make something that is readily available, from the factory!

I would assume that dollar store tools would be Harbor Freight rejects???

How many of you have actually worn out or broken a Dollar Store tape measure or pliars? I'm still using the same $5 set of taiwanese sockets I bought $20 years ago, and it's not for lack of wailing on the ratchet with a hammer! A lot of people look at price as a determining factor in quality, but that's not true- marketing plays a HUGE role. I look at everything when I buy a tool, including design, tolerances, etc. The sad truth is that the expensive tools are usually just as shoddily built as the cheap ones. And there's not a whole lot of difference in the metellurgy of a screwdriver shaft. And yes, there are some that really ARE crap that I stay away from (Dollar Tree levels, lol). But there's nothing wrong with dollar tree pliars, tapes or the solid screwdrivers.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to tools. One is to get a really good tool that lasts forever. The other is to get a bunch of cheap tools and replace them frequently. I tend to lose my tools a lot. And my wife tends to leave them out in the rain. Between us, we destroyed 3 really nice tape measures (though these were from normal use, not mistreatment, I SWEAR!) before I just said "**** it!" and bought a handful of $1 16' tapes at Dollar Tree- and have YET to see any of them break. Same goes for the pliars and the screwdrivers. The worst that's happened to my dollar tree tools is when the Japanese equivilent of TSA confiscated them at Narita as potential weapons (go figure).

I've got a few high quality tools- I have two quality hammers, for instance- but I also have about 4 $2 hammers that get just as much use because I usually have one handy, wheras the good ones are tucked away in the toolbox in the garage. You can NEVER have too many screwdrivers, pliars or tape measures.


In short, guys, don't cop the same attitude to your tools that audiophiles cop to gold-plated breaker busses