Non Multitools

[Grant Lamontagne]

I've been wanting to do a thread like this for a while, and now I have a decent excuse, but I'll get to that in a minute.  First up, this is my wrench roll:



Originally my wrenches were in holders like these:



I got sick of re-organizing them and putting them back in the slots every time the case fell or was bumped and all of the wrenches fell out of them into a pile on the floor, so I got myself a wrench roll for $13 on eBay and I've been carrying them that way ever since. 



The roll is a bit big for the wrenches that I have but no big deal- I just fold over the end and everything fits fine.  One of these days I'll get access to a sewing machine and stitch up the fold then cut off the excess, but until then it doesn't get in the way any so no problem there.  Until recently, these have been my sole wrench set, and I have taken them on a number of adventures- and wished I had them on many others....   



The wrenches are both SAE and metric and range from 3/8" and 10mm on the small side to 3/4" and 18mm on the big end.



Sorry for the blurry photo... I hadn't realized that one slipped through.   



Here's what makes these wrenches special though- they have pivoting, ratcheting box ends.



This makes them really handy in places where you really can't use regular wrenches, and, if the ratchets had odometers on them I'd have the numbers to prove it- at least on some of them... as with all sets, I am certain there are some sizes that are at or near zero, while some are due for a 10,000 mile checkup.

Speaking of ratchets, this set follows my wrenches pretty well everywhere and has at least as many miles on it:



Like the wrenches it is Mastercraft, the in house brand at Canadian Tire.  Some ay not think they are a good brand, but I have gotten very dirty on a number of strange jobs with both of these sets, and as you can see, they are both in great shape.  The ratchet set includes 9 Metric and 9 SAE sockets plus two deep throat sockets used usually for pulling spark plugs.



Sizes range from 1/4" ad 8mm to 19mm and 3/4" plus the 5/8" and 13/16th" spark plug sockets.





The ratchet itself is a standard 3/8" reversible ratchet with a ball detent to hold the sockets on- twist the tri star switch to reverse, press it to release the sockets.





Like most major brands these days, Mastercraft offers a full lifetime warranty, and with over 400 locations across Canada, you usually aren't too far away from a Canadian Tire to take advantage of it.  No fuss, no muss- I walk in with broken tools, I walk out with new ones.  No sending away and/or waiting required.  I have never tested this theory, but that's because these are excellent quality tools and have not let me down yet.

So now onto the news- as an early birthday gift my parents gave me this:



Naturally I had to beautify it as soon as I got it home! 



This is a Stanley 203 piece tool set, which includes standard and allen wrenches, ratchets, sockets and screwdriver bits- in black chrome.



Each of the three drawers has a different selection of tools and accessories- the top drawer is sockets and Torx bits and every slot is labeled- which is important to me, but I'll rant on that after the tour. 



Drawer 2 is more sockets and bits.  There have been very few occasions where my Mastercraft set didn't have the right socket to do the job, but I am thinking I am somewhat better prepared now!



Drawer 3 holds three different sized of ratchets, a screwdriver handle that accepts sockets, a pile of screwdriver bits, some extensions and has slots for the various wrenches.



There are fourteen each of Metric and SAE Allen wrenches which should pretty well cover most of the stuff you are likely to encounter, although I haven't looked ta them close enough to see i there is anything small enough to handle weapon sight adjustments.



The standard wrench selection is a bit lacking in this set, with only six wrenches, and not even the sizes I tend to use most often- for example I think my 7/16th" wrench in the Mastercraft set has more miles on it than all of the others combined.  That said, I am quite certain that I could make do with some of the many sockets if I really needed it and the Mastercraft set wasn't available for some reason.  Or one of the adjustable wrenches I have, and I have several.

You will have noticed that each of these sets is quite organized, despite me being very disorganized and scatterbrained.  The Mastercraft ratchet set and the Stanley set are all well labeled as to what going where:



This way when I am done doing whatever work I was doing and I see the empty slots, I know what to look for when I clean up and everything goes back in it's place or I know I will lose them.  The wrench roll isn't labeled (although now that I think about it I may take a Sharpie out later and mark the pockets with the wrench sizes) but every wrench fits in a pocket- if there's an empty pocket I start searching for a wrench!

I think that the Stanley set is going to be my "house set" from now on as it is significantly larger, and the Mastercraft wrenches and ratchet will find a permanent home in the Jeep for emergencies and adventure repairs.

Either way, I am glad to have all of them, as most multitools just don't handle bolts that well- sure there are some adjustable wrench multis out there (CRKT Guppies, Spyder/ByrdRenches and that weird Cattleman Cutlery type tool) but they just don't take the place of a real wrench or ratchet.  Yeah, you can make do with a set of pliers in many cases, but a good wrench or ratchet will serve you a hell of a lot better!

That's a few of my hand tools- let's see what you have!   

Def

[LoopCutter]

I work as a Service / Install tech for access and gate control systems. On the road 5 days a week. My hand tools used for 95% of tasks are at the side door of van.
A 2nd wrench set in storage cabinet and full socket set on shelf under the Dewalt drill.


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[Grant Lamontagne]

Very cool set- I imagine you have weeded out the unimportant tools over the years and whittled the stuff down to just the most important stuff by now?

Def

[LoopCutter]

For work, those are my hand tools, each to reach, and quickly inventoried when done at a site.  The small kit is with me on almost every stop. The larger open top is used for install work and wiring projects. The hard box stores my meter, complete wrench set, fine screw drivers and wide assortment of hand pliers including vise grips. 24 oz hammer and wonderbar are on the floor by suitcase.

I have been doing this for only 6 yrs, previous work life required smaller tool set, which I used for well over 30 yrs.

I have another tool set at home for bike repair and bike refurb projects and a Cobalt set liked your Stanley in back of personal truck for almost anything else.

I fancy tools and have my fair share. And, if I do a specific task frequently, I will assemble a unique set for the project.

I have done field service work since 1983, and seem to always take more than I need as I always need one more!


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[smiller43147]

Nice.  You can never have too many tools. or too much storage.

[clown]

Great thread Grant!  That Stanley set is pretty slick.  I hope to have a little time soon to snap some pics of my meager tool collection and contribute.

[Syncop8r]

 

        

Thanks for sharing. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I can truly appreciate ratchets and wrenches instead of trying to make do with pliers on a multitool.  One particular instance where it was driven home was when I was out 4-wheeling with DerekMac and a few other people and the wiring on my starter came loose.  I used a Leatherman Blast to try to tighten the nut holding the wire on, but there was limited space resulting in very limited throw..... and part of that throw meant that the elongated tips if the Blast pliers came in contact with the opposite terminal, meaning I got a shock every time I turned the nut about 1/8th of a turn.

It was a long and unpleasant repair!   

If I'd had a proper wrench the job would have been done in 30 seconds with no shocks.

Def

[Syncop8r]

I can truly appreciate ratchets and wrenches instead of trying to make do with pliers on a multitool.

I try to keep my nuts away from pliers.

[Grant Lamontagne]

When all you have is pliers, everything looks like it needs gripping....

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Just to continue this a bit, I decided to dig out some of my other sockets to help organize what I have.  I have more than I thought, so let's start with these sets of deep throat sockets.  This one is Metric:



And this one is SAE:



The Metric set goes from 10mm to 19mm.



And the SAE set goes from 3/16ths to 1/2.



I am just going to take a moment to step away from this and point out how much I hate SAE measurements.... I mean, come on, what's bigger, 3/8 or 5/16ths?"  I mean I'm sure many of you here are going to tell me the answer, but unless you are immersed in it, it's a hell of a lot harder to determine than 7mm and 9mm.   

Getting back on track- literally in this case, since all of these sockets so far have been on tracks....

Here is a Torx set that I have that I don't recall buying....



The go from a T10 to T55, and I am going to give them to a friend as he has no Torx sockets at all and could really use a set.



Between the new set and the next sets I am going to show you, I am well set up for Torx sockets. 



I really need to label these two sets as they are in identical cases.



Open them up and one is a hex set and the other is Torx... mostly, with a few Phillips heads thrown in for fun.



So yeah, I'm fairly well set on Torx sockets. 



Getting on to my spares, here are a couple of extensions and an old ratchet, the ratchet may possibly have been "liberated" from an old set of my father's, I cannot honestly remember.   

The longer extension still has the price tag on it to remind me how much of an idiot I can be.  I replaced the battery in my Jeep last winter and I borrowed an extension from the mechanic shop at Canadian Tire to haul the old one out.  I then returned the extension (no one likes someone who borrows tools and doesn't return them) figuring I would use my own extension when I got home to lock the new battery in place.  When I got home I realized that I didn't have a long enough extension to put it back, I had to run to the local hardware store and buy another one, which cost me $17.99.  The next time I was at Canadian Tire I noticed they had a set of five different extensions for $19.99.   



I also have these adaptors- the smaller one was probably found somewhere but the larger one was purchased when I needed a 24mm socket for an oil change in the Jeep, then realized I only had a 3/8" ratchet and the socket was 1/2".  I then had to go back and buy the adaptor.  Two trips to the local hardware store when I was sure I had everything necessary to do it before I started.   



These are my "spare" sockets, some like the big 24mm socket purchased alone for a specific purpose, or more often, found in a parking lot or work site when everyone else is done and gone.  The sizes are:

17mm
15mm deep
12mm deep
11mm
11mm deep
10mm
7mm

The SAE spares I have are pretty well the same story:



The sizes are:
15/16
7/8
13/16
5/8
5/8
5/8 deep
3/8
13/32

If anyone needs any of these sizes to replace any missing ones from their sets, please send me a PM and I'll be happy to send them along.  I hate a set wit ha missing piece and I'm sure I'm not the only one. 

Then there's these:



I bought the blue one within the last year for some reason, although for the life of me right now I can't recall why.  I usually wrap it in the wrench roll above, but one time I had left it behind and needed it, so I had to buy the green one to use.  Members who are paying attention will realize that the green one is the one I purchased during my.... incident..... at Gatineau Park a couple of months ago.   



Both are pretty well the same- both are 12"/300mm wrenches, which is usually good enough for anything I ever need to do with them.  Both claim to take up to 1 1/2" nuts, but the Haussmann model is just shy of that while the Mastercraft opens just a bit more.



I wouldn't suggest that the Haussmann is in any way inferior though, as I can't really envision a situation where I would need to work with nuts and/or bolts that are that large.



Yeah, there's a slight difference in range, but they are both much larger than I am likely to encounter doing automotive repairs, firearms work, home DIY and other random things I get into.

That pretty well covers my sockets and wrenches.  I have an impact gun in Halifax, and a set of impact sockets to go with it, but that's roughly 1000 miles away, and so not likely to be included in a pictorial here any time soon. 

Def

[jzmtl]

I'm glad I'm done with SAE sizes, paying twice for every tool sucks. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

What do you do when you find an SAE nut?

Def

[Smashie]

What do you do when you find an SAE nut?

Def

Walk away and say it can't be fixed 

[Vidar]

I've taken some pictures of various tools which I've come to like over the years. Hopefully some might be interesting to others as well. 

1. Sometimes I've had to argue with heavy or stuck stuff. And I've come to the conclusion that big is better for curing such issues. So I can highly recommend the back saving long lazy arm for sockets in the first picture, as well as a proper sized forged breaking bar. Actually the tiny breaking bar is nice too for more delicate stuff. (17mm socket included as size reference).

2. Spanners have standardized lengths loosely based on the torque the corresponding sized nuts and bolts are supposed to take and expected human strength. To make work just a little easier for myself when loosening stuff I usually use non-standard spanners that are longer than normal. (Normal 24mm spanner included for comparison).

3. I once had to measure a series of a particular part fairly precise. I ended up getting an oversized caliper. It figures in weirdly many selfies with people who has visited...

4. While the oversize one is fun, this absolute digital caliper in a more normal 8" / 20 cm size is a lot more useful. And it is used a lot - maybe the tool I use the most.

[Vidar]

5. Another one I like for measurement and marking at once is this vernier scriber thing. Great for marking a certain distance or cross from edges or similar.

6. Some years ago I needed a portable drill press. I ended up with this magnetic base drill press which basically sticks hard to any magentic surface - including sideways on wall, upside down etc. For drilling in non-magnetic materials I added the little metal bar to the left which I can clamp down to anything and then stick it to.

7. For work with hydraulics or pipes these splitting and ratcheting spanners are quite nice. They are fairly slim and will go around a pipe or hose. They ratchet one way so to turn direction you'd have to change the grip. I have the broad slim socket thing just for hydraulic manifolds - they all seem to have been designed by people who assume nothing will ever need to come loose ever after and thus room for tools are not needed...

8. Talking about sockets I've come to like the Kamasa ones to the left. Compared to most normal sockets (example on the right) the can also be gripped from the side by a spanner or hole spanner. The non-round outside also makes them a lot easier to turn just by hand for when that goes faster.

[Vidar]

9. My favorite little portable screwdriver. It is very compact yet has a nice grip and the 4 most used bit ends. And was dirt cheap too.

10. Over the years I've landed on Wera as my favorite screwdrivers. I'm not really in love with the grip, but the business ends are very good and grips like no other. The yellow series can also be grabbed from the side with a spanner for more torque, and have a full tang so one can whack them with a hammer. (Might not actually solve anything, but hammering just feels like therapy sometimes  ).

11. and 12. Certain applications need more precise torque than my blunt hands can provide. For those this Swisstool/ Garant torque system is great. Torque can be adjusted to what you need, and there are inserts available for all the normal suspects. As well as adapters for bit sockets and 1/4" drive. Can't help but like this one.

[hiraethus]

Great thread and some great tools.   Once we've moved I'll have to sort my toolboxes and get some photos up.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Great pics there Vidar!

I'll have to take some pics of my calipers too- after I got injured a couple of years ago I bought a set of digital calipers so I could start measuring things to try and recreate them in CAD software.  I had some limited success with the software, but I still use the calipers to measure a lot of things.  It's amazing how handy they are, and I often wonder how I ever got along without them.

Def

[Vidar]

13. The germans make some very nice pliers. Here are some Knipex ones. The black head Cobra ones are like improved water pump pliers. The blank head pliers wrenches are just great - their jaws remain parallel and will function as a ratcheting spanner among other things. And the Rapter down left in picture is a specialized nuts and bolt gripper.

14. For electrical and cable work the three to the right really saves time. The middle one will cut around the outside of a cable to a specific depth, and the edge can then be twisted 90 degrees and cut along the cable. Great for quickly getting to inner cables. If the outside is tough the one second to the left will usually still cut off the outside without harming any cables inside. And the hexagonal end crimp tool to the far right really helps securing good cable ends and proper reliable connections.

15. The little mirror with a light can be a lifesaver in tight spots. (Another candidate is taking a photo with the cellphone if your hand fits). The little pen is an oil pen - great for local cutting oil adds when machining. And the crazy looking plier to the right is a zip tie tightener and cutter. The thing works great!

16. Some various tidbits I've found useful. A centered stainless steel wirebrush; great for welding preparation. Two burr and edge removers - the blue one for inside holes. And the last one is a steering add-on for threading rods - it makes it easier to get the threads proper parallel to the rod every time.

[Vidar]

Great pics there Vidar!

I'll have to take some pics of my calipers too- after I got injured a couple of years ago I bought a set of digital calipers so I could start measuring things to try and recreate them in CAD software.  I had some limited success with the software, but I still use the calipers to measure a lot of things.  It's amazing how handy they are, and I often wonder how I ever got along without them.

Def

Yes, it is a measuring multitool

[Grant Lamontagne]

I really like the style of wrench that you have here:



The one on the far right.

I don't have one but I have often thought that the adjustable size on one of those would be extremely useful.  We have a review of a similar one on the Main Site and I have often thought of getting one.

Def

[Vidar]

That link was a fun multitool. Might be too bulky in many use cases though?

The one to the right can certainly grip some round or six sided stuff quite hard. I think it goes up to 4-6mm or so.

Its main purpose is to deform end crips onto electrical wires and make notches which helps keeping the wire securely stuck in whatever you connect the end to. (The more common ones leave a square end). It really helped reduce issues due to bad connection for electrical power or signals.

Before this I used more normal cheap crimping tools, but once in a blue moon there would be an error - usually one of those annoying hard-to-find ones that are just there sometimes. Needless to say causes of great frustration and expense. All such errors went away with this one - great investment! 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Oops, I guess I was thinking of a different tool then.  My excuse for not knowing that is that I am horrible when it comes to electrical work is that I don't tend to do much of it.  Electricity and I rarely see eye to eye, and when we do it is usually just an excuse for electricity to poke me in it.... 

That having been said, last week I rewired my trailer- apparently you can get worse at electrical work than me- a standard 4 pin trailer connector was then wired into a six pin connector (both male and female) then to two four pin connectors (again, male and female ends) and then into the two brake lights and nothing else.  I ripped all the wiring out and just replaced them with... wire.  Just four wires, which is what should have been there in the first place, and all of the new wires run through conduits to make sure they didn't hang or snag on anything.

Def

[Vidar]

If you can do a trailer connection you are more qualified than me for sure. Trailer connectors just seems to be a mess of standards and connections. (I'm sure it is all perfectly clear to the initiated though).

I actually saw eye to eye with electricity many years ago on a steel construction. Close enough to some 400v wire ends for the electricity to jump across the gap and onto my nose. It was not supposed to be live, but it sure got me very lively. 

I had the odd smell and taste of burnt hair for the next two weeks or so. Live and learn I guess. 

[Pacu]

I went from Best Buy Technician with 3 tool bags to an AV install company with 2 crew cab dodge gooseneck dually trucks and 2 fully stocked 26' trailers. 

I still carry my Knipex from Best Buy as they are fantastic tools. Husky makes a fine socket set. We beat the hell out of the sockets and ratchets and they still hold up just fine. Klein has glow in the dark handle tools now. I bought a pair of diagonal cutters. Awesome when you're working in the ceiling.

I need recommendations on IT scissors besides those Greenlee or Klein ones. They don't fit my big hands for fiddling with cat cable,

[Grant Lamontagne]

If you can do a trailer connection you are more qualified than me for sure. Trailer connectors just seems to be a mess of standards and connections. (I'm sure it is all perfectly clear to the initiated though).

I actually saw eye to eye with electricity many years ago on a steel construction. Close enough to some 400v wire ends for the electricity to jump across the gap and onto my nose. It was not supposed to be live, but it sure got me very lively. 

I had the odd smell and taste of burnt hair for the next two weeks or so. Live and learn I guess. 

I have yet to hook up said trailer and see if it was successful, or if the whole mess bursts into flames.  Its simple wiring but i am still quite certain that I have screwed it up somehow.   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I went from Best Buy Technician with 3 tool bags to an AV install company with 2 crew cab dodge gooseneck dually trucks and 2 fully stocked 26' trailers. 

I still carry my Knipex from Best Buy as they are fantastic tools. Husky makes a fine socket set. We beat the hell out of the sockets and ratchets and they still hold up just fine. Klein has glow in the dark handle tools now. I bought a pair of diagonal cutters. Awesome when you're working in the ceiling.

I need recommendations on IT scissors besides those Greenlee or Klein ones. They don't fit my big hands for fiddling with cat cable,

Gerber Cable Dawg?   

Sorry, that's the best I've got.....

I didn't know you'd left BB though.  Congrats man, it sounds like a real step up!

Def

[Yadda]

13. The germans make some very nice pliers. Here are some Knipex ones. The black head Cobra ones are like improved water pump pliers. The blank head pliers wrenches are just great - their jaws remain parallel and will function as a ratcheting spanner among other things. And the Rapter down left in picture is a specialized nuts and bolt gripper.

14. For electrical and cable work the three to the right really saves time. The middle one will cut around the outside of a cable to a specific depth, and the edge can then be twisted 90 degrees and cut along the cable. Great for quickly getting to inner cables. If the outside is tough the one second to the left will usually still cut off the outside without harming any cables inside. And the hexagonal end crimp tool to the far right really helps securing good cable ends and proper reliable connections.

15. The little mirror with a light can be a lifesaver in tight spots. (Another candidate is taking a photo with the cellphone if your hand fits). The little pen is an oil pen - great for local cutting oil adds when machining. And the crazy looking plier to the right is a zip tie tightener and cutter. The thing works great!

16. Some various tidbits I've found useful. A centered stainless steel wirebrush; great for welding preparation. Two burr and edge removers - the blue one for inside holes. And the last one is a steering add-on for threading rods - it makes it easier to get the threads proper parallel to the rod every time.

Love the Knipex pliers!

[gerleatherberman]

Hey Grant,
Why don't y'all make a category on the mto.org forum for regular hand tools? I know I'd enjoy it!
Cool stuff and nice pics!