What are the Cheap and Cheerful tools you actually use regularly?

ChopperCharles · **on:** July 26, 2019, 05:07:38 PM

I'll start. I love my Hanwei Professional Multi-Tool!

It's the Gerber-made shears tool that sldies open like an MP600. I use it at least two or three times a week. It's never an EDC, but the shears cut through anything. ANYTHING. They don't flex,stuff never gets jammed up between them, and they just WORK. I love the external OHO blade as well. I like this tool especially for working on drywall. The scissors cut the tin corner edging with ease, the blade pops open to make a hole in drywall pretty quickly, and then the saw cuts out a rectangle for the outlet in seconds. The removable file is also a neat thing that I've used on occasion. Even the little external flip-open pliers... they seem like a ridculous after-thought, and they're not much larger than SAK pliers, but they have worked for the light-duty tasks I've needed them for. The internal tools are hard to get at and the phillips driver is made of cheese, but all the external tools make it useful enough that I constantly find myself reaching for it.

This is the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017BIHXRG

Charles.

gerleatherberman · **Reply #1 on:** July 27, 2019, 03:18:15 PM

The Paul Chen(what some of us call the Hanwei) is a favorite of many of us in the C&C MT world.

My favorite aspect of the shears is the double screw alignment and pivot tension adjustments. So even if they get loose or something, they can be easily adjusted back to proper working order.

I ground the tip down a bit on the "Phillips driver" on mine to more adequately accept a square to 1/4" hex bit adapter for bit use. The Hanwei lives in my desk draw for a myriad of cutting and driving tasks.

As far as regular use, the Hanwei is the only one I use often that qualifies for the C&C category. But, that said, I would probably use more C&C if I hadn't amassed so many name brand user tools over the last few years.

ChopperCharles · **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2019, 04:23:42 PM

This is another oddball tool I use somewhat regularly. It’s in my desk drawer and I find it has three excellent implements. The bit driver, the fiskars style scissors, and the pliers get used a couple times a week. The pliers are sharper and more precise than victorinox 91mm pliers, and bigger too. The scissors appear in every way identical to mp600 scissors. So does the file for that matter. It’s a big beefy mp600 sized file.

It does have some niggles. The door that holds the extra bits is very fragile, and likes to pop open easily. For that reason it lives in my desk. I suppose a cybertool would be a more compact replacement... but this was $20, has a big useful file, big useful scissors, and the bit driver is often used in conjunction with my actual precision bitdriver kit whenever I’m working on knives or multitools, and I come across stubborn pivots that need two drivers to remove.

The scissors are just GOOD, and can cut through cardboard or anything really, and the pliers I use as big tweezers. They’re precise enough to pull out ingrown hairs. They’re also strong enough to do light household tasks. Opening seals on food mostly, getting junk out of the sink drain, Anything vic pliers would be put to use doing.

Because of the tendency for that door to pop open and spill the bits everywhere it’s not a candidate for EDC, but as a desk tool it’s great.

I’m not even sure what it’s called. I got it because of the Jeep branding and because the scissors and file looked like gerber tools.

Charles.

Sam Lim · **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2019, 05:12:44 PM

I think this qualifies though it on a juice platform. The scissor from a craftsman, blade from a Paul Chen's. These 2 tools are used on a daily basis, multiple times. Part of my work carry that I cannot live without now.

King_Gorilla · **Reply #4 on:** January 12, 2020, 06:27:14 AM

Charles

I wish I had seen that link a long time ago. I bought one of those shears tools because I saw you talking about yours. The only place I found it for sale was some strange website that was selling it for $8!!! but then I had to pay like $23 for shipping!

magentus · **Reply #5 on:** January 18, 2020, 02:14:05 PM

Great idea for a thread!

I really love my SanRenMu 7010's and use them a lot. Great little knives - well made and very flickable. I started off with the black was 'Flaming Panther' one which I sanded down to a nice grey wash finish, and Hiraethus kindly gave me a black Eden version that I was after. Here they both are:

SteveC · **Reply #6 on:** January 20, 2020, 01:24:27 AM

I'm with Mags, my 7010 is my go to work knife.

Wish I could find a all black like that Eden

Cris_ · **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2020, 12:13:17 AM

I really like the Ganzo G302-B, It's not really a cheap tool, but it is a knock off brand so I thought id include it anyway. I got it off this website ill link below, I think I paid more than what I think other people do but the website looked somewhat legit and had a return policy so I willingly overpaid

In a nutshell, I am very impressed by the quality of the tool. when I say quality I mean the paint actually felt nice, the steel was heat treated and blades sharp (although the saw was a bit blunt) and overall the tool feels really smooth for just a knock off brand. I felt that the blades were a bit short but I really don't mind this product.

LINK REMOVED

zoidberg · **Reply #8 on:** March 29, 2020, 12:19:50 AM

Hi Cris, don't link to your site.
If you must advertise then go about it the right way and send me a PM after you've posted here a bit more.
Cheers.

cody6268 · **Reply #9 on:** March 29, 2020, 01:41:44 AM

Quote from: ChopperCharles on July 26, 2019, 05:07:38 PM

I'll start. I love my Hanwei Professional Multi-Tool!

(Image removed from quote.)

It's the Gerber-made shears tool that sldies open like an MP600. I use it at least two or three times a week. It's never an EDC, but the shears cut through anything. ANYTHING. They don't flex,stuff never gets jammed up between them, and they just WORK. I love the external OHO blade as well. I like this tool especially for working on drywall. The scissors cut the tin corner edging with ease, the blade pops open to make a hole in drywall pretty quickly, and then the saw cuts out a rectangle for the outlet in seconds. The removable file is also a neat thing that I've used on occasion. Even the little external flip-open pliers... they seem like a ridculous after-thought, and they're not much larger than SAK pliers, but they have worked for the light-duty tasks I've needed them for. The internal tools are hard to get at and the phillips driver is made of cheese, but all the external tools make it useful enough that I constantly find myself reaching for it.

This is the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017BIHXRG

Charles.

Even if it's just for its heavy scissors--I use mine a good 2-3 times a week. Personally, it is by far, the best cheap MT I have owned.

Interestingly enough, the pliers, at least on my examples, both Excalibur and Hanwei, suck, and appear to be made out of unhardened, low-grade steel. I wonder how hard it would be to remove them and their holder? The problem I see is that the older and its "backspring" is integrated into the tool frame. It's keeping it from fitting into several different sheaths I've tried.

ChopperCharles · **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2020, 04:46:19 PM

I've been thinking about replacing the pliers with a flip-open bit driver for the teeny bits. Need to get a 4-jaw chuck for my lathe and then I can start modding.

Charles.

Happy Gilmore · **Reply #11 on:** April 27, 2020, 09:30:13 PM

Quote from: ChopperCharles on March 30, 2020, 04:46:19 PM

I've been thinking about replacing the pliers with a flip-open bit driver for the teeny bits. Need to get a 4-jaw chuck for my lathe and then I can start modding.

Charles.

I just stripped the Professional tool down to what was actually decent, the pliers and that whole metal component come off with not too much fuss. I removed the saw/file..basically its just sheer, blade, Philips and the two other internal implements. That is good enough for me.

ChopperCharles · **Reply #12 on:** April 30, 2020, 04:16:00 AM

I like the saw and file. I use the saw for cutting drywall, and it works exceptionally well for that. The whole tool, really, I've used for drywall. Scissors to cut the metal outside corner flashing. Saw to cut an opening for a light switch. Scissors to gently score the insulation. Pliers to strip the scored insulation, and bend the wire into a hook. Drivers to install the light switch. Bottle opener for the beer I need to find the patience to mud. File for the hangnail bothering me all day. I've also used it to clean up a burr on a soldered joint and file random other things. If you put it in the holder at 90 degrees it locks into the tool and you can use it like any other file. Albeit with a sideways handle.

Charles.

Happy Gilmore · **Reply #13 on:** May 06, 2020, 09:09:25 PM

Quote from: ChopperCharles on April 30, 2020, 04:16:00 AM

I like the saw and file. I use the saw for cutting drywall, and it works exceptionally well for that. The whole tool, really, I've used for drywall. Scissors to cut the metal outside corner flashing. Saw to cut an opening for a light switch. Scissors to gently score the insulation. Pliers to strip the scored insulation, and bend the wire into a hook. Drivers to install the light switch. Bottle opener for the beer I need to find the patience to mud. File for the hangnail bothering me all day. I've also used it to clean up a burr on a soldered joint and file random other things. If you put it in the holder at 90 degrees it locks into the tool and you can use it like any other file. Albeit with a sideways handle.

Charles.

something was wrong with my slip joint lock that made the saw and file never work properly, I basically gave up on them and removed them. I do wish they worked as I liked the toolset.