S557 on the job

Smaug · **on:** May 31, 2012, 04:03:32 AM

I had to go down to the lab today to take apart a couple of fans for construction review. I decided to bring the S557, which I keep in my desk drawer. I brought my little toolbox too, in case the S557 didn't have the guts to get the job done.

Removing a nut that holds the potentiometer in place. The Wenger slip joint pliers were perfect for this job. Vic pliers would not have done it.

On the other side, I used the plier tips to take off the nuts holding the board to the stand-offs:

Looking good so far!

Removing the Class 2 transformer and wiring box cover plate. A T-phillips would have failed here. The inline phillips on the Wenger barely got it done, due to the thickness of the S557:

Attempting to loosen the bolt that holds the fan blade to the motor shaft. FAIL. The wrench is too small, and made for hex-shaped bolts, not square:

Attempting to loosen the bolts that hold the rear fan guard to the motor mount. FAIL. The bolts are too big. (They were 3/8". I had to get a socket set.)

The slip joint pliers opened wide enough, but those bolts were TIGHT. I couldn't have loosened them to save my life with a SAK.

I tried the wrench again on the 1/4" bolts that held the motor together and which held the mounting plate to the motor. Success!

Whoops, I spoke too soon. This one was too far in from the edge of the plate. The wrench would fit, but it doesn't extend far enough from the knife to have room to turn it! It is a FAIL after all:

I pulled the permanent magnet rotor out of the DC brushless motor, but a spacer ring fell off the ball bearing into the motor. Like a monkey, trying to get food out of a jar, I tried to reach in there and grab it. FAIL.

...but I am not a monkey. I am an advanced tool-user. So I deployed the S557's pliers once again. SUCCESS!

At this point, I had it torn down enough to take some notes and photos. Job done.

This was a simulated "field exercise." The SAK would not have kept me from going for a toolbox. But a full size, plier-based MT wouldn't have either.

I also used the Wenger to slice open a plastic baggie full of hardware, which of course it excelled at. The thinner blade stock of Wenger knife blades REALLY gets sharp. My Wengers are all sharper than my Vics, and with the same sharpening effort.

My conclusions?

The wrench is not as useful as I had imagined. Shaft length is short, and the nut would have to be floating away from a surface, like on the middle of a long bolt. Otherwise, the knife stack gets in the way.
The pliers are MORE useful than I imagined. That wide jaw opening is pretty great.
The Wenger blades are effectively sharper, though Vic blades are also sharp enough to get 'er done.
An inline phillips is 302% more useful than a T-phillips.

You can draw your own conclusions, even if it was not that conclusive of a post to begin with. ;)

Grathr · **Reply #1 on:** May 31, 2012, 06:08:54 AM

Great series of pictures of the S557 doing its job

Millhouse · **Reply #2 on:** May 31, 2012, 08:43:48 AM

Great write up and pics. Good to see testing of tools in a real environment.

borgwarrior · **Reply #3 on:** May 31, 2012, 08:58:16 AM

Thanks for the quick review! Since I'll be having a 557 soon, it was very useful for me what to expect.

dks · **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2012, 11:36:24 AM

Now I want one...

magentus · **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2012, 11:49:26 AM

Great review and pics - thanks. It looks like a very useful tool, especially the pliers. I wonder if Victorinox will ever combine the best aspects of their and Wengers tools into one ULTRA-MEGA-SUPERSAK(name copyrighted just in case!).

I want one too.

Smaug · **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2012, 01:03:42 PM

I may have spoken too soon re. the Vic pliers not getting it done. Although they are not slip joint pliers, they are bigger in the center of their one position.

North Man · **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2012, 02:05:27 PM

well done!

Storky · **Reply #8 on:** May 31, 2012, 02:52:35 PM

Aaahh the S557

One of my all time favorite SAK.
Thank you for the great pics at work.

Best regards.

Markus

Mr. Whippy · **Reply #9 on:** May 31, 2012, 05:38:42 PM

To be fair, in the modern setting, the alligator wrench is more and more limited in usefulness. I have a lot of exposed nuts and bolts on farm equipment, gates etc, but I find more and more modern manufacturing has recessed bolts, hidden fasteners, etc which are just not all that amenable to an alligator style wrench.

It is great on my old Land Rover, motorcycles and bicycle however!

fenofedd · **Reply #10 on:** May 31, 2012, 07:28:06 PM

I wonder how much force could an aligator wrench handle without damaging when fastening/unfastening a bolt. Does anyone have info on that?

Smaug · **Reply #11 on:** May 31, 2012, 07:41:28 PM

Quote from: fenofedd on May 31, 2012, 07:28:06 PM

I wonder how much force could an aligator wrench handle without damaging when fastening/unfastening a bolt. Does anyone have info on that?

Since this wrench only works on very small fastners, there is effectively no limit. You can apply as much force as you need to, and not worry about the wrench. If the nut is frozen, you might round one corner of it.

Another way to put it is that it can apply more torque than any SAK pliers. (probably including the SwissTools too, since their large pliers are too big to work on these small nuts)

Smaug · **Reply #12 on:** May 31, 2012, 07:50:50 PM

I carried the Victorinox CyberTool 34 down to the lab with me today. I had a chance so far to use the CyberTool's #2 phillips on that same screw. It was better. The CT is more like a "real screwdriver" than the drivers on every other SAK I've used.

Note that the shaft of the CyberTool driver is long enough to clear the transformer, so the tool stack thickness didn't come into play.

Also, since the #2 phillips bit is black oxide coated instead of highly polished stainless steel, it didn't want to slip in the screw head as much.

The other screw, below the transformer, was even tighter against the transformer than this one. This is a clear advantage to the utility of a CyberTool compared to any other SAK, in my opinion. (as much as I like the S557!)

Wenger's got the better pliers, esp. the wire cutter, and they've got the nail file/#1 phillips, but the CT has a dedicated #1 and #0 phillips bit.

Wenger's got the locking blade, and more durable scissors and pliers, on account of their using the backspring for power, instead of a leaf spring.

I guess in the end, if you need better screwdrivers, a hook, a pin, or a penone has to go with the CyberTool. If you need the locking blade, nail file, textured grip, (available in three flavors) smaller package, or slip joint pliers, go with the S557.

Mr. Whippy · **Reply #13 on:** May 31, 2012, 08:09:45 PM

I wish Victorinox put out sets of bits for the Cybertool driver.

Like a set of torx (not just selected torx), Allen heads in mm and SAE (up to 5mm would be ideal...) and a set with Phillips/flat drivers.

I guy can dream...

Aleister · **Reply #14 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:27:32 PM

Quote from: dks on May 31, 2012, 11:36:24 AM

Now I want one...

Me too

Ashley · **Reply #15 on:** June 01, 2012, 01:17:30 AM

Great post!

Sent from Ash forum mobile

sergemaster · **Reply #16 on:** June 01, 2012, 04:39:57 AM

Amici,
I said it once and I'll say it until I'm blue in the face, you just gotta love Wenger!

Cheers,
Serge

theonew · **Reply #17 on:** June 01, 2012, 06:50:47 AM

Great post

Quote from: Smaug on May 31, 2012, 04:03:32 AM

The SAK would not have kept me from going for a toolbox. But a full size, plier-based MT wouldn't have either.

I'm pretty sure a LM Crunch would have been able complete the job.

ICanFixThat · **Reply #18 on:** June 01, 2012, 01:45:52 PM

Very nice picture story!

Mr. Whippy · **Reply #19 on:** June 01, 2012, 04:30:58 PM

Quote from: theonew on June 01, 2012, 06:50:47 AM

Great post

Quote from: Smaug on May 31, 2012, 04:03:32 AM
The SAK would not have kept me from going for a toolbox. But a full size, plier-based MT wouldn't have either.

I'm pretty sure a LM Crunch would have been able complete the job.

My problem with a Crunch is this:

The pliers are Great! The other tools are $:-\$ .

And while the bit driver is there, it is a real hassle to fiddle with. (The drivers in the handle are pretty short for real work).

Smaug · **Reply #20 on:** June 01, 2012, 05:37:26 PM

The Crunch is pretty darned big & heavy, too.

However, it is a good point he made. It may have been possible, but it may also have just rounded it off. They were awfully tight, and when a fastner gets tightened to its limit, one sometimes needs the right tool for the job.

theonew · **Reply #21 on:** June 01, 2012, 06:06:44 PM

I'm pretty happy with the drivers on the Crunch. I much prefer them over the stubby bit driver on the Charge. I think the phillips driver is fantastic, I like the size and shape of it very much. On occasion I've had to open the handles and only hold one side to work in a tight space. I agree that the bit driver is pretty fiddly, especially in that using it renders the pliers inoperable, but there is a workaround for that; you can clamp the bit or bit extender in the pliers jaws. For me, I'll take a little extra fiddlyness if it means I can get the whole job done.

Actually the Crunch is not really that big. Very similar in size to the Vic Spirit and even a good bit lighter in weight. I doubt it would have rounded them off if it was very tightly locked on but it may not have offered the leverage necessary given its short length.

Mr. Whippy · **Reply #22 on:** June 01, 2012, 06:24:57 PM

I agree about the pliers. The Crunch is as good as the small sized Vise Grip. Way better than the needle nosed locking pliers.

Regarding size: I think they're about the same size as a PST. Very pocketable, IMO.

Heinz Doofenshmirtz · **Reply #23 on:** June 03, 2012, 04:01:43 AM

I love my Crunch.

But, I have to agree, it is a bit of a niche tool. I use mine most for biking, as the locking pliers are the perfect compliment to the stubby combo wrenches I also carry in my bike tool kit. The nice part is the real phillips driver the Crunch has, and the file. They compliment my other tools nicely and are very handy for the rare times I have to make a major repair. The only real drag about the Crunch is its weight; because of that, I tend to only put it in my bike kit for when I'm going out on longer rides, or when I know I'm going to be a significant distance away from civilization.

ICanFixThat · **Reply #24 on:** June 03, 2012, 04:34:33 PM

Maybe if Vic is not interested in making a mini Spirit tool we could convince them to make a locking plier tool ala visegrips/crunch style with some precision swiss manucaturing and some ingenuity like we have in the Spirit?

theonew · **Reply #25 on:** June 04, 2012, 12:12:17 AM

Quote from: ICanFixThat on June 03, 2012, 04:34:33 PM

Maybe if Vic is not interested in making a mini Spirit tool we could convince them to make a locking plier tool ala visegrips/crunch style with some precision swiss manucaturing and some ingenuity like we have in the Spirit?

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