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For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....

ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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As the title says, if you can't afford the luxurious $30 you'd have to spend on the Buck XTract, pictured below, you can probably find this other one for about half that.



This one has no name, or at least not one I remember, but we spent some time at the Sheffield/Great Neck Saw booth a few years ago talking to the owner who suggested that there was some unmentionable connection between the design of the XTract and this one.



It's pretty well the same setup and similar shape to the more popular XTract, which I always felt was kind of cheap for what it was- but then I spent the full MSRP of $40 on it instead of the $27 or so everyone else in the world spent on it.  ::)



Overall it didn't seem too bad, but it did feel like a Fisher price version of the XTract- bulkier, chunkier, but more or less the same idea with sliding pliers, and one handed everything.



About the only significant design difference between this one and the XTract is the XTract has a double ended screwdriver bit that slides out one end for the flathead and the other end for the Phillips.  This one just has fold out screwdrivers.



I do have to say that I prefer the blade on this one to the blade found on the XTract, so at least from that standpoint this is a decent tool. 



Once again, I don't actually have one of these to fiddle with, so all these thoughts are based on what I recall from a few minutes of fiddling with this stuff two years ago.
 


As you all can see, I was very well prepared for the Cheap & Nasty Forum!   >:D

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


gb Offline AimlessWanderer

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #1 on: January 16, 2013, 12:02:40 AM
That's a few times today you've had a pop at the X-Tract's blade today ... so I'm going to carry my X-Tract Essential tomorrow now to see how I get on with it  :D What don't you like about it?

I do prefer the X-Tract drivers over the Sheffield one I think - even if they are so stubby.

I see what you mean about Fisher Price too  :P


The cantankerous but occasionally useful member, formally known as 50ft-trad


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #2 on: January 16, 2013, 12:08:20 AM
That is patently not true... one of those disparaging comments on the XTract was made yesterday...   >:D

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


gb Offline tosh

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #3 on: January 16, 2013, 12:09:41 AM
As you all can see, I was very well prepared for the Cheap & Nasty Forum!   >:D

Def


Hmm

Maybe a little too well prepared one might think.. :whistle:   :rofl: :rofl:
I don't claim to know it all, but what I do know is right.


gb Offline AimlessWanderer

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #4 on: January 16, 2013, 12:11:05 AM
That is patently not true... one of those disparaging comments on the XTract was made yesterday...   >:D

Def
You and your wierd time zones  ::) why can't you have today and yesterday at the same time as everyone else  :P  :D :D


The cantankerous but occasionally useful member, formally known as 50ft-trad


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #5 on: January 16, 2013, 12:31:03 AM
It's not my fault you Brits have to be in bed so early!

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


gb Offline AimlessWanderer

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #6 on: January 16, 2013, 08:42:17 AM
 :D


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scotland Offline Nikos

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #7 on: January 16, 2013, 02:03:15 PM
What's wrong with XTract's blade? ???


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #8 on: January 16, 2013, 02:11:03 PM
It feels super cheap to me. Crappy steel, cheesy serrations, oversized profile- take your pick.

Def

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Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


gb Offline AimlessWanderer

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #9 on: January 16, 2013, 02:16:36 PM
I quite like the PE version on the Essential, other than the liner lock of course


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scotland Offline Nikos

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #10 on: January 16, 2013, 02:31:00 PM
Hmmm, I see your point wrt the serrations and blade profile (although the latter never worried me as it fit nicely with the profile of the handles). I have to disagree on the steel though; I know it's "only" 420HC, but I've found it holds an edge quite well and sharpens up pretty easily.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: For those who can't quite afford the luxury of the XTract....
Reply #11 on: January 16, 2013, 02:38:44 PM
To each their own of course. Personally I'm not fond of it all. Plus as mentioned in the other thread I have a really cheap knife with almost identical blade, and that doesn't help it at all.

Def

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Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


 

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