Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Every Day Carry Tools

  1. #1
    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    4,923
    Thanks
    576
    Thanked 934 Times in 755 Posts

    Every Day Carry Tools

    I have a tool bag that's already a bit bloated which I carry onto all jobs and it's got in it a carefully selected 'A-list' of trusted tools that I know intimately and use regularly. For a tool to make it into this bag it would have to bring something really special to the party but once in a while I come across such a tool.... a tool that stands out ....a tool of quality and greatness... a tool that rises above other mere mortal tools and the day it happens is a good day, it's a day I want to share with others and hope they might share their similar days with me.

    Don't get me wrong, most of the tools I'm going to feature here are simple, everyday and low tech hand tools, with many of them their greatness doesn't stand out to the untrained eye, it's more of a low key, understated superiority.

    I also look forward to posts of tools of your own where you also share why they wowed you.
    _______________________________________________

    _______________________________________________

  2. #2
    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    4,923
    Thanks
    576
    Thanked 934 Times in 755 Posts
    I'm going to start off with an adjustable spanner aka a shifting spanner aka a Freestate vernier. Actually I'm going to show two spanners because they're both great and I can't decide which one is superior.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Span.jpg 
Views:	158 
Size:	56.4 KB 
ID:	8199

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	CK span.jpg 
Views:	156 
Size:	73.8 KB 
ID:	8200

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Mon Span.jpg 
Views:	156 
Size:	55.0 KB 
ID:	8201

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1620830658021.jpg 
Views:	158 
Size:	37.7 KB 
ID:	8202

    The top picture shows both the Facom spanner and the Monument spanner side by side, the tape measure is just there for scale.

    Starting with the Facom spanner, it's very short (about half the length of a normal shifting spanner) which means it doesn't take much space in the tool bag and it's relatively light compared to normal shifting spanners. It's very well built and engineered which means it doesn't twist or slip even under high force and it has a corrosion resistant finish. The jaws are thinner than a normal shifting spanner which means it can get onto nuts which are very close together. Finally and most importantly it can get onto a nut that's 45mm across the flats which is enormous.

    The Monument spanner has similar attributes, it's also well engineered with very little play and float in the jaws. It's also very short and it can accomodate a very large nut that's 39mm across the flats. It has thinner jaws than the Facom version and it's jaws are also tapered thinner towards the tips which means it will sometimes access an awkward nut that the Facom spanner can't.

    I'd say both spanners are superb and neither is better than the other. It's a shame the Facom jaws aren't a little thinner and it's a shame the Monument spanner isn't chromed because it does get light corrosion after time. Both spanners score an individual 9 out of 10 which is high praise indeed. As a pair they compliment each other perfectly and as a pair I'd score them 9.5 out of 10.
    _______________________________________________

    _______________________________________________

  3. #3
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    planet earth
    Posts
    3,943
    Thanks
    153
    Thanked 317 Times in 287 Posts
    Marvel ME 22 A ... the most used tool in my kit ... it use to be a cresent pliers.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  4. #4
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    planet earth
    Posts
    3,943
    Thanks
    153
    Thanked 317 Times in 287 Posts
    When it comes to shifting spanners ... I only use bahco ... thin profile with a wide opening ... ideal for glands and tight spaces ... I have had them for many many years.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  5. #5
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    planet earth
    Posts
    3,943
    Thanks
    153
    Thanked 317 Times in 287 Posts
    I have a site trailer ... which attracts a lot of attention when I work on site ... it use to have a lot or red machines ... but since the red machine service department told me to go F%^& myself ... they will all be spray painted black in the near future.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  6. #6
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    planet earth
    Posts
    3,943
    Thanks
    153
    Thanked 317 Times in 287 Posts
    the next tool that deserves mention ... this little fits in my tool kit with all the other stuff used on a daily basis.

    its light ... comapct and accurate ... having the magnet was a huge bonus back when we still used metal plugs and sitches ... but still works on the plastic junk.

    https://www.stabila.com/en-US/produc...-magnetic.html
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  7. #7
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    planet earth
    Posts
    3,943
    Thanks
    153
    Thanked 317 Times in 287 Posts
    Another piece of equipment I use on a daily basis ... a gas soldering iron ... for many years I had a weller pyro pen ... it worked well ... then one day it stopped working ... weller being such a well known quality brand ... I thought the product would be supported ... sent it in for repairs ... the response ... sorry we dont carry spares for our weller pyro pens ... spend R2000 and buy an new one ...no thanks.

    Instead I bought a cheap gas soldering iron form major tech and as expected it didnt last a month ... threw it in the dustbin and bought a diffrent brand ... but also cheap junk ... once again in the dustbin after aweek or so.

    I have a couple dremmel machines and they have lasted years ... I thought the gas soldering must be a quality product ... abused it for a couple months .... then it stopped working ... back to builders ... I was sent to bosch so that the technician could have a look at it ... installed a part and it worked ... so I bought a spare one.

    I bought a couple service kits and must say ... money well spent ... I actually carry 2 dremmel gas soldering irons in my everyday carry tool kit ... one has the blower for heat shrink and the other the soldering tip.

    One downside to the dremmel unit ... the tips dont last as long as the weller ... but hey at a 3rd of the price and they support their product.

    watch for the specials ... and check out the good reviews.

    I give the tool a 8/10 (losses 2 points for the tips)

    https://www.takealot.com/dremel-vers...B&gclsrc=aw.ds
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  8. #8
    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    4,923
    Thanks
    576
    Thanked 934 Times in 755 Posts
    I've been through literally dozens of gas soldering irons ranging from Weller which were very expensive all the way through to the cheap unbranded tat. None of them were even satisfactory, they're useless in even a light breeze, many of them spit and splutter when you turn them up high enough to get decent heat and one or two of them leaked and were downright dangerous. They also have no meaningful temperature control so they're prone to either roasting the joint or being too cool and the solder not flowing properly, either way resulting in poor joints.

    After several decades of disappointment everything changed when I came across this little beauty;

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1621201240837.jpg 
Views:	163 
Size:	49.7 KB 
ID:	8205

    It's a battery operated portable soldering iron that will run on any DC supply between 12 and 24 volts. This alone is a game changer, it means you can run it on your bench supply if you do board repairs or you can use a small lithium ion battery like I have in the picture. It will also run direct from a car battery or the car cigarette lighter socket if you're doing automotive work and you can even get or make an adaptor to run it from an 18 volt powertool battery in which case you won't need to carry a special battery for it.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1621201391051.jpg 
Views:	191 
Size:	42.3 KB 
ID:	8206

    The heat-up speed and temperature recovery speed of the iron varies depending on the voltage of the supply. At 12 volts it will take around 20 seconds to heat up fully from cold which is pretty quick but at 24 volts the time reduces to about 7 seconds which is rediculously fast. The little battery I use is a 14.8 volt Li-ion that is often used in remote control cars and the warm up time is more than fast enough for me. If you're going to be using it a lot on items that sink a lot of heat or larger size wiring like 4mm or 6mm I'd suggest an 18-24 volt supply would be better.

    Part of the reason it's so fast is that the heater is right in the end of the tip rather than traditional irons where the heater is in the main body of the tip and it takes longer for heat to transmit to the end where it's needed. The temperature is fully adjustable and the temperature sensor is also in the end of the tip which means it reacts very quickly to temperature changes and keeps a very accurate and constant temperature when it's in use. This also means it can punch way above its weight for its wattage. I have to admit I was skeptical when I bought it but I've been pleasantly surprised at what it can do, with my battery at 14.8 volts it's a 20 watt iron and I've soldered 6mm lugs onto wires at that power. If you use an 18v battery it will be a 40 watt iron and at 24 volts it will be 65 watts but I've never needed more power so I've never used it with higher voltage supply.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1621201320924.jpg 
Views:	165 
Size:	54.8 KB 
ID:	8207

    The range of tips available is pretty impressive with various sizes of conical, chisel, beveled and pointed tips available. I carry the iron in the box it came supplied with along with the battery, some flux, a tip cleaner, various sizes of resin cored solder and the 3 tips I most commonly use. It's portable, light and I don't carry the charger because it operates for at least an hour on a single charge. It also has an idle function when you don't use it for a minute or two and its built in gyroscope sensor automatically reheats it to set temperature as soon as you pick it up again. It's also ESD compliant and it comes with an ESD cable you can connect to your mat to avoid static damage to components being soldered.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1621201997382.jpg 
Views:	152 
Size:	38.1 KB 
ID:	8208

    The iron is programmable and there's several versions of firmware available that change specific features. You can also write your own firmware if you're that way inclined.

    Overall I can't fault this soldering iron, it's been my goto iron for both bench repairs and for field work for about 2 years. The build quality is great it's soldering power is admirable, its portability is great and its functionality is flawless. This iron would be a great choice for for tradesmen and also for someone doing board repairs and electronics on a bench.

    As for price, I'm going from memory here so this is only a guide, I paid about R1100 over 2 years ago and it came with a couple of tips and the ESD strap. On top of that you need a battery and I think I paid about R400 for my little battery and the charger. I bought a wide selection of tips from Wish . com and I think they were about R250 each but it just so happens the tips also fit my Hakko bench soldering iron so they're dual use for me. Then there's sundries such as R100 for Amtec flux and probably another 100 bucks for a tip cleaner and some decent solder so it starts mounting up. All in all I'd guess you could do it on a budget of R1.5k for the iron and the sundries if you were using a powertool battery you already have in your tools but in my opinion it's well worth the money.
    _______________________________________________

    _______________________________________________

Similar Threads

  1. Electricians tools
    By ians in forum Electrical Contracting Industry Forum
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 24-Nov-19, 12:27 PM
  2. Tools wat wegraak
    By Wiliie Hugo in forum Electrical Contracting Industry Forum
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 14-Jun-18, 10:28 AM
  3. Replies: 6
    Last Post: 01-Apr-16, 04:22 PM
  4. Survey Tools
    By sterne.law@gmail.com in forum General Business Forum
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 21-Jul-15, 02:18 PM

Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.

Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •