What is your favorite HAND tool brand?

[maulhead]

I have some Williams stuff, it's solid. Pretty sure they build a lot of stuff for Blue Point.

From what I've been told yes, they have a few brands under the same blanket. I think the Williams Taiwan line, is the same as Blue Point.

 

[beaglebriar]

SK baby!!! Once you turn an old SK ratchet there’s no going back!!

 

[Loony661]

SK baby!!! Once you turn an old SK ratchet there’s no going back!!

I’ve got SK 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 sets.

 

[Lions fan]

When I was starting out S-K was my favorite. Now that they've been bought up by the Asians, not so much.

 

[beaglebriar]

What about the Rampant Rabbit, it’s a hand tool that runs on batteries









View attachment 407494

So that’s where it went..

 

[Lions fan]

I’ve got SK 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 sets.

Me too.

 

[beaglebriar]

When I was starting out S-K was my favorite. Now that they've been bought up by the Asians, not so much.

Yeah kinda stuck with the old stuff but it’s pretty bulletproof.

 

[maulhead]

I have not heard of them. How about OTC (Owatonna Tool Co)?

JH Williams was founded in NY in 1882, by James Harvey Williams. JH Williams has changed hands a few times since the 1880's.

Snap-on acquired Williams in 1993, and dropped the JH off the name. Snap-on redesigned the Williams ratchets when they took over. Post 1993 Williams ratchets take the same rebuild kits as Snap-on ratchets, of the 1990's threw early 2000's era.

Williams has a USA line and a Taiwan line. I only buy the USA line. I was told by someone who works at Williams, that the Williams USA tools are made in the same plant where Snap-ons are made.

 

[Ketchup]

I really like Knipex pliers.

 

[maulhead]

SK baby!!! Once you turn an old SK ratchet there’s no going back!!

When my grandpa passed away, late 1980's I was willed his 3/8 drive SK socket set. I really liked that set, the fine tooth ratchet was really nice.

Mid 1990's some cork sucker broke in my garage and stole most of my tools. Most of the stuff I could of cared less about, as it was just cheap stuff. But the SK set that I got from my grandpa meant something to me, and not something I could replace.

The modern SK ratchets are not the same, as the older stuff.

 

[Lions fan]

Yeah kinda stuck with the old stuff but it’s pretty bulletproof.

10 years ago, I never thought I'd give them up. However, as I get older and my hands don't have the grip or the dexterity they used to, I'm growing to prefer the Gear Wrench and Matco ratchets with the plastic handles.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

So that’s where it went..

Yeh @dall gave it to me. Said worked a good’ol wetdream up into a monsoon. But then said batteries are for small jobs I need mains power to get me going all day long ha ha ha ha

 

[beaglebriar]

When my grandpa passed away, late 1980's I was willed his 3/8 drive SK socket set. I really liked that set, the fine tooth ratchet was really nice.

Mid 1990's some cork sucker broke in my garage and stole most of my tools. Most of the stuff I could of cared less about, as it was just cheap stuff. But the SK set that I got from my grandpa meant something to me, and not something I could replace.

The modern SK ratchets are not the same, as the older stuff.

Obviously you can’t replace your gramps set but you can find them on eBay fairly reasonable. I just picked up a long handle 1/2” ratchet the other day for under $100.

 

[Lions fan]

Back in my early days as a marine mechanic everything was done with hand tools. Battery powered stuff wasn't here yet and you couldn't drag an air compressor down the docks with you. My old faithful 3/8" flex head S-K. Rebuilt over and over til the head finally stripped out and they couldn't replace it.

 

[legdelimber]

The “science of shoveling”

Reading an article like this about the “science of shoveling” makes me glad that someone out there is seriously concerned about the best way to shovel: The science of shoveling was inve…

legallysociable.com

Frederick Winslow Taylor, the Patron Saint of the Shovel

Want to make a worker astonishingly more efficient? Give him the right tool?

www.mentalfloss.com

Hand tools? Never found a shovel that fit my hands.

First heard of this, waaaay back when Discovery, learning and Science type of channels were still mostly educational instead of being loaded with all the trauma/drama duff.

 

[maulhead]

I have a 3/4 JH Williams socket set.

Hand tools are just about as silly as chainsaws.

 

[jasper89]

Schollhorn pliers. Old and unique.

 

[Catbuster]

MAC Tools takes the cake, bar none for my favorite hand tool brand. I have some of their CL series wrenches and a fine tooth ratchet and they have to be the best finished tools I’ve ever had in my hand. As their slogan states, they really are great to work with.

With all of that said, Proto Industrial makes up most of my sockets and wrenches. They’re borderline indestructible and made in the USA. They’re also nearly as good as their MAC cousins for a lot less money. When you own sockets from 1/4” drive/4mm up to 1” drive/4” that price makes a huge difference.

 

[jakethesnake]

I’ve got it all. Little of this and that Mac snap on craftsman wiha wera knipex. Sk used to make the best screwdrivers they were made in France. Bonney for old stuff. Just depends. Dewalt for drills and *s-word. Williams old 3/4 drive. Proto gear wrench. I only have favorites in certain categories.

 

[jakethesnake]

French sk. Bought another set of sk screwdrivers but the quality wasn’t the same. If you find any of these you want them. Next ones will be blue point