Comments on: 6 Unusual But Essential Tools For Car Guys (And Girls) http://blog.motorists.org/6-unusual-but-essential-tools-for-car-guys-and-girls/ News For Drivers Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:16:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: walkerny http://blog.motorists.org/6-unusual-but-essential-tools-for-car-guys-and-girls/comment-page-1/#comment-2761 walkerny Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:15:50 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/6-unusual-but-essential-tools-for-car-guys-and-girls/#comment-2761 Yes 'cheater bars' are dangerous, but we know you'll use them (just not PVC, what was he thinking?) Suggest you use high quality tools. The steel is much less likely to fail. Rule of thumb, stick to made in USA. The few tool makers left in the USA all survived by making high end tools for pros. And I don't mean a USA company that imports crap, like 'Great Neck'. Other rule of thumb. Tools made in China are cheap crap. Yes ‘cheater bars’ are dangerous, but we know you’ll use them (just not PVC, what was he thinking?) Suggest you use high quality tools. The steel is much less likely to fail.

Rule of thumb, stick to made in USA. The few tool makers left in the USA all survived by making high end tools for pros.

And I don’t mean a USA company that imports crap, like ‘Great Neck’.

Other rule of thumb. Tools made in China are cheap crap.

]]> By: Dave http://blog.motorists.org/6-unusual-but-essential-tools-for-car-guys-and-girls/comment-page-1/#comment-2664 Dave Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:44:36 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/6-unusual-but-essential-tools-for-car-guys-and-girls/#comment-2664 Suggesting using a section of pvc pipe as a "helper handle" or "breaker bar" is quite foolhardy and dangerous. While a length of steel pipe is assuredly stronger than nearly any task you can throw at it, PVC is quite brittle and breaks with little warning. When it does break it throws shards and could easily cause a very serious injury to the person using it or anyone in the immediate vicinity. Actually, using a pipe as a breaker extension can be quite dangerous as well. When putting more load on the ratchet mechanism and/or socket bit of a socket wrench there exists a serious potential for catastrophic failure of the tool which can send pieces flying and will result in the bar suddenly giving way while being pulled (sometimes quite hard) by the person using the tool. If you've ever banged a knuckle from a stripped bolt I'm sure you can imagine the injury that can be caused when a much larger force is applied and you end up punching your fist into an engine block or your cement driveway. Really the best solution is to use the proper tool for the job and not risk your well being to save a dime. A long handled ratchet-less breaker bar can be had from any number of quality tool manufacturers and will certainly excel at the jobs for which it is designed. I think my 30" craftsman jobby was less than 25 USD. And a small assortment of "impact rated" or "thick walled" sockets will not only resist splitting or exploding under high loads, but will also resist deforming and prevent stripping the hex off of a bolt or nut. Suggesting using a section of pvc pipe as a “helper handle” or “breaker bar” is quite foolhardy and dangerous. While a length of steel pipe is assuredly stronger than nearly any task you can throw at it, PVC is quite brittle and breaks with little warning. When it does break it throws shards and could easily cause a very serious injury to the person using it or anyone in the immediate vicinity.

Actually, using a pipe as a breaker extension can be quite dangerous as well. When putting more load on the ratchet mechanism and/or socket bit of a socket wrench there exists a serious potential for catastrophic failure of the tool which can send pieces flying and will result in the bar suddenly giving way while being pulled (sometimes quite hard) by the person using the tool. If you’ve ever banged a knuckle from a stripped bolt I’m sure you can imagine the injury that can be caused when a much larger force is applied and you end up punching your fist into an engine block or your cement driveway.

Really the best solution is to use the proper tool for the job and not risk your well being to save a dime. A long handled ratchet-less breaker bar can be had from any number of quality tool manufacturers and will certainly excel at the jobs for which it is designed. I think my 30″ craftsman jobby was less than 25 USD. And a small assortment of “impact rated” or “thick walled” sockets will not only resist splitting or exploding under high loads, but will also resist deforming and prevent stripping the hex off of a bolt or nut.

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