http://www.viewpoints.com/Tools Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:19:16 GMT Reviews about Tools http://www.viewpoints.com/Craftsman-3-piece-adjustable-wrench-set-review-16877 In the old days everything was standard but as the global economy grew metric sizes were introduced into the mix. There came a time after working on vehicles with my Dad for so long I could tell you the size of a nut or bolt by looking at it. Once metric came along I had to learn those as well. There are times however you will come across both on the same fastener....yes it is frustrating but I overcame that by using a wrench that works on both! — — Craftsman 3 piece Adjustable Wrench set — — Sometimes you have to work blind, especially when working underneath a vehicle or behind the dash of one. Here is where an adjustable wrench comes in very handy, you need only turn the thumb wheel to get any size you need to remove or fasten a nut/bolt. With the 3 sizes in this set I can do almost every thing I need to do and like I said before it can be metric or standard, it will work on them all. — — This set comes in 6", 8" and 10" so it will work on a... Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:19:16 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Craftsman-3-piece-adjustable-wrench-set-review-16877 kid-kansas 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Arrow-Electro-natic-Electic-Staple-Nail-Gun-review-59dd5 I recieved an Arrow Electro-matic Electric Staple & Nail Gun as a gift and have been using it regularly since. — — It is the most handy little tool for small projects I have used.  Since I am a Fine Artist I have many pieces that need to be framed and this little hard working staple gun sure does the job even with hard woods.  I used to struggle with the manual stapler but it isn't a problem anymore.  The great part is that this baby will shoot small finishing nails too.  All the better for making my frames. — — Of course some of you might want to try it for small home projects.  I haven't had the chance to do that since I am mostly working on art shows this time of year.  I save the home projects for the cooler months.  — — This electric stapler will take 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 1/2', 17/32", 9/16" staples and 5/8" nails.  I can do everything from tacking screening, tacking upholstery, insulation, carpets, to... Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:54:03 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Arrow-Electro-natic-Electic-Staple-Nail-Gun-review-59dd5 mqmystic 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Craftsman-145-pc-Mechanics-Tool-set-review-d2ad4 I own a great deal of craftsman tools along with others such as snap on, mac, matco etc. I always check my craftsman catalog before buying any tool because of their warranty and much lower cost.  The warranty (lifetime) is great even though I have never had to warranty a tool in which I was using the correct tool for the job.  Its usually when I loan a tool out and they are using a reg socket on their impact that I have to get a tool replaced.  If buying this set go with the laser etched.  Great time saver and you won't be... Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:56:36 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Craftsman-145-pc-Mechanics-Tool-set-review-d2ad4 mrpraytor 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Craftsman-1-2-x-12-measuring-tape-review-22cb6 Many times we need to measure things around the house, be it to get a replacement for something or to build things. My tool of choice is a Craftsman measuring tape, they are easy to use and most have a clip to attach to your belt or pocket so it is always handy. — — Craftsman 1/2" x 12' Measuring Tape — — My measuring tape of choice is Craftsman, since I grew up using their tools I have come to trust their tools. This measuring tape has a hefty steel tape which is wound inside its case with a spring to help it reel itself back in. There is also a thumb button that will keep it out of its case when you are using it. — — The increments of measurement are easy to read and are divided all the way down to 1/16th of an inch which is good enough for most anything around the house. I have used this to measure for window blinds as well as cutting shelf boards and even putting up my privacy fence and gate. — — I have dropped it, stepped on... Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:22:56 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Craftsman-1-2-x-12-measuring-tape-review-22cb6 kid-kansas 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Craftsman-60-LED-Lights-15-ft-cord-Work-Light-34-73903-review-6bca4 Although this work light has a very bright directed light and only uses 5 watts of power, the LEDs have had a short life.  I have tested 5 of these units and 4 of them have had 4 or more LEDs stop working within 2 weeks and have lost up to 27 of the 60 LEDs in them within a month.  I am still Testing the remaining 7 Units I purchased on June 1, 2008, one at a time since they were purchased at different Sears stores,  it might be more than just a bad batch.  It could be cheap LEDS or poor electeronics Driving them.  I am a retired Electrician and I am testing LED Units for Quality and Longevity.  I test them with a time clock; on at 9 pm, off the next day at 6 am, in a stationary, well ventelated location in my Garage.  Because it is a Craftsman, I expected better.  I have been testing other LED systems and they might lose 1 or 2 LEDs out of 26LEDs or 60LEDs.over one year. and that is acceptible, but not 27 out of 60 in... Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:54:35 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Craftsman-60-LED-Lights-15-ft-cord-Work-Light-34-73903-review-6bca4 EdwardDijeau 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Black-Decker-black-and-decker-review-52295 I still after all these years cant believe Sears still stands behind this product, Ever since I can remember everyone I know that owned any black and decker product felt that it did not last, and was always breaking. Personally the only Black and decker tool that lasted for me was a belt sander, I got about 18 months out of it, and have not owned any black and decker for 15 years, anyone who buys me one for a gift it gets returned for hand... Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:10:23 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Black-Decker-black-and-decker-review-52295 seeker48 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Craftsman-Cordless-19-2v-drill-driver-review-cca53 I am a mechanic by trade. I build boats I bought this set as I use a drill and light all day.The drill works great although as much as i use it I have had the trigger break twice in 3 months but the warrenty covers it and the light is great except when it gets hot its really easy to knock something alitte to hard and blow the light bulb.But over all this is a great set and would tell anyone who needs a powerful drill for a super price to pick up this set. I would buy again for... Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:30:37 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Craftsman-Cordless-19-2v-drill-driver-review-cca53 jayt79 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Schumacher-Battery-Charger-SEM-1562A-review-c0a01 Schumacher is one of the biggest battery charger companies in the business and has years of experience.  I was recently in the market for a new charger as my old Schumacher had seen better days. — — I was pleasantly surprised at the changes in technology that had taken place since I last had shopped for a battery charger.  The charger is compact and comes in a rugged plastic housing as opposed to the old metal usually seen.  The charger is fully automatic and just needs to be set on 12 V or 6, whichever is needed.  — — The leads have quick disconnects with two sets of ends, conventional battery clamp ends and ring terminal ends for permanent mounting on a battery.  The charger works at 1.5 amp, which is enough to charge a battery but not enough to boil the fluid and create hydrogen gas, which is a fire hazard.  — — I needed this charger for my motorcycle and charged the battery with no problems.  Typically you... Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:42:27 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Schumacher-Battery-Charger-SEM-1562A-review-c0a01 GeorgeChabot 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Vise-Grip-2078900-Convertible-Snap-Ring-Plier-Set-review-0ce14 Vise Grip Convertible Snap Ring Pliers — — This is a set I really admired when I first saw it because it looks so well thought out compared to most snap ring pliers and the price is right on the money. — — Snap rings are fasteners that either hold a shaft in a bore or go around a shaft to keep it from pulling out of a bore. The pliers fit into little holes in the end of the rings and you can lift them out after expanding or contracting the ring, as needed. — — My pet peeve with snap ring pliers is they always seem just adequate, never refined but requiriing a wrench to change jaws and lots of small pieces to lose. These pliers have a push button release and the whole set of jaws complete with the pin tips are removed and replaced. The set has the bonus of working with either internal or external snap rings where most manufacturers make you buy separate pliers for each. There are four sets of jaws provided variously angled and straight. You... Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:47:21 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Vise-Grip-2078900-Convertible-Snap-Ring-Plier-Set-review-0ce14 GeorgeChabot 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Kd-Tools-Universal-Convertible-Retaining-Ring-Pliers-review-d4122 KD tools are specialty tools available at auto parts stores and some times hardware stores. You may have seen their displays with the carded tools with various unusual names like "window crank remover" or "spark plug boot tool." Many of these tools are not necessary but some of the tools are. — — Since I got back involved in motorcycles I have had to renew my tool kit which had eroded over time to include more tools for servicing my Twin Cam 88 Harley Davidson. — — Motorcycles have several fastener types that require special tools apart from the usual automotive stuff.  For example, they use snap rings to hold in the pivots for the clutch and brake levers. These fasteners are used on typical autoparts, too, but usually as parts of internal assemblies that most people don't try to take apart. — — The snap rings are used to hold shafts in place either by locking into the bore the shaft is in (internal) or in a groove around the shaft to keep... Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:08:02 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Kd-Tools-Universal-Convertible-Retaining-Ring-Pliers-review-d4122 GeorgeChabot 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Irwin-Vise-Grip-10RXXX-10-Vise-Grip-Straight-Jaw-Locking-Pliers-review-61911 Vise Grip Locking Pliers — — These are an essential part of my homeowner's tool box. Vise Grip pliers combine the advantages of a rigid vise and a pair of pliers in one handy package. — — The jaws are screw adjustable and very hard to rigidly grip a part while you turn the fastener. You can also hold one fastener on a double ended shaft by clamping the pliers down and allowing the handle to turn until it jams, thus freeing your holding hand. This means you can do many jobs that used to take two people - one to hold and one to turn. — — Vise Grips are made by Irwin and come in many varieties, all with the locking feature. They are characterized by very tough steel and very hard jaws so they are not good for working with materials that should not be marred, but for general mechanic work they are indespensible. — — With the handles open, screw down the adjustment until the jaws get close to the fastener. When you try to close... Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:21:56 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Irwin-Vise-Grip-10RXXX-10-Vise-Grip-Straight-Jaw-Locking-Pliers-review-61911 GeorgeChabot 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Stanley-Tools-FatMax-Antivibe-Shinglers-Hammer-54-027-review-a9de3 There are many tools in the roofers arsenal but one stands out among the rest when it comes to practicality. One of your worst enemies (besides the edge of the roof) is having a tool that actually helps alleviate arm pain. Stanley came up with a great tool to make a roofers job a bit easier. — — Stanley Tools - 54-027 Fatmax Antivibe Shinglers Hatchet — — This hatchet/hammer is built according to Stanley with a "Tuning Fork" design which is supposed to reduce vibration so that arm and wrist injuries from using it. Another nice feature is a movable pin to adjust the Reveal of the shingle. A shingle has basically 2 parts, one that you see and one you don't once installed, the part you see is called the Reveal. By adjusting the pin into one of 3 holes you adjust the Reveal of the shingle which is measured from the edge of the button to the edge of the hammer head. — — Using this Antivibe Shinglers Hatchet you can be sure that each... Fri, 30 May 2008 17:39:19 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Stanley-Tools-FatMax-Antivibe-Shinglers-Hammer-54-027-review-a9de3 kid-kansas 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Black-Decker-Smart-Battery-Charger-review-d0691 Owning a motorcycle means during the winter it probably won't see much daylight. At those times the battery still needs to be charged up to prevent damage and you need a battery charger to keep it at peak charge. In the old days you had to remember to go hook up the charger every few days and remember when to unhook it again so you didn't overcharge the battery. Those days are gone forever and now as the old saying goes...I can plug it and forget it! — — Black & Decker Smart Battery Charger — — This battery charger has 3 power levels to keep those batteries in good shape 6 amps, 4 amps and 2 amps. As the charge of the battery gets stronger it will step down on its own to give you the best your battery can have. Another sweet safety feature is the reverse polarity warning so you don't hook it up wrong and either damage the battery or cause a spark which would be very bad. — — This battery charger is smart in that it monitors the... Fri, 09 May 2008 17:48:08 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Black-Decker-Smart-Battery-Charger-review-d0691 kid-kansas 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Great-Neck-6-Inch-Adjustable-Wrench-review-0f302 Great Neck produces a great product, and this wrench is no exception to their track record with me. This particular wrench in my tool box is the Great Neck 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench AW6C. I picked it up for $7.94 at the local store here, and it was put to use right after the purchase. It was bought of course, to be put to use on some bolts that needed tightened in my apartment when I moved in. It was actually between the Great Neck products and a couple of others that didn't look quite as dependable so I went with this one. — — The 6 Inch Great Neck is a really sturdy wrench, and I could tell it was one that was going to hold up for a lot of use in my house. I am not the most tool-savvy of people, so I won't say that it gets used all the time, but I have used it in a bunch of instances where I normally wouldn't have. It's a silvery color built of chrome alloy steel and produced overseas in China. This is the 6 inch version of the wrench which is just one of the many sizes... Thu, 08 May 2008 07:13:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Great-Neck-6-Inch-Adjustable-Wrench-review-0f302 SpokaneMan 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Flexisnake-Flexisnake-review-f45a4 We had a problem with a slow drain that wouldn't go away.  We tried various drain openers and they would help for a short time and then the drain would be bad again.  I did some research on line and found this great product called Flei-snake.  It is inexpensive, easy to use, and very effective.  In just a few minutes time, I pulled out a piece of plastic from the drain.  It was probably there since the house was built from something that was installed.  We think this because we had the house built and had always had some problems with that drain.  Now the drain works great and has for the past several month.  I just used Flexi-snake to clean out my sink drains too and it worked like a charm.  I will definately buy more and continue to use in the future.  They are no more expensive than buying drain cleaner but better for the drain and more effective.  They are available online. — ... Mon, 05 May 2008 02:02:15 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Flexisnake-Flexisnake-review-f45a4 Indad19b 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Home-Depot-1-4-x-25-Drain-Auger-review-da42 We have all been there at one time or another, taking a shower and the water doesn't go down the drain. Some use a liquid drain cleaner while some of us use a Plumbers Snake. Considering I was a plumber for more than 10 years I prefer the hands on approach of using a snake. Being I also have a Septic System a snake is much better in my case. — — Home Depot 1/4" x 25' Hand Auger — — Encased in a plastic drum is a 1/4" x 25' strand  of steel cable which is also known as a plumbers snake. On the end is a larger loose coil that grabs hair and facilitates the cleaning in small diameter drain pipes. The best way to make it more effective (but also harder to use) is too make a bend at the end (between the head and 1/4" wire part of approx. 20-30 degrees. This allows it to whip around and clean the entire inside of the drain better. — — The hardest part is getting past the trap (u shaped part of a drain that prevents sewer gases from... Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:34:28 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Home-Depot-1-4-x-25-Drain-Auger-review-da42 kid-kansas 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Stanley-Tools-Precision-Screwdriver-set-66-052-review-a6b04 Stanley is a old tool company that has been making tools for the homeowner for many years, they stand behind the tools they make and since stanley took over Mac Tools they have been putting out more hand tools in line with mac tools, this jump to making more useable tools makes Stanley a better choice for hand tools, just like these Precision screwdrivers no home should be without this set, this set can fix anything from glasses to small... Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:44:50 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Stanley-Tools-Precision-Screwdriver-set-66-052-review-a6b04 spanky 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Black-Decker-NST2018Grasshog-12-Inch-18-Volt-Cordless-String-Trimmer-Edger-review-48394 We decided to try the cordless weed eater with the rechargable battery instead of the gas powered, since we had such trouble getting it started after storing through the fall/winter months. We were concerned that the battery would not give enough power but it works great!! I also own a weed eater with a cord but i will probably never use it again because the new cordless works so... Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:18:44 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Black-Decker-NST2018Grasshog-12-Inch-18-Volt-Cordless-String-Trimmer-Edger-review-48394 shanp1 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Motive-Power-Bleeder-review-22e54 looks like a great tool to have i would recommend this to any handy man or mechanic looks like a good price for such a tool looks like it would be easy to use and also save time it beaas the old method which was messy and dangerous keeps things cleaner and... Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:06:20 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Motive-Power-Bleeder-review-22e54 ricky8682001 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Wolfcraft-3751-Dowel-Pro-review-4d282 The Wolfcraft dowel pro doweling jig comes with everything you need to get started with your woodworking projects. Sturdy cast aluminum construction, 3 different depth stops that accept stock from 1/2" to 1 1/4" thick and 60 dowel pins in different sizes(1/4", 5/16" and 3/8"). It's easy to use and allows to make strong corner, T, and butt... Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:00:12 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Wolfcraft-3751-Dowel-Pro-review-4d282 batta 4