My father is 83 I’m 25 now. When I first started out in the trades at 18 I walked onto the job with a bucket of his tools a mag 77 and his 95 dodge Cummins 2500. All of them older than me. Everyone looked down on me for having old tools but they got me by for years. A few still live in my bags today. Those old tools provided me a way to earn a living and led way to my 40-50k tool collection I have now. I hope one day my sons will come to me asking to take a bucket of my old tools to their first job!
I have a blacksmiths hammer that I found abandoned at an old job site thirty or forty years ago, but which was perfectly designed, made and balanced, and has a longer handle finished with sweat and machine oil. I still treasure it today. The square-faced hammer you showed is a sculptor’s or stone-cutter’s hammer, often of a type included in a set of sculptors’ chisels rolled up in a canvas carry-all. The old slip-joint pliers are great for slipping off pipe joints you’re trying to tighten, while pinching flesh in your palms and causing painful blood bisters. I buy Knipex tools every time I can find them at the right price. Your comments on mauls were spot-on. Thanks for your common sense approach to choosing tools and getting your work accomplished. If you don’t have a Burke Bar, and need something to lift part of a truck or large, granite blocks, don’t overlook an old wagon axle which may be lying in a corner somewhere or is otherwise free.
This man is a legend...if we had gentlemen like this teaching shop classes...our nation would be so incredibly gifted, and our craftsmen would be prized individuals.
My Dad was a civil engineer and had a collection of tools around the house. I still have many of them stored in an old tool box. I have always said that all you need is the right tool. Got my first Knipex pliers a year or so ago and have been slowly retiring all my other pliers. Thank you for your eloquent informative and inspiring lessons. I miss the house build.
@@Omnis2 yeah buddy! Watched a 5 in version cobra torque a big nut to 140 ft-lbs with a firm grip holding the handles together and a homemade cheater bar (plus extensions) powering the force to just one handle!
"It's better than the one we haven't got" is a mantra of mine that I can recommend, it lives in the wheelhouse of "buy the best tool you can afford" and "buy only when you really need it", both EC tips I've come to appreciate. While I save some paycheck for tools I have a 3 year old and a baby on the way. Sometimes the tool might be a high chair or a car seat.... my tool budget isn't just about me anymore, I see tools as benefitting the family and so they might not always look like workshop tools. Fortunately I have a bride who sees a skilled up, tooled up man as a benefit to her family so it's win win over here. Thanks for the great content. Please, more disdain for tools videos, I found it extremely amusing.
Teaching your wife to see the value in buying a $$ tool that will not only save $$$ over hiring out the job, but will last for many projects to come will save you a lot of headaches and time fumbling with inadequate tools. Nowadays she doesn't bat an eye when I buy a tool because she trusts that it's a justified expense for the project, and I guess in a weird way it's my "payment" for the job at hand. Rinse and repeat for a few decades and you end up with a decent set of tools.
I was a pipe fabricator/ fitter in the petrochemical industry starting in 1974 as a helper. Before work you were expected to open your tool box and load your bucket with basic tools such as combination wrench’s up to 1-1/4”, channel locks, 12” crescent, squares, tape measure at least 16’ , chalk line, pencil, paper etc. Two of the most indispensable tools were a 4 lb maul and a pry bar. You could move pipe or beams around with these tools to obtain line up. They were essential in performance of daily work. I spent the last 20 years as a project manager with up to 300 people working for me so all your discussion of running a business hits home. I love your channel and keep up the good work.
When you showed the 4 lb. hammer it reminded me of a Ford square hay bailers I bought one time. The man that sold it to me still had the manual and told me a story. In the manual it read “Adjusting the knotter.” It said to use a fine adjusting tool to move the knotter part. He said he called the factory asked about the “fine adjusting tool”. The factory technician said it was a 4 lb. hammer. It is heavy enough to just tap something and effect movement. That 4 lb. hammer is very handy. Thanks for the review. A Knipex employee at a tool show booth told me they are a German company. The K is not silent rather it’s a hard K in Knipex. ( ka-nip-ex). Thanks for another great video sir.
I love all my Knipex stuff - worth every penny for 'buy it for life' quality - but it is relatively pricy, so it's not a bad idea to be selective & make sure you'll get use out of what you buy. And yes, it's pronounced with a 'hard K'.
I always enjoy this gentleman’s opinion, (I don’t always agree with him 100%, but hey) …I love my tools, as with most of us, I suspect, I began as a kid in the 40’s and 50’s, building balsa wood airplanes… then cars… then on to real planes… spent the last 50 years with the A12… SR71… F117… we had the best tools money could buy… no Harbor Freight in those assembly areas… you get use to using quality tools at work, you want them at home too! I dread to think what my wife will do with all my tools, once I’m gone! She has absolutely no idea, the true value of what I have stuffed in every knock and cranny in my shop… somebody is going to make out like a bandit at that garage sale…
Knipex and Wera tools became the foundational tools in my serviceman tool bag. The versatility and ingenuity are unbeatable. A shout out to American tool manufacturer Ridgid of Elyria Illinois. As a gas pipe fitter for 47 years I always directed my apprentices to purchase nothing but Ridgid pipe wrenches and their other plumbers tools. I have an 18" iron pipe wrench that saw almost daily use for those 47 years. Dress up the jaws with a file once in a while and away you go. That tool with a 36" extender would allow me to rotate the moon.
As an electrician, yes to both Knipex and Wera. Excellent tools, a joy to use, and they outlast their American counterparts so much. I'll give an honorable shout-out to Wiha for making the best folding ruler I've come across, in addition to quality screwdrivers
It’s great when a well designed quality tool is made in your own country. We all cherish that, but what really matters is, has that tool really earned it’s place in your kit?
Scum bag nogoodnic company that purchased best in class Rigid now have some products made in.log heath g lack of quality control Communist china. Nope not today.
Doesn’t matter if you would’ve been talking about tax regulations, sewage, broccoli or knitting - always interesting to hear a well articulate man speak with the right words loaded up in the chamber. And a total lack of ”kinda’s”, ”eeeemm’s” and ”like’s”.
And the lack of jump cuts. The amateurs stitch together their narration as a sequence of seconds-long clips. It must take them hours just to assemble a single sentence. This guy knows how to give a complete and persuasive speech the first time 'round.
That must be why I subconsciously like this video so much. I see other TH-camrs doing the 20 jump cuts to camera to get a 20 second long string of dialogue and it drives me a little bit crazy.
I was in the Navy and finished it as a career. As a Metalsmith the most useful manuals as a young apprentice one was Tools and their uses. Your last comment about tool is absolutely 100 percent accurate!
It is so true about a craftsman and tools. I am 81 and my grandfather, long deceased, was one of the most talented men I knew. He was truly an artist, he could paint a full wall mural. He was also a harness maker and carpenter. I don't believe he had any power tools in the 40s and yet he made me a wagon, wheelbarrow, and a host of other wooden toys.
I really appreciated this video. Thanks. I split 6 cords of firewood every year from 1984 to 2019. I've never lived where there was a backup-heat until 2020.... I used to use a spring-action Chopper 1. I went through a series of those. I figured out quickly that with the right swing, momentum keeps the levers in place so the springs weren't necessary. I still needed the sledge and wedges though. In 2000 I switched to the monster splitter that you hate so much. I love it. I'm an extra large guy and I could wield it very effectively. Sometimes I'd use just one hand to show off. I never needed a sledge and wedge again. I did end up breaking one because the weld got rusty. I bough a new one immediately and then had a guy weld the other one...good as new. Now that I'm a retired geezer I don't split as much...still heating with wood, but buying it already split. I have several acres of oak and maple where I harvest my own wood too. I keep the monster splitter for that but tend to use a lighter maul these days most of the time.
Scott, In America, the "K" is generally silent as in knife. In Germany where Knipex tools are made, they always pronounce a strong"K" and they pronounce the name of their tool "Kuh-nip-x" and they even have t-shirts that they sell with the preferred pronunciation. Keep up the good work, Cal
I run Makita cordless tools, my elderly dad was trying to put screws in with a old corded dewalt drill. He was getting so frustrated, I went and got my brushless Makita impact and told him to try it… he was shocked on how well it worked. The right tool for the job is exactly that!
lithium batteries changed the cordless game. Back when cordless drills used NiMH batteries, they would just die randomly on you. I still have a collection of brand new ones with their batteries dead, someday I might convert them to lithium.
Ive been married for 27 years it sure would have been nice to have someone like Scott to start me off on my tool / homeowner journey , this man is a national treasure
I have used knipex long before the modern popularity. I was turned on to them in the 90's by a friend's father ( an aircraft mechanic) . They are my go too slip joint plyers. I was a channel lock guy before. I still have several pair of channel lock brand plyers and a drawer full of useless worn out knipex. The knipex are my favorite but they wear out faster than any other slip joints I have used . If you are a casual user I would definitely say buy a pair of knipex They will last you a lifetime but if you use them every day you will be buying new pairs every year. They fit in tight spaces and when they are new they grip a nut or piece of all thread rod better than anything else but the steel is soft and wears out fast . When they become worn they are absolutely useles and dangerous due to slipping when you really need to get a bite on something .Just something to think about when weighing cost to survivability of the tool. It's a love hate relationship for me. I will never stop using them but they also drive me nuts at the same time
I inherited no tools from my father, so I have assembled a nice set of vintage USA-made tools myself from estate sales and garage sales over the past 3 years. I will pass this set on to my children. Quality American-made tools give me a lot of pleasure to own and use.
Thank you Scott for your wisdom, and just as important, your understanding about tools that were "hand me downs", or bestowed to you by your parents...So many times I have pulled a tool out of the box, or off the workbench, and a flood of memories or just a smile comes forth. Be well, and thanks for doing what you do!
Couple of favourite things. I’m a small engine mechanic. 1. 1/4” T-handle. Takes sockets or hex bits. 2. My ratchet wrench set. Both game changers for me.
@@bstevermer9293 I ordered it from the UK. Wasn’t cheap but well built. Over the past 4 years, I’ve done about 600 tuneups/repairs. Every one has some interaction with that T-handle! 🙂 I’m sure over those years it has saved me from damaging components, had I been using a power tool.
I appreciate this channel SO MUCH!!! My late husband always said, "The right tool for the right job".......now I have an incredible amount of tools that I have no idea what they are used for! This channel is helping me to understand what the names of the tools are, and what they are used for!
yessir.. we cut LP Smart side off the stack and it's indispensable as a guide for making precise cuts with a skilsaw and doing layouts for complicated cuts.
So glad I found this channel. I'm going to tell every young contractor I know about it. So much knowledge, wisdom, and grace....we really need to preserve and share. Now I'm off to clean out my "tools I hate using" box. In sincere appreciation.
I could talk about the tools ive used all my life for far too long but I thought about your question and for me the tool that impressed me when it came along was the Wonder Bar. A flat 12 to 14 inch pry bar that showed up in hardware stores in the 70s. As a builder renovator it immediately replaced any small pry bar you had at the time. There is so many simple improvements to tools over the years that made big changes in productivity and ease of use that ill stick to my one observation and read the comments to see what others have to say. Cheers 🇨🇦
My favorite flat bar of this style is the Vaughan brand, I have 2 sizes, can't do without them. Still made in USA, I believe. Made with much better steel than other brands that have used.
God bless this man sharing his knowledge. I have been in the trade for 45 years and still using some of my older tools. Our youth should be learning how to use them properly whatever their strengths are. My dad always said if you can hold a tool and learn to use it you will always be able to provide for your own family. He was right !!
For anyone even thinking about the Knipex . . Buy them. World of a difference! I'd suggest the alligator 10inch. Perfect size and feel. Unmatched gripping. Plus, they have a stopper built-in so that you cannot pinch your hand between the ends of the handles.
Agreed! I always hated using slip joints, holding them 1 handed & trying to reach a plumbing joint at full arms length behind a kitchen unit etc was a recipe for some extremely creative swearing! As soon as I saw the Knipex years ago I just bought them straight away despite them being many times the cost of my slip joints & I've never used a slip joint since (& never will).
Spend a tad extra and get the Cobra. Much more precise adjustments, adjustment action is much smoother, and very easy to change the adjustment one-handed. Afterwards you'll consider any other type to be the stuff of plebs.
@@eyegrinder94 I've worked in a shop where vice-grips were considered the end-all-be-all. I was asked to weld a lever to a stuck threaded rod, because the trusted vice-grips couldn't do it. The cobra had no issues.
Not gunna lie, as an electrician I’ll still pick up the Channellocks(has to be channel locks brand name) over the knipex every day of the week. Nothing beats a couple pair of 420’s when you’re running 1/2”-1” pipe. You can ream with em, tighten up connectors and couplings, and use the ends to beat KO’s out of boxes. That’s why most electricians you see don’t have any of the blue insulation on the ends of the handles, if not none at all. Those knipex handles don’t close up tight to ream like channellocks do, and the insulation doesn’t make well for a beater.
I try to watch every one of Essential Craftsman videos. I learn something every time. THis time, I learned why I never owned a "Monster Maul". All this time, I just thought it was too expensive for my existense at the time. GOod talk. I needed it today!!
Hey dont hate on that chall line. Im not a contractor I have the exact same one that im sure my grandfather and i got at a garage sale 30+ years ago (where we got a lot of our tools). I have a newer "nicer" one but everytime i grab for a chalk line that old one always ends up in my hands somehow. Its been dropped and thrown more times than i can remember but i love it. While i have a lot of new and more expensive tools, those old garage sale tools still bail me out here and there.
100% correct. I'm a carpenter layout foreman I snap lines all day . I have bought every speed line ever made and they last a few months or maybe a year till the gears strip out or they crack when dropped in the cold . Then I go to the bottom of my spackle bucket and pull out the same old boxes I have that I bought in the late 70's . Replaced the line many a time but they still work. If I'm snapping a line on a piece or rock or plywood I don't even think of using a bulky speed line. I keep a piece 0f 1/2 " pipe and put it over the handle and it becomes an instant speed line. 🍻
My father-in-law has helped me with woodworking and repair work around our house over the years. He and I installed our washer and dryer at our new house and he had the Ridgid Robo Grip II channel locks. I can't believe how well they worked and they haven't been produced for years. I went on ebay and got a pair of them as soon as I could. They are hard to find, but of course, I could count on my father-in-law to always have a tool he's taken good care of and let me borrow as my tool collection grows. It's the memories we make in these projects that mean the most.
I bought a Tajima chalk, box 25 years ago… I used it hundreds of times and it still works like brand new …. The fine line it snaps is easy to see because I always use the fluorescent orange chalk ! It uses a lot less chalk than those old Irwin boxes
Big and small separates my tools. My made in USA 18" flat screwdriver has a name, Jimmy! Next is either my Estwing framing hammer or my 20" Channellocks covers most larger tasks. Knipex small Cobras, and my own modified assortment of Wera's with a T-handle ratcheting driver covers most medium and smaller ones. These tools are with me every day. The best all around multitool, for the price, is the Leatherman Wave+ (though I carried and lost my second Free P4 yesterday). My electricians tools, cutting, and splitting tools are another realm.
Growing up kinda poor our screwdrivers were always soft metal and worn. Now I have a nice collection of quality screwdrivers that I can warranty if needed.
I’ve always liked Craftsman screwdrivers, the tips seem harder than Stanley or the other brands, but especially with their Philips head screwdrivers. I’ve had so many others the would the tips would break, chip, or bend but not the Craftsman ones. I’ve never tried Klein tools or the really nice German ones, mainly because I was happy with the Craftsman screwdrivers. I’m not sure how they hold up now that the other country is making them, the couple sets that I have are probably over twenty years old and still going strong. If you come up with a good brand that you can work hard, let us know.
@@Hoaxer51 I love my craftsman set as well but I'm selective about using them now since if I break one I can't get another USA made with the warranty.
I saw Knipex water pump pliers on a TH-cam channel, and got curious. I won't say they 'changed my life', but those are my go to pliers when I need to really turn something, and yet the jaws look almost new after several years. I now have over a dozen different pairs of Knipex pliers, and love them all. My only regret is not having them a long time ago.
Loved the video, I have been a handyman since very young, allowing me to make and repair many things and have a diverse career, I take exception to selling the motorcycle, obviously, you don't get enjoyment out of riding one, but I am 66 years old and have been riding since I was 14, and it has become a tool for freedom of my soul.
Thanks for sharing your philosophy and practical comments. I have a terrible time getting rid of old and poorly designed tools, many of which I inherited. The comments here give me some inspiration.
I bought a pair of Kinpex pliers about 20 years ago not knowing anything about them and they immediately became my favorites in short order. Not only are they easier to adjust but the gripping jaws are narrow and strong and I found they fit in many places that my other pliers wouldn't. All my other pliers sit unused these days.
Every video of yours that I watch reminds me of my Dad teaching me about tools, carpentry and construction. He was a good teacher and had a lot of knowledge to pass down. Thank you for making these videos, and I look forward to many more.
Scott, I will go to my reward with an Irwin Chalk Box still in my bags. It has seen me thru so many projects that I would feel naked without it. It’s become an old friend that will see me to the end of my days.
Yep that’s the tool I was going to say “ditto” on as well. They were and still are very inexpensive and about as functional low-tech as it gets. I do remember a couple times (early on) where, while having it apart, replacing the line, I’d lose or misplace the felt piece in the tip, where the line comes out. Pretty messy to work with with out that one little piece. Also, we always used concrete dye instead of chalk. It just makes a more permanent line. Something about the dye, different from regular chalk though is it would eat the gears up in those speed-winder chalk boxes. I have no idea why. No such problem with the Irwin’s though. No gears to foul.
So many words of wisdom, thank you! As a kid my dad didn’t mind if I used my money to buy tool instead of pissing it away and now I appreciate that. Many I still have today along unfortunately all of his which I treasure greatly.
I use my knipex channel locks 5 days a week. I have the button adjustable cobras. My mediums I've had for 8 years. Never had to do any maintenance to them. Only hit them with a blue monster rag every so often if im doing a gross job. Far superior to any other brands channel locks ive ever used. I do a ton of gas piping. Im I am buying myself some PipeVise pipe wrenches for Christmas. Very excited. Great videos 👍
I’m in the same job in the uk. Have a look at the knipex siphon and connector pliers. The shape of the head allows you to get in places other water pump type grips won’t. Avoid the rothenberger style ones though. The slip joint is terrible and as soon as you open them it tries to move down the slip joint which then binds up when you squeeze them closed again. The knipex have a push button release for the adjustment.
I have been blessed by inheriting tools from my great great grandfather (blacksmith) my great grandfather (wheelwright and boat builder) grandfather (carpenter) and father(diver). I have used those tools, most quality and some hand made for years with great enjoyment. I am addicted to tools and have added many of my own to the collection. Finally my grandfather told me to ever hesitate to buy a good tool because they don’t eat anything so are cheap to keep around.
My dad and I are plumbers. I remember when I finally got a pair of cobras by knipex I was so blown away at the differences I went back to the store the next day and bought 2 more for my dad along with a few other styles to test out. The cobras with the button would be mygo-too and have been ever since I got them. My dad still raves about his, the slim jaws get into tight spots/smaller faces, and the finer grip adjustments make for a much less straining action.
I started picking up garage sale tools such as a super cheap ball peen hammer, well abused and rusty as you'd expect, the hammer face was mushroomed unequally and the end was broken off the handle. Grinder trued up the head but I cut the broken splinters off and carved a good swell in the shortened handle end and it's now super useful in tighter spaces and the swell feels good in hand. Ever notice how some old hand round-nosed shovels feel better to dig with than others? Most modern ones are straight shafted but the old antiques have a super well designed carve at the handle ends that make them more pleasurable to use (but it's still digging).
Scott, I've looked up to you since the inception of my career. An unbelievable wealth of knowledge that's priceless that you give away for free. Thank you.
The Knipex in the video are Alligators. Don't buy Cobras unless it has the QuickSet mechanism. With standard Cobras, you have to know exactly the size of nut/pipe you're grabbing and push the button to set the wrench first. It's a two-hand job. With Alligators or QuickSet Cobras, you just sling the top jaw over and close the bottom jaw onto it-- all one motion with the same hand.
@@warrenmichael918 Knipex are far better than Channellocks and I'd gladly trade my old Channellocks that I never use for the Cobra-Doyle clones from HF if I had the chance. Jaws too wide- can't do tight/minimal clearance jobs. Jaws too soft and poor tooth pattern, don't grip as well. Range of adjustability is awful, can't get handles closer together for better leverage and easier time holding something with one hand while working with the other. Handles also pinch your hands, Cobras are designed intelligently to not do that. And the grips aren't awful. They just don't slide off after oil exposure. Channellock (and Klein) need to do better on that front....
the quickset mechanism is weaker and they don't offer it in all sizes. Cobras are still the best adjustable pliers you'll get. They're better than alligators because of their extra adjustability range and strength over quicksets. It's also easy enough to adjust with one hand if you learn how. Maybe not as easy as others, but that's a small con against all the other things going for it.
@@jaywelker5566 I don't use these every day. In fact, I rarely do. Can't imagine anything that the quickset would be too weak to handle, but, I dunno, as a layman user/home gamer they're just a bit easier to use when I'm cursing under a sink or something.
@TrevorDennis100 currently have a DR650, TW200 and Vstrom 650 (newest). Selling the DR as the other 2 better capture what I need. Don't really have a "one that got away" bike. Only bike I've ever sold was my first bike a Nighthawk CB750, don't miss it too much.
I felt the same! SELL my MOTORCYCLE? Blaspheme! lol! I Have a DR650 too. I think I'd love a TW200 for some things as well, just haven't found the right one!
I couldn't agree more about replacing my slip joint AND soft jaw pliers with a Knipex Plier. HUGE difference and well worth the extra cost ! Also, RE: hammers. When you find one that is well balanced and fits comfortably in your hand, you will only use that one and not the drawer full of others ! Keep up the good work !
Despite all of the knowledge he has imparted on all of us in terms of work and tool related things, that kind of message at the end is really why I started and continue to watch this channel. You are very wise, encouraging and always ready with advice. God bless you Scott. The world needs more of men like you.
I had to build my tool set. Got me a nice estwing 30 oz. Leather bags, and some basic tried and true tools. Took me years to find what worked right though and appreciate this knowledge hes passing along.
As an independent and creative woman, I really do appreciate this kind of video! My dollars are few, most of my tools are second hand. But I'm happy with what I have, and I watch for opportunities to increase my growing work bench. Thank you!
The last things you said were key. Save a little money, buy a better tool, then earn/save a little more time. Tools are little investments that buy you time...over time.
I have a hand plane that I haven't used in over 40 years. Countless times I've almost tossed it away but yesterday I found a reason to dig it out. We have some architrave around the bathroom door that needed replacing. The wife insisted it MUST be replaced with exactly the same pattern architrave as the rest of the doors upstairs. It's a very simple design, just a basic chamfer at about 20 degree and a small radius. So after cutting a piece of wood the right width and thickness I just ran that plane up the whole length to created the chamfer. A quick rub down with some sandpaper and it looks identical to the original. It's such a good match that I was able to mitre it to some of the original and it fits perfect. So glad I didn't toss that plane. I really don't have anything else that would have done the job so well.
I'm 82. I did my first carpentry job that I got paid for when I was 10 with tools I borrowed from my father's tool collection. I borrowed his CROW BAR then, and today I have several, in different sizes, exactly like the one I borrowed that day. They did just fine 72 years ago, and I keep them at the ready every day today. They do exactly what I have always wanted them to do. A great tool. On that first job that CROW BAR was the first tool I ever used.
I with you I've been a carpenter for 47 years and have collected at least 2 dozen types of pry/crow/flat /wonder/wrecking/Johnson/ pinch, bars and they all get used in different circumstances. Kind of like the same amount of hammers I have.🍻
I’m 28 and recently got quite a few tools from my grandpa who passed away earlier this year. I got his grandpas vice among other things. That thing is crazy heavy and definitely something that will outlive me. Hopefully I’ll have some grandkids of my own to give to them someday. It is crazy to see how they have improved over the years.
Interesting Mr. Scott, I actually love my big 12 speed square, but I'm not in construction, more farm/ag, standing at the shop welding table, fabricating stuff the farm might need, getting a square angle put back on on a leftover piece of board or plywood left laying around that will be "just right" for this particular project ,and the 12" helps get more reach into the board, or the rusty piece of sheet metal I might be re-purposing for...? I have a Swanson, Doyle, orange plastic one that shows up under the "stuff" that it crawls under, multiples of each, for when the plasma cutter torch might slip as you're using it for a straight edge! LOL😂
I’ve more than paid for my knipex cobra pliers just getting out broken and rounded/stripped fasteners. The design of their teeth make them grip so well. I continually tell anyone in the mechanical trade to buy a set, they’re in my top 5 best tools I own hands down.
First bought the Knipex Circlip Pliers in 2020 because I needed a super quality tool for a tough application. (Bent the tips of two other brands) Worked great! Then I needed to flush cut about a billion nails, and my 18 inch Craftsman 14 inch End Clippers and Dikes were just not cutting it. They were fine for a few cuts but hard to squeeze over and over again. I also had some tough access areas so I tried the following Knipex: High Leverage CoBolt Cutters, High Leverage End Cutters-Bolt Cutters, 8 inches, High Leverage Diagonal Cutters, 12 Degree Angled 10 inches All cut thru the nails with ease and with minimal hand pressure. No wrist fatigue. I now have 23 Knipex tools and keep adding. Might cost more but much better performance and utility, and long term durability. BTW Thanks for your excellent discussions and advice.
I enjoyed this so much! Old timer who feels the same way about many things! Revelation for me? Left handed Milwaukee corded (two prongs) skill saw with worm gear and slow start - why did I wait so many years? Second to that: Milwaukee Fuel portable drill - top of the line - so much power in a little tool! I use it with my lightweight auger for ice fishing in winter as well - has a detachable second handle that helps with the auger torque. I have no connection to this company, just two cool tools that are game changing for me as an old man.
I'm 71, retired Stationary Engineer, worked Plant Ops & Maintenance for a state facility 30+ years. Did a bit of pipe fitting, install & repair. We would do a day off/ busmans' holiday every year 1/2 the crew got to go to the Tulare Int'l Ag / Farm Show one day, 2nd crew go the next day, meet vendors, buy 4-H & FFL raffle tickets. I met a young vendor, new guy, had the proper papers to be selling . I bought 2 sets of 'Swedish form Pipe wrenches', 6,12,& 18", had never seen or heard of them. Imagine a heavy duty channel lock pliers, front leg is a round stock, threaded for a few inches to open / close the jaws adjustment(like Vise grips) , and the jaws are curved - not flat - and will NOT slip! I do love and use my rigid wrenches most of the time, but in a tight corner or crowded fittings where you might resort to a Sawzall, this will grasp an old union, reducer, elbow, etc.and pretty much did the job. My fellow engineers and plumbers laughed, until they tried it. For the next 20 years this was my test question for any new vendor rep, Grainger, McMaster, Fastenall, Snap On. Not one could find it. Harbor Freight just came out with it, call it the 'S-Jaw pipe wrench. I bought the 17", retired-don't need the two larger sizes. DO NOT GET THE H-F SWEDISH FORM WRENCH! Has square jaws, don't bite, do slip. Ask for the 'S-Jaw wrench. My only failures were due to corroded pipe & fittings. Sorry for the long comment, but it's a good tool for a bad job.
Harbor Freight introduced their version because they were riding on Knipexs coattails. (Swedish Pipe Wrench-S-Type 83 30 010) Anytime either Knipex or Snap-on comes out with a tool and it becomes popular, Harbour Freight comes out with a cheap copy.
Those knipex are a must have if you do manual work. i friend told me to buy those and he was damn right. as a bike mechanic i use it EVERYDAY, they saved my ass a million times on stuck bolts they are 5 years old and still rocking. The strength and grip you have with those pliers is amazing.
I worked in the natural gas industry most of my career. My employer paid for all our tools and didn't hesitate to buy the best tools available. I inherited three pair of Knipex slip joint pliers from my predecessor and used them for nearly 30 years. They were the best and most versatile tool in my truck.
My most used knipex are the small ones with the button to adjust them , they always stay at the size I need and they will remove just about any nut or bolt with out destroying them . I have them in my back pocket even now and it's dinner time
Probably thee most relevant video I've watched in years! No, not about the tools....it's about the last 20-30seconds. I wish all the young men out there busy playing video games would have to opportunity to hear your closing comment. Amen brother, amen. BTW, as a media professional, not a TH-camr, but a 30 yr veteran of tv, film, commercials, and now digital media.....your videos look great. Kudos to whomever has lit and shot them. Keep on.
When I find a tool I really like, I buy a spare, and buy some more to give away as gifts. I just came across a flashlight I like so much I will buy more. It is waterproof, rechargeable, pocket sized, has spot light and flood light settings both with high/medium/low, the head rotates 90°, and a strong magnet on the bottom so it can hold itself and free up my hand. I am loving it!😊
Great review. I agree with all of your alternatives. As you asked, my hands down favorite tool in my production shop (we build workbenches) is my late father’s Dewalt MBL 14” Radial Arm Saw (RAS). It cuts a long crosscuts without deflection, rips as straight as a table saw (within its 14” limits), and can be set up to cut perfect dados. Just remember, the RAS provides the muscle, the operator must provide the brain. This tool exemplifies the statement “they don’t make ‘em like they used to.” The only plastic on this tool is some (but not all) of the knobs on the end of the adjustment cranks & levers. If properly cared for, and assuming we still use electricity in 2040, this tool will provide a career worth of service to my grandson. IMHO, the RAS is the production tool that put Dewalt on the craftsman’s map. It’s no wonder you can still get parts for it.
Your quote about bad tools reminds me of my grandfather who taught me everything I needed know to make a living being a carpenter. His exact quote was `" Life is too short to use shitty tools, toss them so nobody else has to suffer like you did ! " My go to tool is a Vaughn FS 999 fiberglass shaft, so good I own 3 of them and gave another away. Been using one for 30 years w/no failures at all. That said, it did a major number on my index finger when driving Masonry nails into concrete with a full hard swing. I still carry that damage.
Your last little comment there about selling your motorcycle and turning it into tools was spookily timed. I’ve been thinking of selling my motorcycle so I can expand on my leather crafting business the last few months with some more equipment. I’ve really been considering it the last week pretty hard. I’ll just go ahead and take this as my sign lol
Same here, until my Craftsman ratchets kept falling apart and, instead of going AGAIN all the way across town to the only Sears left, I bought a $9 Harbor Freight ratchet which I still use 15 years later. Craftsman- in the trash.
Tools? I never throw away hardware, let alone tools. I have so many old tobacco cans or sour cream containers of rusty nails or random fasteners that my kid will curse me for keeping when I'm gone. But I know the second I throw one single thing in the trash, it's that exact thing I'll need the very next day. Every time.
When Sears carried their own Knipex cobras you could return them when the jaws wore out. I stopped using channellock pliers with the exception of the nutbuster once the cobras came around. Everyone at my shop threw out their irwin chalk lines once we discovered the tajima ones. Huge difference in quality. Great video!
Part of the problem with this society is it is a throwaway disaster. Give it away, recycle it, upcycle it but NEVER throw anything away especially tools.
I wholeheartedly agree with your choice of Knipex! I do facility maintenance and industrial machinery repair and have a leatherman on my belt. But in my right front pocket lives a 5” Knipex Cobra that rides in a leather pocket slip. 9 times out of 10 I reach for that over my Leatherman if I need pliers exclusively. The amount of torque,grip, and leverage you can get from them is unparalleled to anything else. And they fit in tight spaces. Loved this video and your content in general. 🫡
Please don't discount or exclude women in your discussions. I would have been thrilled to be gifted a set of good tools when I started out. As a landlord/remodeler I have a healthy collection. My husband, who is no slouch with tools didn't have near my quantity. When our neighbor asked if he could borrow George's compressor, I said no. "But you can borrow mine!" After a couple more of those, he figured it out. A a 10 year old I was dying to ride a Honda 50 my uncle brought over. He wouldn't let me because I was a girl. Instead he put my 8 year old cousin on it and he promptly ran it up a tree. I stood there disgusted. I've had 16 motorcycles in all genres over the years, have raced, and still have four. There are lots of women out there that use all kind of tools. See us!
The mag 77 is by far my favorite tool. I’m a younger guy working with a lot of even younger guys. They like the crappy dewalt circ saws and carrying a dozen batteries in every day. I show them the skilsaw and the ones that get it truly get it. The power is great and well worth the hassle of a cord. Also, it makes me feel like Larry Haun 👍
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My father is 83 I’m 25 now. When I first started out in the trades at 18 I walked onto the job with a bucket of his tools a mag 77 and his 95 dodge Cummins 2500. All of them older than me. Everyone looked down on me for having old tools but they got me by for years. A few still live in my bags today. Those old tools provided me a way to earn a living and led way to my 40-50k tool collection I have now. I hope one day my sons will come to me asking to take a bucket of my old tools to their first job!
I just subtracted 25 from 83. Wow! 😉
Dang your dad was still beating it up at almost 60. Hopefully I’m still going that strong when I’m that age.
Knipex are by far the best, however, the version that has a push button are SOOO much betrer. Has many more positions
Sponsored by blue chews
My dad called that bar a wreaking bar, still using it today “plumb” brand. The long straight one was called a crow bar.
I have a blacksmiths hammer that I found abandoned at an old job site thirty or forty years ago, but which was perfectly designed, made and balanced, and has a longer handle finished with sweat and machine oil. I still treasure it today. The square-faced hammer you showed is a sculptor’s or stone-cutter’s hammer, often of a type included in a set of sculptors’ chisels rolled up in a canvas carry-all. The old slip-joint pliers are great for slipping off pipe joints you’re trying to tighten, while pinching flesh in your palms and causing painful blood bisters. I buy Knipex tools every time I can find them at the right price. Your comments on mauls were spot-on. Thanks for your common sense approach to choosing tools and getting your work accomplished. If you don’t have a Burke Bar, and need something to lift part of a truck or large, granite blocks, don’t overlook an old wagon axle which may be lying in a corner somewhere or is otherwise free.
This man is a legend...if we had gentlemen like this teaching shop classes...our nation would be so incredibly gifted, and our craftsmen would be prized individuals.
My Dad was a civil engineer and had a collection of tools around the house. I still have many of them stored in an old tool box. I have always said that all you need is the right tool. Got my first Knipex pliers a year or so ago and have been slowly retiring all my other pliers. Thank you for your eloquent informative and inspiring lessons. I miss the house build.
It should also be noted the Knipex doesn't smash the crap out of your fingers when you are really squeezing hard and it slips off.
Knipex doesn't slip off. You mean when the nut/bolt yields or breaks 😅😅 Good point though.
Exactly what I was going to say! Save your fingers.
I see experience speaking (smashed body bits)
@@Omnis2 yeah buddy! Watched a 5 in version cobra torque a big nut to 140 ft-lbs with a firm grip holding the handles together and a homemade cheater bar (plus extensions) powering the force to just one handle!
I squeezed a pair of Pittsburghs so hard it bent the handles so they touched.
"It's better than the one we haven't got" is a mantra of mine that I can recommend, it lives in the wheelhouse of "buy the best tool you can afford" and "buy only when you really need it", both EC tips I've come to appreciate. While I save some paycheck for tools I have a 3 year old and a baby on the way. Sometimes the tool might be a high chair or a car seat.... my tool budget isn't just about me anymore, I see tools as benefitting the family and so they might not always look like workshop tools. Fortunately I have a bride who sees a skilled up, tooled up man as a benefit to her family so it's win win over here. Thanks for the great content. Please, more disdain for tools videos, I found it extremely amusing.
Teaching your wife to see the value in buying a $$ tool that will not only save $$$ over hiring out the job, but will last for many projects to come will save you a lot of headaches and time fumbling with inadequate tools. Nowadays she doesn't bat an eye when I buy a tool because she trusts that it's a justified expense for the project, and I guess in a weird way it's my "payment" for the job at hand. Rinse and repeat for a few decades and you end up with a decent set of tools.
I was a pipe fabricator/ fitter in the petrochemical industry starting in 1974 as a helper. Before work you were expected to open your tool box and load your bucket with basic tools such as combination wrench’s up to 1-1/4”, channel locks, 12” crescent, squares, tape measure at least 16’ , chalk line, pencil, paper etc. Two of the most indispensable tools were a 4 lb maul and a pry bar. You could move pipe or beams around with these tools to obtain line up. They were essential in performance of daily work. I spent the last 20 years as a project manager with up to 300 people working for me so all your discussion of running a business hits home. I love your channel and keep up the good work.
Man if there was a whole show just like this I would binge it 30 times over
I just love his genuine energy and mr Roger's spirit
When you showed the 4 lb. hammer it reminded me of a Ford square hay bailers I bought one time. The man that sold it to me still had the manual and told me a story. In the manual it read “Adjusting the knotter.” It said to use a fine adjusting tool to move the knotter part. He said he called the factory asked about the “fine adjusting tool”. The factory technician said it was a 4 lb. hammer. It is heavy enough to just tap something and effect movement. That 4 lb. hammer is very handy. Thanks for the review. A Knipex employee at a tool show booth told me they are a German company. The K is not silent rather it’s a hard K in Knipex. ( ka-nip-ex). Thanks for another great video sir.
I used Knipex to adjust my mechanical gnu.
I love all my Knipex stuff - worth every penny for 'buy it for life' quality - but it is relatively pricy, so it's not a bad idea to be selective & make sure you'll get use out of what you buy.
And yes, it's pronounced with a 'hard K'.
Swedish style forging hammer?
I always enjoy this gentleman’s opinion, (I don’t always agree with him 100%, but hey) …I love my tools, as with most of us, I suspect, I began as a kid in the 40’s and 50’s, building balsa wood airplanes… then cars… then on to real planes… spent the last 50 years with the A12… SR71… F117… we had the best tools money could buy… no Harbor Freight in those assembly areas… you get use to using quality tools at work, you want them at home too! I dread to think what my wife will do with all my tools, once I’m gone! She has absolutely no idea, the true value of what I have stuffed in every knock and cranny in my shop… somebody is going to make out like a bandit at that garage sale…
Knipex and Wera tools became the foundational tools in my serviceman tool bag. The versatility and ingenuity are unbeatable. A shout out to American tool manufacturer Ridgid of Elyria Illinois. As a gas pipe fitter for 47 years I always directed my apprentices to purchase nothing but Ridgid pipe wrenches and their other plumbers tools. I have an 18" iron pipe wrench that saw almost daily use for those 47 years. Dress up the jaws with a file once in a while and away you go. That tool with a 36" extender would allow me to rotate the moon.
As an electrician, yes to both Knipex and Wera. Excellent tools, a joy to use, and they outlast their American counterparts so much. I'll give an honorable shout-out to Wiha for making the best folding ruler I've come across, in addition to quality screwdrivers
Elyria, Ohio
It’s great when a well designed quality tool is made in your own country. We all cherish that, but what really matters is, has that tool really earned it’s place in your kit?
Scum bag nogoodnic company that purchased best in class Rigid now have some products made in.log heath g lack of quality control Communist china. Nope not today.
Doesn’t matter if you would’ve been talking about tax regulations, sewage, broccoli or knitting - always interesting to hear a well articulate man speak with the right words loaded up in the chamber. And a total lack of ”kinda’s”, ”eeeemm’s” and ”like’s”.
And the lack of jump cuts. The amateurs stitch together their narration as a sequence of seconds-long clips. It must take them hours just to assemble a single sentence. This guy knows how to give a complete and persuasive speech the first time 'round.
That must be why I subconsciously like this video so much. I see other TH-camrs doing the 20 jump cuts to camera to get a 20 second long string of dialogue and it drives me a little bit crazy.
@@SanchoPanza-m8m Adam Savage is great too, no jump cuts!
I was in the Navy and finished it as a career. As a Metalsmith the most useful manuals as a young apprentice one was Tools and their uses. Your last comment about tool is absolutely 100 percent accurate!
It is so true about a craftsman and tools. I am 81 and my grandfather, long deceased, was one of the most talented men I knew. He was truly an artist, he could paint a full wall mural. He was also a harness maker and carpenter. I don't believe he had any power tools in the 40s and yet he made me a wagon, wheelbarrow, and a host of other wooden toys.
I really appreciated this video. Thanks.
I split 6 cords of firewood every year from 1984 to 2019. I've never lived where there was a backup-heat until 2020....
I used to use a spring-action Chopper 1. I went through a series of those. I figured out quickly that with the right swing, momentum keeps the levers in place so the springs weren't necessary. I still needed the sledge and wedges though.
In 2000 I switched to the monster splitter that you hate so much. I love it. I'm an extra large guy and I could wield it very effectively. Sometimes I'd use just one hand to show off. I never needed a sledge and wedge again. I did end up breaking one because the weld got rusty. I bough a new one immediately and then had a guy weld the other one...good as new.
Now that I'm a retired geezer I don't split as much...still heating with wood, but buying it already split. I have several acres of oak and maple where I harvest my own wood too. I keep the monster splitter for that but tend to use a lighter maul these days most of the time.
Scott,
In America, the "K" is generally silent as in knife. In Germany where Knipex tools are made, they always pronounce a strong"K" and they pronounce the name of their tool "Kuh-nip-x" and they even have t-shirts that they sell with the preferred pronunciation.
Keep up the good work,
Cal
I was hoping someone else would straighten him out on that. 😁
But it’s not kuh-nip, it’s knip. Like the word Clip but with an N instead of an L.
@@Omnis2 no, it isn't.
@@pamelah6431yes it is.
@@saigmundur get a life. See what their own company says is the pronunciation.
I don’t have a manual job but I could listen to this gentleman all day.
I run Makita cordless tools, my elderly dad was trying to put screws in with a old corded dewalt drill. He was getting so frustrated, I went and got my brushless Makita impact and told him to try it… he was shocked on how well it worked. The right tool for the job is exactly that!
lithium batteries changed the cordless game. Back when cordless drills used NiMH batteries, they would just die randomly on you. I still have a collection of brand new ones with their batteries dead, someday I might convert them to lithium.
And Makita isn't even that expensive. But excellent and they last.
Your impact made quite an impression
@@D4no00 and then brushless motors came along too, which really sealed the deal - essentially closing the gap between corded & cordless tools
Then he tried Milwaukee...and never touched Makita again! 😂 Just kidding buddy! 😊
Ive been married for 27 years it sure would have been nice to have someone like Scott to start me off on my tool / homeowner journey , this man is a national treasure
Knipex. Truly the best.
Love the smooth jaw ones too.
Replaced a whole handful of Crescent wrenches.
I have a few and really like them. I'd like to get the small one to carry in my pocket.
I have used knipex long before the modern popularity. I was turned on to them in the 90's by a friend's father ( an aircraft mechanic) . They are my go too slip joint plyers. I was a channel lock guy before. I still have several pair of channel lock brand plyers and a drawer full of useless worn out knipex. The knipex are my favorite but they wear out faster than any other slip joints I have used . If you are a casual user I would definitely say buy a pair of knipex They will last you a lifetime but if you use them every day you will be buying new pairs every year.
They fit in tight spaces and when they are new they grip a nut or piece of all thread rod better than anything else but the steel is soft and wears out fast . When they become worn they are absolutely useles and dangerous due to slipping when you really need to get a bite on something .Just something to think about when weighing cost to survivability of the tool. It's a love hate relationship for me. I will never stop using them but they also drive me nuts at the same time
I carry a tiny Knipex Cobra 81-100 in a leather slip sheath in my pocket. Super useful and easy to carry.
This man showing appreciation for good tools is very rare. I could watch this all day. Very entertaining
He's great!
I inherited no tools from my father, so I have assembled a nice set of vintage USA-made tools myself from estate sales and garage sales over the past 3 years. I will pass this set on to my children. Quality American-made tools give me a lot of pleasure to own and use.
I love estate sales for that very reason. Good hunting.
other countries made good tools too 😂
Thank you Scott for your wisdom, and just as important, your understanding about tools that were "hand me downs", or bestowed to you by your parents...So many times I have pulled a tool out of the box, or off the workbench, and a flood of memories or just a smile comes forth.
Be well, and thanks for doing what you do!
Couple of favourite things. I’m a small engine mechanic.
1. 1/4” T-handle. Takes sockets or hex bits.
2. My ratchet wrench set.
Both game changers for me.
The T handle is nice !!👍
@@bstevermer9293
I ordered it from the UK. Wasn’t cheap but well built. Over the past 4 years, I’ve done about 600 tuneups/repairs. Every one has some interaction with that T-handle! 🙂
I’m sure over those years it has saved me from damaging components, had I been using a power tool.
I appreciate this channel SO MUCH!!! My late husband always said, "The right tool for the right job".......now I have an incredible amount of tools that I have no idea what they are used for! This channel is helping me to understand what the names of the tools are, and what they are used for!
The large speed square is good for being used as a ‘fence’ at a cutoff station (saw horses).
You got it. Exactly what I do with mine plus cutting rafters under 10 inches in width.
I keep one on the horses for scribing different widths that I need to rip. Super handy for Azek jobs when the sidewinder blows the chalk line away.
yessir.. we cut LP Smart side off the stack and it's indispensable as a guide for making precise cuts with a skilsaw and doing layouts for complicated cuts.
"Saw guide" is why I bought mine, and it's great.
That's all I use mine for. 😂
So glad I found this channel. I'm going to tell every young contractor I know about it. So much knowledge, wisdom, and grace....we really need to preserve and share. Now I'm off to clean out my "tools I hate using" box. In sincere appreciation.
I could talk about the tools ive used all my life for far too long but I thought about your question and for me the tool that impressed me when it came along was the Wonder Bar. A flat 12 to 14 inch pry bar that showed up in hardware stores in the 70s. As a builder renovator it immediately replaced any small pry bar you had at the time.
There is so many simple improvements to tools over the years that made big changes in productivity and ease of use that ill stick to my one observation and read the comments to see what others have to say. Cheers 🇨🇦
I second that. I beat up and got free replacements on Craftsman wonder bars when Sears was still a good company and stood behind their tools.
My favorite flat bar of this style is the Vaughan brand, I have 2 sizes, can't do without them. Still made in USA, I believe. Made with much better steel than other brands that have used.
Yeah, we used those. They were excellent.
Yea, "Wonder bars" , been using them so long I forgot there was anything else, LOL except for small crow's feet in some apps.
I hope this man never stops, he truly is a legend and gift to all of humanity.
This disdain for the tools you hate is quite amusing. 😅 Good tools make all the difference in life.
As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt.
A low quality tool really grinds my gears as well.
God bless this man sharing his knowledge. I have been in the trade for 45 years and still using some of my older tools. Our youth should be learning how to use them properly whatever their strengths are. My dad always said if you can hold a tool and learn to use it you will always be able to provide for your own family.
He was right !!
For anyone even thinking about the Knipex . . Buy them.
World of a difference!
I'd suggest the alligator 10inch. Perfect size and feel.
Unmatched gripping.
Plus, they have a stopper built-in so that you cannot pinch your hand between the ends of the handles.
Agreed! I always hated using slip joints, holding them 1 handed & trying to reach a plumbing joint at full arms length behind a kitchen unit etc was a recipe for some extremely creative swearing!
As soon as I saw the Knipex years ago I just bought them straight away despite them being many times the cost of my slip joints & I've never used a slip joint since (& never will).
Spend a tad extra and get the Cobra. Much more precise adjustments, adjustment action is much smoother, and very easy to change the adjustment one-handed. Afterwards you'll consider any other type to be the stuff of plebs.
@@eyegrinder94 I've worked in a shop where vice-grips were considered the end-all-be-all. I was asked to weld a lever to a stuck threaded rod, because the trusted vice-grips couldn't do it. The cobra had no issues.
Haha, I use knipex now, and I didn't even realize that I don't pinch the end of my pinky when they slip off anymore til reading this!
Not gunna lie, as an electrician I’ll still pick up the Channellocks(has to be channel locks brand name) over the knipex every day of the week. Nothing beats a couple pair of 420’s when you’re running 1/2”-1” pipe. You can ream with em, tighten up connectors and couplings, and use the ends to beat KO’s out of boxes. That’s why most electricians you see don’t have any of the blue insulation on the ends of the handles, if not none at all. Those knipex handles don’t close up tight to ream like channellocks do, and the insulation doesn’t make well for a beater.
I got a plastic larger speed square, i love it. Its a perfect guide for my cordless circular saw.
Nate, the production value of this video is your best yet. The control of focus and lighting is excellent. Thank you.
I try to watch every one of Essential Craftsman videos. I learn something every time. THis time, I learned why I never owned a "Monster Maul". All this time, I just thought it was too expensive for my existense at the time. GOod talk. I needed it today!!
Hey dont hate on that chall line. Im not a contractor I have the exact same one that im sure my grandfather and i got at a garage sale 30+ years ago (where we got a lot of our tools). I have a newer "nicer" one but everytime i grab for a chalk line that old one always ends up in my hands somehow. Its been dropped and thrown more times than i can remember but i love it. While i have a lot of new and more expensive tools, those old garage sale tools still bail me out here and there.
100% correct. I'm a carpenter layout foreman I snap lines all day . I have bought every speed line ever made and they last a few months or maybe a year till the gears strip out or they crack when dropped in the cold . Then I go to the bottom of my spackle bucket and pull out the same old boxes I have that I bought in the late 70's . Replaced the line many a time but they still work. If I'm snapping a line on a piece or rock or plywood I don't even think of using a bulky speed line. I keep a piece 0f 1/2 " pipe and put it over the handle and it becomes an instant speed line. 🍻
My father-in-law has helped me with woodworking and repair work around our house over the years. He and I installed our washer and dryer at our new house and he had the Ridgid Robo Grip II channel locks. I can't believe how well they worked and they haven't been produced for years. I went on ebay and got a pair of them as soon as I could. They are hard to find, but of course, I could count on my father-in-law to always have a tool he's taken good care of and let me borrow as my tool collection grows. It's the memories we make in these projects that mean the most.
I bought a Tajima chalk, box 25 years ago… I used it hundreds of times and it still works like brand new …. The fine line it snaps is easy to see because I always use the fluorescent orange chalk ! It uses a lot less chalk than those old Irwin boxes
Big and small separates my tools.
My made in USA 18" flat screwdriver has a name, Jimmy! Next is either my Estwing framing hammer or my 20" Channellocks covers most larger tasks.
Knipex small Cobras, and my own modified assortment of Wera's with a T-handle ratcheting driver covers most medium and smaller ones.
These tools are with me every day.
The best all around multitool, for the price, is the Leatherman Wave+ (though I carried and lost my second Free P4 yesterday).
My electricians tools, cutting, and splitting tools are another realm.
Growing up kinda poor our screwdrivers were always soft metal and worn. Now I have a nice collection of quality screwdrivers that I can warranty if needed.
What are your favorite screwdrivers?
I’ve always liked Craftsman screwdrivers, the tips seem harder than Stanley or the other brands, but especially with their Philips head screwdrivers. I’ve had so many others the would the tips would break, chip, or bend but not the Craftsman ones. I’ve never tried Klein tools or the really nice German ones, mainly because I was happy with the Craftsman screwdrivers. I’m not sure how they hold up now that the other country is making them, the couple sets that I have are probably over twenty years old and still going strong. If you come up with a good brand that you can work hard, let us know.
@@yoshakiI've got Carlyle, Icon, and, Felo and they're all good
Sometimes you don't know you can get better and just live with what you have. Same here.
@@Hoaxer51 I love my craftsman set as well but I'm selective about using them now since if I break one I can't get another USA made with the warranty.
I saw Knipex water pump pliers on a TH-cam channel, and got curious. I won't say they 'changed my life', but those are my go to pliers when I need to really turn something, and yet the jaws look almost new after several years. I now have over a dozen different pairs of Knipex pliers, and love them all. My only regret is not having them a long time ago.
I love your message at the end, about doing your best with the tools you have. Keep that up
Loved the video, I have been a handyman since very young, allowing me to make and repair many things and have a diverse career, I take exception to selling the motorcycle, obviously, you don't get enjoyment out of riding one, but I am 66 years old and have been riding since I was 14, and it has become a tool for freedom of my soul.
It brings me immense joy to see someone enjoy a well thought out gift. And a well thought out tool IS that. Keep up the good work Scott!
Thanks for sharing your philosophy and practical comments. I have a terrible time getting rid of old and poorly designed tools, many of which I inherited. The comments here give me some inspiration.
I bought a burke bar on your recommendation several years back, it's great for all sorts of stuff.
I bought a pair of Kinpex pliers about 20 years ago not knowing anything about them and they immediately became my favorites in short order. Not only are they easier to adjust but the gripping jaws are narrow and strong and I found they fit in many places that my other pliers wouldn't. All my other pliers sit unused these days.
Knipex have made an innovation again, their new button style pliers are a godsend!
Sounds like the Irwin vice grip groovelock. They are Button style, super easy adjustment and stays on the setting! Really like them!
Every video of yours that I watch reminds me of my Dad teaching me about tools, carpentry and construction. He was a good teacher and had a lot of knowledge to pass down. Thank you for making these videos, and I look forward to many more.
Scott, I will go to my reward with an Irwin Chalk Box still in my bags. It has seen me thru so many projects that I would feel naked without it. It’s become an old friend that will see me to the end of my days.
Yep that’s the tool I was going to say “ditto” on as well. They were and still are very inexpensive and about as functional low-tech as it gets. I do remember a couple times (early on) where, while having it apart, replacing the line, I’d lose or misplace the felt piece in the tip, where the line comes out. Pretty messy to work with with out that one little piece. Also, we always used concrete dye instead of chalk. It just makes a more permanent line. Something about the dye, different from regular chalk though is it would eat the gears up in those speed-winder chalk boxes. I have no idea why. No such problem with the Irwin’s though. No gears to foul.
So many words of wisdom, thank you! As a kid my dad didn’t mind if I used my money to buy tool instead of pissing it away and now I appreciate that. Many I still have today along unfortunately all of his which I treasure greatly.
Just ordered my first Knipex pliers. I didn't know about them until now. Thanks for sharing.
Hope you bought the Knipex Cobra and not the Knipex Alligator shown here. Like nite and day difference.
@@channelview8854 I bought the Cobra. Thankful that I got the better of the two.
@@channelview8854 The Cobra's are great !
I use my knipex channel locks 5 days a week. I have the button adjustable cobras. My mediums I've had for 8 years. Never had to do any maintenance to them. Only hit them with a blue monster rag every so often if im doing a gross job.
Far superior to any other brands channel locks ive ever used.
I do a ton of gas piping. Im I am buying myself some PipeVise pipe wrenches for Christmas. Very excited.
Great videos 👍
Slip-joint, Channelocks brand are my ride or die, I deliver and install appliances. My favorite tool. 31 years I can't live without them.😂
And made in USA. But I do like the various Knipex I have. My favorite is the twin grip. Amazing when you need it.
I’m in the same job in the uk. Have a look at the knipex siphon and connector pliers. The shape of the head allows you to get in places other water pump type grips won’t. Avoid the rothenberger style ones though. The slip joint is terrible and as soon as you open them it tries to move down the slip joint which then binds up when you squeeze them closed again. The knipex have a push button release for the adjustment.
@@mopedmarathon Thanks for the tip.👍🏼
Nobody makes a Channelock like Channelock. I have pinched my fingers too many times using other brands.
@@machintelligence I never pinched my fingers with Knipex Corba's.
I have been blessed by inheriting tools from my great great grandfather (blacksmith) my great grandfather (wheelwright and boat builder) grandfather (carpenter) and father(diver). I have used those tools, most quality and some hand made for years with great enjoyment. I am addicted to tools and have added many of my own to the collection. Finally my grandfather told me to ever hesitate to buy a good tool because they don’t eat anything so are cheap to keep around.
So glad I found this channel when I was building my deck. It helped me then but I just enjoy watching now.
My dad and I are plumbers.
I remember when I finally got a pair of cobras by knipex I was so blown away at the differences I went back to the store the next day and bought 2 more for my dad along with a few other styles to test out.
The cobras with the button would be mygo-too and have been ever since I got them. My dad still raves about his, the slim jaws get into tight spots/smaller faces, and the finer grip adjustments make for a much less straining action.
I started picking up garage sale tools such as a super cheap ball peen hammer, well abused and rusty as you'd expect, the hammer face was mushroomed unequally and the end was broken off the handle. Grinder trued up the head but I cut the broken splinters off and carved a good swell in the shortened handle end and it's now super useful in tighter spaces and the swell feels good in hand. Ever notice how some old hand round-nosed shovels feel better to dig with than others? Most modern ones are straight shafted but the old antiques have a super well designed carve at the handle ends that make them more pleasurable to use (but it's still digging).
The reason I watch your channel, and why I believe you have been so successful, can be described in one simple word. Trust. I trust your advice.
I bought a burke bar because of this channel. What a game changer. Love this channel and these videos. Keep up the great work!
I need one. I'd make one but I'm not that good yet
Andrew Camerata uses his for everything from changing truck tires down to stirring his coffee.
Scott, I've looked up to you since the inception of my career. An unbelievable wealth of knowledge that's priceless that you give away for free. Thank you.
The Knipex in the video are Alligators. Don't buy Cobras unless it has the QuickSet mechanism. With standard Cobras, you have to know exactly the size of nut/pipe you're grabbing and push the button to set the wrench first. It's a two-hand job. With Alligators or QuickSet Cobras, you just sling the top jaw over and close the bottom jaw onto it-- all one motion with the same hand.
Knipex are nice but the button to get them adjusted to the right size is why they stay in my box more ofter than my reguar ol channel locks do
I use the button cobras in every size every day and have no problem adjusting with 1 hand. And they stay the size I need.
@@warrenmichael918 Knipex are far better than Channellocks and I'd gladly trade my old Channellocks that I never use for the Cobra-Doyle clones from HF if I had the chance.
Jaws too wide- can't do tight/minimal clearance jobs. Jaws too soft and poor tooth pattern, don't grip as well. Range of adjustability is awful, can't get handles closer together for better leverage and easier time holding something with one hand while working with the other. Handles also pinch your hands, Cobras are designed intelligently to not do that.
And the grips aren't awful. They just don't slide off after oil exposure. Channellock (and Klein) need to do better on that front....
the quickset mechanism is weaker and they don't offer it in all sizes.
Cobras are still the best adjustable pliers you'll get. They're better than alligators because of their extra adjustability range and strength over quicksets. It's also easy enough to adjust with one hand if you learn how. Maybe not as easy as others, but that's a small con against all the other things going for it.
@@jaywelker5566 I don't use these every day. In fact, I rarely do. Can't imagine anything that the quickset would be too weak to handle, but, I dunno, as a layman user/home gamer they're just a bit easier to use when I'm cursing under a sink or something.
I own mostly old Craftsman mechanic tools, but I absolutely LOVE using my Snap On ratchet! Bring satisfaction every time I use it.
You had me right up to the point you said sell my motorcycle...no can do good sir
I sold my Yamaha LS2 100cc twin when I got married. I've missed it ever since.
@soupofpossibilities8537 I've been married almost 13 years, currently have 3 bikes. I am culling the fleet down to 2.
@@EngineersHomestead what bikes do you still have, and was there a favourite you wish you still had?
@TrevorDennis100 currently have a DR650, TW200 and Vstrom 650 (newest). Selling the DR as the other 2 better capture what I need. Don't really have a "one that got away" bike. Only bike I've ever sold was my first bike a Nighthawk CB750, don't miss it too much.
I felt the same! SELL my MOTORCYCLE? Blaspheme! lol! I Have a DR650 too. I think I'd love a TW200 for some things as well, just haven't found the right one!
I couldn't agree more about replacing my slip joint AND soft jaw pliers with a Knipex Plier. HUGE difference and well worth the extra cost ! Also, RE: hammers. When you find one that is well balanced and fits comfortably in your hand, you will only use that one and not the drawer full of others ! Keep up the good work !
Despite all of the knowledge he has imparted on all of us in terms of work and tool related things, that kind of message at the end is really why I started and continue to watch this channel. You are very wise, encouraging and always ready with advice. God bless you Scott. The world needs more of men like you.
I had to build my tool set. Got me a nice estwing 30 oz. Leather bags, and some basic tried and true tools. Took me years to find what worked right though and appreciate this knowledge hes passing along.
As a city firemen for 12+ years. A Leatherman wingman is great and a rechargeable pen light are two things I love.
Wingman is cheap low quality garbage.
As an independent and creative woman, I really do appreciate this kind of video! My dollars are few, most of my tools are second hand. But I'm happy with what I have, and I watch for opportunities to increase my growing work bench. Thank you!
The last things you said were key. Save a little money, buy a better tool, then earn/save a little more time. Tools are little investments that buy you time...over time.
I have a hand plane that I haven't used in over 40 years. Countless times I've almost tossed it away but yesterday I found a reason to dig it out. We have some architrave around the bathroom door that needed replacing. The wife insisted it MUST be replaced with exactly the same pattern architrave as the rest of the doors upstairs. It's a very simple design, just a basic chamfer at about 20 degree and a small radius. So after cutting a piece of wood the right width and thickness I just ran that plane up the whole length to created the chamfer. A quick rub down with some sandpaper and it looks identical to the original. It's such a good match that I was able to mitre it to some of the original and it fits perfect.
So glad I didn't toss that plane. I really don't have anything else that would have done the job so well.
I'm 82. I did my first carpentry job that I got paid for when I was 10 with tools I borrowed from my father's tool collection. I borrowed his CROW BAR then, and today I have several, in different sizes, exactly like the one I borrowed that day. They did just fine 72 years ago, and I keep them at the ready every day today. They do exactly what I have always wanted them to do. A great tool. On that first job that CROW BAR was the first tool I ever used.
I with you I've been a carpenter for 47 years and have collected at least 2 dozen types of pry/crow/flat /wonder/wrecking/Johnson/ pinch, bars and they all get used in different circumstances. Kind of like the same amount of hammers I have.🍻
I’m 28 and recently got quite a few tools from my grandpa who passed away earlier this year. I got his grandpas vice among other things. That thing is crazy heavy and definitely something that will outlive me. Hopefully I’ll have some grandkids of my own to give to them someday. It is crazy to see how they have improved over the years.
Interesting Mr. Scott, I actually love my big 12 speed square, but I'm not in construction, more farm/ag, standing at the shop welding table, fabricating stuff the farm might need, getting a square angle put back on on a leftover piece of board or plywood left laying around that will be "just right" for this particular project ,and the 12" helps get more reach into the board, or the rusty piece of sheet metal I might be re-purposing for...?
I have a Swanson, Doyle, orange plastic one that shows up under the "stuff" that it crawls under, multiples of each, for when the plasma cutter torch might slip as you're using it for a straight edge! LOL😂
I’ve more than paid for my knipex cobra pliers just getting out broken and rounded/stripped fasteners. The design of their teeth make them grip so well. I continually tell anyone in the mechanical trade to buy a set, they’re in my top 5 best tools I own hands down.
Germans don't waste letters, the K in Knipex is pronounced.
First bought the Knipex Circlip Pliers in 2020 because I needed a super quality tool for a tough application. (Bent the tips of two other brands) Worked great!
Then I needed to flush cut about a billion nails, and my 18 inch Craftsman 14 inch End Clippers and Dikes were just not cutting it. They were fine for a few cuts but hard to squeeze over and over again. I also had some tough access areas so I tried the following Knipex:
High Leverage CoBolt Cutters, High Leverage End Cutters-Bolt Cutters, 8 inches, High Leverage Diagonal Cutters, 12 Degree Angled 10 inches
All cut thru the nails with ease and with minimal hand pressure. No wrist fatigue.
I now have 23 Knipex tools and keep adding. Might cost more but much better performance and utility, and long term durability.
BTW Thanks for your excellent discussions and advice.
A crowbar is always better because we grew up with half life
'BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG'
Crow bar and gen1 glock 4 life
I just got a notification for a like and im replaying half life because of it
I enjoyed this so much! Old timer who feels the same way about many things! Revelation for me? Left handed Milwaukee corded (two prongs) skill saw with worm gear and slow start - why did I wait so many years? Second to that: Milwaukee Fuel portable drill - top of the line - so much power in a little tool! I use it with my lightweight auger for ice fishing in winter as well - has a detachable second handle that helps with the auger torque. I have no connection to this company, just two cool tools that are game changing for me as an old man.
I'm 71, retired Stationary Engineer, worked Plant Ops & Maintenance for a state facility 30+ years. Did a bit of pipe fitting, install & repair. We would do a day off/ busmans' holiday every year 1/2 the crew got to go to the Tulare Int'l Ag / Farm Show one day, 2nd crew go the next day, meet vendors, buy 4-H & FFL raffle tickets. I met a young vendor, new guy, had the proper papers to be selling . I bought 2 sets of 'Swedish form Pipe wrenches', 6,12,& 18", had never seen or heard of them. Imagine a heavy duty channel lock pliers, front leg is a round stock, threaded for a few inches to open / close the jaws adjustment(like Vise grips) , and the jaws are curved - not flat - and will NOT slip! I do love and use my rigid wrenches most of the time, but in a tight corner or crowded fittings where you might resort to a Sawzall, this will grasp an old union, reducer, elbow, etc.and pretty much did the job. My fellow engineers and plumbers laughed, until they tried it. For the next 20 years this was my test question for any new vendor rep, Grainger, McMaster, Fastenall, Snap On. Not one could find it. Harbor Freight just came out with it, call it the 'S-Jaw pipe wrench. I bought the 17", retired-don't need the two larger sizes. DO NOT GET THE H-F SWEDISH FORM WRENCH! Has square jaws, don't bite, do slip. Ask for the 'S-Jaw wrench. My only failures were due to corroded pipe & fittings. Sorry for the long comment, but it's a good tool for a bad job.
Harbor Freight introduced their version because they were riding on Knipexs coattails.
(Swedish Pipe Wrench-S-Type
83 30 010) Anytime either Knipex or Snap-on comes out with a tool and it becomes popular, Harbour Freight comes out with a cheap copy.
Don't mind the long comment. But the grammar and punctuation puzzle you presented is asking your reader to do a lot of extra work.
Those knipex are a must have if you do manual work. i friend told me to buy those and he was damn right.
as a bike mechanic i use it EVERYDAY, they saved my ass a million times on stuck bolts they are 5 years old and still rocking.
The strength and grip you have with those pliers is amazing.
I love working with
good quality tools
I worked in the natural gas industry most of my career. My employer paid for all our tools and didn't hesitate to buy the best tools available. I inherited three pair of Knipex slip joint pliers from my predecessor and used them for nearly 30 years. They were the best and most versatile tool in my truck.
My most used knipex are the small ones with the button to adjust them , they always stay at the size I need and they will remove just about any nut or bolt with out destroying them . I have them in my back pocket even now and it's dinner time
"....a poor tool is better than no tool at all....? Ha! Loved this! Darrell
I love listening to guys with a lifetime of knowledge, sharing their insight with an open heart, I wish you may happy days with the sun on your back.
Probably thee most relevant video I've watched in years! No, not about the tools....it's about the last 20-30seconds. I wish all the young men out there busy playing video games would have to opportunity to hear your closing comment. Amen brother, amen.
BTW, as a media professional, not a TH-camr, but a 30 yr veteran of tv, film, commercials, and now digital media.....your videos look great. Kudos to whomever has lit and shot them. Keep on.
When I find a tool I really like, I buy a spare, and buy some more to give away as gifts. I just came across a flashlight I like so much I will buy more. It is waterproof, rechargeable, pocket sized, has spot light and flood light settings both with high/medium/low, the head rotates 90°, and a strong magnet on the bottom so it can hold itself and free up my hand. I am loving it!😊
There's a difference between a beater tool and a Cadillac tool. A Cadillac runs true and smooth; and is sweet on the eyes.😊❤
Great review. I agree with all of your alternatives. As you asked, my hands down favorite tool in my production shop (we build workbenches) is my late father’s Dewalt MBL 14” Radial Arm Saw (RAS). It cuts a long crosscuts without deflection, rips as straight as a table saw (within its 14” limits), and can be set up to cut perfect dados. Just remember, the RAS provides the muscle, the operator must provide the brain. This tool exemplifies the statement “they don’t make ‘em like they used to.” The only plastic on this tool is some (but not all) of the knobs on the end of the adjustment cranks & levers. If properly cared for, and assuming we still use electricity in 2040, this tool will provide a career worth of service to my grandson. IMHO, the RAS is the production tool that put Dewalt on the craftsman’s map. It’s no wonder you can still get parts for it.
If I ever threw out a tool a week later I’d need it.
Your quote about bad tools reminds me of my grandfather who taught me everything I needed know to make a living being a carpenter. His exact quote was `" Life is too short to use shitty tools, toss them so nobody else has to suffer like you did ! "
My go to tool is a Vaughn FS 999 fiberglass shaft, so good I own 3 of them and gave another away. Been using one for 30 years w/no failures at all. That said, it did a major number on my index finger when driving Masonry nails into concrete with a full hard swing. I still carry that damage.
Haha. That was funny. Monster maul. Sometimes you learn why a tool is good by using a bad one first!
Ain't it the truth.
Your last little comment there about selling your motorcycle and turning it into tools was spookily timed. I’ve been thinking of selling my motorcycle so I can expand on my leather crafting business the last few months with some more equipment. I’ve really been considering it the last week pretty hard. I’ll just go ahead and take this as my sign lol
Love them, very rarely hate them, I never throw tools away!
Same here, until my Craftsman ratchets kept falling apart and, instead of going AGAIN all the way across town to the only Sears left, I bought a $9 Harbor Freight ratchet which I still use 15 years later. Craftsman- in the trash.
Tools? I never throw away hardware, let alone tools. I have so many old tobacco cans or sour cream containers of rusty nails or random fasteners that my kid will curse me for keeping when I'm gone. But I know the second I throw one single thing in the trash, it's that exact thing I'll need the very next day. Every time.
When Sears carried their own Knipex cobras you could return them when the jaws wore out. I stopped using channellock pliers with the exception of the nutbuster once the cobras came around. Everyone at my shop threw out their irwin chalk lines once we discovered the tajima ones. Huge difference in quality. Great video!
Part of the problem with this society is it is a throwaway disaster. Give it away, recycle it, upcycle it but NEVER throw anything away especially tools.
I wholeheartedly agree with your choice of Knipex! I do facility maintenance and industrial machinery repair and have a leatherman on my belt. But in my right front pocket lives a 5” Knipex Cobra that rides in a leather pocket slip. 9 times out of 10 I reach for that over my Leatherman if I need pliers exclusively. The amount of torque,grip, and leverage you can get from them is unparalleled to anything else. And they fit in tight spaces. Loved this video and your content in general. 🫡
I don’t throw unbroken tools away. I give them to someone who can use them.
I am thankful for you putting me on to the burk bars. That tool has saved me time and frustration; and has likely avoided injury.
Please don't discount or exclude women in your discussions. I would have been thrilled to be gifted a set of good tools when I started out. As a landlord/remodeler I have a healthy collection. My husband, who is no slouch with tools didn't have near my quantity. When our neighbor asked if he could borrow George's compressor, I said no. "But you can borrow mine!" After a couple more of those, he figured it out. A a 10 year old I was dying to ride a Honda 50 my uncle brought over. He wouldn't let me because I was a girl. Instead he put my 8 year old cousin on it and he promptly ran it up a tree. I stood there disgusted. I've had 16 motorcycles in all genres over the years, have raced, and still have four. There are lots of women out there that use all kind of tools. See us!
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Totally agree .
And I GOT TOOLS !!!! More than my Husband , and he was “no slouch “. 😉 😆
1 out of 10,000. If that.
Before you rag on me for my comment, 296,000 views, two women have commented.
Womp womp
@@prolifeunitybased
The mag 77 is by far my favorite tool. I’m a younger guy working with a lot of even younger guys. They like the crappy dewalt circ saws and carrying a dozen batteries in every day. I show them the skilsaw and the ones that get it truly get it. The power is great and well worth the hassle of a cord. Also, it makes me feel like Larry Haun 👍