I thought you might be interested in a look at all of the tool-related things I’ve ordered from Amazon these past few months, from around August through today (December 28th, 2016).
I’m also under the weather (again), and exhausted from tending to my son the 10 times he woke up last night. He’s done that a few nights this week. I can’t tell what’s bothering him – his stuffy and drippy nose, or the 2 molars ripping through his gums.
Not that I’m complaining – I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. I’ll sleep in tomorrow to make up for it.
But there’s just no way I’m going near power tools today – or even hand tools – unless it’s really needed. It’s never a good idea to do work when really tired like this.
Plus, in addition to being tired, my body still needs to rest from our trip to Ikea 2 days ago. More on that at the end of the post another time.
There’s still some tool previews and almost-done reviews to work out, but maybe I’ll tackle those later when I’m rested and/or caffeinated.
Here’s how the format will go: I’ll link to an item, and briefly mention of why I bought it. I might add in images later, but right now I’ll just sprinkle in some images that were already uploaded.
10-Gallon Rubbermaid Brute Trash Can – The 10-gallon size seemed like a good under-bench or office workspace trash can. If or when needed, I could use it to hold water, an ice bath, or whatever. Or I can use it to haul materials around that are otherwise difficult or uncomfortable to carry. But it’s mostly a small trash can.
20-Gallon Rubbermaid Brute Trash Can – This one will go in the basement, as a workshop trash can. It’s small enough to haul up the stairs and outside if needed, for a rinse or whatever. It was sitting in the kitchen right after I ordered it, so I put it to use as a Thanksgiving dinner garbage pail, so nobody would wreck our foot-operated and somewhat narrow everyday garbage pail.
The white color helps it look classier than a different commercial use trash can would have looked.
Schlage Keying Kit – The basement door is equipped with a digital lock, and my office door will soon have one, and the door to the garage will soon have a digital deadbolt. I’ll give it a try rekeying them myself.
Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil – I have one already, but saw a good price on a 0.5mm pencil in Blue. It’s a great workshop companion. I wrote about it twice before, more recently here:
Do You Have a Favorite Pen, Pencil, Marker, or Other Writing Tool?
Pentel Graph Gear 1000 0.7mm Pencil – The current pricing is so good, I had to have another.
Pentel Graph Gear 1000 0.5mm Pencil – I use 0.5mm more for drawing and sketching project plans, 0.7mm more for writing. Again, the pricing is very good these days (under $10 each).
Read More: Pentel Graph Gear 1000 Mechanical Pencils for Shop Use
Looking at that older price, I see that the price I just paid is around HALF of what I paid when I first bought one.
Amprobe Socket Tester with GFCI – I misplaced my Klein test sample, and wanted to see what ~$11 got me. I chose Amprobe because they’re a part of Fluke and I trust both brands for their quality. It’s a tight fit in tamperproof outlets, and one of the indicator lights was bent during assembly, so it doesn’t look perfect when in use and lit up.
Staedtler 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil in Blue – If you buy just one mechanical pencil, make it this metal-bodied one, or the 0.7mm size, in silver or blue finish.
In 2011 I paid $18 for a 0.5mm version, from Jetpens, and $12.55 for a 2.0mm version, from a Japanese supplier called Stationery Art, which looks to have closed.
Noga Magnetic Holder with 5mm Thread and Off Switch – Honestly, I don’t recall what I bought this to mount. It’s designed for use with dial indicators, but I bought it, and some M5 hardware, to mount something else.
OH, I remember now! It’s to mount a tachometer to steel surfaces.
Irwin Folding Utility Knife – This looks like it’ll be an interesting review candidate.
Adobe Creative Cloud Photoshop and Lightroom Subscription Card – Because my paid version of Photoshop CS6 and previous version of Lightroom won’t support the RAW files that come out one of my cameras, and nothing beats these 2 programs for working with photos and images. I guess it’s a tool then, right?
Calf Stretching Assist Device – Because physical therapy ended and my achilles is still not at 100%, so I’ve got to stretch more at home. I liked this a lot better than bracing against a wall.
OPTP Stretch Out Strap – This was another stretching assist device from physical therapy that I really liked.
Elasto-Gel Cold Pack – This is the brand that they had at PT. Made in the USA, making it stand out from the very many other random cold and hot pack brands on Amazon. It was better than the other teeny tiny and quick-warming ice packs I’d been using on my foot tendons.
Hockey Pucks – I bought 2 of these, at $1.99 each. Because… cheap vibrational dampening pads or cheap non-marring bench block use.
Baby Banz Infant Hearing Protection – Because my daughter accompanied me to a Milwaukee Tool regional “show and tell” of their new M18 Fuel lawn & garden outdoor power tools and I wanted to protect her ears.
Joe Knows Electronics Resistors – Not exactly a tool, but a handy assortment of resistors for upcoming projects. What’s a resistor? Read this electronics component primer post.
Apex 15′ Made in USA Water Hose Section – Useful as a drain hose or for testing pumps.
Radians NOT USA-Made Safety Goggles – Still good goggles. The plain color and styling makes it a better choice for media event usage than the Dewalts I normally wear.
Uvex Stealth Safety Goggles – I wanted to try these, but I don’t like them as good as Uvex Flex Seal goggles.
Dewalt Concealer Safety Goggles – They’re not made in the USA anymore, but are still very good goggles. You can replace just the lenses, but I can never find the goggles that I put aside due to lenses that need replacing.
Loew Cornwell 20pc 2″ Foam Brush Set – If I’m going to use cheap foam brushes, I might as well go with a brand that I know and have had good general experiences with before.
Sugru Moldable Glue Stuff – Things didn’t work out for the project I bought it for, but I’ll find some other uses, hopefully before it expires. Here’s what I wrote about them in 2011.
3M Corded Reusable Earplug – Disposable-type foam earplugs are nice, and I’ve reused lightly used ones before, but I wanted to try something a little better suited for in-out-in-out-repeat use that sometimes (frequently) happens with weekend projects.
Peltor Corded Reusable Earplugs – These are rated for 1 dB higher noise reduction. Plus, I wouldn’t be me, and ToolGuyd wouldn’t exist, if I didn’t feel compelled to explore the differences between similar but distinct products.
General Finishes High Performance Satin Topcoat – A water-based polyurethane wood finish that took me a while to select. My order from Amazon arrived damaged. A replacement order from Rockler resulted in nicer-packed quart cans. I’ll order more from Rockler or another woodworking supply retailer in the future.
Zinsser Bulls Eye Sealcoat Sanding Sealer (Dewaxed Shellac) – This stuff can be used under polyurethane, as a sanding sealer, and I’ve seen that it can give lighter wood (such as Baltic Birch plywood) more vibrancy or *pop*. My Amazon order turned out alright.
Preppin’ Weapon Sanding Block – It’s available in several colors, but I liked blue. It’s made in the USA and quite decent. It’s just a sanding block – a darned good one – and I still have sandpaper work itself free. The clamp is the best I’ve seen, though, so I’ll chalk it up to user error.
Olson Saw Blade Lubricant Stick – Because some aluminum-cutting blades work better when lubed. But not all – some blades are supposed to be used without any additives.
Starrett Pin Vise – I bought it to hold teeny tiny 2.5mm (~0.1″) drill bits, but it was shoddily made, with burs and loose filings sticking to my fingers. I thought I’d give Starrett another try, and they disappointed me yet again.
Loc-Line Vacuum Hose Slide Valve 10-Pack – I only needed 1 or 2, but the price was better for a 10-pack at the time. A reader told me about the deal – thank you! I’ll use the rest for some kind of ball maze for my son, or something like that. We’ll see.
Duck Brand Double-Sided Tape – Double-sided duct tape? I’ll give it a try.
3M Scotch Heavy Duty Fasteners – I needed some of these heavy duty reusable fasteners pronto, and Amazon had a good price.
It’s been a few months, and I don’t remember what I used them on. I didn’t need 4 boxes, but I didn’t know when I’d be able to get to a Home Depot. I’m sure I’ll use them more in time.
Grafix Ink Jet Transparent Film – I hadn’t used it yet, but I bought this stuff for making transparent cutting/drilling/layout templates.
Grafix Ink Jet Film Matte – I’m curious to see how well the matte film works for template use.
Avery Full-Sheet Inkjet Labels – These printable shipping labels are more cost effective than the Grafix, but will they work as well as printable templates? Better? I’ve got a project coming out where I can compare the two, will let you know!
Festool CT Sys Filter Bags – I still need to finish the review, but I’m liking the Festool CT Sys portable dust extractor ($325 via Amazon). It has a lot of pros, not many cons.
Freud 7/8″ Forstner Drill Bit – I still have to figure out which Freud Forstner drill bit style I like better, but in the meantime I needed a good 7/8″ bit and this one fit the bill.
Bud Industries Economy Project Box – This seemed like a nice and reasonably well sealed enclosure for an upcoming project.
Bud Industries Larger Project Box – I also needed a larger one.
Klein Non-Metallic Cable Stripper – Because it seems like it might work better for working with Romex.
Knipex Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper – So far, so good. More about the strippers.
Incra 1000HD Miter Gauge – This is a very nice upgrade for any table saw, router table, or other equipment with a standard miter slot.
More Stainless Steel Companion Knives – I just couldn’t pass up the sale!
Seville Classics Wire Shelving Racks – These free-standing storage units are pretty awesome. I just ordered 4 more 18″ x 48″ x 72″ 5-shelf units.
Victorinox Swiss Army Cadet Knife – I don’t think I’ve had a Cadet before, and wanted to see what the Alox handle design was all about.
Pelican 1740 Case with Foam – When you’ve got to protect something big.
Elmer’s Glue – No target in the area had any Elmer’s glue when I needed it, and now the local store only restocked with the School Glue version. I paid $2.19 with free shipping, and the week before it was $1.99 as an add-on. Now it’s $6 and change?!
Kershaw Leek Teal – The handles are anodized aluminum, giving the knife a different feel than I’m used to with the excellent stainless steel handled version I reviewed. But… it’s blue, and was on sale.
Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls – I scratched up some kitchen bowls with aluminum shavings.
Fenix LD22 LED Flashlight – Let’s see if the LD22 is as good as the LD20 I used to recommend.
Fenix Diffuser Tip – This could be handy.
Fenix MC11 Angled Flashlight – Looks like a good review candidate.
Streamlight ProTac 2AA LED Flashlight – I returned special priced Stylus Pros. This one doesn’t have a California Prop 65 warning that I could tell, which is a good start.
Pelican 1920B LED Flashlight – I don’t remember the last Pelican flashlight I’ve used. This would be a good review candidate.
Energizer Lithium AA Batteries – Great for high power flashlights, and cold weather performance. These batteries also have a great shelf life.
Energizer Lithium AAA Batteries – same reason as above. Frequent-use devices get Eneloop rechargeables, but for Energizer lithium cells are more cost-effective for other applications. I use alkaline cells for less demanding applications.
Amazon UK Purchases
I placed my second order just recently and am awaiting delivery. The first order was placed in September, just prior to Sortimo expanding USA distribution. Prices are still somewhat favorable to order from overseas, even with shipping. My order turned out great, but it might be worth it to order from a USA dealer, just in case of a mishap.
Note: Only Amazon will ship to the USA, and not on all items. If an item has a big red “won’t ship to the USA” message, check to see whether Amazon is the seller. Sometimes if Amazon UK won’t ship an item to the USA, Amazon DE will, and vice versa.
Hazet Screwdriver Set – The price is too good to pass up. Let’s see what eco-priced Hazet tools are like. Not that I’ve tried their more premium handled screwdrivers, but I still wanted to check these out.
Sortimo T-Boxx Oragnizers – After waiting soooo long, I finally had a chance to see what all the fuss is about! I’m still tweaking my setup, but short answer: they’re sweeeet!
Bahco Tekno Ball Hex Screwdrivers – I own an Irazola Techno+ 5mm driver and added Bahco 2.5m and 3m drivers. A 6mm is on the way with today’s order, but the 4mm seems to be perpetually out of stock.
The handles on these are FANTASTIC! I paid the equivalent of $15 or so for the 5mm when at a tool store in London.
Bosch 12V Max (10.8V) Circular Saw – Bosch won’t bring this tool to the USA, so I ordered it from Amazon UK. I’ve only used it a few times, seems like a good compact cordless circular saw, and it works fine with my 12V Max batteries. The last I checked, I was able to find replacement blades in the USA, not that I need one yet.
Festool Sys 4 TL Sort/3 – This is the new T-Loc-compatible Sortainer. I like my drawered Sortainers and am curious to try this one out. Each draw has 2 front-to-back organizers. There was no price benefit to getting the pricey organizers from overseas. They’re $25 per drawer. No, thanks, at least for now!
Regular Sortainers are fit to Systainer 3 dimensions, these are taller, at Systainer 4 dimensions. We’ll see how well they play together.
I wish I had ordered my very many Festool and Tanos mini Systainers from overseas – I would have saved quite a bit of money. I was tempted to buy more now, but I’ve slowly been moving my mini Systainer contents to Sortimo T-Boxxes. I’ll be using them as mini tool kits, eventually lined with Kaizen foam or tool foam.
Facom Metric Wrench Set – I could use a compact metric wrench set to keep in a portable tool kit.
Facom Inch Wrench Set – I LOVE these Facom 440 combination wrenches! The price on the foam tool module set is too good to pass up! I have a set in a plastic tray, and the tray is kind of so-so.
These wrenches are shorter than standard long pattern combination wrenches, and the box end a little beefier.
I haven’t replaced my Craftsman Pro full polish wrenches, or Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches, but the Facom combo wrenches and Proto spline ratcheting wrenches are my go-tos. I previously only bought them in inch sizing, but my metric Facom set purchase changes that. I probably won’t upgrade my Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches to Proto, as I tend to use SAE sizes a lot more.
Facom Micro Tech Precision Screwdriver Set – Although pricey, I think these would be excellent review candidates. Here’s what I’ve said about all my other precision screwdrivers.
Facom Universal Shears – I’m spending a bunch on shipping, one more tool won’t add measurable to it. These look like a general purpose “I can always use that” tool that would be interesting to review.
Bosch Cordless Glue Pen – After waiting for Bosch to not release this cordless glue pen in the USA, I decided to buy one anyways. I bought 2, just in case one fails, but also so I can load them with different glue sticks.
Steinel also makes a cordless glue pen, and might make the Bosch one, but it was pricier – 38 Euros via Amazon DE. It looks to have a battery fuel gauge and slightly different design.
Bosch High Strength 7mm Glue Sticks – It looks like I can find 7mm glue sticks here, but I wanted to make sure I had glue the glue pen was presumably designed to work with.
Bosch Plastic-Specific 7mm Glue Sticks – A plastics-specific hot glue formulation? I’ll give it a try.
Amazon DE Purchases
Tip: Theres a button at the top of the Amazon Germany menu bar that has an automatic english translation option. It works quite well, and Google better handles user review translation.
Knipex Self-Adjusting Wire End Ferrule Crimper – These are super pricey everywhere in the world, but less so if you order from overseas. It’s less from Amazon DE, even with express global shipping.
L-Boxx Mini – I previously ordered 4 of these small L-Boxxes (oops, I thought it was 6), and ordered 6 more last night. The latches don’t look like they’ll hold a lot of strength, but I like the clear lids and internal dividers.
The price is right too – 5.87 Euros (~$6.15) each.
I don’t mind the Fischer branding or red color, since these are the cheapest L-Boxx Minis I could find on any of Amazon’s international sites, including those that cannot be shipped to the USA by Amazon or 3rd party sellers.
Hazet 1/4″ Hex Screwdriver Bit Holder – I’ll give it a try. It’s similar in style to the screwdrivers I ordered, which I’ve used a little bit and like so far.
Steinel 7mm Ultra Power Glue Sticks – It seems to me that these and the Bosch are the same, but I figured I’d add another pack to my supply, assuming the Bosch glue pen works as well as I’ve been hoping and looking forward to.
Wiha Kraftform Halfmoon Screwdriver and Bit Set – Our friends over at KC Tool set over a set for review at my request, and I’m liking it. The screwdriver handle could be better. After a lot more use, I’ll pick up the 1/4″ hex to halfmoon adapter and use it with a mini Wera handle, but at ~$45 it’s a very pricey adapter.
I like how low profile the Wera Micro halfmoon bits are, and how nicely they lock into the bit holder.
I bought the green-handled non-EDC set. You could buy the green-handled set and spare yellow-handled EDC handle for around the same price as the EDC set.
Wera Kraftform 100 52pc Bit Set – Somebody mentioned or inquired about this lately, and it’s been on my shopping list since. It has more Pozidriv bits than I care for, but I could use duplicate Phillips and Torx bits, and I guess that hex key set can come in handy. I’ll likely swap in different bits to make this a better portable kit for my needs.
This wasn’t one of my more enthusiastic purchases, but it seemed like it would be good for review.
Wera Tool Check Plus Imperial – This is a larger version of the Bit Check with mini ratchet and Rapidaptor that I’ve put through a lot of use these past few years, with the addition of some color-coded inch sockets and a screwdriver-type handle.
Just the price saving on this set paid for the shipping for the entire order. Compare via Amazon USA.
Wera Kraftform Kompakt Pistol-Grip – Pricey, but the design appealed to me, and looked like it would be interesting to review and compare to straight-handled multi-bit screwdrivers.
Wera Kraftform Ratcheting Screwdriver – This looked like it’ll be a good review candidate, and at worst, a good addition to my screwdriver bit drawer.
Wera Kraftform Kompakt Ratcheting Screwdriver – This ratcheting screwdriver drops the Rapidaptor bit holder, but gains in-handle bit storage.
Bahco 6.0mm Ball End Hex Driver – Here’s that 6mm ball end hex driver I mentioned adding to my Irazola/Bahco Tekno/Techno+ screwdriver collection. I really wish that they also made these drivers in inch sizes, and also that the 4.0mm was immediately available for purchase at a reasonable price.
Wera Tools Advent Calendar – When I started adding to my cart, the Advent calendar was said to be back in stock in mid-January. Then, when I was almost done, it said there was 1 back in stock. Soooooo I ordered it.
Feedback?
Did you like this post? Would you want to see more like it in the future, perhaps with an image for each entry? Once every month or two, instead of 5 months and 3,400+ words?