2025-06-03 00:00:00
CarMax is a great source for when you are in the market for a certified, warranted, used vehicle. I don’t know of any other dealership where you can test drive a used car, in excellent condition, and not have to go through a hard sell sales pitch, or a torturous bargaining phase when you decide to purchase it. The no-bargain price is right on the vehicles, and is often quite a bargain (with notable exceptions, so you have to do your independent price-point research ahead of time). The salespeople have no incentive to make a hard sell because of the way their commissions are set, and the fixed prices (so don’t bother bargaining). Additionally, if you decide within five days of your purchase that it was not the right car for you, you can return it for a full refund, regardless of how much you drove it (and yes, I have actually tested this out) with no reason needed beyond simply that you didn’t like the car. They also make a similar no-bargaining, no-low-balling offer for your trade-in, and let you know with 30-45 minutes exactly what they are willing to pay you for your car. And, as it should be, the two transactions don’t have to be tied to each other. They also have a decent website that lets you find the car you want nearby, or sign up to be notified via e-mail if a car matching your criteria shows up in their lots. Their Service Centers also seem to be squeaky clean and very impressive. They seem to be the elusive Car Dealership with a Conscience. My advice to anyone looking to buy or sell a used car, it behooves you to at least see what CarMax has to offer before making your final decision. — Surkhab Niazi
To find the best deal when buying a new car I use The Autoline. I can’t recommend them highly enough. For a modest fee they will find the car you want (or recommend the car you should buy based on your budget and requirements) and call you back with the best no-haggle price they can find. (They also do leases.) I’ve used them four times now and am very happy with the results. Each time they’ve arranged for dealer to deliver the car to my house, so I never have to set foot in the dealership or hassle with the guy who pressures you to buy useless “clear coat” and other pure profit add-ons.
Don’t be put off by their 1993-style website — all business is conducted by phone and email. — Mark Frauenfelder
Getting quotes from Get Used Parts is nice and all but for the more hands-on “just give me the info” approach, Car-Part.com is a better fit. It actually gives you a list of all the places that have your part, their prices, condition etc with contact information for the seller and you can filter the results by area or state. A lot of parts are too big/heavy to ship or cost prohibitive so it helps to find nearby sellers. They even have a handy tool to help you figure out what a part is called if you don’t know.
The prices quoted online have been accurate and the parts are almost always available when you contact the seller. Most places have 800 numbers so its no big deal to call a few if need be or to find the best shipping prices. My dad has found several items to repair our family’s cars and has been happy with them. Of course the shipping costs, accuracy of item descriptions, etc will vary depending on the seller, but we haven’t had any issues to date. — Isaac Good
After recently being involved in a minor fender-bender that resulted in a cracked tail light on my Subaru, I found that replacement parts would cost about $300 brand-new. A thorough web search confirmed that no lower prices could be found for new parts. Then I thought of trying to find the parts from a junkyard, but soon realized that would involve calling all of the junkyards in my area and then traveling to get the part, if one could be found. So I did what any person would do in this day and age and searched Google for used or salvaged auto parts and found this website. Once I entered in the year, make, model of my car and the exact part I needed, I received a phone call a half our later from a junkyard in Alabama that had exactly what I needed. They sent me the part for $95, including shipping.
There are several other sites that do essentially the same thing, i.e. use a standardized format to send a parts request to multiple junkyards and salvage lots around the country. I use this one because it has the nicest interface and I received the best and fastest quote on the parts I needed. One thing I noticed in using these sites is that they all used the same software for selecting the year, make, model of the car and parts needed. Some entrepreneurial software company must have identified this niche and they now monopolize the market for this specialized type of software. — Jason Spitzer
For the last five years I’ve used a synthetic chamois called The Absorber to dry my boat and cars. It is so good I can’t bear to use anything else. It holds more water and absorbs faster than towels or real chamois. The chamois I used years ago had to be thoroughly dried out after use or it would rot, and when dry, was hard to store. Then you had to get it wet before use and wring it out frequently since it didn’t hold much water. A towel, once wet, doesn’t leave a dry surface (all those spots). The Absorber when moderately wet leaves your surface utterly dry. It’s kind of amazing, really.
After you’re done using it, just fold it in half, roll it up wet and tuck it in its hard plastic storage tube. It says you can machine wash it but I haven’t tried that myself.
On the company website, you can read details on its PVA open-cell material. The company claims that the product is “the best drying tool you’ll ever discover” and I have to agree it is — it is superior drying technology. I now own four of them in different colors. The site says you can use it to dry pets but I have never tried it on my dog (she’s a short hair model and doesn’t really need it), but I will try it on myself. —Steve Leveen
Winding Road is a free digital car magazine that arrives once per month — you can either view it online in flash or download it in PDF. Apparently the magazine hired away some of the good writers from the other well-known car magazines. They are doing a pretty decent job. The magazine has cool videos and audio interviews throughout, and the photos are very good. They also have a daily news site. With Winding Road I can get all the car magazine stuff I need, without having to pay, and they never asked me for a credit card number or any of that. I’ve cancelled my Car and Driver subscription because I don’t need it anymore. — Roy Nesseth
We had the Smart EV for several parade loops around Brooklyn and Manhattan, and certainly the cars were 100 percent in their element here. We do completely adore the in-cabin sitting-at-the-wheel relationship; it’s still near perfect and tremendously comfortable. The spatial attitude of the driver and our view out of the car are both near perfect in urban situations as well.
Acceleration to 37 miles per hour is quoted at 6.5 seconds, and top speed is capped at just 62 mph. That speed cap will keep drivers from routinely sucking the 16.5-Kwh, Tesla-Daimler lithium-ion battery pack dry, and thus falling way short of the quoted 82-mile range. The transmission is just an on/off switch really, with a single-speed system overseeing things. This automatically makes the ForTwo ED better than the gas-powered sibling, as the five-speed simplistic SofTouch automatic is, frankly, quite an awful experience.
Another mixed message: until the 2013 model year, these initial Smart ForTwo ED cars are available only on exorbitant 48-month leases at $599 per month. That’s $28,752 total, but the federal income tax credit is bound to be for the full $7500 possible,thus bringing the take down to $21,252 or, in the end, about $4,000 less than the base Nissan Leaf.
Evo has gotten an early drive of the BMW i8 prototype in northern Sweden.When driving, there is a whine from the three-cylinder motor, but it isn’t what one would consider bad. They describe it as sounding a bit like an early Porsche 911.
Volvo has introduced a new engine family called Drive-E with two offerings, one of which is both turbocharged andsupercharged.
Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.
2025-06-02 00:00:00
Our subscriber base has grown so much since we first started eight years ago, that most of you have missed all our earliest recommendations. The best of these are still valid and useful, so we’re trying out something new — Retro Recomendo. Once every 6 weeks, we’ll send out a throwback issue of evergreen recommendations focused on one theme from the past 9 years.
The cheapest bargain of any overseas vacation is the $25 you might pay for a good travel guidebook, so I always get the latest version. It is better organized and often better researched than online forums. And I have no qualms about cutting it up. I get the large country-scale guide, and then with a razor blade knife I excise only the portions I could possibly use. Then I staple and bind with clear packing tape for very durable, and lightweight, thin booklets. — KK
The best way to tour somewhere, IMHO, is via bicycle. E-bikes make that even easier these days. For overnight touring, you’ll need some bags (panniers). The blueribbon panniers are classic Ortlieb dry bags. Each is a roomy, rubberized single bag (no dividers or pockets) that seals off at the top to provide an absolutely waterproof container. Not cheap, but because of their simplicity they will last a lifetime. After 2,000 miles of use, I am very attached to mine, in bright yellow. — KK
I recently visited my grandmother in Mexico, and the first thing I packed was my pStyle, which helps women pee while standing. It was the perfect travel tool for Mexico, where most public bathrooms have no toilet seat and you have to pay for toilet paper. There was no mess, it was easy to use, and I just attached it to my purse in one of these discreet carrying cases. — CD
You aren’t allowed to bring a bottle of water past airport security, and the bottled water sold at airport convenience stores is expensive. But many airports now have filtered water dispensers. I keep a collapsible water bottle in my travel bag. It rolls up to a tiny size and weighs nothing. Free water, what a concept! — MF
For walks and short hikes, I’ve been leaving my daypack behind in favor of this ChicoBag water bottle sling. It’s convenient and comfortable to wear, and it even has a large pocket for my phone and keys. It folds up and takes up no space, so I just carry it with me at all times. — CD
“Basic economy” is the cheapest way to fly on United. You don’t get to select your seat and you can’t check any bags or even bring a standard carry-on bag without paying extra. You are allowed one personal item, measuring 17x10x9″ or less. That’s smaller than most backpacks and is an unusual size. Here’s a small duffel with those exact measurements. It’s big enough for a couple of changes of clothes, toiletries, electronics, and a laptop. (Here is a similar bag for Spirit) — MF
2025-06-02 00:00:00
I’ve always been fascinated by “night thoughts,” those weird, often nonsensical thought fragments that float into your conscious mind on your way to Slumberland, when you wake up in the middle of the night from a dream, or when you arise in the morning. I’ve been writing my night thoughts down in a notebook (or my phone notes app) for decades. I have books filled with them. Recently, I’ve been having another kind of night thought: A “big idea” that seems to arrive, fully formed, as I get up to go to the bathroom. Some of them seem useful at the time, but not so much in the morning, some are real gems. I’ve taken to calling these “nightbulbs.” When I first started recording my night thoughts, I realized that the act of recording them seemed to produce more. Same with nightbulbs. If you’ve never done this, give it a try. You might find them useful—or at least entertaining. Two of my all-time favorite night thoughts: “The next thing you know, it’s Adolf and Eva in a bunker” and “Amoeba-shaped power clowns.” For nightbulbs, the name itself is one.
In this wonderful Dug North video, he turns a can of evaporated milk into a steam engine. The design is based on Hero of Alexandria’s Aeolipile and the scant instructions Dug used came from a 62-year-old issue of Mechanix Illustrated. Unlike Hero’s design, this version of the Aeolipile is vertically rather than horizontally aligned. Most of the build is straightforward, using common tools. After Dug builds his engine, he struggles to troubleshoot and tune it properly, but with a number of tweaks, he finally gets it going—and man, does it go.
Seeing Dug’s video reminded me that I need to get a few fire bricks. Besides their use as refractory bricks for kilns, forges, and ovens, they’re great for any sort of bench work (soldering, small casting, brazing) where you want to shield your work area from heat.
I’ve raved about Dan Gelbart’s channel before. Dan is a Vancouver-based machinist and technology entrepreneur. Although I’m not a machinist and have very little experience in a machine shop, I love watching his videos and seeing the high-level tips and tricks he shares. Some of them are basic enough for me to incorporate into my work, such as how to center-drill a hole on a curved surface (e.g. pipe) without having to use a center punch and creating left-hand thread with right-hand tap.
The really amazing tip here is how you can spot weld aluminum using stainless steel pieces as a heat assist. Dan’s is one of those channels that always makes you feel smarter for watching.
Cool-looking control panels have always been an attraction for me. On Accidental Science, they present two methods for achieving near-factory-grade results with tools you probably already have on hand. In the first video, he shows how to design your layout in Inkscape (or similar), print it, laminate, and glue it down with epoxy. You can then drill right through the laminated sheet. The results are shop-hardened, grease-resistant, and tough enough for robots, test gear, or any project that might take a beating. The second method result in more of a sleek, satin finish. Instead of laminating, you coat your printed design with spray varnish, back it with opaque white paint, and glue it directly onto aluminum. A final spray coat seals it, or if you’re feeling fancy, you can roll on a thin layer of liquid epoxy for seriously pro-looking results.
Both approaches are CNC-free, budget-friendly, and scale well from one-offs to short production runs
Jargon, slang, and technical terms for the many realms of making things
Galling — When two metal surfaces slide against each other under pressure and start to stick, tear, or seize instead of moving smoothly. A form of wear caused by friction that can quickly damage bolts, nuts, or other fasteners, especially if they aren’t properly lubricated.
Tattooing — Slang for etching a design onto a knife blade. Usually done with acids, electricity (electro-etching), or fine abrasives to create designs, logos, or patterns without damaging the blade’s strength or performance.
Témoin — A French word meaning witness. In book printing, it refers to a piece of paper that was accidentally folded into the book’s body during production, leaving an unintended crease or extra flap between the pages.
Wallowed out — Describes something worn down, hollowed, or enlarged from repeated use, pressure, or motion. Often used to refer to a hole, groove, or opening that has become misshapen through friction, erosion, or continual movement.
It’s hard to believe that we’re at issue #199 of Gar’s Tips & Tools (and closing in on 10,000 subscribers!). This newsletter, launched all the way back in May of 2019, has been one of the most gratifying projects I’ve ever worked on. And readers seem to agree as I’ve gotten more positive feedback on this newsletter than pretty much anything I’ve done. Thank you so much for your support, contributions, and encouragement.
For the 200th issue, I’d love for you, dear reader, to share something that you’ve learned from the newsletter: a tool recommendation, a tip you now regularly use, a YouTube channel you heard about here and now regularly follow. Anything! Tell me a story!
Paid-subscriber support has been a great addition to the bottom line of this project. Not only does it help justify the time I put into it, it also fuels my motivation to create even better content.
If you find value in Gar’s Tips & Tools and are able to contribute with a paid subscription, I’d greatly appreciate it. Every bit helps!
Special thanks to Hero of the Realm Jim Coraci for your generous support.
Gar’s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales is published by Cool Tools Lab. To receive the newsletter a week early, sign up here.
2025-05-30 00:00:00
I use Wise.com on a weekly basis for international business transactions with low fees, as do most of the people I know running online businesses. So there was a burst of excitement this week when they announced that their multi-currency debit card would be available to US account holders again after cutting us off years ago. Turns out the terms are terrible though, like a 2% fee every trip to the ATM or 2% plus $1.50 if you withdraw 3+ times in one month. Here’s my full take on it: The New Wise Debit Card is a Dud.
The Visual Capitalist site always has some fun charts and infographics packed with information. One of the latest is a rundown of beer consumption per capita around the world. If this were a World Cup of Beer, the Europeans would dominate. The Czechs drink almost 50% more than the silver medalist Austria and the next 10 contenders beyond that are all European. Panama is a surprise after that, drinking 81 liters per adult per year, barely edging out Bulgaria and Mexico. Gabon and South Africa rate higher than any Asian nation, with Cambodia being tops on that continent. Australia (#24) and the UK (#25) must be tipping fewer pints these days and craft beer heaven USA is in the passing lane: #27 with 61 liters per year.
When Tony Wheeler gives his opinion on something travel-related, people listen. As the founder of Lonely Planet, the guy who wrote their first guidebooks, he’s earned plenty of respect. In an article titled, “I’m Not Going There Anymore,” he runs down four destinations he won’t return to in their current state. Two of them I’ve never visited and probably won’t: Russia and Saudi Arabia. One I haven’t returned to since the ‘90s because I know it would make me cry: Bali. The last one I have no choice on because I’ve got friends and family there—the USA—but I can’t argue with anyone who has sworn it off for the next few years.
None of us has tried this, but Mark F. of sister newsletter Recomendo sent me this intriguing service for remote corporate workers who want to make it look like they’re still at the home office in Austin, not logging in from Auckland while traveling. Called KeepYourHomeIP.com, this service lets you “work remotely and still appear to be working from home, ensuring that your Internet access is secure and private. This means that your traffic cannot be identified as originating from a VPN service…” At less than $500 for the business option and no subscription fees, it seems like a great solution.
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.
2025-05-28 00:00:00
Aliens 30th Anniversary: The Original Comic Series
by Mark Verheiden (author) and Mark A. Nelson (illustrator)
Dark Horse Books
2016, 184 pages, 8.3 x 12.4 x 1 inches (hardback)
Aliens is one of my all-time favorite movies. A perfect mix of action, sci-fi and horror, which I would argue hasn’t been replicated. Then there’s Alien 3, and everything that came after it. I don’t like to talk about that. But, in 1988 after Aliens came and four years before the next movie would come out, this comic series ran which gave me the followup story I wanted.
The series has been published as Aliens: Book One, Aliens: Outbreak, and in novel form as Aliens: Earth Hive (a lot to keep track of), but since these publications were made after Alien 3 came out, names were changed to avoid confusion from the films continuation of the story. So Wilcks = Hicks and Billie = Newt. Thankfully this comic doesn’t do that. This printing features the comic as it was intended to be read with the characters we’re familiar with.
The story picks up a few years after the film ended. An adult Newt and aged Hicks are struggling to deal with the horrors they witnessed, and Ripley is ominously missing. The black-and-white comics really capture the gritty world that the movies take place in, expanding on it in the best way. Although the comic ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, the story is continued in Aliens: Nightmare Asylum, but you will have to deal with the name change of the main characters.
The book itself is beautiful. And black. Very black. It feels like something that was designed by H.R. Giger himself. Why I’m most excited about this rerun of the series is because it gives me some hope at seeing a movie that truly succeeds Aliens. There’s been a lot of back and forth, but Sigourney Weaver, Ellen Ripley herself, has been in talks with Neill Blomkamp (director ofDistrict 9), and the two are championing a new Alien movie. One which might retcon everything that happened in the later movies. This would mean that the cinematic world might very well line up with these comics. It’s a stretch, and might never happen, but I like to dream. Aliens fans will definitely appreciate this one. – JP LeRoux
What Am I Doing Here?
by Abner Dean
New York Review Comics
2016, 168 pages, 7 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
In the 1930s and 1940s, Abner Dean was a highly sought-after illustrator who drew covers, cartoons, and illustrations for The New Yorker, Esquire, Time, Life, and Newsweek, as well as advertising illustrations for insurance companies and product manufacturers. In 1945, Dean quit his day job and drew the first of seven books that have been described as “existential gag cartoons.”
What Am I Doing Here? is Dean’s second book, and is generally regarded as his best work. It was originally published in 1947. This facsimile edition just came out today and contains about 100 single panel drawings, rendered in India ink and graytone washes (in the classic New Yorker style of gag cartoons).
Dean’s drawings look like cartoons but they aren’t very funny, at least not in the traditional sense. They’re absurdist and disquieting. Everyone is naked and the action takes place either in decrepit urban settings, living rooms filled with grinning desperate characters, or barren surrealistic wastelands. Each drawing features the same hapless character, a lonely youngish man who questions his role in the human race, represented by a crowd that changes its form and behavior from page to page. The people are sometimes club-swinging brutes, other times they are blinkered sleepwalkers, insincere mask-wearers, bloodthirsty mobs, hysterical celebrators, suicidal lemmings, or guru-seeking fools. They often look more like animals than people. The protagonist is at times foolhardy, delusional, disappointed, fearful, proud, insecure, ruthless, or bewildered.
In the introduction, Clifton Fadiman (chief editor of Simon & Schuster in the 1920s and 1930s, and editor of The New Yorker’s book review section for ten years after that) wrote:>
It is pointless to try to “explain” Abner Dean. His pictures are trick mirrors in which we catch sight of those absurd fragments of ourselves that we never see in the smooth glass of habit. Formulae for the art of Abner Dean are irrelevant. What is important is the fact that it jolts you into sudden awareness of your own pathos, your own plight, your own unending and gigantic laughableness.
– Mark Frauenfelder
Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.
2025-05-27 00:00:00
Pittsburgh Pro Composite Ratchets
I have multiple Snap On, SK, and Craftsman ratchets so when I first head how smooth and nice the action is on the Pittsburgh Pro Composite Ratchets from Harbor Freight I scoffed. A metal mechanism inside a plastic and rubber covered ratchet?
So I tried the 1/4″ and 3/8″ models and all I can say is WOW! I have not tried the 1/2″ model yet, but all three sizes are dirt cheap at under $10, feature lifetime warranties, are light-weight, have a non-conductive body, are “warmer” to use in cold weather, and have a butter smooth 72-tooth ultra-fine ratcheting mechanism. This isn’t to suggest you ditch your regular ratchets for high torque applications (use a breaker bar) but these are quite nice and have earned a place alongside my other ratchets. These are a real gem. — Warren Flearl
These are not your standard combination wrenches. They literally put a twist in it. The working ends are offset from each other by 90 degrees, which makes for a great handle that reduces stress and increases leverage. Beyond its heft and balance, the design of this crescent wrench/box wrench ratchet is much more comfortable, especially for repetitive tasks. By twisting the axis, that non-working end now makes for a more natural handle that diffuses pressure into the palm and across the fingers. The shaft of the tool is also slightly longer than many combo wrenches (small increases in shaft length greatly increase torque, or conversely decrease force required to achieve required torque).
I’ve been using this wrench for three months in near daily use. As a solar installer I use my gear heavily in adverse conditions: bolting solar modules to rooftops. When other installers tipped me off to this brand, I did some investigating. They are the only tools I have ever seen endorsed by the Arthritis Foundation. I figured that if they are good for arthritis sufferers, it has to be good for me, too. I was right. — Mark Colacito
The first time I used these screw pliers I was amazed that I had lived without a pair for so long. These pliers are designed for screw removal in cases of corroded or stripped heads.
Regular pliers tend to have straight jaws. This works if you grab the screw from the side (horizontally), but if you are in a cramped space and attacking the screw from the end regular pliers fail. I have had many pliers slip off a difficult screw because the jaws are straight where contact is made with the screw, which limits the gripping surface area.
The jaws of these pliers are curved with teeth on the inside of the clamping surfaces. Since the jaws have both horizontal and vertical teeth, these pliers will bite into the circumference of the screw head regardless of the orientation – this makes stubborn screws very, very easy to remove.
It won’t handle stripped countersunk screws (those are suited to the extractor bits on the drill) but for other surface screws or bolts it should be fine. — Ezra Reynolds
Most useful farm tool No.1 is a pair of Fencing Pliers. These little beauties cost me about $13 and represent the best value for money of any of my tools. In one device it is a wire cutter, a staple puller, a hammer and a great source of leverage on any object unlucky enough to be in it’s grasp or impaled on it’s horn.
While most multi-function tools tend to be a jack of all trades and master of none, the fencing pliers hardly compromise at all. They will cut high tensile fencing wire (including our famous New Zealand#8 wire) that would simply blunt most plier-design wire cutters. When it comes to removing staples, they don’t only excel at pulling staples that are proud of the post. The flat hammering face can be hit with another hammer to drive the horn into a staple that has been driven too far into the wood. Once you have hooked the staple, levering it out is pretty simple. Try that with a hammer or nipper-design staple puller. The jaws can also be locked over the head of a nail for the same leverage effect. As a hammer, they work pretty well and have a nice weight balance. The only negative is the smaller striking surface, but you can’t have everything!
My pair is about 5 years old and despite a few signs of wear and tear, they still function perfectly well. They rate #1 in my farm tool arsenal. When you factor in the relatively low cost, they are an absolute essential in any tool kit. — John Hart
This is one of my favorite tools. I own at least two of these nippers. The difference between these and every other cutter is that they are drop-forged and they’ve got some specific hardening at the tip. They cut through everything. I’ve snipped through quarter inch bolts with these. I can cut the bane of all cutters — piano wire — all day long and these will never be marred by it. I have ruined so many other tools by cutting the wrong wire or nails. There may be other brands that do this, but this is the one I’ve been using for 20 years. The Knipex are expensive — they’re about $60 a pair — but it is one of those classic examples of how you can ruin a couple of pairs of something else and you’ve paid for these. I’ve never had these fail. — Adam Savage
The Knipex Pliers Wrench is best described in the US as a smooth-faced channel lock plier/wrench. Or, as a pliers-handled crescent wrench. I have a set of 3 different sizes and have used them for a year. They allow one to rapidly, safely and strongly grip nuts or bolt heads for tightening or loosening.
Rapidly: an adjustable crescent wrench is not rapid. One must adjust the opening to the nut or bolt head, and between tightening turns, in removing and replacing the wrench, inevitably the wrench loosens a bit and must be retightened. An open-ended or box wrench or socket is the best tool to use, but then one must keep in hand a range of sizes for each size of nut/head. In contrast the Knipex pliers wrench loosens and tightens like a pair of pliers or channel lock wrench.
Safely: an adjustable crescent wrench tends to loosen, rounding off the corners of the nut or bolt head. Pliers or vice-grips are worse, putting teeth-marks on the nut or head. In contrast the Knipex pliers wrench has flat, smooth, and parallel heads ensuring no rounding or gouging of the nut/head.
Strongly: the lever arm of the Knipex ensures a strong grip on the nut/head. I’ve used them to squeeze small solid aluminum rivets in building an experimental airplane.
To summarize, the Knipex pliers wrench combines the best features of other tools, enabling one to grip and turn nuts and bolts with a single tool, and apply considerable squeezing pressure on objects without gouging or tooth marks. — Ralph Fincher
This unique tool provides instant adjustment, memory retention of jaw opening, and single-handed, self-gripping operation with a grip that won’t let go. The Knipex jaws really grip. You can literally hang from the handles and they will not slip. The upper and lower jaws are notched. This allows the user to grip a hex nut on the corner and the flat side so as not to round off the nut. They have a flat nose where the jaws meet that allows you to do some pretty fine work. The jaws are very tough. The Cobra is designed to eliminate “knuckle-busting” and the “burring” of nuts, bolts, and fittings. Its thin profile and lightweight ensure ease of operation.
On first glance, they look like the classic Channel Locks (on the right in the picture below). But the Channel Lock handles actually touch together in the extreme “wide” position. This can and has led to pinched hands and fingers if you slip off the workpiece. The Knipex handles do not touch, which leaves you with that little bit of saving grace if you slip off the workpiece. Also, the Channel Lock has 5 jaw positions that slip/slide into place, while the Knipex has 12 jaw positions and, each position is spring-pin locked into place. For example, you are working in a blind, tight space and drop the Knipex: the jaw will still be set to the position you started with and you suffer no aggravation except that due to your own clumsiness. Not so with Channel locks. You will have to fiddle around with them to get them back where you want them, and if you bump or roll them around the work while trying to get a bite, the jaws will slip back out of position.
I have used this tool almost every day for the past 18 years working with elevator and escalator system installations, repairs, servicing, and maintenance. It is always the first tool I grab to take with me to do a job at home or at work. — Shaler Derickson
If one needs a single tool, Vise-grips are it. On a motorcycle I have used one as clutch or shift lever or attached to a broken throttle cable. You can turn a screw if you can reach the side of it with this tool . Lock one down to something under the hood; you might not like to bugger up a bolt, but you won’t care if you are no where near tools. If required, you can rip sheet metal with one. Wire cutting too. You can clamp it down hard enough to hit it with a hammer. Vise-grips and a crowbar are thieves’ favorite tools. Buy the small size; and only the brand name: these are made of high-strength steel. — C. Bridger
And they come in a whole tribe of specialty varieties. The standard should be in everyone’s tool box, the small one in every emergency pouch, and you should at least know about the others. The same relentless leveraged but sensitive clamping action works with super wide vise-grips, narrow ones, wide necked ones, nut cutters, curved necks and so on. They are extremely handy. — KK
There are some tools that belong in every tool box, and most of us already have locking pliers from one manufacturer or another. Irwin Tools, maker of the original Vise Grips brand product, is the best known. This new version of the tool looks and works nearly the same, but has a vastly improved jaw shape made specifically for grabbing on to damaged hex nuts and bolts.
I used mine just yesterday while working on restoring an old car for my daughter. I had to remove the heat shield from the exhaust manifold, and after 10 years of service those bolts were not in good shape at all. One of them was so bad that my sockets and box wrenches would just spin, getting no bite at all. My usual pair of locking pliers didn’t help either. The unique jaw shape on the Irwin Locking Wrench grabbed the head of the bolt from three sides and fastened firmly enough to do the job. In just a few seconds I had that old bolt out without having to resort to cutting it with an angle grinder or torch.
I’ve seen these online for less than fifteen dollars, and for the amount of headache they save I’d call it well worth adding to any tool box. If you’ve ever used regular locking pliers to try to get a stripped bolt out, you’ll find this new style of locking wrench works wonders. — Andrew Pollack
Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.
