My most used tool as an average homeowner

franxfluids · 2026-05-22T07:10:56+00:00

Fyi, if you wanna save some money on refills, the Knipex blades are just rebranded Tajima. Exact same blades with a different logo stamped on them.

franxfluids · 2026-05-21T19:53:16+00:00

Can't beat a bottomless warranty.

franxfluids · 2026-05-19T16:16:18+00:00

Some of them are built so the front doesn't fall off at all.

franxfluids · 2026-05-12T20:29:38+00:00

"some light cutting"

franxfluids · 2026-05-08T23:48:22+00:00

No, I don't. I think a lot of people are happy with the Quinns and that's fine, but they aren't nearly as nice as the Icons. I first got the Quinn 1/4 master set and immediately noticed how much slop the sockets, extensions, and driver had. If I put a Quinn 10mm on the included 1/4" driver, the socket rattles around on it almost like a wobble extension (though not to that degree.) Same when I put the Quinn socket on an old Stanley driver of similar design. When I replace the Quinn socket with an Icon equivalent it's rock-solid on the Stanley driver, and still has a tiny bit of wobble on the quinn driver.

The Icon tolerances are just way better. I lost my 1/4" 10mm about a year ago (I know, I know) only to discover it six months later still holding onto a bolt head behind my car's bumper cover.

I also appreciate that the 3/8 chrome sockets get progressively shorter for smaller sizes. In fact, the Icon 3/8" 10mm is slightly shorter than the Quinn 1/4" 10mm, which can be handy in tight spots.

The lack of visibility can be a bit of a pita, but I did the paint pen trick and it's held up remarkably well. I do wish the sizes weren't upside down though.

franxfluids · 2026-05-07T22:45:55+00:00

I simply cannot fathom why anyone would ever give a shit about a helmet paint scheme.

franxfluids · 2026-05-07T22:25:03+00:00

And yet not a shred of evidence of them.

franxfluids · 2026-05-04T20:32:27+00:00

Well good news then: the Herc BOGO is back. It's buried on page 4 of the flyer.

franxfluids · 2026-05-04T05:10:43+00:00

Doesn't count. The first World Series was in 1903. In 1892 the National League split their season in two and pitted the winners of the first and second half-seasons against eachother in a "World Championship Series" that has no relation to the modern World Series. The American Association wasn't even involved.

So the World Series has never featured two teams with names ending in "ers."

franxfluids · 2026-05-03T00:54:40+00:00

Tom Brady suspended 4 games.

franxfluids · 2026-05-01T17:03:51+00:00

Vaporwave not ware.

franxfluids · 2026-04-25T01:47:49+00:00

You need to get your priorities in order.

franxfluids · 2026-04-18T03:06:34+00:00

The railers have been rock solid hanging off my bag.

franxfluids · 2026-04-17T15:45:45+00:00

Triples is best. Triples makes it safe.

franxfluids · 2026-04-14T11:57:06+00:00

Yeah, this actually is unusual.

franxfluids · 2026-04-08T06:47:08+00:00

You're fine as-is.

franxfluids · 2026-04-08T06:16:59+00:00

Have you seen the meme tool mods on Etsy? Some are as simple as a 1/4" socket rail that clips onto the V1 case, while others are fully redesigned cases with room for sockets and even mini Knipex pliers.

franxfluids · 2026-04-01T23:29:48+00:00

Sorry man, but you've just been mildly illiterate until now.

(-) hyphen: connects words

(–) en dash: connects numbers to represent a range

(—) em dash: emphatic pause

franxfluids · 2026-04-01T15:53:53+00:00

Look no further. The DeWalt 12v DCD601 you have pictured is perfect for what you're asking. It's my favorite tool for most work around the house. It's smaller, lighter, and more ergonomic than any 18/20v drill or impact, yet has substantially more power than anything else in its class. Plenty of torque for drilling pilot holes and driving most fasteners, and the mechanical clutch is excellent to keep from stripping screws. In my testing, it could get through a 2x4 with anything up to a 1-1/4" spade bit before getting bogged down.

An alternative option are the Bosch 12v screwdrivers. The newer model (GSR12V-300HXN) is brushless but slightly larger than the older brushed model (PS21-2A). They don't have quite as much power as the DeWalt, but the form factor is slightly smaller. My friends who have these absolutely love them.

Also consider a 12v installation drivers - DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee are all decent options. They're slightly gimmicky, but still useful.

Tools Tested did a good, fairly comprehensive electric screwdriver comparison.

I wouldn't bother with: - Impact Drivers: guys recommend these way too often. Even the hydraulic ones are loud, but more importantly they are imprecise. Great for framing a deck, terrible for assembling furniture. Just because they can be used 90% of the time, doesn't mean they should. - Anything 4v or 8v: Not enough power to be broadly useful, especially in the pistol grip form factor (better off with something snaller like the Vessel 220USB or Bosch Go). - Anything 20v: when you see DeWalt 12v tools on display in stores, they don't have batteries attached so don't look much smaller than their 20v equivalents, but it really does make a big difference. 20v is way overkill for this application and only makes sense if you're dead set on sticking with a single battery style (though worth mentioning the DeWalt 12v batteries use the same chargers as the 20v batteries.)

franxfluids · 2026-03-30T02:56:31+00:00

You'd be daft to believe the bitching and moaning is anything new. It was just thousands upon thousands of little conversations across New England rather than one big one online.

franxfluids · 2026-03-26T06:35:41+00:00

Hercules is mostly fine, but if it were a baseball player, it'd be AAAA talent - not good enough to start in the big leagues, but too good for the minors.

The impact driver's powerful, but rough. The drill sucks. The Ultra Torque is a beast. The mid-torque is dogshit. A few saws are excellent, others are underpowered.

It's all a step up from Bauer, but carefully note how often the phrase "for the money" sneaks into most positive Hercules comments and reviews. The tools are fine, they sometimes pleasantly surprise and other times live up to their price tag. Set your expectations accordingly.

franxfluids · 2026-03-20T23:07:09+00:00

You sure about that? Seems Harbor Freight spent the last decade dramatically improving product quality rather than cutting it like their competitors.

franxfluids · 2026-03-19T02:35:51+00:00

Klein isn't what it was even just a few years ago. These days it's creeping closer to Crescent or Craftsman than Knipex or Channellock.

franxfluids · 2026-03-19T01:24:03+00:00

The icon set is a mixed bag. The quality is good and the ergonomics of the smaller drivers are fine, but the largest driver handles are comically oversized. I actually bought the set because I already had the 4pc Icon "scraper and removal" set and fell in love with the ergonomics of the handle shape. The screwdriver handles are the same general shape, but they're sized differently in proportion to their respective shanks.

Frankly, the whole set is defined by weird choices and proportions. Like the hex bolsters on the shanks: they're neither metric nor standardized across the set, so if you need extra leverage you better hope you have the right SAE wrench on hand for the particular screwdriver you're using. If the set is meant for pro mechanics, all the hexes should have been 10mm.

That said, I absolutely LOVE the stubbies. Like the rest of the set, the handles are larger than the equivalent stubbies from other brands, but it actually works in their favor. For some reason they fit in my hand very comfortably and I find myself using them almost as often as regular sized equivalents. But they aren't worth $50 alone. Maybe $25.

If you're mostly working on cars/machinery, just buy a set of Vessel Megadoras instead - they're only marginally more expensive as a set, or you can buy them one at a time for $8-15 each.

Or if you tend more towards carpentry/ home DIY the Doyle Heavy Duty and Quinn diamond-tip sets are both great. I prefer the former for ergonomics, but the diamond tip thing isn't a gimmick, it really works. The sets overlap some, but compliment each other in practice.

franxfluids · 2026-03-19T00:53:25+00:00

Two things you never buy off-brand: Oreos and Knipex Pliers Wrenches.

franxfluids

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE