Trust me, with a Snap-On box full of harbor freight tools, I truly do not care. :rofl:

A tool's a tool. Who cares who makes it? If it does the job, and stands up to the work; it has a home in my tool-box.


https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1384048243

8 Piece 1/2 in. Drive Metric Impact Hex Driver Set


5/5 WIN.


Hex bolts stand no chance. How about the rear caliper slider-pins on E-Series vans? The ones that always rust in, and round out? Tap one of these in with your ball-pean, and impact away. I don't know how I've worked so long without impact hex. The SAE and Torx versions are equally great.




https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1384048243

Push Pin Pliers

Push-Pin pliers.

5/5 mega win


Those bitch-ass clips that hold plastic panels together? Now they're your bitch. Best of all, the bent in tips make sure you don't mar any visible portion. Great for interior work.

Honestly, everyone's tool box should have one of these. Whatever you used before (screw-driver, knife, needle nose, etc.) is like rubbing sticks. This thing is a George Foreman grill.

^ I used those pliers to remove a fender splash guard on a Nissan Quest, so I could change out the oil-cooler/block spacer. It was the first time I used them.


And this was my face:










https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1384048690

Snapon / Harborfreight? Meh, both from China.

Looking for user feedback on this air compressor for whoever may have one.

2 Horsepower, 29 gal., 150 Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor

Thats the one that I want. The exact compressor used to be sold at lowes.

Something to keep in mind if you have a coupon, but it is expired by a few months or so . . . go ahead and try it anyway. If you ask the manager, they will often allow you to go ahead and use it just the same. Basically, they constantly have coupons available, people are continually getting items for the coupon pricing (to the extent that the "sale" price is really the defacto price), and hence the employees are not too picky about cutting you in on the discount if you at least have a shed of something that suggests you at least tried. YMMV, but it has worked for me on at the two separate occasions where I had an expired ad.

:idea: Or, you know, use the googlemachine

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1386309766

I've actually got a paper 25% off coupon that I pulled out of the junkmail that I can scan tomorrow if you really want that additional 5%

What I want is to find the mythical 25% off coupon that doesnt exclude compressors. I've heard it existed.

I really don't think those coupons have existed for years. I remember back in 07-09 time frame getting a few 20% off ones that had no restrictions.

So I got to find an image of the no-restriction coupon and go do it.

I ordered their 3ton steel low pro jack, some TI-coated drill bits, and some other stuff for their Cyber Monday sale.
Will review it all when it comes in.

I have several sets of the Ti coated drill bits. Some are good right out of the box, but some need to be resharpened before use. I bought a drill doctor. A few seconds, and they're good to go.

Mixed results: bought crow's feet sockets that were mis-formed (fail!); however, also bought an aluminum racing jack, a padded stool, and a pallet jack -- all are fine.

Update on the HF impact gun. A while ago it started kind of not having much oomph. Then when taking the car apart over thanks giving it would cut out if you turned it upsidedown or when it started to hammer. Opened the battery up (real easy, just philips screws with 2 under the sticker) one of the battery straps had burnt. I considered soldering it but I was afraid of over heating the cell so i just wrapped it back on with electrical tape and it seems all good in the hood. I want to try to find one an empty battery case or someone with a dead battery so I can rebuild it with high capacity cells.

WHY U NO USE AIR?! :vash:

probably because he uses the gun at the track/autox

That, and I only have a 1.5 gallon compressor, it runs the gun too slow because the internal lines are tiny, and doesnt last long.

I kind of want to get this, and bring either a 20oz co2 or my 70ci 4500psi air tank to the track instead.

Interesting...

The NASCAR / IRL / etc pit guys have huge CO2 bottles next to them. I have to wonder how much runtime a paintball-sized bottle would get you?

(FWIW, when I was into the sport, getting nitro fills at 4500 was damn near impossible outside of a small handful of shops. CO2, by comparison, could be filled damn near anywhere, including a lot of big sporting-goods retail shops. Has the situation changed? Not that I'd ever want to go back to running CO2 in my marker, but for an air tool, the usual caveats don't apply.)

They also have hyperguns in NAPCAR(tm), I'm sure spinning at speeds that die grinders do uses a whole bunch more air than my normal person 1/2" drive gun. From reading. You get 30-60 seconds of full bore use from a 20oz, but cant do more than 10 seconds all at once for fear of freezing the seals in the gun, since they're not used to the temps from the co2 phase change happening in the gun. I get that 70ci tank filled to 4500 for 6 dollars at the local army/navy store. Or I can get a full fill from the all day air if I ever go to an organized field again. There's also some company that sells a compressor that takes 85psi shop air input and a 110v outlet and over the course of like 8 hours would fill the tank too, for not crazy money. Joe, being an old timer you might recognize the man behind this as TK, the man behind the automag.