Category: Tools

Today I received a pair of Snap-On Instinct Hard Handle screwdrivers directly from Snap-On. That’s models SHD1O and SHDP22IRO. Both are orange. They’re $11.95 each, which is very steep for stubby screwdrivers.

I’m extremely disappointed. In four words: I should’ve bought Wiha.

The drivers arrived packaged very well. They were in a plastic bag, that bag was in a cardboard box, and the box was filled out with packing paper. No damage to the box whatsoever. But the drivers were severely scuffed, with ground-in black crap on the handles. Snap-On knowingly packed abused drivers and sent them to me. If they were $1 each, I probably wouldn’t complain. But they’re $11.95 each.

Worse, the tip on the SHD1O is junk. It looks as if someone smashed the end with a hammer and anvil. The thickness is far from consistent. I wonder if someone ran these drivers over with a forklift before shipping them to me.

To add salt to the wound, the SHD1O is not like what’s shown in pictures on the Snap-On web site. The picture on the web site shows a wide flat-tip blade, which is what I wanted:

I used to think that Snap-On’s quality control was very good. But these drivers didn’t come in a set: they were individually packed by hand, and hence there’s no reasonable excuse for shipping them to me. Now I get to waste my time having it corrected. And given the low quality of the handles even if they were pristine, I don’t want replacements. I want a refund so I can spend the money on Wiha 311 Series drivers.

In the last few weeks I received some Wiha 533 Series and 534 Series heavy-duty MicroFinish screwdrivers. They were marked down 50% at wihatools.com and carbideprocessors.com.

I like them. They’re definitely heavy duty; they’re the heaviest screwdrivers I own, and much of the weight is in the handle. That’s because they’re designed to be able to accept blows from a hammer; the blades are through-handle with a heavy cap on the end of the handle.

I recently received a Toptul GPAW2601 26-piece metric SuperTorque combination wrench set from thetoolchest.ca. It was on sale for $140, normally $170. It’s worth it at either price.

Here’s a picture of the 13mm wrench. Sorry for the lighting, I didn’t have time to take pictures during daylight.

These wrenches are similar to Facom 440 wrenches in some ways: the 15-degree offset of the open end, the beam shape (minus the widened center of the Facom) and the finish. They’re relatively light in weight due to the beam design, and claim to be very strong. They’re shorter than my Wright and Snap-On, which equates to the usual pluses and minuses (good in cramped quarters, a hindrance when you need a lot of leverage).

The more I receive from Toptul, the more impressed I am at their quality control at this price point. The satin finish on these wrenches is flawless, as are the open and box ends. If they had more of a presence here in the U.S., and more offerings in their hard line, I think they’d move a lot of product. I have other Toptul pieces that are equally impressive for the price: sockets (both satin and mirror finish), offset double-box wrenches and stubby rotohead ratchets. I have more of their tools on my wish list.