This probably won't get through because nothing I've written lately has.
My company recently installed a firewall and they obviously consider my
comments inflammatory.
Jay Tilton responded:
> Mike Leckstein wrote:
> >I hate to start another snake oil thread, but I am a sucker for tools. I
>can't
> >pass a tag sale, flee market etc without looking at every tool. Tim Allen is
> >right! Real men want tools
>
> Where's that leave our Empress? I'd hate to think a love of tools
> makes her any less of a lady. (There's a tasteless joke in there
> somewhere, but I'm sure not going to extract it.)
That's "priestess." You want tasteless jokes?--I worked in construction for
three years. I know 'em all.
> >Anyway there is a new info commercial for a set of Metrix tools. The claim
>is
> >that the sockets and wrenches grab the side of the nut rather than the
>corners
> >and therefore fit American SAE, metric, and Whitworth. Not only this, they
>fit
> >rounded off nuts just as well!
>
> Right, only the name is "Metrinch." A devastatingly clever play
> on words. <gag!>
>
> I've watched that particular infomercial several times. As wary
> as I am of gimmicky junk, these things look pretty snappy. Like
> most infomercials and snake-oil salesmen, it's mostly endorsements.
> On the other hand, unlike most infomercials, the product
> demonstrations are almost convincing. Almost.
>
> No doubt one socket will fit several nut sizes and even ones with
> somewhat rounded-off corners (common sense says it won't work on
> anything ground down to a circle), but how well do they work in
> practice? Seems there'd be a lot of slop that might be undesirable
> when you're using a ratchet. How much of a handle rotation is
> taken up just turning the socket until it grabs?
>
> And the tests where the grease monkeys attempted to destroy the
> sockets through abuse might have been a little more convincing
> if they'd done the same things with a regular six-point socket and
> ruined it.
>
> All that aside, if I had the money, I'd probably buy a set.
>
> >Anyone out there buy a set and try them?
>
> I'd like to see an independent review too.
Snap-on has had this for years, it's called "flank drive." The inside
angle of all wrenches and sockets is relieved slightly with a circular
cutout. The wrench or socket pushes on the nut slightly back from the
corner where the nut is stronger. If you took this idea to an extreme,
I can see how one socket would fit different sizes that were close, but
I don't see the benefit of this. You're _least_ likely to round off a
nut with a socket that's the closest in size. Snap-on tools may be
expensive but you get what you pay for. And no, I don't get a kickback
from them (but should!).
Denise Thorpe
thorpe@kegs.saic.com
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