by Hib Halverson Why does anyone need a “diamond tipped screwdriver”? Is it because the diamond tips are stronger and more durable? Not exactly. The tip on a GearWrench diamond tip screwdriver is actually a plasma-sprayed, diamond-powder, tip and there is good reason for the coating. Industrial diamond powder is extremely hard and quite abrasive. […]
Tools and Shop Aids
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PRODUCT REVIEW: GearWrench 3000 Lumen Rechargeable Area Light
Yet Another Light, A Good One, Too. by Hib Halverson This is our third product evaluation of a work light for automotive shop use which can can double as emergency lighting during power failures. In several months of Cadillac V-Net testing, working on our ATS-Vs, both inside or outside the garage, and during power failures […]
PRODUCT REVIEW: GearWrench Mechanic’s Creeper
Modern Spin on an Age Old Shop Tool by Hib Halverson Mechanic’s creepers have been around for decades. Back when I was working as a service technician, I remember the shop which employed me had two of those wooden creepers with the funny, metal, swiveling wheels. Once I was out of the service trade, I […]
[PRODUCT REVIEW] Best DIY Brake Bleeder by GearWrench
Best DIY Brake Bleeder by Hib Halverson I’ve owned my ATS-V for two and a half years and almost 22,000 miles so, this week, it was time to flush the brakes. For over 20 years, when I’ve done brake work in my little DIY shop, I’ve used a small, hand-pumped, pressure bleeder, but recently, it […]
[Product Review] Big Ass Light Bar by Big Ass Solutions
You’d think “Big Ass Solutions” would be a clever name for a weight-loss plan or a cosmetic surgery clinic. Actually, it’s an engineering and manufacturing company whose flagship product lines are very large, energy efficient ceiling fans and LED lighting fixtures for the commercial and industrial markets. It was founded in 1999 as the “HVLS […]
[PRODUCT REVIEW] GearWrench 120XP Ratchets by Hib Halverson
For most DIYs, a ratchet and socket set was probably one of the first tools ever acquired. When I started doing a little historical research on ratchets, I was surprised to learn that the ratcheting socket wrench and interchangeable sockets were invented in 1863. It was weird thinking that what many consider a core tool […]
Apex Tool Group GearWrench Flex-Head Flare Nut Wrench Sets
Ah, the Internet… We tool freaks love it because there’s no end to the nifty stuff you can find. I had a brake hose project to do and was looking around in the web for some offset flare nut wrenches. I already have some non-offset flare nut wrenches and I have some crow foot flare […]
Product Review: GearWrench Multi-Function Ratchet Set
by Hib Halverson At the SEMA Show in November of 2015, the GearWrench people released several new tools. An interesting item in that release was the “Multi-Function Ratchet Set” (PN 81020) consisting of a pair of unique “two-headed” ratchets, a four-inch extension, metric sockets and a plastic case full of hex bits. The Cadillac V-net […]