Wright

Every mechanic should have a Wright to work hard. Wright Tool makes the wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, and other tools that professionals need to get building and repair jobs done. Sold under the Wright and Cougar brand names, the company's tools, which are not distributed to the do-it-yourself mass market, are sold throughout the US and in Canada, Mexico, and other countries. The Wright Spline wrench is good for high-strength fasteners, as well as ordinary hex and 12-point fasteners. Owned by the Wright family, Wright Tool was founded in 1927.

Vise Grip

Vise-Grip has introduced a product cleverly named Toolbox. It's based on the company's well-known 6LC curved-jaw locking pliers and has a number of implements that pivot out of its lower handle: a scraper blade with a wire-stripping groove, a serrated knife blade, and a two-position 1/4-in. hex-shank bit holder that comes with a double-ended Phillips/straight-blade bit. True to Vise-Grip's attention to detail, the screwdriver bit is equipped with a ball detent, and the bit holder can be locked into position at 90° to the handle or parallel with it.

We haven't used the tool extensively, but we have fooled around with it in the office. There's no question that it's a neat stocking stuffer, just the thing to keep in a glove compartment, office desk drawer, briefcase or tackle box. The tool appears ruggedly built and American Tool Companies (Vise-Grip's parent) backs it with a lifetime warranty.

Are there tradeoffs with the design? Perhaps. There's no substitute for dedicated tools, especially when doing something critical like stripping the insulation off wire. On the other hand, the tool's compact and simple nature makes it a good fit for basic repairs and adjustments. It's essentially a cutting and clamping device that comes in a boot leather holster that looks rugged enough to stand up to years of use.

We did notice that our test model's hinge was in desperate need of lubrication. The hinge is essentially a rivet driven through the sides of the handle. The rivet squeezes the individual blades together, and without lubrication they are very difficult to move. Be prepared to spend some time working some lubricant into the spaces between the blades.

Clipper

A nail clipper or nail trimmer is a mechanical device used to trim fingernails and toenails. Nail clippers are usually metallic; two common varieties are the plier type and the lever type. Both are common household objects. Most nail clippers usualy come with another tool attached to it that is used to clean the dirt out of nails. A nail trimmer often has a miniature file fixed to it to allow rough edges of nails to be manicured. Nail clippers rarely come with a pocket knife or a nail catcher. The nail trimmer consists of a head which may be concave or convex. Specialized nail trimmers which have convex clipping ends are oftem manufactured for toenails, while concave clipping ends are for fingernails. Nail clippers may also be entirely enclosed in a flexible plastic so that it appears more palatable for children, especially those who are afraid of being cut by the clippers. These are manufactured as "child-proof" nail clippers.Lever type clippers can eject the clippings at considerable speed, spreading them around. This can be avoided by taping the sides of the clippers with common household tape, thus sealing in the clipped nails....

Hammer

An upholstery hammer is a hammer used for upholstery. Usually the hammer has one magnetic end to aid in placement of tacks. The other end is usually used for hammering.

Fluke

The Fluke 9040 is effective for measuring phase rotation in all areas where three phase supplies are used to feed motors, drives and electrical systems. The Fluke 9040 is a rotary field indicator and can provide clear indication of the 3 phase via an LCD display and the phase rotation direction to determine correct connections. It allows rapid determination of phase sequence and has a voltage (up to 700 V) and frequency range suitable for commercial and industrial applications. The included test probes have a variable clamping range for safe contact, also in industrial sockets.

AMP

A measurement of electrical current in a circuit. Contrast with "volts," which is a measure of force, or pressure, behind the current. Multiplying amps times volts derives "watts," the total measurement of power. In electrical equations such as Ohm's Law, the symbol for amp is "I" (see Ohm's Law).One amp is 6,280,000,000,000,000,000 (6.28 x 1018) electrons passing by the point of measurement in one second. See volt and watt.

Leatherman

The Standard Tool Adapter gives you the ability to make your genuine Leatherman tool even more versatile than before. It easily slides over the jaws of the PST, PST II, Super Tool, Sideclip, Flair or Pulse to provide a standard ¼" hex drive.
New for 2000 is the Wave Tool Adapter. It is designed specifically for our popular Wave multi-tool and works just like the Standard Tool Adapter.

Any bit that fits a standard ¼" hex drive can be used with the Tool Adapter. For unmatched versatility and torque, it locks in straight, 45- and 90-degree positions. No other multi-purpose tool adapter has this capability.

The Tool Adapter comes with our Standard Kit that contains a nylon sheath and six bits: #0 and #3 Phillips, #1 and #2 Robertson (square), #15 Torx® and #8-10 Slotted.