Tool Reviews: Sheffield 12000 15-in-1 Multi Tool

There is a huge selection of multi tools on the market today. They can range in price from Shop Basics or Olympia multi tools that are often sold for $5 or $10, to Gerber, SOG, or Leatherman multi tools that can cost $100 — or more. Sheffield makes several different multi tools, most of which fall on the lower end of the price spectrum. Some of these tools are a great value at their price, while others may or may not be worth it, depending on what you are looking for. The Sheffield 15-in-1 multi tool (model 12000) falls into the latter category.

This tool is similar to other multi tools in many ways. It folds out into a pair of pliers, with wire cutters at the base of the jaws. Other tools fold out from the handles — screwdrivers, a knife, an awl, a can opener, a bottle opener, etc. Anglers may like this tool because it includes a hook remover, a fish scraper, and a small ruler.

The pliers are decent, and are spring-loaded unlike those that come with some other multi tools.  The knife is also good, with both a sharp blade and a sharp point. The multi tool is metal, but it has soft plastic grips on the handles which are comfortable and easier to hold onto than the bare metal would be.

There are four tools on each handle that fold out, but the inner two tools on either side can be difficult to get to without folding out the exterior tools first. The tension on these tools is not adjustable. The outside of this multi tool has a shimmery appearance to it, which is probably meant to look neat but comes off looking a little tacky.

If you buy this tool new, still in its original packaging, it will probably have some excess oil around the hinge in the pliers. This oil seems to be a common issue with this model. It's not a lot of oil, but enough that you'll probably want to wipe it off before putting the tool in your pocket or tool bag.

The folding action on this multi tool is a bit stiff. Unlike with some other models, you can't close up one side of the pliers and extend the two handles to make a shaft for the knife or one of the screwdrivers, because the pliers will always spring open. As a result of this design, it's hard to use the screwdrivers on any screws that require more than one turn.

There are many multi tools on the market better than this model -- even some of the cheaper ones. BigLots sells the 12000 for $6.50 in-store, and it comes with a decent nylon belt pouch. If you buy it online, however, you may have to pay between $9 and $15. It's currently listed on Amazon.com for $11.39.

(Originally published on Helium.com, February 2013)

Sheffield tool reviews

Multi Tools:
- Sheffield 12000 15-in-1 Multi Tool
- Sheffield 12913 Hammer 14-in-1 Multi Tool

Tool Review: Stanley 66-358 Stubby Ratcheting Multibit Screwdriver

Key Features:
 +   Magnetized to hold screws
 +   Good bit storage in handle

 -    Ratchet dial is counter-intuitive


Screwdrivers come in all shapes and sizes.  It used to be that you would have a whole set of screwdrivers, all different sizes and bit types, but now many tools combine multiple screwdriver heads into the same tool.  One multibit screwdriver takes up a lot less space, and if it's a decent one, it will serve you well and last a long time.  The Stanley stubby ratcheting multibit screwdriver (model# 66-358) is one of the good ones.

This Stanley stubby screwdriver is larger than many other stubbies.  It measures in at about 4.5" with a bit (4" without one).  It's still small enough for many tight jobs, but it's also a decent size to use as a main screwdriver whenever you need to reach for one.  It's a little heavier than non-ratcheting stubbies, but the ratchet function is worth the extra weight.  It has a solid rubber grip that's comfortable to hold and a plastic body, and the tip is magnetized to help hold onto screws.  The magnet works well, but after several years my driver has started to lose its magnetism.

The screwdriver comes with six bits: a 1-point Phillips bit, two 2-point Phillips bits (which is good because that's the bit that most people will probably use most often), a 1/8" slotted bit, a 3/16" slotted bit, and a 1/4" slotted bit.  It's a ratcheting driver, and you can engage this capability easily by twisting the top part of the screwdriver.  It has three positions -- one for tightening screws, one for loosening screws, and a middle "locked" position for when you don't want the ratchet to kick in.  With the six available bits plus the ratcheting action, this driver is good to have for many jobs.

One extremely nice feature of this particular screwdriver is the way the bits are stored.  Many multibit screwdrivers have a cavity in the bottom where you can stick the bits you're not using, but then you have to poke through them when you need to find a different bit.  With this screwdriver, the bits fit perfectly into grooves set into the cap, so when you unscrew the cap you'll have all of the extra bits sitting neatly, head up, so you can see exactly what you have and find what you need quickly and without hassle.

Stanley has built a solid reputation when it comes to tools, and this multibit screwdriver lives up to that reputation.  The Stanley stubby ratcheting multibit screwdriver can be purchased in-store from Home Depot for about five or six bucks, or it can be found online at Amazon.com for $5.33 (eligible for free shipping).

(Originally posted on Helium.com, February 2012)

(UPDATE: As of 4/11/15, the price on Amazon is $4.24)

Tool Review: Husky WS-24-10 Self-Adjusting Groove Joint Pliers

Adjustable pliers are a good thing to have in any tool box.  If you can find a good pair of self-adjusting pliers, even better.  For plumbing work or for turning large bolts or nuts, the Husky WS-24-10 10” Self-Adjusting Groove Joint Pliers are a nice tool to have.

Home Depot bills these pliers as “water pump pliers” or a “specialty plumbing wrench,” but they can be useful for other applications too, including working on your car.  The teeth are strong enough to use these pliers as a counterpoint to another pair of pliers for tightening or loosening stubborn nuts and bolts.  They come with a lifetime warranty, which unless you use them every day, you’ll probably never need.

The self-adjusting action is pretty nice if you’ve never used self-adjusting pliers before.  It uses a spring-loaded stopper, so you can easily use the pliers one-handed as they self-adjust.  The self-adjustment only works for tightening the jaws, however -- for loosening the jaws, you’ve gotta do that yourself.

The pliers themselves are well-made.  The jaws are curved and slightly offset, great for grabbing big bolts but not so great for grabbing little bolts or screws.  Even bolts on a lawn mower are a stretch for these pliers, as the jaws are far enough apart that the pliers can easily slip off the bolt.  On larger bolts, like hex bolts used in sink faucets, the pliers grab on and never slip.

Husky describes the handles as providing a “soft comfortable grip” -- very true.  The handles feel good in your hand, and they provide a solid grip during use.

I give these self-adjusting pliers 4 out of 5 stars.  Home Depot sells the WS-24-10 pliers in-store for about $10 (which may vary by region) and on HomeDepot.com for $10.97.  For that price, they are a great value, and I would definitely recommend picking up a pair.  Amazon.com doesn’t sell the pliers individually, but you can get a set of them -- one pair of 7” pliers and one pair of 10” pliers -- for $19.99 (eligible for free shipping).

Tool Review: Skil 3380 6" Bench Grinder with Light

There are many 6” power bench grinders that look very similar to one another but branded differently. They all have two grinding wheels, one on either side of the grinder body, and many of them include safety features and accessories like eye shields, tool rests, and either lamps or small lights. In this class of bench grinders, the Skil 6” Bench Grinder with Light (model #3380) is one of the less expensive models, yet its quality holds up against the others. The Skil grinder is well-designed and sturdily-made. It's a solid, tough bench grinder that should last you a long time. It comes with two grinding wheels, coarse and medium, so you can grind or sharpen many different materials. The grinder has several safety features that make it very difficult to injure yourself when using the machine correctly. There are flat tool rests toward the bottom side of the wheel that you can set your tools or other materials to be ground on, and there are eye shields and spark deflectors toward the top of each wheel. (It's still recommended to wear safety goggles when using the grinder.) Included in each plastic eye shield is a small light that helps to illuminate the wheel and whatever you're grinding. Some grinders include a desk lamp that mounts over the grinder, but this Skil grinder has a light in each eye shield, closer to where you're working. The grinder comes out of the box almost fully assembled. The only things you'll have to do are attach the eye shields in a position that's good for you, and attach the tool rests. The lights are already installed in the eye shields, and the grinder itself and the wheels come ready to use. No tools are required to complete the assembly. The Skil grinder is very easy to use. An on/off switch controls the grinder, and the power cord is long enough for moderate flexibility on where you can use the grinder. If you prefer to keep it stationary on your tool bench, it has holes so you can bolt it down. The only thing that I can fault the grinder for is that it doesn't tell you which wheel is coarse and which wheel is medium in either the packaging or assembly instructions. The grinder is surprisingly quiet during use. The Skil 3380 grinder is a great buy for its price. Its quality matches that of more expensive grinders.  I give this grinder 4.5 out of 5 stars for its ease of use, good function, and great value. Amazon.com currently sells the Skil grinder for $59.23 (with free shipping) and it ranks as the #3 best seller in the Power Bench Grinders category.
(Originally published in slightly altered form on Helium.com, June 2013)

UPDATE: As of June 26th, 2014, Amazon.com has dropped the price of the Skil bench grinder to $49.99 (still with free shipping).

Skil tool reviews

Grinders:
- Skil 3380 6" Bench Grinder with Light

Titan tool reviews

Bit Sets:
- Titan 16061 61-Piece Bit Set

Screwdrivers:
- Titan 32984 4-in-1 Pocket Screwdriver

Tool Review: Titan 32984 4-in-1 Pocket Screwdriver

Key Features:
 +   Good bit selection for a pocket driver
 +   Bits are durable
 -    Plastic frame warps over time enabling bits to fall out

For anyone who likes tools and likes always having a screwdriver with them, a pocket screwdriver is perfect. There are several different types of pocket screwdrivers, but one common style is the pen-shaped driver, which is about the size and shape of a pen or pencil and has a removable cap on either end, covering a double-sided screwdriver bit. The Titan 4-in-1 pocket screwdriver (model 32984) was designed in this style, and it ranks slightly above average compared to other similarly-designed pocket drivers.

Titan makes inexpensive small hand tools -- drivers, wrenches, sockets, telescoping mirrors, etc. -- that are sold in auto parts stores as well as some other stores. These tools are often cheaper options for those who can't (or don't want to) spend more money on a comparable tool from a more well-known brand. The Titan pocket screwdriver is sold for $1.99 at AutoZone, though the price may vary by location.

This pocket screwdriver resembles Stanley's 4-in-1 pocket screwdriver in appearance and function, though not in quality. The Titan driver has a black body and yellow end caps, with a gray double-sided bit in either end. The driver doesn't come in a package; it just has a little yellow tag with very little information about it. Each double-sided bit has a Phillips bit on one end and a slotted bit on the other end. One of the double-ended bits is stamped with the bit sizes -- PH #0 and 3mm -- but the other one, the larger of the two bits, doesn't have any sizes marked on it. The description on Titan's website doesn't give any information about the driver or bit sizes.  The bits are not magnetic.

The end caps fit on the body snugly, unlike with some other pocket screwdrivers, but the bits themselves are very loose inside the body. They won't actually fall out -- at least, mine haven't yet -- but they feel like they're going to. The bits are metal and the body of the driver is plastic, so eventually after enough screw-turning, the plastic frame will wear down and be too loose to hold the bits in place. The bits themselves seem to be of decent quality.

The body of the driver, which doubles as the handle when you are turning screws, does not have any rubber or added texture grip, but there are length-wise grooves cut into the body that do serve to provide some traction. Each of the end caps has a hole near the tip so you can see which side of each bit -- Phillips or slotted -- is ready to use.

Overall, this driver is made with the design, materials, and attention to detail that you would expect for its $1.99 price tag. If you need a pocket screwdriver in a pinch, this driver is superior to some other drivers with a similar cost, such as the General Tools pocket driver and the UltraSteel pocket driver, but it ranks far below the Stanley pocket driver. For a long-term pocket screwdriver, you're better off spending a couple of extra bucks and purchasing the Stanley model.

(Originally published in slightly different form on Helium.com, June 2013)

Tool Review: Stanley 84-096 5" Needle Nose Pliers

I've always been impressed with Stanley hand tools. They look good, get the job done, and hold up well over time. The Stanley 84-096 Needle Nose Pliers are no exception.

They resemble many other pairs of needle nose pliers I've seen and used in appearance. However, their quality makes them stand above average needle nose pliers, and it's obvious once you use them. The jaws are long and the tips are tapered so you can use them in tight spaces, but the pliers are strong enough for more than just precision work. The spring tension is excellent. The handles are coated in a soft material that makes them easy to grip and prevents slipping. The teeth are strong and well-formed. Despite their strength and sturdiness, the pliers are very light -- much lighter than any other needle nose pliers I've ever held. These small, easy-to-use pliers get 4 out of 5 stars. They are above-average pliers that are typically sold for about the same price as average pliers. You can probably find these pliers most places that Stanley tools are sold. Amazon.com lists them for $3.89 right now (a good deal) and they are eligible for free shipping.

Tool Review: Great Neck Essentials 21011 8-in-1 Precision Screwdriver

Key Features:
 +   Storage for all four bits
 +   Variety of bit sizes
 -    Not much grip on handle


Great Neck is a brand that you'll often find in Big Lots stores -- decent quality tools for a good price.  Essentials is a themed sub-brand that Great Neck uses to market tools aimed at women, which I did not know when I purchased the Great Neck Essentials 8-in-1 precision screwdriver (model 21011).

I found this driver at Ollie's Bargain Outlet for $1.99, much cheaper than its regular retail price.  For $1.99 it was a good deal, but I wouldn't have paid much more for it.

The 21011 precision screwdriver is a small plastic driver that comes with four double-ended precision bits, for a grand total of eight bit sizes -- four slotted sizes (1/16", 5/64", 3/32", and 1/8") and four Phillips sizes (#000 #00, #0, and #1).  The bits seem to be decent quality.  They don't fit very snugly into the driver -- snug enough to work but not so snug that you don't worry they'll fall out.

The driver is easy to use.  Changing the bits is not a hassle.  The bits are marked with their sizes.  There is some grip on the handle, not as much as I'd like but more than some other precision drivers I've used.

The driver is hollow on the top end, allowing for internal bit storage.  It's a nice feature, so you never have to worry about losing the extra bits.  This screwdriver looks and acts just like a knock-off of Husky's precision screwdriver, which sells at Home Depot for about $6.  The only big difference between the two is that on Husky's driver, the bit storage compartment is attached internally, so it doesn't fall out.  On the Essentials screwdriver, the bit holder is supposed to be attached to the cap but it detaches easily, so when you pull the cap out, you still have to turn the driver upside down and shake out the bit holder.

One of the slotted bits chipped when I was using it, rendering that bit useless. It held up under light use for a little while, but the first time I really used it with force, the bit broke.

It's a decent screwdriver to stick in a kitchen drawer in case of emergency, but I would not rely on it at all.  The colors are a little gaudy -- definitely not meant for the inside of a tool bag -- but the driver functions okay.  I wouldn't recommend paying more than a couple of bucks for it.  If you're going to pay $7.99, which is what it's currently listed on Amazon.com for, you might as well get the Husky version instead (though as of this review, that driver is overpriced on Amazon as well).