Tool Review: Pittsburgh Pro 94011 3-Piece Thumbwheel Ratchet Set

Key Features:
 +   Fits into tight places
 +   Cheaper than many other thumbwheel ratchets
 -   Wobbles easily when using it downward because of its weight


Thumbwheel ratchets are neat little tools, but they only have limited applications.  You wouldn't want to use one regularly, but when you need one, you'll be glad you have it.  When working on office equipment, cars, or even around the house, there are times when you need something small like a thumbwheel ratchet.  I bought the Pittsburgh Pro 3-piece thumbwheel ratchet set (part #94011) because it was the cheapest one I could find, and it was a good investment.

This set comes with three thumbwheel ratchets, each with a different drive size: 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2".  The ratchets are well-made and standard sockets fit well on them.  They have a thumb lever for changing the ratchet direction similar to other ratchet wrenches.

The ratchets are steel, with chrome plating.  They are heavy, and when you use them vertically facing down, they wobble very easily if you don't have a good grip.  The sides of the thumbwheel ratchets are textured and provide good (not great) grip.  The ratchets are about 1-1/2" in diameter and about 1" in height.

For the price, this set of ratchets can't be beat.  Harbor Freight sells this set of three for $5.99, and Amazon lists it at $5.49.  Other thumbwheel ratchet sets on Amazon sell for much more -- some over $20.00.

Tool Review: Pittsburgh 69470 4-in-1 Screwdriver

Key Features:
 +   Excellent grip
 +   Easy to change bits
 -    Metal insert comes out sometimes when removing shaft


4-in-1 screwdrivers are a dime a dozen.  Harbor Freight sells the Pittsburgh 69470 4-in-1 screwdriver for $1.99, which is a fair price.  It's actually a 6-in-1 screwdriver; you can remove the driver bits and use the shaft as two different-sized nut drivers.

The 69470 screwdriver comes with two double-sided chrome vanadium steel bits.  There are two Phillips sizes (PH1 and PH2) and two slotted sizes (3/16" and 1/4").  The handle is reversible, so that the three bits that aren't being used are stored inside the driver.

The bits are decent quality and work well.  The screwdriver is not magnetic.  The handle is mostly textured rubber, and provides excellent grip.  The bits and steel shaft are easy to remove, and all you have to do to change bits is reverse either the bits or the shaft (or both).

The main problem with this driver is that the metal retaining insert that holds the shaft in can easily slide out along with the shaft itself.  When you are removing the shaft, if you twist it even slightly, the metal insert can be removed along with the shaft, which will prevent you from flipping the shaft around and using the other side.  You'll have to put it back in the same way you took it out, then remove it again, making sure to draw it straight out.  As long as you slide the shaft out perfectly straight, you won't have an issue, but if you turn it even slightly while removing it, the insert can remain fixed to the shaft and come loose from the handle.

This driver is very similar to other 4-in-1 or 6-in-1 drivers.  It's a good driver to throw in a drawer or glove box in case of emergency.  If you are looking for a good-quality screwdriver to use every day, the Pittsburgh 69470 is not what you are looking for, but for $1.99 it's a good extra screwdriver to have around.  If you do need to carry it in your pocket, it's not too heavy.  It's listed for $6.49 on Amazon.com.  For that price, you can buy a much better screwdriver.

Tool review: Pittsburgh 40696 5-3/4" Needle Nose Pliers

Key Features:
 +   Good tension
 +   Good reach
 -    No teeth


Walking into a Harbor Freight store, you can find a lot of good deals on tools.  They have a lot of decent tools for cheap prices.  One tool that's currently on sale is a pair of Pittsburgh 5-3/4" Needle Nose Pliers (model# 40696).  These pliers regularly sell for $2.99 but right now they are $1.99.

$1.99 for a pair of needle nose pliers is a pretty good deal.  These pliers aren't the best, but they're a nice extra pair to have.  The handles are smaller and thinner than the handles on a standard pair of needle nose pliers, but the jaws are longer (and also thinner).  They are good for reaching into tight spaces.

These pliers are spring-loaded, though not with a coiled spring.  There are two small metal plates that provide the tension, and they do a good job.  Because of the way the plates are positioned, they stretch out the plastic collars on the pliers' handles after very little use.  The stretched collars don't affect how the pliers work, they just imply a sloppy design.

One feature to note about these pliers is that the jaws don't have any teeth.  The inner sides of the jaws are flat, all the way up.  The lack of teeth -- along with the lack of strength at the jaw tips -- allows the pliers to slip sometimes during use.  There are also no wire cutters on these pliers, like on some other needle nose pliers.  The handles are foam, and provide a good grip.  They start out orange, but quickly start to look dirty with use.

Price comparison:
- HarborFreight.com:  $1.99
- Amazon.com:  $5.88
- Newegg.com:  $5.88

For their price, the Pittsburgh 40696 needle nose pliers aren't a bad deal.  As long as you know what you're getting, they make a decent second pair of pliers.  For something a little more robust and useful, check out Stanley's 84-096 5" needle nose pliers.

Pittsburgh tool reviews

Tape Measures:
- Pittsburgh 69031 25' x 1" QuikFind Tape Measure

Pliers:
- Pittsburgh 40696 5-3/4" Needle Nose Pliers

Ratchets:
- Pittsburgh Pro 94011 3-Piece Thumbwheel Ratchet Set

Screwdrivers:
- Pittsburgh 69470 4-in-1 Screwdriver

Tool review: Pittsburgh 69031 25' x 1" QuikFind Tape Measure

When it comes to choosing a tape measure, there are certain factors that different buyers will look for.  Assuming all of the tape measures are accurate, some qualities that differentiate the different models include tape length, size, casing, and measurement units.  Sometimes, it's just how the tape measure feels in your hand.

The Pittsburgh 25-foot by 1-inch QuikFind tape measure (product #69031) is a good middle-of-the road tape measure.  As the name suggests, the tape reaches 25 feet, and it's an inch wide.  This QuikFind tape measure is self-supporting up to 78 inches, so you can stretch it out, unsupported, 6 and a half feet before the tape buckles.  A few times I got it out to 81 inches before it folded.

This tape measure is solid, and not very lightweight, but it comes with both a strap and a belt clip.  (The belt clip is removable.)  It has a hard, contoured, black plastic case that provides good grip.

One area in which the QuikFind tape measure sets itself back from other, similar tape measures is that it doesn't provide metric measurement.  The tape is only marked in inches and feet, not centimeters or meters.  However, it does have hash marks every 1/32 of an inch, allowing for very accurate measurements.  The metal tip on the end of the tape measure has both a hole and a slot, so you can rest it on a nail or other protrusion when measuring.

As long as you don't care about brand names, this QuikFind tape measure is a good value.  It doesn't have any "extras," but it's solid and it works.  It gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.  Since many tape measures are very similar, price can be an important differentiating factor.  At Harbor Freight stores, this tape measure is listed for $6.99 (though recently it was on sale for $3.99, and part of a give-a-way promotion for free.)  Below is a brief price comparison between this tape measure and other comparable tape measures.  (All prices are taken from Amazon.com.)

- Pittsburgh 25' QuikFind Tape Measure:   $4.37
- Tekton 25' Tape Measure:   $6.57
- Klein Tools 25' Tape Measure:   $14.99
- Snap-On 25' Tape Measure:   $17.49
- Stanley 25' FatMax Tape Measure:   $19.52
- Ridgid 25' Tape Measure:   $22.21
- DeWalt 25' Tape Measure:  $22.98

Some of these tape measures are higher quality than the Pittsburgh tape measure, but they are all fairly comparable.  (The DeWalt tape measure, for example, stands out on its own up to 10 feet, and the Klein Tools tape measure has a shock absorber built into its metal tip.)  If there is no special feature that you require that the Pittsburgh tape measure doesn't have, it's a great value for its price.