Buy Tools

Review by James:

I bought this kit 2 weeks ago and have been very satisfied with it. As for the quality of the product, the fiberglass hammer, 4 different type pliers, 2 screwdrivers and bits, 6 wrenches, hex keys and bag are all high/professional quality. The utility knife is just your typical light-weight standard no frills knife but works fine. The drill bits come in steel cases and I’ve used both and they work fine. A 13 piece titanium drill bit set would cost you at least! The pliers are all chrome vanadium which is the best material I’ve seen in pliers. They are definitely professional quality. The fiberglass hammer is as good as any fiberglass handled Stanley hammer that I’ve owned and the tape measure is as good as any Stanley one I’ve owned as well although it is only 16ft (25ft would have been better). The level is your typical lightweight level but it is magnetic which is great feature and works fine. The bag that this kit comes with is great. Its high quality and has enough room in it for me to add other stuff. I actually counted the pieces and there are 115 pieces that come with this kit. For this is a great kit. Is every piece in this kit professional quality, no, but most are and for the price it is a significant value.

Review by N. Brown:

I was a little concerned about the quality of the set because of the low price, but I am very pleased. They are not top of the line, but perfect for handling small to medium jobs. Screw Driver set is a little lame but the interchangable bits can be used in drills. The drill bit sets are great. They even incluse masonry bits. I’ve never needed a hex key, and some of the other stuff in here, but all in all, it’s a great gift for home-owners.

Review by Samhot:

Tool is a band whose music is pretty hard to label. They’ve been called everything from metal, to numetal, to alternative and progressive rock/metal. While they exhibit attributes to all of the aforementioned genres, it’s pretty safe to say that they’ve created a kind of music that’s timeless, transcendent, deep, mysterious, forbidding and intriguing – all at once. To me, their name sums up the music they make perfectly – a “tool” for exploring the mysterious depths of the human psyche. The music usually explores darker themes like pain, anger, frustration and guilt, then regurgitates them into a volatile, yet beautiful and alluring catharsis. How do I describe Tool’s music? I’d say they have the dark aura and minimalist experimentalism of King Crimson, the philosophical bent of Rush and the hypnotic, alluring quality of Pink Floyd – without really sounding like either of those bands. They possess their own distinctive sound. On _Ænima_, Tool creates a 77-minute gargantuan slice of thought-provoking art-metal, which mainly encourages people to look deeper and think for themselves – whether it be looking beyond the surface of cliched beliefs (examples: what people are taught to believe in church, or what’s seen and absorbed from television and more). When the mind is open to ‘too’ much outer influence, the mind is ‘dead’ – therefore, you lack your own thoughts and “you” no longer belong to “you”. Musically, the album is dark and given to adventurous, elaborate and spatial instrumentation – along with eerie and mysterious interludes. The opening track “Stinkfist” is a heavy and fairly straightforward rocker. Maynard James Keenan has one of the most distinctive and ethereal voices in rock today — displaying the innocent, sad, poignant and reflective quality of Joni Mitchell one minute, then exploding into a frighteningly explosive scream the next, which can evoke Chucky, the doll (see the horror film “Child’s Play”, voiced by actor Brad Dourif). “Eulogy” begins with some spoon-like percussion and eerie guitar lines (which evoke King Crimson). It then turns into an explosive rocker. Maynard’s vocals are particularly beautiful and impressive here. (Note: if you’re new to this, don’t make the mistake of thinking the percussive opening lasts forever – it doesn’t). “H” showcases guitar ambience, tribal-like rhythms (from drummer Danny Carey) and explosive sections. “Useful Idiot” is the short interlude (which sounds like an ending of a scratched record) that segues into “Forty Six & Two”, which is probably the most popular Tool track on this album. “Message To Harry Manback” is an interlude of an angry immigrant badmouthing the American nationality (which I find quite hilarious). “Hooker With A Penis” is pure confrontational metal at it’s best. I think lyrically, this has to do with the music business (and the whole “selling-out” thing). It may have had something to do with a fan accusing Tool of doing just that. “Intermission” is a short keyboard piece (evoking that of a sports/arena anthem). It’s actually a short ‘keyboard’ version (or opening) for the next track “Jimmy”. This along with the rest of the tracks are the most “elaborate” on the disc. “Die Eier Von Satan” (German for “The Eggs Of Satan”) is a recipe spoken in German. The backing music sounds almost industrial/death metal-like, containing shrieks and sadistic “slaps”. “Pushit” is a heavy rocker, which shows off Danny Carey’s complex, precise and intricate rhythms on the drum kit. Some of Maynard’s vocals here reach ranges that weren’t heard anywhere else (on this disc, or on any other Tool album). His Gaelic-ish vocals near the end (backed by a guitar/bass progression of 5th’s) are truly poignant. “Cesaro Summability” sounds like guitar/amplifier feedback – fronted by baby screams. “Ænema” is a profane, dissonant heavy rocker, with snaky rhythms galore. Maynard James Keenan describes the city of Los Angeles – and says that it should receive an “enema” — flushing it all away. “(-)Ions” is an eerie, dissonant and whirry interlude. I personally find this ethereal. “Third Eye” probably sums up what this album and Tool’s music stands for in general — thinking for yourself. The beginning dialogue features a sample taken from one of comedian Bill Hicks’ standup routines. He says that many people denounce drugs – yet drugs have done something powerful for us – they’ve helped ‘some’ musicians provide us diehard music fans with what many of us consider “the best music of all-time” (examples: The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who – these are only a handful of ‘revered’ bands that have had certain members of each use drugs before). The ‘third eye’ is referred to as the human brain. Like the actual human ‘eye’, it absorbes and processes things (for benefit or detriment). When to ‘open’ (take in, absorb, believe) and ‘close’ (neglect, reject, refuse) the organ is our choice. The music on here features many instrumental and experimental twists and turns throughout it’s 13-minute playing time. _Ænima_ is an album that can take weeks, months and years to decipher. The lyrical and musical complexity is nearly infinite – to an almost unfathomable degree. It’s an album you can listen to for years and still find new things to discover — lyrically, musically and thematically. Tool has created music that can only be called timeless, transcendent, infinite and futuristic. _Ænima_ is a timeless masterpiece. Highly recommended.

Review by Nick:

These one-star biased, uneducated 1 star reviews are disgusting. If you dont like it because its “too dark” or “too grim” or whatever, what the hell are you doing listening to Tool? The whole purpose of the Heavy Metal genre is to be like this and Tool does this perfectly. If you want something lighter go listen to your Ashanti or whatever. This CD isnt for everyone!! OR if you need something a LITTLE less abstract, try “undertow” which is great, too. AND let it grow on you. IT DOES TAKE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES for this CD to grow on you. It didnt start to grow on me until like a month after constant listening. You have to be patient with this CD to notice everything that goes into the craft of these songs (or opuses for that matter). This is undeniably one of the masterpieces of the 90′s. Thanks to careless reviews, this CD has gone from its 5-star rating (where it should be) to 4 1/2… to the levels of Backstreet Boys and Michelle Branch. Tool’s better than that. YOU CANNOT DENY the raw talent of the instrumental arrangements on this album. you just can’t. I wanna see how many people looking at these can actually tell a good CD from a bad CD. click the helpful icon if you have recieved the reward from vast repeated listens of this CD.

Review by D. Zeppettella:

I bought this kit to keep in the house and avoid having to run to my larger tool chest in the garage when I need a couple of basic tools. In general, the tool quality is good for general household use, and I really only have two complaints about the kit.

The first that is that the ratchet is basically junk (but what can you really expect for ?). It’s O.K. for light duty work, but don’t expect to crank on it very hard without it breaking. If you think you’ll need this tool often, consider buying a higher quality ratchet and socket kit.

The other issue that I have is that there are no wrenches included in the kit. I plan on picking up a cheap crescent wrench to add to mine. (Come on, Stanley, increase the price a few bucks if you have to, but make this a complete kit by adding a crescent wrench!)

Finally, the plastic box that the tools come in is nice from the standpoint of being able to quickly locate a tool, but the box takes up a lot of storage space. I bought a small tool bag to keep the tools in, and I found it more convenient. You have to look a little closer to find the tool you want with the bag, but there aren’t enough pieces in this kit to create problems finding tools.

Review by Lulu:

Stanley is definitely a descent brand and this tool set is pretty enough for everything i need. The only thing I want to complain a little is you need t a screw driver to open this tool set. (If I had a screw driver, I may not need to buy a tool set!) Other than that, that’s all fine!

Review by P. Tran:

I think there is a lot of confusion about what advantages the CX has over the cheaper (-) stainless version. I hope this review will clear some of that up. Some reviewers are advising you buy the stainless version because the only difference is a slither of carbon fiber. That is simply not true. The CX has a lot more going on for it than that!

1) The metal used to make the blade in each model is different. The stainless version uses 420HC steel, which is a decent metal with good hardness and good edge retention. The CX version uses 154CM steel, which is considered by many as a “super steel” because of its good corrosion resistance and excellent toughness and edge retention. Imho, this is worth the price difference alone.

2) The blade styles are different. The stainless version has a plain edge whereas the CX has a partially serrated blade. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The plain blade is much easier to sharpen because you dont have to deal with maintaining any serrations (if you dont know what you are doing, serrations tend to get ground away when you do any sharpening). The partially serrated blade, however, is much more versatile in terms of cutting. In a pinch, you can used the serrated part of the knife as a saw or just for more cutting power. Additionally, if you learn the proper technique, sharpening a serrated blade is not that much more difficult, albeit a bit more time consuming. Personally, I like the partially serrated blade.

3) The tungsten coating isnt just for looks. True, it makes this tool even sexier than it would otherwise be, but it also adds a layer of corrosion/oxidation protection. This is a big deal to those of us who intend to use the tool in humid or moist conditions. Natural oxidation isnt always that noticeable and protects the layer of aluminum underneath it. However, it is porous and is not as durable as a coating.

4) Some reviewers have stated that the carbon fiber portion of the scales adds cushioning to the handle, making it more comfortable to hold. I dont know if that is true or not because I have only held the CX. Still, it might be something worth considering.

—————

UPDATE:

*The 2009 model of the CX has a plain edge blade and the Stainless has a partially serrated blade* Thanks, Poiuyt Man, for the heads up.

After 1 year, I still love this tool. So far, it has held up to daily use and abuse very well. I sharpen it maybe 4-5 times a year and oil the joints once or twice a year. I also gave the pocket clip significantly more tension by removing it, bending it inward, and reattaching it. This keeps the tool firmly in place when I clip it in my pocket. Be careful not to strip the threads by cross-threading or over-torquing if you decide to do this. The pliers have developed a tiny bit of lateral play, but they still work great for anything I throw at them. The spare bit holder still has a lot of bite and holds the spare bit firmly in place. I still lost a bit, however, out of carelessness and had to order a replacement from Leatherman. Although the replacements are pricey, Leatherman got it out to me extremely quickly and customer service seemed very responsive and helpful. The tool’s black anodizing has held up remarkably well despite being dropped countless times, used heavily, and tossed around in my pocket with keys.

Overall, I am very happy with this tool and it has been my trusty daily-carry almost every day since I got it. Much more versatile than a pocket knife alone and not much bulkier. You really cant appreciate something like this until you start to carry one and forget it at home one day. You will find yourself constantly reaching for it throughout the day, only to be greeted with an empty pocket and disappointment. I almost feel naked without mine.

Review by Shane Foster:

To begin with, the positives: I’ve owned this product for about 4 months now and really do love it (I ordered a second one the day after I thought I had lost my first). I appreciate that this Leatherman has done away with all the extraneous tools that add bulk and weight but are rarely used. I love that instead of needing a holster, I can wear it in my pocket like I would any other knife. At first I was a little leery of the driver bits being removable as I was sure they would fall out (hasn’t happened once yet). Now I prefer this as it allows me a more appropriate bit for the situation. I find the blade to be impressive and the opening action fits my hand perfectly.

Now for the negatives: As good as the bits on the screwdriver are, I find the curve of the handle to make screwing anything of substance feel awkward. The pliers, while sufficient for lightweight, emergency applications, should not be expected to perform any real torquing tasks (the first time i tried this, the jaws immediately slipped off and I was left with a good blood-blister in the web of my hand).

All in all, I find it a great tool in a great package. It has the items I need most, fits them into a small form and performs passably. It fits my needs but likely isn’t for everyone.

Review by Lord Chimp:

You do not listen to this album…you surrender yourself to it. The experience of Lateralus penetrates deeper than the brain — it is deeply spiritual and uplifting. Sonically, the dark sound works powerfully with MJ Keenan’s dynamic, unique vocals and lyrical messages. Whether he’s questioning emotional dichotomies (“Schism”) or reflecting on a difficult spiritual sojourn (“The Grudge”), there is a dark, brutal beauty to this music.Few bands have a collegiality that matches that of Tool. With the exception of drummer Danny Carey, this is not a band of virtuoso musicians. What separates them from the rest is their united, progressive artistic vision and originality. Danny Carey’s drumming is octopus-like, modulating every passage with rhythms I can’t begin to understand. Put together with rest of the crew, the opaque instrumentation creates music of endless shades and layers, with time signature changes a supercomputer couldn’t crack. There is magic here. Powerful, crunching riffs are foiled often by placid, narcotic passages, generating an album that only rarely “rocks.” Instead, it’s heavily cerebral, dark, beautiful…and ultimately indefinable. For a band that’s selling millions of albums and getting mainstream recognition, they still carry an uncompromising progressive aesthetic.Ignore those who make the asinine comment that “Tool sold out.” All other factors being equal, this is Tool’s _least_ commercially viable album. Frankly, I think it’s fairly remarkable that they passed off a 7-minute music video (“Schism”) onto MTV. (Credit the amusingly surreal video, I guess.) I guess when a band like this becomes popular, the so-called fans dismiss quality for the sake of remaining “hardcore.” With lots of 8-minute songs, numerous melody shifts, texturally complex movements, world influences, enigmatic lyrics, this is not an album that can be easily digested. Aenima was complex in its own right, but is was nothing like _this_. I’ve had Lateralus for almost a year (at the time of this writing), and it remains as arresting as ever. It’s so deep, I’m not sure I’ll ever see the bottom; it’s so high, I might never reach it. (Yes, I like that book.)And yet in telling you all of this, I’ve told you nothing. I think the best music is the hardest to describe. Lateralus comfortably lands in that category.We often hear, in a denigrating tone, “Yeah, that Lateralus is so self-indulgent.” Quite. Tool made the album they wanted to make, with commercial considerations thrown out the window. Of course it’s self-indulgent — this isn’t commercial pabulum. Clearly, Tool’s objective wasn’t to make _you_ happy, it was to make _themselves_ happy. This is what separates art from products. Tool, strangely, managed to produce high art that remains a viable product. We expect mainstream rock to be dominated by bands like Creed, Nickelback, and Staind…not Tool. None of this matters, though. Whether it sells 10 million copies or 10 thousand, great music is great music. We don’t need Rolling Stone or MTV to tell us that.

Review by Samhot:

We’ve witnessed Tool’s evolution, musically and lyrically. On their first full-length album (Undertow), the band spewed forth a large quantity of cathartic regurgitation, mostly on a “personal” level – telling tales of abuse, religious fraud and personal anguish. The following album (_Ænima_) would express these same ideas. However, the second time around, the band became more elaborate and “universal” with their aura and message – while expanding the time-lengths in their songs, adding eerie interludes, and making the music more complex. On _Lateralus_, the boys seem less angry this time around, perhaps, arriving at a “spiritual” place the band were probably slowly heading toward to begin with. They still maintain the aggressive intensity found on their previous albums (as well as that distinct hypnotic, mysterious aura they always possessed), but, this time around, there seems to be a feeling of hope and salvation that most Tool fans probably thought could never have been achieved. To say the album is deep, complex and mysterious would be GROSS understatements. Conceptually, the band seems to be exploring Qaballah (or Kaballah, whichever choice of spelling is accurate) transcripts. If you’ve intently explored such areas as Qaballah, astrology, numerology, mythology and other such metaphysical/new age subjects, you may just have yourself an interesting, challenging and/or fun time exploring this album, as it’s soaked in equivocal references to each of these. You can find references to Saturn (god of depression, fears, sorrow, misfortunes, discipline, lessons learned through hard times), Mars (god of violence, strife, conflict, war), Mercury (god of communication, thought, travel), Pluto (god of transformation, regeneration and rebirth) and other mythological figures. There’s not much time or space for me to delve into every single detail, but, hopefully, this will help. Now, I’ll discuss the significance of the song “The Grudge” and it’s connection with the mythological figure, Saturn. There are references to the number “1″ scattered throughout the song. Depending on where you look, number “1″ can be a reference to the Sun (the god of life, power and vitality), or to Saturn. But on here, it’s obvious that the reference is for Saturn. 1 and 10 represent the same figure: 1, 10, 19, 28 all equal “1″ (“10″: 1+0=1. “19″: 1+9=10=1. “28″: 2+8=10=1). In this case, I’m referring to the lyrical references of the song, “The Grudge.” Singer Maynard James Keenan says lines like “Saturn ascends/choose 1 or 10″/Saturn ascends/comes around again.” In the latter line, Maynard may be referring to an astrological term called “Saturn Return.” This is where the planet Saturn takes approximately 29 years to plow through the 12 astrological signs of the zodiacal belt (Note: the planets and astrological signs are supposed to have, more or less, considerable influence on human beings and events on planet earth.) When this happens, everyone supposedly will go through a difficult time in their lives (particularly every 29 years.) And when this happens, we are supposed to learn and grow from this – as Saturn’s influence indicates. And perhaps, this is what Maynard & the rest of Tool have done: Grown, evolved, and learned through the tough times they’ve been through. Now, remember, this is only the significance of one track, as more of these lyrical/metaphysical correlations can be found scattered throughout the disc, but, the theme of evolution is a constant-running theme for the album. Musically speaking – polyrhythms, alternating time signatures, odd chord/note progressions can be found all over the place. The band seems more refined in their execution of the performances – playing with as much intensity as before, but not sounding as muddy or gritty as previous efforts. Maynard’s vocals sound haunting, mysterious and powerful as ever, but, this time (as I’ve said), he sounds like he’s in a state of salvation, as opposed to the agonized vocals found on previous efforts. But, he does let out some powerful screams as well, so watch out! Drummer Danny Carey is playing tasteful, complex rhythms, without sacrificing his more explosive pounding behind the drum kit, and the understated works of Justin Chancellor (bass) and Adam Jones (guitar) contribute to intensify the ever-present dark, hypnotic and mysterious aura of Tool’s music. At 79 minutes, this is a lengthy album, but one that’s so mysterious, entrancing and intriguing, you won’t even notice that the album was long to begin with. If you want to see the more evolved side of Tool, and/or want some challenging music with some seemingly transmorgifying subject matter, pick this up. And remember, to say this album is deep is a GROSS understatement.

Review by :

flimsy ratchet, but the sockets make this low-priced set worth it. a good return for low cost.

Review by T. Landry:

The sockets appear to be the same quality of my old “cheap” set, however the socket wrench and hand wrench are made incredibly cheaply…worse than I had ever seen before…but for the price, I can overlook the quality of the socket wrench.

Review by Leslie A. Martin:

I just received this set and am returning it immediately. For the price I wasn’t expecting very high quality tools, but I thought that coming from Amazon there would be a minimum standard — not the case. The quality of all of the pieces is very low, the metal has been very crudely cut, the grips are thin and poorly placed on, the exacto knife and tape measure are flimsy, and the adjustable wrench that I received doesn’t work at all (the cogs on the handle and on the movable piece don’t meet up).

Review by Orville Elliston:

I bought this kit in Dec’05/Jan’06 thinking it could be a kind of Christmas present to myself. I had plans to use it whenever I worked on my car and do my little rounds around the house in general. The kit seemed fine at first….I think I serviced the car once with it and used the pliers to squeeze/hold a few things. But the incident that took place this weekend has caused me to lose all hope in this kit.

I visited my Mom and she asked me to service her car so I broke out my still brand-new, kit and started. The first this that went was the adjustable wrench. I locked it on to a nut and started to try to loosen it but as I applied pressure the teeth that are supposed to hold the mouth of the wrench in place broke out and the whole thing just opened up so now I have no adjustable wrench. I thought in my mind that it was just cheap material and I would just buy a better one and replace that.

But next went the hammer. I tried to remove a nail with it and the claws bent, soon after the shaft went with it. It was almost as if the hammer was made from soldering iron. PPL might now be thinking that I must have used some thing to apply extra force but really, it was a normal wood nail in a wood shed and I was just using my bare hands (not a concrete nail….no body weight). Please ppl avoid this kit. The only reason I have not returned it as yet is because I am in another country and the shipping costs and the hassle are not worth it.

Review by Lord Chimp:

As a progressive rock fan who entered Tool’s world with Lateralus, I’ve been collecting their albums in reverse order. It’s pretty strange going from Lateralus (their most progressive) to Opiate (their “simplest”). It must have been very interesting for fans who started at the beginning and watched this remarkable band grow into the powerhouses they are now.At face value, Undertow seems simple and heavy, pulled down because of a muddy mix that never seems to raise the guitars above a buzz or Maynard James Keenan’s voice to the heights where it should soar. It’s more song-oriented than the multifaceted epics of Lateralus and even ::whoa!:: catchy at times. I love the rapid, quick-fingered picking of the infectious main riff for “Bottom”. Heavy stuff can have hooks too, right?At face value…Undertow, however, is a pretty rich heavy metal album. Only traces of the alternative/grunge sound hover around Undertow’s edges — mainly the production style and some of the riffs. But in most respects, this is very much a metal record. Intellectually, however, Tool steps well beyond most metal bands with innovative musical intricacies and astute lyrics. Keenan is one of the most powerful vocalists in rock/metal, and his delivery is perfectly dramatic on songs like “Sober” (with its powerful ending) and “Crawl Away”, where he whispers and roars. Adam Jones is a very unique guitarist, not playing conventional solos, and usually basing his playing on just a few chords per song. However, Tool is more about band interplay than individual playing: Danny Carey’s exact and meticulous drumming; Paul d’Amour’s gritty, growling bass; Jones’ scratching guitar sounds, silent nuance, or earsplitting power chords. The title track is the most dynamic musically, with clever riffs and awesome vocals. “4 Degrees” shows the band’s interest in Middle Eastern influences (which would inform parts of Lateralus). I recommend getting the lyrics from Tool’s site and following along as you listen. It really gives the songs more impact.And, of course, we expect a Tool album to have something weird on it. The trippy 16-minute “Disgustipated” finishes off the album, starting on track 10 and ending on track 69. Tracks 10-68 are just blank, 1-second bits. Then, on track 69, things start to happen. There’s some dialogue, some sounds, some singing, and a *bit* of music. Listen closely to the words and think about it…interesting stuff. It’s amusingly weird and cool.Explore one of the best bands out there.

Review by :

Tool is amazing. They write complex, emotional music, never sound corny, and they can flat-out run a chill down your spine. This particular album is more of a straight rock approach to their brand of music, as opposed to the heavy distortion of Ænima. It’s tough to comapre the two albums because of this difference, but one thing I can pick out is that I like the bass better on Undertow. It is used to great effect; one example of this is on “Intolerence”, where the bass keeps the flow of the song together, allowing the guitar to play more complicated and varied riffs. The vocals by Keenan are simply astounding : he can sing soft and beautifully, and conversely go all out and yell. During all of the yelling, however, he never sounds untalented; he is able to keep the high quality of his voice. That’s very rare to find these days. And last but certainly not least, Danny Carey’s heart-pounding drums are able to pick a song up from a slow melody to all out rage and then slow it back down again. If they continue on the path that Undertow and Ænima have beaten out for them, their new album (which is rumored to have been in production since October ’99) will be something special indeed.