The General No. 142 6-inch dial caliper does direct reading of .01″ (outer scale) and 1/64″ (inner scale) on its dial (plus mm readings on the bar scale, but — without getting into that whole metric thing — I don’t find this “feature” very convenient). It can do inside, outside, depth, and step measurements. Its fiberglass-reinforced plastic body makes it a good choice for damp/wet environments. You can pick one up for around $24.

There are many alternatives (TM has covered calipers a few times: in 2006 and 2007, for example) and some are less expensive (HF or the General 141), but I especially like this model for woodworking.

General Tools [Manufacturer's Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Carabiners make everything better, right?  That seems to be the mantra of SnapGate, a company who builds a carabiner into products like tape measures, flashlights, and pens. They sell both plastic promotional products and a few real tools.

One of the real tools is an 6″ aluminum flashlight they claim to be waterproof (non-submersible) and shatterproof. Two AA batteries power the flashlight’s krypton bulb. The other real tools are the tape measures which they manufacture in 16′ and 25′ lengths. Both tapes feature a rubberized coating over an ABS plastic case.

If you’re into snapping things onto your belt loops, the tape measures will cost you either $7 or $9 shipped while the flashlight will set you back $6 plus shipping. Check out SnapGate’s contact information on their website if you’re interested in their promotional products.

SnapGate [Corporate Site]
Flashlight [Campmor]
Tape Measure [Harbor Freight]

Harbor Freight is selling this table saw taper jig for $13.  Make tapered cuts on stock by setting the angle on the jig and sliding it along the table saw’s fence.  We saw this on sale at Woodcraft for $15, but searching the web we can’t see any difference between that jig and the Harbor Freight offering that’s $2 less.

Table Saw Taper Jig [Harbor Freight]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

After accidentally kicking the front access panel off the dryer, I noticed that it’s time to clean out all the lint buildup.  While I’m at it I figured I should probably clean the vent, too — in searching for an easy method to do this I found Harbor Freight’s vent cleaning brush.

Besides reducing the fire hazard, cleaning your vent supposedly improves the efficiency of your dryer — who wouldn’t want that?  The brush’s nylon bristles are mounted on a 10ft flexible steel shaft. The idea is you run the brush through a length of vent pipe, either by hand or chucked into your drill.  This loosens the lint stuck to the sides of the pipe.  Then you either blow the lint out the pipe or suck it out with a shop vac.

Is there any reason to splurge for more than the $3 Harbor Freight version, or is even that too much to pay because these type of brushes don’t really do much?  Is this tool hot or not?  Let us know in the comments.

Vent Brush [Harbor Freight]

I’ve used this Harbor Freight air nibbler a few times to cut sheet metal for home and automotive repair, and it performed flawlessly. Let me warn you, though, it shaves off small quarter-moon pieces as it cuts, thousands of them — so make sure you use it in an open area where you can find them all, or in a place where they won’t cause problems.

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Harbor Freight is selling this 3-pound capacity rotary tumbler for $33.  It’s extremely popular with jewelers for mass finishing with steel shot.  Though not as high-quality as a Lortone tumbler, all reports indicate it holds up well over time — you’ll just need to replace the belt sometimes.

3-Pound Capacity Rotary Tumbler [Harbor Freight]
Street Pricing [Google]

A super-hot instant flame can help you out on tons of jobs, like cutting braided cable or carefully applying heat-shrink tubing.  On Harbor Freight’s site I came across this $7 micro torch which seems comparable to its “mainstream” counterparts — it’s self-starting and refillable, with a 35-minute run-time. But how does it really stack up? Is it a piece of junk, or do some of you actually work with one regularly and reliably?

I’m guessing that in comparison to other torches this thing probably flops, but I want to hear from you:  Hot or Not?  Let us know in comments.

Micro Torch [Harbor Freight]
Street Pricing [Google]

Chicago Electric makes this inexpensive chainsaw sharpener that sells for $35 at Harbor Freight.  Sure, the quality of tools purchased from Harbor Freight can be suspect, but how can you screw up a chainsaw sharpener?

The 0.5″ to 0.8″ capacity vice on this sharpener adjusts from 0-35° to the right or left.  The 115V, 0.75A ball bearing motor spins the 4-1/4″-diameter by 1/8″-thick grinding wheel at 4,200 RPM.  A safety guard covers most of the wheel, exposing only the section that comes into contact with the chain.  You can either hold the sharpener in a vise or mount it to your bench or garage wall.

The question before us today: Can buying this cheap chainsaw sharpener be a better deal than doing it the old-fashioned way with a guide and a file?  Or does doing it yourself even make sense when you can pay $10 for a professional to do it?  Let us know what you think in comments.

Chainsaw Sharpener [Harbor Freight]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

I recently moved to a rural area, and I needed to remove about 100 yards of fence from my field.  Most of it was old, gnarly, and half-falling-over, and I got it out easy enough — I just hooked the fence to a vehicle and pulled — but I was left with the 8′ T-posts that were stuck about 2′ to 3′ deep.  I considered a three-point lift, an engine lift, and explosives;  then common sense took hold, so I tried prying, shoveling, and pulling.  The few that came out looked like post pretzels.  I wish I’d found this T-post puller earlier.

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“Where’s the @#$% miter gauge!”  If you’ve ever exclaimed this in your shop, maybe you need to take a look at this $6 magnetic miter gauge holder from Harbor Freight.

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This tool will either sit around for years unused, or else you just won’t have one when you need one. Used for both home and vehicle repairs, the Harbor Freight Double Flaring Tool will allow you to repair fuel lines, oil lines, brake lines, and any other lines that connect with a single or double flare.

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You’ll probably never find a better deal on pliers than this $12 pack from Harbor Freight — it includes diagonal cutters, needle nose, lineman’s, slip joint, and groove joint pliers.  That’s a bunch of gripping capability for a small payout.

These pliers may not last long enough for you to hand ‘em down to your kids, but they do boast a couple of qualities that’ll help you right now:  affordability and simple functionality.  If you happen to need ‘em you don’t have to worry about being gentle either;  just do what’s required and replace ‘em as necessary.

It boils down to about $2 per tool here. If you think you might find a use for ‘em, throw a set in the toolbox.

6-Piece Heavy-Duty Pliers Set [Harbor Freight]

Like a lot of people, I often forget to drain my air compressor.  It’s not a big enough problem that I’m gonna shell out for a high-tech, high-dollar automatic compressor drain, but I’m willing to give this low-buck Harbor Freight version a look.

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If you only use a pry bar occasionally or don’t have the room for a full-out pry bar, this pry bar head attachment from OTC Tools fits onto a 3/8″-drive breaker bar or ratchet and turns it into a rolling-head pry bar.  Even though OTC specifically says ratchet, we wouldn’t risk a good one.

Measuring 2″ long by 2-13/16″ wide by 5/8″ thick and weighing about 3oz., this little tool is surprisingly expensive.  Most places charge $50 or more — but not good old Harbor Freight.  For $7 they sell a tool that matches OTC’s description and picture almost identically.  We’d be willing to bet it’s the same tool.

Pry Bar Head [OTC Tools]
Street Pricing [Google]
Pry Bar Head [Harbor Freight]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

If you’re not a professional transmission shop and don’t have the money for a full-time transmission jack, you might appreciate this more economical solution, Harbor Freight’s Transmission Adapter.  The adapter is meant to work with a Harbor Freight jack with a 1-1/4″ saddle, but mine fit on my Craftsman two-and-a-half-ton floor jack — and no parallel universes opened when the two tools met.

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Harbor Freight is selling this non-contact thermometer for only $8 with coupon until December 20th, 2008.  Unless you’re the world’s biggest cheap-ass, there’s no excuse not to get one to play with.

Cen-Tech’s non-contact pocket thermometer reads temperatures from -27° to 230°F or -33° to 110°C.  Get readings in less than one second to quickly locate hot and cold spots.  The thermometer also includes a real-time clock and stopwatch.

The included 3V CR2032 lithium battery provides 40 hours of battery life.

Non-Contact Thermometer [Harbor Freight]
Street Pricing [Google]

A few years ago, before we’d figured out how the shop would actually work, we would experience a curious phenomenon which Chuck half-jokingly referred to as “Tool Explosion” — tools would be everywhere, out of order and difficult to find on cue, especially when I was working an automotive project.  Then, thankfully, the tool cart came into play.

This simple Harbor Freight cart has helped contain tool explosion so much, it’s become the central hub of the shop.  If you want to know which tools we prefer over any other, look in the cart — we don’t put away our favorites.

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