Good set of tools for the boy?

   / Good set of tools for the boy?
  • Thread Starter
#101  
ponytug said:
@Sigarms, thanks for the details. An OAT of 30F is as cold as we are likely to see. Maybe 25F once every fifty years.

I had been concerned about freezing my cold sensitive spouse...

All the best,

Peter
Click to expand...
That's the funny thing. Here in NC, my design load for outside air temp would be a maximum of 20F outside air. When you go west of Raleigh NC, it can get much colder during the winter time (I'm about 1.45 hours west).

The bugger is most mini split manufacturers I know don't give you the total capacity at 30F OAT, but more at 17F or 23F OAT.

Please note, that 3F OAT was taken in Boone NC on December 23rd, 2022. Elevation 3,300 ft.

Any decent HVAC guy should explain what and why they are pricing what they are to you. Generally you always want to error on the side of caution when it comes to heating loads.

So in your case, I'd go 23F OAT.
 
   / Good set of tools for the boy? #102  
@Sigarms, thanks again!

Trying to get the HVAC folks here to do any sort of estimate beyond "Well, you have 2,200 sq.ft., so the answer is..." is, well I haven't found anyone yet. I have been taking names for years. I have a good repair guy, but he doesn't do installations. He is great at what he does do.

I do understand it, and I am sure that the guys that I have spoken with get right for a typical suburban home, all built with about the same floor plan, based on the prior job, and for the mongo custom mansions, they go big because they understand that the owner will be pissed if they can't freeze the house on command.

I just know that cookie cutter is not likely to work here. I would rather base it off of observed data for heat losses at given outside conditions.

If you know of anyone good out here, I would love to take names.

All the best,

Peter
 
   / Good set of tools for the boy? #103  
Go big is what I commonly find.

Did a total install where none had been before… the owner who provided the equipment recommended a larger unit but it would require pulling a new service… just not in the budget.

I had 30 amp available and went with that…

In 18 years no issues with the Tempstar… and the variable blower and the 3 stages of heat was the envy of the neighbors for quiet operation.

Felt sorry for the immediate neighbors because their unit cycled a lot and when on the drapes would move all around from the “Wind” but it really did kick out heat and cooling.

The local Tempstar contractor used my install as one that worked being slightly undersized…
 
   / Good set of tools for the boy? #104  
   / Good set of tools for the boy? #105  
   / Good set of tools for the boy? #106  
   / Good set of tools for the boy?
  • Thread Starter
#107  
Thanks for all the feedback guys, much appreciated. Ended up going with the Genius tool kit, ran me $79 on Amazon.

Wife had chuch meeting tonight, took the boy out to eat as he was doing a side gig helping a co worker at the car wash (where he works) do a detailing job on a truck. He made $70 (why anyone would pay somone $140 to clean their car is beyond me LOL), free dinner on my end for him, and he got to use his new tools. His tail lights came in and he told me only took him 5 minutes to change them out with the tools.

M2.png

He told me he wasn't going to leave the tool box in the trunk because the car has insurance and he could risk losing the car but not the tools. I didn't have the heart to tell him what they ran me.

You can see the new tail light on the left, he's working on the right side now. Because I was never into cars as a teen I'm just not understanding the obsession with accessorizing the car.

That said, everything I've read about Genius tools seemed to be good and the price point was hard to beat, given they had all those "star" tips that Mercedes seems to be fond of using.

I need to talk to him. I looked at the pic and that's my screwdriver in the lower left hand side of the trunk (actually my dads who gave it to me) LOL
 
   / Good set of tools for the boy? #108  
Good deal on the tools…

All these years later I remember exactly who gave me what tools even 59 years after the fact…

Car wash next to work and on a Saturday they must have 30 people working and the line of cars backs up to the highway…

Never had anyone was a car but myself but they do a heck of a business with patrons sipping coffee siting on benches watching the staff hustle and women make up about half the car wash workers…

I’d say 100% Spanish Speaking.

Sometimes a black and white from the city police is in the que for wash… community relations?
 
   / Good set of tools for the boy? #109  
Sigarms said:
Any one particular brand of tools out there now that you would stay away from?

My one boy enjoys working on his car when he can do the work himself, and he's always using something from my tool box.

Pricing can be all over the board when it comes to tool sets.

He'll be leaving home shortly for the military, and I'd like to get him something that will last him a good 20 years as a "going away present".

I have some Klein tools that have held up well over 2 decades, but I still remember how expensive they were. I'd like to get him something like 100-200 piece set that doesn't break the bank for more than $300 (or is that a pipe dream?) and can be stored easy.

Saw a nice tool box of Craftsman tools, but are they junk now? Seems like everything comes with a "lifetime" warranty, but sometimes that doesn't work out like you think it does when you have a issue.
Click to expand...
Craftsman's last US plant just shut down but Lowes is currently selling off the last of that plants inventory. I got a USA built craftsman 1/4 and 3/8 ratchet set, 79pc I believe for $70.

I dont even need the set but my 3yr old son will some day.
 
   / Good set of tools for the boy? #110  
Sigarms said:
Any one particular brand of tools out there now that you would stay away from?
Click to expand...

Short direct answer, followed by a meandering comment:

I don't know what your answer might be, but whatever you/he might buy, I'd make sure the sizes are STAMPED into the sockets for example. I bought some sockets.... they have the sizes PRINTED on each socket.....well.....wear & tear, rubs that off so now it's all I can do to see the size. Those with the size stamped into the socket are doing just fine.

That is my new acid test.


Meandering story:
Keep your eye out for used and/or pawn shops. On another forum I visit, there was a guy who had a mechanic background... said he was selling everything and bluntly, didn't want to deal with people any more. Wanted to offer his stuff to his pals.

I reached out.... we talked & visited a bit electronically.... and I said I'd buy them.

For $1,500, I bought:

Full set of SAE Snapon Combination wrenches and sockets
Full set of metric Snapon Combination wrenches and sockets
Small gas generator
60 gallon vertical air compressor
Various tools to check auto air conditioning
and what I was really interested in.....

a rolling tool chest, Snapon, roughly 6 feet tall, full height side cabinet on the left and a half height drawer cabinet on the right. This thing is a monster. In fact, I needed to use my backhoe to carry it up to the house.

I emptied my jam packed Craftsman roller chest with "sliders" (verses ball bearings on the drawers) swapped this monster into same location and put the Craftsman in a yard sale along a major road.... sold it if I recall, for $300.

Something I just stumbled into that snowballed into a fantastically good deal for me.
 
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