KC Tool is America’s leading German Tool distributor. We specialize in German Tools and besides a couple products we produce ourselves, we only sell German brands of tools. The question of where the tools are made comes up occasionally and can be a source of great debate. In an ideal world, the German tool brands we sell would manufacture all of their tools in Germany but unfortunately this is not the case. Brands such as Gedore and Knipex manufacture nearly all of their tools in Germany whereas others like Wera are almost exclusively produced outside of Germany. Wiha has factories in Germany and many other countries. So the big question is:
Joe C. wins $50 to spend at KC Tool
Each month we give a $50 KC Tool gift certificate to one of our customers who left a product review in that month. The gift certificate is applied to the customer’s account so they can use it next time they make a purchase from KC Tool.
Say Goodbye to Wiha Dynamic Grip Screwdrivers
I’m truly bummed to hear that Wiha USA is no longer selling the Dynamic grip (aka Dynamic Handle) screwdrivers. As of this writing, they have only a few sets left and no individual drivers up for sale. At KC Tool, we also have some sets and a some individual drivers left in stock but when they are gone that will be the end of them in the U.S. This was the only full size screwdriver we offered that had a rotating cap and extremely tapered handle and there are certain tasks where these features really come in handy. It’s unlikely I will ever be able to wear mine out but you know how tools tend to grow legs. I’ll have to really keep an eye on them.
I tried to plead with Wiha USA to keep them for sale in the States and even sited the multiple great reviews our customers have left on our website like this one from David P.
“This line of screwdrivers have a great handle that doesn’t collect dirt as bad as the rubberized kind, with a spinning top that fits your palm. It is my driver of choice for non-energized electrical work.”
I’m with David, these are killer for finish electrical. They make quick work of installing or removing the long, fine pitch screws you find on switches, outlets and wall plates.
We will keep trying to convince Wiha USA to bring back the Dynamic grip screwdriver but you may want to grab a spare if we still have your favorite size in stock.
Glenn F. wins $50 to spend at KC Tool
Each month we give a $50 KC Tool gift certificate to one of our customers who left a product review in that month. The gift certificate is applied to the customer’s account so they can use it next time they make a purchase from KC Tool.
Strings? What strings? There are no strings attached. This is just a good old fashioned giveaway to thank those of you who leave reviews about the tools you buy from us. The more reviews you leave, the better your chances of winning.
Glenn F., from Newark, Delaware has luck on his side. He left three reviews in the month of January and his winning review was for the Wiha (Heyco) 35013 14 x 15mm Open End Wrench
Glenn had this to say about the Wiha (Heyco) wrench he received:
“Matches missing tools from auto tool pouch exactly.“
Congratulations, Glenn! Thanks for leaving your reviews and your kind words about KC Tool. KC Tool offers international shipping to over 12 countries. If you do not see your country listed on our website, please contact sales@kctoolco.com (order minimums & restrictions may apply).
Wondering how we choose the winner? It’s nothing fancy. We export all of the reviews into an Excel spreadsheet and use random.org to generate a random number. The corresponding numbered line on the spreadsheet is the winner.
Good luck next month!
Great Deals on Wera Tools – Winter Promo 2016
Wera has big plans for 2016 — and with the biannual International Hardware Fair in Cologne, Germany coming up in less than 2 months (March 6-8) look for new innovations from the leaders in ergonomics, function, and design. Pictured above is the Zyklop Speed (formerly “Zyklop”) which Wera describes as, “particularly impressive because it combines 5 types of ratchet into a single tool, and delivers the fastest working speeds.” These features result in making work simpler, and saving time. Check out the YouTube video below to see it in action.
The Zyklop Speed is available in 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″ drives and carries a lifetime warranty. The pricing on the Wera Winter Promo is valid now through March 31, 2016, however, there are a few items that are valid while supplies last (details below).
- 1/4″ Zyklop Speed – WR003500 Sale $57.99
- 3/8″ Zyklop Speed – WR003550 Sale $64.99
- 1/2″ Zyklop Speed – WR003600 Sale $69.99
Also featured this Winter is the Kraftform Plus 6 Piece Screwdriver set that includes 4 Slotted and 2 Phillips complete with a storage rack. This is a good all around set to buy if you have been thinking about trying Wera screwdrivers. The tops of the handles have the tip style and size indicated for easy identification. All but the smallest slotted driver feature Wera’s Lasertip technology that “bites” into the screw head that help to ensure a precise fit and reduce slippage (anti cam out).
Wera 334/6 Kraftform Plus SL/PH Screwdriver Set + Rack – WR105650 Sale $25.99
Wera is also featuring their 8751-9/IMP DC Phillips Impaktor Bit-Check Set which includes x6 PH #2 and x3 PH #3 insert bits from their Impaktor series. This set also includes an Impaktor 1/4″ hex bit holder with retaining and ring magnet all conveniently stored in a hard plastic case. These are the bits you want to use in your heavy-duty impact driver.
8751-9/IMP DC Phillips Impaktor Bit – Check Set – WR057686 Sale $39.99
As mentioned above, there are some items subject to availability. We have been informed that Wera plans to discontinue the two L-Key sets pictured below in late February or early March of 2016. We hope that the reasoning behind this is that there will be better sets replacing them soon– but how can you improve on greatness? Only time will tell but based on Wera’s history of innovation and motto “Tools From Ideas” we should see some awesome new tools coming soon. In the meantime pickup a set of these L-Keys for $27.00 each (while supplies last).
950 SPKL/9 Hex + Ball End Hex Metric L-key Clip Set – WR022088 Sale $27.00
Wera 950 SPKL/9 Hex + Ball End Hex SAE L-key Pouch Set – WR022528 Sale $27.00
Tool Magazines & Publications
There are many different ways to get your news — iPad, Kindle, iPhone, Desktop, Laptop, etc. How about print media? Although perhaps becoming increasingly more archaic, I still prefer newspapers and magazines over televisions and the Interweb. It’s neat to see the success of niche magazines continue in this day and age — whether it’s automobiles, firearms, gardening, or French cooking there’s a magazine for it. But how about tools? There are home improvement magazines and woodworking periodicals that feature tool reviews but I have yet to find a magazine purely devoted to tools at a newsstand. Below is a list of tool and tool-related periodicals, some of which may be available in print.
- Tools of the Trade
- Contractor Supply
- ETMM (European Tool & Mould Making)
- Tool Business & Hire (UK, digital version available; features many of the German tool brands we carry)
- Construction Business Owner
- Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN, automotive focus)
- Cutting Tool Engineering (CTE)
- Wood Magazine
- Popular Mechanics
- Contractor’s Tool Source
- Electrical Contractor (EC Mag)
- The Fabricator
- Industrial Distribution
What tool or tool-related magazines do you subscribe to? Comment below.
The Best Precision Screwdriver Stand
If you are a technician using precision screwdrivers, prepare to have tool bench envy! We recently received a picture from a customer (who prefers to remain anonymous) of their customized precision screwdriver set and I was so impressed I had to share. They started with our 50 hole precision screwdriver stand, added an additional 25 hole precision screwdriver stand, filled it with high quality Wiha Precision Screwdrivers and then customized the front edge with labels to make everything easy to find. Take a look!
What a great picture! They even took the time to rotate all of the drivers to the same orientation. To me, this is a work of art and I really appreciate being able to share it. They were even kind enough to tell me exactly how they did the labeling which I will share at the bottom of this post.
If you are not familiar with our precision tool stand, let me tell you a little more about it. We like the Wiha Master Technician Sets that come with 50 drivers and a similar stand but what we found is the stand that comes in the Wiha sets doesn’t work well for the Wiha Pico Finish drivers or any of the other brands we carry. Also, Wiha would not sell us the stand individually so we set out to create our own. We designed ours with tapered holes that hold the drivers more securely in an upright position. It works well with the standard Wiha precision screwdrivers you see above and also works great with the Wiha Pico Finish, Witte Wittron, and Gedore lines of German precision screwdrivers seen below.
The stands are made locally (Olathe, KS) and we just received a new batch of the 50 hole version. We set out with the goal of wanting the stands to be simple, high quality and affordable. In an effort to keep costs down we used stock material and tumbled finish to save on machining time. The machine shop we have used said they will no longer make them at the current price, regardless of volume. We’re still negotiating to try and get them to run another batch of the 25 hole version at the agreed upon price but we don’t have a verdict on that yet. Please check our website or connect with us on social media to stay updated.
Precision Tool Stand, 25 hole
Precision Tool Stand, 50 hole
If you decide to buy one of our stands and would like to label the front check out the step-by-step instructions below submitted from the same customer who sent us that awesome photo.
Since the Wiha Precision drivers are not labeled (unlike the PicoFinish or the Wera), I had right away decided I needed to organize the tools in a way that would be easy to label and locate. That was one of the reason to get the KC Tool stand vs. the Wiha stand in the first place.
I liked the natural aluminum finish and wanted to keep the “OEM” look of the KC Tool logo, i.e. black ink straight on the aluminum, preferably on the front of the stand. For several months, I just used clear tape and hand-drawn graphics similar to those in the final version.
I recently had a need to get a labeler, so I went looking for one that could:
* Print imported graphics arranged on a very precise template (down to the mm) to align with the holes. That pretty much meant a PC-connected labeler with good software.
* Print on durable black-ink-on-clear tape to match the “OEM” look. This would be most easily done on labeler tape, with the major brands all carrying some version of adhesive black-ink-on-clear tape.
* Have a professional quality result.After some looking, I went with a Brother solution (vs. Epson or Dymo). I found the Brother software to be superior, the PC-printed graphics to be best (180×360 dpi and better rendered), and Brother had a reasonably priced labeler that could be used both from a PC and standalone with a WYSIWYG screen.
I ended up getting the following:
* Brother PT-D600 “PC Connectible Label Maker with Color Display”
* Brother TZe131 “Black on Clear 12mm (1/2-Inch) Labeling Tape”.It was going to be impossible to find tape whose width precisely matched the thickness of the front of the stand, and I wanted to make the graphics as big as possible. So, to get the cleanest look, I got the next larger width available (12mm), aligned the top of the tape with the top of the stand (just below the rounded edge) and folded the extra width underneath. This makes both tape edges invisible.
The graphics of the driver head types are taken straight from the KC Tool website and despite being web-resolution, still look good printed. The Brother P-Touch software is very easy to use to paste/resize graphics and align them precisely. The hole pitch seemed to be around 21.5mm and the software has a ruler to align all design elements which perfectly matches the printed output.
The only trial-an-error task was to find the biggest graphics and text sizes that would fit and look good. Overall, it was about 1/2hr of work to completion and very much worth it.”
Thank again to “L.M.” for sharing their great project.
German Tools | Knipex Tools | Wera Tools | Wiha Tools | Gedore Tools | Felo Tools | KC Tool 