Tool Recommendation

I'll be starting an RV7A QB in the next 30 to 45 days. I'm researching tools and am wondering if anyone has any comment about the TP176TVDLX kit from U.S. Tool. It seems to be fairly complete, and reasonably priced. However, I have no way of knowing the quality of the tools, nor the quality of the customer service and whether they stand behind their products.

Tools

stickandrudder1 said:

I'll be starting an RV7A QB in the next 30 to 45 days. I'm researching tools and am wondering if anyone has any comment about the TP176TVDLX kit from U.S. Tool. It seems to be fairly complete, and reasonably priced. However, I have no way of knowing the quality of the tools, nor the quality of the customer service and whether they stand behind their products.

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Hi have purchased the standard tool kit from Avery. Quality is great, and service is even better. I would highly recomand them.

Avery

Avery! Substitute a pneumatic squeezer for manual. Great service, fair $, proven history. Let them know it is a QB; they advised to delete some clecos from std kit to offset $ of pneumatic squeezer. Can't say enough positive about them.

TS

elevators of 7a qb

spelling things one way shows a great lack of creativity

Plane Tools

I did a lot of research too. Printed out the Avery set and the Isham set and went tool by tool. I went with the full RV tool kit from Shaun Isham at Planetools.com. Comparatively this kit is similar to the Avery kit with two big exceptions. For about $300 more you get a pneumatic squeezer, and a DRDT2 dimpler. These are two huge upgrades.

Everytime I've emailed Shaun, he's always emailed RIGHT back. Good customer service, quality product, quick delivery, and competitive price...what more do you want.

I'm sure Avery has a good set too, but I decided early on that I wasn't going to skimp on tools...we're going to be spending a lot of time together.

Pictures on my website. www.scotasaurus.com

Eh, it seems to come to a habit here. Question was, what people think about the US Tool toolkit -- not about where did you buy your tools. Clever people would have been searching a bit this forum and found that at least from other kits there is already pretty many comments. So he wanted to know more about US tools toolkit. Anyone know about this?

I got my tools from the Avery. Highest quality tools I've ever owned but they had their price -- now there is xmas sale. Nothing to complain.

I bought a US Tool toolkit when I started my plane and I have never had any problems with it. I don't know what model # it was but I bought it at Sun-N-Fun and it has served me well. I shopped around at Sun-n-Fun a few years back and they had the best bang for the buck. I am at the end of building a -10 and the tools are still working fine, though I have slowed down a little!

Looks pretty complete but I haven't bought from US Tool, mine came from Cleveland and Avery.

If you're set on US Tool my only suggestion would be to ditch the squeezer and go with a "Main Squeeze" from Cleveland. As much as you are going to use it, it's worth every penny. Watch the video and you'll understand how it works and why it's worth the extra bucks. Hard to believe but you can build an entire RV without a pneumatic squeezer and I haven't put a dimple in the wrong spot yet (at least with the squeezer anyway ).

Having said that, if I were to do it again I would/will buy a pneumatic next time. Squeezing rivets isn't hard, well not with a main squeeze, but it is repetitive. You can save time with a pneumatic plus get most if not all of the cost back when you're done with it if you decide to sell it.

Cleveland does have a complete tool kit as well, first rate tools but more important, first rate people. A bit more expensive I admit but you get what you pay for with Cleveland. Upgrade the drill to the key less version to save even more time.

to each his own with tools, but...

In helping on a -10, I've used my neighbor's set from US Tool and it's not quite up to the quality fit and finish (and function...) of the tools from Avery and Cleveland. Not to say they don't work (most of the time), but if you work with them side by side, you'll be happier with the others IMHO. Specifically we had problems with several sharp and poor fitting dimple dies; the tools for edge and hole deburring are low end. Usually with tools, there's a reason for pricing differences...ala Snap-on vs. Harbor Freight...nuff said, and I hope that's not construed as vendor bashing. I have bought items from US Tool and Harbor Freight and they work fine for what they are. Sometimes things that are not said are every bit as important as posting all of your opinions. When you have user after user praising certain companies and not others, there's a message there...

Cleveland and Avery are both great, but each has a couple items that are better than what the other has, the "main squeeze" being one example. Ask fellow builders in your area what they like, try out their tools if you can & order accordingly. Also, look at Brown, especially if you want a Sioux drill.

Pirkka said:

Eh, it seems to come to a habit here. Question was, what people think about the US Tool toolkit -- not about where did you buy your tools.

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True enough, but I find it interesting that so many are mentioning Avery as if to say "they deserve your business". I have bought tools from Isham, US Tool, Brown tool and others, but the best service has been from Avery. They ship quickly (had some problems with another vendor), and have stood behind every product like they made it themselves, even if they didn't. When I was considering buying a few tools I may or may not need at OSH, Bob Avery asked me a few questions about it, and counseled me that I wouldn't really need them- that the job could be done differently and equally well with tools I already had. That demonstrates character to me, and I value it enough to make Avery my vendor of choice.

Dave

Yard Store

Don't forget to look at the Yard: www.yardstore.com when shopping for tools.
Call them and ask about used tools, also. I bought a Sioux drill new, and later bought a used Atlas-Copco drill with keyless Rohm chuck at the Yard for $125.00. I think I've used the Sioux once since getting the Atlas! The double ball-bearing countersink cages for $5.00 each are a steal!

Like David Johnson, I have bought from many vendors as well as eBay--Brown, Cleveland, The Yard, Clear Air. All the vendors treated me well, but Bob Avery was so outstanding that he will be my first choice as long as his prices are close.

I recently sent him my pneumatic squeezer which I bought from someone else several years ago and he repaired it for only $30, when I had been quoted $100-250 from another vendor. In addition to the repair, he threw in and replaced the trigger with new, replacing the original which had been brazed. Got the squeezer back in about a week or less after I sent it.

Richard Scott
RV-9A wings