OK, Where Did I Get This?
By Gordon DeWitte
I’ve had this knurled thumb-wheel thingy in my toolbox for some time. It’s aluminum, includes a magnet, and is a bit holder for 1/4″ hex bits. It has come in really handy on several occasions where nothing else (including my trusty Chapman offset driver) would easily fit in a confined space and let me remove a fastener (while cursing the person who used such an awkward placement). The diameter of the knurled part and the length of the whole thing are both about 1″. A friend asked me where I got it, and I could not remember. I’ve Googled various combinations of “knurled,” “thumb-wheel,” “hex bit holder,” and “magnetic,” and even tried Bing, but, so far, cannot find this.
Does anyone know who makes (made?) this item? Are they still available?
Chapman offset driver Via Amazon [What’s This?]
July 14th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Craftsman makes something similar. what they call a finger bit.
July 14th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Located here:
July 14th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Here’s the one you have:
http://www.etool.ca/RENDER/1/2018/3047/11987.html
Did a search for “aluminum hex bit driver” on google images. Easier to browse than the actual search results when looking for something specific like this. “finger hex bit driver” found the one Reader posted.
Seems like I might have seen them at Harbor Freight but I could be wrong.
July 14th, 2009 at 10:17 am
I have one from Harbor freight, I use it for setting up disc brakes on mountain bikes: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jz4f840sc_c/STMkCMddUvI/AAAAAAAABV8/Er0O999IsrU/s1600-h/100_2879.JPG
-Joe
July 14th, 2009 at 10:18 am
You might have gotten this if you worked on mid 80s- up Fords. A tool like this is marketed as a solution for removing the TFI module from the distributor without having to remove the distributor itself.
Drivers like this also tend to come with various parts and products that need assembly before use.
July 14th, 2009 at 10:33 am
I have something similar for sockets, that I found by going through the Sears webpage, tools section, one page at a time until I found the right name for it. I’ve forgotten the name now… Love that thing.
July 14th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Here’s a link to an OEM for this:
http://www.vimtools.com/product_detail.asp?id=HDMSET
July 14th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Here ya go. Harbor Freight has them in both 1/4 and 5/16″.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=95320
July 14th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I’ve seen bins of these by the cash register at HF, they’re a buck & a half
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95321
July 14th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Damn you for finding this today! - I had no idea such a tool existed and it was quite literally yesterday that I needed something like this. I had to resort to holding a phillips head bit in my pliers and a lot of cursing to get to this screw…
July 15th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
HF has ‘em in 2 sizes - and they come with an assortment of bits - the 1/4″ has 10 bits with it. Pretty good deal.
July 15th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
I remember when I first found these in a bin at a hardware store back east. They’d just gotten them in and I bought a couple to take back home with me to CA since I’d never seen them around here. The hardest part was keeping it in my toolbag since the other guys around my shop had a habit of “borrowing” them. My next trip I bought 2 for each of them to solve my problem.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:50 am
An aluminum lathe salesmen use to hand these out.
July 16th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Check http://www.stanleysupplyservices.com. Their part number is 461-200 for a two piece set for $13.60.
July 16th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Thanks Tom. That looks exactly like the set I have. I probably got them from Jensen before they merged with Contact East and became Stanley Supply.