You need to know up front that the Irwin Quick Adjust ratcheting wrench isn’t a standard adjustable.  It’s a totally different tool intended for different use.  

Almost everyone who picked it up in the shop made fun of the fact that our test model is marked specifically for SAE.  ”Why mark it for SAE if it’s adjustable?” they ask, then laugh.  Why, indeed.  Read past the jump to find out, and to see why you might want one of these in your kit. 

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Think of this as a no-battery version of Black & Decker’s AutoWrench.  Here’s how it works: the jaw is spring-loaded towards the “open” position, so when you pull down on the lever located where the knurled part usually is, the wrench springs open.  You then release the lever and push the jaw closed around the fastener head with your fingers.  It’s ratcheted, so it stays in that position until you pull the lever again.  Irwin claims this action is two times faster than a standard adjustible wrench.

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I stumbled upon this interesting utility tote on Irwin’s website while I was looking for utility knives.  I like the unusual combination of bag and fixed handle; it looks very sturdy, and I imagine that the solid handle wouldn’t bunch up around your hand when you load the bag heavily like a standard soft handle would.

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Today Irwin announced a few additions to their marking chalk line, including chalk that wipes off easily, chalk that stays on in wet weather, and chalk that’s easy to see.  In other words, you can now choose the chalk that best fits your specific application.

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Eschoendorff writes: “These are the perfect answer for when you don’t have a line wrench or when the line is an odd size.  That, or when you really want to grip a fastener without any chance of slippage.  I just used one today, and it totally saved my ass on a fuel line I was struggling with.  I have them in all three sizes: 4″, 7″ and 10″.”

Note: If you’d like to tell us about some of your favorite tools, drop us a line via our contact form and be sure to include a link to photo(s) of your actual tool.  We’re not just looking for a recommendation — we want to see the one you’ve used and abused.

Vise-Grip Locking Wrenches [Irwin]
Street Pricing [Froogle]
Via Amazon [What’s this?]

Measure, mark, and drill a piece of wood faster than anyone else in the US, and you might take home $1.26 million — or at least $10k, a Roush Racing customized F-150 pickup, and a BBQ party at your house with NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray.  (That’s him in the picture above doing his best with a drill.)

Here’s the skinny: You’ve got to visit a “local retailer or industrial distributor” on one of these scheduled dates to participate.  Once there, Irwin will time you as you measure, mark and drill.  The 45 fastest “tradesmen” overall will pick up two NASCAR race tickets and an Irwin pit crew shirt.  The top 30 will also receive airfare and accommodations to one of the three regional challenges to be held in Dallas, L.A., and Charlotte, NC.

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I first got addicted to kneepads when I picked up a set on sale at Harbor Freight for something less than $5.  I thought, “Man, I’m sure gonna look like a dork in these, but I’m sick of my knees hurting.”  It was a while before I gave ‘em a try, but after just a bit I found myself using them more and more.  Yes, you do look like a dork in them.  Get over it.  Look at it this way: you’ll be a mobile dork in your old age.

Recently, I’ve been thinking of “upgrading” to some higher-quality kneepads, and I’m considering these: Irwin’s i-Gel “stabilizer” kneepads.  Besides the inclusion of a get pack to further soften the pressure on the body’s most complex and fragile joint, they also feature a textured, shaped rubber piece on the front to provide extra stability. 

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Irwin’s Quick Grip clamps are some hardy well built clamps.  We dig the overall rugged construction and the ease of operation that they represent, but when we saw the Quick Grip “micro” clamps, we thought Irwin had lost their mind.  Upon second inspection, though, they look pretty handy. 

The Micro clamps are built with the same steel backbone that their larger brethren have as well as the same pump trigger mechanism; it’s all just much smaller and more condensed.  The bar allows for an 8” spread which makes for a lot of utility in a small tool.

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Timmy writes: “These are the greatest tool nobody’s ever heard of.  They’re specially designed for installing and maintaining wire fince on metal and wood posts.  It’s six tools in one: a staple starter, hammer, two staple pullers, a wire stretcher, a wire splicer, and two wire cutters.  There are many brands of fence pliers available, but I’d put my money on the Channellocks to be about the best.”

I’ll admit that though I’ve had a couple of pairs of fence pliers, I haven’t written about them yet because I never really work on fences.  I’ve used them to pull staples, as a hammer, and to cut thick wire, but I’ve never really used ‘em for their intended purpose.

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Based on a Toolmonger comment we read a while back, we decided to pick up a set of Irwin’s (semi-)new self-adjusting wire strippers, so we thought we’d give you a look at ‘em as well.  In short: They rock.  They’ve quickly become the wire stripper of choice in the TM shop.

Read on past the jump for our hands-on experience and some detail pictures.

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It’s hard to say exactly what makes a great tape measure because they’re, well, very personal items.  Some people like shiny, some like flat.  Some like plastic, some like metal.  This new tape from Irwin brings most of the standard features we’ve all come to expect, like a good friction lock, a blade brake (so the tape doesn’t break if you let it slam in unattended), and a 10′ standout — the distance you can extend the tape without someone else there to hold it for you.

The one feature that stands out a bit, though, is the tape’s “quick-mark tip” — a small bar of pencil lead hidden in the tip that allows you to mark distance by simply “swiping” the tip instead of breaking out a pencil.

Update: Look for a picture after the jump that shows the “quick-mark tip” in action.  [Thanks Emery!]

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Let’s play word association!  When you say “pipe wrench,” I think “red,” “heavy,” and “rusty.”  Irwin’s new quick adjusting pipe Wrench looks to shatter that image with some new thinking and trusty industrial design.  Their ”quick-adjusting” pipe wrench offers a one-handed operation via a ratcheting jaw that freely scoots right up to the work surface to shorten adjustment time.

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Irwin’s laser retro-fit for miter saws has been quite popular, and now they’ve expanded the line to include abrasive chop saws as well.  It’s really simple: Just bolt this on along with the blade on your older non-laser-equipped chop saw and you’ve joined the 21st century.

The laser automatically turns on and off with blade rotation.  It also ships with batteries and adaptors for most saws.  Irwin claims the batteries’ll last about 1.5 hours — or about 5,000 cuts.  They say you’ll get more like 3,000 hours out of the laser itself.

Street pricing starts around $20, and you can find this in most big-box retailers or online.

Abrasive Chop Saw Laser Guide [Irwin]
Street Pricing [Froogle]

You should own a set of pipe clamps.  Sure, they’re not usually the first clamps you reach for — especially if you’ve got a few of the new trigger clamps around the shop.  But when you finally end up needing to clamp something really big together, you’ll wish you had pipe clamps.

And kudos to Irwin for their clutch system that lets you use these clamps with whatever 1/2″ or 3/4″ pipe you happen to have lying around — no threading required!

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Last month we tested Irwin’s GrooveLock pliers and loved them; They kick the crap out of standard tongue-in-grove pliers in ease of use, adjustability, and comfort.  Back then Irwin only offered 8″, 10″ and 12″ versions.  Now they’ve expanded the line to include 16″ and 20″ pliers.

For those of you not familiar with GrooveLocks (and too lazy to click on the above link to read our in-depth hands-on), think of them as tongue-in-groove pliers on speed.

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We’ve heard good things about Irwin’s new Fast Release locking pliers – sold under the Vise-Grip name, of course – but this week we got to spend some time with a set in person. 

In short: they’re a neat innovation for a tool that’s been around for scores of years and has found a place in toolboxes everywhere.

Unboxing

First off, we should mention that besides the new Fast Release mechanism, these are essentially the Vise-Grips you’ve come to love.  They’re made of a high-grade heat-treated alloy steel and feature Irwin’s no-slip ProTouch grips. 

We’re big fans of the ProTouch grips, by the way.  We’ve tested a couple of other Irwin tools with them, and each time we’re surprised at how comfortable they are and at how well they clean up.

Of course, What sets these Vise-Grips apart is the Fast Release mechanism, which eliminates the trigger-style release assembly used on most other locking pliers.  To release the Fast Release pliers, you simply pull outward on the grip.

The particular model we checked out was the long-nose version, though almost all of the Vise-Grip line is now available in Fast Release versions – including their locking clamps.

In Use

Latching the Fast Release Vise-Grips is just as easy as older versions.  As you squeeze the handles you can feel the “over-center” bump that indicates the pliers are locked.  It requires a bit of pulling force to release them, but not as much as you’d think.

The major advantage to the Fast Release system comes when you’re locking and unlocking the pliers in a tight environment – especially when you’re dealing with an obstruction near the handles since you don’t have to worry about how to fish your finger down in there to release them.   It’s less significant, but still important, that they can’t pinch your fingers as the trigger-style pliers sometimes can.

Summary

These are slick pliers.  If you use your locking pliers in tight spaces, or you’ve had some bad experiences with pinching, the Fast Release Vise-Grips are probably just the ticket for you.  We found the set we checked out especially handy when trying to hold a small part in place in an engine compartment where releasing a trigger-style set would be difficult at best.

We found Fast Release Vise-Grips online starting at around $22 for a set of two, but don’t take our word for it with pricing – go check it out yourself.  Irwin offers an incredible number of different packages ranging from single tools to 15-piece sets in all sorts of styles.  It’s hard to nail down a specific price with all those options.

Vise-Grip Long Nose Fast Release Locking Pliers [Irwin]
Street Pricing [Froogle]

Everyone has need of a utility blade at home or at the office for one use or another.  Irwin’s new ProTouch Retractable Blade Knife is aimed at that kind of total all-purpose utility. Coupled with 6 of Irwin’s “Unbreakable” Bi-Metal blade system, the ProTouch makes for a handy addition to the toolbox.

Other than the beefy appearance and rubber grip — the one that gives it the ProTouch name — the ProTouch looks a lot like any other of its competitors.  However, like many other things in life, it’s the inside that counts. The ProTouch puts a new twist on the half-split blade change design by adding a spring loaded hinge and pushbutton lock. The knife splits in half, hinging at the rear.  A spring located on the inner right portion of the case pushes the case open at the release of the button lock on the side of the knife.

Upon opening, the kinfe reveals a storage area and access to the inner workings. You can, however, load the knife through the front opening as well.  The blade is neatly secured into the magnetic slot which holds it firmly with two clips that prevent sliding.  To close the knife, press the halves back together and push the button lock back into place.

Like many other utility knives the ProTouch has a blade storage area in the rear portion of the handle.  The blades are held in place by a metal clip and a small stop on both ends to prevent the spare blades from wandering into places they’re not supposed to go, which we find a great deal more desirable than the old school “throw them in and hope for the best” approach.

  

In use, we found that the angle of the blade applies more cutting force where it’s needed and makes for a very clean quick cut, even through thick material.  It seems as if it’s just easier to cut with this particular knife.  The locking mutli-position slider on the top of the blade is easy to use and feels firm.  When gripping the blade, even in a gloved hand, the knife feels comfortable and easy to control.

We enjoyed the ProTouch, and found that it delivers a good solid feel and a few welcome surprises under the hood.  We’re still putting the Blue Blades to the test and intend to report back to you soon with our experiences.  We can tell you in the short run that they cut at least as well as other blades we’ve used, and we’ll know more about durability as time marches on.

Considering that you receive quite a number of blades with the knife as well, the $11 asking price is well worth the investment.  We’re happy to add one to our ‘kit.

Pricing on the street is often as low as $9 according to our research.

The ProTouch Retractable Knife [Irwin]
Street Pricing [Froogle]