What are we using to wrench our Valks?

[Bagger John - #3785]

Anyone have a favorite brand of tools, favorite assortment, ?

My main rollaway is filled with mainly Craftsman - plus assorted Mac, Snap-On, Cornwell and Wright thrown in for good measure. The new wrenching area I set up often borrows from that collection and walking up and down the basement stairs is getting old. So I decided to buy Snap-On sockets and wrenches that are mission specific.

A complete Master socket set in all three drive sizes, both 6 and 12pt and SAE/metric would set me back approximately $55k. Therefore I'm targeting only the sizes I routinely use on the Valks and the C14s. An example: 10mm 6pt in standard, semi deep and deep (3/8dr) plus standard and deep (1/4dr). Then on to the next size I encounter (there's a list). All will go on a magnetic clip that attaches to my service cart.

What's everyone else doing? My Craftsman stuff has given flawless service but I wanted to treat myself a bit for the "new" shop.

[Jess from VA]

Craftsman and SK socket sets, 6 and 12 points, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2" drives, SAE and metric, extensions, and one and two side ratcheting box/open wrenches too.  I've added some small sets to the bike, truck and house.  More than I ever need.  And you can tell the most used from the wear.

I think there's some old cheapo JC Whitney in there too.  (remember those catalogs?)

[mello dude]

Since I have been wrenching since high school, I have gradually built up plenty of differnt brand tools.
Typically a job will present itself, and if I need a new tool to accomplish, I buy the tool(s).
Full set(s) of shallow, standard, and deep sockets, standard and impact, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2.
A few 3/4 drives for the monster torque jobs.
Lots of early Craftsmen, SK, Wright,  Milwaukee, Snap-on, GearWrench, Delphi, and lately I have found Tekton tools from Taiwan to be decent. Some Park-Tools for bearings.. Honda specific pieces, Dewalt, Bosch, Sunex, random Pittsburg, Husky ..... on and on...
Quite a smorgasboard of brands.

Still at... neccessity thats needed for the job, drives the tool required. If I dont have it I buy it.
A recent job, needed an extra long box end wrench... bought one of these... so impressed, I bought 5 more.
https://www.carnagetools.com/collections/hand-tools/products/extra-long-double-ring-box-end-wrenches-metric

[mello dude]

Recommended from the Torque Test Channel, YT...

 https://amzn.to/4doTm07

Lots of good videos between Project Farm and Torque Test Channel on various tools.
I like to check on them before I buy something.

[Jims99]

Like most y’all, a variety of brands. I try and stick with good ones, old craftsman, sk, blue point, snap on, Mac. The cheaper tools can round off heads and aren’t worth having around. I know you know, stating the obvious. If I were to buy new, probably stick to snap on or cornwell, something reliable.

[Valker]

I mainly get my tools from Harbor Freight now. Before it became "Crapsman" I got all of mine from Sears, but if I need a high quality piece I just get the 'Icon' brand at Harbor Freight. I have quite a varied collection since I have most of my Dad's old stuff from 70 years ago, and I started buying my own stuff in the early 60s.

[Bagger John - #3785]

I mainly get my tools from Harbor Freight now. Before it became "Crapsman" I got all of mine from Sears, but if I need a high quality piece I just get the 'Icon' brand at Harbor Freight.

Was waiting for this to show up.

Am also building out a barn tool set. Have a decent collection of Benchtop and duplicate Craftsman socket assortments in various drive sizes - but what I don't have for that particular kit is semi-deep in both SAE and metric. A bit of back story is in order: In 1997 I was at Vintage Motorcycle Days, and one of the tool vendors (SASTool, from MN) had a whole bunch of Craftsman semi-deep 6pt sets in 3/8dr. I bought 1ea standard and metric.

Had I known then what I know now I'd have taken a small loan out and bought the entire inventory. Those sets are fetching almost as much used as a comparable Snap-On semi-deep set is fetching new. I use semi-deep sockets for roughly 80% of the wrenching I do on the bikes.

Enter Icon. The barn tool box has a combination of SAE and metric sockets as my Deere equipment is a nice mix of the two fastener styles. I started looking around for semi-deep sets then ran across the Icon sets at H-F. No one else offers a comparable set and if these are half as good as people claim it's money well spent.

[98valk]

ICON 40% off until 12/8.

https://www.harborfreight.com/pls-extended-coupons.html

[rug_burn]

   Me, I got a lot of the standard shallow and deep sockets, Snap-on and Craftsman from way back in my youth , and random large wrenches:  22mm and 1 1/16 (same as 27 mm) for the axles.   Then I got a set of allen bolt sockets for the allen cap screws, Sears old 'Evolve' brand.
    But with a valk the sockets you mostly use are 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm.   And for those, I also got flex sockets, Craftsman and Bonney, 1/4" drive for the first two, 3/8 for the others.   These are indispensible.   They're what I usually use unless a nut or bolt's really stuck. 
    Another tool that comes in handy are 'expanding pliers' for breaking loose baked on hoses fron various fittings.   Kind of hard to find.
    Heaven help us if we ever lose our tools, they'd be ungodly expensive to acquire nowadays..!!

[mello dude]

Another tidbit I am finding... I try to avoid a tool made in China. (Always are exceptions)
But also, if it is made in Taiwan, no hesitation... I have noticed quality differences.  
I go to Harbor Freight off and on, but really Amazon is the first smorgasboard place I look for comparisions. Really a fan of the Tekton brand lately, have bought 6 or 7 of their sockets.

[Pluggy]

The screws on a Honda look like Phillips head.  Look closely at the head and you will see a little dot. That means Japanese Industry Standard or JIS.  A US Phillips screwdriver will be a loose fit in that screw. A screwdriver to fit JIS doesn't cost much. You can feel the difference.

I have been using this set and like it. https://www.amazon.com/VESSEL-BALL-Interchangeable-Screwdriver-220W3J1/dp/B00E55DL4I/ref=sr_1_17?crid=Z0N6THOG964T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y2OmULXpGB1QvIvwpNlxWEa4IckHxUqfniePXkChvbbrsYM6onhKzZ-oE404P65QSDm7BjwvySzRmi6dIzrDsdExZ46SUQjcLsamKgCq7rnsTCjFtxgCwoqR9JmqAVAT8CCI3N4aaoEx1ixVceZ8bc5OB4Lbsj1dSkPI6G3WGYl2fV_OfrmB6WcEusrssLW30TRdeUoez0VSJ55qslDbN10yY_AVHaNFf5vKkf93PhDNde91JxNrOH4BHWjsk31es5xYYixDvhBHTXGBoy22cP85_nbAL4aJdEsnaMua928.bg7rucZefS-uuIHy2YKHFKOGnXgAnL7B1tW-jObBuMo&dib_tag=se&keywords=JIS%2BScrewdriver%2Bset&qid=1733530560&sprefix=jis%2Bscrewdriver%2Bset%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-17&th=1

[Bagger John - #3785]

But with a valk the sockets you mostly use are 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm.   And for those, I also got flex sockets, Craftsman and Bonney, 1/4" drive for the first two, 3/8 for the others.

Also 17mm, 22 and 24mm (drain plugs, front and rear axle bolts and nuts). And I'm not sure what size the steering stem cap nut is but I'll get a 6pt 1/2dr for that one too.

For 8mm I went with standard and deep in 1/4dr. 10mm...standard and deep in 1/4dr, standard, semi and deep in 3/8dr. Likewise 11 and 12mm (a few accessories use 11mm fasteners).

14mm begins the introduction of 6pt 1/2dr standard height. Next in 1/2 is 17, then 22, 24, 27 and whatever that steering stem nut turns out to be. An 18mm 6pt deep in 3/8dr for the plugs rounds things out.

[98valk]

The screws on a Honda look like Phillips head.  Look closely at the head and you will see a little dot. That means Japanese Industry Standard or JIS.  A US Phillips screwdriver will be a workable but loose fit in that screw. A perfect fitting JIS screwdriver doesn't cost much. You can feel the difference.

I have been using this set and like it. https://www.amazon.com/VESSEL-BALL-Interchangeable-Screwdriver-220W3J1/dp/B00E55DL4I/ref=sr_1_17?crid=Z0N6THOG964T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y2OmULXpGB1QvIvwpNlxWEa4IckHxUqfniePXkChvbbrsYM6onhKzZ-oE404P65QSDm7BjwvySzRmi6dIzrDsdExZ46SUQjcLsamKgCq7rnsTCjFtxgCwoqR9JmqAVAT8CCI3N4aaoEx1ixVceZ8bc5OB4Lbsj1dSkPI6G3WGYl2fV_OfrmB6WcEusrssLW30TRdeUoez0VSJ55qslDbN10yY_AVHaNFf5vKkf93PhDNde91JxNrOH4BHWjsk31es5xYYixDvhBHTXGBoy22cP85_nbAL4aJdEsnaMua928.bg7rucZefS-uuIHy2YKHFKOGnXgAnL7B1tW-jObBuMo&dib_tag=se&keywords=JIS%2BScrewdriver%2Bset&qid=1733530560&sprefix=jis%2Bscrewdriver%2Bset%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-17&th=1

JIS is not JIS anymore. A new universal standard is used now.  Even Harbor Freight screw drivers the new std work very well in the JIS screws on the Valkryie and my DR200se.

""Most JIS advertised screwdrivers sold today by companies like Vessel, Hozan, and others are actually conforming to a new standard: DIN 5260 which is identical (at the tip) to the newer ISO 8764-1.
The reason these companies have changed to DIN 5260/ISO 8764-1 is because the new standard is designed to work in both Phillips and JIS screws.""

https://rtstools.com/jis-vs-phillips-screwdrivers-and-where-to-buy-a-jis-screwdriver/

[mello dude]

All good stuff.. this forum needs a like button...  

[Jess from VA]

Well I don't have a 'new standard' Phillips screwdriver (never heard of it), but my Vesel JIS is all I use on the bikes.  The 'old std' Phillips don't work for sh!t (other than rounding off the screws).

[Pluggy]

Well I don't have a 'new standard' Phillips screwdriver (never heard of it), but my Vesel JIS is all I use on the bikes.  The 'old std' Phillips don't work for sh!t (other than rounding off the screws).

I answered the original question and gave a link to the screwdrivers I have been using.  They fit a 1980 and 2003 Honda exactly.  The screwdriver in a 2003 Honda tool kit should fit the same.

[98valk]

Well I don't have a 'new standard' Phillips screwdriver (never heard of it), but my Vesel JIS is all I use on the bikes.  The 'old std' Phillips don't work for sh!t (other than rounding off the screws).

I answered the original question and gave a link to the screwdrivers I have been using.  Not sure which version of JIS they are.
They fit a 1980 and 2003 Honda exactly.  The screwdriver in a 2003 Honda tool kit should fit the same.

Some Vessel offerings say "fits all screws" on the package.  Probably a good product if you only own one screwdriver.  We should think the best fit is still going to be JIS specific.  

I just posted what I use.

from that 2018 article only one Japanese company was still using the JIS standard all others like Vessel are using the new standard.

[Jims99]

Another place to get good tools is the flea markets. The car show ones are best. You can get used snap on and others really reasonable. Most are still in great shape.

[h13man]

I have 84' vintage Craftsman socket setup, a set of Stanley 1/4" dual size deep wall set that I have used a lot for 10 yrs. and just about every decent name brand according to need of the tool. I spend time browsing estate sales thus of late I got almost have a full set of 12 pt. double box end offset old Craftsman wrenches. Nice longer handle the open/box variants offer. The 5/8" is my mower blade bolt breaker for ever. Plenty of measuring and gauging devices.

[rug_burn]

Just to throw a little more reality into this discussion of Phillips vs JIC or whatever:
 
The reason these screw heads are all compatible is that....

 
Manufacturers and Engineers try to make them compatible,  not in compatible...!!


Some standards are written for Japanese makers, some for American, some for German, etc.    But I

guarantee they're made to be compatible, so use whatever screwdrivers you got.

The only one I know of that was an attempt to improve on the wheel was Reed-and-Prince, but even

those will work with a Phillips

[Valker]

Using a Phillips in a JIS screw stripped untold numbers of motorcycle screws.

[old2soon]

   Like some others here a mish mash heinz 57 grab bag er box. As I've aged when I still had my 99 I/S that axle nut came off sooooo much easier with a 2' long breaker bar from H F. Also got one of the old yellow H F M/S lifts that has had ol Phatt Ghurl up in the air more times than I can count and nary a hiccup. And here lately I don't wrench near as much as I used to. I've gotten so lazy I bought a 1/2" drive H/F electric impact wrench. Slicker than snot on a doorknob. Also added a 3 ton H/F floor jack and a 10 gal H/F wet/dry vac. All those bigger H/F items I had 10% coupons for. Believe I ordered my JIS screw drivers from Amazon. My work bench has a H/F bench grinder and a small drill press my brother had and a good solid bench vise my brother had. Now I Really NEED to fire whoever is leaving the tools lying about instead of wiped down and back in the rollaway where the tools BELONG!  RIDE SAFE.