Why are expensive hand tools better than cheaper ones?
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Supercharged111
Truly Awesome
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You put a distributor on, spin it up, and watch its advance curve. Change as desired.
No doubt one of the many different models of Sun distributor machines; a unit that spins the distributor with connections to a strobe light to indicate each "spark". There are various gauges--Tach, Dwell, Vacuum (and a vacuum pump for testing the vacuum advance) and an ohmmeter for testing points resistance.
The strobe shows against a degree wheel, you can verify cylinder-to-cylinder spark variation.
The "Hot-rod" usefulness is in verifying the centrifugal and vacuum advance curves as a function of distributor RPM or vacuum level.
They were in use with better shops (and schools) in the '40s, '50s, '60s, and began to die-out in the '70s, even before cars got distributorless ignitions. Electronic ignitions made distributors so "trouble-free"
that no one bothered to pull them out for testing. My high-school auto mechanics class had a Sun, the Sun I bought came from a Vo-Tech (High school?) in Utah.I had a very compact Allen distributor machine; sat on a table-top--about the size of a typical stereo receiver, but taller to support a Chevy distributor. Damaged in a garage fire. I bought a full-fledged Sun unit to replace the Allen. The Sun machines are physically larger than my old Allen; and mostly they're parked on a dedicated cabinet that holds various supplies--a magnetic-pickup amplifier for electonic ignitions, fresh sets of points, various distributor tools, an adapter for Flathead Ford distributors, and perhaps a rack of eight spark plugs for verifying the actual sparks made by the distributor (kind of a teaching tool for students, not really useful otherwise.) My Sun is usable, but kinda wounded--the strobe is no longer bright and stable. No doubt the electronics that power the strobe need some lovin'.
Photos of various Sun models, shamelessly stolen from the internet:
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Another internet photo, this one is like my old Allen Synchrograph. Allen also had many different models over the years, I think this was at the lower-end of the range.
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I never knew that lol
Wow that's awesome. I had no idea that existed but it makes sense. I wish I would of learned that in school. Pretty neat how real mechanics use to diagnose parts back then. Once again I learn something newNo doubt one of the many different models of Sun distributor machines; a unit that spins the distributor with connections to a strobe light to indicate each "spark". There are various gauges--Tach, Dwell, Vacuum (and a vacuum pump for testing the vacuum advance) and an ohmmeter for testing points resistance.
The strobe shows against a degree wheel, you can verify cylinder-to-cylinder spark variation.
The "Hot-rod" usefulness is in verifying the centrifugal and vacuum advance curves as a function of distributor RPM or vacuum level.
They were in use with better shops (and schools) in the '40s, '50s, '60s, and began to die-out in the '70s, even before cars got distributorless ignitions. Electronic ignitions made distributors so "trouble-free"
I had a very compact Allen distributor machine; sat on a table-top--about the size of a typical stereo receiver, but taller to support a Chevy distributor. Damaged in a garage fire. I bought a full-fledged Sun unit to replace the Allen. The Sun machines are physically larger than my old Allen; and mostly they're parked on a dedicated cabinet that holds various supplies--a magnetic-pickup amplifier for electonic ignitions, fresh sets of points, various distributor tools, an adapter for Flathead Ford distributors, and perhaps a rack of eight spark plugs for verifying the actual sparks made by the distributor (kind of a teaching tool for students, not really useful otherwise.) My Sun is usable, but kinda wounded--the strobe is no longer bright and stable. No doubt the electronics that power the strobe need some lovin'.
Photos of various Sun models, shamelessly stolen from the internet:
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
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SlowZ71
OBS Enthusiast
My 2nd tool box was a husky with the roll cab and the top box. Had power to top box, can’t remember about the lower one. Pretty decent box, especially for home garage use where it doesn’t move. Sold it to my buddy I work with and he still has it. The shop I work in now has us moving our boxes out to the shop floor so it gets fairly hard use, but is still holding up well.
skylark
I'm Awesome
I can agree with quite a bit of what you've said. I will agree that there is pressure that to be the best, that you have to own the perception of the best.
That being said, sometimes it comes down to you want what you want simply because that is what you want. This is why I have a custom ordered Snap On tool cart on order. It will replace my current Harbor Freight cart. I looked seriously at Harbor Freights newest cart considering that it is almost 1/4 of the cost but there were specific reasons why I didn't.
The first was that I really didn't like the latches on the display model, the upper latches wouldn't hold and one of the middle was broken. I get that this was a display but I move my cart constantly and quality latches are important to me.
Next is that I have a 1/2 flex head digital torque wrench in a plastic case. It wouldn't fit in the newest HF cart. If I took it out of the case it would fit but honestly, it is a precision tool that was dang expensive and I don't want it bouncing around when I move the cart.
Lastly by custom ordering I was able to get the drawer layout exactly how I like it. I ordered two shallow drawers on top so I can have my wrenches in the top and my electrical tools in the one underneath. I also went with black and purple trim because purple is my favorite color and it will look great with the black.
So yeah, I'm spending more but I'm getting exactly what I need and it is customized to what I want.
Sounds like you are still holding a grudge about the frame. Tool companies provide a service, people are free to buy what they want, the aren't sheep that follow the leader. Some people are terribly inefficient and don't mind the cheap tools. Reminds me of the Harbor Freight paint gun buyers that say the guns are as good as a SATA or Iwata. First , they me be good at their skill level. Second, do they really think the real painters are that dumb that they pay $800-1200 per gun if they weren't actually much better? Not everything is a conspiracy.
Hipster
I'm Awesome
Same here, but I'm a bodyguy so when I wanted a nice one I custom ordered a box with every deep drawer option I could get in my color choice and trim options. lol Deep box at 32'' and drawers almost 30" front to back. I have 2 2" drawers but everything else is 4" or better. I too like my stuff in the cases. I can fit my stud gun kit in it's case vertically in one of the bottom drawers. I wanted a box I could fit all my bulky stuff in instead of it laying around.
I had waited until the Matco boxes went on sale which there is a short time annually they do it and The Matco guy gave me $2500 trade in on a Snap-on bottom box I used for 10 years that I paid $1000 dollars for. The Snap-on guy was giving me crap about warrantee on one of the wheels and a couple drawer slides. Snap-on wanted $4k for a top box to go on it. Needless to say He didn't get the sale. lol The look on his face when he saw the new box=priceless!
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someotherguy
Truly Awesome
I've said it before probably enough times half of y'all have heard it, I think the only brand new Snap-On tool I've ever bought off the truck was a Pozi-Driv screwdriver. I have a bunch of Snappy stuff including 2 large roll boxes and a top box, didn't pay even 1/4 of truck price for them. Buy used.
Richard
Richard
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