Category: Tools

Harbor Freight Braun 3 in 1 Quick Connect Light Kit Review. Folding Slim Bar Flashlight .

I take a look at the all new Harbor Freight Braun 3 in 1 quick connect LED light kit, item number 56200. This light was brand new for Harbor Freight in November 2019. It is very similar to the older Braun folding slim bar from last year but this new model is brighter and includes 2 other light attachments, along with a detachable magnetic hook for hanging the light, and a carrying case. check out the video below for more info.

The New Harbor Freight BRAUN 3 in 1 LED light kit.

YouTube video down below.

PROS:

  • Brightness. Just like the folding slim bar from last year, this new folding bar is VERY bright. This light will easily illuminate any tight work space with more than enough light to get the job done.
  • New attachments. This new BRAUN 3 in 1 model comes with a hook attachment that also includes additional magnets. The new attachment allows for even more mounting or hanging options so you can get the light pointing in just the right direction.
  • New light tip: The new folding slim bar has a loop on the tip of the light bar, which the old model did not have, which makes it much easier to hang this light under a hood, or in a wheel well. (for example)
  • Flexible shaft. The flexible shaft light is a great attachment for getting light into extremely tight places or into a cylinder of an engine for inspection. Its this attachment that makes this new product worth having in your tool box.
  • Removable battery. I am very happy that BRAUN and Harbor Freight decided to keep the removable 18650 battery, like the original light from last year had also. A lot of guys have purchased 18650 battery chargers with additional batteries from Amazon or eBay, and keep extra batteries charged so when their light goes dead, they’re not stuck waiting for a light to recharge. They simply swap out the battery for one that is fully charged and they’re back up and running within a minute or two. It’s great for guys who need a light for an entire 8-10 hour shift. Many of the other brands on the market who manufacturer similar lights do not have removable batteries.
  • Fairly well made. The overall light and it’s attachments seem to be fairly well made. The majority of the light base (handle) feels like it’s made from aluminum, along with the green quick disconnect collar. The attachments seem to mostly be made from sturdy plastic.

CONS:

  • Flashlight attachment. The standard flashlight attachment is nothing spectacular. Sure, it does the job of a standard flashlight but it’s not exceptionally bright, and it’s not the main reason for buying this kit in the first place. Not to mention, almost everyone already owns a standard flashlight anyway.
  • Storage Case. The storage case that comes with this light kit makes me scratch my head. The light and it’s attachments are NOT in the case when you you purchase the kit and it’s a bit of a puzzle trying to figure out the best way to fit all the pieces into the case. There are many small elastic straps and Velcro loops that are apparently designed to hold all the bits and pieces individually but yet nothing seems to fit particularly great. The storage case would be much better if it was just a zippered pouch….. no Velcro elastic holding straps, no mesh netting sewn into each side…. Just a small bag with a zipper is all you really need.
Over complicated, and basically unusable BRAUN 3 in 1 storage case.
  • Retail price. The original retail price when I purchased this light was $59.99, which is about 1.5 times the price of the original slim bar light from a year earlier. However, I don’t know anyone who has paid full price for their light because you can usually find coupons that make the price on the original light either $24.99, $19.99, and sometimes as low as $18.99…… So asking $59.99 for this new light kit is a bit of a stretch. However, as I write this review for Garage Topic I see the retail price today is listed at $49.99 on the Harbor Freight website, and I have heard of coupons for this light making it as low as $39.99.

Conclusion:

The light and it’s attachments are very nice. They work great and are very handy while working on cars, trucks, heavy equipment, etc. I have also found these folding LED slim lights (new style, or last years model) are excellent for camping. The magnets will hold the lights to my truck door, tailgate, bed side, or easy-up tent supports, etc. I won’t go camping without my harbor freight LED folding lights. At full asking retail price, it’s not that great of a deal. I recommend waiting until you find a decent coupon and buy this light kit at the discounted rate. The standard flashlight attachment is basically an after thought. Sure, it’s usable, but it’s not why anyone buys this LED light kit. If you need a folding slim light, or flexible shaft light, this is a great product when purchased with a coupon….. just leave the standard flashlight attachment inside the confusing storage case in the bottom drawer of your tool box, and then you will love this new BRAUN LED light kit. lol

Thanks for stopping by Garage Topic.

Chinese Hydraulic Wire Crimper with 4/0 Welding Cable Review

Today I demonstrate my new 16 ton Chinese hydraulic wire crimper that I bought from Amazon. I will be using it with 4/0 (four aught) 100% copper, fine stranded welding cable and per-tinned crimp lugs. I even cut apart the finished crimped fitting to inspect the quality of the crimp connection. I bought this crimper to use on a starting unit for heavy equipment that we were building a few months ago and I was impressed with it’s capability, especially for the low cost of the tool. I figured it was worth sharing my experience with the good people of Garage Topic and youtube. Harbor Freight offers a hydraulic crimping tool also, but it costs more than the tool in this review, and it’s a smaller crimper. The largest wire listed on the Harbor Freight tool is 0 AWG (zero gauge). The cable I am crimping in this review is 4/0 (four aught) which is four sizes larger than 0 AWG. (zero gauge) This 16 ton Chinese crimper comes with 5 sets of dies LARGER than the 4/0 I was crimping. (11 sets of dies in total) This thing is an absolute beast for the price. I should have bought this tool sooner!

YouTube video down below.

I am pretty sure that most of the 16 ton hydraulic crimpers listed on Amazon and eBay are probably from the same factory in China. They are just re-named, or re-branded depending what the private sellers decide to call the product in their Amazon or eBay listings. The unit I purchased from Amazon is called “Goplus”.

This is a picture of the hydraulic crimping tool I purchased:

Goplus 16-Ton Chinese Hydraulic Crimper

PROS:

  • Low cost. I do not remember the exact price that I paid for this crimper but it was considerably cheaper than the Harbor Freight crimper, which is also considerably smaller than this unit. Not to mention, this crimper is WAAAY cheaper than the well known, brand name crimpers that is available on the market.
  • Capability. This crimper comes with eleven hex dies which will cover a wide range of cable and wire sizes. Everything from a wire just large enough that you wouldn’t want to crimp it with a hand crimper, all the way up to cable sizes that your average guy would probably never be working with anyway. Another thought I had was…. the dies are nothing proprietary. They literally look like a square piece of metal with a hex hole punched in the middle, then cut in half to make the die. A handy guy in his home shop could easily make custom dies for this crimper out of a square piece of mild steel, drill a hole, then cut in half. Presto! Instant custom die.
  • Simple and easy to use. This crimper is very easy to use. There is one vale to open and close just like on a hydraulic floor jack, and a handle to pump the hydraulic jaws together. That’s it. (The jaws are spring return) As long as you have the correct size dies installed for the size of cable and fittings you’re using, and you center your fitting in the dies, you really can’t screw up the crimp. Then you just pump the handle until the dies come completely together, so there is no longer a gap between the dies. Done.
  • Complete kit. The crimper comes in a blow mold case, which is not very good quality, but the only thing the case does is hold the tool and dies together while being stored. The case does not affect the functionality of the tool while it’s crimping wire or cables. And besides, for the cost of this tool, I really didn’t expect the case to be great anyway. lol. It also comes with an extra set of o-rings so when the tool develops a leak in the future, you will already have the o-rings to fix the leak….. if the extra o-ring kit isn’t lost by then. lol
  • Quality of crimp. I was very impressed by the quality of the finished crimp. Between the size of dies I was using, and the size of the fittings and cable I was crimping, I was VERY happy with the result of the finished crimp. I used my sawzall to cut a test crimp apart to inspect the crimp quality and it looked perfect to me. See for yourself below:
Freshly cut apart with sawzall to inspect quality of crimp
Same crimp as above but different view.
Finished crimp with adhesive lined shrink tubing

CONS:

  • My number one complaint is die sizing. The numbers on the dies are not inline with any numbers used for wire sizing here in North America, not this part anyway. I’ve been told it’s some sort of metric wire sizing….. which is perfectly fine, but it’s just not very convenient of anyone in North America. You would think if they’re selling millions of these crimper kits here in North America, it wouldn’t be too much trouble to have a different set of dies stamped with AWG sizing. It takes a little trial and error to get the correct size die for your project. I recommend at least one or two test crimps with scrap wire to make sure you get the sizing correct before crimping anything on your project itself. I was mildly upset with the die sizing but then I remembered how much I paid for this crimper kit and I immediately had a smile back on my face. lol.
  • Other than die sizing, and the low quality case, there really is nothing else to complain about with this hydraulic crimping tool.

Conclusion:

I would absolutely recommend this hydraulic crimper to anyone who needs to crimp any wire or cable that is too large to crimp with a hand crimper. It is a complete kit that covers a wide range of wire and cable sizes, it is very easy to use, it gives very high quality crimp results, and is very reasonably priced. The only down side would be if you’re a commercial contractor, who needs to prove that he used certified crimp fittings with a certified crimper, on a commercial job, then this crimper would not be for you. However, if you found yourself in the situation that I just mentioned, you’re probably not reading this review anyway. You would most likely be standing at the city desk of your local electrical supply house picking up that well known, brand name crimper that I mentioned earlier in this post, and paying 60 times (roughly) more than I paid for the crimper in this review.

For the average guy who is looking to crimp heavy gauge welding cable, or battery cables, or even cables for your DIY solar system install, this crimper would be excellent for you.

Thanks for stopping by Garage Topic.

Check out the crimper video on my YouTube channel

Autel MK808BT MaxiCOM Wireless Bluetooth OBDII Professional Scan Tool

I was able to review the Autel MaxiCOM MK808BT OBDII scan tool a while back. There are several reasons why I like this scanner, and a few reasons why it’s not so great. First, lets cover the main reasons why I like the MK808BT.

YouTube video below.

PROS:

1) It will communicate with every module on any OBDII vehicle. Every vehicle made has different modules that monitor and control certain systems of the vehicle. This OBDII scan tool will scan for codes and provide live data from every module in the vehicle that it’s connected to. Most cheaper OBDII scan tools will only scan and display data from the the ECM. (Engine control module) Well, that’s great, but what about the other 5 or 10 (or more) modules in that vehicle? Abs brake module, SRS module (air bags), fuel pump module, body control module, transmission control module, etc, etc… This scan tool will scan and display trouble codes and live data from every module in the vehicle.

2) It has full live view data. The live data list for any given module is 100% complete. If the data PID exists in any given module, it will be displayed on the screen. A lot of the cheaper OBDII scan tools will only display a few of the most common PIDS and hide the rest. This scan tool displays all data PIDs

3) The Autel MK808BT will also display generic OBDII data from any vehicle…. which is data without the manufacturer’s (vehicle make) overlay. It’s just raw data from the vehicle.

4) It has wireless Bluetooth connectivity between the scanner and the vehicle – VCI. When you power-up the scan tool, about one second later you’ll hear a loud BEEP. That beep lets you know that the scanner and the VCI are connected to each other and they are ready for use. This happens automatically, every time you turn the scan tool on. I’ve never NOT had it connect immediately. The Bluetooth data connection between the vehicle’s OBDII port and the Autel scan tool is very good. I did not walk very far away from the vehicle to do an overall distance test, but I did walk around the vehicle inside the shop, and outside in the driveway and I never lost connection. The speed of the connection also seems to be very good. I did notice that it took about a half to maybe 1 full second to fully populate a full live data list but I’ve noticed that same delay with my MK908P which is a much more expensive scan tool. That short delay could have also been caused by the computer in my test vehicle. Either way, it was such a minor delay that it was barely worth mentioning. I only noticed the delay because I was specifically looking for it. Another thing I liked about the wireless Bluetooth VCI is that it comes with a mini USB port so if something happens to your wireless connection, you can simply connect a USB cable between the VCI and the scan tool and it now becomes a wired connection. I did test this and it worked flawlessly.

5) It offers all the main “service functions” like EPB, DPF, SAS, ABS, BMS, TPMS, auto brake bleed, oil reset, etc. Most of the cheaper OBDII scan tools do not come with the ability to perform ANY of these typical service functions… but this comes with pretty much every service function you could need. The list of functions are “possibilities”. Keep in mind, if some (or all) of these function do not exists in your vehicle’s computer, then this scan tool will not be able to command those functions. For example: EPB, which is electronic parking brake. My 2006 GMC 1500 pick-up does not have electronic parking brakes so that function does me no good because the computer in my truck wouldn’t know what to do with that command. lol.

6) This Autel MK808BT has SOME bi-directional controls. For example, I can operate the blend doors in my dash for the HVAC system, open and close all eclectic windows, lock/unlock the doors, etc, etc. The scan tool will be able to operate some functions inside the vehicle depending on the make/model. My test vehicle is a 2006, if you tried it on a newer vehicle it may operate more functions as cars became more computer dependent, and more modern over the years.

7) Other pros worth mentioning: The scanner runs on the Android operating platform and it feels like it’s physically very well made, it does not feel flimsy at all. It comes in your typical blow mold case with owners manual, power brick and two USB cables. (one long, one short)

CONS:

1) The MK808BT does NOT have full bi-directional control. Sure, I mentioned earlier that it had some control, but I haven’t been able to find any power train controls. I am not able to cycle the fuel pump, I am not able to open/close evap solenoids, etc, etc. Unfortunately, if you NEED bi-directional controls, then you will need to step up $300-$400 dollars more and buy a higher end model. However, if you are good at diagnosing modern cars, you may not need bi-direction control. The fact that this scanner has FULL live data for all modules, that should be enough to diagnose MOST problems on today’s vehicles.

2) Annual updates are NOT free. This isn’t the end of the world because having to purchase annual updates is fairly common with mid to high end scanners but it still sucks for your average guy to pay for updates that may only get used a few times per year. If you’re a mechanic working in a busy shop and use your scan tool every day, then it’s not such a big deal.

Conclusion

The Autel MK808BT is an excellent OBDII scan tool for serious DIYers, backyard mechanics, and even full time mechanics. If you’re looking for a scanner that will display ALL data for any given vehicle (whatever you’re plugged into) along with having the ability to perform all service functions, then this tool will be hard to beat! If you absolutely NEED bi-directional control, then skip this tool and keep going up the line to find another model that will fit your needs.

Please check out my YouTube video review about the MK808BT below.

The best wrench I have ever used? Knipex Pliers Wrench.

Is this the best adjustable wrench money can buy? Is the Knipex Pliers Wrench better than your typical adjustable Crescent wrench? In my YouTube video I go over how I discovered this wrench and I compare it to other wrenches and pliers that are similar in design. The Knipex Pliers Wrench may look like a pliers, but it does the job of an adjustable Crescent wrench, only MUCH better. In fact, if you have the space, it’s probably better than a typical open end wrench because of the amount of squeeze pressure that can be applied to the fastener. This has become one of my favorite tools and I recommend these to anyone who works with hand tools on a regular basis.

Sure, this wrench won’t work in many tight automotive situations. And I’m not saying this tool will replace any other wrench you already have in your toolbox. What I am saying is… Anywhere a normal adjustable (Crescent) wrench would work, this wrench will do the job easier, quicker and with less chance of rounding off the fastener. If I was in the hydraulic business and worked with JIC fittings and hoses all day long, this wrench would be in my hand 90% of the time. If I was a maintenance mechanic in a commercial factory or any other industrial setting on a daily basis, I would carry the small version of these Knipex as part of my every day carry, (EDC) in addition to my normal tool belt/toolbox.

The Knipex Cobra, Aligator, Mini Bolt Cutters, and this Pliers Wrench are all must haves in my book. Knipex tools are not cheap, but they are VERY well made and work terrific. Kinipex tools will last a lifetime…

Get yourself a pair, you won’t be sorry!