CK5
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Ive had enough of Mac, Matco, Snapon bull****

pretty neat... catches my attention as bringing torches in the boats can be a dicey process.. :whistle: :haha:

one of the best oddball purchases i've ever made was my videostick... beyond invaluable in the marine biz... and i only use it on cylinders maybe 10% of the time...


vid2.jpg
 
Saw one about a year ago and looks very handy. I want the shop to buy it. They literally won't buy anything right now. Not even toilet paper, the service manager had to buy it out of his own pocket. Money problems? No, the owners want to make a million dollar profit before the first of the year:doah:
 
Sigh I hate that crap. I sold probably about 8 of those Mini-Ductors. Not a lot, but at almost $500 a pop, I get it.

I wish I still had one of those MIni-Ductors in stock, I'd make a video displaying it as I do for my customers. My demo was, I took a pair of vice grips and a main bolt from a small block chevy. I walked into each shop, plugged it in, and turned the bolt bright red in front of guys within 30 seconds to a minute. Most guys had seen them before, but had no idea how they worked. It doesn't transfer heat by touching, I liken it to a hot dog in a microwave(though it isn't microwaves). It excites the molecules in the metal, and heats it up from the inside out. All with no flame, and only a bit of radiated heat. The promo material shows they using it to heat up fuel lines to get the connections loose. And gas tank strap bolts. Stuff you'd never(SHOULDN'T) use a torch on.

And the VideoStik is a very nice product. It works awesome and I agree, 90% of its use isn't in a cylinder. People think of it as a "video borescope", I just say it is great for whatever. I can't count the number of times I've used it and shown the backside of a cylinder head. Those times where you go, "it feels like there is one more bolt, but I can't find it". Or "Where is that coolant coming from?" Just LOOK! However I like some of the Snap-On options better for adjustability and a few other factors. Though they cost wayyyy more. The VideoStik is a wonderful option at its price point, that Snap-On can't come close to, unless they sell IT, ha.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YO_snrzYrs

This is the mini-ductor II which is the newer model in a nicer case. The first one was literally a bunch of electronics in a PVC tube. I had plenty of guys that said, "I could make something like that!" I always told them, "Make it, warranty it, and I will sell it". Amazing how quick they shut up.

Edit: I always forget how to embed video around here.
 
yeah, the vidstick is definitely a pricepoint tool... think it was like 275.... unlike snappy's serious boroscopes at thousands...

but it's been damn durable in the couple yrs i've had it for a "cheaper" boroscope.... hasn't missed a beat... and yeah, it's value definitely comes more from the look behind, and in things, walls, motors, yada, yada...
 
Speaking of pricepoint. Anyone see snappy's new flyer? They have listed a new 18v li-on 1/2 drill with 2 batteries and a charger for $442.00. :eek1::sign27: are they kidding?
 
Lithium ION is difficult. The designs used in cordless tools are proprietary so they have to be licensed off of someone. That is why Snap-On and Matco Lithium ION tools aren't cheap.

Makita, Dewalt, and Milwaukee all do SOOOOOOO much more volume than us, so they can sell things for so much less. One state worth of Home Depots probably buys as many cordless drills from those companies as Snap-On sells to all of its Distributors in a year.
 
Last week our Snap On guy installed a new gear set, that he had on board his truck, for a ratchet that the nearest we could figure was from 1930.

Martin
 
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