This was the first Tekton tool I purchased. I didn’t know what to expect given negative experiences in the past with sloppy tolerances of torx and allen bits. The Tekton Tech Rescue kit lived up to all of my expectations.

After owning it for a couple of years now, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t benefit at some point from having one of these kits in their home or apartment. This set includes just about all but the most proprietary of bits that you would need to fix most electronic devices and much more.

With this set, I have taken apart and cleaned and/or repaired a PS4 console and controllers, my Oakleys, a Lexmark laser printer, a scope for one of my AR15s, an HO scale locomotive, and my ATV’s carburetor. If that’s not a diverse range of applications, I don’t know what is.

I think most experienced tinkerers would be shocked when they see the relatively low price tag after given the opportunity to experience and appreciate the craftsmanship of each and every piece in this set. The first thing you’ll notice is how precisely the bits fit. There is no sloppiness that leads to stripped fasteners.

I’ve been impressed with the fit and finish of all the Tekton tools that I have purchased in the past couple of years since I discovered this brand. The knurled aluminum handle is very finely-crafted and feels great in my hands. It’s even magnetized to hold those tiny screws so that you don’t lose them. The S2 tool steel for the bits is far superior to the chrome vanadium or chrome moly that is usually found in kits like these. The latter two materials are soft and are infamous for deforming after very little use.

Tekton really though of everything when they made this kit. The inclusion of the three-inch bits as well as the most common tamper-resistant bits sets this kit apart from many others that cost just as much. The tweezers are ESD-rated to protect sensitive electronics. Owners of Apple products will be pleased to see that there are pentalobe bits for Apple’s tiny security screw of choice.

This company seems to pay special attention to ensuring that the cases will last for many years– an afterthought to all but the highest-tier brands these days. I appreciate having a specialty tool kit that fits neatly in a chest or bag. The soft, pocket-sized zipper case of this kit is no exception.

Yes, this kit is made in Taiwan, however it is not in the same league as the majority of tools that are manufactured there. While I would love to see something like this produced in America, I wouldn’t hold the country of origin against it given my positive past experiences with their products.

Chainsaws are a pleasure to operate when you respect their power and understand how they cut. For me, there is nothing like plunging a freshly-sharpened chain into the aromatic heartwood of a downed tree on a late fall morning as I put up firewood for the winter. I have gone outside after strong wind storms to find large dead ash trees that had blown down and were blocking my trails. Having a reliable, well-tuned saw and a supply of sharp chains turns a routine chore into an enjoyable experience that you will look forward to.

I have a Stihl MS290 Farm Boss with an 18″ bar that I use for all the tree work on my property. This, or the MS291 that replaced it, is an excellent quality saw for someone with a little bit of land. This saw can cut and buck some decent-size hardwood logs without straining itself if the chain is sharp. It made short work of some fodder trees that I cleared along the edge of where my market garden now stands.

I used to take my chains (you do keep several on hand for yours, right?) to our locally-owned Ace Hardware store to have them sharpened. They only charge $5.99 per chain, they do a great job sharpening them, and they’re usually ready the next day. While I try to give these guys as much of my business as possible, I decided to start sharpening my own chains once I discovered how easy it is with the Stihl 2-in-1 chain sharpener. In addition to saving money and having the satisfaction of doing the job myself, I like the peace of mind that comes with knowing that I won’t be dependent on someone else to keep my saw operating optimally in the event of a natural disaster so that I can take care of my property as well as my neighbors’.

Simply put, you owe it to yourself to have one of these on your workbench if you own a chainsaw. Just like with knives, sharp chains are safer than dull ones because you can let the machine do the work for you instead of forcing it. The Stihl 2-in-1 chain sharpener is perfect for complete sharpening jobs as well as for hitting each tooth a couple of times to “dress” it up. I usually do the latter after every two or three tanks of fuel depending on what I’m cutting.

Being able to sharpen the chain while it’s on the saw is a big timesaver when I have a formidable job ahead of me. I simply set my saw on my workbench and adjust the tension on the chain so that I can turn it by hand. I use a red Sharpie to mark the top of the first tooth I sharpen. This visual cue lets me know when I’m back to where I started sharpening.

Make sure that you’re buying the sharpener that has the files that match your saw’s pitch, which is the distance between the links in the chain. The pitch will be stamped or etched either on the chainsaw itself or on the bar. Apart from the top professional models, most chainsaws use a .325″ or 3/8″ (.375″) pitch.

Most people don’t understand the need to file the rakers (depth gauges) on the chain when they sharpen and therefore, don’t bother with this part. Although the rakers don’t need filing as often as the teeth themselves, neglecting these will cause your saw to cut ineffectively because the depth gauges will actually block the teeth from cutting if they are not taken down periodically to match the wear on the teeth. The best part about this tool is that it files the teeth and the rakers with each stroke. It doesn’t get any easier that that!

There are lines etched on the tool to help you keep the correct angle to the witness marks on the chain as you move the tool across. This is the most important factor in getting a quality result and for maximizing your chain’s service life.

I recently completed my first luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring installation in our cabin/lake house-themed basement. I used Golden Arowana brand “Sandalwood” that I purchased from Costco.

This tool saved me so much time. Sure, you can use a scrap piece of LVP or laminate, but this is far better. The rubber-tip mallet has some heft to it – it doesn’t feel or function like lightweight, cheap plastic.

The real gem in this kit is the pull bar. It is longer and thicker than the bars in other kits I looked at. The pull bar is what you use to join the planks together so that the locking grooves line up perfectly when you tap them down with the mallet. You can also use the pull bar to slide over rows of installed flooring if you need to adjust the space at the end of each run of planks. I was able to successfully tap an entire row over a few tenths of an inch on one side of my basement with this bar.

The manufacturer put a lot of thought into the design of the pull bar. The body is thick enough to stand up to the mallet without bending and has enough heft to get the planks moving, but is still thin enough in the right parts to slip in to tight clearances against the wall if you need to make adjustments.

The kit comes with 40 spacers, which I didn’t end up using for my project because I installed the drywall up half an inch above the basement floor to allow the flooring to expand outward (but underneath the edge of the drywall.)