I present to you. My new addiction. I recently got into EDC and have spent small amount of money and an excessive amount of time setting up my Maxpedition Compact Admin Pouch.
I will go over the data I underwent to complete today’s task.
Yesterday I spent $17.99 on a titan tools 1/4” drive ratchet and $17.99 titan tools 1/4” drive bit driver at a local AutoZone. I got the idea to do this project yesterday when shopping for a 7/8in deep socket for a different project which I wont go into. I bought two ratchets when I could have done my work on just the one bit driver because I could not find the swivel head bit driver in black. The aesthetic matters. Light discipline matters.
Today after work I hurriedly went to my local Harbor Freight and productively bought the 3in Bench Grinder W/Flex Shaft for $49.99, red thread lock for $2.49, and a 6in utility caliper for $1.99 to measure my work to get it right the first time. To disassemble the mini ratchets I used a T8 torx screwdriver. The plastic handle of a large flat head to hammer it off. The time at the grinder wheel was peaceful with music in the background. It reminded me of my high school machining shop days. A set of channel lock pliers to lock it back in and a napkin to avoid scuffing the chrome. With the thread lock in place I drove the screw drivers back in with just enough play on the swivel head. Over all it took 2 hours and 50min from the initial purchase at AutoZone to the final test fit of the bit driver to the Leatherman ARC itself. This includes time at stores, commuting, set up and actually getting the work done.
Total Financial Investment: $90.45 before tax. The local tax rate is a 7.000%. My total cost if I would have settled for the chrome ratchet $72.46 before tax.
The Reason For All This:
In the beginning of my EDC journey, I bought the ARC with my military discount and I was pleased with the quality of the tool itself. My only complaint is the ratchet bit driver is not in stock. Amazon sells them from a supplier for a cool $289.99, you could get one. One tool. For the price of many tools. A few other websites were price gouging as well. I am not about to spend money like that even if I had it.
by sty_hmbl
