Hudy Tools - Garbage?

[WickedFog]

My primaries are a set of Dynamite solid aluminum red handles I've had for twenty years now. Balance is good. They actually feel good in the hand and fall to the task they are made for comfortably. And - important - the handle is flat spotted to keep them from rolling off the pit or basher bench.

Knurled solid handle like on the Dynamite any day for me over a hollow handle with "storage" space under a plastic cap that makes it an irritant to use. Plus, to get a proper balance for use, I weighted the hollow handle with automotive wheel weights anyway, taking up the "storage" space. And a drilled handle for lightness or cool factor is a non-starter for me. Don't even have to try one to know balance for handling is w-a-y off.

Have a couple of MIP. They're o.k., I guess. Lots of folks like them. Dynamite's are still my go-to.

Anyway, my 2cents. -AC

That's the same ones I have. They are pretty indestructible unless you try to pry with them

I was putting a bearing in that went a tad crooked, so I thought I'd just give it a slight tweak with one of mine and it snapped like a toothpick. Really hard material doesn't like that.

 

[TeknoJ]

The Team EDS tools I have aren't any better. The tips of two of the tools show wear after only turning on a couple screws. Nowhere near as durable as the Dynamite drivers. Team EDS on top. This is after the very first screw, and it was a good screw. The Dynamite tool on the bottom is 10 years old.
View attachment 219479

Who doesn’t love a good screw

 

[WickedFog]

Who doesn’t love a good screw

I left a review on Amain, and they contacted me. The guy I am dealing with basically agreed with me that Hudy is overpriced garbage

I told them they need to bring out a similar handle in the Protek line. I'd probably grab a couple of them if they did. I have a lot of 1/4" drive hex bits, including drill bits that I could use in them.

 

[ahr43]

That's the same ones I have. They are pretty indestructible unless you try to pry with them

I was putting a bearing in that went a tad crooked, so I thought I'd just give it a slight tweak with one of mine and it snapped like a toothpick. Really hard material doesn't like that.

Yeah, Kevin. In a pinch for a suspension shaft one time, made a replacement shaft from a spare Dynamite hex shaft. Cut and ground it to length with a Dremel cut off wheel and got a tight spark pattern off it. So yeah, hard steel it is - or at least was back when I bought them. Still doing it's part when I sold the truck couple of years ago. Probably still is.

Regarding Hudy tools. Haven't tried them, but strange reading reports they are of suspect quality. Hopefully, they correct it next tool run. -AC

 

[RustyUs]

Who doesn’t love a good screw

Being older now, having THE BEST handles for the job... I can screw for hours.

Edit: No joke.

 

[Xraycer]

I can't speak to them these days as I've not had a HUDY tool in 10-15 years but they used to be regarded as the best for the same reason that I love Team EDS tools. Rolled spring steel tips. I ended up trying Team EDS because they make/made their tips the same way Hudy did but for half the money. I dont believe anyone ever bragged about their handles it was always about their tips and how well they lasted.

I only own 2 Hudy hex drivers. Had them from my slot car racing days, +15 years ago. The best hex tips I've used to date. Mine you, these were 1/32 slot cars so we're dealing with tiny screws, so these tips are very thin. I still have these drivers, and still find a use for them on occasions.

 

[Tunedfrog]

I have a cheap set from amazon and they are great quality. I did have to Loctite all the little grub screws that hold them in
and occasionally I take out the bit and use it in my driver.
I've never broke them and had them for 5 years I guess. I've broke two MIPs. Go figure.

 

[Xraycer]

I have a cheap set from amazon and they are great quality. I did have to Loctite all the little grub screws that hold them in
and occasionally I take out the bit and use it in my driver.
I've never broke them and had them for 5 years I guess. I've broke two MIPs. Go figure.

I have a couple of Amazon drivers that the tip would develop a permanent twist after a number of hard use. Soft metal I suppose. Never had any that actually broke, though.

 

[WickedFog]

I have a couple of Amazon drivers that the tip would develop a permanent twist after a number of hard use. Soft metal I suppose. Never had any that actually broke, though.

The better tools are hardened so much that the grain structure inside the material turns to this.

It makes the tools brittle if you try to bend them, but the outer surfaces become far more durable against wear. If the steel bends or twists, it's not been hardened very much.

 

[Greywolf74]

And as far as years ago vs today... spring steel back then is spring steel today. So I don't know what they could have done differently back then that would have made that material any different.

I dont know either. All I know is we've had drastically different experiences with them.

Here's an interesting thought, from a metallurgical standpoint. Protek hex drivers are made from HSS (High Speed Steel), which is used in machining to make custom cutting tools for lathes, fly cutters, etc. So in theory, you could use the Protek tools to cut the TeamEDS tools into little pieces, and they would likely still look like brand new after doing so

Vice-versa - the Team EDS tools would simply melt if you used them as the cutting tool to cut the Protek tools.

For clarification, Are you saying that HSS is much stronger than rolled spring steel?

 

[WickedFog]

I dont know either. All I know is we've had drastically different experiences with them.


For clarification, Are you saying that HSS is much stronger than rolled spring steel?

Stronger? That's a loaded question Because stronger implies it wont break if bent, stretched, etc. Much more durable though, yes. Most definitely the HSS will be MUCH more durable against wear than any grade or hardness of spring steel and tool steel. The same way a hardened tool steel will, as some of it is nearly as hard as HSS.

HSS is used as cutting tools in old engine lathes and fly cutters on mills. You ground it into a sharp cutting edge and could use it to cut aluminum, steels, tool steels, just about anything that wasn't harder than it is. You could grind a blade as thin as you needed, put a cutting edge on it, and cut a groove in a piece of bar stock. It is the next step down from Cobalt, which is a step down from solid carbide.

The cutting edge of HSS would still be as sharp as you ground it after cutting, unless you got really aggressive with it. But it would slice through spring steel with ease. You couldn't reverse that. The spring steel tool would just melt trying to cut through a piece of HSS. It would be like trying to use frozen butter to cut a knife.

It didn't dawn on me that the Dynamite tools might be made out of it until I read that is what the Protek tools are made out of. I've never heard of hand tools like these being made out of HSS. The Dynamite tools just say hardened steel, which could be any kind of steel. But It's these HSS steel properties that would make sense why the Dynamite tools have lasted so long, and why they snap so easily if you pry with them.

The only reason I see that Team EDS uses spring steel is because the bits are so long. HSS and really hardened tool steels that long would likely break. But the tip would still look like new

 

[Doom!]

I have a set of Injora hexes and nut drivers I use on my mini's. Also have a set of Laegendary RC tools and MIP Hexes, so far no real issues with any of them.

Come to think of it I've got some Dynamite drivers too.

 

[Xraycer]

I have a set of Injora hexes and nut drivers I use on my mini's. Also have a set of Laegendary RC tools and MIP Hexes, so far no real issues with any of them.

Come to think of it I've got some Dynamite drivers too.

All my hexes works fine, but there's something about the bite and fit that my HUDY possesses that you can just feel.

 

[Lukedavis]

Stronger? That's a loaded question Because stronger implies it wont break if bent, stretched, etc. Much more durable though, yes. Most definitely the HSS will be MUCH more durable against wear than any grade or hardness of spring steel and tool steel. The same way a hardened tool steel will, as some of it is nearly as hard as HSS.

HSS is used as cutting tools in old engine lathes and fly cutters on mills. You ground it into a sharp cutting edge and could use it to cut aluminum, steels, tool steels, just about anything that wasn't harder than it is. You could grind a blade as thin as you needed, put a cutting edge on it, and cut a groove in a piece of bar stock. It is the next step down from Cobalt, which is a step down from solid carbide.

The cutting edge of HSS would still be as sharp as you ground it after cutting, unless you got really aggressive with it. But it would slice through spring steel with ease. You couldn't reverse that. The spring steel tool would just melt trying to cut through a piece of HSS. It would be like trying to use frozen butter to cut a knife.

It didn't dawn on me that the Dynamite tools might be made out of it until I read that is what the Protek tools are made out of. I've never heard of hand tools like these being made out of HSS. The Dynamite tools just say hardened steel, which could be any kind of steel. But It's these HSS steel properties that would make sense why the Dynamite tools have lasted so long, and why they snap so easily if you pry with them.

The only reason I see that Team EDS uses spring steel is because the bits are so long. HSS and really hardened tool steels that long would likely break. But the tip would still look like new

Can you share a link to the dynamite tools you've been talking about? I'm in the market for some new tools. I'm thinking MIP or the dynamite ones you have been talking about.

 

[WickedFog]

So I finally got a chance to look at this Hudy handle to see what was wrong. I figured out there is a magnet in there, but when they broached the hex into it, there was galding in the hex, and stopping the tool from even reaching the magnet. About 20 minutes of file work cleaned it up. So it seems to work better now.

Can you share a link to the dynamite tools you've been talking about? I'm in the market for some new tools. I'm thinking MIP or the dynamite ones you have been talking about.

https://www.amainhobbies.com/dynamite-machined-hex-driver-metric-set-red-dyn2904/p38303

I also bought their .050" for the SCX24 screws, which are 1mm hexes.

 

[WickedFog]

@Lukedavis - they are probably the best value tool out there from what I gather. But just because I like the lightweight feel of the Hudy handle, I am probably going to start buying the Protek stuff here and there and use my Dynamite stuff at my PC desk when reverse engineering stuff.

The only drawback to the Dynamite tools is the tips are short, and sometimes you will run into instances where they don't reach. So more disassembly is required to get parts out of your way sometimes.

So if you can swing it, I'd maybe grab the Protek ones. I can't vouch for MIP because I've never owned them, but a lot of respectible guys claim they are the real deal. Just pricey.

 

[Willy0942]

The Team EDS tools I have aren't any better. The tips of two of the tools show wear after only turning on a couple screws. Nowhere near as durable as the Dynamite drivers. Team EDS on top. This is after the very first screw, and it was a good screw. The Dynamite tool on the bottom is 10 years old.
View attachment 219479

Looks like I be looking for dynamite for my next tools.

 

[Greywolf74]

Stronger? That's a loaded question Because stronger implies it wont break if bent, stretched, etc. Much more durable though, yes. Most definitely the HSS will be MUCH more durable against wear than any grade or hardness of spring steel and tool steel. The same way a hardened tool steel will, as some of it is nearly as hard as HSS.

HSS is used as cutting tools in old engine lathes and fly cutters on mills. You ground it into a sharp cutting edge and could use it to cut aluminum, steels, tool steels, just about anything that wasn't harder than it is. You could grind a blade as thin as you needed, put a cutting edge on it, and cut a groove in a piece of bar stock. It is the next step down from Cobalt, which is a step down from solid carbide.

The cutting edge of HSS would still be as sharp as you ground it after cutting, unless you got really aggressive with it. But it would slice through spring steel with ease. You couldn't reverse that. The spring steel tool would just melt trying to cut through a piece of HSS. It would be like trying to use frozen butter to cut a knife.

It didn't dawn on me that the Dynamite tools might be made out of it until I read that is what the Protek tools are made out of. I've never heard of hand tools like these being made out of HSS. The Dynamite tools just say hardened steel, which could be any kind of steel. But It's these HSS steel properties that would make sense why the Dynamite tools have lasted so long, and why they snap so easily if you pry with them.

The only reason I see that Team EDS uses spring steel is because the bits are so long. HSS and really hardened tool steels that long would likely break. But the tip would still look like new

Thanks for clarifying that. I thought I knew what you were saying but for some reason my brain didnt want to wrap around what you wrote. Sounds like if I was in the market for new drivers Id look at those Protek drivers, especially if they have longer bits than the Dynamites do.

 

[RBRC]

Thanks for clarifying that. I thought I knew what you were saying but for some reason my brain didnt want to wrap around what you wrote. Sounds like if I was in the market for new drivers Id look at those Protek drivers, especially if they have longer bits than the Dynamites do.

I have a full set of the ProTek drivers and I absolutely love them. The handles are perfect!

 

[YourConfused]

Like everyone else has already stated, the old dynamite driver's last forever. Mine are over 20 yrs old now. I also have 2 cheap sets from Amazon and they last through 12-15 builds before they get trashed. The last couple of years I've only been using Wiha brand bits, in both handles and my cordless Milwaukee drivers. I prefer the bits because a set is/ was under 10 bucks shipped and they last a year before my 2mm gets worn. Last year i got them, from Amazon, on sale for 6 bucks/set, and bought 3 sets. I'm good for a while.