Quality Chinese Tools

[GuyMontag]

6 minutes ago, Jjver said:

Thanks. I was afraid of this. So bad grip?

 

The official Horotec is really extreme what they ask. 300 euro for just one die.

 

Below is my press I would like to find dies for that fit (and doable financially).

 

https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/universal-case-back-tool-horotec-compact?code=C22162

 

Yes, they don't grip, even after having been cleaned. The horotec ones aren't that expensive, at least on Esslinger. I think you are looking at the case holding dies which do seem to be crazy expensive.

[Jjver]

Yes, I'm searching full set for upper and below.

[Roll1ex]

I recently purchased some tools from a Chinese store on Alibaba, detailed review of the items below:

1. Kwong Yuen 12pc screwdriver set with ball bearing.

Ever since I tried my watchmaker's old style Horotec 12pc screwdriver set I wanted the ball bearing ones. This set is one of the more expensive offerings from the brand but worth it. I think the black cap with the logo is an improvement over the Horotec design with the open top. Even the tolerances seem better since the ball bearings are more concealed than Horotec.  The base is comparable to Horotec.

Blades are hardened steel and stock finishing is quite good, even the slotted system to create a stopper is implemented.

Some might not like the stepped nature of the blades as the screwdrivers are made to fit 1.2 and 2mm shafts.

 

 

 

2. Oil pot from Ruihua

Highlight being actual ceramic reservoirs and all metal solid build quality at the price. Also comes in a 5 pot variant, Which in retrospect would be a better buy for the longer run.

 

3. Oilers from Kwong Yuen:

Feels solid, stock finishing is quite good. Caps a bit flimsy compared to the metal body.

Better polished tips in person, camera is making it look worse.

 

4. Generic tweezers with plastic tips.

Body is not well finished but the tips are nice and the stock calibration is quite good.

 

5&6. Generic Rolex movement Holder and plastic stick.

No complaints, works as it should.

7. Kwong Yuen Bronze tweezers.

Another high end offering from the brand. I used these for some time but they felt too soft (less force to pick up parts) and had a very low attack angle where the ends meet.

Eventually, I modified it a bit by bending the ends inwards using pliers and opening it to compensate for the closed tips. This increased the attack angle and made them a bit firm.

These tweezers are my personal favorite because of how they feel and handle. The quality is top notch. However I do feel that most people will need to modify it in order to get the best out of the tool.

 

[Knebo]

6 hours ago, Roll1ex said:

I recently purchased some tools from a Chinese store on Alibaba, detailed review of the items below:

1. Kwong Yuen 12pc screwdriver set with ball bearing.

Ever since I tried my watchmaker's old style Horotec 12pc screwdriver set I wanted the ball bearing ones. This set is one of the more expensive offerings from the brand but worth it. I think the black cap with the logo is an improvement over the Horotec design with the open top. Even the tolerances seem better since the ball bearings are more concealed than Horotec.  The base is comparable to Horotec.

Blades are hardened steel and stock finishing is quite good, even the slotted system to create a stopper is implemented.

Some might not like the stepped nature of the blades as the screwdrivers are made to fit 1.2 and 2mm shafts.

 

 

 

2. Oil pot from Ruihua

Highlight being actual ceramic reservoirs and all metal solid build quality at the price. Also comes in a 5 pot variant, Which in retrospect would be a better buy for the longer run.

 

3. Oilers from Kwong Yuen:

Feels solid, stock finishing is quite good. Caps a bit flimsy compared to the metal body.

Better polished tips in person, camera is making it look worse.

 

4. Generic tweezers with plastic tips.

Body is not well finished but the tips are nice and the stock calibration is quite good.

 

5&6. Generic Rolex movement Holder and plastic stick.

No complaints, works as it should.

7. Kwong Yuen Bronze tweezers.

Another high end offering from the brand. I used these for some time but they felt too soft (less force to pick up parts) and had a very low attack angle where the ends meet.

Eventually, I modified it a bit by bending the ends inwards using pliers and opening it to compensate for the closed tips. This increased the attack angle and made them a bit firm.

These tweezers are my personal favorite because of how they feel and handle. The quality is top notch. However I do feel that most people will need to modify it in order to get the best out of the tool.

 

Thanks for the review. Very helpful. 

I have the 5-pot oil pot and love it. 

[mbwatch]

6 hours ago, Knebo said:

I have the 5-pot oil pot and love it. 

I actually thought these were all plastic and have been dragging my feet on ordering one. I'm going to buy one.

[valleyguy]

I have the 5 pot version, the quality is good, i can't see the bergeon one been any better.

[GuyMontag]

16 hours ago, Roll1ex said:

I recently purchased some tools from a Chinese store on Alibaba, detailed review of the items below:

1. Kwong Yuen 12pc screwdriver set with ball bearing.

Ever since I tried my watchmaker's old style Horotec 12pc screwdriver set I wanted the ball bearing ones. This set is one of the more expensive offerings from the brand but worth it. I think the black cap with the logo is an improvement over the Horotec design with the open top. Even the tolerances seem better since the ball bearings are more concealed than Horotec.  The base is comparable to Horotec.

Blades are hardened steel and stock finishing is quite good, even the slotted system to create a stopper is implemented.

Some might not like the stepped nature of the blades as the screwdrivers are made to fit 1.2 and 2mm shafts.

 

 

 

2. Oil pot from Ruihua

Highlight being actual ceramic reservoirs and all metal solid build quality at the price. Also comes in a 5 pot variant, Which in retrospect would be a better buy for the longer run.

 

3. Oilers from Kwong Yuen:

Feels solid, stock finishing is quite good. Caps a bit flimsy compared to the metal body.

Better polished tips in person, camera is making it look worse.

 

4. Generic tweezers with plastic tips.

Body is not well finished but the tips are nice and the stock calibration is quite good.

 

5&6. Generic Rolex movement Holder and plastic stick.

No complaints, works as it should.

7. Kwong Yuen Bronze tweezers.

Another high end offering from the brand. I used these for some time but they felt too soft (less force to pick up parts) and had a very low attack angle where the ends meet.

Eventually, I modified it a bit by bending the ends inwards using pliers and opening it to compensate for the closed tips. This increased the attack angle and made them a bit firm.

These tweezers are my personal favorite because of how they feel and handle. The quality is top notch. However I do feel that most people will need to modify it in order to get the best out of the tool.

 

I've got that same set on the way. I also ordered a set of hollow ground blades for them to try out.

[Kalanag]

On 3/22/2022 at 12:08 PM, Paul80 said:

Next up is a Basic Staking set again found on Aliexpress.

I just bought this Chinese Bergeon clone for €107,- and was curious to see if it would actually be usable.

Unfortunately, I got very disappointed.

The punches are apparently not hardened and are therefore unusable for tasks such as riveting a balance staff.

Here an image of the tips after the riveting process. The staff was harder than the punches.

Edited February 2 by Kalanag

[Knebo]

4 minutes ago, Kalanag said:

I just bought this Chinese Bergeon clone for €107,- and was curious to see if it would actually be usable.

Unfortunately, I got very disappointed.

The punches are apparently not hardened and are therefore unusable for tasks such as riveting a steel balance staff.

Here an image of the tips after the riveting process.

Oh damn, that's bad. Quite ridiculous actually. 

[praezis]

1 hour ago, Kalanag said:

The punches are apparently not hardened and are therefore unusable for tasks such as riveting a balance staff.

This is what I supposed, but you are the first to confirm. Seems all the other buyers of this tool keep silence about it or just use it for display?

[HectorLooi]

I wonder if it can be heat treated to harden it.

[RickTock]

2 hours ago, Kalanag said:

I just bought this Chinese Bergeon clone for €107,- and was curious to see if it would actually be usable.

Unfortunately, I got very disappointed.

The punches are apparently not hardened and are therefore unusable for tasks such as riveting a balance staff.

Here an image of the tips after the riveting process. The staff was harder than the punches.

I've had the same experience with my set. Also the rounded punches need reshaping because they are not rounded all the way to the hole. So the part that strikes the balance staff might as well be a flat punch. 

14 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

I wonder if it can be heat treated to harden it.

I'd like to try but would need some guidance from the collective wisdom here.

[HectorLooi]

3 hours ago, RickTock said:

I'd like to try but would need some guidance from the collective wisdom here.

Place it on a fire brick and heat it with a blow torch till cherry red, then quench it in cold oil. It will be fully hardened and brittle at this point. (Assuming that the steel is hardenable.)

Polish it back to steel color then heat it again till straw color and quench it.

[mbwatch]

3 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

Polish it back to steel color then heat it again till straw color and quench it.

Is this last step cosmetic or functionally required to make it less brittle?

[HectorLooi]

This is to temper the steel to make it less brittle. 

[RickTock]

2 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Place it on a fire brick and heat it with a blow torch till cherry red, then quench it in cold oil. It will be fully hardened and brittle at this point. (Assuming that the steel is hardenable.)

Polish it back to steel color then heat it again till straw color and quench it.

Thank you! Would it be just the tapered portion of the punch that I heat to cherry red / straw colour? Or the whole punch.

And I'm assuming any reshaping of the tips should be done before tempering. Good assumption?

Edited February 3 by RickTock

[HectorLooi]

The whole punch. You wouldn't want the top end to mushroom or shatter.

[Kalanag]

The punches are anti-magnetic. They appear to be made of chrome steel.

Can they still be hardened? I'm in doubt about it. 

Edited February 3 by Kalanag

[Kalanag]

The staking set is „qualified for free return and refund“. So I sent it back today and hope for refund. I‘ll let you know.

Edited February 3 by Kalanag

[Knebo]

Just now, Kalanag said:

The staking set is „qualified for free return and refund“. So I sent it back and hope for refund. I‘ll let you know.

definitely worth a shot! so far, I've made two positive experiences with returns on AliX.

[mbwatch]

USA residents - I will be interested to hear what your experiences are with in-transit or newly purchased alix tools. I just had an order canceled from ebay on some CNC bits that was placed 3 weeks before new tariffs but not shipped out.

[tomh207]

33 minutes ago, mbwatch said:

USA residents - I will be interested to hear what your experiences are with in-transit or newly purchased alix tools. I just had an order canceled from ebay on some CNC bits that was placed 3 weeks before new tariffs but not shipped out.

Apparently the USPS are no longer accepting small value parcels from China, at least for now. I read somewhere that there are changes coming to inbound goods tax that would not normally be charged as the value is under $800. Something about temu and shein subverting the market with low prices.

 

Tom

[mbwatch]

1 hour ago, tomh207 said:

Apparently the USPS are no longer accepting small value parcels from China, at least for now.

That restriction was put in place yesterday morning and lifted by the end of the day, until they figure out how to go about collecting taxes.

There are a couple of things I have been meaning to buy, and I might go ahead and order them at their current prices even if somebody asks me for 10% more in a couple of weeks.

Edited February 6 by mbwatch

[tomh207]

33 minutes ago, mbwatch said:

That restriction was put in place yesterday morning and lifted by the end of the day, until they figure out how to go about collecting taxes.

There are a couple of things I have been meaning to buy, and I might go ahead and order them at their current prices even if somebody asks me for 10% more in a couple of weeks.

With everything that’s going on over your way right now I expect it’ll all change several times over the next few weeks. The Chinese might just be playing super cautious right now and cancelling orders so as not to be caught out in a ton of potential disputes.

 

Tom

[mbwatch]

Partly as an experiment to find out whether we can still get these deliveries in the USA, I ordered a screw polishing frog. I'd been meaning to try to build one myself but am missing half the tools I'd need so I'll give this a gamble at a little over $100. Look for a review if they succeed in sending it to me.