I buy the weird stuff off AliExpress so you don't have to guess
Ratchets, nailers, load testers, lux meters — whatever showed up this week. Photos, teardowns where I can get them open, and an honest answer to one question: would I buy it again?
Featured this month
ANENG AN8008 True-RMS Multimeter
Six months in and it's still the meter I reach for first. I opened it up — decent fusing, sane layout, and the chip markings were actually legible.
Latest reviews
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Generic 90T Stubby Ratchet Set, the $24 AliExpress kind
Fine backup-drawer set, not a daily driver. The knurling slips with greasy hands.
ATORCH DL24P USB Load Tester
Does what it says at 35W. Fan is loud enough that I moved it off the desk.
SeeSii 18g Cordless Brad Nailer
Sank about 400 brads into pine without a jam. Depth adjust is stiff but holds setting.
Retractable Extension Cord Reel, 5m
Opened it up: conductor is thinner than the printed gauge. Using it for lamps only.
FNIRSI HRM-10 IR Thermometer
Agrees with my oven and my kettle. Emissivity setting is buried three menus deep.
108-pc Metric/SAE Socket Set
Case is garbage, sockets are fine. Two of the deep 10mm were out of spec on arrival.
SeeSii 3/8" Cordless Ratchet, 60Nm
Genuinely useful in tight bays. Battery life is the weak point — two packs minimum.
Digital Tape Measure, 5m Laser Combo
The laser half is good, the tape half is a normal tape with a screen glued on.
Digital Push-Pull Force Gauge, 50kg
Repeatable against known weights up to 20kg, which is as far as I could test it.
Mini Reflow Hot Plate, 200W
Heats fast and holds a profile. Teardown showed a surprisingly tidy board.