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Good set for minimal use

Alright I’ve got this tool set sitting in front of me so I will start by going over these pieces individually and try to stay on topic (if you want to skip the specifics you can go on down to my overall opinion to get an idea):

Screwdriver/Bits: Single screwdriver with 20 tips. Screwdriver is simple with a nice grip on it. Bits slid into tip and are held by magnet in screwdriver. There is a little play between the bit and screwdriver but shouldn’t be so much to cause a problem. Four flat head tips, six phillips, six star, and four hex. The tips are held in two sturdy poly holders with marked sizes. The markings are slightly rubbed off but if you’re buying this set you likely won’t care about tip sizes. Screwdriver is NOT ratcheting as advertised on page, this is a positive for me because that is just more small pieces to fall apart.

Needle Nose Pliers: Simple standard needle nose pliers. I measure 6 and 3/8″ length.

Precision Screwdriver Set: Simple standard “mini screwdrivers”. The small case will open up on you and you will drop them though, cheap case.

Adjustable wrench (Crescent wrench): Just about 6″ in length, good grip handle like the pliers. Only opens up to 3/4″ though so don’t expect to be fixing the kitchen sink with this.

Tape Measure: 12 foot tape measure, fairly small for most people but will get the job done. Plastic with metal belt clip. Looks like the Apollo logo sticker on the side will come off on your first use though.

Hammer: Measures 9 1/2″ in length with 7/8″ face on head. I don’t know how the head is connected to the handle but I don’t quite trust it. I suppose it will work for small jobs like hanging a picture but I would be apprehensive about swinging this full steam into something for fear of that head flying off.

Level: 9″ level, magnetic strip on bottom and sight hole on top for level reading overhead. Handy little features but don’t drop this plastic thing, I don’t think it could handle any abuse.

Allen wrenches: Standard and Metric wrenches. I like these, simple but well organized. My only grief is it is really hard to read the size markings on the side of the holders.

Wrenches: Only four wrenches but cover most of the nuts you would need to hit. Open end and 12 point. Not real crisp and clean because they have a lot of markings down sides of wrenches but shouldn’t effect performance.

Digital Voltage Tester: Ok, this thing… I’ve never seen a tester like this so I had to try it out by reading the included instructions. There are three ways you can use this, measuring the voltage, testing for break-points in live wire, and testing for live wires or contacts. I didn’t do the break point test but tried the other two. Testing for live wires is just a test light, I couldn’t get it to work at first but then realized it was working the light is just very very dim. Finally I tried the voltage test. The tester will show you one of six approximate readouts. Blank (no voltage or no contact), 12V, 36V, 55V, 110V, 220V (Final measure represents voltage between 220-250). Here is my personal view though; if you are looking to buy this set for yourself or give as a gift I will make the assumption that you don’t intend for this to be used daily. Basically the person using it isn’t much of a handyman (or handywoman) so having them do anything electrical is not safe. Use it to test an outlet if you think it might be the problem to a non-working appliance but I would not trust my life to this little thing.

Case: I was pleasantly surprised with this case. All plastic so broken hinges are possible. Overall it’s pretty sturdy and I would trust this to handle more weight. 4 1/2″ plastic flap in front opens to spots for 8 bits and a few small things. My favorite part is the two containers on the side of the lid that can slid off and be separated from the toolbox. This could come in very handy, downside is these containers don’t offer much room.

OVERALL OPINION: Don’t expect to get a high quality tool set. I’m buying this as a gift for my girlfriend who is moving into a townhouse in a few weeks and doesn’t have any tools. I would have liked to have seen a regular pair of pliers before or with the needle nose pliers. I would have also liked a regular flathead and phillips screwdriver. The bit set will work but sometimes I don’t like switching those little bits if I need different tools. For the occasional use this will handle some small jobs. I know this one won’t see much action because chances are if there is something broken my girlfriend will just call me to come fix it! Glad I bought it, and I hope this helps her out on her own. I will update in the next couple of months if we do use it.

Update (2/9/2012):

The featured review for this product, Apollo Precision Tools DT9773 53-Piece Household Tool Kit with Tool Box Tools & Hardware, was written by Dillon D Barnes.

The average rating for this item is 4.3 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.