Mechanic's Gloves?
 

Ok, I've seen the mechanic's gloves in the stores for years. And for years I've been tearing the hell out of my hands and arms because I don't know if the gloves are worth the cash.

Does anyone use those gloves? If you do, how hard is it to start a bolt back into a hole you can't see?

Maybe I could cut the tips off the fiingers....I generally don't cut the tips of my fingers, so that may work.

Let me know what you all think.

I bought a pair for about $20. I don't use them much any more. If I were doing something hot I think I'd go get them.

Something I found that I use more and more are the latex gloves. They keep oil and grease off my hands real well. A buddy of mine that does fiberglass turned me on to them. He can't work without them.

They work good for oil changes, gear oil changes, tranny fluid changes, painting, and wood finishing. I get the kleenex box sized box of them in the paint dept at Home Depot. They're surprisingly tough, but my hands sweat a lot. However, there's nothing better than pulling them off and my hands not smelling like gear lube.

I suspect they'd be good for all kinds of yucky stuff.

Yeah, I use the latex gloves too when I an doing something where the engine is dirty. That is if I remember. Usually I don't remember untill my hands are already dirty. The latex gloves will also protect your hands from a loft of cuts and scrapes, but not a hot exhaust or droping a head on your fingers.

i use the mechanics gloves, wearing them takes some getting used to,they do save alot of little cuts from your hands, i still end up taking them off to start real small bolts and such.also good for winter garage time if it gets cold where you live.
:werd: on using latex gloves too, great for oil changes.the thing that sucks about the regular mechanics gloves is when they get wet they stay wet, so draining fluids with them on is useless

I used to live in Iowa (moved to Houston 4 years ago)

Had a 76 Chevy heavy 3/4 ton 4 wheel drive. THe dipstick tube broke off flush with the block. I tried folding an edge in to grab it with needle nose pliers and ended up dropping metal bits down the stinking tube. Had to get the pan off. Mind you, this was the middle of winter and I didn't have a garage. And I was working almost full time and going to school more than full time (like 18 hours of classes).

Luckily with the 4 wheel drive and HD suspension I had JUST enough clearance to get the pan off without lifting the engine. Worked a little bit each night for 3 nights to get it done.

Aside from putting the bolts back in, I was wearing fully insulated gloves for that job.

I use both. As Mr Incredible said, I tend to use the blue latex ones more though. I have had two pair of the Mechanics gloves, both wore holes in the thumb and index finger tips (probably from turning all the bolts. THey work great, escecially around hot parts (great for spark plug changes). THey do suck once you get them soaked in oil though :(

I have to put them in a bucket with TIde or something over and over before I can wash them and drive them.

D

latex gloves work great

During pit stops and such you really need gloves, because the wheels come off hot as hell -- 200* tires and god knows how hot brakes make for VERY hot wheels ... Particularly if your gloves are wet or have worn through fingers, you'll be in for a surprise!

I've used my mechanics gloves while laying brick to save my fingerprints (though it wore thru the gloves).

I also recently bought the heat sleeves that Mechanics-wear or whoever makes. For another $20, I figured it was worth a shot. Sometimes you have to work on something hot ...

I wear Ringers gloves for work and they work ok Usually everything is scorching hot and waiting for something to cool off isnt an option, when I work on my own car I just let her cool down.. never really in much of a rush. I'd reccomend getting a size smaller than what you would normally wear and break them in good it will be easer to work with stuff and small bolts wont be as much as a problem. I know how hot wheels are first hand bwing a front tire changer Hold on to a wheel too long at Martinsville and it will blister your finger tips through the gloves

Gloves of any kind just take getting used to. A lot of people say you can't get a "feel" for things with them on, which is true at first, but once you get used to them you won't notice much of a difference.

After putting very tiny screws in ratchet heads for about 3 months while using thick rubber gloves covered in oil and coolant, it felt strange and was actually harder to put them in using my clean bare hands. I just got so used to it, it was like second nature.

About the mechanics gloves, I like using them anytime I'm working with something hot or cutting a material that produces a lot of chips and leaves nasty burrs.

I know that feeling. After carrying the bricks all day and your grip is tired and weak and a handful slips away from you, they can leave some nasty cuts since the edges are jagged and rough.

I keep a set of them in my car, and on the lift at work.

When installing an o2 sensor on a hot car, they are worth their weight in gold. I find myself using them a lot when the vehicle is hot, for just general use. Although for delicate things, i find myself taking them off to do some of the work.

Overall, worth the $20 i spent on them.

Ryan

I use Diamond Latex glove I get from the snap-on man. They have grips on the fingertips and are thick and hold up unless you get solvent or brake clean on then then they just fall apart. I used the mechanics gloves in the winter time in the truck garage I worked at. They worked well while using the 3/4" snap-on gun(it gets cold in the winter with the cold air running through the gun) and also used them until I wore a hole in the fingertips.

I use latex for fluid changes but when I am working on headers I wear the mechanics gloves. For my birthday my wife bought me a pair of mechanics glove from sears with a flashlight built into them. They work wonders. No need to get out from under the car to find a droplight that'll add 20 degrees to the ambient temprature.

I use them anytime the car is hot, if it's not then I use them if I remember. Don't use them for changing fluids. They are a blessing when working on a hot car.

Mechanix brand gloves are (or at least used to be) guranteed for life. The regular gloves, not the fast-fit style. It's been over a year since I called and got a new pair coming.

If you wear a hole in a finger, call a 1-800 number, tell them you have a worn out pair of gloves.

They'll give you an RA number. Mail them back and in a couple weeks, you have a replacement pair.

I bought 3 pair years ago rotate them into service. I have a pair on the shelf, a pair I use for general work and a pair I use when I am doing dirty work.

To clean them, I put them on and wash my hands using regular hand cleaner. Rinse them really well and let dry over night ...

They do take some getting used to. Very fine work, like putting a nut on a stud that you cannot see is very hard and I typically will remove the glove for that. But that is going back together and everythign should be clean.

latex is the way to go
 

I go to college to work on cars, so naturally my life revalves around them. alot of guys and me use the latex gloves. they have good feel in teh finger tips and they keep harmful oils and chemicals off ur hands. The thicker better ones dont rip as easy as the cheaper thinner ones but evan when that happens there not to expensive so throwing them out and getting a new one is nothing. I do use the mechanics gloves though when impacting or heating a bolt wiht a torch or welding. Also if you are really wrenching on a bolt and you know you are going to slam ur knuckles put the mechanics gloves on it will save alot of annoying cuts and anger.

Damn, I just threw away two pair with holes in the finger tips :(

D

i got a pair of craftsman gloves and yes i know i love craftsman but holy shit are they nice. its got the thick suede but they have elastic and such in em so that they really really feel nice and they stretch nice when you move your fingers but yet they are still very thick and protect you. my grinder has tried many times to skin me alive/burn me up via the metal im holding, but the gloves saved me.

i have a pair of the craftsman ones, the label inside mine says mechanix wear right on it, and i have two pairs of the mechanix brand ones, they are the same glove.