Pick-rolla-Pick

A tool that rarely gets mentioned is the mechanics gloves. I bought a box of nitrile ones long ago and still have lots of them, but they're too dang small for my hands and tear easily when they get older.

For now I've been getting by with some rubber palm coated knit ones that the previous owner of my 82 Hilux left behind the passenger seat. He was using the truck to move appliances.

They're not bad and fit much better than the white/blue Atlas coated knit gloves I've used before for moving things. The rubber on the palms is also smooth and fairly durable, but they're showing signs of heavy wear from his appliance moving.

A LOT of palm coated knit gloves have a very thin coating to the point where you can actually see the texture of the knit fabric through them, but these are not like that. I'm also open to other styles. I've seen some mechanics gloves at Autozone that have palms that are mostly covered with a coating except for the finger creases, but they're pricey Snap-Ons in the $25 range and I don't know how easy they'd be to clean.

I have somewhere between Med to Large size hands with long, semi slender fingers. I want something that is easy to wash grease off of, but snug and dexterous enough to hand insert nuts, bolts and washers.

I'd prefer them to be at least breathable off the back, but with palms that don't absorb grease and fluids easily. I'd rather not go the expensive route, as any product like this needs to be tried to really know how good it is. Maybe in the $15 range max.

I was also wondering if any of you can rec a good back brace? I have an old L4/5 lumbar injury and re-aggravated it the other day getting my charcoal canister out. I ordered a Mueller off Amazon that's around $27. It was the most purchased and positively reviewed one on their site.

It's getting to the point where I'm going to have to try and rest my chest on the fender as much as I can when getting under the hood, but these Hilux fenders are very narrow. I was thinking of maybe using something for a good fender pad and/or something good to kneel on. Oh the things we do to bow down to our Toys.

MudHippy

It's come up a time or 2 before.

General consensus: Gloves are for pussies. A little grease on your hands, under your fingernails, or even all the way up to your armpits, is just proof you're doing it right. Worried about busted/skinned knuckles, blisters, a couple small nicks/cuts here or there, or god forbid...a few drops of blood? Grow a pair(of testes), and quit your bitchin'.

Reminds me of that Miller High Life commercial from a few years back. The one about powdered donuts. And how the powdered sugar is a very useful protective coating, keeping the grease/oil/gunk stuck to your unwashed hands from contaminating the fried doughy goodness.

warpigg

I dont like gloves ethier but when it starts to get alittle cold I use gloves and I like these ones. I use to get them for free from where I worked on airplane engine parts they are quite expensive though at like $105 for a dozen pairs but they are ery nice gloves. http://www.magidglove.com/Ansell-HyF...-Gloves-1.aspx

yodafan93

yeah.. i dont always use gloves because i work better without em, but when its cold i have been known to use a pair of craftsman weatherized work gloves, and when im dealing with sharp objects like a fresh cam (some lobes can be like razors) ill wear a set of mechanix gloves... which are by the way to biggest waste of money i ever made. 20$ for a set of gloves.. within the first week they were torn to shreds. i usually keep some kind of gloves in my pocket though.

Pick-rolla-Pick

@MudHippy,
You know I'd expect that kind of childishness on a kiddie's console gaming forum or equivalent, but here it just comes off sounding like you're a wannabe redneck looking to spout off. If anything it emasculates YOU, not me.

I don't need any grease tattoos or bloody knuckles to feel like a man, it's just a sign of insecurity, and likely a poor job of wrenching as well. It takes a lot more than dropping a lot of money on performance parts to prove you're worth your salt at wrenching.

I guess it's to be expected, this place is a mixed bag. You have the majority of cliquish types that think their way is the only way, the few that don't let their egos get tangled up in their wrenching, and the odd ones here and there trying to sort it all out.

I've come here enough times to know whom I don't need advice from, and you can add your smug arse to that list. Apparently no one ever told you that it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt.

@Warpig,
I'm currently considering some Boss Tech Nitrile coated Nylon knit gloves. Wellmont has some coated Kevlar knit ones for about $15, but the coating is said to wear off fast. Boss Manufacturing has been around since 1893 and everyone says they fit and wear very well. NAPA has them for only $7, but only in Large, which may be a tad too big.

Sorry to sound so agitated in this thread, but this is not a wimp thing. I didn't want to say it and come off sounding like I want to be pitied, but I have dyshidrosis. It's a skin condition aggravated by things like grease.

No one really WANTS to use gloves. The tendency is to feel clumsier with them. As mentioned though, some scenarios necessitate them. Unfortunately with me, it's an all the time thing vs winter only.

CJM

I wear the heavy gauge nitrile work gloves, no issues here. I have small hands, wear a sz large.

I wear mechanics gloves for other things, they are great for riding my quad or handling sharp objects.

oldblue

Of all the gloves i've tried, Diamond Grips are by far my favorite. you can usually buy them at autozone. to me they seem to resist splitting open over most others, and they hold up well to chemicals. i can't stand "mechanics" style gloves, how the hell people wear those and are able to feel what they are doing is beyond me. i also like wearing a medium so they are tight on my hands, allows me to feel better. and i wear gloves all day, everyday.

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

I prefer not to wear gloves myself. I just feel like I don't have a feel for what I am working on when I have gloves on. Plus I don't mind my hands getting a little banged up and dirty. However, I do wear nitrile gloves (from Harbor Freight) when I need to do things such as pack bearings so I don't go through as many rags cleaning my hands or when I paint with POR-15 so that my hands aren't painted black for weeks. When I use heavy degreasers or other chemicals, I use a pair of really thick dish gloves so my skin doesn't get eaten away. When I am welding or using a grinder I use thick leather gloves because I damn near cut my hand in half one of the only times I didn't have them on when using a cutting wheel...



I have never tried mechanics gloves, but I can't imagine that they would last too long when doing a restoration job (like my build) given the griminess. For a smaller, cleaner projects, I'd imagine that they could have some benefits.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

well In this case I guess i am a ˟˟˟˟˟!!!

I was once one of those that very seldom wore gloves but then the latex gloves were not really around.

Now I worked full time welding fabricating my hands got so bad I might be able to thread a 1/4 " nut on a bolt.

i now wear gloves all the time Latex for dirty work Tilman 1470 2X gloves for just about all else .

Like Condoms you need to get the correct size.

It took about a year for my hands to come back sleeping with very expensive cream on them in latex gloves.

I can take being called a ˟˟˟˟˟ I would rather have feeling in my hands.

Scirocco16v

X2 on the Diamond grips, I use the all the time in the lab. About the only time I use gloves wrenching on a car is packing bearings.
To each their own.. wear em, don't wear em, makes you no different genetically

derockus

iTrader: (1)

i wouldn't say i have a "favorite" glove other than any leather/synthetic leather glove. right now i'm using these because i got a pair for xmas.

they're not the most dexterous but if i need to thread something small i just yank em off. if i'm packing bearings or using FIPG i'll wear nitrile.

these look like a good idea:


anything that avoids this works for me:


Happened while yanking the lower radiator hose off the radiator. Knuckle contacted the rusty pipe on the low side of the block.

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

Sweet battle wound! My most recent stunt was dropping a driveshaft on my toe... while wearing flipflops... Shattered a couple bones in the process. It's a good accessory to the scar on my hand in my previous post

snobdds

It's a must for me to wear rubber gloves. I can't go to work the next day with grease under my fingers while wearing a suit and telling groups how much their health insurance needs to go up.

I have literally had my secretary scrubbing my nails because shes all old and motherly like and would not let me talk to a client with dirt under my nails.

So sometimes it's for different reasons other than wanting to be all manly and stuff.

john22rebuilder

I use Raven gloves disposable 100pk for 15bucks thats only 30c a pair . A must for brake jobs wheel bearings and those dirty motors and especially on motor builds i might go through a few pairs each job but my hands are clean

j2the-e

I learned the hard way. I now always wear thick leather gloves when cutting or grinding. Nothing tough about a missing finger! For general wrenching, I have used many. Diamond grips are great, and I currently use the black raven nitrile gloves. They are thick, resist tearing, and I can remove and put the same pair back on multiple times. I refuse to work without gloves. I have dry skin so my hands will absorb oil like a tattoo if I don't wear gloves. I have no use for greasy oily stained hands. And I would rather not add to my collection of scars