Facom News

Facom/USAG Tool News

plus a look back at some of the "Facom classics"

 

Facom, USAG & Ultimate Garage - Ultimate Garage has been selling and supporting the Facom tool line since 1997 and is the largest distributor of Facom in the US today. Facom offers an extensive range of tools in support of multiple industries and trades....Automotive, Electronics & Microtech, Industrial, Aviation & Aerospace to name a few.  Over 5,000 listings on our site and 3,000+ products in stock for immediate shipment. Lead times on USAG products can be 7-10 days and Facom is typically 3-6 weeks.

The lines between Facom and USAG have become increasingly blurred. I'd estimate that 60%+ of the USAG products are rebranded Facom items (or vice versa). For example, the Facom 151/161 series round head ratchets (mentioned below), 84TC T-handle hex drivers, and most of the Facom torque wrenches are all manufactured in USAG's Gemonio plant in Italy.

USAG 516/518/519 tool trolleys are rebranded Facom Roll/Chrono/JET series tool boxes made in France.

 

In 2017, I began switching some of my Facom inventory over to USAG.  Most of the products are identical (other than the brand name on the tool) but pricing is typically 10-30% lower for the USAG branded tool. As a direct USAG distributor, I receive direct factory warranty support. I'm not saying "arrivederci" to Facom as they still offer many items not available through USAG.  Customers will now have a choice and access to another quality European brand that has been poorly represented here in the States.

USAG is the tool of choice at the Ferrari factory in Italy. They are also technical partners with both the Ducati MotoGP and Toro Rosso F1 race teams.

 

I personally inspect 95% of the incoming Facom & USAG purchases for damage, blemishes and shortages. Outbound shipments to my customers are carefully packaged and protected to minimize the chance of shipping damage. Most items ship within 24hrs at a $10 flat rate cost anywhere in the US.

 

Facom/USAG Tool News will highlight new and featured products, "Facom classics" & company history, pricing and trends, tools in action, and tool reviews from my own personal experiences. Plenty of car and shop photos from my past 25 years of designing and outfitting garages and workshops.

 

 

Facom/USAG News and Commentary

Additions & Corrections - Please let me know if you find any errors or inaccuracies and I'll update my postings as required. Also, if you have any good photos of Facom or USAG tools in action or of a well stocked Facom/USAG workshop, I'd be happy to add them to this newsletter to be shared with other enthusiasts.

 

Ultimate Garage Online Store (Facom/USAG) - Facom and USAG tools listings are combined in my online store. Customers can see identical products side by side (with either Facom or USAG branding) and make their decision based on price and/or brand (USAG version will typically be cheaper and comes with a US warranty).  Most USAG products are listed by the Facom part number in the product description & title (eg, S.161B-USAG) with the USAG number (eg, U02370106) listed as the part number so it can be tied back to the USAG factory online catalog. The search bar at the top of the page will bring up all of the listings with exact or similar part numbers.

 

Field Transport of Facom/USAG Tool Sets & Modules - contractors and weekend racers may need to take some of their tool sets out of the shop to a workplace away from home. Facom and USAG have reconfigured their "BP" plastic cases to hold most standard and 3/4" size module tool sets (with both plastic and foam trays). As such, complete module sets can be put in the BP.MBOXL and BP.MBOXM cases for protection and secure transport. The USAG and Facom cases are identical except for the branding....the USAG ones are typically cheaper.

Here are some photos of large and medium sized stackable totes with closeable lids that can be used to store and transport these tool set cases. These are available in multiple colors.  Available through Ultimate Garage or most online stores selling industrial supplies, storage and shipping materials.

Same footprint....large tote is 4" taller. Both totes have side holes and can be secured with zip-ties or a padlock.

 

Medium tote holds four BP.MBOXL cases with the handle up for easy "grab and go". Still room for a laptop and other smaller items

 

Large tote holds six BP.MBOXL cases laid flat. Lid closes 98% (as shown) or 100% with use of a zip-tie.

 

 

 USAG Ducati Corse Collector Set - limited edition set, introduced in 2017. Approx 250 sets were produced. Included a nice selection of tools (123pc) in foam module trays. Long gone although you may see these pop up Ebay or enthusiast marketing sites offering memorabilia and collectibles.

Drawers 1-4 are all 60mm deep and suitable for the use of USAG or Facom module sets. All drawers come with liners.

 

 

Facom Ferrari Collector Set - In 2001, Facom was named the official tool supplier of Scuderia Ferrari. In commemoration, Facom released this limited edition 129pc master tool set, housed in an attractive 6 drawer portable workstation with Ferrari logos. Ferrari restricted production to 1,400 sets worldwide, 15 sets given to the Ferrari factory and 1 set to their extraordinary driver, Michael Schumacher. The United States allocation was 200 sets.

 

 

 

 

 

Inspecting Incoming Inventory - most of my competitors, especially the big distributors, don't have the time or resources to inspect incoming inventory for blemishes, damage or shortages. I received a shipment of Facom tools from a large distributor and most of the items were covered in dirt from being on their shelves. If a customer of mine is going to pay good money for an item, they should receive the item in the condition it left the factory....new, clean & operational. Below are some photos of Facom 257.G auto centering punches..."as received" and what had to be done to make them acceptable for sale...

 

 

 

Ratchet Maintenance Kits - for the Facom 161/161B series and USAG 237A series high performance ratchets. In stock for immediate shipment - 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" drives.

 

 

 

Facom Modules in a Custom Lista Mobile Cabinet - I configured this one as a product display for both Lista and Facom...a Lista MW600 cabinet with a mobile base and a custom skirt to hide the 4 swivel casters. With 4 swivel casters, this 400+ lb cabinet (before tools) can easily be pushed straight back to the wall when not in use. The top 4 drawers are full extension, 3" deep. with safety latches (IDL's) to prevent the drawers from accidentally opening during transport. The drawers each hold 6 Facom/USAG standard-width modules with plenty of room in the back to be partitioned for additional tools and accessories.

 

 

 

 

Classic vs Current Screwdrivers - in the 25+ years I've been selling Facom, there have been 4 popular series of screwdrivers..... Ergotwist (with the red handles) from 1996-2002 (approx), Enduro (with the black handles) from 2003-2005, Protwist (Gen 1 and Gen 2) (black with color inserts to differentiate type of screwdriver) from 2006 to current. One thing I've noticed with the Classic screwdrivers is a tendency of small gaps to form between the top cap of the tool and the main body. This is normal and found in most of the Ergotwist & Enduros I have left in stock. The newer Protwist handles (Facom/USAG - standard & insulated) appear to be sealed and should not show any separation or gaps. The current USAG Protwist screwdrivers are the 091 series (insulated handles) or 324 series (standard soft grip handles). Identical to Facom except for the brand name on the tool.

 

Facom/USAG Round Head Ratchets - An important introduction in 2017 was the new Facom/USAG line of high performance sealed ratchets (R.161B, J.161B, S.161B and K.161B). These ratchets were designed & manufactured at the USAG factory in Gemonio, Italy and are available in both Facom (161B series) and USAG (237A series) branding. This is the first major change to the 161 series ratchets in 20 years. The ratchet mechanism is now sealed to dust from the work environment offering longer durability regardless of working conditions. This ratchet is 15% lighter and the head is 10% more compact than the ratchet it replaces. The handle is SLS compatible (Safety Lock System - hole in the handle to secure the tool with belt accessories & lanyards when working at heights or locations where dropping the tool would be highly undesirable).

 

 

 

 

One of the major problems with the older 161 palm control ratchets was their requirement for periodic maintenance and lubrication.  Without this service, the grease in the ratchets would dry and the mechanism would seize or slip. Facom is moving towards low maintenance (no maintenance) with all of their ratchets. Repair kits are not even available for the Taiwan produced "pear head" and "rotator" ratchets. With the change in ratchets, Facom has also introduced a new line of modular tool cases (BP.MBOX......small, medium & large) to replace the older BP.102/BP.109/BP.112/BP.115 tool cases. The modular cases and module tray dimensions work well with the ergonomics of the JET toolbox drawer interiors.

USAG also began using the new MBOX cases for the tool sets in 2017.

 

 

Facom/USAG Plunger Lock System (for sockets & drive accessories) - Facom & USAG use a quick release plunger-lock system for safely securing their larger 3/4" and 1" drive sockets and accessories. Conventional ball detents on ratchets and extensions cannot hold and secure the weight of these heavier tools. The pin and plunger release (see photos below) must be aligned for the system to work. For impact use, safety pins & o-rings are the best way to secure sockets and drive accessories to impact drivers.

 

 

Facom Tool Modules & Replacement Trays - Ultimate Garage has the largest selection of Facom tool modules in stock this side of the Atlantic, both with the classic thermoformed polystyrene tool trays and new multi-layer foam trays. We also stock a large selection of replacement trays to replace broken ones or to reorganize your current Facom tools and sets for module storage in toolboxes and workstations.

Facom tools and module trays in nicely partitioned Lista drawers

 

 

Facom Tools in Action - Ferrari F40 service (oil & plug change, oil pump replacement) - car came in with the oil light on. Main pump replaced, oil and plugs changed. Tools used were all part of the Facom/Ferrari collector set.

 

 

 

My Facom/Lista Workshop - when I left IBM in 1994, I built myself a garage workshop to work on my cars. I called my Snap-on salesman to outfit the shop with tools, a compressor and storage and received a painful dose or reality. The blow to my budget made me rethink things and I ultimately went with Lista for storage and Facom for tools (both are now Stanley Black & Decker companies).

 

Shop photos in 1997 - Facom wall panels, Lista cabinets, a Rotary low-rise lift, 60-gallon Bel-Aire compressor & Enerpac benchtop press. Plenty of tools, hardware and shop supplies in the drawers.

 

Shop photos in 2007 - after the garage makeover. Compressor was now a Kaeser SX6 rotary and the Lista cabinet/workbench layout was reconfigured. Wall panels were replaced with Facom tool module sets and heavily partitioned Lista drawers.

 

 

Famous French Companies - the French have a long time reputation for architecture, design and engineering. I lived in France as a teen, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just outside of Paris. My experience and memories were mainly of chateaus, churches, cathedrals, museums and architecture. The only serious industrial exposure I had while in France was with planes and trains. The best were Concorde & TGV, both way ahead of their time.

Here in the states, I get calls from US subsidiaries of French companies requesting Facom tools. Here's a partial list of the better known French companies. I've been fortunate to have worked with several companies on this list.....

  • Alcatel-Lucente
  • Airbus (French/German)
  • Air Liquide
  • Alstom (SNCF)
  • Bugatti (part of VW Group)
  • Danone (Dannon, Activia, Evian, etc)
  • Dassault Aviation
  • Facom (part of Stanley Black & Decker)
  • Hermes
  • Kering (Gucci, Stella McCartney, Puma, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, etc)
  • Lafarge
  • L'Oreal
  • LVMH (Tag Heuer, Louis Vuitton, Bvlgari, Fendi, Dior, etc)
  • Michelin
  • Pernod Ricard (Absolut, Chivas Regal, Jameson, Seagrams, Beefeaters, etc)
  • Peugeot
  • Renault
  • Thales Group
  • Safran
  • Saint-Gobain
  • Sanofi
  • Schneider Electric (Square D, APC, Juno, etc)
  • Valeo

 

 

U.46ACL Filter Wrench - the current strap style filter wrenches from Facom include the U.46, U.46PL, U.46ACL, U.48 and U.48PL (the PL models are for large filters found on trucks, SUV's and commercial vehicles). The most popular in this lineup continues to be the U.46ACL fast action filter wrench.

I first used this wrench on my Porsche 911. The filter was tucked deep back on the right side of the engine bay. The U.46ACL wrench fit the large Porsche spin-on filter perfectly (range is 66>106mm, 2.6" to 4.2"), and once adjusted, the ratchet-effect made removal of the filter a breeze. This filter wrench is a must have for any 911/930 owner (at least 911's through 89).

The U.46CL was featured in the 2001 catalog and evolved into the U.46ACL by the time the 2005 catalog came out (I have no idea what changed). Facom does offer a fully automatic (self adjusting strap) version but in my experience, the U.46ACL continues to outsell the newer U.48 tool three to one. Facom was wise to keep it in production.

The U.46ACL is also popular with boat owners and I have a few marine suppliers who stock this tool. The stainless steel strap may break or wear with time and I stock replacement straps for purchase as needed.

 

 

Shop Photos - Porsche cup car belonging to former Indy winner, Sam Hornish Jr, lived in my garage for over a year. The graphics were all changed by the new owner who raced it for one season.

The shop's fume extraction system plugs into ports on either wall. This system was required for cars running on the 4wd Dynapack chassis dyno.

 

Same car - fresh engine and graphics

 

 

The FACOM Name - the Facom name is an acronym for "Franco-Americaine de Construction d'Outillage Mecanique" . Now Facom has always been a French company, founded in 1918 by Louis Moses. At the time (ie, the end of WW1), anything linked to America sounded very "professional" so they went with and kept the name. This marketing practice still occurs today. Schwaben and Siegen (Sealey), are 2 tool companies with a very German sounding name.....they aren't. Ironically, in 2006, Facom was purchased by an American company, Stanley Black & Decker. The Franco-Americaine relationship is one of tool ("Outillage") sales & distribution and not joint French/American manufacturing.

 

Facom Shop Photos - Grab & Go Tool Drawer #1 - I keep a variety of tools, hardware, shop supplies, etc in Lista cabinet drawers in my basement and garage workshops. Here's a Facom mixed drive socket set (Facom Ferrari Paddock set), a few Ergotwist & Enduro series screwdrivers, Black series pliers and a mix of adjustable wrenches (6", 8", 10", 12", 15", 24"). There's even an early Gearwrench set (before Facom came out with their 67 & 467 Series) and a Wera micro nut driver set.

 

 

 

Facom Shop Photos - Ergotwist Screwdriver Panel - this wall panel set was available through SK Tools back in the late 90's. The set included 40+ Ergotwist series screwdrivers plus the wall panel. The Ergotwist was discontinued in 2007 and the Protwist series (replacing both the Ergotwist & Enduro series) first made it's appearance in the F08 (2008) catalog.

 

 

"Facom Classic" - T5 Trigger Release Locking Pliers - introduced in 1996, the T5 was advertised as the "ultimate" in Lock-Grip tools. This was quite a statement considering Facom's excellent 500 Series locking pliers that had been around since the 70's.

In 2015, Facom consolidated and improved their classic 500 series lock-grip pliers, now called the 500A series. The T5 series (in all sizes & finishes) were discontinued and replaced by the new single setting 501AMP.

SK advertisement for the Facom T5.L (1998)

 

440 Series Combination Wrenches (Gen 2) - the 440 series combination wrenches first appeared in the 2008 catalog, replacing the long running 40 series. Facom essentially slimmed down their old 40 series, making it more comfortable in the hand and offering improved accessibility at both ends. In 2014, the engineers at Facom made further improvements to the 440 wrenches, making the open ends up to 15% slimmer for even better access to fasteners. See pictures below on how to quickly distinguish between early and late 440 series wrenches (Gen 1 vs Gen 2).

 

The 17mm size show here is a full 1.0mm thinner at the open end with Gen 2 (6.6mm vs 7.6mm)

 

Facom General Purpose Micrometer ("click-type") Torque Wrenches - this is the most popular style torque wrench for general automotive and engineering applications. All current Facom torque wrenches are made in Italy of France and certified (COFRAC) in France. These wrenches typically test much better than the +/-4% specification.

 

Facom S.208-200 with storage tube and COFRAC certification.

 

208 Series - In 2005, the 206 and 206 series were replaced by the new 208 series. New feature was a coarse and fine vernier torque adjustment plus a new "A" version with detachable head to allow the use of other torque wrench accessories.

 

205 Series - In 2001, Facom introduced the 205 Series, now with a palm control, reversible ratchet head. This was targeted for Automotive use and the 206 Series for Industrial and General Engineering applications

 

206 Series torque wrenches first appeared in the 1996 catalog. They included the same mechanism in used in the higher end 305 series but had a more compact fixed ratchet head. The 305 Series head was detachable and allowed the use of other torque wrench accessories. Both 206 and 305 series were certified to +/-4% accuracy. The 206 series was a 1-way wrench. So was the 305 although I did receive several calls back in the day from customers who claimed their wrench only worked in reverse (turns out they had installed the detachable ratchet head upside down on their torque wrench).

 

Facom Catalogs - Facom was founded in 1918 and in their almost 100 years of existence, they have only published 15 full catalogs (catalogues)....the first one in 1924 and their last one in 2013. The current F13 catalog is quite large at 1000+ pages.

Hardcover Facom catalogs are often available on Ebay

 

Facom owned SK Hand Tools and used them for US distribution through 2005.

 

 

"Facom Classic" - 40R Fast Action Combination Wrenches - these were introduced by Facom in 1995 and appear in the F96 catalog. This wrench used a stock 40 Series box end with a specially modified open end to give a fact-action ratcheting effect on fasteners and fittings. They were available in 17 metric sizes, from 8-24mm and later, thanks to their ownership of SK Hand Tools here in the states, 12 fractional sizes from 5/16" to 15/16".

I found these very useful when working with captive fasteners....HVAC and plumbing fittings, coaxial cable ends, etc. Unfortunately, Facom discontinued this series in 2014 and replaced it with the 467R series. The 467R is a better wrench, but because of the ratcheting box end, it comes at a higher cost. And the contractors who were buying these were mostly interested in the fast action open end.

 

Facom's 40R series - the open end design allows fast rotation....the tool can be positioned for the next turn without removing it from the fastener.

Technical Advantage - 3 drive surfaces for greater torque application - more wrench-to-fastener contact points. Reduced risk of fastener wear and less chance of wrench slippage. Ratchet effect is twice as fast as any conventional open end wrench.

 

Factory Highlights / Graphics

 

Early SK advertisement for Facom 40R series

 

"Facom Classic" - 40ti Titanium Combination Wrenches - Facom produced titanium combination wrenches (40ti Series) in a few sizes during the production run of the McLaren F1 back in the 90's. Even at distributor pricing, these wrenches were expensive, costing the dealer roughly $100ea per wrench (6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 11mm & 12mm). Early wrenches had flaking problems but this was fixed by the time the F96 catalog (1996) was printed. I gave 50+ of these away to good customers back in the day and still have a few for my own collection.

Facom 1996 Catalog Listing for the 40Ti Series

 

A few from my personal collection

These are later production wrenches with a natural titanium satin finish that eliminated the flaking/peeling problems.

 

 

Onboard tool set for the McLaren F1

 

 

Facom Slim Profile Wide Opening Adjustable Wrenches - I recently had to replace the cartridges in a pair of Danze faucet sets in my kitchen and had problems finding a compact, wide spread wrench to do the job. Most plumbers I've worked with keep a set of large multi-grip water pump pliers in their tool bucket for jobs like this and tend to chew up the brass edges of the locknuts taking the faucet apart. An adjustable wrench is better but to accommodate a 30-40mm spread, you've got to use a large 12" or 15" adjustable wrench.

I was just about to cut down a 12" adjustable when Facom came out with 2 new short adjustable wrenches- a 6" (113AS.6C) and an 8" (113AS.8C). The 6" version is only 160mm long but will open to 34mm (1.3") (same spread as their 12" adjustable wrench). The 8" version is 200mm long and will open to 41mm (1.57") (max on a 15" wrench is only 3mm more at 44mm). These 2 wrenches are great for plumbing, HVAC and other tasks where you don't need a lot of torque, just "wide spread" and access to the flats of the fasteners.

 

 

170A Series Multi-Grip Pliers - very nice quality and finish, especially for such an inexpensive tool. Made in France. I've received the 7" and 10" versions. Still waiting on the larger 12" set to be available for purchase. Much nicer than the old 170A series which only came in the 10" size. Cheaper too!  You can order the 170A.18 and 170A.25 through the online store.

 

 

Facom Tools in Action - Facom 70A Ratcheting Flare nut wrenches were used at the Subaru telescope at Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Instruments in the telescope must be cooled to extremely low temperatures using liquid nitrogen and helium, specifically for infrared observations. These ratchet flare wrenches were used as the most effective way to tighten all lines and fittings for distribution of cooling.

 

Facom Tools in Action - Facom 1" Drive 1000nm torque wrenches K.306A1000 were purchased to secure Rolls Royce engines to the test stands at the Stennis Jet Engine Test facility in Mississippi.

 

Facom Tools in Action - 15k Service , Ferrari 355. Other than the use of a few specialty tools (mainly for camshaft timing), all of the engine R&R and seal replacements were done with the tools in the Facom/Ferrari collector set.