work gloves

T

Torque

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Oct 9, 2023
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'96 Bird 4.6
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I'm looking for impact gloves that are actually made well and are durable. I've had it with Mechanix M-pact gloves. One pair of M-pacts didn't even last through a single 2-wheel brake job. The next pair of M-pact2 gloves didn't make it through a single front end suspension rebuild. Same problem with both pairs: fingers blew out. The synthetic leather they use is absolute shit. It gets torn to shreds and that's without even snagging them on anything.

I've been shopping a lot, reading reviews on many different brands and models, but I thought I'd ask you guys before I purchase a new pair whether you've had better luck with any specific gloves. Remember, I need impact (TPR) on the back for finger and wrist protection, as I'm always slamming the backs of my hands against things. Palm padding would be good, too, since I have injured my palms on tool handles before and it's not fun.
 
I'm an auto mechanic by trade. I don't use any of those "Mechanic" gloves. I find them all too bulky. I use these red stretchy gloves that have black palms. I think they are called gorilla gloves. They come in 10 packs for like $12 at autozone. When they wear out I toss them and grab more from the pack. They are grippy for holding things, they do not hinder my hand movement, and they are breathable. They are not padded or armored like Mechanix gloves though. Like yourself I got tired of spending $25 plus for those things. Then I wind up taking them off anyway. I'll post a picture of what I use in a minute.
 
Just watch the first 30 seconds. I'm wearing the gloves in this video.
 
Portwest CT65 is what I use. They're rated A5 for cut resistance and have saved my hands many times. The only drawback to them is they are not waterproof. If I am going to be changing fluids, I put latex gloves over them.

www.safetyvestsandmore.com

PORTWEST® CT65 - CT VHR Nitrile Foam Gloves - ANSI Cut Level A5

The Portwest® CT65 VHR Nitrile Foam Glove provides Level E Cut Resistance while remaining free from glass and steel fibers. Retains cut performance level for up to 10 washes. Includes retail bag to aid in presentation.
www.safetyvestsandmore.com www.safetyvestsandmore.com

I have also used their A722 Impact-Rated gloves with good results. They are an A4 on the cut resistance scale.

www.safetyvestsandmore.com

PORTWEST® A722 Cut Resistant Impact Gloves - ANSI Impact Level 2

The Portwest A722 Cut Resistant Impact Gloves are a part of the Anti-Impact Hand Protection range, providing vital protection against impact to the hand from multiple hazards. Suitable for heavy-duty applications.
www.safetyvestsandmore.com www.safetyvestsandmore.com
 
I'm with Gordo on gorilla gloves, I actually started using those only in the last few years and they're the only glove I don't end up taking off midway through a task in frustration trying to start a bolt in a hole or soaking them in oil. I use the mechanic gloves still but only in instances where their bulk offers some protection, like if I'm pushing on a rusty fastener with a breaker bar and my knuckles get sent into a rusty subframe at 150mph, they're good for that.
 
I used to use Ringers brand when they made an insulated pair for winter activities and work. They were great, but discontinued a few years back and I still miss them. I know Firefighters that used that brand as well.

But for most jobs the nitrile coated cheapies from Harbor freight out the line are good like Gordo said
 
Nitrile gloves here; especially for brakes. I'll end up throwing those "expensive" gloves in the trash after one brake job, they get so filthy it defeats the purpose of wearing them.
 
Personally have had good luck with the Mechanix m-pact gloves, they have helped save my hands from getting beat up. Especially when using lots of force on tools like a combo wrench. I never use them when dealing with fluids though.
 
I have a buncha different brands of regular nitrile glove packs for messy work – used some for my recent floor jack rebuild, which was indeed messy – but I took your consensus advice for dipped grip and thought maybe cut-resistant fabric would hold up better than that syntho leather garbage.

So, as I needed some other stuff from Amazon, I added these to my cart: Andanda Level 5

I'll let y'all know how they work out.
 
The key with cut resistant is the ones with synthetic fibers instead of fiberglass or metal. I've not used the ones you got but they look promising. Keep us posted.
 
20230716_134631.jpg

These are the general purpose Maxi Flex gloves I use everyday .. they don't hold up to well to hot Solder drips. 😉 Anything to do with greasy or oily things is a one time use, and working on cars is usually dirty work.
 
I got a pack of something like those from the local Aldi once. They are OK but as you said, greasy or oily jobs and they're about done for. Great for doing stuff like rotating the tires or suspension work though.
 
Don't bother with those Andanda gloves I linked. They're true to size, but they brutalize the hands. There is no front-to-back give along the TPR zones, so when you try to make a grip, they instantly stiffen up and the impact zones dig into the knuckles. After only a few test attempts to make a full grip, my knuckles were red and hurting. Dexterity is extremely poor. I returned them.

As a last resort for the impact variety, I'm going to try some real leather ones, maybe goatskin, and see if they hold up better than the fake leather.
I have HyperTough water-resistant cowhide gloves that have held up for years of hard use and are super puncture resistant (even long, tough vine thorns don't penetrate, gripping hard on them). They're impressive, but the fingers are too bulky for car repairs, and there's no impact or palm pad protection.
 
A little update for you:

After researching real leather work gloves, I decided to try the MCR PD2907 (goatskin). I sent a message to them, via their site form, telling them of my experience with the pair I had to return to Amazon, my displeasure with Mechanix brand, and that I couldn't locate a supplier that offered free shipping and free returns in case they were as unusable as the gloves I returned to Amazon.

In response, the MCR agent sent me a free sample pair!

I got them today and they fit well, in large size like the Mechanix I had been buying. MCR has a size chart pdf for printout on this page that you palm – the width of my hand is on the medium line, but my middle finger is on the large line. The padding layers make up the difference, so the large width fits my hand just fine, despite the big size difference on the chart.

There is no discomfort or other issue when making a fully closed fist/grip with these gloves. The fingers are snug when new, which enhances dexterity, fits better in cramped areas, and should make an even more comfortable conformal fit with use.
The problem so far, even before I use the things, is that the fourchettes are made of, you guessed it, synthetic leather. However, since the finger bottoms (faces?) are real leather, I hold out more hope for these than the full syntho leather garbage.
The price is so low that I ordered 4 more pairs, just in case they wear out prematurely.

They are currently relatively cheap ($10.95): MCR PD2907
Shipping is a flat $10.

They also make a cowhide version. I told MCR I would have included a pair of those in my order, but they're currently $5 less
on Amazon ($25): MCR PD2903L

I'll let ya know how well they hold up.
 
I've been using the Venom brand nitrile; they're thick, tear resistant, and if layered correctly, will keep your hands warm too. I put a pair at the skin, put mechanics gloves over them, then another layer of nitrile. It also protects m hands when I punch something on the bottom of the car, when the bolt comes loose. :) There's one exhaust manifold bolt that I always punch when removing a trans, lol.
 
Interesting glove sandwich. I never tried that.
I should test to see how hard it is to slide these new gloves with their tire tread design TPR impact back layer into a regular disposable nitrile glove.
Somehow, I don't think it'll be easy, but I have plenty of them around here (not Venoms), so I can ruin a few w/o regret.
 
Nitrile gets sliced easy, but I know where most of the sharp bits are. I seem to work on cars when it's cold out, so beteen this trick, and the heat tape I put on the bottom of the toolbox drawers, My hands stay fairly warm.
 
Well, I tried it with several brands of disposable nitrile and vinyl gloves; no joy. I couldn't convince them to go all the way down the fingers, even after inserting non-gloved fingers in there, lifting a little at a time, trying to coax them. They weren't budging. Yep, this included powdered ones.
About half an inch of each finger of the disposables was left hanging off the fingertips of the new MCR gloves. That's not to say it wouldn't work with any other impact gloves; good luck to those who try.

These were "one size fits all/most" disposables, so full coverage might possibly be achieved with an XL nitrile, but I'm not gonna buy even more disposables in special sizes just to experiment with.
For a job with a high probability of fluids or greases getting on my hands, I use nitrile disposables during the messy parts of the job (draining, bleeding, cleanup, etc.) and impact gloves for the heavier disassembly/reassembly before/after the mess is made.
 
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