Prior to the 2016 SHOT Show range day, I got a lot of emails. Everyone does–people selling products want to get the word out about their stuff. One of the folks who contacted me was pushing something called Fix it Sticks .
The name didn’t really tell me what it was, so I looked a little closer. Turns out, Fix it Sticks are pretty versatile. With two of them and a selection of 1/4″ hex bits, you can do a lot, and they store in a very small area.
They call it the “smallest, lightest, and most compact set of torque limiters/portable t-handle drivers available. Great for tightening scope rings and mounts to the correct torque while in the field or at the range.”
Each end of each Stick is hollow and accepts 1/4″ hexagonal tool bits. A hex hole through the middle of each one can engage with the other to form a tee handle. Besides the obvious screwdriver bits, you can use adapters to allow you to attach sockets and to tighten or loosen nuts and bolts.
You can use just one Stick, turning it with your fingers to get a screw started. Then add the other Stick to provide some leverage so you can tighten ‘er down.
Fix it Sticks was invented by a frustrated bicycle rider who loved his three-way tool but wanted a tool that was easier to fit into a pocket. And besides cycling, it has a lot of other uses. The kit I saw at the SHOT Show range day included a number of torque limiters, which means this can be a great tool for hunters and shooters who may need to work on their guns or bows in the field or at camp–and especially when working on scope mounts.
Find the right bit for your screw (like the ones on your scope rings, for instance) and put it into a torque limiter. When the screw gets tight enough, the limiter will slip. That way, you don’t strip threads and break screws, both of which have happened to me when mounting scopes.
For hunters & shooters, they offer a kit with 16 bits commonly used on guns and optics . If you want the torque limiters, you’ll want to pick up a kit that includes miniature torque limiters in 25- and 65-inch-pounds, 2 Fix It Sticks, 16 bits, 1/2″ Socket and 1/4″ bit adapter set, all packed into a “Tactical Tailor Designed Pouch.”
Also available: 15- and 45-inch-pound limiters, which also come in kit combos – but the 25 & 65 are the most popular.
Is it cheap? No, it’s not. The kit in the pouch will set you back $112 plus shipping [edit: I’m told you can find the combo for about $100 with a little online digging]. But it looks to be of high quality, and when you really need a tool in the field, you REALLY need a good tool.
