Velleman VTBEND1 Resistor and Axial Component Lead Bending Tool Set, 1 Grade to 12 Grade, 1/4W to 3W

These work as expected, and the value is there; many outfits sell a single tool for as much as ten dollars. With this set I get 4 tools for a couple extra dollars. One tool has a little bit of scratching on the finish, nothing that effects their utility, but I didn't buy these because they are super pretty ... I bought them because they do a job and save time and effort. I'd have liked green plastic even more though!

Quite useful, handy to have, much better than the whittled down paint stirrer I was using. Looked like one was already used for something, though I'm thinking the marks are just from them rubbing against each other. It would be nice if the W was marked on them, though that's pretty obvious once you try using them. Touch on the expensive side for what they are, they'd be awesome at the $10-15 price point.

Let me preface this by saying that I should return these for refund just out of spite, but it is probably not worth the effort. This is an example of how something that is too simple to screw up got screwed up. Both cosmetically and functionally these tools are marginal at best, and there is no excuse for this. Although they are not totally useless, they are so poorly molded that leaded components take much longer to form than they should, and this matters if you have a lot of parts to prepare. I guess I was spoiled using a lead forming tool of another brand from a decade ago (it was green), but for some reason I didn't think that the art of injection molding would become a lost technology in 2018.These came in a bag that had no indication of the Velleman brand on it, so who knows if this is a clone or a clone of a clone.The most fundamental problem is that, at least on the narrowest tool, the central channel (with the millimeter numbers) is too shallow and in many cases it holds the component body so high that the leads won't fall into the narrow grooves, which themselves are wider and sloppier than they should be. So instead of just dropping the component into the appropriate groove and having it self-align, you need to align the component squarely in the tool yourself as you bend the leads over. Now I could try to clamp these trapezoid shapes in my milling machine and deepen the wide central channel (allowing the component body more clearance), but I shouldn't have to do that.In addition to the inadequate channel depth, the overall mold quality was poor and the plastic shows substantial shrinkage (see photos) that further limits the depth of the lead grooves. And check out the surface finish of that plastic.I am only keeping these because I am too lazy to send them back and because I may find some rare use with larger components. But for 1/4 watt resistors, which I use most of the time in prototyping, I will do what I should have done in the first place - make a specific-size tool out of wood. It will be more functional.

Bending parts at an electronic company

Ultimately they perform their job, but not very effectively. The grooves are too shallow and don't hold the components securely while bending the leads. This makes it easy to accidentally bend the leads at different angles or off-center.

These things are outstanding if you do any hand work with electronics components. Getting the leads bent cleanly so the components fit the board without wiggle or movement makes them much better for long term stability.

They did the job. I wouldn't say these were a total necessity but it is better than using pliers to bend the leads.

These work and make bending the leads on components much faster and more precise.