History and My Needs For the Product: I recently purchased multiple boxes of this produce for my 2002 H1 Wagon. Over the years, my original mounting clamps have taken a beating both due to extreme weather conditions (high/low temps, snow, rain, hail, sun, etc.) and off-roading (tree branches, water, stones, etc). I decided to try multiple of this product in the hope to safely secure my axe, hi-lift jack, and shovel exteriorly and other tools and flashlights interiorly. What I Found: This product has many pros and few cons which I will list below. I found that in most cases, the single screw/bolt method of installing the mount was not enough stability for my needs. As such, I just drilled another hole in the edge of the base for an additional screw/bolt to create the absence of a pivoting/swiveling tool(s) in off-road and/or bumpy settings. Also, it should be common knowledge, but I will say it anyway; it is necessary to utilize both mounts in the box to hold larger tools like an axe (which I had issues with listed below in the cons) and a shovel. Products like a hi-lift jack may need more mounting clamps. I utilized 3 to be safe and fabricated a locking mechanism too via it's weight. Items like an interior flashlight or other small items can utilize one mount alone, but this is when the second hole (also mentioned in cons below) may become necessary to your needs. Overall I am pleased, my only other suggestion is to install these in areas you feel branches and other obstructions will not pull open the cover flap. The mount holds the tools well enough without it in case it would open, but if you are off-roading, and for on-road safety, it is not worth looking for your jarred tools in a creek, muddy terrain, and/or windshield or tires of a vehicle behind you. Better safe than sorry. A little though and consideration can go a long way. Pros Include: 1) Easily mountable 2) Fabricated from weather resistance material (we will see over the years if that is correct) 3) Black coloration (blends in with vehicle when tools are not mounted) 4) Adjustable for multiple sized tools (shovel, hi-lift jack, etc.). 5) Inexpensive compared to some others I've seen. Thus why I bought many at one time because you never know when you might need them for yourself or others (like my brother who frequently loses his tools off-roading). Cons Include: 1) You have to get the hardware to install it yourself. It does not come with it which is really not a big deal via my need to place it on different sized or thick surfaces anyway. 2) It only has one hole to install a screw/bolt (making it necessary to use evenly placed two mounts for even simple things like interior flashlights since severe offloading may cause it to pivot slightly as was the case in one specific mount holding an interior flashlight. I later corrected this by adding another base hole and bolt to allow the use of only one mount for small items without the fear of pivoting/swiveling) 3) This product is not the best at holding non-circular items. It works great on things like flashlights, shovel handles, even the hi-lift jacks (when reversing the bold to penetrate the holes as discussed on the box); but my axe handle is more oval shaped and slides back and forth which is why I had to fabricate additional stabilizing components due to my off-roading needs. In Closing: These mounting clamps do a good job. They are not the best in all extreme cases and a bit of common sense is needed to make them work for all needs, along with some extra work on the buyers part in some cases. Otherwise, the adjustably of the locking flap is great for placing various sized tools in the same mount at different times (not one tool purposed), they seem solid enough for my needs, and they are inexpensive in comparison to other mounting clamps I've seen. If in doubt, just buy one, and see if it fits your needs.
