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Phobya Molex Extractor Toolkit Review

Dark Mantis

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Phobya Molex Extractor Toolkit Review
« on: August 29, 2011, 06:18:41 pm »
Phobya Molex Extractor Kit Review
by Dark Mantis






Phobya has sent me a tool kit for use in extracting the pins from all sorts of Molex connectors. This maybe required because you want to make up new cables or the particular one in question has been damaged and needs replacing or, more usually when the pins need to be removed from a connector to enable the insertion of the wire into some cable braid for aesthetic purposes. Obviously the small diameter braid used to sleeve a single cable is only a couple of millimetres maximum and so there is no way of expanding it to fit over an end connector therefore the block requires removing first and for that special tools are needed.





Most Molex connector block pins are secured in place by reverse barbs on the shank of the steel tubing they are made from. In order for them to be removed from the plug these barbs need to be flattened down so that the pin can be pushed back through the connector block. The different types of Molex connectors have their own design of pin and barb lock. This set of four seperate tools will enable the disassembly of all of the types of blocks.





There is one tool for each type of plug or socket and I shall deal with each as we get to them. The first one and probably the most used is a dual ended tube of two different diameters. One is 2.72mm ID 3.60mm OD and the other end is 2.17mm ID and 3.00mm OD. This tool is to fit the plug and socket ends of the large 4 pin Molex blocks like the general purpose ones that fit PATA hard drives, pumps, many fans and various other devices.





The next is for the small 4 pin plug that fits the old floppy drives and a few other components like fans. This is like a four pronged comb and enables all four locking barbs to be flattened at once. Coming next in line is the single pointed tool for the old six cable in line connector blocks and the more modern SATA power connector. Finally the last tool has a twin pointed end that enables disassembly of the motherboard and GPU power cable ends.





The tools with the exception of the cylindrical large Molex one are all made up from laminated steel riveted together to give more strenth than a single piece. The "comb" tool is made of two layers and the others of three. They all seem to be quite strong especially considering the small sizes of the actual tool heads involved. Some care is required when using the tools and it is best to try and put the pressure straight down along the tool rather than across it where bending is more likely to occur. Phobya has made the effort to design them ergonomically as far as possible.



When everything is taken into consideration I find them quite a well designed toolkit and should last you for some time if handled correctly. The price is fair enough I feel considering

the quality involved. I award this tool kit 8/10.




Supplier: C and C Central   Website: http://www.candccentral.co.uk/phobya-molex-extractor-kit-sleeving-tool.html  Price: £13.26

« Last Edit: August 29, 2011, 08:29:39 pm by Dark Mantis »
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Grozdan

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Re: Phobya Molex Extractor Toolkit Review
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2011, 11:05:31 am »
I find this tool to be very useful. Thanks for review...
« Last Edit: August 30, 2011, 11:20:23 am by Dark Mantis »
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Dark Mantis

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Re: Phobya Molex Extractor Toolkit Review
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2011, 11:23:27 am »
It was something I had seen on the retailer's website for a long time and wondered about. Until now I have been using a Lamptron kit which is very nice but the ATX (motherboard connector) tool is better on the Phobya kit I would say. It is probably the most difficult tool out of the four to use anyway.
Gigabyte X58A-UD7
i7 920
Dominators 1600 x6 12GB
6970 2GB
HX850
256GB SSD, Sam 1TB, WDB320GB
Blu-Ray
HAF 932

Gigabyte Z68X-UD5-B3
i7 3770K
Vengeance 1600 16GB
6950 2GB
HCP1200W
Revo Drive x2, 1.5TB WDB RAID0
16x DLRW
StrikeX S7
Full water cooling
3 x 27" Iiy