I use nitrile gloves, but I sometimes go through several pairs during a single work session. Are the so-called "mechanic's gloves" any better? Can your fingers "feel what they're doing" well enough? Do they tear easily? Can they be washed repeatedly? What's their life expectancy? What's the best brand/model? Do expensive ones last any better than the cheapies?

Thanks for any information.

 

I've always preferred purple nitrile gloves, but that's because those are what I wear all day working in labs so I'm used to them. The closest gloves I've found to nitrile gloves are very thin cloth gloves dipped in latex. They have really good grip and are tactile, though I can't remember the brand of them. Maybe I'll give my boss a call and see if he can tell me.

Edit: If you just look for some good quality string knit latex-dipped gloves at Home Depot or something they should be good for you. I find that the more expensive ones last longer, my current pair has lasted me the past 2 months and I use them daily, my previous pair (same brand) lasted 3. The cheap pair before that only lasted me a couple weeks. So I definitely think with work gloves it's better to make a larger initial investment, you'll see it returned tenfold. Get dipped gloves, not the dotted ones.

 

Thanks for the input, Peli. Do you use these dipped gloves when you do automotive work or just lab work?

Like probably everyone else has done, I've tried various leather work gloves over the years, but they're not very good at "fine" work. In other words, they're not very "nimble". And you can't really wash them off when they get greasy. After that, everything they touch gets greasy.

I, too, used to work in a laboratory in various power-plants, from oil and coal-fired to nuclear. I always wore vinyl gloves and they were fine for that purpose, but for automotive work they were too fragile. Nitrile is better, but, again, I sometimes go through three or four pairs during a single say 4-hour session of suspension or brake work. They're just not tough enough.

I've seen these so-called mechanic's gloves used on automotive tv shows of one type or another, but they're pretty expensive and I'm not sure if they'd really be better than plain old leather. That's why I started this thread to find out more about them.

Thanks again about mentioning the latex-coated cotton, though. I'll investigate them.

 

I've gone back & forth on that.

Got some mechanic's gloves from someplace like Home Depot. Not enough "feel" for fine work, but they can help grip wrenches for heavy work. Maybe even protect against bloody knuckles when that bolt finally lets go. They have a lot better feel than normal leather gloves (like garden gloves).

Rubber gloves (grocery-store kitchen type) sometimes, like for draining oil. They really help me tolerate hot oil splashing on my hands. Working in solvent, cleaning parts, they get slimy in 5 minutes & tear after about 10 minutes...

So in the end, I do a lot of work without gloves. Put on one or the other type depending on exactly what I'm doing. And I'll be watching for recommendations here, too.

 

I bought a pair of Snap-On mechanic gloves on EBAY for $18...Synthetic leather palms and fingers (Thin) and open back nylon mesh, padded knuckles, cotton pads for wiping sweat from your brow, and velcro wrist closures. They work well for me and have lasted 3 yrs so far. Some loss of touch/feel at the fingertips, but good for wrenching and tight quarters repairs. For the real dirty stuff, I use latex painters gloves. Nothing worse than getting a greasy knuckle buster or cuts midway into the job...

 

I use the gloves in the labs and also when I have to do more heavy duty work, like moving and repairing large equipment and demolition work, so they do stand up well to more heavy use. I agree, nitrile gloves are a little too weak for more serious work. I really prefer the nitrile dipped string knit gloves because they're thin enough that you feel like you're barely wearing gloves but thick enough to prevent scraped knuckles etc.

 

Im infavour of the mechanics brand of gloves that are in most parts stores. They seem to hold up very well..not good for picking up real small items..but then again that's what scissors are for..

 

I use the blue nitrile gloves at my shop. They usually last up to 4 hours with me moving around and tearing down 400 pound diesel blocks 200 pound crankshafts etc..

On really rough jobs I throw on a pair of leather gloves over them to help keep them going.

I can usually use a shop towel to wipe off grease and oil too when I need them clean.

They stay together through diesel fuel and solvent, so I'm satisfied.

 

I like the black nitrile gloves called Raven, you guys ever used them ? I think they're pretty good gloves, works good in oil and solvent too.

 

I'll be working up at the lab tomorrow so I can give you the brand of my favorite pair of gloves at lunch tomorrow. I really need to get myself another pair for around the house work.