The Fireball gift guide
Gifts for the welder
who owns everything
Every tool in this guide is one we draw, cast and machine ourselves, so whatever you pick, they do not already have it under another brand. Most of the guide sits between $12 and $32.
- Most picks $12 to $32
- Not sold under any other brand
- Inch and metric sets
- Nothing here needs batteries
Start here
Three questions, three safe picks.
If you are buying for someone whose shop you have never stood in, one of these three is the answer.
They are just getting started
ABS Tower holder, $16
Every shop has hex keys and everyone loses them. This is the pick that works whether they weld, wrench or build furniture.
Buy the ABS TowerThey have been at it twenty years
Aluminum Dual holder, $32
Inch and metric on one rotating base. The tool someone with a full shop still does not own, because they have been making do with two holders.
Buy the Aluminum DualThey work out of a truck
Mantis Grip Pliers 8", $14
One long arm, one short arm, so it reaches past material a normal locking plier cannot. Small enough to live in the door pocket.
Buy the Mantis 8"The safe bet, from $12
Most hex key holders are fiddly. These are not.
A magnetic base holds the set wherever you set it down, and the keys come out one at a time instead of all at once. Five builds, from a travel sized ABS holder at $12 to the dual tower that carries inch and metric together. It is the gift people open, use that afternoon, and mention to you a year later.
For the inch and metric shop
Aluminum Dual
From $32
- 2 lb pull force magnet
- Inch and metric together
Every holder ships loaded. Pick the set that matches your shop, or take the dual and stop guessing.
Imperial, inch
13 pc: .05, 1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, 9/64, 5/32, 3/16, 7/32, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8
Metric, mm
9 pc: 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10
The one they would not buy themselves
One long arm, one short arm, twice the reach.
Standard locking pliers give you two medium arms and one way into a joint. The long arm on the Mantis steps over material to clamp past it, the short arm gets into places a C clamp cannot, and the threaded end doubles as a clamping face you can swap. Cheap enough to give a pair.
A gift they will actually reach for, not one that ends up in the drawer under the bench.
The statement gift
A square you can weld against, not just draw against.
The patented flange and web body carries load without flexing, open insets and corner reliefs give the torch somewhere to go, and four tool free thumbscrews lock alignment tabs so nothing twists mid tack. Cast aluminum if you want it light, Dragon Scale cast iron if you want spatter to fall off on its own.
The all rounder
Mega 6"
Size 6" x 6" x 1.5", flange 1.5"
Aluminum 1.7 lb (760 g)
Dragon Scale 4 lb (1800 g)
For everyday tacking
Mega 4"
Size 4" x 4" x 1.5", flange 1.5"
Aluminum 1.1 lb (495 g)
Dragon Scale 2.5 lb (1153 g)
For heavy assemblies
Monster 6"
Size 6" x 6" x 1.5", flange 1.5"
Aluminum 1.5 lb (681 g)
Dragon Scale 3.5 lb (1586 g)
For small brackets
Monster 4"
Size 4" x 4" x 1.5", flange 1.5"
Aluminum 1 lb (440 g)
Dragon Scale 1.5 lb (681 g)
Nothing here is rebadged
Fireball draws, casts and machines these in house. If you want one, this is the only place it is sold.
Machined, not stamped
Square edges are machined at 90 and 45 degrees with tapped holes for alignment tabs. Tolerances you can set a part against.
Priced like consumables
Most of this page sits between $12 and $32, so buying a second one for the truck is not a decision you have to sleep on.
For the one who cleans up
A scraper, a chipping hammer and a deburring tool.
A USA made handle paired with a hardened tool steel blade. It cleans plasma and flame cut edges without you reaching for a second tool. The nickel plated carbon steel is in stock right now; the stainless is between runs.
Out of stock 
For the parts drawer
Stop guessing whether that bolt is 5/16 or M8.
An accurate thread verifier for both nuts and bolts, assembled on a wire loop. It earns its keep on the inch and metric pairs that look identical in your hand. The original is in stock right now; the wall mounted board is between runs.
Out of stock 
Before you buy
Questions we get most.
Can I buy these anywhere other than Fireball Tool?
No. Every product on this page is designed and manufactured by Fireball Tool and sold only through us.
Which hex key holder should I get?
If it lives on a bench or a table, take an aluminum tower for the rotating base and the stronger magnet. If it lives in a bag or a truck, take a low profile. If you work in both inch and metric, the Aluminum Dual carries both sets on one holder.
What is the difference between a Mega Square and a Monster Square?
Both use the same patented flange and web construction and the same tool free thumbscrews. They differ in body geometry and in weight, so pick by the shape that suits your work and by how much mass you want holding a part still. The weights are listed on every card above.
Aluminum or Dragon Scale cast iron?
Cast aluminum is roughly half the weight and will not rust, which matters when you are moving squares around all day. Dragon Scale cast iron is heavier and its coating repels weld spatter without anti spatter spray, which matters when you are welding right against the square.
Why is the Mantis arm design different from normal locking pliers?
Normal locking pliers have two arms the same length, so both sides need the same clearance. The Mantis pairs a long arm with a short one. The long arm steps over material up to 2.75 inches to reach a joint behind it, and flipping the plier over gives you a low profile approach in tight work.
What does the threaded end on the Mantis do?
The bolt is the clamping surface, and because it is a standard thread, M8 x 1.25 on the 8 inch and M10 x 1.5 on the 11 inch, you can swap in a pad, a point, or something you turned yourself for the job in front of you.
Why do some cards say Learn more instead of Buy now?
These run in batches rather than continuously, so at any given moment some finishes and sizes are in stock and others are between runs. This page checks the store as it loads, so a card showing Buy now is genuinely buyable today. Anything showing Learn more is waiting on the next run, and the product page will take your email for it.
I know nothing about welding. What is the safe pick?
The ABS Tower hex key holder at $16. Every shop already has hex keys and everyone loses them, so it lands whether the person welds, wrenches or builds furniture. If you want to spend a little more, the Aluminum Dual at $32 is the same idea done properly.
What if they already have one?
Most of this guide is the kind of tool people own one of and wish they owned two, a holder for the bench and one for the bag, a plier for each side of a joint. The squares are the exception, and because they come in sizes, a 4 inch is still a real gift to someone who already keeps a 6 inch on the table.
What if it is not right for my shop?
Returns and exchanges follow our standard store policy. See the refund policy linked in the footer, or contact us and we will sort it out.
Still deciding? Pick the $16 one
The ABS Tower hex key holder is the easiest gift on this page to get right. Everything else here is between $12 and $32, except the squares, which are the one to reach for when it is a big occasion.