Harbor Freight is located about 5 miles from me. I have bought quit a bit of tools from them. Their hand tools from Pittsburg have life time warranties. Of course you have to mail them to CA to get them replaced. For the price you pay its not worth mailing anywhere. Just go get another.

Some of you are right though, you have to be careful what you get. I say unless your turning a wrench daily then HF is OK. Otherwise I buy Craftman. Oh by the way, the new sears tools Companion is made........quess where?


Randy

 

By CP do you mean Chicago Pneumatic? My family has a bunch of CP air tools and they are fan-shmabulous, but they are also about 30 years old and were made in the USA. I'm not sure where CP's are made now.

The outfit I had the butterfly impact disintegrate from was Homier, not HF.

It's getting tough to buy made in the USA tools without going to the snap-on/mac/matco truck and spending a fortune lately. It seems like companies are just outsourcing manufacturing of stuff left and right.

I bought a set of black and decker hole saws about 6 months ago at Lowe's. They have Made in the USA stamped into them. My neighbor helped me out with a project last week and was commenting on how much he liked them, so later that day I bought him a set. These were *exactly* the same, except they all had Made in China on them. We'll see whose lasts longer.

This stinks.

P.S. I've never broken a crafstman hand tool. I've worn out a few just from sheer use, but I've never broken one.

I *HAVE* broken a Mac Impact socket however!

 

Drove up to Erie for the weekend to visit, helped SpineDoc with the front brakes on his 80...very nice ride, and the 10 Sec BBC Camaro parked next is sweet...anyhoooo, back to the tools....stopped in at the local Harbor Freight store, picked up some tools....1/2" drive 150 Lb/Metric torque wrench...$13.00, 1" dial indicator...$7.00, metric and sae, 5 piece, 30 degree offset ratcheting wrench sets, $7.00 bucks each...Shoulda bought more stuff...

 

"1/2" drive 150 Lb/Metric torque wrench"

150lb wrench??? did you need help lifting it? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just kiding. Good buys :cheers:

 

Are their tools pretty well made for the price? I could use some of their stuff.

 

Chinese and Taiwanese products...I have purchased many woodworking tools for chump change...joiner/planer, and the tools are great. My torque wrench is a Proto ratchet, purchased in '72, time for recalibration, but at 13 bucks, why bother, buy the new one...in fact, if not for the metric scale, this is a mirror of the Proto...makes one wonder.....

 

WHAT no aluminum floor jack???
...redvetracr

 

For me , if it doesn't have that "Made in the USA" logo on it, it stays on the shelf. I only buy Craftsman, Snap-on, and Mac. Every china tool I've gotten from Garbage freight has disintegrated within a year of owning it.

There is one chinese tools dealer you need to avoid like the plauge, and that's Homier. For giggles I bought a butterfly ratchet from them, and it started leaking air EVERYWHERE from the moment I plugged it in. Never again.

Not to diss your decision George, I've just had really bad luck, and I like buying made in the USA tools.

 

:iagree:

 

About 3 years ago at Laguna Seca my Buddy Aaron and I were standing in the pit area with 500 other guys admiring all the tools and hardware a CART team was using. Aaron asked me. "Where do they get all their tools?" With a straight face I said, "Harbor Freight". The guy standing behind me nearly choked! :lol:

Chuck

 

Steve, that's strange, I'm using HF's air tools, 3/8 and 1/2" drives, the impacts, all have the CP logo, not a single failure, had these for more than 8 years now.

 

I think it depends what you buy from Harbor freight. I picked up a set of 1/2" impact sockets. They fit well and I have not broken one yet. Same for a set of pry bars. Both have lifetime warranty, and the store is close to work.
I used to swear by old Husky stuff. I have the same 3/8" ratchet for 30 years, even put 3 foot pipes on it to break loose stubborn bolts. I recently bought a new Husky set to replace some of the lost sockets. It's JUNK! I've broken more Craftsman stuff than any other brand. I like Snap-on, Mac, and Matco, but sometimes the price puts them out of reach.

 

The torque wrench is the one tool you can not collect warranty on. I bought a Craftsman thinking they would stand behind it forever. Broke the plastic ring of the handle, tried taking it in for repairs under warranty and found out every/everything was covered for life EXCEPT my torque wrench.
I like to buy name brands but if the deal is good enough I buy anything. If it breaks it breaks, I don't have much money in it anyway.

 

I have a Harbor Freight here in town and if i need something quick they usually have it but yea you do have to watch what you buy.
I do believe in the old saying you get what you pay for.

 

It's hard to make a blanket statement anymore on these foreign tools. You have to look each tool over...I have gotten some very good stuff, made overseas cheaply and some junk. You just have to weed it out. Case in point: In the Midwest Menards sells a line of tools called Tool Shop. On sale was an impact wrench, impact socket wrench with fittings and oiler for $45.00. I figured this was junk, but went ot have a look. Heavy, brushed aluminum; I have beaten the tar out of these for over (2) years with no trouble. Even if they break down the road, I can replace them without heart ache. Another item I bought after Xmas was a 10" compound, sliding saw with laser site for.......$109. I have never found one under $275. This saw seems every bit as good as the comparable Craftsman; not quite as nice as the Delta ($500). This saw makes precision cuts; has a brake, hold downs, stops, etc. It also carries a 2-year warranty, which you just walk into Menards and get a new one, just like Craftsman. I have gotten some decent things at Harbor, but have seen some junk there too. You just have to be somewhat discriminatiing when buying. The upside on the Craftsman or better is that you can buy with full confidence that the tool is good and is warranteed. Sears never asks a question when you return a hand tool as long as you didn't grind it. I look at the tool and how often I will use it. Using a tool once every month is very different than a tradesman using it daily.

 

My contracting tools, sawzall, skill saw, various drills, and any compressors.. I buy new....but mechanic tools, I buy at hock shops.....impacts for 40 bux....INgersoll too boot....Snap on also....
all Snap ratchets, etc.....hardly ever touch a Sears anymore....

hand tools I rarely break as the impact stuff gets the work done without strain....

the nice thing is the Snap warrenty....Sears also, for that matter....

GENE

 

I use Harbor for the unusual stuff (mechanic's stethoscope, shop press, etc.). I have one close by, so it's no big deal if the stuff fails. I have Craftsman for the rest.

 

I prefer US made stuff... But, if you can find a decent built hand-wrench thats made elsewhere good for you.

For me the attraction to Craftsman/proto etc is that they actually fit the bolt head thats etched in the side! Many many of the wrenches out their say one thing but are the metric equivelant... entirely to many ouchies have been caused by this!

Look on ebay for a set of beat up 12 points and 6 points... 12 on the big stuff, the 6 for smaller. (6 gives you more contact on the bolt head, less likely to strip it out. Also gives me a more assuring fit.) The one drawback with 6 point stuff is that if it isnt lined up your not getting it off with that tool!

For ratchets, you just have to stay away from cheap feeling stuff... if it has plastic directional changers, move on. If it has a rough feeling ratchet mechanism (entry level craftsman, husky, stanley...) move on. If your willing to spend some money, the teardrop Craftsman's arent horrible! They arent as strong as they used to be (look for a Chrome directional changer... puts you back in the "right" time for a cheaper well built tool.) The pro grade Craftsman stuff is just that... Polished, nice mechanisms and more teeth in the ratchet. Makes you almost sad to get it all scratched up!

Snapon makes an excellent tool... For ratchets, sockets and combo wrenches! Some stuff doesnt really matter, like the extensions... Most any will work... if it feels like its going to twist, you need a 1/2 inch. If that feels like its going to twist... ya need a deep well 6 point and a shorter extension! My experience is that the impact grade stuff is about the same as the regular grade (dont use the regular in the impact without safety glasses... even then its risky!)

The one problem with impact grade sockets is that they wear out... they arent as hard as the chrome'd equivalents, so they sacrifice themselves on hardened bolts!

Impacts... Find an old Ingersoll 2131A, they make rebuild kits for about 20 bucks, and they are the "Old" standby. Many have had them forever, just keep them oiled and they'll be your friend for a long time to come! (Cant speak for the plastic cased ones, the torque rating is higher then the metal cased... but it takes one heck of a compressor just to get the full power on most any Ingie!)

For me, I prefer to use a ratchet over a butterfly... anyone ever gotten one stuck where it grabs the bolt and pinches your hand with a hundred lbs of thrust... RIGHT NOW! That can hurt...

Breaker bars... I dont quite follow my own advice, but its smart to keep two handy. One is in case you snap the head off with that 6 foot pipe (make the pipe hard to get so its less likely to be used...) and they become your friends because they save your ratchet from use... and your back from that sudden adrenaline spike that says, IF I hunch down and pull up I can get it! (You do normally get the bolt out, ya just walk at a 45 degree angle until someone can pull ya back upright.)

Screwdrivers... I try not to think about them... Screws are not my friends, they rust, they strip out... Craftsman's stuff works, to much cheaper then their red and blue sets and you have trouble with the tips going dull. They work great for opening paint cans... and acting as a chisel!

Taps and dies... high speed steel, not carbon steel... carbon = dull.

If you do alot of hammering around threaded do-dads that you dont want to mess up, get a brass hammer or 15... Ranging from what you think is way to small (ounce or two... great for under the dash!) To about the size of half your fist... any bigger then that you need to go for the mini-sledge.

Electronic tools... stay away from foreign stuff! You CANNOT get a good crimp out of a cheap crimper. You cant get a nice cut from a dull cutter... You cannot get a decent strip from your pocket knife (well I can... but dont do what I do... You cut off some of the strands :D)

For important stuff... Like brakes... please dont skimp on your plumbing tools! Go with rigid, play around until you figure out how to use em... Go to Corvettefaq and find Lars' papers on fuel line building, and get most anything he talks about!

Dont hang brake calipers by the hose, get a coat hanger or 2 and bend a couple hangers. Stretched flex lines = popped flex lines which = no brakes on the opposing corners!

Over kill life support systems. Dont buy cheap crap for your jack stands... if the weld looks like a slug crapped down the seam do you trust your life to the welder? I use 4 or so jackstands when I'm under a car, and if I'm doing work on one side or the other, I bring the jack up beside the stand closest to me almost to touching. If you dont trust a cinderblock, hunk of wood or wheel rim, dont trust a cheap azz jack stand! Dont want to read about you in the paper! Dont forget the wheel chocks if your working on a slope... Or if you have just the front or back in the air!

Also dont forget the plywood board if your working on less then stable ground... Jack stands sink into tarmac...

For torque wrenches... Get a clicker in 1/2, get a clicker inch lbs, and get a beam 3/8ths. The beam is more reliable, and keeps its torque spec unless the beam gets bent! Williams makes a ratcheting adapter that goes between the tbar and the socket... lets you change directions and all sorts of stuff!

Extensions (I mentioned them earlier...) If you have both long, and short... 6 point and 12 point sockets... your probably ready to work on your extension and flex joint supply! For 1/4... get some real short ones, on up to a foot or so. For 3/8ths... get some that are about the length of half of a deep well socket, on up to about 8-10 inches. For 1/2 get a couple that are the size of a deep well plus a shortwell, (stackable...) and a couple that can reach the inside of the dish of your wheels... then maybe a 10 (dont normally use a real long extension on a 1/2... but its not unheard of!

Crows feet have a job, I havent ever needed one, havent picked up a set... but if your working on powersteering/ a/c they could come in handy for getting to the different lines...

For line wrenches, get the best you can afford! You REALLY dont want to strip the head off of the line... because you bought a cheap azz line wrench set! If you do this, you have to find a way to get the line out (snip snip...) and then use your plumbing tools! (If you cheap out on your plumbing tools... heed my warning, its our good friend murphy, you get to redo your whole darn car!)

For pliers... You really want to go around to all the different places and try em out. Some people like craftsman's pliers... I grew up on Channel locks, so I favor them! Although all things being equal snapon makes the best I've seen... They fit anyones hand, they work the smoothest and grab the hardest for the least amount of input. One of the ones that the snappy guys do is grab two needle nose pliers and bend pennys, the pliers twist and contort... you lean back and the penny becomes parts of a penny... the pliers go back to being dead straight!

Vice grips... and adjustable wrenches! Vice grips are your friend... and they are your enemy. You buy cheap knockoffs and they will bite you in the hand... You buy the real deal and they will save you when you need to remove the mangled bolt! Buy two plier style ones (one to torque down the other!) Buy a couple needle nose ones (good for grabbing on to SMALL stuff and holding it without dropping) for those of us with big fingers! Buy a couple big C clamp ones if your changing brake pads on non-C3 cars!

For your adjustables... I almost never use small adjustable wrenches! 8 inches min! The only reason I'd be using them is that I cant get a socket on the bolt, but my box wrench is to short... Get about 6-big enough to loosen your wheel bearing bolts/carb fuel filter! If your working with em often, dont go chinese, get something thats tight. My test for adjustables is to grab the moving jaw and wiggle it. If its not tight, or at least snug... Thats a slip waiting to happen! If the thumb adjuster has slop... move on!

Get a pair of side cutters, you know... those things that you use to cut fencing... and when dull use to pull cotter pins out! (touch the back half "non angled side" to the rounded side of the cotter pin, squeeze... if it cuts its not dull enough, put it back in the "good tools" side of the box. If it doesnt cut, start to pry around until the cotter pin slides out. It'll pull minor bends out, and sometimes you can reuse them!

For measuring tools... Pickup a set of Browne&sharp or starret mic's... One that fits your rotors/drums on your brakes, one that fits your main bearings, and one that fits your rod journals. If you want to get fancy you can get some inside mics for measuring the inside of cylinders... but thats extra. Another if you trust them are those dandy things called dial calipers. They give an accurate reading if you know what the reading is already... but they give you a decent idea of what your working with! The reason they arent "as acurate" on cars is that on a car the measurement changes alot over the area of the blades on the caliper! Giving you the "average!" Alot of the old tool and die makers are going out of buisness or moving on... find a set of older tools, and have em sent out or find a scale/measuring shop in your area. (they can also check your torque wrenches... you should do that every couple months/years depending on use, and if your working on brakes or a fighter jet.

Gloves, Eye protection... Rust in the eye sucks. Sliced and diced hands suck. Protect em, and you dont have these problems!

Oils (tools in my book...) you need a steady supply of "PB Blaster" it climbs walls, loosens most stuff...
You need antiseize, dont use it on wheel studs... just dont!
You need loctite, red and blue... dont use green... really... dont use it!
You need Brake cleaner, its carb cleaner that doesnt leave any residue!
You need carb cleaner, its for carbs, and engines... and firing up old lawn mowers when your out of starting fluid
You need ATF/motor oil... drop your clunky ratchet in some motor oil and in a couple days it will work like new... if you have a ratchet thats on the line of death and usefulness, it can extend it!
You need Starting fluid...
You need WD-40... works great on rubber, a little goes a long way to getting that darned o-ring onto something...
You need this stuff called top engine cleaner that GM makes for cleaning carbon out of engines, and taking all stains and gold coloring off of carbs!

If you want to go hi-tech, you can use electrolosis baths for removing rust, but I'm not going there...

Stick with high end industrial grade electric tools (MR.Vette hit on this...) Buy the BEST sawblades you can afford. Buy the BEST hole saws you can afford. Buy the BEST sand paper (3m) that you can afford. Buy the BEST Drill bits you can afford! (This is REAL REAL important... NO ONE likes dull bits!)

The old addage buy cheap, pay for it twice, pay your respects and use it awhile longer... works for "expendables" This means shop clothes, motor oil, tools, sand paper... you buy the best you can afford (if your work warrants it) and the stuff lasts longer!

For Files... Craftsman makes em, snapon sells em... but diamond lasts a good long while, this is one of those ones where ya just say... oh well they work! (Kind of like vice grips... not expensive... but they do the job!)

If you have to borrow a tool twice in your life, you should go ahead and buy it... If you have to lend a tool twice a year, you need to buy a cheap-o knockoff to loan out! IE... would you loan a chain saw to that lady down the street that doesnt know how to open the hood on her car? No... would you loan your best set of screwdrivers for her to use as a chisel? HECK NO!

Next... is to find a way to keep them organized...

I like boxes, some guys like an assortment of plastic boxes... I like roll arounds. Get a top box for your sockets... put your sockets on socket slides. Get a top box that has drawers that can hold your extensions, ratchets, flex joints...

Get a middle box that can hold screw drivers, files, wire brushes, hand wrenches...

Get a bottom box that has room for your power tools in the bottom, either deep drawers or a cabinet deal. You'll probably find yourself putting electronics stuff together, air tools together... etc. But, resist the urge to put the stuff you use most often at the bottom. If you just put something together and memorize the pattern, your pretty well stuck. If you use sockets most, put em up top... put the ratchets at the easiest drawer to see into on the top box. If you use the screw drivers almost as often as the sockets, put em in the top drawer of the middle box. If ya use box wrenches next, put em in the drawer below the screw drivers. If ya use the pliers/line cutters/vice grips and adjustable wrenches almost as much as the above... put em on the bottom drawer of the top middle box. Etc. The big deal is more motion working on the car, less moving/leaning over.

When setting up the shop, dont do it by space available. Do it by the number of steps! If you have to take 30 steps to get the next socket, move the box closer. :yesnod:

If ya cant tell... I'm a kindasewer of fine tools :jester

If nothing else, get some good deer hide gloves, some decent ansi spec safety glasses. A good pair of jeans and some ear muffs. If you arent going to protect your you (ya only get one...) ya might as well forget about the grade of tools your going to work with... :yesnod:

 

Not wanting to wearout my keyboard. :lol:

I'll keep it simple. I buy Craftsman. :thumbs:

 

:rofl: :lolg: LOL Dwayne :) I was thinking.. Tim... is that you???

Nice writeup and I have a little bit to add about the ingersoll rand plastic cased impact wrench. fohgeddaboudit, it's junk compared to all the metal cased ones. I had one and I destroyed it in 5 hours. I keep my stuff well oiled (have oiler and dryers on my setup) and the gun gradually lost power and began to hesitate. I now have a metal cased one and it's much much better.

As for impact sockets and non impact sockets, there's a difference in the retainer groove too that makes the impact ones harder to get off, still it's not smart to trigger the gun with the socket on it while not engaged on a bolt. A flying socket quite spectacular :)